Bad Idea, the new publishing venture founded by former Valiant executives Dinesh Shamdasani, Warren Simons and Hunter Gorinson, have announced their first five titles will launch from March 2021. The books consist of the already announced “ENIAC” by Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite, as well as “Tankers” by Robert Venditti and Juan Jose Ryp; “Whalesville” by Kindt and Adam Pollina; “The Lot” by Marguerite Bennett and Renato Guedes; and “Slay Bells” by Zeb Wells and David Lafuente. Here are the covers and descriptions for each comic:
“ENIAC” #1 (of 4)
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Doug Braithwaite
Colored by Diego RodriguezSeventy-seven years ago, the United States unlocked the key to defeating the Axis powers, but, in their desperation to end the war, created a far more powerful threat: ENIAC (Electronic Numerator Integrator and Computer), the world’s first supercomputer. ENIAC’s calculations proved vital to turning the tide against Germany and Japan – until it ordered the second atomic bomb to be dropped on Nagasaki without any human order or approval. America had inadvertently created the first artificial intelligence without ever realizing the full extent of its abilities…or its ambitions. For the more than 50 years that followed, ENIAC manipulated global affairs from the shadows, waging a cold war that pitted spy against spy, nation against nation…until it went dark and disappeared from view. Now, years later, an encrypted countdown has just been detected in Earth’s satellite network and mankind only has three days left before ENIAC executes its endgame. With few options and even less time, the Secretary of Defense has just given two covert operatives the most important mission in human history: kill ENIAC… before it kills us.
FOUR ISSUES // MONTHLY
BEGINNING MARCH 2021
“Tankers” #1 (of 3)
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Juan Jose Ryp
Colored by Jordie BellaireThe CEO of global energy conglomerate Greenleaf Oil has just discovered a terrifying secret: the planet only has a decade or less of petroleum left before it’s gone forever. But he has a plan to make sure his great-great grandchildren can continue to generate maximum shareholder value – and secure his own legacy in the process. Rather than develop a game-changing renewable energy source through the power of corporate innovation, Greenleaf has perfected the next best thing – time travel (duh) – so that a team of six field-rat contractors armed to the teeth in individually customized mech suits can go back to the Cretaceous Period, tweak the trajectory of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, and give mankind another 500 millennia worth of oil reserves. What could go wrong? Only all of human history, of course – because when Greenleaf’s team of Tankers come home, they’ll discover that not only did the dinosaurs never die out, they’ve kept evolving for another 60 million years…and they’re more pissed off than ever.
THREE ISSUES // DOUBLE-SIZED // BI-MONTHLY
BEGINNING APRIL 2021
“Whalesville” #1
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Adam Pollina
Colored by Matt HollingsworthWhen young Wawae – the seaborn son of a whaling captain – is thrown overboard and swallowed whole by a whale, he knows his father will relentlessly pursue revenge against the creature that stole away his boy. What he didn’t expect, however, is what he’s about to find inside: the town of “Whalesville” – a colorful, cobbled-together village inhabited by an astounding collection of talking sea creatures, including a crab named Caleb, an angler fish called Angela, and a sea dragon that prefers to go by Lilly. But, to Wawae’s new friends, Whalesville isn’t just their home, it’s the whole world – and they
don’t understand the danger that now pursues them from above the waves or that they are even inside a whale at all. To rescue his new best buddies, Wawae will have to convince them of the truth… and save Whalesville before his own father sends them sinking into the inky depths forever.WHALE-SIZED ONE-SHOT
ON SALE MAY 2021
“The Lot” #1 (of 4)
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Art by Renato GuedesIn 1970, legendary filmmaker Oliver Larsen began production on his latest horror masterpiece on the lot of Los Angeles’ famed Cloverleaf Studios. Obsessed with bringing authenticity to the genre, the director insisted on casting real-life occultists to perform a genuine Satanic ritual live on camera – until something went horribly wrong. In the bloody aftermath, the production was shut down, the footage was confiscated, and the soundstage was forever shuttered.
Until today.
On the heels of a promotion that’s just made her the youngest studio chief in decades, Aviva Copeland is planning to overhaul Cloverleaf’s fading image for the 21st century – starting with the prime piece of California real estate that’s gone unused for 50 years: the very same lost soundstage where Larsen filmed his doomed masterpiece. But, as Aviva will soon discover, this corner of the lot may have been closed for a half-century, but it’s far from empty… and the evil that lives within its haunted walls will soon seize its chance to kill again.
FOUR ISSUES // MONTHLY
ON SALE JULY 2021
“Slay Bells” #1
Written by Zeb Wells
Art by David Lafuente
Coloring by Ulises ArreolaEvery Christmas Eve, little Bobby Hamilton and his father rise at dawn for an early morning hunting trip. It was their favorite tradition – until they accidentally killed a certain red-nosed reindeer. They should have known better. They shouldn’t have tried to cover it up. Because Santa Claus knows that they’ve been naughty – and, now like so many fragile Christmas ornaments violently shaken free, the yuletide peace of a quaint Midwestern farming hamlet will forever be shattered as Old Saint Nick comes to town to reap the sweetest gift of all: vengeance.
SANTA-SIZED ONE-SHOT
ON SALE JULY 2021
The publisher added some of these comics will contain bonus stories, such as the next chapter of Kindt and David Lapham’s “The Hero Trade” (which was released in an ashcan copy in participating stores earlier this month), and that future announcements will include comics by Mae Catt, Joshua Dysart, Tomas Giorello, Eric Heisserer, David Lapham, Lewis LaRosa, Jeff Lemire, Peter Milligan, and more. They also teased their own take on a shared universe.
All of these comics will each cost $3.99, and as previously stated by Bad Idea, will only be available at select stores, with no plans for digital releases or trade collections. The press release also states the comics are “crisply designed,” published in a “prestige-format package with deluxe matte laminate covers and heavy-duty interior paper stock.”
