Image

Shipping time is nigh and deluxe giftables are pouring into our inbox. Here's one from Skybound at Image, a deluxe, leather bound, slipcased hardcover edition of THE WALKING DEAD – RISE OF THE GOVERNOR novel written by Robert Kirkman and co-writer Jay Bonansinga with spot illos by Charlie Adlard. "Many have asked me whether I will ever write a prequel about the lives the character lead before," said Kirkman in a statement. "Well, that's basically what we're doing with these novels. And we wanted to offer the fans a special edition before the holidays." The book -- first in a planned trilogy or prequels based on series characters -- explores the origins of the Governor, the most hated villain in the whole series. The book ships on December 7 and retails for $74.99. A signed limited edition is also available for $124.99.

WonderCon may have moved to Anaheim for 2012 due to Moscone Center construction, but the Bay Area will not be without a spring comics show....thanks to Image Comics and the Image Expo. The creator-owned company is planning its OWN convention, to be held February 24-26 at the Oakland COnvention Center (original home of WonderCon, btw). Image Expo is planned as a 20th anniversary celebration for Image, and will feature as guests of honor Image partners Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Other creators attending include Image founders Rob Liefeld, and Whilce Portacio, plus Joe Casey, Jay Faerber, Jonathan Hickman, Ryan Ottley, Richard Starkings, Fiona Staples, and Brian K. Vaughan. All will participate in panels, signings and other traditional convention activities.

Artist Guillem March's work on CATWOMAN has gotten a lot of attention -- although not for the best reasons. But before he pencilled superheroes book for DC, he had a busy career in his native Spain as a pin-up artist. Now Image is showcasing that side of his art in a new book slated for January. PR below:

Two blade-swinging heroines from different time periods, Witchblade and Red Sonja, are teaming up in a one-shot from Dynamite, and the question everyone is asking is "Will they be wearing chain mail?" The answer is yes! Writer Doug Wagner, artist Cezar Razek and cover artist Alé Garza comprise the creative team.

New series from Dark Horse, a new Brandon Graham project and a Martian team-up have been announced for early next year.

Over at his blog, Image Publisher Eric Stephensonshows two Image covers that won't make it into the Previews catalog unaltered because they contain swastikas, which cannot legally be shown in Germany.

Continuing his pageant of quirky heroes and bizarre adventures, Ted McKeever has a new three-issue miniseries coming out this January called MONDO. The story deals with Catfish, a chicken-farm worker who gains strange powers and takes on even stranger foes. We're sold.

Another day, another option, but this one is a bit different -- this time the comics creator himself has been tapped to write the script. Ed Brubaker is writing a script for a COWARD movie based on the first arc of his CRIMINAL series, says Variety. David Slade (TWILIGHT, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT) is attached to direct for Jamie Patricof's Hunting Lane Films.

Another day another comics in Hollywood deal! But this one's all in the family, as it's been announced that Warner Bros. TV is developing MEMOIR by Ben McCool and Nikki Cook, as announced in Publishers Marketplace. The deal was negotiated by Angela Cheng Caplan at the Cheng Caplan Company. McCool writes:

Although it's been known for years that Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons were teaming on a comic for Image, the name and art were still unannounced -- until just now. It's called THE SECRET SERVICE and will presumably revolve around doctors who quietly perform hair transplants...or something like that.

An all-star Madman anniversary collection and a Super Dinosaur coloring book highlight the month, plus a Jingle Belle collections, the first Witch Doctor trade, a comic about ancient Rome by Tito Faraci and Dan Brereton, and the second issue of Paul Grist's MUDMEN.

Robert Kirkman's Skybound imprint at Image -- which includes Kirkman's own books and some new ones like WITCH DOCTOR and SUPER DINOSAUR -- will be getting Asian distribution via a deal with Moving Images, an international media company headquartered in Singapore and Los Angeles.