Monday, December 23, 2002

IMAGE COMICS FOR MARCH

Following are Image Comics' solicitations for March, with information coming from the company.

BULLETPROOF MONK: TALES OF THE BPM

Written by Cyrus Voris, Ethan Reiff, Mark Paniccia and Michael Yanover, art by Michael Avon Oeming, Tim Sale and Dave Johnson, cover by Tim Sale.

The origin of the Bulletproof Monk finally revealed. This prequel to the comic book series goes back to the beginning. By following the tales of two of the original spiritual warriors as illustrated by Dave Johnson and told through the eyes of the street kid, Kar, readers learn about the history and mythos of the mysterious BPM hero.

The first story, illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming, takes place in ancient Tibet in the midst of a Mongolian-Tibetan feud over the rightful holder of the Dalai Lama title. With the slaying of the current Dalai Lama, our hero takes on the Mongolian descendants of Genghis Kahn, in order to restore peace. The second story, illustrated by Tim Sale, takes place in WWII Tokyo, where the BPM must face down evil Japanese imperialists who are gearing up for world domination while torturing both Chinese and Americans GI's.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

DAWN: 2003 CONVENTION SKETCH BOOK

By Joeseph Michael Linsner.

Joseph Michael Linsner has done it again. Following the sellout success that was last year's Convention Sketchbook, Joe and Image have teamed up again for the Dawn: 2003 Convention Sketchbook. 32 glorious full-color pages of previously unpublished Dawn art that you won't find anywhere else - commission pieces and art done for conventions, plus a sneak peek at the upcoming mini-series Dawn: Three Tiers, due in the summer.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

DEFIANCE #6

Written by Douglas Barre, art and cover by Kano Kang and Zack Suh.

"The Scabbard" Since our first issue, we've been building up to this moment, one that many readers feared might never happen... at long last, Ivan eats eggs. Oh? What else is the issue about? As if that's not enough for you? Fine. Mayor Thibodeaux embarks on a desperate plan. Dirge takes control of Satan's earthly forces. Cleo faces off with Sipher, the Devil's daughter. Oh, and that weird doll flashback from issue one happens again. Happy now?

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

DEVIL'S DUE STUDIOS PREVIEW BOOK 2003

Various artists.

In 2003 Devil's Due Studios is plowing full steam ahead with a ton of new projects from Image. This is your chance to get a glimpse of them before they hit the shelves. See the first ever art from the new Voltron, get the goods on G.I .Joe, Radiskull and Micronauts,and check out Devil's Due's first creator-owned Image books featuring Josh Blaylock's Misplaced, Larry Hama and Pablo Raimondi's Oxido, Lovebunny and Mr. Hell, and the soon to be a hit, Kore.

24 pages, $1, in stores on March 19.

DOMINION #3

Written by Ross Richie and Keith Giffen, penciled by Giffen, inked by Dave Elliot, cover by Giffen and Claude St. Aubin.

Maybe we've got a chance. Yesterday, I saw someone kill one of them. He was massive, huge, like he was made of rocks. They dropped an 18 wheeler on him, then shot him with a bazooka. Once the creature was down, they slipped a grenade into his gullet and blew him up from the inside. We no longer have anywhere to run, but maybe now we've got someone who's willing to fight for us.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 19.

FIREBREATHER #3

Written by Phil Hester, art and cover by Andy Kuhn.

Duncan's darkest nightmares become a reality when he is forced by his father to face another monster in savage combat. Are these brutal tests really meant to help him control his powers, as his father says, or to destroy his humanity? Back at home, the fragile relationships Duncan has forged with his fellow students are shattered by a shocking betrayal.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

G.I. JOE #16

Written by Josh Blaylock, penciled by Badeaux, inked by John Larter, covers by Francis Manipul and Cory Hamscher.

As the new PIT base becomes operational, a team of Joes, including Spirit and Cover Girl, are sent on a bizarre mission to track down a missing child. Who is this kid and why is the government so interested in him? And what does his disappearance have to do with the forces of Cobra? It's a tale of urban espionage featuring some old favorites. Also, a great jumping on point for new readers. This issue will have major repercussions for the storyline in upcoming issues.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 19.

G.I. JOE FRONTLINE #6

Written by Dan Jolley, penciled by Drew Johnson and Tom Feister, inked by Ray Snyder, cover by Tony Harris.

"Icebound," part two. Trapped inside an isolated arctic base, Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, Frostbite, Lifeline and Airtight not only realize they're not alone, but also begin to understand the nature of the savage, genetically-corrupted creatures haunting the base's corridors. And just when they thought it couldn't get any weirder, a threat previously frozen starts to thaw... The sub-zero thrills continue in G.I. Joe: Icebound.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 12.

GRRL SCOUTS: WORK SUCKS #2

By Jim Mahfood.

Daphne gets out of jail and must deal with the ramifications of her street brawl from the last issue. Meanwhile, Rita links up with a mural art crew in the city and tries to get her art thing going. Gwen is still stuck working at the 99 cent store, but how long before she snaps and seriously hurts somebody?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 12.

HAMMER OF THE GODS: HAMMER HITS CHINA #2

Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Mark Obie Wheatley, art by Oeming.

Is this the end for Modi? Will his quest to free Odin fail? Well what do you think? Modi is a continuing character and this wouldn't be much of an ending. But how will Modi prevail? Deep in the heart of China, trapped by a Chinese spirit, Modi faces his greatest challenge. And only legendary magic might set man and God free. Special feature: Introducing the Frankenstein Mobster: Gangsters and Monsters, Guns and Ghosties.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 12.

HELLSPAWN #23

Written by by Steve Niles, art and cover by Ben Templesmith.

"Love Lost, Part 2." A choice between a centuries-old soulmate and a young survivor of Hell leaves the Hellspawn's newly revived life in shambles. Clinging to his humanity, the Hellspawn must decide between the two. If he makes the wrong choice, all three will die.

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on March 12.

INVINCIBLE #3

Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Cory Walker and Bill Crabtree.

Mark's father, Nolan decides that they need to spend some "quality time" together. They plan a day to patrol the globe together keeping the planet safe; the superhero equivalent of playing catch in the backyard. It doesn't take them long to find an otherworldly menace trying to claim earth as its prize. It's up to Mark and Nolan to defend our planet... luckily for us, this kind of thing is old hat for Nolan, now, if only Mark could stay out of his way. In other news, Mark quit his job at Burger Mart, and his mom makes pork chops for dinner... mmmmm, pork chops.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 12.

KARZA #2

Written by Jim Krueger, penciled by Steve Kurth, inked by Ray Snyder and cover by Angel Medina.

When Ryan Archer was abducted and transported to the world of the Micronauts, he witnessed Baron Karza's tyranny first hand. Now, with the help of the enigmatic Time Traveller, he will go on a journey through time and space, and learn how the megalomaniac became the monster he is today.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL. II #1

Written by Val Staples, art by Emiliano Santalucia and Marco Failla, cover by Santalucia and by Drew Struzan (wraparound).

The heroic Masters wage a new battle against Skeletor's sinister plot to take Grayskull for his own. But a terrible mishap produces unforeseen results. What happens next will shock everyone across the face of Eternia. This first issue to the regular series sets the stage for something that no Master ever dreamed they would face.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 19 ($5.95 wraparound cover).

MICRONAUTS #6

Written by Dan Jolley, penciled by Stefano Caselli, inked by Barb Shulz, cover by Caselli.

Dan Jolley joins with guest penciler Stefano Caselli to tell the tale of the newly escaped Micronauts. Perfect jumping on point for the series. Hurtling across space and pursued by what seems like every bounty hunter in the galaxy, the 'Nauts make their way to a backwater planet. But will facing danger tear the already fragile alliance of the Micronauts apart? Meanwhile, Karza plots his biggest conquest ever...

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

MYTHSTALKERS #1

Written by Douglas Barre, art and cover by Jiro.

After a heated battle with a Finnish troll yields clues to the location of the fabled Labyrinth of Crete, the Mythstalkers set out to hunt the Minotaur. Unfortunately, the mysterious Ministry of Objective Sciences is determined to stop them from leaving the country... by any means available to the Crown.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

PARADIGM # 7

Written by Matt Cashel, penciled by Jeremy Haun, inked by Elizabeth Jacobson.

A traveler from far away arrives in the city of Bogsdale carrying with him an evil not intended for this world. At least that's what the dwarf told him. Meanwhile, Ethan and his new cat find themselves on the receiving end of sociopathic Dick's hand cannon, Rusty leaves the restroom, and Summer discovers that "trust no one" is more than a catchy pop-phrase.

40 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 19.

PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE

Written by Michael Avon Oeming, art by Neil D. Vokes.

A city high upon its Victorian morals finds itself under siege by a crazed killer. Its loan protector, the Parliament of Justice and his partner, Gypsum are on the trail sworn to solve the mystery. In the end they will learn more about the killer, the city and themselves than they ever expected. Artist Vokes, best known for his work on Superman Adventures. Neil reinvents himself for a story many are sure to talk about. This is a self-contained adult story that is full of intrigue, sex and violence and even a bit of social commentary. You'll never view a vigilante or those that love them quite the same.

56 pages, black and white, $5.95, in stores on March 19.

POWERS #30

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Michael Avon Oeming.

The Sellouts: Part VI. Not everyone is going to survive the terrifying conclusion. This is the issue that changes Powers forever. Walker and Pilgrim are right in the middle of one of the most out of control Powers cases ever as a decades long feud between some of the world's greatest superheroes has sent the entire planet into utter chaos.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

PVP #1

By Scott Kurtz, cover by Frank Cho.

Meet Cole, Brent, Jade, Francis and Skull the troll on your first tour of the PvP offices. It's crunch-time and the staff is up against the wall. Unfortunately for editor-in-chief Cole Richards, today is the day that everything seems to be falling apart. Can he put out the fires and pull the staff together in time to make deadline?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95.

RADISKULL & DEVIL DOLL: RADISKULL HATE LOVE

Written by Josh Blaylock and Tim Seeley, art and cover by Mike Norton.

A love-happy Devil Doll tries to convince Radiskull that what he needs is a girlfriend. What follows is the most twisted series of dating misadventures since the last episode of Elimidate, except much cooler. See Radiskull stick it to love and dating like only an angry disembodied skull with a Mohawk could.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

SAMMY: TOURIST TRAP #2

By Azad.

Sammy, now in the care of the fine staff of Acapulco General Hospital, has to fend off not only bad food and bad TV, but also crooked doctors trying to blackmail him for more money than he's ever seen in his life. As good as dead, unless he takes matters into his own hands, Sammy's grabs the reins and tries to figure out who is behind his recent woes, and why.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

SAVAGE DRAGON #109

By Erik Larsen, backup by Larsen and Mark Englert.

Danger in Dimension-X. Menaced by a creature that was hauled out of the Void, the Dragons family is in peril. Will they be able to thwart this new menace and save the day? All bets are off. Plus, a new Mighty Man feature that will run in addition to a full-length Savage Dragon tale.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 19.

SPAWN #132

Written by Brian Holguin and Todd McFarlane, penciled by Angel Medina, inked by Danny Miki, cover by Greg Capullo and McFarlane.

"God is a Bullet, Part 2." Disguised as a mercenary, Al Simmons has traveled to a remote European nation to kill a brutal tyrant that he had helped place in power years before. There, he encounters an old familiar face from his military days, a friend who has fallen into dire trouble of his own. Will his loyalty to an old friend sidetrack him from his sworn mission? Or will Spawn's thirst for vengeance overcome any doubts he has?

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on March 26.

STRANGERS #1

Written by J.M. Lofficier and Randy Lofficier, penciled by Manuel Garcia, inked by Eduardo Alpuente, covers by Garcia and Formosa.

Homicron asks Starlock to assist the international organization CLASH with the disposal of atomic, bacteriological and chemical weapons stored in a space stationt, which finds itself attacked by the robotic army of the power-mad scientist known as Astaroth. Meanwhile, on Earth, Tanka enlists Futura's help, and attempts to rescue Jaleb from his comatose state, for he knows the telepath holds the key to their ultimate victory against an as yet unseen enemy.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

TECH JACKET #5

Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by E.J. Su.

Zack finds himself between a rock and a hard place when he is forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life. Zack has been taken captive by the Geldarians and is being taken back to their home planet for trial and his inevitable execution. What will Zack do when his transport is attacked by a platoon of Kresh soldiers; who have been at war with the Geldarians for decades? Will he help his captors in a fight for their lives or allow them to perish and in doing so, strand himself in deep space with no way of getting home?

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 12.

VENTURE #3

Written by Jay Faerber, art and cover by Jamal Igle.

When a sea monster attacks the Santa Monica Pier, Reggie sees the perfect opportunity for Venture to grab another headline. But the battle yields revelations about Joe's past... and Reggie's future.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 5.

VIOLENT MESSIAHS: LAMENTING PAIN #4

Written by Joshua Dysart, art by Tone Rodriguez, inked by Digital Chameleon, covers by Rodriguez and Bill O'Neil.

The streets of Rankor Island erupt in riots and the murderer who carves the word "scalpel" into her victims remains at large. Cheri has received a nightmarish visit from the "Family". Her sanity shaken, she runs to the very person she's investigating, the dominatrix Ling Kawaguchi. Cheri is taken in… and strapped down. Will Cheri find, through bondage, the inner strength needed to survivethe violent culmination of Scalpel's secret?

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 26.

TOP COW TITLES

BLOOD LEGACY: THE YOUNG ONES

Written by Kerri Hawkins, penciled by Eric Basaldua, inked by John Livesay.

There are creatures that walk the earth that are not like us. Powerful. Immortal. They are perhaps the ones who inspired the legend of the vampire. So why is the world not populated by these creatures? They are predators, and their favorite prey is each other. The Change itself is torturous, and few humans survive to become Young Ones. Some do. This is their story.

40 pages, $3.99.

DARKNESS VOL II #3

Written by Paul Jenkins, penciled by Dale Keown, colored by Matt Milla.

"You Only Live Twice." Jackie find himself alone and without a purpose as his struggle for control of the city hits a couple of hidden bumps in the road. He's triumphed over adversity before, but you try persuading a thirty-year Mob veteran that a twenty year-old guy should be running the show. To make matters worse, the darkness is taking on a sinister new manifestation and Jackie must now decide, will it continue to be an asset or a hindrance? The answer may lie in the Darkness' hidden agenda for Jackie...

32 pages, $2.99.

BATTLE OF THE PLANETS #8

Written by Munier Sharrieff, penciled by Wilson Tortosa, colored by Udon and Shane Law.

Feeling that Central West is firmly in his grasp, Zoltar leaves the secret hidden Spectra base to claim the super city as his own. A crippled G-Force must overcome incredible odds as they fight to survive against angry mobs and Spectra soldiers on the streets of Central West. Meanwhile Chief Anderson struggles to find a cure against Zoltar's virus.

32 pages, $2.99.

WITCHBLADE #63

Written by David Wohl, penciled by Francis Manapul, inked by Jason Gorder, colored by John Starr.

Investigating a bizarre murder on Wall Street, Sara Pezzini realizes that powerful and extremely dangerous forces are afoot--ones that will require more than just keen detective work and the Witchblade. Sara needs the help of the mysterious and beautiful Magdalena, who's been conducting an investigation of her own. Forming an extremely uneasy alliance, the two women make a shocking discovery -- something that Sara hoped she'd never see again...

32 pages, $2.99.

BRIGHT #2

Written by Fiona Avery, penciled by Dan Jurgens.

"Authority." Matthew Bright is still living under the assumed name of Brendan Miller, and making close friendships with Frank and Jess in the precinct, when a new serial killer case erupts in the NYPD. Matt really takes the case to heart upon discovering that the serial killer has Specials in mind whenever he causes new carnage in the streets of suburban New York. In the second part of three issues, Matthew's secret identity as Brendan Miller is about to be ripped from him and his true nature as a special is revealed.

32 pages, $2.99.

TOMB RAIDER JOURNEYS #11

Written by Fiona Avery, penciled by Manny Clark, inked by Marlo Alquiza, colored by Tyson Wengler.

The final confrontation and climax to the mystery of the Dream Spear in the Maori Dreaming Underworld. Lara finally confronts Kagan, the man who stole the Maori's influential Dream Spear and learns more about herself in the process. It seems that Lara and Kagan have been fighting the same battle for longer than she would ever have dreamed. And Lara's decision must be between killing Kagan or changing Known Fate to start a new destiny.

32 pages, $2.99.