Cryptic takes another step towards realizing the full potential of their upcoming Marvel Universe Online MMO for the PC and 360, signing comic book and game writing vet John Layman as a design writer for the game. Layman has been in the comic book industry for twelve years. A one-time editor for DC Comics' Wildstorm branch, Layman now mainly writes for Marvel Comics, most recently having worked on a solo Gambit miniseries and House of M: Fantastic Four. He also writes Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen comic book for Oni Press, the first issue of which came out just this week. His work in the video game industry includes writing for Metroid: Hunters and the Marvel Trading Card Game.

I am assuming layman will be lending a hand in fleshing out the massive 60-year back-story being crafted specifically for the game as well as the planned integration with current Marvel continuity. I'm betting this is going to be the first of many such announcements in the coming months, as to pull this off they're going to need a massive team of comic book talent. That, or the guys who hang out at my local comic shop, the know-it-all jerks.

VETERAN COMIC BOOK INSIDER JOINS FORCES WITH CRYPTIC STUDIOS

LOS GATOS, CA - JULY 17, 2007 - Cryptic Studios, Inc., a leading independent developer of massively-multiplayer online games, today announced that they have added to their growing talent pool with the hiring of a new Design Writer, John Layman. Layman, a twelve-year veteran of the comic book industry and an accomplished game writer, joined the team in their Los Gatos headquarters on Monday, June 25. He will be lending his expertise to Marvel(TM) Universe Online, the highly-anticipated MMO currently in development for PC and the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"Having a creator like John on our side really demonstrates to our players — present and future — that we strive for authenticity when we bring a universe to life," said Michael Lewis, CEO of Cryptic Studios. "As a company, we are committed to hiring the most creative people in and out of the industry. It's all about delivering high-quality games that stay true to what both gamers and fans of the genre have come to expect from our studio."

Layman's comic credits include written work for several prominent Marvel Comics series, including Gambit, House of M: Fantastic Four, and Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness. He is responsible for several creator-owned titles, including Puffed for Image Comics and Armageddon & Son for Oni Press. Layman also has several notable games to which he has contributed his writing, including Metroid: Hunters for the Nintendo DS(TM) and Marvel Trading Card Game for the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R) Portable) handheld system.

Image courtesy of Silver Bullet Comics