Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment will mark the latter’s 10th anniversary with the release of a weekly five-part mini-series, “Skybound X.” Each of the five issues will feature a chapter of the “The Walking Dead” alternate story, ‘Rick Grimes 2000,’ by the “Invincible” creative team of Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley, and is supported by new stories in the worlds of previously released series, as well as those from current and upcoming projects.
“Skybound X” #1 will be supported by a Tillie Walden story about Clementine, from Telltale Games’s The Walking Dead series, an “Ultramega” story by James Harren, and an entry into the world of “Manifest Destiny” by Chris Dingess and Matthew Roberts.
Issue #2 will mark the debut of a new character for Chip Zdarsky and Ramon K. Perez’s “Stillwater;” a new “Murder Falcon” clash from Daniel Warren Johnson; and the first mainstream appearance of Imra Kniivila and Tri Vuong’s character, Everyday Hero Machine Boy, from the Royal Academy of Illustration & Design (R.A.I.D.)’s 2017 anthology “Raid One.”
Issue #3 will feature a “surprising coda” to Joshua Williamson and Andrei Bressan’s “Birthright,” following its June finale, while writer Kyle Starks and artist Erica Henderson will give a solo adventure for F*ck Tarkington from “Assassin Nation.” “Skybound X” #3 will also chronicle the latest of Science Dog’s adventures.
The fourth issue will see Donny Cates & Lisandro Estherren, and Brandon Thomas & Khary Randolph tell new “Redneck” and “Excellence” stories, respectively, as well as the first appearance of Mairghred Scott and Pablo Tunica’s Sea Serpent’s Heir, and fourth instalment of ‘Rick Grimes 2000.’
The final issue will finish the ‘Rick Grimes 2000’ story, with Robert Kirkman collaborating with Jason Howard (“Big Girls”) for a story that is only teased through Howard’s variant cover for the issue (below). Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer will contribute a new “The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton” story, while Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter will return to the world of “Gasolina.”
Each issue in the series will feature a host of variant covers, with some from the interior artists as well as Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn (“The Walking Dead”), and David Finch (“Batman: The Dark Knight”).
“Skybound X” will release weekly starting on July 7.
A selection of covers for the series and the full press release are as follows.
PORTLAND, Ore. 04/13/2021 — Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment will launch a five-issue, limited comic book series, SKYBOUND X. This exciting comic event will feature iconic characters such as THE WALKING DEAD’S Rick Grimes, TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD’s Clementine, and more Skybound favorites. Heavy hitter creators including Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, Tillie Walden, Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, and Daniel Warren Johnson will contribute stories from the best Skybound series past, present, and future.
Each oversized, weekly issue will kick off with a chapter from RICK GRIMES 2000, a story originally introduced in the back of THE WALKING DEAD issue 75 and reuniting the INVINCIBLE team Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. In addition, all-new series with brand new comic book characters will debut throughout. The first new comic book character featured will be Clementine, the star of the bestselling video game TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD. SKYBOUND X will also include new stories from the worlds of ASSASSIN NATION, EXCELLENCE and MANIFEST DESTINY.
“Surprise! Did you REALLY think we would let Skybound’s ten-year anniversary pass us by without bringing back some of our favorite characters?” said Kirkman. “We are forever thankful for our community’s support over the past decade and are honored to share this special series with the larger Skybound family. None of these characters have such monumental journeys without the fans, so SKYBOUND X is for all of you!”
SKYBOUND X will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play, starting with issue #1 on Wednesday, July 7, 2021:
SKYBOUND X #1
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN, TILLE WALDEN, JAMES HARREN & CHRIS DINGESS
ART: RYAN OTTLEY, TILLIE WALDEN, JAMES HARREN & MATTHEW ROBERTS
COVER A: RYAN OTTLEY (Diamond Code MAY210037)
COVER B: JAMES HARREN (Diamond Code MAY210038)
COVER C: TILLIE WALDEN (Diamond Code MAY210039)
COVER D: CHARLIE ADLARD (Diamond Code MAY210040)
COVER E: BLANK SKETCH COVER (Diamond Code MAY210041)JULY 7 / 52 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99
Celebrate a sensational 10 years of Skybound with a cavalcade of your favorite creators for all-new stories of your favorite series past, present and future! Each issue of this oversized, weekly series will kick off with a new chapter of a serialized THE WALKING DEAD story—RICK GRIMES 2000—by Robert Kirkman & Ryan Ottley!
In addition, we’ll be debuting all-new series and characters every issue, starting with the First Appearance of the most requested WALKING DEAD character of all-time: Clementine, star of the bestselling Telltale’s The Walking Dead video game series!
Did we mention new ULTRAMEGA and MANIFEST DESTINY stories?! If you want to know what to expect in Skybound’s next 10 years, it all starts here!
SKYBOUND X #2
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN, CHIP ZDARKSKY, DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, IRMA KNIIVILA & TRI VUONG
ART: RYAN OTTLEY, RAMON K. PEREZ, DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, TRI VUONG & IRMA KNIIVILA
COVER A: CLIFF RATHBURN (Diamond Code MAY210042)
COVER B: ANDREI BRESSAN (Diamond Code MAY210043)
COVER C: TRI VUONG & IRMA KNIIVILA (Diamond Code MAY210044)JULY 14 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99
The second chapter of the wildest WALKING DEAD story ever–RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, the debut of a major new STILLWATER character, a rip-roaring MURDER FALCON throwdown, and the First Appearance of EVERYDAY HERO MACHINE BOY!
SKYBOUND X #3
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, KYLE STARKS
ART: RYAN OTTLEY, ANDREI BRESSAN, ERICA HENDERSON, CORY WALKER
COVER A: ARTHUR ADAMS (Diamond Code MAY210045)
COVER B: CORY WALKER (Diamond Code MAY210046)
COVER C: ERICA HENDERSON (Diamond Code MAY210047)
COVER D: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON (Diamond Code MAY210048)JULY 21 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99
The third chapter of RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, a surprising coda to the BIRTHRIGHT saga, a spotlight on ASSASSIN NATION fan-favorite, F*ck Tarkington, and the latest installment of the greatest genius canine adventurer, SCIENCE DOG!
SKYBOUND X #4
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN, DONNY CATES, BRANDON THOMAS, MAIRGHRED SCOTT
ART: RYAN OTTLEY, LISANDRO ESTHERREN, KHARY RANDOLPH, PABLO TUNICA
COVER A: CHARLIE ADLARD (Diamond Code MAY210049)
COVER B: KHARY RANDOLPH (Diamond Code MAY210050)
COVER C: PABLO TUNICA (Diamond Code MAY210051)JULY 28 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99
The fourth chapter of RICK GRIMES 2000! Plus, new REDNECK and EXCELLENCE stories, and the First Appearance of SEA SERPENT’S HEIR!
SKYBOUND X #5
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN, KYLE STARKS & SEAN MACKIEWICZ
ART: RYAN OTTLEY, JASON HOWARD, CHRIS SCHWEIZER & NIKO WALTER
COVER A: DAVID FINCH (Diamond Code MAY210052)
COVER B: CHRIS SCHWEIZER (Diamond Code MAY210053)
COVER C: JASON HOWARD (Diamond Code MAY210054)AUGUST 4 / 44 PAGES / FULL COLOR / M / $4.99
RICK GRIMES 2000 concludes! Plus, new THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON and GASOLINA stories! ALSO, something COMPLETELY NEW from ROBERT KIRKMAN & JASON HOWARD! SECRETS!
