You know what’s great about searching through the new releases each week? Finding a comic by a friend of mine that I want to recommend.

It’s a one-shot anthology from DC Comics, Weird War Tales #1, and it’s got a story in it by my pal, Jan Strnad. There’s also stuff by Darwyn Cooke and Ivan Brandon and art by Cooke, Nic Klein and Gabriel Hardman, and a cover by Cooke as well. But Jan’s story is the one I want to read first.

According to Jan, “Joey Cavalieri hired me to write a Spirit story for Richard Corben and also offered us the Weird War job.”

Corben turned down the Weird War story, leaving Jan’s script orphaned. But not for long, says Jan. “Joey still liked the story and said he had a fantastic artist for it. I was skeptical but Gabriel Hardman did a great job…I couldn’t be happier!”

Jan Strnad is a frequent collaborator of Corben, and he’s also written many a comic sans Corben, including stuff for Marvel, DC (Sword of the Atom), tons of stuff for Warren, lots of Star Wars comics for Dark Horse (X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Star Wars Republic: Prelude to Oblivion) and one of my favorite alternative comics, a forgotten classic called Dalgoda with artist Dennis Fujitake.

Jan’s also written novels and animated TV shows – you’ll see his name on cool stuff like Darkwing Duck. He’s even got a horror-filled ebook out now called Risen (which I read the old-fashioned way in manuscript form and it scared the download out of me even then).

Weird War Tales #1 goes on sale this week, and I’m going to get it. I suggest that you do too.

Jan, by the way, taught me how to write comics – sitting down with me on several occasions as I worked through drafts of my first script, beating structure into me, teaching me format, etc. I am eternally grateful for the education.

[Artwork: Darwyn Cooke’s cover to Weird War Tales #1, © DC Entertainment]