IMAGE LOOKS EAST
Declares April 'Manga Month' with four new comic launches
April ain't
just for practical jokes any more. Image Comics declares the month as
"Manga Month" and launches four new manga-influenced books to
celebrate.
According to
Image's Director of Marketing Eric Stephenson, it just made sense to
devote a whole month to manga, especially after the publisher received
multiple pitches from new creators for manga-influenced miniseries.
Given that manga and anime have become hot commodities in recent years,
it's no surprise that Image wanted a piece of the action.
”Manga doesn't
rely on thirty or forty years of history,” explained Stephenson .
“There's a freshness to it that probably comes from the fact that the
creators producing manga aren't content to simply redo comics they
enjoyed during their youth. And I think kids typically want something
they can call their own, which I don't think mainstream American comics
have been giving them for some time now.”
Until now!
Check out Wizard's guide to these four hot new series!
THE
AGENTS (Six-issue miniseries by Ben Dunn and Kevin
Gunstone)
Thirty years
after Washington and Moscow were obliterated in nuclear strikes, the
world's safety lies in the hands of the men and women of The Agency, a
planet-wide group of protectors operating out of Britain . The Agency
uses espionage and cloak-and-dagger tactics to enforce world peace. But
in a world of uncertainty, there are those who will stop at nothing to
take The Agency out of the game---permanently.
HEIRS
OF ETERNITY (Four-issue miniseries by Jose Torres, Jae
Tsai and Jim Royal)
Love and hate
combine to form a double-edged sword that can cut both ways. Five
different beings take up this "sword," and each discovers that
sometimes the greatest enemy is the one within. As their lives
gradually spiral out of control, the five collide amidst a tempest of
the darkest emotions of the heart. As the war between Heaven and Hell
rages, they will learn that what lies within can be just as powerful
and deadly as anything of the divine or the damned.
ROTOGIN:
JUNKBOTZ (Eight-issue miniseries by Jay Lee and J.
Korim)
In a cyberpunk
future, gear head Kaylin Dakota calls the mega city of Nalus Toyocom
home. But the "city of rings" is also home to a more sinister group of
citizens--the ever-growing criminal organization U.B.B. The U.B.B. runs
dangerous, illegal battle robot tournaments. When Kaylin discovers her
friend has fallen into a crime lord's debt, Kaylin builds her battle
bot and enters the U.B.B. Fighter's Circuit to save him. It will take
all of Kaylin's considerable talent--and a good deal of luck-- if
either of them is to survive.
SOUL
OF THE SAMURAI (Four-issue bimonthly miniseries by Will
Dixon)
A young samurai
undertakes a spiritual quest to gain the ultimate enlightenment,
forsaking his rank and his honor to attain his goal. His sojourn is a
difficult one, for he must face four inner demons, each representing a
different part of his soul. But when even victory brings pain and
torment, the samurai will learn that sometimes what one seeks is not
worth the cost.
-- Caitlin
Moriarity
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