When it was initially released by First Comics in 1984, Mars was a cutting edge work, a shocking and imaginative departure from what was already an artistically impressive line-up of talent and properties. In the course of its 12-issue run, creators Mark Wheatley (Frankenstein Mobster, Hammer of the Gods) and Marc Hempel (Sandman, Gregory) established themselves as creative dynamos, and found they had fans among some of the top creators in comics and science fiction.
Jamie Hernandez (Love & Rockets), Will Eisner and author Andre Norton were among those who let them know they were fans. But one of the risks of being cutting edge is being too far ahead of the mainstream. In the time since its release, both creators have gone on to numerous other successful and critically acclaimed projects, but they still find creators complimenting them on the influence Mars had. They've also had many fans, critics and historians have suggest that Mars was 20 years ahead of its time. Now it's 21 years later and Mars is back, collected for the first time in a new complete volume from IDW Publishing. Mars will be released as full-color 288-page trade paperback and a signed and numbered hardcover in August 2005.
In the story, a six-member team comprised of explorers and engineers are sent to Mars with a goal to terraform the red planet. Upon completion of the initial procedure all communication with Earth is lost and the team of terraformers must make a decision that will not only forever change their lives but perhaps the future of the human race.
To read the rest of the story [and I highly recommend it], visit
http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=8734&si=122
