Cates and Stegman's Vanish launch date materializes from Image Comics

Image Comics has announced a release date for Vanish, a brand-new dark fantasy series by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Sonia Oback, and John J. Hill. Originally announced in August 2021, the first issue will now be released in September.

Vanish #1 cover (Image credit: Image Comics)

Vanish follows mythical hero Oliver Harrison, who slayed the greatest threat to his realm when he was just a child. Now, he lives a relatively cookie-cutter life, but he's also an addict with mental health struggles and a smoking habit. The arrival of the superhero team Prestige makes him believe his own memories again, but at what cost?

"Sick and tired of all these 'young adult' stories about magic, and wizards, and destiny and love and blah blah blah? Well, good news! We are too!" Cates says in the announcement.

"So we made Vanish to answer the one question we've all been asking; What if magic was....metal? This is a project that Ryan and I have been secretly building and working on quietly in the background for years now, and we cannot wait to unleash it on you. And the fun part for us is, well, pay attention closely....like the reveal of any great magic trick, you'll never see this one coming..."

Stegman adds, "Vanish is the most exciting thing I've drawn. Doing an Image comic has always been my ultimate goal as a creator and we've pulled out all the stops to make this special. Donny's and my goal with this project is to create something that we could never do at Marvel and, well...We've succeeded at that I assure you."

Hill says Vanish pulls from multiple genres: "Fans of Venom, God Country, Thor, and Crossover will eat it up. The entire creative team is working magic on every page."

Vanish #1 will feature covers by Stegman, Daniel Warren Johnson, Ed McGuinness, and Greg Capullo, seen below, along with a preview.

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Vanish preview — (Image credit: Image Comics)

Vanish #1 hits shelves September 7.

The history of Image Comics begins with a break-up from Marvel...

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Samantha Puc (she/they) is an editor at Newsarama and an avid comics fan. Their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., The Beat, The Mary Sue, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School.