Chainkata #1 Ashcan Promo

A rare pre-release ashcan for Daniel Warren Johnson's most anticipated launch yet. Chainkata is a sci-fi action epic nine years in the making — Luma, a chainsaw-wielding warrior queen, seeks an unknown power across the stars while violence and terror follow her through every black hole. Johnson blends the high-stakes sci-fi of Beta Ray Bill and Space-Mullet with the character depth of Extremity and Do a Powerbomb.

This SDCC 2026 ashcan is a big one: it reprints the entire first issue, not just a preview excerpt, direct from Image's booth. Ashcans are miniature, low-print promotional editions distributed ahead of a series launch to build advance buzz among retailers and collectors — scarce by design, not by chance.

Series specs: Chainkata #1 arrives in comic shops November 2026, an ongoing sci-fi series from Image Comics.

Why it matters for collectors: Johnson is an Eisner Award winner (Do a Powerbomb) coming off a chart-topping Transformers run, and this launch is already being talked about as a major 2027 Eisner contender. A full-issue ashcan tied to a creator at this level of momentum is about as strong a speculative hold as ashcans get.