The Eisner-Award Nominated Comic Written by Sarah Byam

Now Features Gorgeous Colors by José Villarrubia

Tim Sale was one of the most celebrated and beloved comic book artists of his generation. Frequently collaborating with writer Jeph Loeb, Tim illustrated seminal stories featuring Batman, Catwoman, Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Daredevil as well as the cult favorite TV series Heroes. Now Clover Press is publishing the first-ever hardcover edition of Sale’s first full-length comic book work, the Eisner Award-nominated BILLI 99, written by Sarah Byam. This new edition, which is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, features glorious colors by the award-winning and fan-favorite color artist José Villarrubia.

First published by Dark Horse in 1991 as a four-part mini-series, BILLI 99 is a cautionary tale about corporate greed and a corrupt government. It asks: what is power when everything has been taken away? The book contains 196 pages of breathtaking, lovingly painted, duo-shade art, and the hand lettering that would become Tim Sale’s signature font. The story introduces the teen vigilante hero. Billi Chadam takes up her late father’s sword to bring down the powers of oppression and give the people of her city back their lives. BILLI 99 is a story of hope and inspiration.

“A few years before Tim passed, he, editor Patty Jeres, and I tried to finance a hardcover, color version of BILLI 99 and were repeatedly frustrated, but the idea of printing a definitive version of the book remained steadfast,” said writer and co-creator Sarah Byam. “BILLI 99 was a favorite of Tim’s and it’s important to us to do it justice, as we introduce this early and important work to a whole new audience.”

“Sarah Byam’s BILLI 99 is a unique perspective on the comic book hero,” writes Tim Sale’s widow, Susan Bailey in her new essay for the book. “It’s as fresh today as it was in 1991 when it was first published. You’ll see why Tim was proud to be part of the telling of this twist on the typical comic book hero, especially if you knew him personally, after reading the book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when Tim first introduced me to Billi.”

“Along with everyone else who knew him, worked with him or simply enjoyed his work, I was very saddened by the passing of Tim Sale,” said José Villarrubia. ” I had admired his work for years and had had the opportunity to work with him several times, including in Superman for All Seasons, SOLO, and Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album. I missed BILLI 99 when it was first published in black and white. I am very thankful to Sarah for bringing me into this project. I think that readers are going to be very surprised by it. For me, this is a splendid opportunity to rend homage to a great comics artist.”

“Tim and Sarah felt like there never was a version of BILLI 99 that fully reflected their final vision,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “It is a great honor for Clover Press to publish the definitive edition of  BILLI 99.”

The Clover Press Edition of BILLI 99 includes multiple extras, including a portrait tribute of Tim Sale by legendary artist Bill Sienkiewicz, an essay by Susan Bailey, and pin-ups by Matt Wagner, Rick Hoberg, Andy Kuhn, and Tomm Coker.

Praise for BILLI 99:

“BILLI 99 is a compelling graphic journey; with a must-read story by Sarah Byam and stunning must-see artwork by the late great Tim Sale. In short, this is a must-have collection. Period.”— Bill Sienkiewicz (Stray Toasters, Elektra Assassin)

“Before I found my way into the glory of Tim Sale’s artwork, an equally talented writer named Sarah Byam had the good fortune of finding Tim. This is the story that launched him into the public eye. Part Zorro, part great female hero, and all incredibly original, BILLI 99 is finally collected here with stunning colors by Jose Villarrubia.  Tim is gone now, but his legacy lives on through his talent and BILLI 99 is a must have for your collection.”

—Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween, Spider-Man Blue)

“In BILLI 99, Tim Sale showed the world the sort of epic comics artist for which he would become so renowned, while Sarah Byam delivers a strong, believable and utterly compelling female adventure character. BILLI 99 is at once an irresistible mixture of power and rage, sympathy and grace.”— Matt Wagner, (Grendel, Dracula: The Impaler)

“Atmospheric visuals and a compelling narrative — an inspired vision of America’s future that feels like an observed reality.”—Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, The Originals)

“Most comic readers know Tim Sale from his gorgeous collaborations with writer Jeph Loeb (Batman, Daredevil). Sale’s sharp, emotional pacing and impeccable storytelling is in evidence in his little-known, earliest work, BILLI 99. Written by Sarah Byam, BILLI 99 features a fearless female protagonist, the Sword of Toleado, in a crime tale carved from the dystopian streets of Detroit. Sale’s documentary-style atmospherics are matched and embraced by Byam’s sparse dialog. BILLI 99 was originally printed in duo-shade washes of gray, black and white. Before he passed, Sale and Byam had planned a special color hard cover printing with Jose Villarrubia.  Here, finally, his wish has been completed for this new edition of BILLI 99.” —Ann Nocenti (The Seeds, Daredevil)

“Billie 99 is a tough woman in a tough urban tale from writer Sarah Byam that is as relevant today, even more so, as when it was first published. Masterfully illustrated by Tim Sale with his visual genius of depicting both the epic scope of an embattled city and the intimate drama between characters. And for this new collection, also featuring Jose Villarrubia’s always beautiful color work to add even more dimension to this classic comics series. Don’t miss out on this one!”— John K. Snyder III (Grendel)

“It’s hard to believe that BILLI 99 first crossed my desk at Dark Horse over thirty years ago. Sarah

Byam’s dystopian story was prescient, already so well ahead of its time that now, more than three decades later, the story feels utterly contemporary. The late Tim Sale, then largely unknown except to our Grendel family of readers, brought the series to moody, atmospheric life, a showcase for his first experiments in duo-shade and the gray wash that would become his signature look. Billi was beautiful ages ago in black-and-white. Now, thanks to the artistry of veteran colorist José Villarrubia, she’s just glorious!”—Diana Schutz, comics editor/translator

“Tim’s work on BILLI 99 was a turning point in his career. His command of black and white, of shadows and light, is all evident here. He always spoke to me very fondly of the series and I know he would be overjoyed to see the incredible work Jose has been doing to introduce BILLI 99 to a whole new audience.”—Richard Starkings (Elephantmen)

“I was jealous when I heard that Tim would be working with someone other than me after our collaboration on THE AMAZON limited series for Comico. When the book he ‘left me’ for came out — BILLI 99 — I was even more jealous because it was a gorgeous, compelling comic. Sarah’s taut, gripping, and very human story coupled with Tim’s coalescing future style were extremely on point. To see it reborn now in full color by Jose? Well, it’s a great time for rediscovered comics, isn’t it?!”—Steven T. Seagle (co-creator BEN 10 & BIG HERO 6; writer of THE AMAZON and HEARTBREAKERS short both illustrated by Tim Sale)

To support the project, visit the Kickstarter here. For updates, follow Clover Press on Instagram, X and Facebook. You can subscribe to the Clover Press newsletter here.

About the creators

Tim Sale was an American comics artist. Born in Ithaca, NY, and raised in Seattle, after attending the John Buscema Workshop, he became a comics professional. Over the course of his career, Tim received many accolades and awards including three Eisner Award nominations for Billi 99.  He is the Eisner Award-winning artist of BATMAN: HAUNTED KNIGHT, BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, BATMAN: DARK VICTORY, SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS, CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME, SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE and SOLO for DC Comics.  His art was prominently featured on the hit NBC series Heroes. He is the artist of CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE, SPIDER MAN: BLUE, DAREDEVIL: YELLOW and HULK: GRAY for Marvel. Known primarily as a superhero artist, he raised the bar through his love of mid-20th century illustrators, like Norman Rockwell,  Earl Oliver Hurst, and John Singer Sargent.

Sarah Byam’s earliest memory is of the 1967 Detroit summer uprisings. She has witnessed the deep kindness and cooperation, as well as the crime and violence, present in America’s cities. She studied writing at Northern Michigan University, and art at Wayne State University’s Center for Creative Studies. While living in Detroit, she met the great artist/writer William Messner-Loebs and his wife Nadine. They brought her to her first comics convention in Chicago, where her career began. Sarah has written comics, poems, short stories, posts, novels, marketing material, slogans, screeds, and holiday stories for friends and family. She considers creating Billi 99 with Tim Sale to be the best of her work and only wishes she could do it again. She lives in Seattle with her husband where they are ruled by two precocious cats. It is universally recognized that she cannot make cookies, but her baklava is not too bad.

José Villarrubia was born in Madrid, Spain, and lives in Baltimore. He’s an Illustration professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he leads the Sequential Art Minor. He has been working regularly in comics for the last thirty years for all the main publishers in the US. His coloring for comics has received multiple honors, including the Harvey Award in 2011. He is best known for his collaborations with Alan Moore, Richard Corben, Jae Lee, Jeff Lemire, and Paul Pope. He was also the editor and colorist of Infidel (Image Comics), he restored Absolute Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson (DC Comics) and is the restorer and art director of The Richard Corben Library (Dark Horse). He colored Tim Sale on several occasions, including Superman for All Seasons, SOLO, and Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album.

About the publisher

Headed by IDW co-founder Robbie Robbins and former DC executive Hank Kanalz, Clover Press publishes a wide variety of collected and original content ranging from re-mastered reprints of classic newspaper strips to horror graphic novels, and high-quality art books. Clover Press is working with a wide variety of creators including Kevin Eastman, Steve Niles, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ruben Bolling, Richard Bennett, Ray Troll, John K. Snyder III, Stewart Kenneth Moore, Aron Wiesenfeld, David Mack, Alex Maleev, David Nakayama, and more.