Comics: Mars Attacks-Red Sonja crossover; Mayim Bialik's DC anthology; Warhammer 40,000

The ACK-ing, big-brained aliens of Mars Attacks are crossing over with the battled-hardened, scantily clad warriors of Red Sonja in a new crossover series from Dynamite Entertainment.

Writer John Layman (Chew) and artist Fran Strukan (The Shape of Elvira) "will chronicle the untold tale of when the dastardly Martians invaded Hyrkania during the Hyborian Age," per the release. Valentina Briški is handling colors, while Taylor Esposito takes on the lettering.

"This is a book I actively pushed Dynamite to do, and I bugged them and bugged them until they finally approved it because I wouldn’t go away," Layman said in a statement. "I’m a HUGE fan of both properties, and the idea of mixing violent barbarian sword and sorcery with ultra-violent over-the-top retro sci-fi is simply irresistible to me."

"It’s really amazing the amount of luck a person can have," added Strukan. "Growing up with certain characters and then one day ... WHAM! You’re doing a crossover between some of the most beloved things from your childhood. All of that, and with a veteran writer (and fellow decapitation lover) John at the helm, it’s impossible to express the amount of excitement I have for this book."

Going on sale in August, Issue #1 will feature a host of variant covers by Lucio Parrillo, Dustin Nguyen, Arthur Suydam, Luca Strati, Barry Kitson, and Alan Quah. You can check them all out (along with a few interior pages) in the gallery below. See if you can spot the homages to Forbidden Planet and the original Mars Attacks trading cards, particularly #21: "Prize Captive."

This isn't Dynamite's first Mars Attacks-related crossover. Last summer, the publisher pitted the ray-gun-loving aliens against John Carter of Mars.

Superheroes and scientific facts collide in an upcoming DC Comics anthology graphic novel curated by The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik, Ph.D. Aimed at readers aged between 8-12, Flash Facts is chock-full of short, illustrated stories that touch on a variety of S.T.E.M. topics like what’s at the bottom of the sea, why polar ice melts, and which tools forensic scientists use to solve a crime.

The book features not only famous DC characters, but the work of writers and artists like Michael Northrop (Dear Justice League), Dustin Hansen (Microsaurs), Cecil Castellucci (Batgirl), Kirk Scroggs (The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid), Corinna Bechko, Sholly Fisch, Amanda Deibert, Vita Ayala, Amy Chu, and others who have yet to be confirmed.

Check out the front cover and a few interiors in the gallery below:

Flash Facts goes on sale Feb. 2, 2021, for $9.99. You can pre-order a copy right here.

After announcing their parnership last fall, Marvel and Games Workshop have unveiled the cover art for a Warhammer 40,000 comic by Kieron Gillen (Uncanny X-Men) and Jacen Burrows (Punisher: Soviet). The story is set to reveal the never-before-told origin of Ultramarine leader Marneus Calgar.

"If I said, ‘Getting to explore the roots of Marneus Calgar and setting the stage for Marvel's Warhammer comics is a dream come true,’ I would be betraying everything this grim future should be since ‘dream’ implies the possibility of hope," Gillen told Marvel.com. "But getting to do this is the sort of thing Slaanesh would wave in my direction if she wanted me coming over to the tentacle-y side."

"Kieron’s depth of Warhammer knowledge, mixed with his extraordinary comic writing skill, has delivered a unique series that further expands upon the already massive 40K lore. As huge comic fans ourselves we couldn’t be more excited about this first expression of our partnership with Marvel," added Jon Gillard, Games Workshop’s Global Head of Licensing.

Credit: Marvel Comics

The miniature tabletop game has certainly come a long way since it hit the scene in the late '80s. It now exists as a multimedia franchise made up of Titan comics, novels, video games, a feature film, and an in-the-works television show.