I can’t properly express to you how proud I am to finally reveal WAYWARD, my new creator-owned comic series being published by Image Comics starting in August.

This is the first new creator-owned project I’ve launched since Skullkickers in 2010. So much has changed in the past four years and I’m incredibly excited about showing readers a whole new side to my storytelling.

Artist Steve Cummings, colorist John Rauch, and I are working really hard to create an engaging and bombastic supernatural series about myth, magic, and finding friends who will stand by you against all odds.

Expect to see a slew of interviews, previews, and drum beating here as we build towards the launch. In an industry where everyone is trying to get your attention I’ll need to push harder than ever before in order to stand out on the shelf beside well known comic titles.

As always, I deeply appreciate your support and encouragement. If you like the way this story sounds, please, please consider sharing the info with your friends and pre-ordering a copy from your local comic retailer. It’s the best way to build up interest and ensure that we start off strong.

With everything else whirling all around me and convention season well under way, I’m electrified and nervous. It’s a great time to launch a new creator-owned comic.

Here’s the official press release that went out today:

THE PERFECT NEW SERIES FOR WAYWARD BUFFY FANS Can Rori unlock the secret to her powers in time to fight mythological monsters?

Writer Jim Zub (SKULLKICKERS, Samurai Jack) teams up with penciler Steve Cummings (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot) and color artist John Rauch (INVINCIBLE) to create a Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a new generation in WAYWARD, coming from Image Comics in August.

Rori Lane is an outsider by nature, but moving to Tokyo to live with her single Mom has only exacerbated her weirdness. She’s feeling out of sorts, worried about fitting in and, as if that wasn’t enough, strange things are begining to happen. Glowing symbols and patterns are starting to appear before her eyes… and she’s the only one who seems to notice.

“Wayward is a coming of age story filled with mystery and emotion. It’s also an ass-kicking joy ride with teenagers beating the hell out of Japanese mythological monsters,” said Zub. “Steve and I built this series from the ground up to play to both our strengths. I can’t wait for people to see what we have planned.”

In WAYWARD a group of teens living in Tokyo find a common bond in manifesting strange, supernatural abilities. As they begin to unravel the mystery behind their powers and their common source they’re drawn into a war with the vestiges of Japan’s monstrous mythic past.

WAYWARD #1 arrives in stores on 8/27, and will be available for $3.50 with special variant covers by Alina Urusov (Birds of Prey), Jeff “Chamba” Cruz (Street Fighter), and Adam Warren (Empowered).

—

And here, in case you missed it, is the teaser we put out on Monday…