Sports and comic books — they’re like the peanut butter and chocolate of nerddom, presuming you have a life-threatening peanut allergy. At least that has been the popular perception for as long as I can remember. I’ve never quite understood why being a rabid fan of sports and being a rabid fan of comics had to be mutually exclusive; after all, they’re both inherently nerdy pursuits that involve memorizing countless data points, factoids, and statistical minutia that would bore others to tears. In short, there’s a shared bridge of passion that can connect the two fandoms, and that’s precisely what Vertigo Comics is trying to do with its new series Strange Sports Stories.
Based on the classic DC Comics anthology series, Strange Sports Stories #1 will assemble industry-leading talents for four issues of “strange, scary, sexy and sensational sports stories.” Given how much love I have for old franchises like Mutant League Football and Mutant League Hockey, this could make for one hell of an interesting read. Issue #1 will include 4 eight-page stories from the likes of Gilbert Hernandez, Amy Chu and Tana Ford, Lauren Beukes and Dale Halvorsen, and Ivan Brandon and Amei Zhao.
The first issue is available on March 18, but today we have your exclusive first look at artist Paul Pope’s cover:
So, are you ready to play ball with Strange Sports Stories #1? Let us know in the comments below.
