Curt Pires, renowned for his compelling narratives in titles like *Youth* and *Lost Falls* within the Comixology Originals library, is making a much-anticipated return to Image Comics. His latest project, *Lost Fantasy*, draws deep inspiration from the beloved JRPG classics, notably *Final Fantasy VII*. This new series promises to be a thrilling blend of fantasy and adventure, further establishing Pires as a must-read author in the comic book world.
Delve into an exclusive preview of *Lost Fantasy #1* through our slideshow gallery below, featuring stunning interior art from the first issue and process sketches for Jae Lee's breathtaking cover:
Lost Fantasy #1: Exclusive Preview Art Gallery
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*Lost Fantasy* marks a reunion between Pires and artist Luca Casalanguida, known for their work on *Money*. The debut issue showcases cover art by Casalanguida, alongside contributions from Alex Diotto, Darick Robertson, and Jae Lee. Additionally, the series will include a serialized backup story titled *Indigo Children: Exodus*, continuing the narrative from Pires' acclaimed sci-fi series, *Indigo Children*.
Here is the official synopsis from Image Comics for *Lost Fantasy*:
In Lost Fantasy, a magical world lies beneath ours, and first contact was made over a hundred years ago between the two worlds due to a natural disaster, resulting in a schism that allowed monsters to break through. Since then, secret monster slayers, known as The Great Hunters, have been working with global leaders to police the border and to keep our world safe from the creatures that lurk in the shadows. But last night, something broke through, resulting in a mysterious mass killing in Montana, and causing things to shift in a way that will ripple through both worlds. Now it’s up to rookie monster hunter Henry Blackheart to stop it…
Pires shared his excitement about returning to Image Comics with *Lost Fantasy*: "I'm ecstatic to be back at Image Comics with *Lost Fantasy*—a series that merges my love of Western comics like *East Of West* and *Something Is Killing The Children* with the dense world-building and action of the JRPGs I grew up playing," he told IGN. "Games like the *Final Fantasy* series—with our lead character's Snow White spikey hair and Giant Sword being a direct homage to Tetsuya Nomura's amazing character design for Cloud."
He further explained the significance of the title: "The 'Lost' in the title is also a homage—albeit a more subtle one—to the great Hironobu Sakaguchi's *Lost Odyssey*—which is his criminally underrated post-Final Fantasy masterpiece at Mistwalker. So the comic has a lot of JRPG love at its core."
*Lost Fantasy #1* is set to hit shelves on April 30, 2025.For more insights into the future of comics, explore what's on the horizon for Marvel in 2025 and DC in 2025.
