Chris Warner's gritty mercenary, Conrad, AKA Black Cross, has been a favorite of Dark Horse readers since his menacing appearance on the cover of Dark Horse Presents #1 back in 1986. Although Black Cross stories have been rare -- only about ten short stories since DHP #1 -- fans will be happy to learn that Conrad's about to make a return visit this April in Dirty Work.

"It's a little tale about trust, betrayal, and trying to find a gig -- it's a tough job market, even in the future," said Warner, when asked to describe the upcoming one-shot. The story is an expansion from an earlier Black Cross story which appeared as a serial in the Dark Horse Insider. By far the longest continuous Black Cross story to date, the original 13-page serial has been fleshed out and expanded to 28 pages, and the entire work has been colored -- another first for Black Cross.

Warner is also gearing up for another long-awaited project featuring the mysterious soldier of fortune; a four-issue Black Cross series titled "My War" is planned for publication by year-end.

Plans are also underway to bring his creation to the big screen. Warner, teamed with novelist Steve Perry, has written the screenplay, and filming is scheduled to begin later this year. The Dark Horse Entertainment production will star Howie Long (Broken Arrow) in the title role.