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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