DARK ENGINE—J.H. Williams III says: "Buy it. Read it."

The new series explores the evil things that lurk inside us all, plus early artwork revealed

Ryan Burton and John Bivens, debut creators who caught the eye of comics veteran J.H. Williams III (Sandman, Promethea, Batwoman) early on, bring to fruition an all-new ongoing series that blends elements of dark fantasy and action with mystery in DARK ENGINE.

The project first came to Image Comics’ publisher, Eric Stephenson, with high praise from bestselling artist Williams III, who went into detail about how he discovered DARK ENGINE and why he fell in love with it.

“Dark Engine narratively is many things; an otherworldly horrific poetic movement that is immediately immersive,” said Williams III. “It does not flinch in creating questions, bold in that it doesn't feel it must answer them in one chapter. Where would the fun be in that?

“Hooking deeply with high concept, strong visuals, and unusual characters is how I always feel reading something from Ryan Burton. And when I saw this concept by him featuring the very charged art from the talented John Bivens I knew that I was seeing something intriguingly unique. I wanted more. So I showed it to Eric Stephenson at Image.

“Image too does not flinch, giving us great comics with profound perspectives, daring to ask there be no limitations. Dark Engine has found the right home. Buy it, read it, I know I will.”

In DARK ENGINE the world is in ruin. Infectious beasts called SporeDevils roam the country, the air is full of dead men's ashes, and fallen colossi smother the ground with their decayed husks. A cult of madmen have created a killer named Sym from alchemy, outfitting her with an engine that will allow her to travel back in time to stop whatever it was that made their world so. But these Alchemists have no idea that this engine is sentient, it is thinking. The seed of their destruction is powering an unstoppable killer. Their world is paradise compared to what's to come when Sym is unleashed.

“This book is unsafe and it is insane,” said Burton. “John and I are building a very different type of dark fantasy, one where the lead character has a sword made from a thunder lizard's rib. One where a walking dragon lives inside a dead colossus's mouth. I can't believe Image is letting us do this.”

DARK ENGINE #1 arrives in stores on 7/16, and will be available for $3.50. It can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code MAY140574. The final order cutoff deadline for retailers is 6/23.