IMAGE COMICS FOR MARCH

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

ALTERNATION #2

Written by F.G. Haghenbeck, art and cover by Carlos Barberi.

Sam and Tokugawa are aided by the Wright Brothers as they break into Ellis Island Castle to learn more about the origins of the mysterious Atomic Machine. Fallout from an old love affair between Sam and Mata Hari could endanger the mission, though, and Jack the Ripper isn't helping things, either.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 3.

THE BLACK FOREST

Written by Todd Livingston and Robert Tinnell, art by Neil Vokes, cover by Michael Avon Oeming.

World War I. In the battle between good and evil, evil just got creative: The Germans are developing a mysterious weapon to break through the trenches.

American pilot Jack Shannon and Archie Caldwell, Britain's greatest stage magician, are sent behind enemy lines, into the heart of the supernatural vortex that is the Black Forest. There, in a remote castle, they match wits with evil occultist Avery Dye, who aims to use Frankenstein's Monster as a template to create an army of unstoppable re-animated dead! In order to thwart the forces of evil, Jack and Archie will be forced to battle Nosferatu, werewolves, a sorcerer and Frankenstein's Monster himself!

96 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on March 31.

BLOODSTREAM #2

Written by Adam Shaw and Penny Register, art and cover by Shaw.

Amber seduces the lab assistant and escapes her bonds. She then navigates expertly through the BioGenCo complex as if guided by some mysterious, unseen force.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 3.

CASEFILES: SAM & TWITCH #11

Written by Marc Andreyko, art by Paul Lee, cover by Greg Capullo.

"Skeletons," Part Five. It's the penultimate chapter of "Skeletons," and as the truth behind the powerful Halloran family is uncovered, Sam must face some dark choices he made in his own past! Can Sam and Twitch make sense of the mysteries before it's too late? And -- wait a minute -- is someone gonna get assassinated?

32 pages, black and white, $2.50, in stores on March 17.

DAVID AND GOLIATH #3

Written by Jay Ju, art and cover by Leonel Catellani.

Goliath's wrath has been released and the struggle for control of David has begun! David's sister Sarah has been taken hostage by the Nichila and her Nazi Agents, and a high-speed cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of New York ensues.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 17.

DESPERATE TIMES #1

Written, illustrated and cover by Chris Eliopoulos.

A couple of guys -- one single, one newly married -- try to make it in the world. It's too bad the grass always looks greener on the other side... Marty tries to figure out married life, Toad tries to figure out life without his best friend and Kennedy tries to destroy his liver. What happens to a friendship when one friend gets married -- and to a ventriloquist, no less?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 10.

HAWAIIAN DICK: THE LAST RESORT #3

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

Loose ends are tied together as others unravel. The FBI makes its presence known, and a hungover Byrd confronts the crime families with information regarding their motivations. Meanwhile, Mo prepares for a date with man-eating sharks, and a sunbathing Kahami encounters (a deceased?) Stew Mulligan.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 10.

HEAVEN, LLC

Written by Wayne Chinsang, art and cover by Dave Crosland.

Heaven is not all puffy clouds, harps, and angels. Like most things, it's all about business. When Heaven, LLC's CEO (that's God) turns up missing, all Hell breaks loose! The Board of Trustees sets out to find him... even though no one likes him. Hijinks ensue! Huzzah! Written by Wayne Chinsang -- the editor of the humor and entertainment publication, tastes like chicken -- and drawn by Dave Crosland also of tastes like chicken and Puffed fame and starring a cast of characters like John the Baptist, The Holy Spirit, Lucifer and Jesus, this is one graphic novel destined to entertain. Or at least that's what my pastor tells me.

144 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on March 10.

HEAVEN'S DEVILS #4

Written by Jai Nitz, art and cover by Zach Howard.

Alan and Madison race to stop Wickliffe from unleashing a virus in Chicago. Millions of lives will be lost if they fail, but can the Earth survive if they succeed? In the final issue, everyone is right, everyone is wrong, and everyone loses.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 24.

INVINCIBLE #11

Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Ryan Ottley, cover by Cory Walker.

"Perfect Strangers," part three. The status quo becomes a thing of the past when Mark's world is torn apart before his eyes. How will he pick up the pieces? Events in this issue lead into the big issue 12 spectacular.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 24.

INVINCIBLE, VOL. 2: EIGHT IS ENOUGH TP

Written by Robert Kirkman, art by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, cover by Walker.

The "Inivincible Family" finally starts to get a handle on the whole superhero thing, while Mark plans for college and the oft-mentioned Guardians of the Globe are finally introduced in this full-length trade paperback featuring what is undoubtedly the single most shocking and unexpected page in the series thus far.

128 pages, $12.95, in stores on March 31.

LIBERTY MEADOWS #36

Written, illustrated and cover by Frank Cho.

Brandy and Roger's wedding draws near, as Frank the vet makes one last-ditch effort to stop it. Ralph and Leslie's latest invention wreaks havoc as Dean flirts with disaster at the wedding reception. A real tear-jerker, this one.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 10.

MINISTRY OF SPACE OMNIBUS

Written by Warren Ellis, art and cover by Chris Weston and Laura Martin.

This is the story of how we could have gone to space. Maybe how we should have gone to space. This is the story of the Ministry of Space.

The black budget that financed the move into space. The deaths of the test pilots, taken from the surviving Spitfire flyers of the Battle of Britain. And in 2000, the end of the Golden Age, as America and Russia begin moving into space. The secret revealed, and the destruction of a man who sacrificed himself for the Ministry of Space. Collects the sold out Ministry of Space #1-2.

48 pages, $4.95, in stores on March 17.

NOBLE CAUSES, VOL. 2: FAMILY SECRETS TP

Written by Jay Faerber, art by Ian Richardson, Jonboy Meyers, Matt Wendt, Jon Sommariva and Andres Ponce, cover by Richardson.

Liz is finds herself at the center of a media frenzy surrounding the pregnancy of Zephyr Noble, as numerous factions -- including the Nobles themselves [[ try to find out the identity of the baby's father. Meanwhile, Frost tries to use the situation to his advantage, in his quest for the identity of his father, Rusty makes a bold decision about his future and Doc takes drastic steps to repair his relationship with his children. Plus: a gallery of exclusive production art and creator commentary. Collects Noble Causes: Family Secrets #1-4.

120 pages, $12.95, in stors on March 17.

PATIENT ZERO #1

Written by John McLean-Foreman, art by Brent White.

As humanity spirals towards global war, Alex Grant and a handful of other imperfectly mutated psychics must battle against the true instigator: an AI that is viciously conquering the human race, one mind at a time.

"Eternity's Past," Part One. Alex Grant thought that surrendering his freedom to a covert genetics facility would take him away from his problems, but when the facility is invaded by an unknown military force and his only ally lies dying in his arms, Alex must find a way to save them both.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 24.

PHANTOM JACK #1

Written by Mike Sangiacomo, art and cover by Mitchell Breitweiser.

Jack Baxter is a New York newspaper reporter who always seems to get the impossible stories. He has a gift (or is it a curse?) to become invisible at will. Sometimes he uses his powers for good, other times for selfish gain. Despite his success, though, he's not a happy man. He carries the guilt of letting a friend die in a foreign land, a friend he could have saved if only he had the courage. And now he must go back.

"Roach Motel." Meet the man who is not there. What would you do if you were unseen? Jack Baxter confronts his fear to release the hero inside, but no good deed goes unpunished.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 3.

POWERS, VOLUME 2 #1

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

"Legends," Part One. Deena and Walker are back. But the world of superheroes has gone to hell and you have to see it to believe it. Yes, the world of Powers has changed so much for this new arc that a new number was the only way to go! Fans of Bendis' Marvel Comics work now have a perfect jumping-on point for the award-winning superhero crime drama so out there Marvel and DC could not publish it.

32 pages, $2.95, in stores on March 24.

PvP #7

Written and illustrated by Scott Kurtz, cover by Mike Wieringo.

It's not easy being the only female in an all male work environment, but Jade Fontaine has always risen to the challenge...until today. She's put up with all the dirty jokes, guy talk and various smells, but this may be the final straw. What chilling event could force Jade to leave PvP forever?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 31.

REAPER

Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Cliff Rathburn.

Lord Shirak, with the power of his ancient gem, is the ruler of the known world. All live in fear of this brutal tyrant, and it is rumored that he is indestructible and has lived for over four-hundred years. The people of his kingdom have come to live with the fact that he may never be defeated.

Reaper is the deadliest assassin in all the land. His price is high, but his blade is unmatched and worth twice the cost. For reasons unknown, a mysterious figure has hired Reaper to assassinate Lord Shirak so that he may rule. Dark forces are at work here as Reaper becomes a pawn in a game that could very well mean the end of all life as we know it.

64 pages, black and white, in stores on March 10.

SPAWN #144

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

"Errant," Part Two An ancient evil that has lain dormant since the Dark Ages has been resurrected. In order to defeat it, Spawn must fulfill an oath made centuries ago by the doomed Lord Covenant, a previous incarnation of the Hellspawn. When Al Simmons travels to England in pursuit of this quest, he finds himself tested body and soul by the ancient curse. But the price of victory may be higher than Spawn is willing to pay.

32 pages, $2.50, in stores on March 31.

SWORD OF DRACULA #3

Written by Jason Henderson, art by William Belk, cover by Tony Harris.

"The Elders," Part Three. Sword of Dracula switches into manga-esque overdrive as the fallen angels Samyaza and Azazyel come gunning for Dracula in search of an ancient artifact and then turn their attention on Ronnie Van Helsing and the Polidorium. Vampires explode, Dracula surprises everyone with a new and nasty trick, angels scream and a new series is hinted at ‹ all under the extreme hand of newcomer William Belk, whose Devilman-like art brings Sword of Dracula a hard-edged manga style.

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 3.

THE WALKING DEAD #6

Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Tony Moore.

After last issue's horrendous attack on the camp, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces. Tensions run high as the gravity of their situation starts to sink in with Rick and the others. What happens when they stop focusing on the zombie threat and hand and turn their aggression towards one another?

32 pages, black and white, $2.95, in stores on March 31.

TOP COW TITLES

WITCHBLADE #74

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

As the Death pool story line nears its thrilling conclusion, Witchblade bearer and New York Homicide Detective, Sara Pezzini, and Yakuza assassin, Ian Nottingham, continue their assault on the mysterious group, Level 42. But as Ian grows ever more powerful and consumed by his blade, Sara wonders if he's past the point of no return. Nottingham's former employer, Kenneth Irons, and his Level 42 cohorts think so, and will do anything in their power to ensure there¹s no turning back.

32 pages, $2.99.

DARKNESS #9

Written by Paul Jenkins, penciled by TBA, colored by Matt Milla.

"In Search of the Blue Goldfish."

As Jackie Estacado gears up to take control of Family affairs, his first order of business is to clean up some of the dead wood... and that pretty much describes Ernie Palanco. Ernie Palanco has wanted to be a mobster since the first day he could walk. But what happens when you can't aim a gun and you can't keep hold of the bosses' money and you keep shooting the wrong people by accident?

32 pages, $2.99.

TOMB RAIDER #40

Written by James Bonny, penciled by Wilson Tortosa, inked by Jonathan Sibal, colored by Tyson Wengler.

"Risen." Trapped in a strange wilderness, Lara Croft battles a malevolent force bent on her destruction. The sudden appearance of an old friend and ally is, at first, a welcome sight... until a dazed Lara Croft remembers that he's long since dead and buried. Or is he? Chase Carver returns in a thrilling, mind-bending one-issue story. Cover by Greg Land.

32 pages, $2.99.

COMMON GROUNDS #3

Written by Troy Hickman, penciled by Dan Jurgens and Chris Bachalo, inked by Al Vey and Bachalo, colored by Guy Major and Bachalo, cover by Rodolfo Migliari.

Two stories every month in writing sensation Troy Hickman's series. The superhero brother-and-sister team of Strangeness and Charm receive shocking news about their father in a tale illustrated by Dan Jurgens; while artist Chris Bachalo pencils, inks and colors the tale of the meeting between Deb-U-Ton and the Acidic Jew.

32 pages, $2.99.

WANTED #4

Written by Mark Millar, art by J.G. Jones, colored by Paul Mounts, cover by Jones.

It's mayhem in the underworld as the factions of the world-controlling super-villain cadre known as The Fraternity square off against each other. Who will live? Who will die? And what do the Dollmaster's psycho-killer dolls have to do with it? Superheroes as you¹ve never seen them before.

32 pages, $2.99.

WITCHBLADE/DARK MINDS: THE RETURN OF PARADOX

Written by David Wohl, penciled by Lou Kang, inked by Rob Armstrong, colored by Dreamwave.

In this sequel to the crossover from Top Cow and Dreamwave, David Wohl (Witchblade) and Pat Lee (Dark Minds, Transformers) return to Macropolis to tell an all-new tale of one of the most popular and ruthless villains ever in the pages of Dark Minds. Yes‹Paradox is back. And when she puts Detective Nagawa's life in danger, Nakiko has nowhere else to turn except...to the Witchblade. Pat Lee cover.

48 pages, $6.95.

DARKNESS: RESURRECTION TRADE PAPERBACK

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

Jackie Estacado, mafia hitman and Darkness weilder, died in a blaze of revenge. The Darkness, however, was not about to let him go so easily. It pieced him back together and wrenched him back from the depths of hell. Now, he must find a new place in a family that had moved on without him‹and Jackie wants the top spot.

144 pages, $14.99. Full color 144 pages $14.99