BRIEFLY

* IDW Publishing has announced a Dec. 19 launch for The Hollows, a new, creator-owned four-issue mini-series from Chris Ryall and Sam Kieth.

Here's how IDW describes the book:

"To combat the catastrophic death of a decaying Japan, survivors create genetically engineered supertrees -- wooden leviathans capable of supporting entire cities suspended above the radioactive wastes below. Traveling via jetpacks to stay above the toxic air below, the survivors must also band together against the Hollows, irradiated husks whose humanity has been supplanted by an unquenchable desire to consume human energy!"

"The Hollows began as a more straightforward tale," said Ryall, also IDW’s chief creative officer/editor-in-chief, "until Sam and I remembered that neither of us really tell straightforward tales. So the desolate setting for the story is really just the backdrop for a more personal tale of love, loss, redemption, faith, flight, and past versus future, all wrapped up and bound to the archaic flying suit of our protagonist, a beleaguered scientist/explorer named Kobayashi who ventures down from his city-state and finds something entirely unexpected. Along with a little scene- and heart-stealing creature called Urp, too."

"Well for me it was started visually... it stops short of having the heart of a true fantasy story, stops just shy of steampunk. It's soft sci-fi at best, and the ghostly hollows provide a bit of horror too," Kieth said. "Reading over Chris' wonderful script, The Hollows seems to floats effortlessly through all of these genres. Maybe a cross between City of Lost Children and Brazil; hard to pigeonhole."

* Dredd placed sixth at the box office in its opening weekend with $6.3 million. Resident Evil: Retribution was fifth with $6.7 million, pushing its total to $33.4 million.

The Dark Knight Returns placed 15th $1.2 million to push its domestic total to $443.1 million. The Batman sequel moved Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's chest for seventh worldwide all time with $1.066 billion.

* Image Comics has announced a second printing for the sold-out Revival #3. The second printing will be in stores on Oct. 24, the same day that Revival #4 goes on sale.

The third printing of Revival #1 and the second printing of #2 have also sold out and will be reprinted as well on Oct. 24.

Image did not reveal any of the print runs.