Via Polygon, Image Comics have announced a new six-part anthology series based on writer Greg Rucka and artist Leandro Fernandez’s “The Old Guard,” called “The Old Guard: Tales Through Time.” The anthology will feature different creative teams chronicling the immortal mercenaries’ exploits across different moments in time. Fernandez will be providing each issue with its main cover art as well as a series of interconnecting variant covers, with Jacopo Camagni giving issue #1 a second variant.
The first issue will feature Rucka and Fernandez, alongside colorist Daniela Miwa and letterer Jodi Wynne, as well as a story by writer Andrew Wheeler and artist Jacopo Camagni following Nicky and Joe in Berlin after WWI. The second issue will feature “Bitch Planet” duo Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro exploring Japan in the 13th century; writers Robert Mackenzie and Dave Walker working with artist Justin Greenwood to take the Old Guard to the time of the Moon landing; and a western by writer Eric Trautmann and artist Rick Burchett. Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Avon Oeming, and Taki Soma will be collaborating for issue #3, with its time period only suggested by its cover featuring a Templar Knight.
In unspecified issues, writer Vita Ayala and artist Nicola Scott will create a modern-day heist entry; David F. Walker will team with artist Matthew Clark for a American Civil War story; and writer and editor of “The Old Guard,” Alejandro Arbona, will be paired with artist Kano for a story set in 19th century Paris. Jason Aaron, Steve Lieber, Horacio Altuna, and Matt Fraction will all be contributing to the series too, though their issues and stories have not been specified. Rucka and Fernandez will return for the series’ final issue.
“The Old Guard” first debuted in 2017 and told the story of a team of immortal soldiers turned mercenaries. It was intended to be “a tight five issues and done,” according to Arbona, but the series has since grown with “The Old Guard: Force Multiplied,” which started in late 2019, and a Netflix film adaptation of the original series starring Charlize Theron. Speaking about the anthology, Rucka stated, “I’m always a little stunned when people want to come and play with our toys, to be honest,” while Fernandez added that it “opens a new way to understand how these characters could be seen from other eyes. All of a sudden, they have a life, a voice of their own.”
“The Old Guard: Tales Through Time” #1 is scheduled for release in April. You can see the entirety of the interconnecting variant covers, as well as the primary covers for the first three issues and interior artwork, here.
