Tag Archives: Image Comics

February 7, 2016 · 8:15 pm

Review: MIRROR by Emma Ríos and Hwei Lim

MIRROR is a real beauty of a comic with such an effortless way about it. The work, both the writing by Emma Ríos and artwork by Hwei Lim, dance upon the page.

Very graceful use of space. You get that sketchbook feeling of uninhibited freshness.

All you really need to know is that this is a strange and mysterious world. And some exotic and majestic animals are being held captive to further the ends of an evil entity.

All in all, one of the most magical comics you will find right now.

The first issue of this new ongoing series is available now. For more details on MIRROR, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Review: RINGSIDE #1, published by Image Comics

“Kayfabe” is the unspoken understanding between the audience and pro wrestlers to suspend disbelief. You never have to question what goes on in the ring. But what pact do pro wrestlers make amongst themselves and each other? This is part of what is going on in RINGSIDE, a new comic published by Image Comics, by writer Joe Keatinge (SHUTTER) and artist Nick Barber. Rounding out the creative team is colorist Simon Gough and letterer Ariana Maher. This is a unique behind-the-scenes look at the world of pro wrestling in the form of a noir tale which kicks off, in this first issue, with our getting to know ex-champ Dan “The Minotaur” Knossos.

In the spirit of a shaggy dog gritty story by Ed Brubaker, Joe Keatinge’s script begins with Dan as he makes his way to right some past wrongs. He’s like on a mission from God; nothing will stop him. We see him uproot himself from a relatively good position in Japan hellbent for San Francisco. Dan is now of a certain age. At this point in his career, he is best served if he was a mentor or, even better, if he just gracefully walked away. But this is a messy situation that is only going to get messier. Just what we want.

Nick Barber has a very accessible style. It reminds me a bit of Box Brown’s approach: pared down to the basics. Brown especially comes to mind since he did a tremendous book on pro wrestling a few years back. His tribute to Andre the Giant set the gold standard as far as I’m concerned. You can read my review of ANDRE THE GIANT: LIFE AND LEGEND right here. Barber has that same energy running throughout RINGSIDE.

This is a comic with a cinematic quality keeping to a steady pace. I especially enjoy the conversations here that involve some creative back and forth between poses and background and never gets caught in the rut of talking heads. The dialogue and composition won’t allow for that. This first issue offers a lot of intriguing possibilities. Dan is clearly a cut above the typical aging ex-wrestler. And he is also clearly over his head with what he plans to do next.

RINGSIDE #1 is available as of November 25. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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November 11, 2015 · 10:35 am

Review: The Goddamned #1 – Before the Flood Part One

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagining of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

–Genesis 6:5-6

THE GODDAMNED is a bold comic indeed, a Biblical noir series from the creative team that brought you SCALPED, writer Jason Aaron and artist R. M. Guéra, with the addition of artist Giulia Brusco.

It is 1600 years after Eden and the world has gone the way of Mad Max. An Adonis emerges, nude and unmarked, from a pond of shit. A little maundering boy peppers him with questions about why he has no scars and how he could survive violent torture. The young man, who turns out to be Cain, just keeps walking, all the way back to his tormentors, the Bone Boys. Off to a very good start.

The artwork is eye-poppingly good, all gritty Western noir. What happens next is that we find that Cain makes for a great, maybe even better, Conan. Although I can imagine Biblical devotees perhaps scratching their heads and waiting to see if things go too far. Well all these things considered, this looks to be a refreshing tale that no one should seriously have a problem with. It may be set in a Biblical landscape, but from there it takes off into its own world.

True to all the promotion for this comic, THE GODDAMNED delivers a satisfying read. There’s a good portion of it that is wordless and that makes for some perfect extended scenes. You’ll find some of the best compositions depicting action here. And I put it mildly when I say, action. Cain knows how to kick ass.

THE GODDAMNED is available as of November 11th. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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October 14, 2015 · 12:00 am

Review: I HATE FAIRYLAND #1

Skottie Young’s I HATE FAIRYLAND

“I Hate Fairyland” is one of the most messed up, a good way, comics you’re likely to find. Now, Skottie Young has drawn a ton of super cute animals, kiddies, and rainbows. But he’s always added a twist. In this case, he has Gertrude, a little girl much like Dorothy from the Oz books, crash land onto a veritable fairyland. Except, for Gertrude, her crash landing really, really hurts and she is no Dorothy. In fact, she has the worst luck. Instead of finding her way back home within a few days at most, after twenty-seven years, she’s still trekking all over Fairyland.

Oh, and Gertrude swears like a sailor, takes drugs, kills and slaughters. Okay, this is not exactly a bed-time story. What it is, is just the sort of hilarious stuff you can find in the pages of MAD Magazine. Maybe you found them when you were a kid. Well, they’re still doing it! Skottie Young took his cues from MAD when he was but a lad. And it stuck with him. I think, in a lot of ways, despite all the success he’s known for all these years, it is with this comic that he really gets to let loose with that special blend of insolent humor that only a fourteen-year-old can truly appreciate. I think this could be very well be his best work yet.

In this first issue, we come to see just how gross and diabolical Gertrude can really be. With her green hair, distorted features, and penchant for violence, she cuts quite a creepy figure–but it’s all in fun. It is beautifully rendered in the master’s distinctive style. And Young writes just as fiercely as he draws. I was taken by surprise by how it kept my interest all the way to the last page. Yes, this is one of the most creepy and fun comics around.

I HATE FAIRYLAND #1 is available as of October 14, 2015. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Review: WOLF #1, published by Image Comics

“Wolf,” is a new comic (script by Ales Kot; art by Matt Taylor) in which we follow Antoine Wolfe, a hard-boiled paranormal detective, down the sun-kissed streets of a noir-infused Los Angeles. The streets are indeed sun-kissed and beautifully harsh thanks to the intense colors by Lee Loughridge. Like any good crime story, we savor the details. One excellent moment simply has Antoine approach an anxious German Shepherd in his path with a mellow, “Meow.” From the start, we know this is going to be one weird tale as we begin with Antoine covered in flames one moment and completely unscathed the next.

This original fantasy/horror/crime saga is worthy of comparison to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. The narrative rolls along quite smoothly as the plot develops. Antoine is steadily revealed to be adroit as well as a bit out of his depth as we find him caught up in something of apocalyptic proportions. Ultimately, his fate will be linked to that of an orphaned teenage girl. And, through it all, we have a compelling clash between fantasy and gritty crime drama. For instance, Antoine may have supernatural powers but, as an African American, he is regularly reminded that he is not welcome in some places. And Los Angeles is depicted as a twisted wonderland, an amalgam of wilderness and concrete jungle. And full of magic. Wait until you meet Antoine’s pal, Freddy, a most Cthulhu-like fiend.

I am often asked where the best comics are coming from and the short answer is Image Comics. A perfect example is Wolf.

WOLF #1 is available as of July 22nd. It is a 64-page comic priced at $4.99. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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July 17, 2015 · 12:22 pm

Review: ISLAND #1, published by Image Comics

ISLAND is a whipsmart comics anthology brought to you by Image Comics. In the first issue, Brandon Graham provides a brief intro and we’re off and running. Work here is intro art by Marian Churchland, ongoing comic by Emma Rios, story by Kelly Sue DeConnick, ongoing comic by Brandon Graham, and ongoing comic by Ludroe.

Emma Rios presents a sci-fi thriller entitled, “I.D.” I love the clean linear quality to her artwork. Everyone looks hungry and jumpy. And that’s understandable considering a terrorist attack has just occurred in outer space. We open with a scene in a coffee shop. Just as you would expect, once a crisis has been declared by the media, hot-blooded youth feel compelled to do something. One outraged young man declares, “The streets should be burning these days!” To this remark, a woman gives him the most vicious of eye rolls. Anyway, that crisis is in the background. The focus is on the characters and some of them are desperate to change their bodies. Nice opener.

Kelly Sue DeConnick’s “Railbirds” is a poignant memoir that pays tribute to her friend, the poet, Maggie Estep. It is prose with illustrations by Emma Rios. We follow Kelly on a road to recovery from addiction and growing as a writer. You learn all about the “railbirds,” those overeager participants at the race track, in this moving story.

Brandon Graham’s “Ghost Town” is a tour de force adventure with his favorite couple, Nikoli and Sexica. This this chapter, the two try to enjoy brunch at a café that specializes in whale. A few other oddball things happen. No one gets blown up. Always excellent work.

And finally, there is Ludroe and his ongoing piece, “Dagger Proof Mummy,” which proves to be quite a revelation. I see a few touches of Graham’s influence in what is a very refreshing skater fantasy tale. Reno smokes a little too much weed. Dirk is a superstar skater. Will they ever be a cool couple like Nikoli and Sexica? Maybe not. Whatever the case, Dirk appears to have supernatural powers and presently he has made himself completely vanish during a mid-air daredevil jump.

ISLAND is published by Image Comics, priced at $7.99. It is brought to you by Pretty Deadly artist Emma Rios and King City writer/artist Brandon Graham. Each ongoing issue of this comics magazine runs 20 to 30 pages, ad free, with issue length chapters of new work from around the globe. The first issue is available as of June 15.

For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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April 2, 2015 · 9:15 am

Review: SEXCASTLE by Kyle Starks

“Sexcastle” is funny stuff from a dude named Kyle Starks. You may know him from his offbeat, yet sophisticated, webcomics. Sexcastle will have you laughing right from the start. It’s mature content, as you’ll notice from all the less than polite language in the first panels, but it’s totally immature goofy content too. The thing is, it only seems to be a slapdash free-for-all. This is a very well-built comic.

We need more comics like this with an authentic energy about them. It looks simple and silly but simple and silly alone won’t keep your interest. Starks may not render the most complex characters and objects but he uses a keen sense of style to keep things moving along. I suspect he does his fair share of laying out and editing both on the art and the script.

Okay, Shane Sexcastle is supposed to be the ultimate professional assassin dude, like the character Bruce Willis plays in all the Die Hard action movies. Sexcastle seems to be a little more mellow, crude, and unfocused than John McClane ever was.

What makes this so funny is how in tune Sexcastle is to doing whatever he needs to do next. If a VIP pushes Sexcastle to do his bidding, Sexcastle just pushes back. If a child is crying, he swiftly confronts the kid to explain to him the only reasons anyone should be brought to tears. If a woman has been disrespected, he has no problem at all with pummeling the dirty perpetrator into submission. And the whole time, Sexcastle seems more comical than authoritative. He can’t help that. The guy is deadly serious and ready for trouble! As he puts it, “Trouble does my laundry.”

Image Comics collects the whole Sexcastle saga. Will there me more? Well, you never know. This collection should hold you for a while. In this adventure, Sexcastle is up to his neck in trouble, including a briefcase that’s a portal to the End of Days. Good thing he buried that in his friend’s backyard, right? But there’s even more trouble: The Assassin’s Union is hot on Shane Sexcastle’s trail!

“Sexcastle” is a 208-page trade paperback, published by Image Comics, priced at $15.99, for mature readers, and available now. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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March 25, 2015 · 7:00 pm

Image Comics at Emerald City Comicon, March 27-29

DESCENDER #1 by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen

Image Comics returns to Seattle for this year’s Emerald City Comicon on Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29. You can expect an impressive assortment of creator-owned panels, signings, and con exclusive variant covers like the one above for DESCENDER #1 by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, priced at $5 (#Y-05, also available at Image booth #312). DESCENDER is about a young robot’s struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. Read my review here.

Here’s a rundown on Image Comics variant covers at ECCC:

VARIANTS SOLD AT THE IMAGE BOOTH (#312):

LOW, VOL. 1 hardcover by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini, $35

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #9 by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, $5 (also available at creator table #II-06)

DESCENDER #1 by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, $5 (also available at creator table #Y-05)

VARIANTS SOLD AT CREATORS’ TABLES:

SEX CRIMINALS, VOL. 2 hardcover by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, $40 (Table #II-04)

WAYWARD, VOL. 1 hardcover by Jim Zub and Steven Cummings, $30 (Table #HH-11)

DESCENDER #1 by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, $5 (#Y-05, also available at Image booth #312)

INVISIBLE REPUBLIC #1 by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko, $10 (#HH-05)

WAYWARD #6 variants by Jim Zub and Steven Cummings, starting at $5, blank sketch covers for $10 or $25 with sketch (Table #HH-11)

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #9 by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, $5 (also available at Image booth #312)

For a full schedule of Image Comics events at Emerald City Comicon, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

Review: INVISIBLE REPUBLIC #1

It is 2843, in Avalon in the Gliese System. The Malory regime has come to an end and nobody cares to celebrate. There are always journalists who wish to report on the scene and they’re not welcome here. So begins an intriguing new comic, “Invisible Republic,” published by Image Comics.

Like the fall of Saigon, it’s a mad scramble for those who want to, and can, get off the remote moon of Avalon. For those less unfortunate, a life full of more struggle prevails. Enter Croger Babb, a literary journalist among the press. He’s the novelist that the other newsies look up to. They’ve given up on pursuing this story while Croger is only getting started. He just picked up an abandoned manuscript off the street by one Maia Reveron that is a gold mine for the right reader.

The story and art to this comic is something to behold. Great creative team: written by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko; art by Hardman; colors by Jordan Boyd; design by Dylan Todd. If you’re seeking out something refreshingly quirky, this is it. A world comes together quite efficiently here. In the span of just a few panels, you’re off and running.

And it’s when Croger finally gets to sit down with his new tome that the story really takes off as we follow Maia, and her cousin, Arthur, on their journey on Avalon some forty years prior. It’s a remarkably well-paced story and lets you take in details as it builds up to crackling action. The artwork certainly drives the narrative as much as the text with vigor. It feels like each facial expression and each backdrop pulls you in. And then our story takes another turn as the character of Arthur comes into sharp focus.

The creative team of Bechko and Hardman have also created “Heathentown,” a horror story set in the Florida Everglades. And you’ll want to look up Gabriel Hardman’s “Kinksi,” a wild romp of a dognapping tale.

“Invisible Republic #1” is available as of March 18. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.

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March 3, 2015 · 3:45 pm

Review: DESCENDER #1

“Descender #1” distinguishes itself right out of the gate by being a visual feast much in the same spirit as Jeff Lemire won us over with stunningly beautiful artwork in his own comics. This time around, it’s Jeff Lemire as writer on this project and Dustin Nguyen as artist. Let the art loose and do what it will do and all else falls into place.

Okay, okay, we’ve got a machines vs. humans story. Nothing new there, at first glance. But, of course, we’ve grown to expect great things from Jeff Lemire and he does not disappoint us here. And I’ll tell you now that the art is stand-alone outstanding and is made up of exuberant fun gestural work in watercolor or some digital equivalent. Looks to me to be hand-made goodness.

Jump right into the story: The United Galactic Council has banned all androids after an attack by a group of hyper-sophisticated giant robots known as the Harvesters. Just like all Japanese in the United States were instantly suspected of treason in World War II America, so we have all androids suspected of the same in this future world. And our focus falls on one particular android boy, Tim. With any luck, Tim will find his way to, Jin, a scientist who has fallen into alcoholism but who has awakened to a greater purpose.

That’s really all you need to know right now. If you frequent comic book shops, you know how much Image Comics means to a lot of folks. Image Comics has got a magic touch with publishing fanciful sci-fi stories, to put it in a nutshell. And “Descender” is your latest prime example and is available as of March 4. Go to it, and get yourself a copy. For more details, visit our friends at Image Comics right here.