Nexus, the indy superhero created by Mike Baron and Steve Rude, is returning to the direct market in a two-part series published by Alien Books.

Nexus: Scourge, by Baron and artist Kelsey Shannon, was first published as an original, 56-page graphic novel funded by a Kickstarter campaign that ultimately pulled in $26,840 from 564 backers (see “Mike Baron’s ‘Nexus’ Kickstarter”).  Alien will release it as two 32-page comics, with the first due out on December 18, 2024.  Both will have an MSRP of $4.99; Kickstarter backers paid $25 for the graphic novel.  The first issue will have a cover by Shannon and variants by Canaan White and Peter Orchard.

The story, which mixes sci-fi with superheroics, pits Nexus against an unknown foe who appears to be destroying the universe by making the planets disappear.

"Nexus found its success in big part thanks to the support of comic shop retailers," Baron said in a statement accompanying the announcement.  "We knew that we wanted Nexus: Scourge to return to the direct market to continue that proud tradition of being available in comic shops, so it was all about finding the right publishing partner to help us do that.  When we connected with Matias [Timarchi] at Alien Books and heard his enthusiasm and passion for the character, we knew right away it was a good fit."

Click Gallery below for covers and artwork!