Another month, another Soliciting Multiversity! This time we’re looking into the far flung future of the post-Captain America: Civil War world of July 2016 and seeing what Image Comics has in store for us. The short answer is that most comics that you like from Image are continuing and there’s a handful of new #1s that seem interesting, but only a couple that are really buzz worthy.
So, basically, it’s a pretty average month? Nothing too shocking or surprising and nothing too disappointing. Pretty much just a month of comics, honestly. Now let’s look at our Top Ten picks for this comics, eh?
10. The Award For The Longest Title Goes To…
I haven’t read any of “Outcast” yet nor have I seen any of the TV show so forgive me for a little ignorance here, but I’m pretty much only interested in this to see Paul Azaceta’s inkwork. I love Azaceta’s artwork and this would be an amazing opportunity to see his inkwork printed oversized. Can you imagine? What a world we live in.
IMAGE GIANT-SIZED ARTIST’S PROOF EDITION: OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #1
STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN
ART / COVER: PAUL AZACETA
JULY 6 / 48 PAGES / BW / M / $19.99
The GIANT-SIZED ARTIST’S PROOF series continues, presenting special artistic achievements in their raw form in an oversized 11″ x 17″ format. PAUL AZACETA’s haunting artwork from OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #1 is presented here in glorious black-and-white inks.
Be sure to watch the new OUTCAST TV series on Cinemax, premiering June 3rd.
9. $60 For A Book That Could Kill A Man If Dropped On Him
This is the first of two times “Spawn” shows up on this list which really shows you just what kind of a month Image is having in July. However, this one I’m actually interested in. Mixing Image’s compendium style collections which collects about 1000 pages worth of material in a thick paperback with almost like an artist’s edition style printing by showcasing the black and white inks of MacFarlane’s early “Spawn” art, this could be pretty cool to check out.
SPAWN COMPENDIUM, VOL. 1 TP
story: TODD McFARLANE
art: TODD McFARLANE, GREG CAPULLO & TONY DANIEL
984 PAGES / BW / T+
$59.99
TODD McFARLANE unleashed his signature creation, Spawn, in 1992. In doing so, he created the most successful independent comic book in history. Add in collaborations with industry giants ALAN MOORE, FRANK MILLER, TONY DANIEL and GRANT MORRISON and Spawn’s future as a legend was sealed.
Collected for the first time in black and white format, McFARLANE’s
hyper-detailed artwork comes to life like never before. Relive all the
excitement of everyone’s favorite anti-hero with this new collection.
Collects SPAWN #1-49
8. Colour Your Way Through A Psychedelic Odyssey
One of my favourite elements of “ODY-C” is the trippy, psychedelic colours that accompany Christian Ward’s artwork. If you’re the same, now you’re going to be able to add your own colours to that very same artwork! Adult colouring books are becoming more and more of a thing and I’m 100% okay with that both as a relaxation and therapeutic exercise and as practice as someone who’s considering learning how to colour comic books. This could be pretty cool.
ODY-C ADULT COLORING AND ACTIVITY BOOK TP
STORY: MATT FRACTION
ART / COVER: CHRISTIAN WARD
AUGUST 10 / 80 PAGES / BW / M / $14.99
ADVANCE SOLICIT
Lose yourself in an epic twenty-six centuries in the making. Featuring art from the gender-bent science fiction comic ODY-C by MATT FRACTION (CASANOVA, SEX CRIMINALS, SATELLITE SAM) and CHRISTIAN WARD (INFINITE VACATION, OLYMPUS), this interactive activity book takes you on a feverishly eye-popping journey rendered in lavish psychedelic pen-and-ink illustrations — all waiting to be brought to life through color.
“It’s an unlikely mixture of elements, but it hits an inimitable combination of cool and classic that pulls you into the orbit of an intoxicating journey.” — Paste Magazine
7. Spawn Kills Everyone! All Your Favourites! Because Spawn’s Totally Relevant!
Continued below
Man… this is kinda embarrassing. In a year where the large majority of comic book movies sounds like a bad forum post about “Who’d Win In A Fight”, Todd McFarlane and J.J. Kirby are pulling one better and making a comic that’s essentially the equivalent of that kid you knew who was convinced his favourite was better than everyone else’s favourite and could kill them all if they wanted to.
Sigh. Sometimes I forget the baggage Image is still saddled with from its earliest days.
SPAWN KILLS EVERYONE!
STORY: TODD McFARLANE & J.J. KIRBY
ART: J.J. KIRBY & TODD McFARLANE
COVER A: TODD McFARLANE
COVER B: J.J. KIRBY
COVER C: LIANA HEE
JULY 20 / 40 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99
Do you have a favorite hero?! Better change it… they’re DEAD! If you ever wondered who the strongest hero is, THIS BOOK ANSWERS IT! It’s SPAWN… he kills EVERY HERO!
6. The Next Generation Of Millar
Remember that talent search Mark Millar went on to get new creative talent in comics, but they had to create stories using properties already created by Millar? Well, this is a collection of those stories for only $2.99. Now, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal, honestly. 32 pages of comics from new talents for $2.99? You could find your new favourite comic creator in here.
MILLARWORLD ANNUAL 2016
STORY: MARK ABNETT, SHAUN BRILL, CLIFF BUMGARDNER, DENIZ CAMP, PHILIP HUXLEY & RICARDO MO
ART:PRACHETA BANERJEE, STEVE BEACH, CONOR HUGHES, MYRON MACKLIN, IFESINACHI ORJIEKWE & OZGUR YILDIRIM
COVER:SATINE ZILLAH
JULY 13 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
The first MILLARWORLD ANNUAL — the result of an international creator search seeking the best new writers and artists to tackle MARK MILLAR’s extensive library of hit characters. From Kick-Ass to CHRONONAUTS, they’re all here in this instant collector’s item.
5. I Know Now Why You Cry
I love stories about robots. I probably like stories about robots more than I like stories about people. I mean, I’m a person who’s seen Bicentennial Man all the way through multiple times. And one of my favourite things about stories about robots are the stories about robots learning what it means to be human. I don’t know, but I’m a huge mark for that shit and “Mechanism” sounds like it’s going to be a comic that will scratch that itch. I’m excited.
MECHANISM #1
STORY / ART / COVERS A & B: RAFFAELE IENCO
JULY 27 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99
In the aftermath of an alien invasion, a prototype military robot is rushed into the field before it is combat-ready. Now attached to a group of survivors, it studies them to learn what it means to be human. Will it come to understand man as a noble creature worth preserving or that the human race isn’t worth saving at all?
4. Something Something Carl Sagan Quote
Juan Gedeon and Frank Martin on art could have made me talk about any comic, but having it be a comic that flips the perspective on your traditional alien invasion narrative by painting Earth as the colonialist oppressor (’cause let’s be real… we are a bit). Sounds a bit like the anti-Independence Day which is fine by me although I will be sad if Randy Quaid doesn’t show up in one panel for no reason at all.
Continued belowHORIZON #1
STORY: BRANDON THOMAS
ART: JUAN GEDEON & FRANK MARTIN
COVER: JASON HOWARD
JULY 13 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
Zhia Malen thought she’d fought her very last war, until she learned her planet was targeted for occupation… by a desperate world called Earth. The people of Earth will be told that her arrival on their planet means invasion; these are lies, this is retaliation.
Skybound’s newest original series by BRANDON THOMAS (The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury), JUAN GEDEON (Ghost Racers), and FRANK MARTIN (EAST OF WEST) will show you that survival isn’t just a human instinct…
3. The Hunt #1
Colin Lorimer was one of my favourite parts of “Burning Fields”, bringing some amazing and horrific artwork to the series, so I’m very excited that he’s writing and illustrating a new horror comic. Teasing it as a supernatural story that’s an “intense story of survival” with a twist on Irish mythology, I’m actually very excited to check out “The Hunt”. Sounds cool as hell.
THE HUNT #1
STORY: COLIN LORIMER
ART / COVER: COLIN LORIMER & JOANA LAFUENTE
JULY 13 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
Dream or reality? For a long time, teenager Orla Roche couldn’t tell them apart, and now THE HUNT is coming with its nightmare world of the restless dead. An intense story of survival, THE HUNT is a supernatural horror tale that will give Irish mythology a distinctly modern twist.
2. Apparently MK-ULTRA Has Nothing To Do With Mortal Kombat
I’ll be honest, I’m mostly interested in this because of Steven Sanders. Sanders has drawn a few of my favourite comics of all time, including his contribution to the run on “Wolverine” written by Jason Aaron and, most importantly, “Five Fists Of Science” with Matt Fraction. Having him illustrate a series that seems like it could be going for a more gritty, military-focused vibe is something I’m very interested in as is the mention that it centres around a character with PTSD. This could be one to keep an eye out for.
THROWAWAYS #1
STORY: CAITLIN KITTREDGE
ART: STEVEN SANDERS
LETTERS: RACHEL DEERING
COVER: MAIKO KUZUNISHI
JULY 6 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
THROWAWAY (n.)
1. A disposable asset, used for a single mission; 2. A disavowed assassin, meant to die alongside their target.
Abby Palmer and Dean Logan are two broken people — Abby a vet with severe PTSD and Dean a burnout trying to escape the shadow of his infamous father — when they are thrust into a modern-day MK-ULTRA conspiracy… and discover they are both ULTRA’s human experiments.
1. Gem Of The Month Is Right, Bryan Lee O’Malley Is Back
It’s been a second since we’ve seen Bryan Lee O’Malley in comics and now he’s back writing a new ongoing. This time, though, he won’t be providing the art as he’ll be joined by Leslie Hung for… “Snotgirl”. Yeah, if you’re of a nervous disposition with regards to nasal fluids you’re probably going to want to avoid this book. Though, to be fair, Snotgirl sounds like the nickname I should have in the summer when my allergies flare up.
SNOTGIRL #1 – GEM OF THE MONTH
STORY / COVER B: BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY
ART / COVER A: LESLIE HUNG
JULY 20 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99
WHO IS LOTTIE PERSON? Is she a gorgeous, fun-loving social media star with a perfect life or a gross, allergy-ridden mess? Enter a world of snot, blood, and tears in this new ongoing series from New York Times Best Seller BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY (Scott Pilgrim) and dazzling newcomer LESLIE HUNG!
