The time has come once again- time for a new slate of Image comics that is! Every year I promise myself this is the year I will read more original graphic novels. Well, this may be the year I keep my promise, there are quite a few exciting ones on the horizon. Plus more new #1 than you can shake a twig on. Let me walk you through a few new comics and see if we can’t find something you’d like.
As always, you can find the full solicits on the Image Comics website.
10. Furry Road
It’s not that the rise of Mirka Andolfo is inexplicable. I get it. She’s clearly crazy talented, and she has a strong sense of aesthetics, whether she is doing a horror story about puritan witches or a sex farce adventure starring anthropomorphic animals. And animal romance ain’t my thing. But clearly it’s a thing for lots of y’all so big news: Andolfo is coming back with her original hit series “Unnatural” in the form of a sequel series. Am I going to read the continuing adventures of Leslie the pig girl? Probably not. But you freaks have fun!
UNNATURAL: BLUE BLOOD #1 (OF 10)
WRITER / COVER A: Mirka Andolfo
ARTIST: Ivan Bigarella
MAY 11 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99UNNATURAL IS BACK! Three years after acclaimed creator MIRKA ANDOLFO’s first blockbuster, Leslie and Khal return for a thrilling new adventure!
A few years have passed since Leslie saved the world from hidden dangers and came to understand her true nature in the process. Everything seems to be working out—and not just for Leslie and her newly formed family, but for the rest of the world as well.
But appearances can be deceiving. A new threat is about to disrupt Leslie’s peaceful existence, and once again, her life will never be the same.
Don’t miss this new limited series written by MIRKA ANDOLFO, illustrated by celebrated artist IVAN BIGARELLA, and periodically featuring original artwork from MIRKA herself!
9. Wizard War I
Kurt Busiek is a living legend, and this series looks weird. It takes a certain kind of nerd to write sprawling alternate history, and Busiek is that guy. With a team of talented artists, he’s giving us his take on the Great War as fought by wizards. This is a writer who gets pacing, who gets comic book structure, who could put out great scripts in his sleep. And this is a rad premise for a series. If you haven’t checked it out yet, no one is doing world building quite like this.
ARROWSMITH: BEHIND ENEMY LINES #5 (OF 6)
WRITER: Kurt Busiek
ARTIST / COVER A: José Rafael Fonteriz, Carlos Pacheco, José Villarrubia
MAY 25 / 32 pages / FC/ T / $3.99Fletcher and Guy find shelter (and more) within a mountain trollhome. Plus: the truth about the Peace of Charlemagne, which brought about this modern world of magic and folklore.
8. Needs a revival
In case you haven’t heard, Chip Zdarsky is the hottest shit in comics right now. His tremendous run on Daredevil is about to be complimented by a series about a little known superhero named Batman. But you’re reading the Image solicits, so you probably don’t read those lame Big Two cape books right? Then do yourself a favor and check out Chip’s creator owned work. You’ll get the bonus treat of artwork by the talented Ramón K. Pérez. If you even marginally like a spooky small town mystery, this is a great one.
STILLWATER BY ZDARSKY & PÉREZ #13
WRITER: Chip Zdarsky
ARTIST: Ramón K. Pérez, Mike Spicer
MAY 11 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99The rules have changed.
Daniel now holds a special place in Stillwater. Can Galen’s hold on the town stand up to a new challenger?
7. Swing if you want to
I spoke above about my personal disinterest in furry adventures, so allow me to recommend something about sexy humans. “Swing” is a spin-off of “Sunstone,” both are romantic melodramas about kinky couples. In the case of “Swing,” you might be able to guess, it’s about people in open relationships. You can find a torrid tale written by a tourist who couldn’t find kink in a pair of rubber gloves no problem. But “Swing” is a sex positive romance written with an understanding and respect of kink and fetish culture. Buy it for your friend who is still talking about 50 Shades of Grey.
Continued belowSWING, VOL. 5 OGN TP
WRITER: Matt Hawkins
ARTIST / COVER A: Yishan Li
MAY 18 / 128 pages / FC/ M / $16.99Dan and Cathy’s epic journey into sexual discovery comes to an end in the final volume of this arc of SWING! Outed, aging, and just trying to live their best lives, will their love overcome all? Will there be a happy ending? Heh.
6. I’m a twig girl now
Ugh, what is that… creature? Twig horrifies me. I get that he’s supposed to be kind of ugly cute, but that just makes me shudder. And obviously this is right in Skottie Young’s wheelhouse, what with the cute Muppet and the potential to make him drop some F-bombs. I’ve really enjoyed Young’s recent collaborations, so I am legitimately curious to see what he’s planning with artist Kyle Strahm. You like dark fantasy with puppets? This is probably the book for you.
TWIG #1 (OF 5)
WRITER / COVER B: Skottie Young
ARTIST / COVER A / COVER D: Kyle Strahm
COVER C: Peach Momoko
MAY 04 / 32 pages / FC/ T / $3.99Eisner Award-winning I HATE FAIRYLAND and MIDDLEWEST writer SKOTTIE YOUNG and artist KYLE STRAHM (SPREAD, UNEARTH) come together for an all-new epic fantasy/adventure miniseries!
It’s the first day of Twig’s new job as a journeyer on a JEFF SMITH’s Bone-esque quest to save a The Dark Crystal/Labyrinth-style world. Join our hesitant hero for an inspiring and imaginative tale of hope, heartache, and determination to overcome insurmountable odds!
5. An exciting development
So many cool original graphic novels this year! If, like me, you blazed through Archive 81 on Netflix, desperate for a new season, maybe this will scratch that itch! Here we have a story about a curator of cursed objects, a horror caught on film, and a thrilling chase through NYC to get to the truth. And unlike the Netflix series, I don’t think this OGN is going to leave us on a cliffhanger.
THE DARK ROOM OGN HC
WRITER: Gerry Duggan
ARTIST / COVER A: Scott Buoncristiano, Tamra Bonvillain
JUNE 22 / 120 pages / FC/ T+ / $19.99The hunt for a camera containing an undeveloped photo of the face of true evil threatens to wipe out New York City one chilly autumn evening. Doune Mahoney is the curator of a private collection of extremely dangerous cursed objects, and her night’s about to go to hell. Werewolves, secret societies, blessed animals, cursed objects, and more, in a fantasy horror comedy from X-Men and Deadpool writer GERRY DUGGAN, your new favorite artist SCOTT BUONCRISTIANO, and color artist extraordinaire TAMRA BONVILLAIN. Take a deep dive into THE DARK ROOM, a world the creators will be returning to for many years. Includes the first appearance of your new favorite characters, including Walt, the dancing bones of Times Square, and his blessed boom box.
4. Two truths and a lie
Department of what? I’m all about the Ministry of Lies now. “Department of Truth” has find a zillion different ways to express it’s cool, complicated premise, but I have a list of conspiratorial psi-ops I want them to cover. Top of my list is to see how the world of communist espionage managed the concept of Truth. And if the Soviets had their own reality-retconning agency, how come their government fell apart, but the USA stuck around? This comic is an infinite mystery, and I hope it never ends.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #18
WRITER: James Tynion IV
ARTIST / COVER A / COVER D: Martin Simmonds
MAY 25 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99Co-creator MARTIN SIMMONDS returns for the explosive new arc of the Eisner-nominated hit! For decades, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH battled a secret war against its Soviet counterpart, THE MINISTRY OF LIES. Now Cole Turner will have to face the consequences of his predecessors as the dark actions of the past unfurl before him…
3. What grows in the bone orchard?
Hey, another Multiversity fave. Our staff and readership can’t get enough of Jeff Lemire, and his collaborations with Andrea Sorrentino are some of his most popular work. Well, here’s a brand new world from the “Gideon Falls” duo. This “Bone Orchard” graphic novel is set to be the first in a series of graphic novels. With someone as prolific as Lemire at the helm, the change in format seems very promising to me. This is a story that needed to be told a certain way, and the red hot creative team is getting a blank check to do whatever the heck they want!
Continued belowBONE ORCHARD: THE PASSAGEWAY OGN HC
WRITER: Jeff Lemire
ARTIST / COVER A: Andrea Sorrentino
JUNE 15 / 96 pages / FC/ M / $17.99From the acclaimed creative team behind GIDEON FALLS and PRIMORDIAL comes the first book in a bold and ambitious new shared horror universe! When a geologist is sent to a remote lighthouse to investigate strange phenomena, he finds a seemingly endless pit in the rocks. What lurks within—and how will he escape its pull?
THE PASSAGEWAY is the first book in the new BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS from LEMIRE & SORRENTINO! This universe will feature self-contained graphic novels and limited series about the horrors lurking within the Bone Orchard, just waiting to be discovered.
2. Brought this place to a me fight
There’s very little that excites me more than a new original comic from Kyle Starks. His absurd sense of humor may be a little juvenile, but it hits me perfectly. His last comic about Dracula learning to shoot hoops? Pretty good! Now he’s working with “Ice Cream Man” vet Artyom Topilin on a story about being stuck in your family home and facing weird monsters. Starks can shine any high concept up into a goofy romp, which is exactly what I want from “F**k This Place.”
F**K THIS PLACE #1
WRITER: Kyle Starks
ARTIST / COVER A: Artyom Topilin, Lee Loughridge
MAY 18 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99FOR FANS OF GIDEON FALLS AND HOME SICK PILOTS!
After inheriting a farm house, Trudy and Gabby are ready to start the next chapter of their lives together…except it’s already home to a mysterious force that’s attracted ghosts, aliens, and all kinds of supernatural beings for decades.
Now, Gabby and Trudy must play by the “house rules” in order to survive living among the most frightening creatures on Earth in this new series from KYLE STARKS (ASSASSIN NATION, THE SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON) and ARTYOM TOPILIN (ICE CREAM MAN PRESENTS: QUARANTINE COMIX SPECIAL).
1. How many whatnow!?
I would believe you if you told me that Charles Soule had access to a genie. How else can you explain his legal career, his gig moonlighting for both sides of the Big Two, his indie comics, and oh yeah, his work as the guy who has been basically in charge of Star Wars media for a few years now? The guy doesn’t quit. And now he is getting back together with one of his greatest artistic partners, Ryan Browne. Together, the duo made “Curse Words,” one of the best comics of either of their careers. Now they are answering a simple question: What if at exactly the same moment, everyone on earth got one genie and one wish? Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Take my money. I am in!
EIGHT BILLION GENIES #1 (OF 8)
WRITER: Charles Soule
ARTIST / COVER A: Ryan Browne
MAY 11 / 32 pages / FC/ M / $3.99If you had one wish…what would you wish for? Now, what if everyone else had one wish too? That’s EIGHT BILLION GENIES, the new eight-issue series from CHARLES SOULE & RYAN BROWNE (CURSE WORDS). At exactly the same moment, everyone on earth gets a genie and one wish. All hell breaks loose, in a very entertaining way…and that’s just the beginning. Buckle in for the wildest ride of the year!
