Here’s one I missed when Image’s solicitations came out for May, but Top Cow reminded me of it with a press release: After self-publishing six issues and crowdfunding a bilingual flipbook, J. Gonzo‘s epic luche libre comic La Mano del Destino will be collected and published by Top Cow in May.
“Top Cow is a place where creative ideas win,” Gonzo said in a press release. “If you look at their current projects, or even their back catalog, there is a rich variety of story types and approaches that is unlike most other publishers or studios. They are less interested in a homogeneity of some house style and truly promote the best, creative ideas. It really is an ‘artist’s company.’”
The Phoenix-based artist has been self-publishing the comic since 2011, and last year ran a successful Kickstarter that brought in more than $40,000 to create an edition that would include the complete story in both Spanish and English. This was after Diamond told him that Spanish language comics don’t sell in North America.
Here’s the description of the project: La Mano del Destino tells the tale of a once-champion Luchador – who, after being betrayed by his friends and unmasked in the ring, agrees to a Faustian bargain with a mysterious promoter. He gains a new power and the identity of La Mano del Destino in order to exact revenge upon his betrayers. Set in a swanky, 1960s Mexico where Lucha Libre is intrinsically woven into all aspects of society and are the most important events that happen within this world, this tale winds its way through the machinations and motivations of all types who inhabit this unique setting.
“When Gonzo told me he was doing this book I had no idea what to expect, it was a world I was completely unfamiliar with,” says Top Cow President Matt Hawkins. “Then I read it, laughed, and fell in love with these colorful characters. I’m glad we picked this one up.”
Top Cow will release the trade paperback on May 19. It’ll include more than 240 pages, collecting the opriginal six-issue miniseries and including more than 40 pages of bonus and “making-of” materials.
Check out a preview below:
