Image Comics

One of Image Comics' founders, Whilce Portacio, returns to creator-owned world with the new series NON-HUMANS, penned by Glen Brunswick (GRAY AREA, JERSEY GODS), to be published by Image Comics in October.

An otherworldly disease brought back to Earth by a NASA space probe has given inanimate objects like toys, dolls, and mannequins the ability to come to life, able to walk, talk, and speak — and to think for themselves. A new minority class called "Non-Humans," the former objects take on part of the personalities of the people who used or even loved them.

"The toys are not only a new minority in our world, but because they come from us they are quite human--with all of the frailties, insecurities and desires we humans possess," said writer Brunswick. "And some of these creatures can be very dark--it's a world filled with toys that envy us, want to be more like us, and are willing to kill us if they can't get what they want. What could be better than that?"

The varied personalities of the Non-Humans was part of the appeal for comics veteran Portacio (ARTIFACTS, Incredible Hulk). NON-HUMANS is Portacio's first creator-owned comics since his original Wetworks series, published from first 1994 to 1996 and then relaunched in 2006.

"It's very exciting for me to get back on a creator-owned book," said Portacio. "It took a long time waiting for the right one to come along that would really fire my imagination. I have the same boundless enthusiasm for NON HUMANS that I had when Image Comics was first formed. I feel like there are no limits to what we can do with this story."

NON-HUMANS is a full-color ongoing series starting in October. Issue #1 (AUG120465) is available for pre-order from the August issue of Previews. A five-page preview of NON-HUMANS #1 appears in ELEPHANTMEN #42, which will be in stores on August 15.

Of the many mysteries in HAPPY!, the new series by Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson being launched by Image Comics in September, the little blue horse for whom the comic is named is one of the most closely-guarded. The wait will be over on September 26, when HAPPY! #1 lands in stores, and many readers will get their first glimpse of Happy courtesy of a special, secret variant cover by MADMAN creator Michael Allred, colored by Eisner Award winner Laura Allred.

But not before then.

"I have been a fan of Mike's for many years and, unbelievably, this is the first time we have had the opportunity to work together," said Morrison. "In his own inimitable style, he has mashed Happy the Horse with Hitchcock to amazing effect and I can't wait for everyone to see the spectacular result."

"I am honored and excited to have Mike and Laura Allred's art on the variant cover of Happy! #1!" said series artist and co-creator Robertson. "Mike's always been one of my favorite artists, and he really did us a solid by coming through with a classic Allred image. Laura's colors are great too! It's a real treat to see my designs interpreted through their artistic genius."

A Christmas story featuring a fallen cop, soulless sex, casual murder, agonizing skin conditions... and a tiny feathered horse, HAPPY! is Morrison and Robertson's first Image Comics series. The Allred variant cover of HAPPY! #1 (JUL128081) is available for pre-order now.

In September, Image Comics will bring the first volume of VALENTINE, Alex de Campi's acclaimed digital comic, to print as a 352-page trade paperback.

The year is 1812, and Valentine is one of the few soldiers left of Napoleon's once-mighty army felled by the Russian winter. Given a mysterious package by a dying general with orders to see it safely back to France, Valentine finds himself pursued through the snow by blood-eyed monsters who are intent on stopping him.

In an epic tale of war, love, and unexpected journeys, an unlikely hero discovers that fairy tales are true. Humans share the earth with other beings, trapped here while the world is drained of the magic that sustains them. They want only one thing: to return home. And their only way back is through Valentine.

"It's been an unbelievable amount of fun to write a cliffhangerrific supernatural thriller, with twist upon twist to keep readers on the edge of their seat," said the Eisner-nominated de Campi (Smoke). "I grew up reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, and suddenly finding myself elbow-deep in the fantasy toybox has been a delight. I've really enjoyed grabbing the beloved tropes and expectations of the genre and both respecting them and twisting/subverting them at the same time. If you think this is a historical thriller, for example, you are so, so wrong. The book is a wild ride."

VALENTINE was originally distributed digitally through comiXology, RobotComics, and Amazon's Kindle. With more than 350,000 downloads worldwide, the series is a pioneering work in the ever-growing digital comics market.

Of the book's success in the digital realm, de Campi commented, "In download form, this is a series which — despite being a very shonen-style male fight/action book — has had a huge appeal to women readers and to teens around the world."

Collecting the first ten chapters of the work, with full-color art by Christine Larsen and Tim Durning, a 42-page exclusive bonus story with art by Cassandra James, and a painted cover by Steven Belledin, VALENTINE, VOL. 1: THE ICE DEATH (JUL120391) will be in stores on September 5 and is available for order now.

Brandon Graham has been called "one of the great talents to emerge in the last ten years" by Warren Ellis. His stark, imaginative reboot of Rob Liefeld's PROPHET has garnered praise from all corners of the comic book world. PROPHET is drawn by a rotating cast of artists, but Graham got his start in comics drawing his own comic, the massive, pun-heavy KING CITY. Graham has returned to both the writing desk and the drawing table with MULTIPLE WARHEADS, a miniseries to be published by Image Comics in October.

Just as rife with wordplay and wild with futuristic details (Vat-grown radiation-sniffing squids! Self-heating root vegetables! Musical caffeine cigarettes! Organic, mobile palaces!) as the reader-beloved KING CITY, MULTIPLE WARHEADS is a project where Graham has let his mind wander the open road. At the same time, he keeps the lives of his characters, grounded with familiar sentiments and actions.

"I'm really interested in exploring a big fantasy Russia and letting myself wander off of the main path in a similar way to what I did in King City," said Graham, "But I want show the bizarre lives of a woman who smuggles magic organs and her werewolf mechanic boyfriend in a kind of matter-of-fact way."

Graham talked about MULTIPLE WARHEADS with Comic Book Resources in an August 1 interview.

The first issue of MULTIPLE WARHEADS, a four-issue, full-color mini-series, is 48 pages long. It will be available for in the August issue of Previews.

"After the conclusion of The Sword, I took a two-year sabbatical, but I was always creating," said Luna of his break from comics. "I played with photography and film, and I learned how to paint with oil, acrylic, and watercolor. I finally decided I wanted to do a fairy-tale picture book."

The end result was STAR BRIGHT AND THE LOOKING GLASS, which tells the story of a wild young woman who discovers her own beauty when she finds a mirror in her forest home. The awakening of Star Bright's consciousness of her own loveliness also opens her heart to vanity. But when a wicked sorceress steals Star Bright's beauty Star Bright will learn from her woodland animal friends what the true virtues in life are.

"Everything I’m doing with Star Bright and the Looking Glass is so different from what I’m used to. It’s my first time writing alone, and prose for that matter," said Luna.  "I can’t really pinpoint what led me to do a fairy-tale picture book. There’s definitely been a certain kind of imagery in my head that I’ve been dying to put on paper. I’ve been into pop surrealism for many years, so I wanted to incorporate that kind of art into my new work. I wanted it to be ethereal and a little dark."

Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson lauded Luna's dedication to growing as an artist.

"Jonathan Luna, along with his brother Joshua, have been doing amazing work at Image Comics for almost a decade now, but I'm still always amazed by their commitment to moving forward as artists and trying new things as storytellers," said Stephenson. "Jonathan's first solo project is wonderfully unique, and one of the most interesting projects he's brought to us yet."

Luna talked to Comic Book Resources about his new storybook on July 30.

STAR BRIGHT is a 72-page 9 x 12" hardcover storybook with full-color artwork for all ages. It will be in stores in November and available for pre-order in the September issue of Previews.

In POINT OF IMPACT, a new Image Comics miniseries by NEAR DEATH creator Jay Faerber and Koray Kuranel, a woman's murder brings those who thought they knew her best to the realization that they didn't know her at all. As the investigation of Nicole Rafferty's death reveals the secrets of her life, three people — her husband, friend, and secret lover — are put on a collision course with the truth.

"Point of Impact was born out of the idea that a person can be different things to different people," said writer Faerber. "We behave differently, and play different roles, depending on who we're with. That's a theme I wanted to explore in the context of a murder mystery."

In an interview at iFanboy, Faerber promised "plenty of action and suspense, and definitely twists and turns — it’s a murder mystery / thriller, after all." iFanboy also featured a six-page preview of POINT OF IMPACT #1.

The four-issue miniseries, which will debut in October, is drawn by Koray Kuranel, a Turkish storyboard artist, in stark black and white.

"Koray is a fantastic artist recommended to me by my old friend and collaborator, Yildiray Cinar," said Faerber of his collaborator. "His layouts and sense of storytelling are incredible."

POINT OF IMPACT #1 will available for pre-order in the August issue of Previews.

Nick Sax isn't what you'd call a "winner." The anti-hero of the new Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson comic mini-series HAPPY! has been fired from the police force, turned on by his own employees in his murder-for-hire business (well, what would you expect?), is constantly drunk, and is waging a hopeless battle against the agonies of eczema. Sax seems beyond redemption, but saviors often take strange forms, and, in his case, it's the form of a tiny blue, feathered pony named Happy.

Oh, did we forget to mention that? Yes, besides being heavy with violence, profanity, and sex, HAPPY! is also a tribute to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

"HAPPY! is a story I’ve wanted to write since hit-man Nick Sax and his ‘partner’ Happy the Horse appeared fully-formed in my head two years ago," said Morrison. In an interview at Newsarama, he described the impetus of its development: "I wanted to do a classic Christmas story – like A Christmas Carol or It’s A Wonderful Life – but with all the junkies, killers and pedophiles which make our modern world so colorful!"

In the same interview, artist Robertson talked a bit about the mysterious, eponymous Happy the Horse, about whom the two creators are being enticingly elusive.

"Happy had a complete transformation from the initial drawing to what he became and what he became is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever designed to draw," said Robertson. "I hope readers will have as much fun with this as I've been having.

HAPPY! is Morrison and Robertson's first Image Comics series. It was announced at this year's Image Expo in February, which celebrated the independent publisher's 20th anniversary. Recently, Morrison commented on the experience of working on a creator-owned project.

"As much as I enjoy making monthly superhero books, there’s something very exciting and inspiring about creating a complete, original story from whole cloth and I’m grateful to Image Comics for seeing the potential of this project and giving it a home," said Morrison. "After a banner year for creativity at the company, Darick and I hope we can round 2012 out on a high note with the most twisted Christmas crime story you’ll ever read."

HAPPY! #1 will be in stores on September 26 and is available now for pre-order. The four-issue miniseries will culminate with an issue released Christmas week.

Working late at the Halloween Land super-store can get pretty soul-numbing, so Eve thought she was pretty lucky to have such a great imagination. But it turns out that her imagination isn't just active — it's dangerous! In the new one-shot comic HALLOWEEN EVE by Brandon Montclare (Fear Itself: Fearsome Four) and Amy Reeder (Batwoman, Madame Xanadu), to be published in October by Image Comics, Eve gets a bump in the night that could turn her dead-end job deadly. Surrounded by masks, costumes, and novelties that have come to life, Eve will have to fight her way through a horde of horror or she'll never make it to Halloween!

Conceived and drawn by Reeder and written by Montclare, HALLOWEEN EVE isn't just a spooky scamper; it's also the story of Eve — an expert costumer who loves to dress up, snarky and able to mercilessly size up others, but not so great at seeing herself for who she really is. The Halloween items that come to life have one goal: to find out who Eve is beneath her masks.

“Halloween Eve will break your heart and blow you away!" said Reeder. "I am so excited to be creating my own characters and story, and I’m glad it’s in the hands of what has lately felt like creator-owned central, Image Comics.”

“Working with Amy Reeder to co-create Halloween Eve was already almost too good to be true," added Montclare. "Being at Image—without a doubt the place-to-be for creator-owned comics—is unbelievable.”

After running a successful Kickstarter campaign that met its goal just six days after being launched, Reeder and Montclare announced that HALLOWEEN EVE was coming to Image Comics in a July 19th interview at Comics Alliance.

HALLOWEEN EVE is a 40-page (32 story pages plus other content) full-color comic, due out in October 2012 to celebrate Halloween. It's a stand-alone, self-contained tale of magic and adventure geared toward teen and adult audiences. It will be available for pre-order in the August issue of Previews.

And now, CYBER FORCE is embarking on a new path, using 21st century social media to make the first five issues (to be published monthly) available for free, both digitally and in print. A Kickstarter campaign launched on July 17, taking advantage of the year-long build-up of excitement for Image and Top Cow's 20th anniversary.

Rewards for backers of the Kickstarter campaign, which has a goal of $75,000, include exclusive variant covers, a signed print, a hardcover edition of the collected first five issues, a smartphone case, original art, and one-on-one sessions with Matt Hawkins and Marc Silvestri. There are also several special rewards for comic book retailers who pledge — including exclusive signings by Marc Silvestri! The funding will not only go toward paying the art team but also toward offsetting print costs, thus ensuring the first five issues are available for free.

With an entire generation of fans who grew up on the series and new fans discovering Image and Top Cow every week, creator and Top Cow CEO Silvestri knew the time was right for CYBER FORCE to return.

“My obsession growing up was sci-fi and fantasy and the concept of Cyber Force has always been ripe for mining those genres," said Silvestri. "The best sci-fi has its soul anchored in social commentary and the human condition and then goes nuts with the concepts. Comic books are unique in that they can add to that the thrill of wish fulfillment," he added. "Mash those ideas together add a healthy dose of 21st century paranoia, and voila! You’ve got Cyber Force.”

Silvestri describes CYBER FORCE as an exploration of the consequences when technology — the product of humanity's own intelligence — has interfered with the order of natural development. "We’re creating a world our species can’t survive in," Silvestri said. "The end is coming and Mega Corporation Cyber Data Industries knows this when it happens. And now, a young girl named Velocity knows too.”

Joining Silvestri on the new series is interior artist Khoi Pham. Hot off of top-selling Marvel Comics titles including Avengers, Daredevil, The Mighty Thor, and X-Men, Pham’s art will bring to life this bold new vision of CYBER FORCE.

The new series will appeal to fans of the original, as well as reach out to a wider audience by creating a cutting-edge world based on real technology. Co-writer and Top Cow President Matt Hawkins (THINK TANK, THE TEST) will utilize his background in science to lead the series in a never-before-seen direction.

While staying true to the core concept of CYBER FORCE, cybernetically-enhanced resistance fighters on the run from a monolithic international conglomerate, the visual aesthetic of the new series will be updated for a modern audience, coined “bio-cybernetic steampunk.”

 
Coming off a whirlwind release day the week of Comic-Con International and supported by special events at comic book stores around the country, THE WALKING DEAD #100 by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard will receive a second printing after selling out of its record-setting first printing. At 383,612 copies, the sales of THE WALKING DEAD #100 were the best initial orders for a single issue of a comic book since 1997.

A harrowing and heart-wrenching event in the lives of Rick Grimes and his band of survivors, THE WALKING DEAD #100 has been critically acclaimed for its examination of violence and mortality.

At The Comics Journal, Sean T. Collins considered the depiction of brutality: "It’s hugely graphic and gory, but more importantly it’s predicated on anguish and agony, on a character begging for their life and slowly losing it anyway, in view of other characters, including children, made to watch as punishment," he wrote. "A 'bad guy' is committing the violence, but its horribleness is quite of a piece with the series’ presentation of human-on-human violence overall."

Augie De Blieck, Jr. at Comic Book Resources wrote, "[T]his issue delivers. It is not, however, the massive rampage of blood and guts I expected it to be. Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard deliver something much smaller, but just as effective, creepy, tense and sad."

The issue inspired Bleeding Cool's Adi Tantimedh to ponder the function of tragic fiction in society. "I wonder if the popularity of THE WALKING DEAD and the zombie apocalypse genre is a kind of atavistic ritual that the culture is partaking in to magickally ward off the worst that could happen, which is societal collapse into full horror," Tantimedh wrote. "...[T]he proxy of fiction allows the audience to mentally put themselves through the horror to find catharsis and feel more secure after the experience."

The second printing of the milestone issue will feature a new cover with art by Adlard. It is available for order now with the Diamond code JUN128066 and will be in stores on August 15, the same day as THE WALKING DEAD #101.