Redcoat Year One Art by Ho Che Anderson

Before going on to update some of the pages around the blog some more tonight, there's something I came across that I think fans of the Chapterhouse characters would like to see. 

Not counting Free Comic Book Day issues, most Captain Canuck series and its spinoffs tend to be four issues in length.

Quite some time ago, I saw a cover for Redcoat: Year One. It was displayed as issue five in the Year one series which, because it went against pattern, caused me to question its authenticity. I thought perhaps it was fan art but then it found its way onto the publisher's Facebook group.

From deep-cover ops to espionage, Lt. Olivia Wallace Yeates is the last of the Redcoats. Our double feature origin rounds off with one of Captain Canuck's greatest ally. Redcoat: Year One, story & art by Ho Che Anderson.

Double feature, you say?

That's right, two days earlier, Chapterhouse displayed a different cover for the same issue, this one featuring Kebec! Apparently this will be a flip book.

If you follow Chapterhouse's social media, this will be a reminder at best. What some may have yet to see is that Captain Canuck Season Five writer/artist Ho Che Anderson shared some of the art on Instagram account well before then (October of last year, in fact). Here it is, and his account is here. 

These are a couple of pages from a story I did for Chapterhouse Comics a couple of years ago that, due to scheduling issues, still hasn't seen the light of day...Soon I'm told. I wrote, drew, colored and lettered this job which was a lot of work but also a lot of fun, and it was the first time I got my hands on a company-owned property since my Milestone days. Doing creator-owned work is satisfying in its own way but it's nice to be invited to play with someone else's toys as well—which, I'm happy to say, is something I'll be doing again shortly. Stay tuned.

"A couple of years ago"...The man did this work in 2017.

I don't believe I've ever seen the fifth issue of Year One officially solicited but #4 was, back in early 2018, and #3 was just made available for order in print. Maybe we'll get to see the rest of this book before long!

Chapterverse Moves Forward In Chapterhouse March 2017 Solicitations

Let's see what we can look forward to in the spring!

AGENTS OF PACT #3
JAN171565 

(W) Kalman Andrasofszky, Blake Northcott (A) Federica Manfredi (CA) Bella Rachlin

The Chapterverse continues! Hot on the trail of the extra-dimensional invader, the Agents are led right into the belly of the beast: Equilibrium HQ! And Michael Evans is anything but happy to see them. 

Caught between two deadly threats, all seems lost until the secret fifth member of PACT reveals herself! 

In Shops: Mar 29, 2017
SRP: $3.99

Err...Would that secret member happen to be on this cover? Because from the beginning I wondered if Bluefox was going to appear in this book, being a prominent female member of the cast and all.

FREELANCE #3
JAN171566 

(W) Jim Zub, Andrew Wheeler (A) Vaneda Vireak (CA) Alexander Perkins 

The Chapterverse continues! Terror on the racetrack! 

In the penultimate issue of the series, Apollyon has activated the Breach Key in Istanbul, and only Lance and his team stand in the way of total destruction. But when one member gets kidnapped, Lance must outrace the clock if he hopes to save the world – and his friend. 

In Shops: Mar 29, 2017
SRP: $3.99

Still no real evidence of Chapterverse participation as such besides, obviously, the mention in the solicitation text. I don't expect a Captain Canuck appearance or anything, but a mention of Equilibrium, PACT, something.

What We Learned From Chapterhouse's January 2017 Solicitations

Yes, I swiped that title from Newsarama (or is it Comic Book Resources? Both? Can't recall).

In early September, Chapterhouse Comics announced that they were going to create a "Chapterverse" in 2017, meaning that many of their titles would be more closely connected. Several projects were announced, among them the two below. There are more titles coming out in January, specifically Die, Kitty, Die and The Fourth Planet, but the two listed here are specifically part of this universe and, therefore, featured here.

AGENTS OF PACT #1
Story: Kalman Andrasofszky, Blake Northcott
Art: Federica Manfredi
Cover: Sanya Anwar

The Chapterverse launches with this brand new series! The X-Files meets Velvet meets Birds of Prey. 

In Canada. There’s an extra-dimensional breach in the Canadian North. Enter P.A.C.T., the paranormal investigation arm of CSIS. 

With Captain Canuck AWOL, P.A.C.T director Manon DesChamps (formerly Fleur De Lys) must forge her own team of super-agents, pulled from Equilibrium, the Aurora Dawn, and other less savoury sources. She affectionately calls them her Fleurs de Conflit but to the world at large, they are: The Agents of P.A.C.T.!

Nice. When this book was announced, Kebec and Redcoat were named as team members but it was implied that there would be more. I guess we have a look at one of them there. Unless she appeared in Captain Canuck #9 and/or Northguard #2 (released simultaneously last month but which I have yet to read), she's a new creation. For the most part, the Captain Canuck books to this point had focused on re-imagining the characters from the 70s and 80s series so it'll be interesting to see how they do with their own creations.

FREELANCE #1
Story: Jim Zub, Andrew Wheeler
Art: Vaneda Vireak
Cover: Alexander Perkins 

The Chapterverse launches, with this brand new series! 

Lance Valiant, John Cabot, and Tasha Kolchak are fearless explorers who delve into hidden secrets of our world and protect us from threats beyond imagination, but the greatest secret of all may be Lance’s own mysterious past! 

Pulse-pounding action, wit, intrigue, and globe-trotting romance – one of Canada’s original heroes is reborn for the Chapterhouse era!

Well this sounds fun, even if a connection with the good Captain's entourage is not immediately obvious.

But then...Does it have to be? The Captain is said to be AWOL in the Agents of PACT solicitation text. Perhaps this group's formation is a response to that as Captain Canuck is unavailable to respond to these threats. Or Freelance can take place in the Chapterverse without a specific tie to Captain Canuck. Hell, not every DC hero has been in the Justice League (it only feels that way).

The only disappointing aspect of these solicitations is...No Captain Canuck (or Northguard) books forthcoming. The last Canuck book solicited was issue #11 and, at least for the moment, it is expected to be available in late November. Maybe Chapterhouse is making sure that the previously-solicited books are released in due time before soliciting new material. We were told both books are continuing, so no concerns along those lines, but we just have to wait a little longer.