Lost Souls and Dream Police Return!

[Jan]

Just announced at Image Expo, JMS will be bringing back both Dream Police and The Book of Lost Souls. Colleen Doran has confirmed that she's doing the art for Lost Souls and Bleeding Cool reports that Mike Deodato will be returning to Dream Police but I don't have confirmation of that.

Colleen had already drawn issue #7 when JMS parted ways with Marvel (who owns the Icon label) so that may be the one we see first.

I'm so excited! I loved both of these very different titles.

Jan

[Jan]

Oooh. Colleen posted new Lost Souls art:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151471105501314&set=a.412639441313.193182.311416896313&type=1&theater

And CBR posted Dream Police art:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?disp=img&pid=1372792357

Artist for Dream Police will be Sid Kotian Per CBR interview:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46407

Jan

[Ubik]

Nice.

That's one hell of a work load JMS is taking on! The man really is a machine.

[Jan]

In the "Joe's Counter" column at the back of today's TEN GRAND, a little more info:

- Colleen Doran is returning as artist for the first six issues. No word as to whether she'll do more.

Last night, in answer to a question on FB from a reader who thought that issues 7-12 were competed but not released, JMS replied:

Only 7 was drawn. If we start with 7, coming out of nowhere, a book that was meant to be in continuity with issue 6, almost no one, certainly no new readers, are going to know what the heck is going on. The original print run on BoLS was very small and you can only find copies of that run on Ebay if you really go looking for them and we can't expect Marvel to reissue them to help Image. That's simply not a viable platform to relaunch the book.

That story will be told at the appropriate time...it's part of the Book of Lost Souls universe and tapestry so it will eventually come out... but this new launch has to be new-reader friendly or it's just not going to work.

Back to 'Joe's Counter', we learn that Dream Police will be a twelve-issue relaunch.

Also last night, in response to some reports that Deodato was returning to do the book, JMS posted:

Some wrong news reports. Sid Kotian not Deodato is the artist on the relaunched Dream Police.

Exciting times!!

Jan

[Jan]

Found a tweet from Colleen Doran at NYCC:

Also had great meeting with J Michael Straczynski today about Book of Lost Souls. Can't say much, but am very excited and happy about the news.

Not heavy on news/details but it's nice to know this is moving forward.

Jan

[Jan]

Nestled in the funny blurb of JMS' appearance at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con is this little nugget:

...and the relaunch of Dream Police that's going to happen at Comic-Con 2014

Woo-Hoo!

Jan

[Jan]

On the other hand, it may debut at Chicago Comic-Con instead. In this item,
(SPOILERS if you follow the link) http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/01/21...mage-in-april/

This April, Image Comics is hoping fans will join Dream Police Detectives Joe Thursday (not Joe Friday from Dragnet) and Frank Stanford as they patrol the dreamscape in Dream Police, written by J. Michael Straczynski with art by Sid Kotian.

I wonder if Dream is coming at one con and Lost Souls at the other?

Jan

[Jan]

Found the full press release:

Press release:

DREAM POLICE IS A MYSTERIOUS, FANTASY SERIES SURE TO INTRIGUE READERS
Crime, changelings, nightwalkers, and police detectives that uncover more than they bargained for

Join Dream Police Detectives Joe Thursday and Frank Stanford as they patrol the dreamscape in DREAM POLICE, written by J. Michael Straczynski (TEN GRAND, PROTECTORS, INC.) with art by Sid Kotian.

Joe and Frank have been partners for as long as they can remember, patrolling the alternate universe of dreams, nightmares, and the great void beyond, an alternate but very real dimension of changelings, echoes, wisps, ethers, and nightwalkers, those that died in their sleep and wander the dreamscape forever.

The Dream Police have seen it all. But when Frank steps away and disappears… and the woman who returns says she’s Joe’s partner, that she’s always been Joe’s partner… he begins a journey into the unknown that will shake the dreaming down to its very foundation.

While growing up, Straczynski moved 20 times by the time he was 17. This lack of continuity as a child led him to imagine his own “hometown,” a community that he patched together with different memories from all the different places he’d tried to settle, and visited only in his dreams. “I've been fascinated with the idea that the dreamscape is a real place, stitched together from echoes of the physical world, where we go to find some measure of relief, or adventure, or understanding,” said Straczynski. “If that's the case, then there has to be some means of providing order and protecting dreamers from danger… which led me to the notion of the Dream Police.”

DREAM POLICE is more than just a crime series. Each issue does world building and allows readers to get to know more than just the police that inhabit the dream community. “The book delves into the other characters who live in the dreamscape,” said Straczynski. “The architects (who design environments on the fly as needed by dreamers), changeling and echoes (who play the parts of people we know), nightmares (figures both frightening and deeply tragic) and others who serve a higher power.”

The first issue of DREAM POLICE arrives in stores on 4/30 and will be available for $2.99. Cover A (by Sid Kotian & Bill Farmer) can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code: FEB140494. Cover B (by Renae Deliz & Ray Dillon) can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code: FEB140495.

[Jan]

JMS posted some cool promo art fro Dream Police:

https://www.facebook.com/139652459402959/photos/a.141141352587403.20034.139652459402959/725622774139255/?type=1&theater

I like the moon phase detail on the badge - nice touch.

I asked how many issues this one would be:

Twelve for the first arc. Alone will be six. Will probably push Book of Lost Souls from July to the Fall to give it proper time to get done.

Jan