Welcome back to Soliciting Multiversity, where we look over the solicitations from Image Comics for the month of February 2015 and pick our top 10 most interesting solicits. As we’re still in that slow build into the new year with this month (or… that month? tense is hard), there’s not a whole lot going on of note. Oh, what’s that? New Grant Morrison/Chris Burnham comic? The long awaited Ales Kot/Langdon Foss comic is finally coming out? Well so much for February being a slow month…
10. Second Star To The Right…
Know what book I, but never really get to talk about how much I love it? “Peter Panzerfaust”. What started off as a book with a neat concept (literally ‘What if Peter Pan existed in World War II?’) and was pretty fun has evolved into a grand war epic that looks deep at the humanity of its characters and how they are affected by the war they fight in. This February sees Kurtis Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins bring the arc ‘On Till Morning’ to a close and teases an upcoming clash between Peter and The Hook. Is this the beginning of the end for “Peter Panzerfaust”? If it is, we’ll be left with one hell of a fantastic, underrated comic.
PETER PANZERFAUST #24
STORY: KURTIS J. WIEBE
ART / COVER: TYLER JENKINS
FEBRUARY 25 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50“ON ‘TILL MORNING,” Part Four
With the final clue uncovered, Peter, the Lost Boys and an entire squad of the Mermaids track down the Hook to his secret base in Cherbourg. It’s the first meeting of the greatest adversaries in a year and the fate of the entire French Resistance depends on a final clash of swords.
9. Speaking Of Endings…
“Supreme: Blue Rose” was the first “Supreme” comic I ever read and it was one that I picked up on a whim after two issues had been released and after hearing countless good things about it. In an instant, I feel in love. Warren Ellis’ metafictional narrative that looks at the existence of superheroes in a universe from the outside is the kind of writing that could look at “The Multiversity” and say ‘Tch, I did it first.’ And Tula Lotay. God, Tula Lotay. I have never fallen head over heels in love with an art style the way I have with Tula’s art on this book. It is gorgeous in every way and I will be sad to see it go. Will we see more in the Supreme-verse from Ellis and Lotay after this miniseries? Beats me, but it was a hell of a ride while it lasted.
SUPREME: BLUE ROSE #7
STORY: WARREN ELLIS
ART / COVER: TULA LOTAY
FEBRUARY 18 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99MINISERIES CONCLUSION
Concluding the story of superhero fiction gone wrong with the final confrontation between Diana and Ethan, between agents and operators from splintered timelines, and between Darius Dax and the nature of the universe. Many questions have been asked, and the answers will kill people.
8. And With An Ending Comes A Begining
Let’s be honest, here: Matt Fraction is having a pretty good creative year. Between “Hawkeye” still going strong, the release and reaction to “Sex Criminals”, and the upcoming (and severely very good) “ODY-C”, I have never seen a creative output from the guy as well received across the board as right now. But there’s always one book that seems to get left out. In February, “Satellite Sam” #11 kicks off the book’s third (and I think, final) story arc and, honestly, if reading this book is anything like watching “Mad Man”, I have a show to catch up on. This book has been a fantastic ride and unbelievably underrated. If this is the end, then it was one hell of a ride. Wait, have I used that one before?
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SATELLITE SAM #11
STORY: MATT FRACTION
ART / COVER: HOWARD CHAYKIN
FEBRUARY 11 / 32 PAGES / BW / M / $3.50Act three of SATELLITE SAM starts here with a bang—is someone at the LeMonde Network a killer? What happened to the girl who knows all the secrets? Will the dark secret that threatens the whole show come out in the gossip columns? The fabulous fifties were never so filthy.
7. Saga Returns!
Did “Saga” even go anywhere? Beats the hell out of me, but apparently it is returning with its 25th issue in February and to celebrate, the issue will have a wraparound cover by Fiona Staples. One of my favourite elements of the book’s design has been the lack of a back cover ad and Fonografik’s use of have the back cover be a solid colour from the design of the front cover. It will be very, very interesting to see how they pull off a wraparound cover, but seeing as it’s Fiona Staples I’d be willing to bet that it’ll look fantastic.
SAGA #25
STORY: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
ART / COVER: FIONA STAPLES
FEBRUARY 4 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99Saga is back, as is almost the entire cast! And as thanks to retailers and readers for helping our audience continue to grow every new arc, Fiona Staples created an amazing wraparound cover for this action-packed issue, which is still only $2.99, the best deal in comics!
6. Lazarus Throw Down Of The Century
As of writing this, there is currently a conversation going on in the Multiversity offices (read: email thread) as to the underrated nature of “Lazarus” and this is me wholeheartedly agreeing. When it comes to male writers in comics, Greg Rucka is one of the few I can say I love without reservation. His work is fantastic and he is one of the best male writers of female characters in the industry. He and Michael Lark make a fantastic creative team as they have built a serious, introspective drama in “Lazarus” that looks at some very real world issues. This comes to a head in February’s 15th issue of the series as Forever, the Carlyle Lazarus, must face another Lazarus in trial by combat. Michael Lark drawing a no-holds-barred throwdown between two genetically modified superhumans? I can’t wait.
LAZARUS #15
STORY: GREG RUCKA
ART: MICHAEL LARK
COVER: OWEN FREEMAN
FEBRUARY 11 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50“CONCLAVE,” Part Five
The Conclave concludes, and Malcolm’s plan seems on the verge of success, but one thing still stands in his way: Jakob Hock has demanded a Trial by Combat, and now Forever must fight the Lazarus of Hock’s choosing to the death…
5. Yet Another Arc Ending, But Of The Southern Variety
This column is going just be me repeating myself over and over about how I love books that either have a story arc beginning or ending in February, so I’m going to make this one pretty quick. I love “Southern Bastards”, it was a major surprise for me in terms of how much I love it and the end of the first arc was a punch to the gut in terms of last page shocks. I can’t wait to see where Jasons Aaron and Latour go with the end of the second arc.
SOUTHERN BASTARDS #8
STORY: JASON AARON
ART / COVER: JASON LATOUR
FEBRUARY 25 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50The final chapter in the story of how the worst football player in Craw County rose to become “Coach Boss,” and the terrible bloody price he had to pay along the way.
Don’t miss the chilling conclusion of “Gridiron,” the second arc in the seminal southern crime series.
4. “Bitch Planet” Gains Another Inmate
Hey, did you know that I’m excited for “Bitch Planet”? Well, I am because it’s Kelly Sue DeConnick making her mark on a genre she loves (women in prison exploitation films) and doing it in her own style with fantastic art by Valentine De Landro. Except, wait a minute, that’s not Valentine De Landro! Yep, for February’s third issue, which looks to be a flashback issue telling the story of how one of the inmates ended up in prison (think of the character-centric episodes of Orange Is The New Black), KSD will be joing by artist Robert Wilson IV. I can’t wait for this.
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BITCH PLANET #3
STORY: KELLY SUE DECONNICK
ART: ROBERT WILSON IV
COVER: VALENTINE DELANDRO
FEBRUARY 18 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50“Too Big to Fail” reveals the specific events leading to zaftig Penny Rolle’s incarceration. ROBERT WILSON IV (Knuckleheads) joins KELLY SUE DeCONNICK (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) on art duties for this flashback issue.
3. Hey, Look! New Titles!
In the first of February’s big debuts comes “The Empty” from Jimmie Robinson of “Five Weapons” fame. From the solicit, I’m getting a hint of The Hunger Games meets Interstellar by way of Mad Max. Frankly, it sounds awesome and if “Five Weapons” was anything to go by, then this is not one to miss.
THE EMPTY #1
STORY: JIMMIE ROBINSON
ART / COVER: JIMMIE ROBINSON
FEBRUARY 11 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50“DEATH,” Part One
Tanoor lives in an empty apocalyptic world of poison and decay. Her village is all that remains of humanity as they struggle against mutant beasts and rotting bones.But Tanoor finds a chance to save her people when a stranger drifts into town. A stranger armed with the power to grow life from death. A stranger who could change the world—if Tanoor can keep them alive in the deadly world of The Empty.
2. Bless You, Based Kot
“The Surface” was announced a while ago. Like, it was announced at NYCC back in 2012 along with “Zero”, which is past its 10th issue by now. Written by Ales Kot and illustrated by Langdon Foss, “The Surface” #1 is dropping in February and is not one to be missed. I mean, just read this solicit. I can’t sell it better than this:
HE SURFACE #1
STORY: ALES KOT
ART / COVER A: LANGDON FOSS & JORDIE BELLAIRE
COVER B: MARCO RUDY
COVER C: MICHAEL WALSH & JORDIE BELLAIRE
FEBRUARY 25 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50What
Welcome to Africa. Ebola is no longer a problem. The West and the East are moving in—and three hacker lovers are searching Tanzania for the place that can change everything: THE SURFACE!
The first issue of a mind-bending action SF epic drawn by the esteemed LANGDON FOSS (Get Jiro!, Winter Soldier) and colored by the Eisner-winning JORDIE BELLAIRE (everything)! THE SURFACE!
1. The Best Bat-Team Reunites!
Ok, so that subtitle is pretty damn subjective, but I would have to say that Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham put out some of the best Bat-tales ever put to paper on their run on “Batman Incorporated”. Now, Morrison is going back to his creator owned roots for another foray with Image Comics and he’s bringing Burnham with him to… well, just look at it. Need I say more?
NAMELESS #1
STORY: GRANT MORRISON
ART / COVER: CHRIS BURNHAM & NATHAN FAIRBAIRN
FEBRUARY 4 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99An astronomer kills his family, then himself, leaving a cryptic warning.
A Veiled Lady hunts her victims through human nightmares.
An occult hustler known only as ‘Nameless’ is recruited by a consortium of billionaire futurists for a desperate mission.
And the malevolent asteroid Xibalba spins closer on a collision course with Earth.
But nothing is what it seems—a terrifying inhuman experiment is about to begin.
Abandon all hope and experience ultimate horror in NAMELESS.
