Broken Frontier

There are costumed superheroes who are pure of mind, altruistic in purpose, and serve as role models to children. and then there is the Badger. And while IDW Publishing has long held to their plan of doing non-superhero titles and filling a different niche within the comic book marketplace, so, too, did the Badger occupy a different space among the superhero set. Therefore, it only makes sense that these two entities would meet and pair up, which is exactly what they plan to do come November.

IDW Publishing is proud to announce they will return creator Mike Baron's classic-and quite mentally unstable-character to comics in a two-pronged attack. Starting in November, IDW will release trade paperback collections of The Complete Badger, reprinting the series from its start at Capital Comics through its long, distinguished run at First Comics. Volume 1 , available in November, will offer the first six issues of the book by Baron and artist Jeff Butler. Baron will also provide a new introduction for the first volume.

Badger will return in monthly comics in an all-new, five-part miniseries, also penned by Baron, this time featuring art by Neil "Bannen" Hansen and Kevin Caron. The book will feature covers by Badger vets Brian Murray and Hanson. Of the new Badger: Ceremony , Baron says, "Ceremony is about everything-world politics, theology, modern psychiatry, druidism, martial arts, dead actors, couples relations, taxonomy, acting, the essence of friendship and the nature of art."

But first, also in November, Baron and Bannen weigh in with "Bull!" an all-new Badger one-shot computer enhanced and pumped full of fractals to give Vegans heartburn and bring new readers up to speed.

Following "Bull," the five-part Ceremony begins with "Dog Killer," followed by "The Ballad of Chastity Slut," "The Honey Badger," "The Mercy Tax," and "The Big Finish."

In the series, mercenary Pavlov Possum sends a dog to kill the mayor of Milwaukee. Pavlov's "sacrifices" are interfering with Ham's business, so Badger goes after Pavlov, gets himself arrested and things go downhill. Along the way, we see some familiar faces, get glimpses into Ham's past, and just try to hang on as things get out of hand. The story starts small. But it gets big.

The Complete Badger, Vol. 1 and Badger: Bull! #1 launch in November 2007. Badger: Ceremony #1 launches in December.