Media Release -- Critics and readers alike have jumped aboard The Venture and fallen in love with Kel Symons (I LOVE TROUBLE) and Mathew Reynolds' (Marlow) adventure series THE MERCENARY SEA. The first issue sold out instantly and will go into a second printing with a special cover yet to be revealed.
If you haven't already, read the comic that Ed Brubaker calls, "an amazing high adventure book."
"I'm really proud of the work Kel and Mathew are doing on The Mercenary Sea," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "Kel has a wonderful imagination, and I think he's found the perfect collaborator in Mathew, who just brings everything Kel gives him to life with a style that's both timeless and bold. I couldn't be more pleased to have them here with us at Image!"
Praise for THE MERCENARY SEA:
"An amazing new high adventure book, I can't wait to read more of The Mercenary Sea." —Ed Brubaker, multiple Eisner Award-winning writer
"Writer Kel Symons and artist Mathew Reynolds have parlayed their mutual love for classic adventure stories into a sharp, swanky comic." —Casey Gilly, Comic Book Resources
"I was expecting another pirate story, but The Mercenary Sea seems to be a very different, much more interesting beast... This is definitely a series to look out for." —Matt Meylikhov, Multiversity Comics
"This book should be on more people's radar. Do not miss out on this issue."
Score: 5/5
—Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards
"This is a great read and an even greater introduction to the premise and characters. You'll slowly be dragged in with the dialogue and character dynamics and then coldcocked by the uniquely striking art."
—David Brooke, Adventures in Poor Taste
"Characters look like a mix between Johnny Quest and Archer with bold black lines and Reynolds' silhouette style and the way that it teams up with black, blue, purple, and green colored skies conspire to convey extreme depth for a real slice of visual WOW."
—Jason Tabrys, Den of Geek!
"The Mercenary Sea #1 shows that Symons and Reynolds have the chops to bring us an exciting and fun adventure story set on the high seas. The swiftly paced writing coupled with the unique art show that this is yet another series to watch… If you've got an itch for adventure, The Mercenary Sea surely looks to scratch it, so get onboard The Venture and let's set sail together."
—Matt LeMaire, The MacGuffin
"The Mercenary Sea #1 is fun! And as a first entry it does more than enough to garner attention and praise. So by all means, reserve it on your pull-list. Because on February 12th you'll find yourself flipping through its pages as it comes recommended."
—Harrison Rawdin, Unleash the Fanboy
THE MERCENARY SEA #1 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. It is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.
Image Comics is pleased to announce that the first issue will be going back to print to meet customer demand. The second printing of THE MERCENARY SEA #1 (Diamond Code JAN148060) will release on 3/12.
THE MERCENARY SEA #2 will also arrive in stores on 3/12 and can be pre-ordered with Diamond Code JAN140602.
