"Who are the Nevermen, anyway?" Oh, if I had a dime for every time I got that question, I could buy a dime-encrusted hat "Are they clones? Robots? Why do they look alike? What's with those tubes on their backs, mister?" I hear those variations, too. So, without giving too much away, let me offer

some clues.

Who are the Nevermen? They are a trio of trenchcoated punch-monkeys in fashionable eyewear that protect a dirty burg called Midnight City from Lovecraftian thugs. There isn't a corner of the city they don't protect, which is good, because crime is 24/7 here. One baddie is done blowin' up a bank, another is waiting to fleece an art gallery. Put one knuckle-dragger in jail, two more swipe your granny's purse. The Nevermen used to be a sextet but two of them died, and another become a charming freelance bounty hunter called The Murderist.

Are they clones? No. Are they robots? No.

Why do they look alike? Professor Ira Strauss--a reclusive super-genius/voyeur that lives in a mile-high tower-- created them in a "classic" mold. By night, you can't tell one square-jawed vigilante from the other. By day, they have very different lives, which you'll see in the new series. (plug, plug)

What's with those tubes? Ah, yes, the tubes. The Nevermen are tough, but they need help. That's why the Murderist, a mechanical genius, created their exoskeletons, which they wear under their suits. It's armor for when they fall out windows or leap from fiery landscapes. They also have cool gadgets like magnetized gloves (for summoning a jostled gun back in hand), and "squid" tubes on their backs, which pop through their coats and unleash an inky wake of smoke. With their goggles, our heroes can see in this mess. The bad guys can't. Heh-heh.

That's the tip of the ice berg, but you'll learn more in the new series that comes out in January. Hints abound as to the origin of the Murderist, what Ira--a.k.a. The Professor--had been busy doing before he created the Nevermen, whether or not there'll be any heroes joining their thinned ranks, and what the Nevermen do all day when they're not punching someone. Plus, you'll see a nasty new archvillain, Winterbone, that makes the Joker look like a Lord of the Dance.

Till then, as the Nevermen say, "Trust your gut."

-Phil