This week the news from Image Comics includes previews of their variant covers for RUMBLE just in time to celebrate Black History Month, as well as a fourth printing of the debut issue of Skottie Young and Jorge Corona‘s MIDDLEWEST.
For Black History Month, Image Comics will be releasing multiple variant covers for Rumble issues 11 through 15.
All issues will feature a main black and white cover by David Rubín with other teams handling the variant cover releases.
Rumble #11’s variant cover will feature pencil work by Keith Pollard, inks by Kevin Nowlan, and colors by Dave Stewart. It will hit comic book shops on Wednesday, April 17.
Rumble #12 variant version will be from the team of Arvell Jones (penciling), Nowlan on inks, with coloring by Stewart. Look for it in comic shops on Wednesday, May 22.
Rumble #13’s variant will have pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz, and colors by Stewart. It will be available in comic shops this June.
Rumble #14’s second cover will have Brunner on pencils & inks with colors by Rico Renzi, and will be hit shops in July.
Lastly, Rumble #15 variant will have pencils & inks by Sanford Greene with Renzi handling the coloring, it will be available in comic shops in August.
Skottie Young and Jorge Corona’s MIDDLEWEST has been such a hit with the readers, that their first issue is getting a fourth printing.
Look for the new printing of the dark fantasy series on March 6th with new cover art from Young.
Full press releases are below. All artwork courtesy of Image Comics.
LINE OF RUMBLE COVERS REVEALED IN TIME FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Will feature artwork by Keith Pollard, Arvell Jones, Ron Wilson, Chris Brunner, and Sanford Greene
PORTLAND, OR 02/05/2019 — Image Comics is pleased to reveal a very special line of Rumble variant covers in time for Black History Month. These covers will kick off the new story arc with Rumble #11 by John Arcudi and David Rubín and will feature artwork by Keith Pollard, Arvell Jones, Ron Wilson, Chris Brunner, and Sanford Greene.
“There’s such a rich history of African Americans working in comics, but it seems to me not enough people know about it. ‘Okay, then maybe Image and I could help out with that a bit,’ was my thinking when I came up with this tribute series of variants,” said Arcudi. “And luckily, Keith Pollard, Arvell Jones, and Ron Wilson were willing to help us out with their tribute variants—homages, in fact, to their own vintage comics covers. We followed their great covers up with two homages to Black comics’ pioneers Matt Baker and A.C. Hollingsworth, done by Chris Brunner and Sanford Greene respectively. Altogether, the series came out pretty great as a kind of visual history of African American cartoonists in comic books.”
In Rumble #11, strange forces have unleashed the Four Scourge Knights of the Apocalypse, and somehow, Bobby LaRosa is mankind’s only hope.
Rumble #11 Cover A (B&W by Rubín, Diamond Code: FEB190190) and Rumble #11 Cover B (pencils by Pollard, inks by Kevin Nowlan, colors by Dave Stewart, Diamond Code: FEB190191) will be available in comic shops on Wednesday, April 17. The final order cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, March 25.
Rumble #12 Cover A (B&W by Rubín) and Rumble #12 Cover B (pencils by Jones, inks by Kevin Nowlan, colors by Dave Stewart) will be available in comic shops on Wednesday, May 22.
Rumble #13 Cover A (B&W by Rubín) and Rumble #13 Cover B (pencils by Wilson, inks by Bill Sienkiewicz, colors by Dave Stewart) will be available in comic shops in June.
Rumble #14 Cover A (B&W by Rubín) and Rumble #14 Cover B (pencils & inks by Brunner, colors by Rico Renzi) will be available in comic shops in July.
Rumble #15 Cover A (B&W by Rubín) and Rumble #15 Cover B (pencils & inks by Greene, colors by Rico Renzi) will be available in comic shops in August.
MIDDLEWEST DEBUT ISSUE RUSHED BACK TO PRINT FOR A FOURTH TIME
PORTLAND, OR 02/08/2019 — Demand for Middlewest #1 by Eisner Award-winning and New York Times bestselling creator Skottie Young (I Hate Fairyland, Bully Wars, Deadpool) and Russ Manning Award-winning artist Jorge Corona is building momentum at a breakneck pace. Image Comics has greenlit the debut issue to go back to print for a fourth time. This fourth printing cover will feature new artwork by Skottie Young.
The lands between the coasts are vast, slow to change, and full of hidden magics. Mistakes have been made, and in Middlewest, an unwitting adventurer searches for answers to quell a coming storm that knows his name. A blend of dark fantasy best described as classic Don Bluth animation meets Return to Oz, Middlewest is the tale of Abel, a young boy who must navigate an old land in order to reconcile his family’s history.
Middlewest #1, 4th printing (Diamond Code DEC189161) will be available on Wednesday, March 6. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, Feb 11.
Middlewest #1 is also available for purchase across many digital platforms, including the official Image Comics iOS app, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play. Fans can also subscribe to receive the series delivered by mail within the domestic U.S. on Image Direct.
Middlewest #5 (Diamond Code JAN190337) will be available on Wednesday, March 20. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, Feb 25.
