Image and Top Cow Solicitations: August 2011 Highlights

August sees Image and Top Cow launching a number of what look like being interesting and enjoyable new series and one-shots.

Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld deliver The Infinite - a story featuring world domination and time travel. As well as a 'regular' edition there will be a 'deluxe' edition of the first issue that will include sketches and illustrations, notes and pages from the script.

Severed from Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft and Attila Futaki looks like an interesting new horror story while I also like the sound of The Vault from the pen of Sam Sarkar which promises treasure hunters, the latest tech and 'nature's fury'.

Notable one-shots include Deadlands: Death was Silent from Ron Marz and Bart Sears and '68: Hardship from Mark Kidwell, Jeff Zornow and Jay Fotos while August also sees the final issues (for now at least) of The Last Mortal, Moriarty and Netherworld.

Here are my highlights in full from the months new releases:

THE INFINITE #1 DELUXE EDITION
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover ROB LIEFELD
AUGUST 3, 48 PAGES, FC, T, $5.99
Freedom fighter Bowen has lost everything in the war against The Infinite. His only hope is to travel back in time to prevent their world domination before it starts! Bowen can’t do this alone, he must turn to the only ally he knows he can trust: HIMSELF. Now a man in his 40s, damaged by the horrors of war, must team up with his younger, reckless and optimistic 20-year-old self in order to SAVE THE WORLD!
This Deluxe Edition of THE INFINITE #1 is the complete first issue plus mountains of behind-the-scenes sketches and illustrations by ROB LIEFELD and piles of notes and script pages by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Much like your favorite extras-filled DVDs, this version will give you a glimpse behind the curtain to see all the usually unseen work that goes into the creation of a comic book.

THE VAULT #1 (of 3)
story SAM SARKAR
art GARRIE GASTONNY
color SAKTI YUWONO
cover BAGUS HUTOMO
JULY 27, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $3.50
A small team of treasure hunters struggles to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the “Graveyard of the North Atlantic”. Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature's fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash from The Vault.
From the team that brought you CALIBER and the artist of SUPERGOD.

THE LAST MORTAL #4 (of 4)
story JOHN MAHONEY & FILIP SABLIK
art / cover THOMAS NACHLIK
AUGUST 24, 32 PAGES, BW, M, $3.99
“REGICIDE,” Part Four
The finale of the hard-hitting supernatural noir series from Minotaur Press is here. Alec King, the suicidal immortal, has been beat down, stabbed, and shot so many times he’s beginning to lose count. But finally, the man responsible for his best friend’s death is in his sights. The question remains-- will Alec be able to make the hard decision for the first time in his miserable life?


SEVERED #1
story SCOTT SNYDER & SCOTT TUFT
art / cover ATTILA FUTAKI
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
“NOTHING WASTED,” Part One
1916. A man haunts the roads; a man with sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh. When 12-year-old Jack Garron runs away from home, he’ll see how quickly the American Dream becomes a nightmare. Be there at the beginning of the series that everyone will be talking about!
From Eisner-nominated writer SCOTT SNYDER (American Vampire, Detective Comics), SCOTT TUFT and ATTILA FUTAKI (NYT Best-Selling-Artist: Percy Jackson) comes the most terrifying horror series of 2011--SEVERED.

EPOCH #1 (of 5)
story KEVIN McCARTHY
art PAOLO PANTALENA & JORGE FARES
cover PAOLO PANTALENA & PAOLO BARBIERI
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
THE GREATEST TOURNAMENT THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEGINS ANEW!
Top Cow Productions and Heroes and Villains Entertainment proudly present a dark and intensely kinetic tale from writer KEVIN McCARTHY (Red Sonja, The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist) and newcomer PAOLO PANTALENA (What If?: House of M, War of Kings: Darkhawk). Jonah Bishop is an NYPD detective assigned to a mysterious murder case that threatens to rip the reality he knows and plunge him into the shadow world of his heritage--the Supernatural. Jonah’s quest will drop him deep in the middle of a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.

'68: HARDSHIP (ONE-SHOT)
story MARK KIDWELL
art JEFF ZORNOW & JAY FOTOS
cover A JEFF ZORNOW & JAY FOTOS
cover B NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS
AUGUST 24, 32 PAGES, FC, T+, $3.99
In February of 1968, Teddy Calhoun came home from Vietnam and brought a piece of the war back with him. Through a prism of battle fatigue and schizophrenia, his vision of Nebraska has changed into a threatening landscape of violence and enemy occupation. Now, Teddy will do whatever he must to protect his family from the murderous approach of “Charlie” and an army of the risen, hungry dead.
’68 Hardship is a journey into a psychological realm of hallucination, violence and undead horror. Written by MARK KIDWELL, with monstrous artwork by JEFF ZORNOW and JAY FOTOS, this one-shot is a direct tie-in with the regular ongoing ’68 series, extending the world of Vietnam/Zombie horror to America’s heartland and your own backyard.

DEADLANDS: DEATH WAS SILENT (ONE-SHOT)
story RON MARZ
art & cover BART SEARS
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment present the third one-shot of the weird Western world of DEADLANDS! A silent bounty hunter rides into a remote town, but the town holds dark secrets that may turn the hunter into the hunted. Superstars RON MARZ and BART SEARS team for a weird Western tale unlike any other!

MORNING GLORIES YEARBOOK 2011
story NICK SPENCER
art RODIN ESQUEJO & JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
A look back at our first year at the academy, with a sequential recap by MORNING GLORIES cover artist RODIN ESQUEJO! And loaded up with extras like character bios, sketches, designs, script excerpts, and more!

VESCELL #1
story ENRIQUE CARRION
art / cover JOHN UPCHURCH
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
The International Company known as Vescell specializes in what is commonly known as “Vtrans”, the transferring of a person’s mind and spirit from one body into another. Former Icarus City Detective, Mauricio “Moo” Barrino is now Vescell’s best agent, handling the most high profile and dangerous cases. In the seedy world of a high end corporate espionage, where mysticism and guns clash, and money is tainted with sin, Agent Mauricio Barrino fights against the demons of fate while trying to reach the heaven of his destiny. Be prepared for the bar-raising, sci-fi noir epic that is VESCELL.

THE DARKNESS: ACCURSED, VOL. 5 TP
story PHIL HESTER & JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
art SHELDON MITCHELL, ROMANO MOLENAAR & MATT TIMSON
cover MICHAEL BROUSSARD & STEVE FIRCHOW
AUGUST 31, 144 PAGES, FC, T, STANDARD SIZE, $16.99
Jackie Estacado, the current bearer of The Darkness, was blackmailed and lied to by a devil calling himself The Sovereign. Now free from The Sovereign's grip, Jackie has assembled a motley crew of criminals with one goal - destroy every last one of The Sovereign's reliquaries! His quest will pit him against a former Russian mob boss turned art collector, a mute mystic, countless of The Sovereign's statues, and even traitors within his midst! Concluding the second year of writer PHIL HESTER’S (Firebreather, Wonder Woman) epic run and featuring art by SHELDON MITCHELL (Pilot Season: Stealth) and ROMANO MOLENAAR (The Darkness II: Confession), and a special stand-alone "Tale of The Darkness" issue set in the Wild West by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV (Tumor, Echoes) and MATT TIMSON (Impaler, Popgun).
Collects THE DARKNESS #85-89.

HACK/SLASH, VOL. 9: TORTURE PRONE TP
story TIM SEELEY
art DANIEL LEISTER & JETHRO MORALES
cover TIM SEELEY
AUGUST 10, 160 PAGES, FC, T+, $16.99
The hit new ongoing series from Image is collected! In a dark future ruled by the Murder Messiah, street witch Liberty Lochs is on a mission to change the past. Meanwhile, horror heroes Cassie Hack & Vlad must contend with an obsessive serial killer, and a duo of slashers they thought they'd already put down. This epic collection sets the staus quo for Cass & Vlad's new adventures.
Collects HACK/SLASH ANNUAL #2 and HACK/SLASH #1-4

MORNING GLORIES, VOL. 2 TP
story NICK SPENCER
art JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO
AUGUST 10, 168 PAGES, FC, M, $12.99
Collecting the second story arc of the smash series in one volume. Learn (some) of the secrets in the Glories’ lives as we delve into their pasts and see how it affects their present. Each chapter focuses on a different Glory while maintaining the narrative and moving the mystery forward.

ARTIFACTS #12 (of 13)
story RON MARZ
art JEREMY HAUN & SUNNY GHO
cover A GREG HORN
cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, $3.99
THE PENULTIMATE ISSUE!
This is it! We arrived at the climax of the most universe-shattering event series in Top Cow history! We can’t tell you anything more! The final showdown you’ve been waiting for is here!
PLUS: Each issue will also feature an Artifacts: Origin story written by RON MARZ and drawn by a guest superstar artist.

AVENGELYNE #2
story ROB LIEFELD & MARK POULTON
art OWEN GIENI
cover A ROB LIEFELD
cover B OWEN GIENI
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T+, $2.99
“DEVIL IN THE FLESH,” Part Two
In his search for a new apprentice, the Red Dragon has taken control of Avengelyne’s body forcing her essence into Heaven Starr. Meanwhile, Torment targets the New Church of the People. Plus, the return of Passover!

THE DARKNESS #95
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover BANE
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
“OUTER DARKNESS,” Part Six
The Darkness declares all out war against its most rebellious bearer, Jackie Estacado! With a small group of loyal allies, Jackie must face down an army of doppelgangers, a scorned woman from his past, and the very source of his own power.

ELEPHANTMEN #35
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art / cover BOO COOK
AUGUST 17, 40 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
“THE DRUM AT THE GATE OF THUNDER”
The sequel to WAR TOYS concludes as Yvette tracks down Hip, Ebony and Horn to exact her revenge.

MORIARTY #4
story DANIEL COREY
art / cover ANTHONY DIECIDUE
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
“THE DARK CHAMBER,” Part Four
"The Dark Chamber" comes to a climax in this installment, which sees Professor Moriarty finally confronting Tartarus in an epic battle that will change his destiny and decide the fate of London and the world.

NETHERWORLD #5 (of 5)
story BRYAN EDWARD HILL & ROB LEVIN
art / cover TONY SHASTEEN & DAVE McCAIG
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
We ARE all lost!
It comes down to this. Either Ray gets Madeline on the train out of the city, or we will all be lost... forever. But first, he has to get through Cyrus Kane.

SAMURAI’S BLOOD #3 (of 6)
story OWEN WISEMAN
art NAM KIM, MATTHEW DALTON & JESSICA KHOLINNE
cover JO CHEN
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
There are four ascending levels of suffering in the world and Mayuko is about to learn them all. With Katashi floating unconscious down the river, Mayuko is left to fend for herself against the vile Mistresses Kimori and Yamayuna, as they attempt to break her spirit and make her one of their oiron girls. But just as quickly--as the faintest glimmer of freedom appears—so, too, does it fade away. Innocence must pay the terrible price.

SKULLKICKERS #10
story JIM ZUB
art EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover SAEJIN OH
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
"FIVE FUNERALS AND A BUCKET OF BLOOD," Part Four
This issue has it all: A cover, printed pages, comic panels in sequential order and staples! You heard that right-- staples! Okay, now that we’re past that stuff--does anyone read this info? Do you? Let us know at www.skullkickers.com. PS: We now have more issues than BATTLE CHASERS.


For details of the full Image and Top Cow solicitations for August 2011 visit Image Comics, Top Cow and Newsarama.