Bitch Planet, They’re Not Like Us, & More Debut from Image in December

Image Comics has officially announced their December 2014 solicitations, and there is plenty to note. Here are Comicbook.com’s highlights:

1: Bitch Planet from Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro

Topping the bill is the long awaited Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine DeLandro, a sci-fi women in prison exploitation riff that is the follow up to Kelly Sue’s immensely successful, Eisner Award nominated Pretty Deadly with Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire. Here is the solicit:

“2014 Best Writer Eisner Award nominee KELLY SUE DeCONNICK (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) and VALENTINE DE LANDRO (X-Factor) team up for the very third time to bring you the premiere issue of BITCH PLANET, their highly-anticipated women-in-prison sci-fi exploitation riff. Think Margaret Atwood meets Inglourious Basterds.”

2: They’re Not Like Us by Eric Stephenson, Simon Gane, & Jordie Bellaire

A stealth announcement that came out of the solicits is that Image Comics’ publisher Eric Stephenson will be returning to writing duties with a new series, They’re Not Like Us, with Simon Gane and Jordie Bellaire. This will be Stephenson’s first project since his own Eisner Award winning Nowhere Men with Nate Bellegarde and Jordie Bellaire. Check out the solicitation: 

“Eisner-nominated NOWHERE MEN writer ERIC STEPHENSON teams up with red-hot artist SIMON GANE for an all-new ongoing series! We all have advantages over one another, but what if you were capable of things most of us can only imagine? What would you do – and who would you be? A doctor? An athlete? A soldier? A hero? Everyone has to make a choice about how to use the abilities they’re born with… but they’re not like us.”

3: Rumble by John Arcudi and James Harren

Announced at San Diego Comic Con 2014, Rumble, the new creator-owned project from B.P.R.D. stalwarts John Arcudi and James Harren debuts in what they an action/fantasy/thriller they call “Louis C.K. meets Robert E. Howard in a David Fincher universe.” Honestly, no matter what they do, after the absolutely stellar work this team did in the B.P.R.D. Mignolaverse, any book they do is an automatic buy. Here is the solicitation: 

“Okay, so a scarecrow walks into a bar…and proceeds to wreak havoc across two worlds! After a long absence, Rathraq, Scarecrow Warrior God, is back—and very unhappy. Bad news for his old enemies, yes, but worse news for everybody else! JOHN ARCUDI and JAMES HARREN bring you a modern day action/adventure fantasy thriller where rundown dive bars, undead kitty cats, psycho skinheads, and giant mummies all play a part. It’s Louis C.K. meets Robert E. Howard in a David Fincher universe.”

4: Graveyard Shift by Jay Faerber and Fran Bueno

Jay Faerber follows up his popular new book Copperhead with a new mini-series co-created with long-time collaborator Fran Bueno called Graveyard Shift. The story is equal parts Fright Night and Castle-style crime-solving. Here is the solicit: 

“Reunited after their memorable run on the critically acclaimed NOBLE CAUSES, JAY FAERBER and FRAN BUENO bring you a new tale of crime, horror, and romance! It’s Fright Night-style thrills and Castle-style crime-solving as a homicide detective and his girlfriend find their love put to the ultimate test when they run afoul of a gang of vampires!’

Besides these four debuts, there is a lot of good stuff coming from Image this December. Here are some quick highlights of the releases that we are really excited about:

• The Powers Scriptbook by Brian Michael Bendis that collects the first two volumes scripts of the phenomenal comic and soon-to-be television show Powers.

• The second collection of the multiple Eisner Award winning and New York Times best selling Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky.

• Volume 4 of the massively popular multiple Eisner Award winning Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. This will be a big day for all the trade-waiters out there.  

• The third deluxe edition hardcover collection of Matt Fraction, Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba’s wonderful, envelope-pushing psychedelic spy-fi series Casanova. These are the perfect way to catch up on one of the greatest series of the last ten years.

• The first collection of the stellar Image debut Dark Engine, by Ryan Burton & John Bivens.  Dark Engine is the most innovative, and well-crafted debuts from a brand-new creative team in recent memory. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up before the second arc kicks off in January.

• A massive Morning Glories compendium, clocking in at over 1048 pages, that collects the first 38 issues of the New York Times bestselling series by Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma.