Popverse announced the launch of Antarctica, the sci-fi thriller from Image Comics’ Top Cow Productions, earlier this year — and now we have the pleasure of announcing that, due to strong sales on its initial issues, the series has been upgraded from a miniseries to ongoing status.

Described by the publisher as “a unique blend of Stargate and His Dark Materials,” the second arc of the series will begin with the sixth issue — originally planned to be the final issue of the run — and take readers back to a time before Hannah’s father mysteriously disappeared. But that doesn’t mean that things aren’t out of the ordinary: after all, Jerome is acting very strangely, and for some reason, the scenes outside the windows seem to be stuck on a loop…

In a statement accompanying the news, Top Cow president Matt Hawkins said, “From the beginning, Top Cow has been known to be a boutique art shop, and Antarctica certainly fits what Marc Silvestri intended back in the 90’s…to support creators who take a gamble on their own creations and make comics that take readers to a place that they never knew that they wanted to go. Simon Birks, Willi Roberts, and Lyndon White are shining examples, and no wonder the fans and critics responded.” 

“If readers already love the first two issues of Volume 1, they're going to love this new arc as we get the chance to delve deep into the previous events surrounding the Fracture and explore the Hannahs’ stories,” added series writer Simon Birks. “We're thrilled to once again be working with the team at Top Cow. Not only have they been professional, but they've really taken the time to get to know us, and I'm delighted they love the book as much as we do.”

“There was a lot of content in my head that I wanted to share with our readers, from material to design… characters, structures, costumes and many others that will be revealed over time. So, don't doubt that everything will get bigger and more complex,” teased artist Willi Roberts. “This is a story that you will remember and will make you question your own reality.”

The sixth issue of Antarctica will be available December 13. Take a look at the covers for the issue below.

Go back and revisit the first announcement of the series from April.