Published on October 21st, 2012 | by Cosmic Comix and Toys

Looking Forward to December: Everything Else

Mara #1 Here we are again, friends! The end of the Looking Forward cycle. We’ve seen what Marvel has to offer in the month of December, we’ve seen DC. Now it’s time to shine the spotlight on Everything Else! And Image Comics in particular brings it pretty hard with several offerings, most notably a new series from writer Brian Wood.

MARA #1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Ming Doyle, Jordie Bellair

Acclaimed creator BRIAN WOOD (The Massive, DMZ, Demo, Northlanders) and brilliant newcomer MING DOYLE (The Loneliest Astronaut, Fantastic Four, Girl Comics) bring you MARA, the story of an especially gifted woman in a sports-and war-obsessed future. Young Mara Prince is at the top of the world, a global celebrity in a culture that prizes physical achievement above all else. After she manifests supernatural abilities on live TV, she becomes famous all over again but for the worst reasons. Integrating themes of superpowers, celebrity worship, corporate power, feminism, and political brinksmanship, MARA takes a classic genre to new places.

This sure sounds like Mr. Wood is writing to his strengths! Which is totally a good thing, because when he’s on, he’s on. And this title features a hyper-technological future where sports, war and celebrity are the world’s obsessions. The title character’s transformation and the futuristic world that explodes elements of our own society into a more extreme scale are in keeping with the iconoclastic, rebellious protagonists and possible futures that Wood is renowned for in works like Channel Zero, DMZ and The Couriers. Not to mention the fact that his more recent stuff like Conan and The Massive has been awesome!

LEGEND OF LUTHER STRODE #1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS

Written by Justin Jordan
Art by Tradd Moore

Luther Strode lives. Five years after losing everything, Luther has become more than a nightmare for the evil men in his city… he has become a legend. But somebody is hunting the bogeyman, and he has dangerous allies that Luther will never expect. Luther Strode lives; but for how long? The sequel to 2011′s breakout hit begins here!

Now THIS is great news! You all know, the first volume, Strage Talent of Luther Strode, is one of our favorites. We loved it. Can’t wait for this one! From what I’ve read, Legend takes place five years after the end of Strange Talent and finds Luther in a very dark place. He lost everything and everyone in his life in the first series, blaming himself and trying to commit suicide by attacking a bunch of cops. However, in his near-invulnerable state, it didn’t take, and Luther has come to the conclusion that he is everything the first series’ main villain, the Librarian, said he was: a homicidal killing machine.

HELLBOY IN HELL #1
DARK HORSE COMICS

Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart

After saving the world in The Storm and The Fury, but sacrificing himself and Great Britain, Hellboy is dead, cast into Hell, where he finds many familiar faces, and a throne that awaits him.

Mike Mignola returns to draw Hellboy’s ongoing story for the first time since Conqueror Worm. It’s a story only Mignola could tell, as more of Hellboy’s secrets are at last revealed, in the most bizarre depiction of Hell you’ve ever seen.

The solicit has all the key info right there. Mike Mignola returns to write and draw Hellboy! As you might recall, it wasn’t that long ago that Hellboy… umm… returned home, shall we say. I guess this series follows him there!

CROW SKINNING THE WOLVES #1 (OF 3)
IDW PUBLISHING

Written by James O’barr
Art by James O’barr, Jim Terry

James O’Barr returns to The Crow! In this special three-part tale, O’Barr and artist Jim Terry craft a harrowing tale set at a death camp in 1940s Germany, where a simple game of chess turns deadly, leading to the creation of a new Crow, giving new meaning to the term Gotterdammerung ("Death of the Gods")!

Any Crow fans out there? This one sounds pretty cool, marking the return of the series’ original creator. Set in a European concentration camp in 1945, Skinning the Wolves investigates a world where the dark harbinger of vengeance is dispatched in response to one of history’s greatest atrocities and the ultimate evil that perpetrated it. Full of the dark, challenging questions and ideas that have propelled The Crow to international acclaim, Skinning the Wolves is sure to be a gritty spectacle; one not to be enthusiasts of… macabre justice.

FATALE #11
IMAGE COMICS

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips, Dave Stewart

The first of four standalone FATALE FLASHBACK issues, and a perfect place for new readers to jump on board. Welcome to 1930s California, a hard place to be for a girl on the run. Witness Josephine’s early days with the Femme Fatale curse, and see some of her elusive secrets revealed.

And remember each issue of FATALE contains extra content, articles and artwork that are not available anywhere but the printed single issues.

A great jump-on point for one of our favorite series! And even if you’re already a fan, these standalone flashback issues sound pretty cool.