EXCLUSIVE Preview of The Steam Man #1

08/12/2015 10:47 am EDT

ComicBook.Com has the distinct pleasure of bringing you the first preview of The Steam Man #1, coming from Dark Horse Comics this October.

The Steam Man combines genre elements from steampunk, science-fiction, Westerns, and horror in a premise so wild that it could only be told in comics. In order to fend off Martian invaders in the Old West, settlers have created massive, steam-driven automatons to fight them off. Yet just as it appears as if the day has been won, a vampire appears to bring new, even worse troubles... Exactly.

Writers Mark Alan Miller and Joe R. Landsdale bring an impressive, combined resume to this new series. Landsdale's career as a novelist has run the genre gamut from Western to science-fiction to suspense. He has dabbled in comics too, and even wrote for Batman: The Animated Series. Miller has shown his chops as a comics writer on thrilling series like Hellraiser and Next Testament, ensuring that The Steam Man will be a frightening adventure.

It's Piotr Kowalski on art duties that draws the most attention, though. Kowalski has really made his mark working on Sex with Joe Casey, and it's very exciting to see him try something new. His detailed, visceral style lends itself well to violence and horror, as well as more subtle character work. Just looking at the preview colored by Kelly Fitzpatrick, it's easy to see the range of work these two artists will likely generate each issue. From the horrific alien monsters, to the settlers in the steampunk gear, to the wide, open landscapes of America's Western frontier, The Steam Man is bound to be a visual treat as well as a rousing story.

The Steam Man #1 will be released on October 21, 2015 and is still available for pre-order at your local comic book store. Check out the five-page preview and solicit below.

The Steam Man #1

The Old West, but not as we know it. Giant steam-powered robots are created to take down invading Martians and armies of killer albino apes in an all-out brawl. The Steam Man, a giant metal man operated by a team of monster hunters, seems to have the town protected and the West under control, until a crazed and powerful vampire comes to town to bring forth the apocalypse!

Writers: Mark Alan Miller, Joe R. Landsdale

Artists: Piotr Kowalski

Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.