IMAGE COMICS FOR OCTOBER

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

AGE OF BRONZE #18

Written and art by Eric Shanower.

"Sacrifice" Part 9. Iphigenia, daughter of the army commander, doesn't realize that the jaws of death are closing around her. When Kalchas, the Trojan priest, reveals to the army that the gods require the girl's life, Achilles vows to save her or die. Can Achilles keep her safe long enough for the girl's mother to wrest Iphigenia away from peril?

24 pages, black and white, $3.50, in stores on Oct. 22.

CAPES #2

Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Mark Englert.

Bolt and company have their hands full when a jailbreak at the local penitentiary fills the streets of New York with super-villains! It's up to him and the rest of the Capes to round them all up before anyone gets hurt... but things don't always go as planned. Tensions rise as scheduled lunch breaks become a thing of the past and our heroes get saddled with more overtime than any of them could ever want. Looks like Bolt will be able to get that big screen television sooner than he thought... if he survives through the week.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

CASEFILES: SAM AND TWITCH #6

Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Scott Morse.

"Have You Seen Me, Part 6?" The startling conclusion to the "Have You Seen Me?" arc. The fate of Twitch's children and the verdict in Twitch's trial are revealed. Will the tragedies inflicted on Det. Williams destroy him, strengthen him or something far worse? Plots are twisted and futures determined in this, the final chapter of the Casefiles' first arc.

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on Oct. 16.

FACTION PARADOX #2

Written by Lawrence Miles, art by Jim Calafiore.

Faction Paradox's representatives start sweating blood as the bone-wielding Mayakatula runs amok-leaving an increasing trail of corpses in her wake. Meanwhile, a British Secret Service agent important to Faction lore arrives to observe the carnage in King George III's court. His name's Sabbath, and before he's done, he's going to shove himself into a conflict that's already got the Faction, the colonials Americans and more at each others' throats. All this, plus a very unexpected origin story gets unveiled.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

FEATHER #2

Written and art by Steve Uy.

Sehv finally returns from his excursion, bearing the Scale Scythe, a legendary weapon of God, as a present to Leeka. What mystical powers does the Scythe hold, and more importantly, how will Leeka pay back the favor? Together with her dragon mother, Leeka conjures up a plan to give Sehv what he's always wanted: a real live dragon to kill.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER #0

Written and art by Mark Obie Wheatley, covers by Wheatley and Adam Hughes.

The best cop. Three of the worst mobsters. One sewn together body: This is the Frankenstein Mobster. Four souls at war with themselves. Who will be in control? Inspired by 1930's gangster and horror movies. Featuring the up-to-date female detective, Terri Todd. Set in a city where the lower class are monsters; vampires, mummies, and ghouls. A city that is corrupt to the core, where the mobs hold power over the cops and every citizen. Somewhere in the night a man is being sewn together. Meanwhile, detective Terri Todd, is drawn into an illicit effort to rescue a kidnaped girl. The girl's father is a Mummy. He drives a taxi. He smells like mold and the rain doesn't help. With the aid of a vampire, a witch and several sexy Medusas, they bust mobster heads and get caught in hails of bullets. While the clock ticks and a little girl's life hangs in balance.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 1.

G.I. JOE #23

Written by Josh Blaylock, art by Brandon Badeaux, covers by Badeaux and Tim Seeley.

Part Two of "The Return of Serpentor." Not only is the mystery of Julius, Hannibal, and the Clone children explained, but as suspected, all roads lead to Serpentor! Dr. Mindbender, Firefly, and Battle Android Troopers are only a small fraction of the army he has amassed, and the entire world will soon feel its might. As G.I.JOE prisoners find themselves trapped on the neglected Cobra Island, they will receive help in the unexpected form of Cobra Commander himself. This issue leads up to one of the biggest battles in G.I.Joe history...ever.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

G.I. JOE FRONTLINE #16

Written by Corey Mitchel and William Wilson, art by Eddy Barrows, covers by Tone Rodriguez and Tim Seeley.

One shot. Bragging about the quality of his security measures has gotten Destro into hot water with Cobra Commander, who fears treachery on all sides. Putting the security to the test, Cobra Commander hires an assassin to kill Destro, in the name of the Night Creepers.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

G.I. JOE vs. TRANSFORMERS #5

Written by Josh Blaylock, art by Mike Miller, covers by Miller and Dan Norton.

The Autobots and Decepticons are now acting of their own free will, and that doesn't bode well for anyone. G.I.Joe and Cobra now find themselves caught in the middle of the Cybertronian warriors' ages old conflict, and allegiances will need to be formed quickly if they wish to survive. The clandestine Army generals known as the Jugglers are moving forward with a nuclear attack to eliminate the alien threat, and anything else on the island with them - including G.I. Joe. What they don't know is that such an attack with high concentrations of energon may not only destroy the island, but half of the planet in the process.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 22.

HAWAIIAN DICK: THE LAST RESORT #2

Written by B. Clay Moore, art by Steven Griffin.

With Mo missing, Byrd attempts to unravel the mystery of who's sabotaging the Seaside Sands and the Coral Reef resorts. As Kahami heads into the surrounding villages, Byrd attempts to coax information from underworld strongman Stew Mulligan by drinking him under the table. Along the way, Byrd stumbles onto the secret behind the mob's fascination with Hawaii, Kahami uncovers the legends of the bay, Mo prepares for a date with hungry sharks, and Stew Mulligan comes face-to-face with his own mortality.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

THE HEDGE KNIGHT #3

Written by George R.R. Martin and Ben Avery, art by Mike S. Miller, covers by Miller and Tom Mandrake.

With a runaway for a squire, his dead master's sword, and a pretty girl in his thoughts, Dunk is ready to take on the Kingdom's best knights in the Ashford tournament as "Ser Duncan the Tall". Gambling everything he owns for just one chance to prove himself on the battlefield, Dunk faces failure before he gets a chance to try when no one will vouch for his knighthood. Meanwhile, the coming of the tournament challenges not only his determination to join the lists, but also his very understanding of what it means to be a knight.

32 pages, $2.95 (holofoil $5.95), in stores on Oct. 1.

HELLHOUNDS #3

Written by George T. Singley IV, art by Joe Abraham.

King & Shock are on a perilous mission to rescue Moss & Colby from the clutches of the nefarious Odom. Will King & Shock prevail against this new threat before one of their own falls victim to the deadly menace? Our heroes will soon realize that Hadean Gates holds even darker secrets...Monsters walk among them!

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

INVINCIBLE #8

Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Cory Walker.

Everything has changed, and Mark Grayson doesn't know what to do. In this issue, Invincible gets to attend his first star-studded superhero funeral... featuring guest appearances from all your favorite Image Universe superheroes. To make matters worse, it seems trouble is brewing here at the cemetery. It's a good thing all those heroes are on hand to help... because Mark is in no condition to be fighting any battles on his own.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

LEAVE IT TO CHANCE HC VOL. III: MONSTER MADNESS

Written by James Robinson, art by Paul Smith.

Reprinting Leave it to Chance #11-13 from the classic original series. Chance is faced with a threat of monstrous proportions in this third volume in a series of over-sized hardcover editions priced to sell at the unbelievably low price of $14.95. Charming and witty with wonderful art and a heroine everyone can root for. Mix Harry Potter and Nancy Drew and you have Leave It To Chance.

112 pages, $14.95, in stores on Oct. 29.

LIBERTY MEADOWS #34

Written and art by Frank Cho.

Things spin out of control at the animal sanctuary picnic as animals and hormones run amok. Jen and Frank's stormy relationship turns for the worse as Brandy and Roger's romance heats up. New widescreen format. All the comic strips are completely remastered and uncensored.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

MYTHSTALKERS #7

Written by Douglass Barré, art by Jiro.

Three stories whet your appetite for Victorian High Adventure this month! Watch as Lord Marston and Mrs. Chatterton lie, cheat and steal their way into the citadel of the Queen of Night. Gape as Victor and Colonel Durant fight a legion of gangsters and nursery bogies to recover Victor's soul from Batson and Quill! Marvel as Sir Charles single-handedly defends the Society headquarters from a siege led by the vengeful Valende. All this... and Coble continues his spate of blatant anachronism.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 1.

NOBLE CAUSES: DISTANT RELATIVES #4

Written by Jay Faerber, art by Ian Richardson and Ethen Beavers.

Frost comes face to face with the person responsible for last issue's tragedy, while Liz continues her search for Race. Meanwhile, Celeste and Cosmic Rae come to blows over Rusty, and the pressure of taking over his father's kingdom takes its toll on Krennick. Ethen Beavers illustrates the back-up story, wherein Krennick's obsession with Zephyr threatens to ruin an innocent woman's life.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 22.

OXIDO #2

Written by Larry Hama, art by Pablo Raimondi.

Wade into the slaughterhouse with the Rim Marshals and see what happens when the man with no memory begins to get a glimmer of who he really is. The mystery takes on new convolutions as the hand of the insidious Nul Angreth draws ever closer to the strange child named Syd. Nasty new characters, bizarre environments, and novel forms of dat ol' ultra-violence.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

POWERS #36

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

"Forever," part six. The Powers secrets' revealed! A story that spans the history of man and Powers continues as the real secrets behind Walker's secret superhero past are finally revealed. Forget everything you knew- or thought you knew- all the secrets are revealed in this full issue story guest-starring the powers all stars- Retro Girl, Diamond, Triphammer and Zora.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 15.

REALM OF THE CLAW #1

Written by Stan Winston and Francis Takenaga, art and covers by David Yardin,

Gods who prowl the Realm of the Claw. The Realm was once a tranquil place where even Man shared in the bounties of its rich soil and crystalline waters with all its other living creatures. But it was only a matter of time before Man revealed his true nature. Nakuru and Sabyr would eventually lead the Beasts to victory over Man…but man's lust for power, like his stench, would not soon wash away or be forgotten… Louden Reed defines luxury. His family's multi-million dollar industrial firm flourished into a multi-billion dollar juggernaut under his ruthless guidance. His life, lavish. His tastes, exquisite. His favorite pastime, hunting endangered species for sport. Harrison, his adopted brother, came from humbler beginnings and has dedicated his life to protecting the animals of the world from men like Louden. Unbeknownst to either man, eighteen lifetimes have been shared between them, and a long-forgotten exile is about to come to an end. "Home" does not mean New York, where they live. Home lies in the unexplored wilds of Umbwandi…and is also known as The Realm of the Claw.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 29.

REALM OF THE CLAW #0

Written by Stan Winston and Francis Takenaga, art by Gabriel Rearte and Liam Sharpe, cover by Sharpe.

You don't have to leave the comfort of your own local comic book shop to get the convention special Realm of the Claw Zero issue. This special issue contains rare back story information on what are sure to be some of your new favorite comic book characters.

32 pages, $5.95, in stores on Oct. 29.

REX MUNDI #7

Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Eric J.

"Father of Wisdom." Genevieve must save Julien's medical practice from being shut down by the Guild of Physicians. Can she do it? Later, Julien visits Rabbi Maiselles and discovers a clue to the true identity of the mysterious entity known as "Baphomet." No, it's not the devil…Julien also trys to question the wealthy Hugo deMedici, who is somehow connected to the stolen scroll and Marin's murder. But deMedici isn't accepting visitors…

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 8.

ROTOGIN: JUNKBOTZ #4

Written by Jay Lee, art by J. Korim.

As the storm brews in the city of Nalus, so does the blood of the Lotuz Society. The UBB is split and the under bosses begin preparing for the major expansion to take the fights worldwide. Kaylin starts work on her junkbot, hoping to take it into battle. She knows that her chances of getting onto the UBB's Fighter Circuit are slim, but she must try everything in order to help save her friend Asper.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 22.

SAVAGE DRAGON #112

Written and art by Erik Larsen.

Things haven't been going the way Mako, the man-shark, would have liked. Back in civilization, he found that the super-heroine Dart was not as receptive to his charms as she was when she was stranded on a small, uncharted island in the Coral Sea with him. So, his logic being what it is, he's abducted his unwilling sweetheart and returned with her to this island paradise. Naturally, Dart's friends and allies are more than a bit concerned about her well being-especially, the ever Savage Dragon. Plus a new Mighty Man feature.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 22.

SOMETHING WICKED #1

Written by Jerry Beck, Cameron Corniuk, and Tony Viccaro, art by Beck.

In a world full of death and disease, it appears mankind is fading fast. Mega-Viruses, a new breed of deadly diseases, are spreading world-wide and scientists around the globe are caught in a race against time, desperately searching for a cure. The only answer, however, may be buried six feet deep, within the mind of a dead man...former CDC head scientist, Silas Mondrian. Will mankind survive? Does it deserve to? Hired to investigate a series of grave robberies, private detective, Keith Ericsson stumbles upon a little more than he bargained for in the form of the late geneticist, Silas Mondrian. For several years the thought to be dead doctor has been hiding out in the protective confines of Erieside Manor, feverishly working on a cure for the Mega-Viruses. But as the story unfolds not everything goes as planned and for Silas, his latest experiment may do more harm than good.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 29.

SPAWN #139

Written by Brian Holguin and Todd McFarlane, art by Angel Medina, cover by Greg Capullo and McFarlane.

"Asunder, Part 1." Al Simmons has been having trouble sleeping. He wakes up in strange places with no memory of what has transpired. The newspapers are rife with bizarre tales of macabre violence. Simmons is forced to reach a troubling conclusion: His Spawn persona has started acting on its own. Now, Simmons must find away to regain control over the darkest part of himself. But how does a man wrestle with his own demon?

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on Oct. 29.

STREET FIGHTER #2

Written by Ken Siu-Chong, art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, and Andrew Hou, covers by Tsang, Adam Warren, J. Scott Campbell and Jo Chen.

Searching for answers in the mystery of his Master's murder, Ryu begins to find them in a vision from his past, leading him to return with Ken to their old training grounds in Japan, where Ryu is tormented by painful dreams and memories of Master Gouken's death that trigger a darkness and rage he never knew he possessed. Meanwhile, Chun-Li and Guile, realizing that they have a common enemy in Shadaloo, form an alliance to uncover what connection Ryu could possibly have with M. Bison. Plus: An action-packed backup story by Adam Warren pitting Street Fighter's two leading ladies against each other. Chun-Li vs. Cammy.

32 pages, $2.95.

STUPID COMICS #2

Written and art by Jim Mahfood.

Hot indy artist Jim Mahfood brings readers this second all-new collection of his infamous Stupid Comics newspaper strip.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 29.

SWORD OF DRACULA #1

Written by Jason Henderson, art by Greg Scott.

You've seen Dracula. But you've never seen him like this. At 600 years old he controls blood so keenly that he can make almost anything his army needs. And he will rule the Earth. But what happens when the King of Vampires faces the return of an even greater, older evil? What unholy alliance must Dracula form with Ronnie Van Helsing, the young leader of the massive agency known as the Polidorium? Hard-edged horror action from Greg Scott of Sabretooth and Jason Henderson of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Ronnie Van Helsing is new to her leadership role in the Polidorium-but it doesn't stop her from dragging the organization into a full assault on Dracula, Lord of the Vampire. In opening act issue that plays out in near-real time, the Polidorium meet Dracula for the first time-but are all the Humvees, coagulant missiles, rocket launchers and blackhawks at Ronnie's disposal any match for a man who controls a reservoir of blood?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 1.

VAMPIRE'S CHRISTMAS

Written by Joseph Michael Linsner, art by Linsner and Mike Dubisch.

At Christmas time, all dreams come true. What do vampires dream of? Blood, of course. Lots of it. Esque, the vampire, is no different, but in Santa's eyes he's been more naughty than nice. A lump of coal in his stocking is what Esque expects as he goes off into the cold city night to seek his holiday dinner. During his hunt on Christams Eve, he encounters junkies, pedophiles, goth chicks, and the scariest of them all --holiday shoppers. Everyone's hustling for that last-minute score, and amidst the snow and carols, who knows what Esque might find? This Graphic Novel marks the return of Esque, Joseph Michael Linsner's post-modern vampire. After haunting Linsner's work for the last 10 years, Esque finally gets a chance to star in a book of his own.

48 pages, $5.95. in stores on Oct. 29.

WALKING DEAD #1

Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Tony Moore.

How many hours are in a day when you don't spend half of them watching television? When is that last time any of us really worked to get something that we wanted? How long has it been since any of us really needed something that we wanted? The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled, no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start to live.Rick Grimes is not prepared for this. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never shot anyone and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family he must now sort through the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. All the while fighting for his survival. How did this happen? How did things get so bad so fast? How will things ever return to normal after everything he's seen?

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 1.

WILDGUARD: CASTING CALL #2

Written and art by Todd Nauck, covers by Nauck and Mike Wieringo.

The auditions have been invaded! It's an all-out slugfest when the WildGuard hopefuls go toe-to-toe with unknown assailants. The number of contenders is drastically cut from hundreds to two dozen as the auditions continue during this battle royale. Tune in and find out who makes it past "Round One." Will your favorites make the cut? Don't miss your chance to be a part of the creation of this brand new super team.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on Oct. 22.

TOP COW TITLES

BATTLE OF THE PLANETS: MANGA #1

Written by David Wohl, art by Edwin David.

Join the Battle of the Planets team as they go undercover at an amusement park where things are not as peaceful as they seem, with romance, mystery, and big freakin‚ mechs bent on causing destruction. It's G-Force action in classic black & white manga style art.

32 pages, black and white, $2.99.

CURSED #1

Written by Fiona Avery and Tippi Blevins, art by Romano Molenaar.

Journalist Shan Beaumont has always relied on her almost eerie sense of intuition. It's a power her father says comes from an Egyptian curse--the same curse that drove him insane. When a ritualistically mutilated body is found, he gives Shan a fragment of the Osiris Amulet and warns her of a coming darkness. With friend and photographer Winston MacGregor, Shan confronts suspect Victor Hahn in Germany. He's planning more than murder and Shan is hit by a horrifying vision of the future: Mummified men walk again with their hearts removed. Even Cleopatra shows up to see if it's true.

32 pages, $2.99.

DARKNESS #6

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

The final showdown between Frankie and Jackie.

32 pages, $2.99.

MAGDALENA #4

Written by Brian Holguin, penciled by Eric Basaldua, inked by BATT, colored by Beth Sotelo.

It's the end of the world as we know it! The Magdalena, the warrior of the Catholic Church, battles to stave off Armageddon itself! A breach has been opened between dimensions, and only the Magdalena's strength-and faith-can keep dark forces from invading Earth from the other side in this sweeping conclusion to the hit mini-series.

32 pages, $2.99.

TOMB RAIDER #35

Written by James Bonny, penciled by Tony Daniel, inked by Jon Sibal, colored by Tyson Wengler.

"Black Legion" Part 1 of 2. Lara Croft, biker bars, rattlesnakes, and motorcycles how could anything possibly go wrong? Come along with Lara as she embarks on her newest quest, and comes face to face with The Black Legion. Join us for Part 1 of a two-part story arc that is brought to you in stunning visuals by Tony Daniel, and written by newcomer James Bonny.

32 pages, $2.99.

WITCHBLADE #70

Written by David Wohl, penciled by Francis Manapul, colored by Brian Buccellato.

Sara returns from her road trip and finds all hell breaking loose back home in New York City. First of all, she discovers her ne'er-do-well sister is romantically involved with her partner, Jake. Secondly, she immediately gets embroiled in a mysterious murder investigation that has the whole NYPD befuddled, and her boss seems to somehow be involved...again. And worst of all, Ian Nottingham is back and he's...changed... Best of all, you the fan will get to choose who lives and dies when this arc climaxes in issue #75! It's life or death and you decide.

32 pages, $2.99.