Yesterday Oni Press released a mysterious trailer for a new project from cartoonist Shaky Kane. Now details of that project can be revealed, as Kane will team with writer Jordan Thomas for The Man from Maybe, a new three-issue miniseries set to debut in October. The series, described by the publisher as a “post-apocalypse [with] a postmodern makeover,” blends elements of sci-fi and westerns for a story, set in Earth’s future, that follows a mysterious masked man squaring off against the mega-corporation that runs the world.
Here’s how Oni describes The Man from Maybe:
In the dry and dead future that’s coming soon, all life belongs to Oppenheimer-obsessed billionaire Harvard Denny and his corporate scavengers from Smile, Inc., who pillage the wastelands in search of atomic contraband.
But when a hyper-advanced vessel of possibly alien origin crashlands on the outer edge of Denny’s empire of neon-lit ruins, will it bring promise or poison to a distorted world? As the race to acquire the ship’s cargo begins, our fate will be decided by a masked bandit and the cold iron of his laser rifle. He knows no name, no home, no surrender—only the whispered hush of those in need who dare call him . . . THE MAN FROM MAYBE!
Each issue of the series will be an oversized 48 pages long. The first issue will feature a main cover and variant cover by Kane, as well as variant covers by David Rubin and Nick Cagnetti.
The Man from Maybe is the latest collaboration between Jordan Thomas and Shaky Kane. Earlier this month the pair launched another series, Weird Work, from Image Comics. In a statement announcing their new Oni Press series, Thomas and Kane took turns praising each other and their collaboration:
“The whole idea for the series was formed knowing I was writing for Shaky,” said Jordan Thomas. “He gave me a couple of brain-expanding images he wanted to draw and from there I began building out a strange and wild world for these characters to tear apart. The whole team at Oni have been great in helping us create this bright blend of adventure, thrills and shocks. It’s absolutely the most flat out fun comic I’ve ever been a part of and I’m very proud of what we’ve put on the page.”
“Saddle-up the Atomic Hoss, turn Grandma’s TV up to full retina burn, and head out across the wasteland,” said Shaky Kane. “There’s no maybe about it, you’ll YEE-HAW! for sure when you pick this one up. Some of the treats Jordan served up surprised even me, and I drew the dang thing!”
Oni President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson and editor Zack Soto also weighed in on bringing the series to readers:
“In this jaded and self-serious era, it’s so rare to find comics that positively pulsate with the joy of what comics do best,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “Working from a script of non-stop swerves by Jordan Thomas – a legitimate mega-talent in the making – it’s no surprise that ONLY the legendary Shaky Kane could do THE MAN FROM MAYBE justice. Imagine Jack Kirby tackling an unauthorized adaptation of a long-lost science fiction novel written by Hunter S. Thompson on a dare, and you might begin to approximate this hyper-stylized, white-hot freefall through one of the ‘best worst’ futures ever committed to print.”
“It’s a genuine honor to be working with the legendary Shaky Kane, who’s cryptic A-Men comics teased my brain open as a teenager, as well as brand new talent Jordan Thomas, whose crackling, poppy scripts have surprised me every step of the way,” said Oni Press Editor Zack Soto.
Check out the variant covers for the first issue by Rubin, Cagnetti, and Kane, as well as an interior preview from the issue. below. The Man from Maybe #1 (of 3) is due out in stores and digitally in October.
