Heads Up: Image Comics Previews – July 2012

Being a comic fan can be tough. With so many publishers printing more and more books, canceling titles and starting new ones, it can be daunting when you head to the comic book shop on a Wednesday to know exactly what’s coming out.

The current system of presenting and ordering comics three months ahead of their release as set forth by the sole comics distributor, Diamond Comics, doesn’t make it any easier either. We’re not a fan of that system, we think it’s slowly strangling comics to death, but we realize it’s a harsh reality of how the industry works and we definitely don’t want you to miss out on any of the cool comics being published.

And so, as opposed to regurgitating the list of comics solicited in Previews each month, we present to you some of the highlights of things you probably won’t want to miss out on.

SPOILER WARNING in order to get people to order comics, the publishers have a funny habit of revealing what’s happening in the books. If you don’t want anything at all to be spoiled, then you’ll probably want to skip this post and take your chances with your pre-orders and/or your shopping.


A Walking Milestone

 

The Walking Dead #100 Cover A

The Walking Dead #100 Cover B by Marc Silvestri

The Walking Dead #100 Wraparound Cover by Charlie Adlard

It started off as that weird black and white zombie book and now at the #100 issue mark, it’s a media empire. You know about the TV show and the ridiculous success Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and the rest of the The Walking Dead team have enjoyed.  To celebrate the milestone, Kirkman and crew welcome a slew of all star creators to provide covers for the issue ranging from Frank Quitely to Sean Phillips to Bryan Hitch to Image founders Todd McFarlane and Marc Silvestri. Even Invincible artist Ryan Ottley gets in on the action.  Further, regular series artist Charlie Adlard did a stunning wrap around cover AND there will be a Chromium edition!  Here’s to 100 issues of The Walking Dead!

THE WALKING DEAD #100
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
cover a CHARLIE ADLARD
cover b MARC SILVESTRI
cover c FRANK QUITELY
cover d TODD McFARLANE
cover e SEAN PHILLIPS
cover f BRYAN HITCH
cover g RYAN OTTLEY
cover h CHARLIE ADLARD WRAP-AROUND

JULY 11
40 PAGES / BW / M
$3.99

“SOMETHING TO FEAR” CONTINUES!
This extra-sized chapter contains one of the darkest moments in Rick Grimes’ life, and one of the most violent and brutal things to happen within the pages of this series.  100 issues later, this series remains just as relentless as the debut issue.  Do not miss the monumental 100th issue of THE WALKING DEAD!

 

#1s To Get Excited About

Two of our favorite creators, Tim Seeley and Mike Norton team up to bring what sounds to be a chilling thriller set in the cold northern mid-west. Revival has got people coming back from the dead and a dead half horse half zebra. It doesn’t get weirder than that.  To make it even better, they’ve got a special cover from Craig Thompson.  This is going to be a new series to keep an eye on!

REVIVAL #1
story TIM SEELEY
art MIKE NORTON
cover by JENNY FRISON
incentive cover by CRAIG THOMPSON 

JULY 11
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. Now it’s up to Officer Dana Cypress to deal with the media scrutiny, religious zealots, and government quarantine that has come with them. In a town where the living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead,  Officer Cypress must solve a brutal murder, and everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect. A beautiful “farm noir” that puts a new twist on the zombie genre, created by NYT Bestselling author TIM SEELEY and  acclaimed artist MIKE NORTON.

There’s something about John Layman and Rob Guillory and the magic they’re doing in the pages of Chew. They consistently pique our curiosity and give us things to laugh at and enjoy. This time around, it’s an entire issue focused on Poyo, the cyborg rooster. I’m telling ya, no other comic is as much fun as Chew is and this proves it.

CHEW: SECRET AGENT POYO #1

story JOHN LAYMAN
art / cover ROB GUILLORY

 JULY 11
36 PAGES / FC / M
$3.50

Hey retailers/readers/speculators! Still kicking yourself for not ordering and/or passing by CHEW #1, now that you see what it’s going for on eBay? Here’s your chance to get sweet, sweet, revenge, with an all-new CHEW #1, a one-shot spinning off CHEW’s most popular supporting character, and comics’ most beloved homicidal cybernetic kung-fu rooster. Concentrated mayhem. Feathers, rage and hate! Plus: an all-star pin-up gallery from some of the most staggeringly talented artists in the industry!

AND THE NEXT CHAPTER IS…

I’ll tell you something, when Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads set out to do The Activity, they weren’t messing around.  This comic focused on realistic military ops gets a little more real as this issue marks a new story arc and was co-plotted by an actual NAVY SEAL. Yes, one of the elite fighting force of the United States. This takes realism to the next level.

THE ACTIVITY #7
story NATHAN EDMONDSON
art / cover MITCH GERADS

JULY 18
32 PAGES/ FC/ T+
$3.50

“GOAT HUNT,” Part One
**An issue co-plotted with actual NAVY SEALs!**
After DEVGRU teams seize a Chinese freighter, the CIA shares evidence with Team Omaha that sends three members to Uzbekistan while two others are interrogated at Ft. Belvoir.

 

After taking us back to San Francisco in the 1930s, Brubaker and Phillips kick off the next story arc of Fatale by taking us to the Los Angeles of the 1970s.  You’ll have to wonder how the brooding noir spooky vibe of Fatale will translate to the swinging, groovy 70s. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be just creepy enough.

FATALE #7
story ED BRUBAKER
art SEAN PHILLIPS & DAVE STEWART
cover SEAN PHILLIPS

JULY 25
32 PAGES / FC / M
$3.50

Brubaker and Phillips best-selling occult noir series continues its second arc, as the dark secrets of mid-70s Los Angeles begin to creep into Josephine’s new life.  Drugs, sex, cults, fame, and murder, all walk hand in hand in the shadow of  demonic forces.

 

The most anticipated second issue of the year! After knocking our socks off with Planetoid #1 and then getting picked up by Image Comics, Ken Garing is back with the next chapter of his gritty sci-fi story that has us hooked.

PLANETOID #2
story / art / cover KEN GARING

JULY 11
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99 

After crash-landing in a vast heap of space junk, wayward space-pirate Silas now journeys on to an area of the planetoid, known as “The Slab”. It’s rumored that human tribes eke out a living on this endless surface of fabricated metal… BUT, so do gangs of sadistic robots! Silas will have to gather information and find allies in order to make a stand against the larger tyrannical forces that control the planetoid.

Best New Superhero Book of the Year

Did you miss out on the best new superhero book of the year? It’s not from any other comic company, no it’s Mudman by Paul Grist. A fun romp with the idea of a teenager who gets fantastic powers that can turn his body into mud. Don’t miss out on the fun as the first 5 issues are collected into a trade.

MUDMAN, VOL. 1 TP
story & art PAUL GRIST

JULY 11
144 PAGES / FC / T
$9.99

 It’s the first day back at school for Owen Craig, and it’s not going too well. He’s been run over, got detention, and his police officer father has been taken prisoner by armed bank robbers. And now his body seems to be turning to mud…Collects MUDMAN #1-5

From the Palmiotti Archives

Originally published by DC, but now come to live in an oversized hardcover from Image, The Monolith is a great tale penned by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray with art by Phil Winslade. Plus it’s got an introduction by Jim Steranko! Quality comics from quality creators.

THE MONOLITH HC
story JIMMY PALMIOTTI & JUSTIN GRAY

art / cover PHIL WINDSLADE

JULY 5
96 PAGES/ FC / T OVERSIZED
$17.99

We are introduced to Alice Cohen, a down and out ex-junkie who inherits a house in Brooklyn from her deceased grandmother. Alice discovers her diary and begins to read the tale of a lost love and revenge that begins in the factories of New York during the depression and shows the creation of a monster bent on revenge for the slaying of a good honest man.

Originally published by DC Comics, but collected here for the first time, featuring an introduction by the legendary JIM STERANKO and the amazing art by PHIL WINSLADE.

 

My first exposure to the work of Amanda Conner was on Gatecrasher. A comic published by Black Bull Comics, which was the comics imprint by the folks behind Wizard, Gatecrasher featured a story by Mark Waid and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Amanda Conner and Palmiotti and it was a TON of fun. I totally forgot about it and it’s a blast to see it finally collected and reprinted!

GATECRASHER, VOL. 1: RING OF FIRE TP
story MARK WAID & JIMMY PALMIOTTI
art / COVER by AMANDA CONNER & JIMMY PALMIOTTI

JULY 11
104 PAGES / FC / T
$12.99

Unbeknownst to the human race, a great and terrible evil threatens to engulf the earth. College freshman Alec Wagner is the “Gatecrasher,” a somewhat reluctant member of a covert brigade of warriors dedicated to protecting Earth.  As sole possessor of the ability to predict the opening of inter-dimensional gates, Alec assumes nearly overwhelming responsibility for his team, conducting the Split-Second Squad against alien invaders. However, battling aliens is not the only thing on Alec’s mind. While juggling college and inter-dimensional combat, Alec also has high prospects for his social life, if he could ever show up on time for a date! Collects Black Bull Media’s GATECRASHER #1-4.

Comments

  1. But I thought DC was evil and never gave back the rights of things to their creators…Weird how The Monolith is being published at Image…

    • Shh! Don’t tell Chris Roberson! 🙂

    • @SmoManCometh They probably signed a similar agreement to what Alan Moore signed, in that the rights reverted back to the creators whenever the volume when out of print. The Monolith probably wasn’t the cash cow that Watchmen was, so instead of perpetually keeping it in print, they just let it go.

  2. Not sure why Secret Agent Poyo can’t be a regular issue of Chew….But I’m not complaining! We need more cyborg assassin chickens in our comics.

    Also, that #100 cover of everyone who’s ever died in the comics (which I assume is what it is if I’m wrong let me know) is kinda spoilery…Especially if a certain blond who is still alive is shown dead on the cover.

  3. That Sylvestri cover is amazing.

  4. Fatale #7 looks awesome, loving the mixture of B/W & paints. Good job Sean!

  5. Do people really get excited about who wrote the introduction to a book?

    I see it’s always advertised on the cover or wherever and I never saw the appeal of reading someone’s intro, even if that someone is Jim Steranko

    • its a pretty big thing in the publishing world, not just comics. I’ve never understood it myself, but i’ve seen the numbers that prove its worth doing for the right kind of book.

    • It’s basically a PR move, getting a big name to write a forward. Kinda like saying, “Hey potential customer if you’re a fan of Big Name Writer X, then you will probably enjoy this book too, because it’s of similar taste and he liked it enough to write a intro for it.”

    • I thought of that looking at it and looked at other covers instead thinking thats what it meant and don’t want it spoiled, I also wanna see the rest of the covers, and know how many of each one are gonna be available, I personally think they’ll all look good but really wanna see the McFarlane, Ottley and Hitch and probably gonna scoop a cpl of em if they’re not ridiculously overpriced. I really like the #96 cover. I’ve only bought and read watchmen trades so far. I really liked Tim Seely’s 1st issue on Bloodstrikes return and like to try that Revival out. Mudman just looks fun.

    • I think its awesome PR or not to read what other respected minds/talent in the medium think of a book I’m interested in, especially when they’re from minds works I respect and enjoy. I think adds a little appeal and acclaim to the book and do enjoy a good foreword, you don’t get those in issues along with all the ads. Take Lee Bermejo’s Batman:Noel, Jim Lee did a revealing foreword on Bermejo’s talent/career amongst other thoughts and find the forewords inviting.

    • Two posts above it says watchmen trades so far, I meant Walking Dead trades so far, never issues cause I didn’t get into it until it had been out for years but would like to collect specific issues just for the cover art as I like to frame em.

  6. hmm when the hells Prophet going to be collected for the first paperback

  7. Image is pretty much my go-to publisher for the Awesome these days. And there is indeed plenty of Awesome on this list.

  8. OMG! Poyo’s getting his own book!…. I’ll pretend that I didn’t see that picture of the WD… nope, didn’t see any spoilers, no spoilers were seen *rocks self in fetal sitting position*….

  9. no love for spawn

    • Spawn was and is Image to me and want McFarlane’s Walking Dead cover, I want that Spawn Savage Dragon tribute cover too. Spawn is what got me into Image and kept me there for #114 issues and love that Spawn and Savage Dragon are still going strong. Ok Spawn may not BE Image but is a huge part of they’re continued success. I haven’t read Spawn in years but just picked up the complete Endgame trade and New Beginnings vol 1 & 2 a few weeks back and started Endgame, liked the 1st two chapters.

    • Two other spawn fans. Im glad love the book till this day wish the host wood do a video show on the book. Todd has been doing great work.

  10. Anyone know if where going to see more Orc Stain in the near future?

  11. Planetoid was the only time I’ve purchased a digital issue, I tried ordering it from my LCS and they couldn’t find it on they’re computers order form because it was initially a digital 1st only title until Image picked it up. So I ran the mini HDMI from my phone to plasma tv via regular HDMI, purchased it through my phone and comix app then blew it up on the big screen and used the touch screen phone like a remote to read the issue. Overall I thought that was pretty interesting, no distortion on the pixels and Planetoid #1 was really good an happy for Ken Garing and myself that Image picked it up! I’ll buy #2 in print unless I get an ipad before then and want to start a digital collection as well but will always prefer tangible. Hope they both thrive as long as comix exist.

  12. Is that Monolith HC really only 96 pages long? That would be a quite expensive book, wouldn’t it?

  13. Oooo. I’ll be picking up that Mudman collection.

  14. Everyone who likes image, remember that the image documentary on kickstarter has only four days to go. Please microfund the shit to make this happen. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sequart/comics-in-focus-the-image-revolution

  15. Revival sounds fantastic. great concept. a very fertile idea. it should be good