Jonathan Hickman Invades ComiXology

isn't the only indie comics darling making his day-and-date digital debut this afternoon. Jonathan Hickman, who has distinguished himself at Marvel in the last few years but who is still best-known to many fans for his creator-owned work, debuts The Manhattan Projects #1 from Image today--but that wasn't quite enough for Hickman. He also released Test Pattern, a massive, digital-only collected editionthat serves as essentially The Hickman Omnibus Volume 1. Hickman's Image works The Nightly News, Pax Romana, Transhuman, A Red Mass for Mars, and The Red Wing are all included in the $35 collection that's meant as either a way for longtime fans to cheaply build their digital collection or a great jumping-on point for those unfamliar with Hickman's non-superhero work. "The Test Pattern collection is an amazing way to introduce fans to Jonathan's recent back catalog all in one shot," says comiXology CEO and Co-founder David Steinberger in a press release. "Getting creator owned comics into the hands of new readers is a top priority for us and as a long-time fan of Jonathan's work myself, I couldn't be happier!" The collection is also accompanied by a free sampler you can try before you buy, which includes the first issue of each of the series included in Test Pattern. "As an innovator in the world of digital comics, comiXology is the logical place to release the entire back catalog of my creator-owned work along with my latest work, The Manhattan Projects. Digital is here to stay, and I look forward to finding a whole new audience with these projects and with comiXology," Hickman said in an Image Comics press release.