The voice of The Joker, the face of Luke Skywalker -- Mark Hamill is known as both of these and more. But as of September 1996, he will be known as the creator of The Black Pearl, a comics series that combines the romance and adventure of the old-fashioned pulps with the hard-edged cynicism of modern-day, celebrity journalism.

"I think that from subway vigilante Bernie Goetz to Tonya Harding to O.J. Simpson, the true-life stories we are forcefed daily seem at least as astonishing, if not more than, the idea of someone deciding that becoming a costumed crime fighter is a reasonable option," said Hamill, who co-wrote the series with screenplay writer Eric Johnson, who happens to be his first cousin. "Eric and I share a certain twisted sensibility as well as a desire to blur the line between comedy and tragedy. This is not science fiction or fantasy. The Black Pearl...? It could happen!"

The Black Pearl, a tabloid-fueled thriller of obsessed love and urban madness, tells the story of Luther Drake, an "ordinary" man elevated to overnight hero status by a sensation-hungry press.

Hamill and Johnson will debut the series at this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego this year. Fans stopping by the Dark Horse booth will receive promotional flyers signed by the authors.

Hamill and Johnson are joined on the series by Ghost artist H. M. Baker and veteran inker Bruce Patterson. The Black Pearl is a full-color, five-issue series for mature readers; the first issue will be on sale September 18.