Hey hey Image fans! It’s an exciting time for fans of creator owned comics. There’s a big company anniversary, returning favorites and some seriously wild pitches for new series. Also, a weird number of vampire things. You’ll see. Aside from the predilection for comics about fanged monsters, you won’t find a better selection of genre fiction from any other publisher.
As always, you can find the full solicits on the Image Comics website.
10. Scratching at your door
A new Jeff Lemire book always earns a second look from me. And “Little Monsters” looks to unite Lemire with one of his best collaborators, Dustin Nguyen. It’s always cool to see Nguyen emulate elements of Lemire’s drawing style into his own (Lemire is also a prolific cartoonist). When you read Nguyen comics with a different artist, you still get that scratchy sketchbook style, but when you shape those images around Lemire’s words things tend to get freaky. “Little Monsters” sounds like all the dynamics of “Sweet Tooth” but this time they’re all vampires? Just the goth makeover we deserved!
LITTLE MONSTERS #2
WRITER: Jeff Lemire
ARTIST / COVER A: Dustin Nguyen
COVER B: Tonci ZonjicThe thrilling new series by Eisner Award-winning team JEFF LEMIRE & DUSTIN NGUYEN (DESCENDER, ASCENDER, Robin & Batman) continues, as more is revealed about the young vampires left to survive on their own. When a man stumbles into their camp, the long-forgotten taste of human blood is quickly remembered.
LITTLE MONSTERS #2
9. We can go to the park after dark
The cover of this comic makes it look more like a 90s Image book, but realize it is tongue in cheek! This is the reunion of one of the most hilarious teams ever to write “Deadpool,” I’m talking Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, and Scott Koblish. I don’t know if you’re a stoner dear reader, or maybe just an appreciator of stoner culture, but I got a feeling that these three are very deep appreciators of stoner culture. Throw that into a paranoid off the wall Reagan-era thriller one-shot, and maybe you’ve got yourself a hidden gem!
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WAR ON WEED (ONE-SHOT)
WRITER: Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan
ARTIST / COVER A: Scott KoblishBRIAN POSEHN, GERRY DUGGAN & SCOTT KOBLISH reform Voltron (metaphorically only) from their days on Deadpool (also not appearing) to tell a true story and lost chapter from our nation’s sad and failed war on drugs.
The year is 1985. The First Lady decides to crush Northern California cannabis farmers and deploys the biggest tool in the armed forces: Scotch McTiernan (collectible first of many hilarious appearances). “If it weeds…we can kill it.” Scotch puts his boots on the ground in Humboldt and does what he does best—but what happens when he gets high for the first time?
This one-shot has it all: laughs, tears, heart, action—plus, an activity page! A portion of the proceeds from this comic will be donated to organizations dedicated to helping casualties of America’s immoral drug war.
8. Caged beast
You mighta already heard of a little book called “Monstress,” written by the first woman ever to win the Eisner for Best Writer, Marjorie Liu. And I know you can see the cover, drawn by the incomparable Sana Takeda. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s wild, and we’re 39 issues in so you got some catching up to do. It’s great. It’s a dark fantasy full of cannibal witches, dead gods, and cute feline professors. The series has been getting desperately dark, which makes me think that we are reaching this stories final stretch? It seems like the table is being set for what promises to be one of the most brutal comic book finales in recent memory.
MONSTRESS #39
WRITER: Marjorie Liu
ARTIST / COVER A: Sana TakedaMaika falls even deeper into her prison as she flees the devastating truths revealed in her memories.
7. Go go color heroes
“Radiant Black” has a great premise, but it played its cards pretty close to the vest, and it wasn’t until the end of the first series that it was apparent what was going on. Well, the existence of this book confirms it- there are more crazy suits of armor than just the black one. For my money, in just one issue, Radiant Red proved herself to be a more interesting character. And now we get a spin-off series by relative comics newcomer Cherish Chen, and artists Miquel Muerto, David Lafuente. The Radiant Black team has always expressed a lot of gratitude for all the comic professionals who have taken a chance on them, so it’s cool to see them pay it forward and give work to other creators. Even if you thought “Radiant Black” took a while to get going, “Radiant Red” deserves a chance to wow you.
Continued belowRADIANT RED #2 (OF 5)
WRITER: Cherish Chen, Cherish Chen
ARTIST / COVER A: Miquel Muerto, David Lafuente
COVER B: V.V. GlassIt’s one o’clock on a Thursday morning. Satomi Sone should be at home with her fiancé, in bed, asleep. So why is she in an abandoned warehouse in an empty industrial district? And who—or what—waits for her inside?
6. This here’s a private party, and you are all invited
Who doesn’t love an anthology issue? Better yet, who doesn’t love a self indulgent anniversary anthology issue? Image has been making a meal out of its 30th anniversary but hey, they gave a shout-out to Multiversity in their “Timeline” special, so I can’t complain. There are a ton of great creators involved, including some who are represented by other exciting series on this very list. Look, there are the kinds of comics you plan to check out of the library someday, and there are some comics that are only for people who pick up their books at shops, and this is the latter. And those are the people who follow solicits columns. It might be you! Yes you! So I say we celebrate Image’s anniversary with them, and see what fun books they’ve cooked up. Let’s do it, we might be the only people who read a potential masterpiece.
IMAGE! #1 (OF 12)
WRITER: Wyatt Kennedy, Mirka Andolfo, Geoff Johns, Brenden Fletcher, Declan Shalvey, Skottie Young, Kyle Higgins
ARTIST: Mirka Andolfo, Declan Shalvey, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Andrea Mutti, Luana Vecchio, Babs Tarr
COVER A: Igor Monti, Marcelo CostaCelebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Image comic with a year-long parade of all-new stories from some of the biggest and best names in comics!
Featuring a combination of ongoing serials and standalone short stories, this inaugural issue kicks off with the first chapters of two 12-part stories: “The Blizzard” by GEOFF JOHNS & ANDREA MUTTI and “Red Stitches” by BRENDEN FLETCHER & BABS TARR—plus the opening installments of a trio of three-parters: “Gospel for a New Century” by WYATT KENNEDY & LUANA VECCHIO, “Loop / Hopeless” by MIRKA ANDOLFO, and “Shift” by KYLE HIGGINS & DANIELE DI NICUOLO. Plus plus! A first look at DECLAN SHALVEY’s upcoming OLD DOG series and an original ongoing comic strip by SKOTTIE YOUNG!
5. A friend of ours
It is unbelievable how many genres Chip Zdarsky has effortlessly slipped into. This guy was once pidgeonholed as a funny guy! But there’s way more to him than just that, and when he collaborates with Jacob Phillips, the noir is just as thick as anything you’d find by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Jacob’s pops). Zdarsky brings a certain smoothness though, which compliments Phillips’ brash, moody style. And the titular protagonist, he’s nothing but smooth. As an inter-mafia detective, Newburn polices the lawless, on behalf of the lawless. This issue, coming at the end of the first arc, serves to flesh out his world and his supporting cast. Effortlessly good, that’s what this series is.
NEWBURN #6
WRITER: Soo Lee, Chip Zdarsky
ARTIST: Soo Lee, Jacob Phillips
COVER A: Jacob PhillipsEmily has been doing good work for Newburn and his gangland clients, but what drove her into their world?
PLUS: Ronnie takes matters into her own hands in “SPOOK-A-RAMA” from CASEY GILLY & SOO LEE!
4. The Saga (re)Begins!
And speaking of effortlessly good, the comic of comics, “Saga” is back! As in new issues every month, until the last issue, #108 drops in 2026, and its back with a bang. Hazel is a kid now, a character in her own right and not just a plot device. And she’s seemed to inherit her parents’ hustler spirit and it looks like she’s maybe starting a band? I kid you not, in issue #55, we find out that her favorite band is called Fartbox. That issue also made me cry. “Saga” truly can be said to have everything.
SAGA #58
WRITER: Brian K. Vaughan
ARTIST / COVER A: Fiona StaplesFriends or enemies?
3. Dracuchrist what now?
Look, I had no idea this was even a series. But Tim Seeley does fun horror schlock. Steve Orlando is a ton of fun. Giuseppe Cafaro has sure drawn for “Heavy Metal.” But what’s this comic about? Let’s glance down at the solicit text. “Jesus has been bitten by Dracula’s sleeper vampire…” done. I’m in. Comics are crazy, and this premise is excellent. I don’t need to hear another word.
Continued belowLOADED BIBLE: BLOOD OF MY BLOOD #2 (OF 6)
WRITER: Tim Seeley, Steve Orlando
ARTIST: Giuseppe Cafaro
COVER A: Mirka AndolfoJesus has been bitten by Dracula’s sleeper vampire, but how long can he stave off the infection? As Dracula’s evil plan evolves, the real meaning of the ancient impaler’s alliance with the church is revealed. All life on Earth is under threat! Can Jesus’s own people save their savior in time to save the world? Featuring the DEBUT of JOHN THE MECHANIC!
2. Doesn’t suck
A surprising amount of vampire stuff considering it’s only April. Makes you wonder what October is going to look like. But color me shocked to see Christian Ward, artist of “Ody-C” and “Black Bolt” is a writer on this book. Teaming up with Patric Reynolds, this new series looks to explore the seedy underworld beneath the already seedy world of vampires. It’s clear that I’m a sucker for vampire comics (sorry not sorry), and I love to see artists try their hands at words. I’m ready to bury myself in messed up characters and vampire lore.
BLOOD-STAINED TEETH #1
WRITER / COVER A: Christian Ward
ARTIST / COVER B: Patric Reynolds
COVER C: Declan ShalveyCHRISTIAN WARD, the Eisner Award-winning co-creator of ODY-C, Invisible Kingdom, and Machine Gun Wizards, returns to Image with red-hot artist PATRIC REYNOLDS (The Mask) for an all-new ONGOING SERIES—a fast-paced 100 Bullets-style crime saga with fangs!
Atticus Sloane—misanthrope, criminal, asshole, and vampire—lives in a world where blood isn’t the only thing vamps crave. And for the right price, he’ll make you a vampire too. After all, immortality isn’t cheap.
1. A fictional cyberpunk dystopia
Every year I promise myself I will read more original graphic novels- maybe this will be the year? I haven’t heard anything about this book, haven’t been following it, but the solicit and the cover are really speaking to me. Maybe it’s because I’m watching the entire video game industry merge into one corporate blob, but seeing two excessive corporations locked in an interplanetary war is a premise big enough to contain my anger towards American capitalism. With a groovy space style, and painterly art, this graphic novel might be exactly as much comic as I need.
GRIP OF THE KOMBINAT OGN TP
WRITER / ARTIST / COVER A: Damon Gentry, Simon RoyTwo megacorporations wage an eternal tug-of-war for the ruins of our future solar system. Pulpy sci-fi adventure, escalating unintended consequences, wry satire, and pure goofery combine in seven potent chapters of comics entertainment to make GRIP OF THE KOMBINAT, an unholy lovechild of Verhoeven and Asimov.
An original graphic novel from the deranged minds of comics wündérkìñdêr SIMON ROY (PROPHET, HABITAT, FIRST KNIFE) & DAMON GENTRY (Sabertooth Swordsman, Vinegar Teeth).
