First Comics and Zen Intergalactic Ninja Are Back

Zen Intergalactic Ninja, the blue-skinned alien hero who has appeared in over 100 comic book issues and spawned videogames and action figures, is returning to comics shops in a monthly new series. The first issue of Zen: Hard Bounty will be in retailers’ hands on Comic Book Wednesday, October 28. Also shipping that week is the trade paperback collection Best of Zen, featuring fully remastered stories from across the character’s over thirty year publishing history.

The Zen: Hard Bounty limited series is written by Zen co-creator Steve Stern and illustrated by Marvel and DC artist Marat Mychaels.

Zen: Hard Bounty is being published by the re-launched 1First Comics, the legendary independent Chicagocomics company which began when the only comics publishers were Marvel and DC. Focusing on fantasy, science fiction, action-adventure, humor, and with many titles aimed at younger or female readers or which were “family friendly,” over its iconic first run 1First Comics won both a RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and Harvey Award, was the first to bring a translated manga series into North America (Lone Wolf and Cub), published the first graphic novels, was first to translate theater and fantasy fiction into comic art, and had a string of consecutive hits unmatched by any independent comic publisher (including Warp, E-Man, Starslayer, Jon Sable Freelance, The Black Flame, Nexus, American Flagg, and The Badger). 1First Comics returns to comic shop distribution in September with more than 30 titles over the next eight months under a joint imprint created with Chicago’s other comic book company, Devil’s Due Entertainment.

Zen: Hard Bounty finds ZEN on the trail of a notorious killer, an assignment that proves one of the toughest of his star-spanning career. Mychaels, who has worked on such characters as Marvel’s Deadpool and Grifter for DC, said, “Illustrating Zen was number one on my bucket list.” Ken F. Levin, 1First Comics’ Director of Creative Development, said, “We have always wanted to add Zen Intergalactic Ninja to the 1First Comics family – spectacular art with wide audience stories – and now that he’s joined us we couldn’t be happier.”