10. I want to suck your blood buy this book
I was very impressed with the first issue of “Universal Monsters: Dracula” when it came out, but I made a decision to hold off on buying future issues in singles and instead wait for the hardcover. I’m a huge Universal Monsters fan, and this absolutely needs a place on my bookshelf. Yard A
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: DRACULA HC
WRITER: James Tynion IV ARTIST / COVER A: Martin Simmonds COVER B: Stephanie Pepper
MAY 15 / 120 pages / / T+ / $24.99“The Dracula comic I’ve wanted all my life.” —ROBERT KIRKMAN (INVINCIBLE, THE WALKING DEAD) THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH creators JAMES TYNION IV (W0RLDTR33, Something is Killing the Children) and MARTIN SIMMONDS re-team to tell a new tale of the monster who started it all!? When Dr. John Seward admits a strange new patient named Renfield into his asylum, the madman tells stories of a demon who has taken residence next door. But as Dr. Seward attempts to apply logic to the impossible…his daughter falls under the spell of the twisted Count Dracula! ? Featuring a Direct Market Exclusive cover by STEPHANIE PEPPER that will only be printed once. Collects UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: DRACULA #1-4
9. This is still very funny to me
While Image has published its fair share of silly comics over the years, publishing deep LEGO lore is something I’ll never quite get used to from the Image banner. Ninjago is an offshoot of LEGO, but the point remains. This is not a natural fit, but I’ve got no real truck with it. It’s just weird.
LEGO NINJAGO: SHATTERSPIN #1
WRITER / ARTIST: Tri Vuong COVER A: K.J. Diaz COVER B: Justin Mason COVER C: Kelly McMahon
MAY 22 / 32 pages / / — / $3.99MINISERIES PREMIERE THE SECRET HISTORY OF LEGO NINJAGO STARTS HERE! As war erupts in Ninjago, young champion Garmadon sets off on a quest to discover the truth behind the legend of The Forbidden Five—and a secret power that could turn the tide of the Serpentine War! Can Garmadon resist wielding this forbidden technique—or is corruption the only path toward saving his beloved Ninjago? Critically acclaimed writer/artist TRI VUONG (LEGO NINJAGO: GARMADON) returns to reveal the secret history of the fan-favorite villain, filled with familiar face and shocking first appearances, in this new collaboration between the LEGO Group and Skybound, perfect for new readers and longtime LEGO Ninjago fans alike. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations, the Minifigure and NINJAGO are ™ and/or © LEGO Group. 2024 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.
8. Spawn’s gonna keep Spawning
It seems like every month, I talk about the new Spawn series that is launching. The Spawn Universe keeps growing and, in some ways, it seems overwhelming. But on the other hand, if you’ve been reading Spawn for a long time, this probably seems long overdue. I’m just happy to see a creator still so invested in his creator-owned property thirty years later.
MONOLITH #1 (OF 3)
WRITER: Sean Lewis ARTIST / COVER A: Valerio Giangiordano
MAY 15 / 24 pages / / — / $2.99MINISERIES PREMIERE The origin of the hulking Hellspawn is finally revealed. What connection does he have to one of the most savage of his kind, Omega Spawn? Follow his journey from the cosmic depths of deep-spawn to his first encounter with Al Simmons in this three-part miniseries!
7. Double shot of Sean Lewis
Lewis is the writer of “Monolith,” which you may remember from the previous item on this list. But he’s also the writer of “Bear Pirate Viking Queen,” a new watercolor-painted miniseries. The whole ‘list things as a title of a book’ is not new, but I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a nice combination of somewhat connected words as the title of something. Off to watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy!
Continued belowBEAR PIRATE VIKING QUEEN #1 (OF 3)
WRITER: Sean Lewis ARTIST / COVER A: Jonathan Marks Barravecchia
MAY 01 / 72 pages / / — / $4.99MINISERIES PREMIERE From SEAN LEWIS (KING SPAWN) comes a blood-splattered story of conquest. Bears. Pirates. Vikings. And Queens—all battling for their claim to determine what the world will become. Rendered in stunning watercolor by artist JONATHAN MARKS BARRAVECCHIA, it’s a gorgeous story of the blood spilled to make countries. And what’s cooler than bears, pirates, vikings, and queens??? With 72 stunning pages, it’s sure to be one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking books of the year.
6. I’m a bad fan
Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen are two of my absolutely favorite creators in comics. I’ve read “Descender” and “Ascender” and think I have a good sense of what they’re working on at any moment. However, I had no clue that this book a) had already started to come out and b) was completed already. Call it middle age, call it working weird hours, but I’m calling it what it is: I’m a bad fan. I will try better.
LITTLE MONSTERS DELUXE HC
WRITER: Jeff Lemire ARTIST / COVER A: Dustin Nguyen
MAY 08 / 336 pages / FC/ M / $39.99They are the last children on Earth…who also happen to be vampires. For longer than they can remember, these child vampires have lived a life of eternal wonder amongst the ruins of humanity. But shocking events fracture the group and set them on a path of discovery that will shatter their innocence forever. Their ultimate survival depends on their ability to work together against the humans.
It’s Lord of the Flies meets vampires in an oversized deluxe hardcover volume of the bold series from JEFF LEMIRE and DUSTIN NGUYEN, the Eisner-winning creative team behind the bestselling DESCENDER and ASCENDER series.
Collects the entire hit LITTLE MONSTERS series (#1-13)!
5. What’s next, “Wallaces?”
Rick Remender is the Spawn Universe of creators. Every month, it seems like Remender is going another book at Image. Does the guy sleep? I’m not sure. What I do know is that this is co-written with Brian Posehn and, as both a comedy fan and a fellow Brian, that is reason to check this out. But also, the description sounds dope and that Brett Parson cover whiwps.
GROMMETS #1 (OF 7)
WRITER: Rick Remender, Brian Posehn ARTIST: Brett Parson, Moreno Dinisio COVER A: Brett Parson COVER B: David Lapham, Moreno Dinisio COVER C: Jonathan Wayshack COVER D: Andrew Robinson
MAY 29 / 32 pages / / — / $3.99MINISERIES PREMIERE Two best-friend outcasts navigate the Sacramento suburbs of 1984, where they find a home in skateboard culture and punk rock. On one side of the coin, GROMMETS is an authentic look at ’80s skater culture, a snapshot of the generation that turned skating into a worldwide phenomenon. On the other, it’s a heartfelt coming-of-age story that follows two friends from troubled homes as they navigate their damage in an era when no one cared.
4. This title sounds like a euphemism
Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka are reuniting for a new title, and while I’m not the biggest fan of palace intrigue stories, the introduction of a ghost assassin of sorts is a fun addition to the story. This is a ‘pick up on the strength of the creators’ title, even if the premise itself doesn’t totally speak to me.
THE WHISPER QUEEN #1 (OF 3)
WRITER: Chip Zdarsky ARTIST / COVER A: Kris Anka COVER B: Fiona Staples COVER C: Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
MAY 01 / 32 pages / / — / $3.99MINISERIES PREMIERE CHIP ZDARSKY (NEWBURN, Batman) and KRIS ANKA (Across the Spider-Verse), the ALL-STAR TEAM behind THE WHITE TREES, return to the fantastical land of Blacksand! The royal guard has sent their most capable bounty hunters after the accomplices in the king’s murder! Javro, once the king’s most skilled assassin, must find the killers before they and the bounty hunters—including her son—are wiped out by the kingdom’s most feared specter: The Dark Whisper!
3. Ugh, this solicit
Based on the art, the overall genre, and the creators involved, “Ain’t No Grave” sounds like a really interesting/cool book. But solicit writers of the world, please stop writing solicits that reference movies. “This Unforgiven-style journey is an original macabre Western/fantasy tale for mature readers, told through a Guillermo Del Toro-esque lens.” I get that this is shorthand for people, but no one who is thinking about buying this book will do so because you’re comparing the story to an obvious Clint Eastwood film or a visionary director. Neither Skottie Young nor Jorge Corona is so unknown that they need to give people such lazy descriptions of their work.
Continued belowAIN’T NO GRAVE #1 (OF 5)
WRITER: Skottie Young ARTIST / COVER A: Jorge Corona
MAY 08 / 48 pages / / — / $5.99MINISERIES PREMIERE Eisner Award-winning writer SKOTTIE YOUNG and Eisner Award-nominated artist JORGE CORONA, the team behind the hit series MIDDLEWEST and THE ME YOU LOVE IN THE DARK, are back together with an all-new miniseries, AIN’T NO GRAVE! This Unforgiven-style journey is an original macabre Western/fantasy tale for mature readers, told through a Guillermo Del Toro-esque lens. Ryder put her violent past behind her when she fell in love and became a mother. But that was before she learned it was all going to be taken away. Now she’ll have to pick up her guns once again and ride to kill the one who’s behind the threat. Which just happens to be Death. The genre-bending adventure begins in this DOUBLE-LENGTH FIRST ISSUE, with forty pages of story and no ads!
2. Nostalgia poisons
Joe Casey doing a book about superhero nostalgia from the 90s is fun; it is almost enough fun to get me to toss away my exhaustion from stories about washed up heroes. Casey is a great writer, and making the nostalgia point a time I actively remember and was buying comics during helps, but there are just so many stories that deal with heroes not fitting into their costumes anymore, or people being upset at the way that superheroes now act. Let’s hope this exceeds expectations.
BLOOD SQUAD SEVEN #1
WRITER: Joe Casey ARTIST / COVER A: Paul Fry COVER B: Chris Weston COVER C: Nick Pitarra COVER D: Jim Rugg
MAY 22 / 32 pages / / — / $3.99SERIES PREMIERE Thirty years ago, Blood Squad Seven was America’s most popular superhero team. Its members were seen on television, on magazine covers, scoring million-dollar endorsement deals…. They were celebrities and they were everywhere.
But that was then… this is now. And so, a new generation of modern-day heroes takes up the mantle—or perhaps, the poisoned chalice—fulfilling a promise made decades ago: to be the heroes that a fractured America needs.
While deconstructions of superhero nostalgia typically center around the classic characters of the Silver Age, Blood Squad Seven will delve deep into ’90s comic book themes with this imagining of what would happen if heroes from that decade returned to action after a 30-year absence.
1. Bear-y interesting
Music and comics are two of my favorite things, and I’m always intrigued when they overlap in any way. A combo album/comic by composer Bear McCreary is already interesting, but add in art by folks like Eleonara Carlini and Matias Bergara and I’m suddenly very intrigued. I’m not a huge McCreary fan, mostly out of ignorance, but I think that the concept and talent on the art side is more than enough incentive to check this out.
THE SINGULARITY OGN TP
WRITER: Bear McCreary, Mat Groom ARTIST: Danilo Beyruth, John J. Pearson, Eleonora Carlini, Ramón K. Pérez, Matias Bergara, Rod Reis COVER A: John Hofstetter
MAY 08 / 144 pages / / — / $17.99How much loss can one soul endure? Blue Eyes can’t stop being reborn. He tumbles from life to life, from one unthinkably strange universe to the next—the only constant that, one way or another, everything that he learns to love is lost. But when Blue Eyes finally catches up to a mysterious figure he’s seen recurring throughout his lives, he realizes he might just have a chance to escape his cursed immortality—or, at very least, exact revenge for it. Inspired by, and a companion to, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer BEAR McCREARY’s first-ever original concept album of the same name, THE SINGULARITY sees a cavalcade of comics’ greatest artists join with writer MAT GROOM (INFERNO GIRL RED) to tell a sweeping, cosmic story about the lessons that loss can teach us.
Check out the full solicitations over at Image Comics dot com.
