Markley’s Fevered Brain: What an Image

Wayne Markley

Wayne Markley


by Wayne Markley

Month after month, there are 100s of new comics published. Each month the big two publishers (based on sales numbers and dollars at least) are Marvel and DC Comics. The third largest, and I think the most interesting publisher, is Image Comics. Every month Image publishes one of the most diverse lines of comics out there, perhaps the most diverse line ever from an American publisher. It can be argued they publish too much as there are at least four or more new titles each month, but the quality of these book is so good I do not think that is too many. Admittedly, not all of their books work, and some of them tend to end too quickly (and some stay around too long), but overall, they publish a lot more good than not.

First, a little history. Image was formed by seven artists who worked for Marvel back in the boom period of the 1990s. They got together and decided that they want to do publishing differently, in terms of creator rights. Over the next 20 years, some of the original seven partners left to pursue other jobs, some went back to Marvel, but five of them are still with Image, and the core publishing plan of Image evolved from publishing the work of the original seven to being a publisher for any number of creators with very liberal creator rights (meaning it was not necessarily work-for-hire) which was attractive to many of the best creators out there, whether you have heard of them or not. By a stroke of luck, or perhaps by sheer genius, at one point about 10 years ago, Image picked up a book which has become a phenomenon called the Walking Dead.

In the simplest terms, the way Image works is they act as a publisher for creators who bring them work. The specific details vary from book to book from the creators paying Image to publish their book to Image being the publisher of the title (while still owned by creator, these examples are the original core titles such as Spawn, Savage Dragon, etc.). Image takes care of the sales, marketing, distribution and most of the business end of the comic and allows the creators to tell their stories. In a way this has replaced the self-publisher boom that once was. And in many ways is better for the creators. Image has also recently been able to draw top of the line creators with new projects that would not have seen the light of day or landed with another publisher with far fewer rights to the charters for the creators. Following is just a few of the numerous Image books that are out there. I have tried to focus on recent releases, not long running titles, and a number of the single issue may be sold out, but as a general rule of thumb I recommend the trade collection anyway for any of these titles, and Image tend to do the first volume of their trades at a very fair $9.99.

Dead Body Road #3

Dead Body Road #3


First off we have Dead Body Road. Only the first issue is out so far of this crime thriller, but based on the first issue this will be a fun ride. It is filled with gun fights and nasty people doing nasty things. The setup of this crime comic reminds me of the grittiest 70s grindhouse crime dramas with all the positives and none of the negatives. We will have to see where creators Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera are going with this book, but based on the first issue, I am in.

Ghosted

Ghosted


I have talked about Ghosted in the past, where writer Joshua Williamson and artists Miroslav Miva and Goran Sudzuka have taken the traditional ghost story and add a crime caper to it and shook it all up with excellent results, so I am not going to dwell on this title, except to say issue six came out since I last wrote about this book and once again it takes another turn in a direction I would have never thought of. A trade of the first five issues is currently available.

Manifest Destiny #1

Manifest Destiny #1


Manifest Destiny is written by Chris Dingess and drawn by Matthew Roberts. I liked this book from the first issue as it started out as a frontier adventure set in 1804 where a small crew of explorers set out to explore the American frontier. In the first two issues they encounter Indians, zombies, and other dangers. With issue two I thought, “Oh, great. Another zombie tale.” But with issue three, the story takes a twist and heads into a completely different and original direction. There are three issues so far and I have no doubt a trade will be forthcoming. This is a great looking book with a very original story, worth checking out.

Alex + Ada #5

Alex + Ada #5


Alex and Ada is by one half of the Luna Brother (Girls, The Sword, and Ultra), Johnathan and Sarah Vaughn. Again, this book only has three issues so far but it has quickly risen to the top of my favorite reading list. The premise is in the near future Alex is given a female robot (Ada) which is designed for physical companionship by his grandmother. Alex wants nothing to do with Ada, but he cannot find it in himself to send her back. From there we get a story filled with beautiful art, a fascinating story about relationships, morality, love, friends, and many other things. The one thing the book does not have is sex. This book reminds me of any number of old science fiction stories and of the manga, Video Girl AI, as well as the current Spike Jonze movie, Her, but it is good as any of these and, depending which direction it goes, might be better. This is perhaps as far away from superheroes as you can get, but this book is excellent.

East of West

East of West


East of West is one of many titles by Jonathan Hickman, and it is one of the best. It tells the tale of an alternate America that has broken into seven different sections and all are at war with each other. It is filled with unique characters, tons of twists and turns in the plot, and all sorts of robots, mutants, and other odd sorts. In some ways this book reminds me of a re-imagined Judge Dredd, well, his world, not the Judges and the law. I will point out the story is very complex and reads much better in trade than single monthly issues. Fortunately there are three collections out so far. It should also be noted that the art by Nick Dragotta is very nice.

Manhattan Projects #20

Manhattan Projects #20


Another Jonathan Hickman title is Manhattan Projects. This, once again, is an alternate future tale where you get a mix of characters from history (Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla, Robert Oppenheimer, and others) as well as some created for the book. Thrown is a heavy dose of alternative history and science fiction. The best way to sum up this book is it is a political mad scientist story. It really is one of those books you have to read in trade to get the richness of the story telling. Let’s not forget the wonderful art by Nick Pitarra.

Rocket Girl #5

Rocket Girl #5


Rocket Girl by Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare is a book I really want to enjoy more than I do. The story is about a young girl who is a police detective from the future who ends up in the present day Manhattan. Based on the creators past work, I really wanted to love this book, but after three issues so far it has not really captured me. The art is very nice and the story is good, but it just seems to be lacking something. Perhaps they will find that missing link in the future issues.

Satellite Sam #7

Satellite Sam #7


Satellite Sam is by Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin. It is about a science fiction radio show set in the 1950s called Satellite Sam. The lead actor is murdered and the story takes off. This is a mix of a crime comic with strong sexual overtones (Well, it is fairly graphic in parts). While I love the premise, the execution of this book has left me a little cold. Again, I want to like this book more than I do, and that is because the story seems to drag in places. While Fraction’s other Image title, Sex Criminals, is a far better book overall, its content greatly limits it potential audience, but it seems to have a clearer vision of the story it wants to tell and how to get there. I will give Satellite Sam some more time to see where it is going, and hopefully it is going somewhere.

The Bounce #10

The Bounce #10



Another title I have discussed in the recent past is The Bounce. I love this book. It is the closest to a superhero book in this column. Well, it is a superhero book, but with such a twist and original take on the superhero genre that I cannot resist raving about it. Creators Joe Casey and David Messina deserve credit for finding such an original way to do superheroes where they feel fresh and fun and are not the traditional fare. The first collection is currently out and is worth seeking out.

Super Dinosaur

Super Dinosaur


As I said in the outset, Image has become one of, if not the most, diverse publishers out there today. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg of material they are currently publishing. They have something for everyone, from the youngest reader (Super Dinosaur) to the crusty old underground fan (Sex Criminals) and everything in between. I would highly recommend you to seek out some of these collections and give these titles a try.

Everything I have written here is my opinion and I will defend it to the death, unless you have a good argument, then my mind could be changed. The words here do not reflect the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees. I welcome comments and criticisms at MFBWAY@AOL.COM.

Thank you.

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