Image Comics news week of June 25th

PORTLAND, OR, 06/29/2017 — Writers Jody LeHeup (former editor of Uncanny X-Force, Deadpool, Quantum and Woody) and Sebastian Girner (editor of SOUTHERN BASTARDS, DEADLY CLASS, BLACK SCIENCE), newcomer artist Nil Vendrell, colorist Mike Spicer (HEAD LOPPER, MYTHIC), and letterer Dave Lanphear launched the #WarOnBearror to overwhelming critical acclaim, and Image Comics is pleased to announce that SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #1 will be fast-tracked to a second printing. The second printing cover will feature a re-colored version of the Andy Suriano artwork.

After being betrayed by the bears that raised him, the legendary Shirtless Bear-Fighter wanders the forest he’s sworn to protect, fist-fighting bears, eating flapjacks, and being the angriest man the world has ever known! When wild-eyed, super-strong bears attack the citizens of Major City, Shirtless ventures into the human world to do what he does best… PUNCH THOSE BEARS IN THE FACE! But all is not as it seems. Someone is manipulating Shirtless… and only by confronting the demons of his past can Shirtless hope to save his future!

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #1 remains available for purchase across all digital platforms, including the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com), the official Image Comics iOS app, Comixology’s website (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #1, 2nd printing (Diamond Code MAY178523), SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER #2 Cover A by Robinson (Diamond Code MAY170715), Cover B by Fox (Diamond Code MAY170716), Cover C by MacLean (Diamond Code MAY170717), and Skottie Young’s Baby Beariant (Diamond Code MAY178584).

Select praise for SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER:“As wonderfully wild as it is completely literal.” —IGN

“Over-the-top, intentionally offensive, raunchy, cheesy, campy, and totally ridiculous. It’s also, not surprisingly, really fun.” —Pixelated Geek 

“This is one of the funniest comics I have read in a long time.” —Monkeys Fighting Robots

“I am pro all Bear vs Man action and very excited.” —Kieron Gillen

“Shirtless Bear Fighter is the sort of uninhibited fun we desperately need in comics and you will love it.” —Rick Remender

“Listen up people! You HAVE to order this comic NOW. It has everything you can ask for. BEARS! FIGHTING! SHIRTLESSNESS! Did I mention BEARS?” —Declan Shalvey

“Shirtless Bear-Fighter is the most delightfully insane comic book I’ve ever read. If it clears customs from the Canadian printer—you must own it!” —Gerry Duggan 

“100% no bullshit. Shirtless Bear Fighter is one of the most insane and brilliantly engaging comics I’ve maybe ever read in my life. GOD DAMN this book is why comics exist. ORDER UP!” —Donny Cates

“This is one of the greatest Bear-Brawl’n, Wrestling, Maple Syrup, Bacon Love’n, Epic-stories never told…TOLD! Don’t miss this!!!” —Nathan Fox

“There is no greater feeling than crushing friends’ spirits with honesty when I ask for my opinion of their work. Shirtless Bear-Fighter denies me that joy because it’s genuinely awesome.” —Jhonen Vasquez 

“This book is MARVELOUS.” —James Asmus

“These dudes are insane. I mean that as a compliment. Give their book a look.” —Jason Latour

“Spend all your fish-money to get Shirtless Bear-Fighter… Hilarious animal abuse at its finest!” —Fred Van Lente

“I loved this book. Its only flaw is we never actually get to see Shirtless Bear Fighter’s flap jack. Don’t let bears wipe their ass on America, support Shirtless Bear-Fighter!” —Joshua Dysart 

“This is awesome in the crazy bananas way comics should be. You can feel Jody LeHeup & Sebastian Girner having a blast on every page. Pre-order.” —Paul Azaceta

“This is gonna be killer! Order today!” —Cliff Chiang

“Look, if even the NAME ‘ShirtlessBearFighter’ doesn’t get your interest, I don’t know what even…! Pre-order this thang! —Cully Hamner

“If you care about anything great in the universe, you’d be reading Shirtless Bear Fighter by my buddies Sebastian Girner and Jody LeHeup!! Amazing!” —Jerome Opeña‏

“You really need this book in your life.” —Tom Muller

“Shirtless Bear-Fighter is a fun insane ride worth your attention. You won’t have this much fun reading a comic! Get it!” —Mike Benson

“Some real depth behind the fun concept and humor.” —Paul Tobin

“Do you like crazy shit? Try this.” —David Lopez

“Shirtless Bear-Fighter is the only comic that will save you in the event of a global apocalypse! Hysterical work by Jody LeHeup, Sebastian Girner, etc.” —David Gallaher

PORTLAND, OR, 06/29/2017 — Comics legend and Image Comics partner Erik Larsen will push the envelope in celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary this July with a sexy, sultry XXX cover by Rafael Krás not for the faint of heart (and certainly NSFW…*wink*) in SAVAGE DRAGON #225 this July.

“Sometimes I do things just because it amuses me. Image has done a few NSFW covers of late, and while they certainly qualify as NSFW, they haven’t been especially raunchy. The thought of some reader unwrapping this from its plastic sheath and doing a spit-take makes me laugh,” said Larsen. “I love comics—all comics. Every kind of comic book. If it’s well done, you can count me in as a fan. Love the underground comics from the ’60s and ’70s. Love European comics. I love a good superhero comic. I love a good horror comic. I love a good fantasy comic. I love a good Western comic. I love a good sex comic. I love a good comic—period. Love ‘em all.”

Larsen has long followed Krás’ career and added: “Rafael Krás does amazing porn comics. He drew a Dart story for me, years ago, teamed with relative newcomer Rafael Albuquerque. Rafael Krás went one direction, and Rafael Albuquerque went another, and I’ve followed both of their careers with interest. In any case, having seen some other NSFW covers and knowing Rafael Krás’ work, I thought it’d be fun to really raise the bar and see what happens. Heh.”

In “The Merging of Multiple Earths,” SAVAGE DRAGON boasts a giant-sized 25th anniversary special that fans won’t want to miss out on. The Dragon is restored to his former glory as he bulks up to take on Darklord in a final battle! Mr. Glum’s devious plot to merge the multiverse comes to its cataclysmic conclusion! Savage Dragon and Malcolm Dragon join forces to save Angel Murphy and the very Earth itself!

SAVAGE DRAGON #225 will be available on Wednesday, July 26th. The final order cut-off from comics retailers will be Monday, July 3rd.

MASSIVE HIT EXTREMITY GETS PAPERBACK COLLECTION
THIS SEPTEMBER
Collecting the first six issues of the gritty, emotive dystopian series

PORTLAND, OR, 06/29/2017 — Stellar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson (SpaceMullet), with colorist Mike Spicer (SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER!), will release the first trade paperback collection of his series EXTREMITY this September from Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.

Thea dreams. Not of a better life, but of revenge on the clan that ruined her family. With ferocious battles between man, machines, and monsters ahead…who knows where her quest for vengeance will take her? EXTREMITY is a bold new vision, where the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli meet the intensity of Mad Max.

“EXTREMITY is a book I’ve been working on for over three years, putting everything I had into making it special,” said Johnson. “It was a tremendous joy to write and draw, and I think that shows on the pages. I hope the characters speak to you as much as they did to me!”

EXTREMITY VOL. 1 (Diamond code: JUN170645, ISBN: 978-1-5343-0242-6) arrives in comic book stores Wednesday, September 6th and bookstores Tuesday, September 12th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, July 10th.

EXTREMITY VOL. 1 is available for preorder via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and Indigo.

Select praise for EXTREMITY:

“Part revenge epic, part family drama; endlessly inventive and gleefully bloody.”
—IGN

“Don’t miss out on this tour de force of comics artistry.” —Newsarama

“For every massive explosion, for every bullet and blade, for every oversized sound effect that stretches across the page in mammoth letters three stories high, there’s an emotional counterpoint that gives the scene weight and depth.”
—Multiversity Comics

ATOMIC BLONDE CREATOR ANTONY JOHNSTON RETURNS WITH MORECODENAME BABOUSHKA
THIS AUGUST
An all-new CODENAME BABOUSHKA mission: GHOST STATION ZERO

PORTLAND, OR, 06/29/2017 — Writer Antony Johnston (THE FUSE, Atomic Blonde/The Coldest City) and artist Shari Chankhamma (THE FUSE) will launch GHOST STATION ZERO, a new four-issue CODENAME BABOUSHKA mission, this September from Image Comics.

“Ghost Stations” are abandoned Soviet bases from the Cold War, long forgotten and useless…or so people think! When an EON agent goes missing on the trail of a ghost station in the Swiss mountains, Mr. Clay turns to crime-boss-turned-blackmailed-international-superspy BABOUSHKA to investigate—and what she finds is explosive!

“Fans already know that Baboushka is an all-action modern pulp heroine,” said Johnston. “But we hope people new to her adventures (especially fans of Atomic Blonde, ahem) will get on board the roller coaster ride of GHOST STATION ZERO, because we’re turning it up to 11, cutting the brake lines, and mixing our metaphors all over the place. New villains, new gadgets, new plots to take over the world…all in a day’s work for Baboushka, who of course looks fabulous while doing it.”

“It’s been too long since the last arc, but I’m happy to be back with Baboushka and Antony again!” said Chankhamma. “This time, we get to see her in a lot more different environments, and with that, more opportunities to show what she’s capable of. This is a really action-packed arc with Baboushka constantly trying to get out of one tricky situation, just to get into another. And of course, we’ve got a lot more explosions. I’m getting pretty good at rendering explosions.”

GHOST STATION ZERO #1 Cover A by Chankhamma (Diamond code: JUN170657) and Cover B by Becky Cloonan (Diamond code: JUN170658) arrive in comic book stores Wednesday, August 2nd. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, July 10th.

Select praise for CODENAME BABOUSHKA:

“An ass-kicking spy heroine who will appeal to fans of Marvel’s Black Widow.” —A.V. Club

“Johnston’s exiled Russian heiress, former organized crime lord and deadly agent bursts out of the page and grabs the reader with both hands in a deadly grip of hot action and cold-hearted kills.” —Jersey Journal

“A bombastic take on espionage.” —Comics Alliance