Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the number of worldwide subscribers to the online World of Warcraft MMORPG has now surpassed 9 million.  The World of Warcraft debuted in North America in late November of 2004 and it quickly became the best-selling PC game of 2005 and 2006.  WoW's Burning Crusade Expansion, which debuted earlier this year (see 'World of Warcraft Expansion Delayed'), sold 2.4 million units in North America and Europe during its first 24 hours of release, and 3.5 million units during its first month.

Meanwhile DC Comics announced last week that it was planning to publish an on-going monthly World of Warcraft comic book, which will debut under DC's Wildstorm imprint this fall.  Veteran comic writer Walt Simonson will write the new WoW comic, which will feature art by Ludo Lullabi.  As is more and more the contemporary custom, the first six issues will feature two covers, one by top drawer comic book artist Jim Lee and one by Blizzard Entertainment Senior Art Director Samwise Didier.