Previews of Image Comics that will be published in November 2006, by Ralf Haring.

A DISTANT SOIL #38
By Colleen Doran.
The rebel leader has a deadly biological weapon to terrorize the
enemy: the Terminal Decrepitude Virus, a disease that will cause the
vain and beautiful Hierarchy to age and die. But the Hierarchy holds
the fate of Earth in their hands and if the rebellion doesn't
surrender, they will release the power of their young Avatar and
destroy the Earth.
40 pages, black and white, $3.50.

ANT #11
Written by Joe Keatinge, art and cover by Mario Gully.
"Nineteen Ninety Two," part 2. At the dawn of the new millennium our
nation's greatest heroes annihilated the deadliest menace the world
has ever known. Six years later, Ant finally remembers the nemesis.
Unfortunately for us, it was her.
32 pages, $2.99.

BATTLE POPE #13
Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Tony Moore and Val
Staples.
Battle Pope vs. God -- 'Nuff said!
32 pages, $2.99.

BOMB QUEEN VOL. 2 #2
By Jimmie Robinson.
"Queen of Hearts," part 2. Bomb Queen pays the ultimate price when the
man she trusted and loved breaks her heart, takes her job as dictator,
and kicks her out of her own city! Secrets and identities are
revealed, but is it too late for the crushed, stripped and defenseless
Bomb Queen to fight back?
32 pages, $3.50.

CASANOVA #6
Written by Matt Fraction, art and cover by Gabriel Ba.
Inside the belly of an abandoned Russian missile silo hides the secret
that'll unravel the tangle of lies beating inside the blackened heart
of Casanova. Fathers and sons, sons and daughters, friend and foe
alike collide in this, the beginning of the end. Bangs! Whimpers!
Weapons of mass destruction hidden for sixty years!
24 pages, $1.99.

COYOTE, VOL. 4 TP
Written by Steve Englehart, art by Chaz Truog, Steve Ditko, Todd
McFarlane, Frank Springer, Art Nichols and Richard Howell, cover by
McFarlane.
Women have always been a delight for Coyote (even if they tried to
kill him) but he's never met anyone like Slash, who can kill with a
look. Still, look who's drawing her origin: Todd McFarlane, in his
first-ever published work. Todd's also on board for the start of a new
Scorpio Rose series, right beside Steve Ditko with the whirlwind
finale of The Djinn and Chaz Truog! Collects Coyote #9-12
128 pages, $14.99.

THE CROSS BRONX #3
Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Ivan Brandon, art and cover by
Oeming, variant cover by Ashley Wood.
Detectives Aponte and Ortiz feel the real and first-hand danger of
their investigation into the mysterious gang slayings as a close brush
with some thugs on the run leaves them standing face to face with the
killer apparition looking to kill again.
32 pages, $2.99.

DRAIN #1
Written by C.B. Cebulski, art and cover by Sana Takeda, variant cover
by David Finch.
"Decades." Her clan destroyed, her family murdered by vampires,
Chinatsu, a once-proud female ninja, had nothing left to live
for...save revenge. In this centuries-spanning tale of bloodlust and
betrayal, Chinatsu, now a vampire herself, tracks the dark lord that
turned her all those long years ago. Immortality has only made her
need for vengeance stronger as she follows him across the globe,
through myriad time periods, battling the undead minions that rise up
to stop her.
32 pages, $2.99.

DEATH, JR. VOL. II, #3
Written by Gary Whitta, art by Ted Naifeh, cover by Chris Bourassa.
Death, Jr. has managed to get himself into yet another fix, this time
at his Dad's workplace. Certain he needs some intervention, Pandora
has escaped from the Nazi-esque Camp Happy Trails to help him. But
will they be able to fix the problem this time around, or will they
need to call in some additional help?
48 pages, $4.99.

ELEPHANTMEN #0
Story by Richard Starkings and Ladronn, script by Starkings and Joe
Casey, art and covers by Ladronn.
"Unnatural Selection," The Creators' Cut. Representing the Origin of
the Elephantmen from the sold-out first issue of Hip Flask. Somewhere
in the African desert, thousands of miles from civilization, a group
of geneticists led by Kazushi Nikken has conducted unholy experiments
involving both human and animal DNA. This is the story of the birth of
Hieronymous Flask, the Elephantmen, and their eventual liberation from
the torturous world of MAPPO.
32 pages, $2.99.

[Already bought the initial one-shot when it first came out. I don't
need it again.]

EMISSARY #6
Written by Christopher E. Long, art and cover by Juan E. Ferreyra.
"Revelations 2:2." While Emissary attempts to stop a tsunami's
devastation and bring abundance to starved wastelands, a secret cabal
conspires, intent on destroying the threat he poses to the power they
wield, by any means possible... even if that means taking an innocent
young life!
32 pages, $3.50.

FEAR AGENT #11
Written by Rick Remender, art by Francesco Francavilla, cover by Tony
Moore.
An issue long "Tales of the Fear Agent" illustrated by legendary
Italian illustrator Francesco Francavilla! A population of human flies
pays Heath to protect them from a race of spiders slowly taking over
their world. However, when Heath becomes impregnated with the spiders'
eggs he becomes the planet's greatest threat.
32 pages, $2.99.

GIRLS #19
Written by Joshua Luna, art and cover by Jonathan Luna.
The beginning of the end.
32 pages, $2.99.

GØDLAND #14
Written by Joe Casey, art by Tom Scioli, cover by Scioli and Richard
Starkings.
Book Fourteen: Hot Q-Ball Break. Adam Archer returns home! The Traid's
plan revealed! Earth's fate hangs in the balance! The Tormenter makes
a fortuitous discovery buried in Akron, Ohio! The return of Basil
Discordia! The cosmic destiny of Neela Archer! This one's got it all!
32 pages, $2.99.

IMPALER #2
Written by William Harms, art and cover by Nick Postic and Nick
Marinkovich.
NYC Homicide Detective Victor Dailey lost his wife to cancer, and he's
now a barely functioning alcoholic. Knowing that he needs a change of
scenery, Dailey has decided to retire early and move away from NYC.
Unfortunately for Dailey, a ravenous vampire army has launched an
all-out attack against Manhattan. And no one is getting out alive.
32 pages, $2.99.

INVINCIBLE #38
Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Ryan Ottley and Bill
Crabtree.
Months ago, astronaut Rus Livingston was abandoned on Mars. He has
been taken over by a parasitic race of aliens who need a host to link
their minds as one. With their minds now linked - they are turning
their attention to Earth. Invincible is the only thing that stands in
their way!
32 pages, $2.99.

JACK STAFF #14
By Paul Grist.
Meet Mister Punch: He's a three foot bundle of hate and right now the
person he hates most of all is Jack Staff!
32 pages, $3.50.

KANE, VOL. 6: PARTNERS TP
By Paul Grist.
Detective Kane is after the crime lord of New Eden, Oscar Darke. The
legendary hitman known as The Blind Man is after Detective Kane. When
Kane goes missing, his partner Kate Felix has to turn to Darke for
help... Collects Kane #24-29 and 31, originally published by Dancing
Elephant Press.
200 pages, black and white, $16.99.

THE LAST CHRISTMAS TP
Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, art and cover by Rick
Remender, Hilary Barta and Michelle Marsen.
After the apocalypse - humanity is without hope: until Santa is pulled
from the North Pole and spurred into action. The book collects all
five hilarious, action-packed issues and loaded with extras from the
writers and artists! Santa, his elves, and Gary the Snowman take on
zombies and marauders for the fate of a good little boy. Read it to
the kids when you tuck them in this Christmas Eve.
136 pages, $14.99.

THE LOOKING GLASS WARS: HATTER M. #4
Written by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier, art and cover by Ben
Templesmith.
"Rage Against the Machine." In the final installment of the first
mini-series Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan tracks the stolen child to
a malevolent orphanage for lost girls run by the elegantly abusive
Baroness Dvonna. Discover what secrets and horrors Hatter finds inside
the grey, cloistered walls as he desperately searches for Alyss.
32 pages, $3.99.

LOW ORBIT, VOL. 1
By Nick Bradshaw, Sean Galloway, Alina Galloway, Ryan Odagawa, Jonboy
Meyers, Allison Strom, Kevin Dalton, Mark Andrew Smith and Michael
Woods, cover by Sean Galloway and Alina Galloway.
Low Orbit is a sci-fi/fantasy anthology featuring seven unique
stories. From mythical monsters and enchanted woods to cyberpunk
street gangs and hi-tech samurai, this book has a little something for
just about everybody.
64 pages, $6.99.

MR. GLUM PLUSH
He wants to take over the world. And you can be an accomplice by
simply plonking your hard-earned cash and welcoming him into your
home.
11.5 inches, $19.99.

THE NIGHTLY NEWS #1
By Jonathan Hickman.
"I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Going to Take This Anymore!" As an act
of violence spirals out of control to encompass the entirety of the
news media, a cult has emerged from the errors and retractions that
have ruined careers, marriages and even lives. Under direction from
his cult master, The Hand leads an army of followers committed to
revolution, willing to die for their cause.
32 pages, $2.99.

NEGATIVE BURN #7 #1
By Brian Bolland, Robert Grabe, Pat Kovacic, Ron McCain, Dove
McHargue, Phil Hester, Joe Martin, Mike Ploog, Joe Pruett, Ande
Rummel, Goran Sudzuk, R.G. Taylor and Dominic Bugatto.
The Eagle, Eisner, and Harvey Award nominated anthology returns this
month with yet another issue packed with today's top creators and
tomorrow's brightest talents.
64 pages, black and white, $5.99.

NOBLE CAUSES, VOL. 6: HIDDEN AGENDAS TP
Written by Jay Faerber, art by Fran Bueno, Freddie E. Williams and
Gabe Bridwell, cover by Khary Randolph.
Meet the Blackthornes. They¹re the criminal element¹s answer to the
Noble family -- rich, powerful, and deeply dysfunctional. Hidden
agendas, secret romances, and dark pasts converge in this sixth
collection of the long-running series. As a special bonus, this
collection also contains a five-page story originally printed in the
Image Holiday Special 2005. Collects Noble Causes #13-18
176 pages, $15.99.

[Been a long time coming.]

THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE #1
By Jason Pearson, Kelsey Shannon, Ron Frenz, Phil Noto, Brian
Stelfreeze, Ed McGuinness, Mike Zek, Kaare Andrews, Paul Smith, Cory
Walker and more, cover by Dusty Abel and Kelsey
Anything you¹ve ever wanted to know about the characters in
Invincible, but were afraid to ask. Power levels, hometowns,
relatives, origins, shoe sizes... it¹s all here. Written in the
tradition of that other famous handbook and featuring drawings from
some of the top talents in comics and animation.
48 pages, $4.99.

[Cute idea.]

OUTLAW NATION TP
Written by Jamie Delano, art by Goran Sudzuka and Goran Parlov, cover
by Sudzuka.
The complete saga complete in one volume! Story Johnson, a 100
year-old semi-deranged amnesiac pulp fiction-writer returns home from
25 years MIA in Vietnam. All Story wants is to recover his missing
time and catch up with some legendary, larger-than-life Johnson Family
members. Trouble is, a lot of cousins have "disappeared," and those
that are left have put the blame on him.
456 pages, black and white, $15.99.

[Hmm, moderately interested. I'm not jazzed about the color being
removed, though. At least they're mentioning it up front unlike
Speakeasy with 2020 Visions.]

PAUL JENKINS' SIDEKICK #5
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Chris Moreno.
Will Eddie go to the dark side and join the evil forces of Doctor
Scurrilous and his pet brick, Shirley? Will Mister Excellent discover
Superior Boy's dark secret? Will anyone care? Can anyone lend us ten
bucks, which we promise to repay next Thursday when our checks clear?
Find out in this installment!
32 pages, $3.50.

PHONOGRAM #4
Written by Keiron Gillen, art and cover by Jamie McKelvie.
"Murder Park." Phonogram's dark fantasy falls screaming into open
horror and blackest satire as David Kohl crosses over into the Memory
Kingdom of Britpop. In this very personal hell he sifts through bloody
London streets for the clue to his dead mistress' fate. Here Be
Monsters... and Kohl isn't out of place.
32 pages, $3.50.

THE PIRATES OF CONEY ISLAND #2
Written by Rick Spears, art and cover by Vasilis Lolos, variant cover
by Becky Cloonan.
The cops bust Patch pick-pocketing the boardwalk but the Pirates sail
to his rescue in their bad mother Pirate van! The cops give good chase
but they are no match for Knievel's 3 Gears of Reverse -- Oh, yeah!
Then it's free food at a hot dog eating contest until the barfing
starts.
32 pages, $2.99.

RENFIELD: A TALE OF MADNESS TP
Written by Gary Reed, art and cover by Galen Showman.
"Those whom God wishes to destroy...he first makes mad." The saga of a
mad prophet consumed by an evil darkness. As the tale of the bug
eating inmate in Brak Stoker's Dracula unfolds, a man descends into
passion against his own humanity.
192 pages, black and white, $19.99.

RUSSIAN SUNSET #1
Written by Ron Marz, art by Mirko Colak, cover by Bart Sears.
Crime story and espionage thriller meet head on! Nik is a soldier for
the Russian mob in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn - a strong arm when
there's dirty work to be done. His latest assignment sends him back to
mother Russia, where he'll be drawn into a web that includes brutal
gangsters, seductive spies, fanatical terrorists and a stolen nuclear
warhead. But even surrounded by such intrigue, it's Nik himself who
harbors the most shocking secret of all.
32 pages, black and white, $3.99.

SAM NOIR: SAMURAI DETECTIVE #3
Written by Eric A. Anderson and Manny Trembly, art and cover by
Trembly.
"If at First You Don't Succeed, Die, Die Again." Back in the big city,
Sam Noir is hot on the high-heels of the broad who offed his dame.
Armed with the truth and a belly full of vengeance, he must scale a
high-rise stronghold for a rooftop rumble to the death!
28 pages, black and white, $2.99.

SAVAGE DRAGON #131
By Erik Larsen.
"Vengeance." Dark Dragon and Battle Axe strike! Their deadly alliance
was formed to reap bloody vengeance against those who destroyed the
worlds they called home: Savage Dragon and the Sensational She-Dragon!
A startling new chapter in the life of the Savage Dragon!
32 pages, $2.99.

THE SCRIBBLER
By Dan Schaffer.
We're all part Yin and part Yang, but Suki's Yang is trying to get
out! Witness the Siamese Burn, an experimental machine designed to
eliminate multiple personalities. And it works! Suki is down to her
last unwanted identity. But now she's losing time, and the machine is
changing, doing something new - something that's going to turn her
world inside out. And that unwanted identity... what do you do when it
turns out to be you?
96 pages, black and white, $7.99.

STRANGE GIRL #13
Written by Rick Remender, art and cover by Micah Farritor.
Trapped in Hell, Bethany is forced into her own private room where she
is forced to face the demons that live in her past. Psychological
horror in Hell illustrated by rising star Micah Farritor!
32 pages, $2.99.

SPAWN #165
Written by David Hine, art by Philip Tan, cover by Greg Capullo.
"New Beginnings." Horror has a new face. Murder, suicide,
self-mutilation, mental breakdown; New Vista Apartments has a higher
death rate than downtown Baghdad. But no one wants to leave. Spawn
discovers there really is no peace for the wicked.
32 pages, $2.95.

THE TRIPPER
Written by David Arquette and Joe Harris, adapted by Steve Niles, art
and cover by Nat Jones.
The official comic of the movie. A group of free-loving hippies head
to Frank Baker's American Free Love Festival for all the sex, drugs
and rock n' roll they can get their grubby hands on. But they're not
the only ones coming... out of the woods comes a maniac of
presidential proportions! He's big. He's mean. And he's come back to
save a country that's lost its way, and slaughter every last filthy
hippie who dares to enter his domain. It's morning in America all over
again! Go out there and... kill one for The Tripper.
48 pages, $5.99.

TRUE STORY, SWEAR TO GOD #2
By Tom Beland.
"In Your Eyes." Lily Garcia dares to cut her hair as a lesson in
detachment, which impresses everyone but...her mother! Can Tom talk
some sense into mom before this Puerto Rican mother/daughter
relationship goes up en Fuego..? Three words will determine the
outcome.
24 pages, black and white, $2.99.

TRUTH, JUSTIN AND THE AMERICAN WAY TP
Written by Scott Kurtz and Aaron Williams, art and cover by Giuseppe
Ferrario.
It's the complete first season of the greatest show you never saw: the
classic tale of guy gets girl, guy finds super-suit, guy gains FBI
nemesis, guy loses girl, guy loses car, FBI gets girl... well, you get
the idea. With art by the Italian phenomenon Giuseppe Ferrario, you'll
think it's the Œ80s all over again as Justin and his friends fight to
keep his wedding from collapsing while fending off the feds' who want
his ultra-powered outfit. Collects Truth, Justin & The American Way
#1-5
144 pages, $14.99.

THE WALKING DEAD #34
Written by Robert Kirkman, art and cover by Charlie Adlard and Cliff
Rathburn.
Safe for now... but for how long... and at what cost?
32 pages, black and white, $2.99.

FRESHMEN VOL. 2 #1
Written by Hugh Sterbakov, art by Will Conrad, covers by Rodolfo
Migliari and Conrad.
The Freshmen are is back with an all-new adventure that will quickly
teach them what's at stake when you put on a costume! Wannabe, the
powerless team leader who has always dreamed of being a superhero, is
having visions of the eccentric Mr. Fiddlesticks, a character from a
series of children's books. But what does it mean? Is Mr. Fiddlesticks
warning Norrin of danger, or bringing it himself? Also: How can Drama
Twin Brady break away from his toxic romance with Renee? And will the
drunken Intoxicator ever be able to pass a class? Co-created by Buffy
and Italian Job star Seth Green and written by Mister Girth himself,
Hugh Sterbakov, Freshmen II is an uproarious combination of
superpowers and college... with a talking beaver!
32 pages, $2.99.

CYBERFORCE/X-MEN
Written by Ron Marz, art by Pat Lee, covers by Marc Silvestri and Lee.
The X-Men and Cyberforce meet head on! While on a trip to Japan,
Cyberforce members Ripclaw and Cyblade come face to face with a threat
that even their enhanced abilities can't handle: the Sentinels! It's a
case of deadly mistaken identity, as Ripclaw and Cyblade's only hope
for survival turns out to be the very targets the Sentinels were
searching for -- Wolverine and Psylocke of the X-Men. Writer Ron Marz
and artist Pat Lee, the team who relaunched and reinvigorated
Cyberforce, get together for an unforgettable clash of heroes against
rampaging robots!
32 pages, $2.99.

CYBERFORCE VOL. 2 TP
Written by Ron Marz, Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, art by Pat Lee and
Slvestri.
Featuring a never-before seen story by the regular creative team, as
well as Cyberforce volume #2, this collection tells the story of
Cyberforce¹s brush with extinction and their rise from the ashes. New
pages bridge the gap between the Cyberforce #0 story by Marc Silvestri
and the six-issue series by Ron Marz and Pat Lee. Just in time for
Cyberforce¹s 14th birthday, this trade unlocks secrets of the team's
rebirth!
$14.99.

HUNTER-KILLER #12
Written by Mark Waid, art by Kennth Rocafor, covers by Marc Silvestri
and Rocafort.
At last--all of Morningstar's secrets stand revealed as Ellis once and
for all learns the shattering truth about his parents, about the
Hunter-Killer program--and about how only his death can ensure the
future of the human race!
32 pages, $2.99.

ERIC BASALDUA SKETCHBOOK
By Eric Basaldua.
Eric Basaldua is known for his beautiful women and sexy artwork. Get
an inside look into the mind of a fan-favorite artist. See his
sketches and learn about his inspirations!
32 pages, $2.99.

MAGDALENA VOL. 1 TP
Written by David Wohl and Brian Holguin, art by Joe Benitez and Eric
Basaldua.
Collecting The Magdalena's first appearance in The Darkness: Spear of
Destiny issues #15-#18, plus the original limited series Magdalena:
Blood Divine drawn by Joe Benitez and the continued limited series
Magdalena vol. 2 drawn byEric Basaldua and written by Brian Holguin
this trade paperback collection delivers the stories that have made
the Magdalena a flagship character of the Top Cow Universe. 12 full
issues in total! Plus a bonus look into the Magdalena's other
appearances throughout the TC universe!
288 pages, $19.99.

INNOCENTS GN
Written by David Wohl, art by Bing Casino, cover by Marc Silvestri.
Young, smart and beautiful, Grace Stokes had the perfect life. By a
young age, she'd already accomplished what most people could only
dream of. First as a multiple-record-setting X-Games champion, and
most recently as sole designer and president of her own clothing
company, Grace was an icon for a generation. But on a fateful trip to
Japan, Grace discovered that she was no ordinary person, but one of
The Innocents. Blessed with unbelievable abilities, the Innocents are
living embodiments of Yin and Yang and, unfortunately for Grace,
somebody wants them dead. The Innocents OGN features 80 pages of
story, as well as Bonus Materials only available in this
format--including character bios, background information,
behind-the-scenes coverage and a host of other features that truly
makes this a totally new graphic novel experience.
80 pages, $9.99.

-Ralf Haring
"The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener,
the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less."
-Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon