Image Comics - Awww Yeah!

[marcushill73]

I love Image Comics. I bought everything that was published in 1992 and had a ball. At that time, the idea of creators owning their characters was something that I had never considered. Today, I would argue, thanks to Image Comics creator-owned properties or commonplace.

I fell off the Image bandwagon a while back for several reasons. To your surprise, delays were never an issue for me. What was (and still is) a concern for me is creators farming out their properties to other writers and artists.

When Image Comics was founded, it was based on the principal that creators would have creative control of their characters, and use them how they wanted to. If someone wanted to leave the Image Comics "sandbox", they were free to take their property elsewhere (I won't go in Extreme Studios as an example here)

Over time, I became increasingly disillusioned and disappointed with the founding members of Image Comics. Jim Lee created a zillion characters and books and had other creators work for hire on these. Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios was no different. Spawn, the flagship title for Image, saw creator Todd McFarlane play of a creative role over time. Jim Valentino and Whilce Portacio went AWOL. Erik Larsen was left, continuing work on Savage Dragon.

The Image Comics dream had ended. The militant creators had become that which they had originally opposed: Marvel Comics and DC.

Only recently have I come back 'round to Image Comics. A recent iFanboy podcast identified there is no longer the Image Comics Universe that was once obvious, with creators' characters interacting with each other in a shared universe. Today's Image Comics looks considerably different to what it did 15 years ago, I would argue better for readers. At Image Comics, there is now a variety of books published, not just superhero books. Because of this, there exists little or no connection between respective creators' properties. Image Comics is as good now as it has ever been!

Listed below are some of my favorite Image Comics being published. IN alphabetical order:

Godland by Joe Casey and Thomas Scioli. An obvious tribute to Kirby and Lee's Fantastic Four. This is an all 'round good fun book. It's provides that kind of whackiness that only Kirby could create in titles like his Fourth World titles.

Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley. Superhero books the way the should be: FUN! I haven't enjoyed superhero books this much since reading Ditko and Lee's run on Amazing Spider-Man. Well written supporting cast, who read as real people you care about. Ironically, fight scenes are often a two-page spread and that might be it for this issue. The single best superhero being written today!

Nat Turner by Kyle Baker. A four issue mini-series that is being collected into two bookshelf format books. The first of these two books was published through Kyle Baker Publishing. The second and concluding issue will be published through Image Comics. Baker illustrates almost exclusively without words the tale of Nat Turner, leader of slave uprising as he is taken from his mother in Africa to work on slave plantation. The inside cover of the first book shows how slaves were treated like animals and how the were organized and chained within slave ships. As a non-American, a tru eye opener.

Rocketo by Frank Espinosa. Beautifully written and illustrated title. Reads like a Tin-Tin story with sweeping landscapes and imaginative characters. Book is printed length-wise, so it allows for sweeping landscape shots. Recommended for readers of Hellboy or Goon.

Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen. For me, the undisputed "king" of Image Comics. Larsen is still doing what he set out to do in 1992, and truly loves what he does. He puts his heart and soul into this book, and is always respectful of his reading audience. The book itself is jam-packed with story, back-up features, pin-ups and letter pages. NO advertisements. I cannot speak highly enough of this book, however it would not be easy for a new reader to jump on board.

Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard. Before reading this title, I had never read horror stories or anything like it. There is no other book out there now that is as good as this. This book truly scares me, showing what people are capable of doing when placed within situations. It gives me nightmares.

I would love to hear from other readers about titles they are reading, and any recommendations you can make. Feel free to agree / disagree with anything I have written.

Make mine Image!
Cheers,
Marcus

[Hypertime McMultiverse]

Invincible is excellent, but the rest of Image's line does absolutely nothing for me. Walking Dead plays out like an uneventful Romero riff. Gødland doesn't even come close to matching the scale or excitement of Kirby's Fourth World. The latter created a universe in and of itself, while the former just feels like a topical retread.

But, yeah, Image Comics today is a fantastic little company. Though I may not like most of their books and find their lack of a proper universe bothersome, the quality of their current output is about five billion times better than the chromium schlock they nearly killed the industry with in the '90s.

[Mikegraham6]

im reading nightly news from image, ive picked up walking dead in trades and have the first 3, i really want to grab the next few but haven't gotten around to it.
i bought the ultimate invisible collection and it was really good and recently bought the 2nd volume but have yet to read, and i dont think i'll have time to read in the near future

i bought the HBO spawn series on DVD recently and it got me in the mood for more of the character, so i picked up his book. unfortunately it was at the end of the arc, but it definetly got my attention, im suprised that i haven't heard more about this book recently. i think its going to start going back downhill though in the new arc

[iSteve]

Currently reading only Walking Dead - one of the most distinctive comics being published today. But I've heard good things about Godland and Invincible and am planning to try both.

[fred]

I read The Walking Dead, Invincible, The Nightly News, Sidekick, and Strange Girl. I haven't the energy tonight to do my usual full-scale advocacy for Strange Girl but I will say that it's the best Image book that nobody reads.

[jerome]

no FELL guys? also of note, in april Mike Allred is restarting his Madman series under the Image banner. I've never read any of it personally, but based on his art in recent Fables issues, i'm definitely going to check it out.

[fred]

yeah, Fell too. I always forget that one. And probably others because nothing there seems to ship regularly.

Kirkman's books are ALMOST regular but he does slip now and again.

[Six Gun]

I just got hooked on Fell with issue #7, so I'm now franticaly trying to get all of the back issues that I can.

[Humphrey Lee]

If it weren't for the Vertigo line, I honestly think I'd say I support Image now more than both the Big Two. Marvel has a good handful of titles I really, really like, but after that it's just a few things I get because I like the character and the writing is somewhat better than average. DCU I barely buy 7 titles from, but I get about 20 from its imprints, and that's pretty sad on their part.

But I love Image. Right now I think Invincible, Fell, Casanova and The Walking Dead are amongst the best 15 or so titles I buy, plus I'm really digging on Godland, and Fear Agent, Phonogram looks really good and I'm getting it in trade, The Nightly News I'm about to go catch up in issues on, and the upcoming After the Cape mini looks really good too. Plus, Madman coming too baby.

Great, great company, even if they are still publishing Spawn

[Baxter]

Originally Posted by Humphrey Lee

But I love Image. Right now I think Invincible, Fell, Casanova and The Walking Dead are amongst the best 15 or so titles I buy, plus I'm really digging on Godland, and Fear Agent, Phonogram looks really good and I'm getting it in trade, The Nightly News I'm about to go catch up in issues on, and the upcoming After the Cape mini looks really good too. Plus, Madman coming too baby.

Great, great company, even if they are still publishing Spawn

I love Casanova so much. It hurts me that its on hiatus, but after the team dynamic set up at the end of issue 7 I think the next album will be even better.

I pick up a decent bit of Image. The Kirkman titles of course, Fell, Casanova, and I cherry pick trades from them all the time. Mainly on thing I missed on its first release like Cross Bronx or The Nightly News.

Can't say I got into Godland. I keep buying Joe Casey books hoping that he'll do something on par with his WildCATS work and it just never happens. But I keep coming back.