(From the inside cover of Kayless #1)

So… what’s a Kayless? I’m not going to tell you yet. Why not? Weeeelll … because this one’s for the comic nerds.

Like many nerds from the WayBackisphere, Marvel’s G. I. Joe was my gateway drug. I saw issue #12 on the stands and recognized the characters on the cover from my action figure stockpile. It turned out to be the first issue in the now legendary “Three Strikes for Snake Eyes” storyline, which ran for eight months. Eight months. The distance from the last day of school to Christmas. In other words, the kid’s definition of eternity.
 
And I hung with it. Did I know what I was signing on for? Of course not. But I do know this: I went into the experience a toy guy and came out a comic guy. Huddled with my fellow nerds around the lockers, swapping comics and hoping to stay out of phaser range from the jocks, we embraced our pimply-faced—but guileless—community. We also celebrated a truth that, in our modern era of binge-watching, instant downloading, and the one-click purchase, we’re in danger of losing: Good things sometimes take time. This, I believe, goes double for a good story. You don’t know what’ll happen? This is a good thing. Stick around. All will be revealed. Will it be worth it? Oho, my friend, there’s only one way to find out. 
 
Which brings me to now. You’ve invested in the first issue of Kayless, and for that I’m so grateful. You’re a part of that aforementioned community (pimples, liver spots … all are welcome). I believe I’ve got a good story to tell. Lots of astronauts, mysterious powers, centuries-old conspiracies, and good old fashioned moral conundrums. It might take me awhile, but I’d love to get it all out there.
 
Besides you gentle readers, I also want to thank the estimable Roland Mann for walking me through the comic-building maze, and for his selfless support through the occasional uncertainty. And thanks to Luis and Leandro, two Argentinians whose work actually made my jaw drop when I first saw it. Thanks to my wonderful wife, who knows why. Finally, I want to thank God. Friend to the friendless and unpopular, generous to a fault, a target for bullies, with an unflinching eye towards the long game—yup, He’s obviously the God of comic book nerds, too.