Wow John, the 1st cover is just as (if not more so) busy as

What a strange sensation! To see on paper, at last, a scene that had been drifting around the periphery of my brain for fifteen years! I've talked before about how I don't like to read plots or scripts too much in advance of actually working on them, as I don't want the pages churning in my mind and potentially becoming stale before I put pencil to paper. I was, as you can imagine, a little worried about that happening with this issue -- but no! Everything has been as fresh as if it was only a month since I worked on 30. Not having devoted a whole lot of mental energy to the NEXT MEN since I downed tools all those years ago probably helped. I had the key points worked out, and I just set them aside, against the day when I might somehow be able to bring them to "life".

And now -- that 22nd page is finally real!

(Aside -- Dagnabbit! I have mentioned words I seem unable to type correctly first pass. "Cahir" for "chair" and the like. Seem "imagine" has now added itself to the list. Comes out "imagibe". $@%$!!!)

Hello John

Thanks for your answer about your fondness for time-travel. You seem to have quite a good literary culture and I've been wondering if you'd ever read René Barjavel's Le Voyageur Imprudent ("The careless Traveller" loosely translated in English "Future Times Three"). Of course Barjavel was himself an aficionado of Wells' Time Machine. The book was 1st published in France in 1943. Barjavel happens to be the very first French novelist who's explored the "Grandfather paradox" (If my grand father's killed, do I get to be born?...).

The story goes like this: a physicist and his young mathematician apprentice invent the 'noelite' substance that, once injected in a special submarine suit (hmmm, that reminds me of JBNM 30...) travel thru time. Once they've explored a de-humanized future that bores them they travel back in time. The mathematician, certain that the death of French Emperor Napoleon would save thousands of lives inadvertently kills a soldier who happens to be his ancestor. Not only does the mathematician vanishes into limbo but also - a fortiori - anybody who's ever known him forgets about him.

In case you've never read it John, give it a try. The style is particularly old-fashioned but the suspense is masterfully handled.

Try 'La Nuit des Temps' too ('The Ice people'). What's funny is that I've always thought that if anyone could actually put Barjavel's books into comic-book format that would be you.

Very much looking forward to your 'outré' (how French!) version of the Next Men's journey thru time.

A bientôt!

Sorry for rambling.

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Dunno where you guys are buying these off-sized editions! I have three boxes of the book, and they're all the same size as the second volume.

This is good news. JBNM and Danger Unlimited, are my favourite examples of JB's work; and I've been a fan since I read the "Wendy's Friends" story in an FF issue as a kid. I even went AWOL from school one day so I could snag a copy of "The Art of John Byrne" from Minotaur books here in Melbourne - possibly the most rebellious thing I ever did as a youngster. Minotaur didn't have many copies, but I knew one of them had my name on it. :)

The whole time I was on the bus, going into the city to get it, I was terrified, expecting to somehow be caught by an adult while I was "wagging". I got the book, then went back to school, and caught the school bus home, and nobody even seemed to notice.

The only piece of original art I have is a page from JBNM #12, and I'm glad I'll finally be able to read the rest of the story.

Now, if only JB can bring back Danger Unlimited as well; or is that too much to ask for?