Tag: Image Comics

Robert Kirkman + David Finch’s brutal fantasy epic ‘Skinbreaker’ arrives in September

An old chief and his reluctant heir try to keep their world from falling into ruins.

The Walking Dead co-creator and Skybound chief Robert Kirkman continues to fill up his dance card for the fall. In addition to taking over writing Transformers, Kirkman is also teaming with artist David Finch of Batman and New Avengers for Skinbreaker.

The fantasy epic is about a tribal chief who attempts to pass his mighty sword, Skinbreaker, down to his reluctant heir. Kirkman and Finch are joined by  colorist Annalisa Leoni and letterer Rus Wooton on the title.

“I have wanted to work with David Finch for the entirety of my career,” said Kirkman. “We’ve gotten close many times over the years, but we wanted our collaboration to be something truly special. Skinbreaker is that series. I feel like this book is a high-water mark for both our careers. An action epic that is unrelentingly brutal but also contains a ton of emotion and heart. It’ll shock you and make you cry.”  

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Robert Kirkman + Dan Mora take over ‘Transformers’ with #25

A new era for the Energon Universe title begins in October with an oversized issue.

Robert Kirkman, the founder of Skybound who briefly sat in the writer’s room for the Transformer films, is getting his chance to chronicle the adventures of the Autobots and Decepticons. After ushering in the Energon Universe era with Void Rivals, Kirkman and Superman artist Dan Mora will take over the ongoing Transformers title with issue #25 following Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona’s epic run.

Kirkman and Mora will join colorist Mike Spicer and letterer Rus Wooton in October with an oversized issue that celebrates the series’ second anniversary. The issue will also feature a second story written by Kirkman and drawn by Corona.

“Holy smokes, I’m writing a Transformers comic!” said Kirkman. “I’ve been so invested in this series since the beginning. I’ve marveled at what Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona have brought to some of my all-time favorite characters. When Daniel’s run came to an end, I could stand on the sidelines no more! I just had to get in the ring! It’s a tremendous honor to be a small part of the legacy of these amazing characters. This world has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can’t wait for everyone to see what the legendary Dan Mora and I are cooking up!”

Here’s a look at issue #25’s main cover by David Nakayama:

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The Laphams return with ‘Good as Dead’ this fall

David and Maria Lapham reveal ‘how far a small town will go to keep its secrets’ in a new crime comic coming from Skybound this September.

Legendary Stray Bullets creator David Lapham has a new series, Good as Dead, launching at Skybound this fall with co-writer Maria Lapham and colorist Dee Cunniffe. The story was co-created by Chris Black, creator and showrunner of the Apple+ show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Skybound CEO David Alpert.

“I can’t tell you how excited Maria and I are about this book coming out,” said David Lapham. “Chris Black and David Alpert provided us with their initial concept and outline and generously gave us the room and edict to ‘do our thing.’ And we went for it. It’s both completely what you’d expect from us based on our Stray Bullets work and at the same time, it’s unlike anything we’ve ever done before, combining elements of the surreal, science fiction, conspiracy, horror and, of course, classic noir.”   

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Ed Brubaker + Sean Phillips return to ‘Criminal’ with a new graphic novel

Image Comics will release ‘The Knives’ in August.

It’s been about half a decade since we’ve seen new Criminal material from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, but that dry spell ends this year with The Knives, the first Criminal story since 2019.

The Knives arrives from Image Comics in August as an original graphic novel. Previous volumes of Criminal started as comic series that were eventually collected, so it’s a shift to the OGN format the duo has been excelling in for the past several years with Pulp, Night Fever and other projects.

“A few years ago someone reached out to me to return some of my uncle’s lost possessions, after his family estate had been plundered, and bizarrely, that sparked the inspiration for what I hope is the biggest and best Criminal book yet. A crime story about one generation growing up in the life, another growing older and trying to get out of it, and Hollywood, somehow, too,” said Brubaker. “This book is an epic, the longest original graphic novel we’ve ever done, and it’s been a joy to return to this series and these characters, especially after spending most of the last three years watching them come to life on set and screen. I can’t wait to get this book into readers’ hands.”

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Robert Kirkman, Benito Cereno + E.J. Su will unleash ‘Blood & Thunder’

The new series from Skybound will arrive in May.

Skybound has announced Blood & Thunder, the story of a bounty hunter and her talking gun, will kick off in May at Image Comics.

The new title is written by Benito Cereno (Tales from the Bully Pulpit) with art by E.J. Su, who will be joined by colorist MSassyK and letterer Rus Wooton. It’s based on a concept created by Skybound founder Robert Kirkman, who will consult on the story.

“Blood & Thunder is a concept I’ve been dying to share with the world for quite some time. I’m so thrilled to be on the cusp of debuting what Benito Cereno, E.J. Su and I have cooked up,” Kirkman said. “Monsters! Aliens! Space! Talking Guns! I dare you to find a comic that’s more exciting! Blood & Thunder! Shut up!”  

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James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh + friends team up for ‘Exquisite Corpses’

The high-concept series brings together a dozen creators for the story of a dozen killers facing off in a small town in Maine.

James Tynion IV and Michael Walsh will bring an “exquisite corpse” to comics in May with the aptly titled Exquisite Corpses, a new series that assembles a group of creators to tell the story of one small town plagued by a dozen killers.

The comic will be published by Image Comics through Tynion’s Tiny Onion imprint.

In his newsletter, Tynion described it as a “high-octane horror comic that sees 12 of the deadliest and most colorful killers in the world descend on a small town to see who will be the last killer standing. It’s the story of those killers, the ordinary people of that small town who have to survive their deadly melee, and the wealthy families that sponsored the killers and unleashed them in the first place.”

Some of the creators participating include Adam Gorham, Becca Carey, Che Grayson, Claire Roe, Gavin Fullerton, Jordie Bellaire, Marianna Ignazzi, Pornsak Pichetshote, Tyler Boss and Valentine De Landro.

“Sometimes you have an idea, and you know it’s crackling with energy and potential but you have to wait for the right moment to unleash it,” Tynion said in the press release. “When the final pieces were falling into place for the formation of Tiny Onion, the first call I made was to pitch Michael Walsh the story of Exquisite Corpses. Later that week, Michael had sketches of the first dangerous killers, and the ideas have been flowing rapid-fire for almost a year and a half since. We’re trying to bring the kind of energy and excitement that’s usually reserved in the comics space for a superhero comic or licensed property. That’s why we’re calling this a horror comics event. We feel like this has the potential to be something really special and lasting.”

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‘Bitter Root’ returns next year with ‘The Next Movement’

David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene jump to the 1960s to show us a new generation of the Sangerye family.

David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene’s award-winning Image Comics title Bitter Root will return next year with Bitter Root: The Next Movement.

Bitter Root tells the story of the Sangeryes, a dysfunctional, monster-hunting family battling supernatural forces during the 1920’s Harlem Renaissance. This new series will jump into the future, showing what the family is up to during the Civil Rights Movement.

The team originally announced a follow-up series set in the 1960s back in 2022. “I’m excited to return to what I believe is one of the most important books of our time,” Greene said in the press release.

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Faith Erin Hicks digs up ‘The Mummy’ at Skybound next year

The Universal Monster will rise again in a four-issue miniseries about love and death.

Skybound’s Universal Monsters line will grow next March as they dust off The Mummy for a four-issue miniseries, written and drawn by Faith Erin Hicks.

Skybound has done a great job of matching creators to the Universal Monsters, from James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds’ Dracula to Michael Walsh’s creative approach to Frankenstein. Hicks, who has worked on everything from Dark Horse’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series to her own The Nameless City Trilogy, has an eye for character-driven stories about ancient civilizations.

“What I enjoy the most about The Mummy is the romance underlying all the horror,” Hicks said. “A mortal man defies ancient gods to bring his dead lover back to life and pays the ultimate price, transformed thousands of years later into a walking specter of death. The Mummy is intrinsically a tragic figure driven by his own pain and loss, his understandable human emotions twisted into acts.”

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Robert Kirkman + Ryan Ottley return to the Invincible Universe for ‘Battle Beast’

The series, which kicks off in April, will fill in the gaps of Battle Beast’s story between ‘Invincible’ #19 and #55.

If you’ve been missing Skybound’s Invincible, never fear — Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley will reunite for a new Invincible Universe: Battle Beast series next April.

The series will follow the adventures of the popular character Thokk, a.k.a. Battle Beast, and show what he was up to when he wasn’t appearing on panel in the original Invincible series.

“What can I say? I just can’t get enough of the Invincible Universe!” said Robert Kirkman. “Moving from the comic series directly to the animated series, I haven’t really had a break. That said, while adapting the series to animation, I’ve been itching to do something new! Longtime fans will know there’s a massive gap in Battle Beast’s appearances in the series between Invincible issue 19 and issue 55. There’s a lot of story to tell and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Battle Beast co-creator Ryan Ottley on board to tell it with me!”  

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Your 2025 FCBD line-up includes Spider-Man, Speed Racer, VR Troopers + more

Free comics from Marvel, Archie, Dark Horse, Mad Cave, BOOM! and more will be available next year on May 3.

Diamond has revealed the “Gold Sponsor” comic publishers and titles for Free Comic Book Day 2025, which includes Marvel, Mad Cave, BOOM!, Dark Horse and more. Thirteen comics from the gold sponsors will be available during next year’s event, which is scheduled for May 3.

“We’re excited for another fantastic year of celebrating comic books and the shops that make them special,” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “This year’s selection has something for every kind of fan. Whether you’re new to comics or a longtime reader, you’re sure to find a title that grabs your attention.”

An additional 33 titles in the “Silver Sponsor” tier will be revealed tomorrow, although Marvel has already revealed three more titles they’ll offer, in addition to their two gold titles. DC is not mentioned in the announcement, as their books are not distributed by Diamond, but I’m sure they’ll have something on FCBD as well.

Check out the list of titles below:

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‘Kill Your Darlings’ wins the 2024 Ignyte Award

Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan and Bob Quinn win in the “Outstanding Comics Team” category.

Congratulations to Kill Your Darlings creators Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan and Bob Quinn, who have won the 2024 Ignyte Award in the “Outstanding Comics Team” category.

The annual awards program “celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy and horror by recognizing incredible feats in storytelling and outstanding efforts toward inclusivity of the genre.” It’s sponsored by FIYAH Magazine, the quarterly Black speculative fiction magazine.

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Image Comics will publish Otis Frampton’s adaptation of ‘The Patchwork Girl of Oz’

The L. Frank Baum classic comes to comics next year.

The seventh book in L. Frank Baum’s classic Oz series, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, is coming down the Yellow Brick Road to arrive in comic shops in January. Otis Frampton will adapt the story of Ojo The Unlucky, Scraps the Patchwork Girl and Bungle the Glass Cat into an ongoing comic series.

Frampton is the creator of the all-ages series Oddly Normal, and has also done work for IDW Publishing and DC Comics. The comic will take the trip on “a whirlwind journey from Munchkin Country to the Emerald City.”

“As a lifelong Oz fan, it’s a dream come true to be able to bring one of L. Frank Baum’s classic novels to life as a comic book series,” said Frampton. “The Patchwork Girl Of Oz is one of my favorite Oz books, and I hope that fans of the series will embrace my adaptation and come along for the ride. Welcome back to Oz, everyone!”

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