You know, I didn’t realize that it had been a slow couple of months at Image. Quite a few good series ending, or coming to a crossroads. A few new series worth checking out, but nothing setting my world on fire. Then along came July to hit me in the face with everything. Three mind-meltingly exciting new series! Two huge pillars of the publishing line coming to an end! And five returning favorites doing what they do! This month, Image wants to remind you why it is the most exciting publisher in comics.
As always, you can see the full solicits on the Image Comics website.
10. Make you buy cars, make you cut cards
Sometimes you sell a comic on the premise, and that was definitely the case with “Man-Eaters.” A premise can sustain a few issues, maybe a miniseries. But it can’t sustain an issue. That’s when you need real storytelling agility. Well, it seems that “Man-Eaters” is the real deal. It started as a coming of age story, with maybe a bit of a cop drama sprinkled in, but by issue #10 we’ve got the makings of a revolutionary movement and some undercover espionage. I have no doubt the core of the book will remain strong, even as we shift into new storytelling modes.
MAN-EATERS #10
WRITER: CHELSEA CAIN
ARTIST: ELISE McCALL
COVERS A & B: LIA MITERNIQUE
JULY 3 / 28 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99“COMMUNISTS IN THE FUNHOUSE”
Maude suspects that an Estro-Corp spy has infiltrated her group of friends. Which—not gonna lie—kinda sucks, tbh.
9. Only ballers left alive
If you read the first issue of “Assassin Nation,” you know that making predictions is a game for fools. This book is. In. Sane. It uses its very structure to pull a fast one on you. The solicit promises a plethora of violence. That’s the one promise I am sure will be fulfilled. End of the first arc. Get on this one good people, it’s one you’ll be happy you were part of from the early days. I got a feeling it’s going places.
ASSASSIN NATION #5 (OF 5)
WRITER: KYLE STARKS
ARTIST / COVER: ERICA HENDERSON
JULY 17 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99What can you expect in this pulse-pounding finale? A bandolier of grenades, an unexpected enemy, a quick-draw showdown, hella people getting shot… and the power of friendship. Is it going to be a violent roller-coaster ride of bullet wounds, fisticuffs, danger, and mayhem? Absolutely.
8. Black ops, in the black
Last month in the comments, one of our readers (correctly) pointed out the ways in which my personal taste determines what goes into this column. On the one hand: of course! But I wanted to know what my blind spots were, books I had been neglecting. Well, realbigexplosion made the case for “Outer Darkness,” and they were absolutely right! I had been digging the similarly titled and somewhat similarly premised “Infinite Dark” but “Outer Darkness” is a whole different animal. It’s bleak and existential, but it’s also got a funny, kind of satirical edge. I’m happy to be catching up on it. It sounds like a few months from now, some very personal drama is going to come to a head! Thank you realbigexplosion for recommending that I catch up on this awesome series and if anyone else feels like I’ve been neglecting a gem, let me know! This space is only made better with more voices!
OUTER DARKNESS #8
WRITER: JOHN LAYMAN
ARTIST / COVER: AFU CHAN
JULY 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99Ensign Hydzek has a secret. Ensign Hydzek is a spy.
7. Don’t touch that dial!
Remember when Gerry Duggan was that guy from Attack of the Show and we were all skeptical if he could write a funny “Deadpool” comic? No? I’m old. Well not only has he become a giant in the comics biz, he’s proven himself to be more than just a funny man. Sure “Analog” has been funny, but it’s also an instant classic sci-fi story set in a post-privacy world. That world is well built, and I’m actually a little bit surprised with how much I’m looking forward to reuniting with Sam and Oona to watch them kick seven kinds of ass.
Continued belowANALOG #6
WRITER: GERRY DUGGAN
ARTIST / COVERS A & B: DAVID O’SULLIVAN
JULY 3 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99“MOVING TARGETS,” Part One
It’s the beginning of a new story arc and death is on the rails when Sam and Oona travel to Washington to meet a spy—if they can survive a train filled with assassins, that is!
6. The Sangeyre Legacy
Some books hit you as a surprise. This is not one of them. Walker, Brown, and Greene all seemed well suited to do a supernatural exploitation piece, and no shocker, it’s great. The ensemble instantly captured my heart, and I want to spend more time getting to know all of them. Well, wish answered. Here’s an anthology giving stories to members of the Sangeyre family across the world and throughout time. This is exactly the kind of victory lap I wanted to see after the stellar first arc, and a great way to enjoy the series without worrying about the thrust of the plot.
BITTER ROOT RED SUMMER SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)
WRITER: DAVID F. WALKER & CHUCK BROWN
ARTIST: SANFORD GREENE, CHRIS BRUNNER, LISA K. WEBER, DANIEL LISH, KHARY RANDOLPH & DIETRICH SMITH
COVER: SANFORD GREENE
JULY 10 / 48 PAGES / FC / M / $5.99The first story arc of BITTER ROOT introduced readers to a family unlike any other. In this special issue, the creators of the critically acclaimed series are joined by a star-studded group of artists for six short stories that explore the history of the Sangerye family. Travel into the past—and to different worlds—to get a special look at a very special family!
5. Imperial Phase, part zero
So many exciting #1s! Comics usually like to go big, and when it comes to fantasy, that mean far-out psychedelic ideas. There’s not a lot of original grounded fantasy stories in created worlds. So here comes “Reaver” a brand new book in a land of dark magic. And it seems to be alluding to my secret favorite movie, The Dirty Dozen? And it’s got a variant cover by Becky Clonnan, the secret queen of dark fantasy? This is gonna be the perfect new series for my Joe Abercrombie loving heart.
REAVER #1
WRITER: JUSTIN JORDAN
ARTIST: REBEKAH ISAACS & ALEX GUIMARAES
COVER: BECKY CLOONAN
JULY 10 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99The continent of Madaras once promised a new start for settlers, but 200 years after its discovery, the war rages on. Deep within this savage and untamed land, a darkness builds at that must be stopped at all costs.
To do so, the Imperials assemble six of its most despicable prisoners—a turncoat, a skin eater, a sorcerer and his bodyguard, a serial killer, and the Devil’s Son—the only ones who can stop the end of the new world. They are Hell’s Half-Dozen.
Join JUSTIN JORDAN (LUTHER STRODE) and REBEKAH ISAACS (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) for REAVER — a dark, grim fantasy for a post-Game of Thrones world.
4. The final experiment
With so many exciting new beginnings, it’d be easy to forget about some of the endings. And whether or not you love it, 43 issues is a tremendous accomplishment in the current world of comics. Rick Remender has tried his hand at a lot of different stories, but weird inter-dimensional scientists is really his sweet spot. It lets him go weird and trippy, and give his characters stakes so high, they’re almost silly. The solicit really says it all, “ seen everything there ever was, is, and could conceivably be.” That’s the scope of this monumental series.
Continued belowBLACK SCIENCE #43
WRITER: RICK REMENDER
ARTIST: MATTEO SCALERA & MORENO DINISIO
COVER A: MATTEO SCALERA
COVER B:ANDREW ROBINSON
JULY 31 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99“NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF,” Conclusion
Grant McKay has seen everything there ever was, is, and could conceivably be, but he still has one final choice to make.
This is it. The end of RICK REMENDER and MATTEO SCALERA’s seminal science fiction epic—featuring a stunning wraparound variant cover from ANDREW ROBINSON! Don’t miss it for the world.
3. The Descent
Most of Cullen Bunn’s superhero work doesn’t really do it for me. But you know what was great? “The Sixth Gun,” a Lord of the Rings inspired cowboy yarn. This… is not that. But it’s different and cool, almost a Stephen King story but set in Mexico instead of Maine. Bunn has had a big career, and amassed a lot of experience. Now feels like the perfect time to try something new, especially with creators like Kyle Stahm and Baldemar Rivas.
UNEARTH #1
WRITER: CULLEN BUNN & KYLE STRAHM
ARTIST / COVER A: BALDEMAR RIVAS
COVER B: KYLE STRAHM
JULY 10 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99When a flesh-warping disease ravages a remote village in Mexico, a scientific task force travels to the inhospitable area to investigate the contamination. Tracing the source of the disease to a nearby cave system, the team discovers a bizarre, hostile ecosystem and a supernatural revelation from which they may never escape. This new subterranean nightmare is brought to you by writers CULLEN BUNN (REGRESSION) and KYLE STRAHM (SPREAD), and rising-star artist BALDEMAR RIVAS!
2. Right-side-up
Another huge ending! “Paper Girls” is a pretty popular series, but it seems kind of crazy it’s not more popular. It’s by one of the biggest writers in comics, teamed up with one of the best artists in comics. And it basically did “Stranger Things” before that was even a thing we all knew we wanted. Plus, gender swapping the “boys on bikes” genre is a genius move, and one I think we’re all here for. This has been an epic journey through time and space, and those kind of journeys only ever end in one place: at the beginning. I’m gonna cry. And I’m gonna love doing it.
PAPER GIRLS #30
WRITER: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
ARTIST: CLIFF CHIANG & MATT WILSON
COVER: CLIFF CHIANG
JULY 31 / 52 PAGES / FC / T+ / $4.99DOUBLE-SIZED FINAL ISSUE!
It’s all been leading up to this—the deeply emotional series finale of PAPER GIRLS!
No spoilers here, but our epic conclusion features 44 PAGES OF ORIGINAL STORY WITH NO ADS, and we can’t wait for you to read it. Thanks so much for riding with us! -Brian, Cliff, Matt & Jared
1. Come on! Let’s go! Space Truckin’!
Holy crap. Another number one and just look, look at this thing. Gee, what would happen if we took the biggest superstar in comics at the top of his game and in the middle of a huge crossover event, teamed him up with one of the most daring writers in the Marvel bullpen at the precise moment he’s got everything to prove by ditching his pen name? Oh and let’s add the excellent artist of the legendary “BPRD” series? Like, why not? But it’s gotta be about something cool. What’s cool? I know. Space truckers! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! COME ON!
SEA OF STARS #1
WRITER: JASON AARON & DENNIS HALLUM
ARTIST / COVER A: STEPHEN GREEN
COVER B: MIKE MIGNOLA
JULY 3 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99“LOST IN THE WILDS OF HEAVEN,” Part One
Being a space trucker sounds like a cool job, but in reality, it can be boring as hell. So when recently widowed Gil gets a long-haul gig across the universe, he figures it’s safe enough to bring his young son Kadyn along for the ride—that is, until their “big rig” gets bitten in half by a gigantic Space Leviathan! Now separated from his son—with a breached suit that’s venting oxygen at an alarming rate—Gil must defy the odds and stay alive long enough to rescue Kadyn. But meanwhile, Kadyn seems to be getting all the help he needs from a talking Space Monkey riding a Space Dolphin… or maybe it’s the strange powers he’s suddenly manifesting?!
From the writing duo of JASON AARON (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Thor) and DENNIS HALLUM (Cloak & Dagger, Vader: Dark Visions), with dazzling art by STEPHEN GREEN (Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.) and cosmic colors by RICO RENZI (Spider-Gwen), comes a brand-new science fiction series with all the scope and heart of the The Neverending Story crossed with the imaginative weirdness of Miyazaki—an intense, galaxy-spanning adventure that’s suitable for fans of all ages!
