During Comic-Con International, 343 Studios’ Frank O’Connor announced that Dark Horse Comics would publish an all-new ongoing series later this year based on Halo – not to be confused with the upcoming miniseries Halo: Initiation.

While the first miniseries ties directly into Microsoft’s Halo: Spartan Assault video game, Halo: Escalation will spin directly out of the events of Halo 4. The series begins when the UNSC Infinity is assigned escort duty for a diplomatic mission between the Arbiter and the Brutes, but has to fend off an attack meant to thwart the negotiations. Featuring Captain Lasky, Spartan Palmer, and a cast of recognizable characters, this ongoing series is poised to be an essential read for fans in search of new story lines set within the canon of the Halo universe!

Much like other Dark Horse video game tie-in titles that are written by the games’ writers, Halo will be written by Halo 4 lead writer Chris Schlerf, with Omar Francia (Mass Effect, Star Wars: Legacy) handling art for the first three issues, and covers by Anthony Palumbo (Dragon Age).

The first issue of Halo: Escalation arrives in stores on December 11, 2013!