Soliciting Multiversity: Image’s Top 10 for October 2021

October rules. Free candy, silly costumes, and spooky sights make it one of the best times of the year. While everybody dives into their bags of goodies, comic shops have some sweet titles coming out from Image Comics. With a mix of new launches and enduring hits, there’s something for everybody to enjoy. And for anybody looking for some early holiday shopping done, there are comprehensive collections like “Paper Girls: The Complete Story” and “Luther Strode: The Complete Series.” So, without further ado, let’s see what tricks and treats will be coming out from Image Comics in October 2021.

10. Vengeance Has a Name

I don’t think Rick Remender ever sleeps. The marque writer has a seemingly-endless string of hits to his name, including “Deadly Class,” “Black Science,” “Low,” and others. With that in mind, any time I see him working on a new project, I know it warrants checking out. In “A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance,” Remender explores the crime genre alongside artist Andre Lima Araujo. I’ve been a fan of Araujo’s work on titles such as “Spidey” and “Avengers A.I.” and the preview art for this series looks like the best work of his career, thanks to the help of colorist Chris O’Halloran. Though Remender has found himself at the center of some controversy and discourse of late, I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t check this out.

A RIGHTEOUS THIRST FOR VENGEANCE #1
WRITER: Rick Remender
ARTIST / COVER A: André Lima Araújo
COVER B: Tula Lotay
OCTOBER 13 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
A NEW ONGOING CRIME SERIES from the writer of DEADLY CLASS!
When an unassuming man stumbles upon a dark-web contract assassin’s vicious plot to kill an innocent target, he turns himself into one. The Professional meets Road to Perdition in this story of a family’s unlikely guardian being hunted by rich and powerful men who are used to getting away with everything.
Join New York Times bestselling writer RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, BLACK SCIENCE) and ANDRÉ ARAÚJO (GENERATION GONE, Man Plus) for a uniquely atmospheric murder mystery with sudden bouts of brutal violence.

9. Midnight Cowboy

Call me a sucker, but there’s just something incredibly endearing about the new line of “Spawn’s Universe” titles. I’m not even a big “Spawn” guy, I just think it’s cool that Todd McFarlane has opened up his giant chest of toys to some of the best names in comics, with seemingly no end in sight. “Gunslinger Spawn” is a cowboy version of Spawn doing cowboy things while trapped in the modern era. It’s like a toy commercial has come to life. Throw in Ales Kot and the combined talents of Brett Booth and Philip Tan, and you have a recipe for success. I want to encourage more big dumb books from top talent, they’re just so cool. Look at that hat!

GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1
WRITER: Todd McFarlane, Aleš Kot
ARTIST: Brett Booth, Philip Tan
COVER A: Brett Booth
COVER B: Todd McFarlane
OCTOBER 06 / 48 pages / FC/ T / $5.99
Introducing the launch of the second new monthly title spinning out of the SPAWN UNIVERSE, with one of the most popular characters in the entire SPAWN mythology! This book contains three separate GUNSLINGER stories, each taking a look at his journey through time—from the wild, wild west to the 21st century. Will his 200-year-old past come back to haunt him as he navigates the strange world of 2021? Get ready for the past and present to collide in this new ongoing title!

8. I Scream, You Scream

In high school, my English teacher had my entire class read Frank Kafka’s story “The Metamorphosis,” about a man who wakes up to find out that he has turned into a giant bug. It still haunts me to this day. So taking that premise and flipping it so that it’s now about a bug that turns into a man? I never knew I needed to read that until now. Body horror at its finest, I can’t wait to see what nightmares this inspires. Plus, the appeal of “Ice Cream Man” is that you can jump in for whatever stories intrigue you, making it easy for me to commit to this solitary story.

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ICE CREAM MAN #27
WRITER: W. Maxwell Prince
ARTIST / COVER A: Martín Morazzo
OCTOBER 27 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
“THE MORPHOMETASIS”
This is like that famous story, but the other way around.

7. Bump in the Night

Spinning out of the pages of “Killadelphia,” “Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog” focuses on the titular Nita Hawes fighting demons in a last-ditch effort to save Baltimore. I’ve been impressed with Rodney Barnes in the past, but I missed out on “Killadelphia” when it launched and I’m hoping to use this as my gateway into that universe. Artist Jason Shawn Alexander is more than up to the task of drawing demons, monsters, and all sorts of chaos. Since I haven’t read the main “Killadelphia” series, I hope that this launch is able to stand up on its own without any prior knowledge.

NITA HAWES’ NIGHTMARE BLOG #1
WRITER: Rodney Barnes
ARTIST: Patric Reynolds, Jason Shawn Alexander
COVER B: Jason Shawn Alexander
COVER C: Francesco Mattina
COVER D: Patric Reynolds
OCTOBER 20 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
“THE FIRE NEXT TIME,” Part One
From the universe of Eisner-nominated series KILLADELPHIA comes a terrifying new tie-in horror series by acclaimed Marvel writer RODNEY BARNES and fan-favorite SPAWN artist JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER.
Jimmy Sangster might have left Maryland for the vampire-infested city of “Killadelphia,” but there is still untold evil lurking the streets of Baltimore. The demon Corson has surfaced from the underworld to possess a once-wronged man, and his vengeance will come at the cost of humanity’s despair! But Jimmy’s former lover Nita Hawes—a woman with demons of her own—has begun a quest to root the evil out of her city. Guided by the ghost of her dead brother, she must come to terms with her own past, lest she join her brother in a state worse than death!

6. Still Kickin’

Even though I went into the launch of “Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton” with high expectations, the book has continued to go above and beyond anything I could have hoped for. With quirky characters, dynamic art, and a killer premise, it has become one of my favorite titles from Skybound. Issue #5 promises to finally unite all six sidekicks as they get into a wild fight against an army of angry stuntmen. Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer haven’t let me down yet.

SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON #5
WRITER: Kyle Starks
ARTIST / COVER A: Chris Schweizer
COVER B: Francesco Francavilla
OCTOBER 13 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
“…what a perfect comic.” —STEVE ORLANDO (COMMANDERS IN CRISIS)
My friends, let me keep it super simple for you: in this issue, you get 20 PAGES OF MASSIVE KUNG FU ACTION, as our now-unified six former sidekicks go toe to toe in a tidal wave of angry stuntmen looking for revenge…and for blood! It’s going to be very good. Very awesome.

5. Give Our Love a Fightin’ Chance 3

“Second Chances” follows Leblanc, a mysterious man who is able to help people find new identities and new lives for the right price and the right reason. Though the debut issue isn’t out for a few weeks, I was able to read an advanced copy, and I was blown away by the dynamic storytelling. Max Bertolini’s art is rich and vivid, filled with details and graceful motion. Writer Ricky Mammone is no slouch either, and he immediately leans into crafting the mystery behind Leblanc and Miss Nobody. Issue #3 promises to provide some answers to the questions that have already popped up in my head, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they are. Given that the solicit advertises drugs, gunplay, and secrets, I can’t imagine things will end well for Leblanc.

SECOND CHANCES #3
WRITER: Ricky Mammone
ARTIST / COVER A: Max Bertolini
OCTOBER 20 / 32 pages / BW/ M / $3.99
The sordid history of Leblanc and Miss Nobody’s messy affair is finally revealed in a flashback to Rio. Surprisingly, a healthy relationship cannot be forged on a foundation of gunplay, heavy drugs, and deep, dark secrets. Go figure.

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4. Fire Power 16

I knew this would happen – “Fire Power” by Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee has become one of my favorite books. When the series launched last year, I immediately grabbed onto the status quo of the prelude graphic novel, but found myself a little underwhelmed by the ongoing events in the modern day. Still, I stuck with it, confident that everything would fall into place and prove to be worthwhile. I’m glad I did, because the exploits of Owen Johnson and his family are getting increasingly interesting. As everybody struggles to adjust to a normal life in the wake of the battle at the Temple of the Flaming Fist, the looming presence of the Serpent’s Omen promises that things are about to heat up once more. “Fire Power” has become the first book I read whenever it comes out and this issue will surely follow that trend.

FIRE POWER BY KIRKMAN & SAMNEE #16
WRITER: Robert Kirkman
ARTIST / COVER A: Matthew Wilson, Chris Samnee
OCTOBER 06 / 28 pages / FC/ T / $3.99
The most vulnerable are the most at risk. The Serpent’s Omen STRIKES!

3. Time Out

Poor Oscar. Through no fault of his own, the charming time-smuggler became the tragic figure of “Time Before Time,” the final straw that motivated Tatsuo to embark on his adventure. But long before that, Oscar had a life of his own and a job that needed to get done. “Time Before Time” #6 takes a brief break from the main story and offers up a one-shot drawn by co-writer Declan Shalvey, as Oscar hunts down a Syndicate Deserter in the year 1994. Every issue of this series has been stellar so far and I’m confident that this side quest will prove to be another enthralling tale. It’s also a great way for new readers to sample “Time Before Time,” so take this as an opportunity to try the series before time runs out.

TIME BEFORE TIME #6
WRITER: Rory McConville, Declan Shalvey
ARTIST / COVER A: Declan Shalvey
COVER B: David O’Sullivan
COVER C: Mike Del Mundo
OCTOBER 20 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
Oscar Gomez is on the hunt for a Syndicate deserter hiding out in the year 1994. Can he rely on the local Syndicate network to track the deserter down?
This standalone story features art by series co-creator DECLAN SHALVEY!

2. Go to Hell

Hellcop sounds like a book I would have made up as a kid. A covert security force is tasked with patrolling Hell after a dimensional breach shatters the wall protecting Earth. Now, the Pan-Dimensional Security Corps (A.K.A Hellcops) traverse the Hellplane to make sure nothing gets through. This new series is a follow-up to an Image title from 20+ years ago, but I’d imagine that those ties will be kept pretty loose. As it stands, this looks like a rollicking good time with monsters, explosions, and cops going to Hell. What’s not to love? And for added value, there will be “Spawn”-themed incentive covers and a 3D version of the book – complete with 3D glasses. Inject this into my eyeballs now please.

HELLCOP #1
WRITER / COVER F: Brian Haberlin
ARTIST: Brian Haberlin, Geirrod van Dyke
COVER A / COVER B / COVER C / COVER E: Geirrod van Dyke, Brian Haberlin
OCTOBER 20 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
“WELCOME TO HELL”
When mankind first broke through the walls between dimensions, nothing could have prepared them for what they would find in Known Reality Plane 1301-A: it was absolute Hell. Literally. A covert security force was quickly assembled to patrol the Hellplane and ensure that none of the nastier denizens made their way Earthside. They were dubbed the Pan-Dimensional Security Corps.
The HELLCOPS.

1. Made to Break Your Heart

And thus ends the tale of “Made in Korea.” The series has been one of my highlights of the year, as Jeremy Holt and George Schall’s wonderful story about an android child has explored themes of family, friendship, and existential dread in ways I never could have anticipated. In classic fashion, the solicit text gives absolutely no clues for what we can expect in the finale. But to be honest, I don’t want to know. As much fun as it can be to know what to look forward to, I appreciate watching the narrative unfold and stand up on its own strengths. It’ll be tough to say goodbye to Jesse, but I’m looking forward to the inevitable collected edition and recommending this book to my friends.

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MADE IN KOREA #6 (OF 6)
WRITER: Jeremy Holt
ARTIST / COVER A: George Schall
OCTOBER 20 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99
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