For those of you who are into comics, there's a lot of buzz being generated by a new 8-part series written by Neil Gaiman for Marvel. Called 1602 it's an 8-part comic where the Marvel universe comes into being approximately 500 years before its current incarnation. Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove are doing the art, with covers by Scott McKowen. At a recent press conference, reported by Comic Book Resources Gaiman et al talked about the series and what they hope to accomplish. Here's a summary from Mr. Gaiman himself:

"1602 is an 8-issue mini, set in a Marvel Universe in which, for reasons which will take a while to uncover, the whole Marvel Universe is starting to occur 500 years early: Sir Nicholas Fury is head of the Queen's Intelligence, Dr Stephen Strange is her court physician (and magician), the Inquisition is torturing "witchbreed", many of whom have taken sanctuary in England under the wing of Carlos Javier, and now a mysterious treasure — which may be a weapon of some kind — is being sent from Jerusalem to England by the last of the Templars. Something that may save the world, or destroy it, which has already attracted the attention of such people as Count Otto Von Doom (known as "The Handsome")..."

Marvel is pipping DC's new Sandman series, Endless Nights - also written by Gaiman - at the post. This is a seven-part series which starts in September, and will be drawn by seven different artists including the excellent Glen Fabry and Frank Quitely. As usual, Dave McKean will be doing the covers. It's Gaiman's first return to the hugely-popular Sandman universe in some time, and is bound to be successful for DC's Vertigo line.