Acclaimed writer Dan DiDio (Ancient Enemies) and artist Tom Derenick (Flash Gordon: Killer of Worlds) are bringing a classic spy into the modern day in their upcoming noir series Secret Agent X-9, coming from Mad Cave Studios and King Features. The new eight-issue comic book series is inspired by the spy-thriller Secret X-9newspaper comic strip by Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon) and Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon), which ran for more than 60 years. Fans of classic noir and detective stories like Dick Tracy will love this thrilling new take on beloved spy Phil Corrigan. Featuring colors by Jão Canola (Terrorbytes) and letters by Jeff Eckleberry (Rip Kirby), Secret Agent X-9 #1 hits shelves on January 27, 2027.
In 1934, Hammett and Raymond created their genre-defining strip Secret X-9, starring an unnamed agent who worked for a shadowy anonymous agency. Now, a new legendary creative team led by DiDio and Derenick joins forces to explode Secret Agent Phil Corrigan into the modern day! When a failed assassination attempt drags retired super-spy Phil Corrigan back into the shadows, he’s forced into an uneasy alliance with a younger operative to hunt Pendulum–a shadow network manipulating both extremes of the political spectrum to keep the world in perpetual chaos. Featuring old villains and new allies, surprise settings, and classic explosive action, Secret Agent X-9 kicks off the noir comic of the year!
“From Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond to Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, Secret Agent X-9 has an incredible legacy, and it’s a thrill to be part of it,” said DiDio. “I’ve always loved the spy genre, and this series gives me a chance to work alongside the incredibly talented Tom Derenick, whose art brings every twist and turn of the story’s action to life.”
The first issue of Secret Agent X-9 will feature a stunning Cover A by Mike Perkins (Lois Lane: Enemy of the People) with variant covers by an all-star lineup of artists including Derenick, Miguel Mercado (Flash Gordon), and Gabriel Hardman (The Rocketeer: Infiltrator!).
The publishers have also debuted a series of fully-coloured but unlettered preview pages for the new book which you can read below:
The first issue of Secret Agent X-9 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 27, 2027. The title will become available across digital platforms as well. Preorder through your local comic shop or from Mad Cave directly.
Ahead of the first issue’s release, fans of the original strip will also enjoy the upcoming hardcover collection of Secret Agent X-9 coming from Mad Cave Studios and King Features. The collection features Hammett and Raymond’s original newspaper strips as well as the first two years of Al Williamson and Archie Goodwin’s revival strip Secret Agent Corrigan, created thirty years after the original. The book will be available in bookstores on January 12, 2027, and in comic book stores on January 13.
