Jim Shooter, renowned Marvel Comics Editor in Chief, founder of VALIANT Comics, DEFIANT Comics, Broadway Comics, and co-founder of Illustrated Media, Inc. is teaming up with EIC and artist Michael Watkins on an exciting second generation of the Higburn Studios flagship series Guardians. Shooter and Watkins are collaborating on the development of the epic storyline, to be scripted by Shooter and illustrated by Watkins.

Watkins created the series in 1989 while still in high school and self-published the first issue under the Highburn Studios imprint in 2000. His work quickly garnered industry attention and the series earned a substantial and loyal following. Watkins continued publishing Guardians in its inaugural run until 2004.

Since 2004, Watkins has done creative work for a number of different publishers, including Marvel, DC, Image, Archie, IDW, and Dynamite; with work on Sonic The Hedgehog, Avengers Assemble, Transformers, and Star Wars.

Shooter and Watkins met at Big Lick Comic Con in Roanoke, Virginia, where they first discussed the vast potential of Guardians. Their mutual belief in the importance of compelling characters, powerful stories, and excellent storytelling, has led to this enthusiastic collaboration on a new and extraordinary Guardians saga.

Guardians reveals the story of men and women—artificially empowered super-humans—gifted with great power... or afflicted by it. Some work secretly for the top-secret military hegemony that created them to protect its interests. They serve, they fight, they sacrifice for what they hope is the greater good. The rest are renegades who despise what the hegemony has done to them, who strive to destroy the Guardians and all they stand for. In an intricate web of secrets, lies, and subterfuge, who are the oppressors? And who are the oppressed?