Sam Kieth is a name familiar to many, thanks to his involvement in the creation of two much-loved comic book series: Neil Gaiman's Sandman, which he drew the initial issues of, and his own project The Maxx, which went on to become a cult thanks to an MTV-animated adaptation.

Since then, he's worked on a variety of projects, including Zero Girl, My Inner Bimbo and a number of Batman titles for DC, including the New York Times best-seller Arkham Asylum: Madness. In May, he's teaming with writer Chris Ryall for what's described as "a multitiered love letter" to science fiction stories of the past.

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Kieth will co-write and illustrate Mars Attacks: First Born, with Ryall providing the script for the series about a baby Martian left behind after the alien invasion that gives the franchise its name. "Every page shows not only the love Sam and I have for Mars Attacks," Ryall explained, "but also wild science-fiction tales from the past, the sorts of things Wally Wood drew in the pages of Weird Science-Fantasy and other EC comics."

According to Adam Levine, the head of outbound licensing for Topps, which owns Mars Attacks, Kieth "has been a friend to Topps for more than 20 years, and we're happy to see him finally put his stamp on Mars Attacks."

The four-issue Mars Attacks: First Born will launch in May.