First Ron Marz/Bart Sears Comics From Ominous Announced By IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing has solicited the first issue of Dread Gods, the debut title from IDW's partnership with Ominous Press.

The series, written by Ron Marz and featuring art and covers by Marvel veteran Tom Raney and '90s sensation Bart Sears, will reportedly appeal to the same sensibilities as their Crossgen work.

Retailer incentive variants will feature covers by former Superman artist Kenneth Rocafort and legendary comics artist Neal Adams.

Sears, who is currently crowdfunding a book collecting his Brutes & Babes how-to-draw shorts from Wizard magazine, created the property, which IDW describes as "gods and monsters unleashed on a fantastic landscape." Dread Gods will be the first title in a shared Ominous Universe, which will feature new characters as well as characters who debuted in Ominous Press either years ago or in some of their more recent self-distributed titles.

Ominous Press had a brief, initial life in the mid-'90s, before the crash of the comic market brought down so many fledgling publishers. Now Ominous Press has returned, releasing all-new material through IDW beginning in July. Ominous Press is comprised of Chief Creative Officer Bart Sears, Publisher Sean HusVar, Editor-in-Chief Ron Marz, and Art Director Andy Smith.

In Dread Gods, gods in a fantasy world discover they're actually monsters in a post-apocalyptic hell; "Giantkillers." The series tells the story of a broken warrior who must protect a child destined to be the universe's last hope against the ultimate villain.

Nex up will be Demi-God, written by Ron Marz and drawn by Andy Smith, about a fame-seeking hero gaining great power, but forgetting the great responsibility part.

"Telling your own stories, the way you want to tell them, is the dream of everyone creating comics," said Sears. "Ominous Press partnering with IDW gives all of us the chance to do just that. These are the kind of epic stories we grew up on, the kind of stories that made us want to create comics in the first place."

Ominous Press Publisher Sean HusVar said, "I'm so pleased that Ominous has become part of the IDW family. We couldn't ask for a better home, and I have every confidence that this will be a long and prosperous partnership."

Each title will initially launch as a four-issue mini-series. Each series stands alone, intended to be read independently, but with connecting plot threads that create a larger canvas.

"Ron, Bart, Andy, Tom and the rest of the Ominous team are bringing something to IDW that any publisher would desire – powerful storytelling," said Hedgecock. "When you have books of unmitigated quality matched with some of the industry's brightest talents, telling a powerful story, the thought of NOT publishing these stories would be ludicrous!"

Ominous Press will have a presence with IDW at July's Comic-Con International as the publishing line launches.

You can see the solicitation text below.

Dread Gods #1—Cover A: Tom Raney
Ron Marz (w) • Tom Raney, Bart Sears(a) • Tom Raney (c)
Ominous Press launches with the first of three limited series set in a science-fiction/fantasy universe of epic heroes and insidious villains. In DREAD GODS, gods in a fantasy world discover they're actually monsters in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Acclaimed creators Ron Marz and Tom Raney join with art master Bart Sears to usher in adventure like no other! Includes a backup tale by Bart Sears, and a wealth of added content.
*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.
FC • 48 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 7/26/17

Dread Gods #1—Cover B: Bart Sears
Ron Marz (w) • Tom Raney, Bart Sears (a) • Bart Sears (c)
*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.
FC • 48 pages • $3.99
Expected in-store date: 7/26/17

*Retailer incentives:
Order 10 copies, get one free Kenneth Rocafort variant!
Order 25 copies, get one Neal Adams variant!