Image Comics have released their solicits for April 2024, which include a bevy of new series announcements, including “Drawing Blood.” A 12-issue maxiseries written by Kevin Eastman (co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and David Avallone, with art by Ben Bishop (“The Last Ronin”), and Troy Little (“Rick and Morty”), “Drawing Blood” is described as the “completely fictional true stories” of Shane “Books” Bookman, a cartoonist whose life becomes “more absurd and action-packed than any comic book story he could dream up.”
The official synopsis elaborates on how Bookman is something of a thinly veiled analogue of Eastman, struggling to create something new after one of his earliest comics, “The Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls,” became a billion dollar franchise. Bishop describes “Drawing Blood” as “a look inside the tormented mind of the comic’s creator, as he searches to reconnect with that part of himself who once drew pictures on his bedroom floor with his brother and dreamed of one day making comic books for real.” Issue #1 of the series, which was originally crowdfunded on Kickstarter, will be released on April 24.
Other series revealed in the solicits include three titles spinning out of this week’s “Ghost Machine” special, all written by Geoff Johns, and starting April 3:
– A new, ongoing “Geiger” run with Gary Frank. It continues the story of the post-apocalyptic hero Glowing Man (aka Tariq Geiger), who is now aware of other heroes in the Unnamed Universe pursuing him, including Redcoat.
– “Redcoat,” featuring art by Bryan Hitch, and starring Simon Pure, a British soldier who gained immortality in 1776. Simon, who is “kind of a tool,” has had many adventures involving various historical figures, including his nemesis (and fellow immortal) Benedict Arnold. Now, he seeks to uncover the true origins of his powers, and the secret organization responsible for them, as well as how they’ve shaped the history of the world.
– “Rook: Exodus,” with Jason Fabok, which is not part of the Unnamed Universe, but the start of Ghost Machine’s second (of four) planned shared universes. The book follows Rook, a Warden of the terraformed planet Exodus, which has descended into civil war. Now a scavenger, Rook desperately searches for parts to build a ship and flee the planet. Like the other Wardens (Swine, Dire Wolf etc.), Rook uses a telepathic helmet to control his namesake animal, ie. crows, ravens, and rooks.
Further announcements include “Rat City,” a Spawn spin-off set in the future by Erica Schultz and Zé Carlos, debuting April 10. Head to the link for a look at all of Image’s April releases in the meantime. Stay tuned here as well, as we’ll be taking a closer look at Image’s latest announcements in our Soliciting Multiversity column next week.
