Jim Lee teams up with Epic for Gears of War #9

Aside from my failure to keep up with the ongoing Gears of War comic prequel, there's some pretty great news for Gears and comic fanatics.  Jim Lee has signed on with Epic to illustrate the cover of issue #9, which will be available in July.

“Being a huge Gears of War fan, I couldn't pass the opportunity to draw a cover for the series, said Jim Lee.  “It’s the most visceral yet elegant game I've ever played, and I am thrilled to be able to contribute something new to the ever expanding mythos of Gears!”

You said it, Jim Lee, sir!  Lee also had a hand in creating the aesthetics for Sony's upcoming MMO DC Universe Online.

This issue of Gears of War, like all the others, will be written by Capps and Joshua Ortega, lead author for the comic series and writer for Gears of War 2.  Interior pages will be done by Liam Sharp, and that's nothing to shake a stick at either.  An alternate cover will also be available, done by Epic Games' lead art director Chris Perna.

“We’re quite pleased with the continued success of the Gears of War comic that kicked off with the widely distributed premiere issue,” said Hank Kanalz, VP and general manager of WildStorm.  “We hope to maintain that momentum, leading up to the collected hardcover edition releasing later this year.”

Hardcover edition?  Holy crap, sign me up.