The year isn’t over yet, but Image Comics is already looking to tease 2020 with the announcement of Tartarus, a new science fiction fantasy described by the publisher as “Breaking Bad meets Star Wars.”
The new series comes from the creative team of Johnnie Christmas (Angel Catbird, Alien 3) and Jack T. Cole (The Unsound) and follows the efforts of Tilde — a cadet framed for crimes against the empire — as she tries to uncover the truth behind her situation and discovers that her mother was an important figure in the colony of Tartarus during a long-past galactic war.
“Jack and I wanted to build a world steeped in all the great sci-fi we love from Star Wars to Blade Runner and great drama from Breaking Bad to the Odyssey,” Christmas said Tuesday in a statement from the publisher. “We got to cooking up this ambitious idea of mixing sci-fi, Greek mythology, starships, alchemy, intergalactic dating apps all into a big pot and made what became Tartarus.”
His collaborator agrees. “There is mysticism next to technology, ancient architecture carved into brutalist complexes, and outfits inspired by everything from Napoleonic uniforms to high fashion,” Cole explained. “Our hope is to create a rich sense of world that will draw readers in and compliment the scenes of visceral action, adventure, and mayhem.”
The first issue of Tartarus is set to be released digitally and in comic book stores Feb. 12.
