PORTLAND, Ore. 03/14/2024 — The Eisner Award winning Little Bird creative team of writer Darcy Van Poelgeest (Critical Role: The Tales of Exandria the Bright Queen, Lotus Land) and artist Ian Bertram (House of Penance) reunite for their gripping return to the dystopian American Empire in the upcoming, Precious Metal. This six issue miniseries is set to launch in June from Image Comics.
Each issue of this new miniseries will be double-length—which will make the total page count of all six issues nearly 300-pages of story when all is said and done. Issue #1 will also feature a cover B with stunning wraparound artwork by Tradd Moore.
Set 35 years before the events of Little Bird, Vol. 1: The Fight For Elder's Hope, Precious Metal follows disillusioned mod-tracker Max Weaver. When a routine hunt for a modified child takes a grisly and unexpected turn, he finds himself saddled with an unpredictable mod who may be the key to unlocking his missing memories. Soon Max will find that he isn’t the only one interested in the child’s unique abilities—and if he wants to know more, it’s going to cost him everything.
"Precious Metal has been the biggest, and most fulfilling, undertaking of my creative career," said Van Poelgeest. "Returning to the world of Little Bird with Ian Bertram brought on a deeper collaboration than I thought possible, and the results are something transformative—for the work and myself. After nearly five years of immersion and experimentation, I’m thrilled to finally bring this monster of a book to readers world-wide."
Bertram added: "Precious Metal has been an undertaking to say the least, with our guiding principle being to make the best book we possibly can. A deeply personal piece, where everyone involved gave themselves over to the work. It’s a story that has been the North Star for years of our lives, and I’m so glad to finally get to share it with you. I hope you can feel the passion!"
Precious Metal #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 5.
- Cover A by Bertram - Lunar Code 0424IM207
- Cover B (1:25 incentive copy) by Tradd Moore - Lunar Code 0424IM208
Precious Metal will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Little Bird (ISBN: 9781534316942) is available in trade paperback at local comic shops, independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo.
Select praise for Little Bird:
“Packed with rich ideas and executed with precision and passion. It’s a comic that could be a cool movie in the future, but it succeeds because the creative team values the things that make comic books a unique form of storytelling.” —The AV Club
“We’ll accept any excuse for more of Bertram’s horror-tinged Otomo-esque aesthetic.” —Paste Magazine
“Little Bird is nothing short of a masterpiece and we're only one issue in. We realize how insane that sounds, but once you read this thing you'll see what we mean.” —Nerdist
“There's a lot to unpack in this story for a first issue though, so it might require a second pass, but that's hardly a downside considering how easy it is to become immersed in Little Bird's world.” —ComicBook.com
“A powerful and thought-provoking first issue. The story is clever and well-rounded and the art is lovely in a surrealistic way. I highly recommend this series.” —Impulse Gamer
“Dark, surreal, and addictive.” —Comic Book Resources
“Combines the real and surreal to form a Dalían interpretation of our future.” —AIPT
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