Soliciting Multiversity: Image’s Top 10 for February 2022

In February 1992, the release of Rob Liefeld’s “Youngblood” #1 changed the comic book industry forever. The title was the first to be offered from an upstart publisher named Image Comics, whose founders sought to produce stories that they had always dreamed of. Now, 30 years later, Image’s offerings continue to embody that spirit, showcasing some of the uniquely creative voices working today. With that in mind, and with honorable mentions to “Saga,” “A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance,” and “The Department of Truth,” let’s talk about some terrific tales and look ahead at Image Comics’ February 2021 line-up of titles.

10. Show-Stopper

I think “What’s the Furthest Point From Here?” is genuinely delightful. Tyler Boss and Matthew Rosenberg make for an incredible pairing, and the book has an energy that distinguishes it from everything else on the shelf, as evidenced by how quickly it vanished from store shelves. The book’s fourth issue will introduce an actual wild card as the cast comes across a Carnival. It sounds like good ol’ fun and will probably leave somebody in a world of pain, given how things seem to be going so far.

WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #4
WRITER: Matthew Rosenberg
ARTIST / COVER A: Tyler Boss
COVER B: Ryan Stegman
COVER C: Courtney Menard
COVER D: Brian Level
FEBRUARY 16 / 32 pages / FC/ T+ / $3.99
The Carnival has come to town and everyone is here! But the Academy has a dark secret, and if it gets out now, this may be the end of the journey. But wait…
Is that Sid?

9. All Good Things Must Come to an End

A good mystery grabs your attention; a great mystery engulfs you. In the case of the life and times of Edison Hark, I have found myself immersed in a world of high stakes and low lives as Ivy Chen’s disappearance becomes increasingly fascinating. Now, the truth will reveal itself, but will it free Edison from his personal demons? “The Good Asian” is one of the best books that Image put out in 2021, and I can’t wait to see how things wrap up.

THE GOOD ASIAN #10 (OF 10)
WRITER: Pornsak Pichetshote
ARTIST: Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge
COVER A: Dave Johnson
COVER B: Alexandre Tefenkgi
FEBRUARY 16 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
It’s blood, tears, and chaos as Hark finally uncovers the truth behind Ivy Chen’s disappearance and how it relates to his surrogate family, in the tense finale to one of the year’s most critically acclaimed hit books.

8. Giant-Sized

On the surface, “Step By Bloody Step” looks like a crossover between The Iron Giant and The Croods. The story of a giant robot and a tiny child has become the sci-fi equivalent of a boy and his dog. However, it is that same familiarity that draws me to the series. Si Spurrier is one of the best writers in comics, and he often uses familiar tropes to frame his stories, which allows him to subvert expectations and create unique narratives of his own. I am confident that there is much more to “Step By Bloody Step” than what lies on the surface. Also, it just looks so damn pretty.

STEP BY BLOODY STEP #1 (OF 4)
WRITER: Si Spurrier
ARTIST: Matheus Lopes, Matias Bergara
COVER A / COVER D: Matias Bergara
COVER B: Ian Bertram
FEBRUARY 23 / 48 pages / FC/ T+ / $4.99
An armored giant and a helpless child. Together they cross an astonishing world brimming with beasts, bandits, and—deadliest by far—civilizations… If they stop walking, the earth itself forces them onwards. WHY? The child can’t ask. She and her guardian have no language, no memory, nothing—except each other.
Multiple-Eisner nominees SI SPURRIER (X-Men), MATÍAS BERGARA (Coda), and MATHEUS LOPES (Supergirl) present a watershed moment in modern comics: four double-length chapters of a bittersweet fantasy opus, completely text free.
Let’s take a walk.

7. Time Bomb

For the better part of the last year, “Time Before Time” has been one of the first books I reach out to. The series is one of the most thoroughly enjoyable time-travel tales I’ve ever read, with sharp art and well-defined characters. In fact, the only thing more impressive than the series is that I haven’t run out of stuff to love about it! Issue ten sees Tatsuo’s past come back to haunt him while Nadia continues to track down her family. I’d wish them both the best of luck, but I have a sneaking suspicion that something will go wrong along the way.

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TIME BEFORE TIME #10
WRITER: Rory McConville, Declan Shalvey
ARTIST: Joe Palmer
COVER A: Declan Shalvey
COVER B: Filipe Andrade
FEBRUARY 16 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
A figure from Tatsuo’s past sets a dangerous plan in motion, while Nadia confronts the Warden about her family’s true whereabouts.

6. I, Spy

I gotta say, I didn’t expect to enjoy “King of Spies” as much as I did. The debut installment by Millar and Scalera was a lot of fun, with Rolland King emerging as great deconstruction of the James Bond archetype. It was explosive, energetic, and filled with memorable action sequences. However, as King works his way through the worst that humanity has to offer, two figures from his past come back to haunt him. The cover teases that they’ve seen better days, but then, so has King, so everybody should be on even footing for their rematch.

KING OF SPIES #3 (OF 4)
WRITER: Mark Millar
ARTIST / COVER A / COVER B: Matteo Scalera
COVER C: Ozgur Yildirim
FEBRUARY 09 / 32 pages / FC/ / $3.99
Retired secret agent Sir Roland King has murdered the people he blames for all the wars, recessions, and mounting joblessness. Now, his killing spree around the world takes him to the one opponent he can never beat. His enemies are circling around him and every government in the world wants him dead, but he still has one more trick up his sleeve.

5. A Bronx Tale

Vita Ayala and Michael Walsh telling the story of a crooked cop in the Bronx getting their comeuppance via the titular silver coin? Dope. Listen, when life gives you a story about a man melting to death because he’s letting everybody around him die, you sit down and watch. Ayala continues to carve a path for themselves as one of the most versatile writers working today, and I’m excited to see what they bring to this top-tier anthology series.

THE SILVER COIN #9
WRITER: Vita Ayala
ARTIST / COVER A: Michael Walsh
COVER B: Nicole Rifkin
FEBRUARY 09 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
The South Bronx is on fire and a crooked cop can clear his debts if he helps it burn. But with each dirty deed, THE SILVER COIN gets hotter to handle. A new episode of the hit horror anthology from VITA AYALA, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, RAM V, MATTHEW ROSENBERG, and MICHAEL WALSH is out this month.

4. Three’s a Crowd

When “Crowded” debuted in 2018, it quickly became one of my favorite new reads. The series focuses on a young woman named Charlie who gets targetted by assassins for being a general pain in the butt, with only the wits of a low-rent bodyguard named Vita to guide her. The book had everything I loved about comics in one place, but it failed to find an audience and met a premature end. Now, some two years after being cut short, “Crowded” is coming back to finish what it started, with the original creative team in tow. It looks like good things do come to those who wait.

CROWDED, VOL. 3 TP
WRITER: Christopher Sebela
ARTIST / COVER A: Triona Farrell, Ro Stein, Ted Brandt
FEBRUARY 16 / 160 pages / FC/ T+ / $17.99
Fired and ditched by Charlie, Vita sets off in hot pursuit of her former client and some answers. But Charlie’s not alone. She’s hired a brand new bodyguard, Circe, unaware she’s a killer who has been stalking Charlie since her crowdfunded assassination campaign began.
As this catastrophic throuple cat-and-mouses its way across America, feelings and knives and secrets will come out, including who started Charlie’s Reapr campaign and why everyone wants her dead. All leading to a bloody showdown with the shadowy group responsible for turning Charlie’s murder into a viral sensation.
The final arc of the GLAAD-nominated and two-time Eisner Award-nominated series by writer CHRISTOPHER SEBELA (SHANGHAI RED, HIGH CRIMES), artists RO STEIN & TED BRANDT (DC Pride, Captain Marvel), TRIONA FARRELL (Runaways, Mech Cadet Yu), and CARDINAL RAE (BINGO LOVE, ROSE).

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3. Big Time Superheroes

Image is building something big. Off of the red-hot success of “Radiant Black” and the Kickstarter-funded “Inferno Girl Red,” “Supermassive” explores the far-reaching scale of a new superhero universe. This one-shot will have multiple stories that splinter into all the characters and creators’ distinct narratives. I’m curious to see how everybody comes together and who will actually be on the same page, given how aggressive the heroes of this world have been towards one another thus far. But, regardless of whether or not they get along, I can’t wait to see the fireworks when they meet.

SUPERMASSIVE (ONE-SHOT)
WRITER: Ryan Parrott, Mat Groom, Kyle Higgins
ARTIST / COVER A: Igor Monti, Francesco Manna
COVER B: Abel, Marcelo Costa
COVER C: Marcelo Costa, Jonathan Glapion, Greg Capullo
COVER D: Jonathan Glapion, Greg Capullo
FEBRUARY 02 / 64 pages / FC/ T+ / $5.99
THE SUPERHERO CROSSOVER EVENT OF 2022!
2021’s hottest new superhero RADIANT BLACK launches into his first ever crossover event with the Image Comics debut of INFERNO GIRL RED and the first appearance of ROGUE SUN! The future of Image’s superhero universe is here!
Power Rangers: Shattered Grid architects KYLE HIGGINS & RYAN PARROTT, MAT GROOM & FRANCESCO MANNA from Marvel’s Ultraman, and colorist extraordinaire IGOR MONTI unite for a one-shot, extra-length crossover event so big it can only be called—SUPERMASSIVE.

2. The Sun Also Rises

Speaking of Image Comics’ new superhero universe, “Rogue Sun” spotlights a teenage hero who inherits his father’s mantle, the original Rogue Sun. I’m a sucker for father-son stories and legacy characters, so this seems right up my alley. There also appears to be a lot of drama built into the book’s first issue, as the young hero confronts his complicated relationship with his father while solving Rogue Sun Sr.”s murder. It has the makings of a classic, and with Parrott and Abel behind the wheel, I’m confident that this will emerge as one of the hottest launches of the winter.

ROGUE SUN #1
WRITER: Ryan Parrott
ARTIST / COVER C: Abel
COVER A: Declan Shalvey
COVER B: Goñi Montes
COVER D: Daniele Di Nicuolo
FEBRUARY 16 / 32 pages / FC/ T+ / $3.99
Yesterday: New Orleans’ greatest hero, ROGUE SUN, was murdered.
Today: rebellious teenager DYLAN SIEGEL discovers that Rogue Sun was his estranged father, Marcus—and that he’s inherited his father’s mantle. Tasked with protecting our world from the forces of the supernatural—and solving his father’s murder—Dylan will be forced to come to terms with the man he’s spent the majority of his life hating.
From acclaimed writer RYAN PARROTT (Mighty Morphin, Power Rangers, Dead Day) and rising star artist ABEL (Harley Quinn, Crimes of Passion) comes A SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY that explores the complicated bond between father and son and cements itself squarely in a corner of the IMAGE COMICS SUPERHERO UNIVERSE!

1. Maintain Your Image

I know what you’re thinking – “Henry, did you really just put a comic about comics as the top comic from Image Comics?” And uh… yeah. My list, my rules. Listen, I love looking behind the curtain and seeing how my favorite things come together, whether in comics, movies, or wrestling. “The Official Image Comics Timeline” solicit text promises to explore some of the company’s mistakes from the last 30 years, and I can’t imagine that anybody has a more knowledgeable perspective on these events than Jim Valentino, who has been with the company since day one. Plus, this special comes out the week of my 30th birthday, so it’ll allow me to see how the industry has changed throughout my life. I can’t imagine a better way for me to celebrate.

THE OFFICIAL IMAGE TIMELINE (ONE-SHOT)
WRITER / ARTIST: Jim Valentino
FEBRUARY 02 / 64 pages / FC/ T / $7.99
Just in time to celebrate Image Comics’ 30th anniversary, Image archivist and co-founder JIM VALENTINO details the company’s history (warts and all) in the single most comprehensive chronology of the company ever published. Featuring rarely seen covers, photos, milestones, and behind-the-scenes events from the company’s Marvel-ous beginnings to the present, this is the chronicle all future histories will be judged against.
Featuring an introduction by Image Publisher ERIC STEPHENSON and a chronicle of historic Image accolades, and printed in beautiful 64-page prestige format.