Kyle Higgins has been slowly but surely building up a new superhero universe — the Massive-verse — over the last few years, but his next project at Image Comics is a departure from that. Higgins will team with Radiant Black co-writer Joe Clark for Deep Cuts, an anthology series inspired by the history of jazz music.
Higgins and Clark will jam with several artists on the series, including Danilo Beyruth, Helena Masellis, Diego Greco, Ramón K Pérez, Juni Ba and Toby Cypress, with all issues colored by Igor Monti, who they’ve worked with on Radiant Black, Inferno Girl Red and Supermassive. The covers will all connect, spanning 60 iconic years of music history and featuring artwork by Chris Brunner and Rico Renzi.
“Joe and I first met in high school, playing in too many bands, jazz groups and chamber ensembles to name, and became close friends through our love of comic books, film and music,” Higgins told CBR. “We’ve collaborated on many projects over the years, but Deep Cuts is on a different level. This isn’t an academic look at Jazz and American music but instead a story spanning 60 years, exploring the people and the deeply human connections in music and culture that ultimately inspire each new generation.”
According to Image, Deep Cuts is inspired by true stories and “tells stories of the interconnected struggle, joy and hope in jazz as well as the (sometimes) stray connections that ultimately inspire each new generation.”
Here’s a preview of the first issue, which features artwork from Beyruth. It is set in New Orleans in 1917 and focuses on a young clarinet player who lands a job with his hero, but “he’ll soon discover there’s more to the music business than playing the right notes.”
The first of six double-length issues arrives in stores April 26.