One thing you’d expect in October are some creepy horror comics. Ask and Image will provide. More surprising maybe is the sheer number of exciting new number one issues we’re being promised. There are some exciting comics coming towards the end of this year from the scary to the absolutely fabulously metal.
As always, get the full solicits at the Image website.
10. Running up that hill
While a number 25 is a small milestone all things considered, “Paper Girls” has made every finale an event. The solicit for 25 invokes this by literally calling the issue a “season finale” as if this was a TV show. That’s consistent with the pacing, which has always taken advantage of serialized storytelling in a way that would turn Netflix green with envy. It makes sense. Brian K. Vaughan is the master of the comic book cliffhanger, and I’m sure this issue will set ’em up and knock ’em down.
As for the promise of the collision of “deepest wishes” and “greatest fears,” one can assume it’s got a lot to do with rocky teenage love. And fans of the series can puzzle out who by looking at the distinctive knees given to us by Cliff Chiang and Matt Wilson on the cover. It says a lot about the series that so much suspense can be teased with such an innocuous image.
PAPER GIRLS #25
WRITER: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
ARTIST: CLIFF CHIANG, MATT WILSON
COVER: CLIFF CHIANG
OCTOBER 03 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99In another explosive “season finale,” the time-traveling Paper Girls’ deepest wishes collide with their greatest fears.
9. Shipping up to Boston (woah-oh-oh)
“Analog” has been one of the best new Image series of the year, so consider me officially on board for anything Gerry Duggan wants to try out. This sounds great, especially because it’s so far out of his wheelhouse. Futuristic spies and wacky superheroes are replaced here by a low-fi mob story, the opposite from his usual high concept work. Duggan can’t help but include a bit of wry humor, so expect a tongue-in-cheek version of The Departed but with less Mark Wahlberg.
DEAD RABBIT #1
WRITER: GERRY DUGGAN
ARTIST / COVER: JOHN MCCREA
VARIANT COVER: DAVE JOHNSON
OCTOBER 03 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99Back in the ‘90s, DEAD RABBIT was a prolific Boston stick-up man and hoodlum, until he took down one last big score and disappeared. Nobody ever discovered the truth: he retired to be with the love of his life. Now he’s back in the mask to save her, but no one—not his wife, the mafia, or the cops—is happy that he’s out of retirement. From JOHN McCREA, the artist and co-creator of MYTHIC and Hitman, and GERRY DUGGAN, the writer of ANALOG and Deadpool, comes the action-comedy-drama tale of Martin Dobbs, a.k.a. DEAD RABBIT, the man who says he’s descended from one of the original gangs of New York City. Get on board with the oversized first issue of an all-new ONGOING SERIES for mature readers.
8. Bright, Dark, and Cross
Speaking of great new Image series, nothing has been better than “The Weatherman” which is as high concept as they come. A memory-erased sleeper agent terrorist reborn as a douchey weatherman on Mars is on the run from his old buddies and some very colorful bounty hunters. It’s violent and clever and just a little bit wacky. The supporting cast has been where “The Weatherman” has really shined, and this solicit promises a starring role from the very cool Agent Cross and more time spent with the mysterious antagonists. Nathan Bright is cool enough but I can’t wait to learn everything there is about the solar system’s most feared terrorist cabal.
Continued belowTHE WEATHERMAN #5
WRITER: JODY LEHEUP
ARTIST / COVER: NATHAN FOX
VARIANT COVER: MARCOS MARTIN
OCTOBER 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99Nathan Bright is in the clutches of the Pearl and the clock is ticking. Agent Cross must choose between her own desire for vengeance and protecting a man who, though drenched in the blood of billions, might still be innocent.
7. Swipe right
There’s a lot about the solicit to “Crowded” #3 that makes me loathe to include it on this list. For one, the first issue hasn’t even come out yet. My excitement (of which there is a lot) is purely based on promotional materials. For another, the solicit for issue number three opens with a brag that the movie rights have been optioned. It’s as if to say “this comic is worth reading because we’re being validated by another more respected medium!” Ugh. Ew. Barf.
But “Crowded,” I can’t quit you yet. I guess that makes me part of the problem, but I can’t resist. The story about crowdfunded assassins is like an itch I can’t scratch. Every day a real world news headline makes me think about what this sci-fi concept would do to the world. Couple that with the distinct character work from art team Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, and Triona Farrell and this looks like a real comic fan’s comic. It’s cool that celebrities are also excited for this book, but it’s even cooler that it promises to be smart, stylist science fiction.
CROWDED #3
WRITER: CHRISTOPHER SEBELA
ARTIST / COVER: RO STEIN, TED BRANDT, TRIONA FARRELL
VARIANT COVER: ROSI KAMPE
OCTOBER 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99Rebel Wilson has optioned the rights with the goal of starring in and producing the movie adaptation. Wilson will develop the project and produce it via her Camp Sugar production banner. Also producing is Oni Entertainment. Circe and Trotter, two of the heaviest hitters in the private murder industry, have just landed in Los Angeles, looking for Charlie and eager to collect the almost two million dollar Reapr campaign on her life. Charlie, oblivious to the growing danger, tries to carry on her freewheeling lifestyle while under Vita’s lock and key. But even their safest safehouse can’t keep the fame-and-fortune-driven killers off their trail for too long.
6. Scary like a wytch, and sexy like a sexy wytch
“Wytches” is back baby! One of the scariest comics on the stands launched in 2014 (we were so young and innocent then!) and after publishing six issues, vanished into the dark woods. It makes sense. Scott Snyder and Jock are two of the hottest commodities in comics, with a lot on their plate. But like a cannibalistic monster lurking in the shadows, “Wytches” was lurking, biding its time.
‘Bad Egg’ has seen the light of day in the pages of Image’s own magazine periodical, but this collection will be the first time most of us encounter this story. It jumps away from the story of Sailor Rook and explores other children who have been pledged to the ancient spirits that haunt our world. This one-shot will act as a bridge from the first volume to the second, and I can’t wait to shudder myself into a restless sleep when it arrives.
WYTCHES: BAD EGG HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (ONE-SHOT)
WRITER: SCOTT SNYDER
ARTIST / COVER: JOCK
OCTOBER 31 / 80 PAGES / FC / M / $7.99“BAD EGG” Serving as both a stand-alone story in the WYTCHES world and a prequel to the highly anticipated WYTCHES, VOL. 2, “BAD EGG” tells the story of Seb and Jackson—two innocent teenagers reared on opposite sides of the eternal struggle between good and evil. Sebastian’s mother is a member of “The Irons,” the most ruthless Wytch hunters in history, while Jackson’s family are “High Horn” Wytches. Can these two boys find friendship amidst this age-old blood feud, or are their fates already sealed? Collecting the entire IMAGE+ magazine run and, for the first time, the 13-page, pulse-pounding conclusion plus extra materials, WYTCHES: BAD EGG reunites the Eisner-award winning duo of SCOTT SNYDER and JOCK in a horror-filled romp just in time for Halloween!
5. Beyond infinity
This one combines two ideas I love. It takes the end of Jonathan Hickman’s “Avengers” run and mashes it up with Battlestar Galactica, plus throws in a murder mystery for good measure. Remember that time when Hickman destroyed the entire Marvel multiverse, but for a lifeboat filled with the last living beings in existence? That was awesome! And remember that bleak whiteboard on Galactica that counted down the remaining human population as it slowly whittled away to nothing? Those two existential crises can only raise the stakes in a story like “Infinite Dark.”
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Ryan Cady and Andrea Mutti are comics journeymen, who have reliably done good work for years. This creator owned collaboration looks like a good idea worthy of their talents, the kind of story that brings out the best in a creator. Where lots of comics go big and goofy or grounded and gritty, there’s a lot of space (no pun intended) for massive existential dread on a cosmic scale.
INFINITE DARK #1
WRITER: RYAN CADY
ARTIST / COVER: ANDREA MUTTI
OCTOBER 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99The universe ended, but onboard the void station Orpheus, a skeleton crew of humanity survived: the last two thousand souls, waiting for a second big bang that may never come. Now, two years into their voyage, Security Director Deva Karrell investigates the station’s first murder—and the otherworldly motives behind it.
4. Watch out boy she’ll chew you up
You guys. You guys! “Man Eaters,” the story of girls turned to bloodthirsty werecats by menstruation, has a style and its sticking to it. They started with a glitter cover, because you asked for it. And you were satisfied and you said, “thanks Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk, and Lia Miternique for a one-and-done dose of perfection. You’ll never come up with a cooler cover idea.” They scoffed and slammed down issue number two, which has an iridescent cover. Featuring a tampon cat. Holy. Shit.
“Man Eaters” is so cool and confident. Right out of the gate, it’s telling you what it is. Believe it. Chelsea Cain calmly requested that folks ask her about her feminist agenda, and was attacked for it. She’s done waiting for you to ask. Her agenda is obvious: it involves hygiene products, mutilation, and sparkles. She’s here to shove it down your throat. The internet mobs created a literal monster, and those of us who love good comics should probably thank them, but instead let’s ignore them. Let’s thank Cain and Niemczyk instead.
MAN-EATERS #2
WRITER: CHELSEA CAIN
ARTIST: KATE NIEMCZYK
COVER: LIA MITERNIQUE
OCTOBER 31 / 24 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99“BLOOD WILL SPILL,” Day Two Maude experiences abdominal cramping and a sudden increased appetite. Her father investigates another mauling.
3. Doin’ it for themselves
There’s a whole sub-genre of hot-vaguely-goth-girls-fighting-evil. You’ve seen it on Buffy, Lost Girl, and Wynona Earp. You’ve seen it in “Black Magick,” “Hack/Slash,” and “Spell on Wheels.” It’s a thing. And this October Image is introducing more than one new series to the genre. The first is the excellently titled “Exorsisters,” staring twins Kate and Cate Harrow, who battle devils, demons, and darkness. You know what it is.
What draws me in is the style. When the substance of a book is so obvious, you’ve got to turn to the aesthetic of the thing, and “Exorsisters” is a Frankenstein monster of stylistic bits. Writer Ian Boothby is a funny man, who’s done his time writing for “The Simpsons” and MAD Magazine. You might know artist Gisèle Lagacé from her work in “Archie.” And then there’s the bitchin’ Pia Guerra cover. Guerra did all the interiors in “Y: The Last Man.” She’s a comic book hero. Her endorsement is enough for me.
EXORSISTERS #1
WRITER: IAN BOOTHBY
ARTIST / COVER: GISÈLE LAGACÉ
COVER B: PIA GUERRA
COVER C: KARI
COVER D: DAVID LAFUENTE
OCTOBER 17 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99Did you sign a deal with the Devil? Has your fiancé been dragged to Hell? Then Kate and Cate Harrow should be the first ones you call for timely soul retrieval at a reasonable rate! But why are these identical twins so different? Is there a darker secret? An all-new ongoing series by Eisner Award-winning writer IAN BOOTHBY (The Simpsons, MAD Magazine), with art by GISÈLE LAGACÉ (Ménage a 3, Archie).
2. Singing in the dead of night
On the other end of the hot-vaguely-goth-girls-fighting-evil spectrum is “Blackbird.” This series is leaning away from the forces of hell and more into shady conspiracies. Sure there’s magic- of course there’s magic- but it’s less obvious than blood and brimstone. “Blackbird” doesn’t look quite Lovecraftian, it looks more like classic The World of Darkness. You know, seedy neon lights, ancient conspiracies, plans within plans within plans, and a confident investigator who realizes she’s in way over her head. It’s a classic formula, and with the right execution this book could be excellent.
Continued belowWell, the creative team has me very much on board. Though he’s become more well known for his Big Two superhero output, Sam Humphries can be a seriously twisted dude. Sure he’s written plenty of “X-Men” and “Green Lantern” but he got his start in the self published “Our Love Is Real,” which was about a competition between a person in love with their dog and another who could only reach orgasm by staring at a crystal. It was freaky, creative, twisted stuff, and it makes me think that dark conspiracy is the right way for him to go. And the wonderful Jen Bartel on art!? Besides her superlative work on “Sleepless” and her memorable art for “The Wicked + the Divine,” Bartel has proven herself to be a die-hard comics aficionado, with a deep understanding for the medium. And is that a variant cover by Fiona Staples? Sold. Sold, dammit! I’m sold.
BLACKBIRD #1
WRITER: SAM HUMPHRIES
ARTIST / COVER: JEN BARTEL
VARIANT COVER: FIONA STAPLES
OCTOBER 03 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99An all-new ongoing series from fan-favorite writer SAM HUMPHRIES (Harley Quinn, Nightwing) and red-hot artist JEN BARTEL! In this neo-noir fantasy, Nina Rodriguez is positive that a secret magic world ruled by ruthless cabals is hiding just beneath the veneer of Los Angeles. The problem: everyone thinks she’s crazy. The bigger problem: she’s not crazy—she’s right. Can she unravel the mystery before the Great Beast catches up with her?
1. I’ll be gone when the morning comes
It’s called “Murder Falcon.” What else do you need to know? Okay fine, it’s written and illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson. You’re in right? What’s that? You don’t know who that is? Maybe you missed his last comic, “Extremity,” which was probably the most exciting release of last year. Johnson not only both writes and illustrates his comics, he unifies the two halves of comic book storytelling like no one else working today.
Perhaps you need more convincing. Perhaps you needed to be told that this is a book about a rocker, teamed up with a demon-cyborg-bird-thing. Together they need to save the world with power chords, kung-fu, and friendship. Every so often we get a comic that reminds me why comics are the best medium. This is why. You will not find a story like this on TV or at the theater. And you will definitely not find this story told by an artist like Daniel Warren Johnson. Get hype people. In October, heavy metal is coming to us on cyborg wings, like a bird out of hell. I can’t wait.
MURDER FALCON #1
WRITER: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
ARTIST / COVER: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, MIKE SPICER
OCTOBER 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99From DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, the creator of the Eisner-nominated series EXTREMITY, comes MURDER FALCON! The world is under attack by monsters, and Jake’s life is falling apart: no band, no girl, no future… until he meets Murder Falcon. He was sent from The Heavy to destroy all evil, but he can’t do it without Jake shredding up a storm. Now, with every chord Jake plays on his guitar, the power of metal fuels Murder Falcon into all-out kung fu fury on those that seek to conquer Earth. It’s time to shred!
