Shatner. Joins Free. Comic Book. Day

The "William Shatner Presents" comic series at Bluewater Productions will blast off with a special one-shot collectors edition in honor of FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this spring.

Free Comic Book Day will take place on May 2^nd. It is an annual promotion sponsored by Diamond Distributors, where participating comic book shops around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores. Bluewater Productions and iconic actor/novelist William Shatner are providing a free 32-page comic specifically for the occasion. The highlight of the book is an original story prologue from the upcoming Tek War series.

This 12-page prequel takes place four years before the initial storyline. The story centers on protagonist Jake Cardigan's arrest and conviction for murder, as well as Tek trafficking. The story also leaves several clues as to important plot points in the series. We get an insider's look at the Tek War universe and the history behind Jake's troubled past.

The book also features previews of the other Shatner-based comic series - Quest for Tomorrow and Man O' War - as well as a sneak-peek of the yet-untitled original story developed by Shatner.

We are also pleased to announce the writing/art teams of the different series. William Shatner will be producing and editing each of the series with Craig Nevius. On top of these three series, Shatner will be debuting the fourth in this FCBD one-shot. It will be a brand new creation for both Shatner and Bluewater!

THE TEK WAR CHRONICLES
ARTIST: Erich Owens (Star Trek)
WRITER: Scott Davis (Ray Harryhausen: 20 Million Miles More, War of the Elementals)

SYNOPSIS:
Tek War, William Shatner's noir science-fiction detective novel, serves as the foundation of this new comic book series. Set in the 22^nd Century, the storyline loosely follows the original tale in the first novel of the series. Jake Cardigan is a police officer wrongly convicted of a crime and suddenly released from prison to find an enigmatic scientist involved in the drug trade on behalf of a mysterious benefactor.

Fans of the novel series will recognize many familiar characters and be introduced to a new rogues gallery, as well. It's a rollercoaster ride of plot twists and turns, as we get closer and closer to the ultimate secret of the digital drug called Tek.

QUEST FOR TOMORROW
ARTIST: James R. Howard
WRITER: David McIntee (novelist: Star Trek & Dr Who)
Comic books: Ray Harryhausen's: Jason and the Argonauts

SYNOPSIS:
This story works as both a new interpretation of the Quest For Tomorrow trilogy, and as an extension. It's not going to be a radical remake (such as the new Battlestar Galactica), but more of a back-to-basics reinvigoration. The book features Jim, who has become a fan favorite. The fast-paced, action-oriented plot is steeped in matters of family and identity, and tackles issues of social relevance, such as the demonization of youth.

MAN O' WAR
ARTIST: Patrick Broderick (DC Comics artist – Firestorm, Green Lantern)
WRITER: C.J. Henderson (novelist Man O' War & Jack Hagee; comics: The Phantom & Kolchak)

SYNOPSIS:
In the near future, the population of the Earth has lumbered past the ten billion mark. Most of the planet's natural resources are dwindling or gone. The only thing keeping the ever-increasing masses of Earth alive are the vast food vats of Mars and the mining operations of the asteroid belts. But the promised rewards for those who 30 years earlier went to the stars to save humanity have never materialized. Instead of a new world to homestead, the colonists have been turned into virtual slaves by Red Planet, Inc. - the corporation granted the charter to develop Mars.

Now, cheated, lied to, with no hope in sight, the Martian colony has begun to boil with talk of strikes and revolution. A stop in production would mean riots and chaos on Earth, billions dead in a matter of weeks. It would mean war, plague, and famine at levels never before known. Into this most explosive political situation is thrust Benton Hawkes, the most trusted diplomatic negotiator alive. All sides agree he is the only man to be trusted to avert a catastrophe which could bring destruction to the entire solar system.

But, for bitter reasons of his own, Hawkes wants nothing to do with Mars. And, on top of that, there are those who don't want to see the situation calmed - and who will do nothing to stop Hawkes from interfering with their plans.

Don't forget to drop by your local comics shop on May 2^nd to pick up your free comic books!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009