MTV Geek – Image Comics

'The Walking Dead' Goes Bad and 'Bulletproof Coffin' Goes Crazy [Image Comics Reviews]

Posted 1/26/12 2:30 pm EST by Alex Zalben in Comic Books, Image Comics

Today we have two Image Comics reviews for you! Spoilers ho, so tread carefully.

Bulletproof Coffin: Disinterred #1
A sequel to one of the craziest, most meta series I’ve ever read, Bulletproof Coffin continues at Image with this new series, Disinterred. And I’m happy to say, its as over the top insane and deconstructive as it’s ever been. Where the last series introduced a comic book fan turned superhero – The Coffin Fly – to his creators with hilarious and poignant results, here writer David Hine and artist Shaky Kane are taking on crime/noir comics. Sort of.

Like the first series, it’s a little tough to say what BC:D #1 is about until the series is all over. It wasn’t until the last issue of the first series that we found out David Hine and Shaky Kane were insane shut-ins willing to sell their own characters out at the drop of a hat. And it wasn’t until that moment it became clear why they were creating these new characters, and what The Coffin Fly’s journey had been all about.

Here, we have a new set of characters, and there’s still a “mystery men” element, as an insane police officer prone to see connections where perhaps there are none dons a disguise, and goes to fight crime… Even though he, himself, might be the criminal. And yes, there’s an appearance by The Coffin Fly in this issue that sets everything into motion (someone will have to remind me, but I think this issue shows an alternate take of the last scene of the first series?); but for now, what connections there are beyond that remain to be seen. Read More...

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Exclusive Preview Art: The Li'l Depressed Boy #13

Posted 1/23/12 3:28 pm EST by MTV Geek in Image Comics

If you can't wait for the next issue of the quirky, critically-acclaimed The Li'l Depressed Boy to come out, check out this exclusive preview of issue #13's cover -- and solicitation information -- below:

Review: 'Peter Panzerfaust' #1 Brings Neverland To WWII

Posted 1/20/12 1:30 pm EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, Image Comics, Reviews

Strange as it may sound, as a kid, I found the concept of Peter Pan kind of unnerving—not scary, I just didn't trust the boy. There was something too manic, too sincerely anarchic about the character. Chalk it up to my first experience with the idea of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys being, well, The Lost Boys, maybe? Perhaps I was just an uptight kid (entirely possible). In any event, the thought of Peter flying through my window offering to take me on a grand adventure... well, I'd probably have a little hesitation in my response.
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Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips 'Fatale #1' Is A New Take On Old Lovecraft [Review]

Posted 1/5/12 12:32 pm EST by Alex Zalben in Image Comics

Let’s put it this way: if you’re already a fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips work on Marvel’s Icon titles, like Criminal, or Incognito, you have no excuse not to read their new supernatural noir series Fatale from Image. If you haven’t read those previous works? Well, read on, and we’ll see if we can’t convince you to try something new.

Actually, that’s not accurate at all… Fatale, like Criminal and Incognito before it are all Brubaker and Phillips chance to embrace the pulp aspects of comic books in a non-ironic way, with modern writing and art techniques. Each of the previous series is packed with back-matter (as this one is) exploring the genre further. For Criminal, it’s different shades of crime noir, as you can imagine. With Incognito, it was superhero books through a dark gritty lens. And for Fatale, the duo is turning their attention to horror and the supernatural, with a strong emphasis on the Lovecraft side of things.

That’s if you couldn’t already tell that from the tentacle-faced guy on the cover.

By the way, I’m going to skirt spoilers here, so you can come into the story fresh, but the boldest thing Bru and Phi do is to tell the story in two different time periods, and at that, rather abruptly. In the slightly more modern era, a man finds himself suddenly on the run and in circumstances over his head. In the best Lovecraftian tradition, it involves a manuscript, and I’d have to imagine the reader will slowly go mad. Because that’s what always happens. Read More...

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Exclusive Preview: Skullkickers #12

Posted 11/28/11 5:30 pm EST by MTV Geek in Image Comics

MTV Geek is pleased to present you with this extended preview of Skullkickers #12, hitting stores November 30th:

This issue is another righteous Skullkicking short story cavalcade by killer comic talent JOEL CARROLL (Flight), MIKE LUCKAS, BEN MCSWEENEY (Joe is Japanese), JOE NG (Street Fighter IV), HOWARD TAYLER (Schlock Mercenary), ZACH WEINER (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal) JIM DEMONAKOS & KYLE STEVENS (Kirby Krackle) and JIM ZUB (that SKULLKICKERS comic thing).

Read your preview of Skullkickers #12 here:

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The Best Ongoing Comic Books of 2011

Posted 11/23/11 4:00 pm EST by Charles Webb in Best Of, Boom Studios, Comic Books, Dark Horse, DC Comics, IDW, Image Comics, Marvel, Vertigo Comics

Looking through our picks for the best comics of 2011, I've been trying to divine some kind of theme among the Geek staff's choices. Without really going out of our way to do so, the list of books we all gravitated towards ran the gamut from creator-owned to long-running franchises, from big, superhero fiction in revamped universes, to quietly personal dramas about relationships.

What I'm saying is, I guess: keep making things different, diverse, and strange in 2011 comic books, and we'll keep reading you.
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Avengers Academy, Batman, and Walking Dead: New Comics For 11/16/11

Posted 11/16/11 2:15 pm EST by Alex Zalben in Comic Books, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel

Another week, and more comics. MORE! PUT THEM IN OUR FACES!!!

Anyway, the big push I’d like to make this week (well, every week) in light of the recent spate of low-selling titles being cancelled at Marvel is to encourage you to go out and buy something you’ve never read before, see if you like it. Maybe something like AVENGERS ACADEMY #22, which writer Christos Gage swears is safe from cancellation… But also, it couldn’t hurt to get a huge bump in sales. The book is the perfect combo of teen angst and superhero action, and will be one of those titles that people look back on fondly in twenty years, while you angrily lament never reading it. So… Read it.

That’s not the only title coming out of the House of Ideas, though: FEAR ITSELF #7.3 pits Iron Man against Odin, and if the previous .1 and .2 issues are any indication, this will be a stealth barn burner. I’m actually very curious why Marvel – normally pretty open to spoiling things if it means sales – kept these books so under wraps, instead selling them as aftermath issues. No way of finding out by asking them, I guess!

And as far as solid ongoing titles, you could do worse than INCREDIBLE HULK #2, which brings the Jade Giant closer to battling his alter ego, Bruce Banner; PUNISHER #5 by Greg Rucka, which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite runs on the title; THUNDERBOLTS #165, with the anti-villains stuck in time and battling their own pasts; and LEGION OF MONSTERS #2, which has monsters on dirt bikes, so why wouldn’t you buy it? Read More...

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Exclusive: Spawn 20th Anniversary Greg Capullo Poster

Posted 11/14/11 3:00 pm EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, Image Comics, News

With 2012 marking the 20th anniversary of Image Comics and 20 years of one of their flagship characters, Spawn, the company will be releasing a series of posters throughout the year to commemorate this avenger from hell. The first one up: the image above by former Spawn artists and current Batman artist Greg Capullo. Spanning 24 by 36 inches, the digitally-painted image depicts Spawn mixing it up with longtime iconic nemesis, Violator. It'll be available February 15th from Image with announcements about other posters to follow soon.

This is actually one of the most interesting pieces of art I've ever seen from Capullo, whose style seems to benefit a lot from the digital medium, lending it extra depth and texture. It's also a lot cleaner and more refined piece of work, if that's your thing (and yeah, it's mine), so I really dig what he's done here with the two characters.

The poster announcement also accompanies the news that in January, Image will be releasing a line of Compendium TPBs collecting Spawn from the beginning. Similar the big softcover Walking Dead compendiums, this 984 black and white volume will collect the first 49 issues of Spawn while December sees the release of the fifth volume of the Spawn: Origins hardcover, this one collecting issues 51-62. Read More...

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Interview: 'Red Spike' Writer Jeff Cahn On Super Soldiers and Ultraviolence

Posted 11/9/11 1:24 pm EST by MTV Geek in Comic Books, Image Comics, Interviews

Earlier this year, we had a chance to speak to artist Mark Texeira about his work on the Benaroya/Image comic Red Spike, and with the release of the trade comprising the first arc, "Adrenaline," on the way in January, we took the opportunity to speak to the book's writer, Jeff Cahn about bringing the story of government super-soldiers to the page.

Here's the official synopsis of the series:

It’s been over 70 years since the world first began its research into creating a Super Soldier. In 2011, the United States successfully created not one, but two. The latest in US Black Ops, Project Red Spike discovered that through the manipulation and regulation of the adrenal glands the super soldier was one step closer. The first (surviving) successes of the program, two close friends Matt Cutler and Greg Dane, have been proven on the field to be everything that was wanting in the program. But what happens when an adrenaline regulator malfunctions? What happens should one man refuse to follow orders if he finds out the true price they had to pay for these abilities and goes AWOL? How do we stop him? What price becomes too high?

So how did the story reach the page and where's it going next? And what about Cahn's next project from Benaroya, Redeemer? We spoke to the writer about this and more in our interview.
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Interview: Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads Take Us Through 'The Activity'

Posted 11/1/11 2:15 pm EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, Image Comics, Interviews

This December sees the release of The Activity from Image Comics, the latest espionage series from Who Is Jake Ellis? and Grifter writer Nathan Edmondson, joined by artist Mitch Gerads(Doctor Who, Stan Lee's Starborn). The duo has teamed up to tell a tale of ultra-skilled government spooks who handle the United States' dirty work while no one is looking.

Here's the official solicitation for this December release:

The evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, the INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.

Mr. Gerads and Edmondson were kind enough to answer a few questions by e-mail about the new series, and creating a team of ultra-competent badasses while keeping the story grounded.
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Steve Jackson Games Announces Munchkin Skullkickers Tie-in at NYCC

Posted 10/15/11 3:15 pm EST by Matt Morgan in Comic Books, Hobby Gaming, Image Comics

Steve Jackson Games made gaming news at New York Comic Con this morning by announcing a brand new Munchkin tie-in with Image Comic's Skullkickers, set for release in 2012.

Skullkickers is a fantasy-comedy comic book series billed as "two hard-headed mercenaries who kill monsters and cause havoc in their search for money, fame and adventure." That sounds like a match made in heaven when thrown into the Munchkin universe. The story of Skullkickers aims to take Dungeons and Dragons-inspired fantasy adventure and inject it with the same type of humor seen in Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Hellboy.

Munchkin, the humorous monster-smashing, treasure-looting card game that has sold more than 1.5 million copies, has been diving headfirst into licensed gaming. Recent sets have taken on Axe Cop, Conan the Barbarian, The Guild and even a Discworld promo card. For those following the Steve Jackson Games crew on Twitter, you'll also know that they have been making the rounds at New York Comic Con to negotiate with some as-of-yet unannounced properties.

I caught up with writer Jim Zubkavich on the show floor, where he was proudly sporting a Munchkin Skull Kickers banner at his booth. He described how quickly the process has moved, as Skullkickers was first printed in July 2010 and Zubkavich met Steve Jackson during this summer's Gen Con. While Steve was an instant fan of the book, he wasn't sure if the property was ready for prime-time yet. A mere few weeks later, though, Steve picked up the phone and the two immediately struck a deal to bring the game to print. Details are slim at the moment, but look for Munchkin Skull Kickers on store shelves in 2012.

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Star Wars Collectibles with Chris Spitale At NYCC!

Posted 10/14/11 6:37 pm EST by Laurel Woods in Gentle Giant, Image Comics, Kotobukiya, New York Comic Con, Sideshow Collectibles, Star Wars, Toys, Woodsy's World of Star Wars

So I started my day off Star Wars, as always, and sat in on the Star Wars collectibles panel at New York Comic Con! Chris Spitale from Lucasfilm Licensing showed us what's up and coming from companies such as Kotobukiya, Gentle Giant, Sideshow Collectibles, EFX Collectibles, Funko Blox, ThinkGeek and Comic Images.

Woodsy and Chris Spitale!

Kotobukiya has a bunch of statues coming out, including Commander Cody, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Clone Trooper, droid packs, and Darth Maul from The Phantom Menace with a lightsaber and up to 18 different poses.

ComiXology and Image Team Up For Same Day Digital Releases

Posted 10/4/11 11:30 am EST by Charles Webb in Announcements, Comic Books, ComiXology, Image Comics

It seems like every week publishers are giving readers fewer reasons to go to comic shops--and more reasons to purchase books through apps. Image is the latest publisher to go on the same-day digital kick, albeit in a limited capacity, starting this week with the October 5 releases. Via ComiXology's app and Graphic.ly, some of their top titles like Chew and Skullkickers will be offered on the same day as their digital counterparts. No word on whether Image will follow the DC model of delaying the digital releases until later in the day to allow brick and mortar shops to drum up some business.

Here's the full announcement:

Images Comics, the third largest comics publisher in the United States, announced with comiXology that they would sell the majority of their highly acclaimed comics the same day as print. Top titles like Chew, Pilot Season, The Infinite, Severed and Skullkickers, along with various other titles will join the ranks of long-time same-day-as-print titles like The Walking Dead and Invincible on the Comics by comiXology platform on iOS, Android and comics.comixology.com the same day digitally as print, as well as online at the Comics by comiXology powered comics.imagecomics.com website and Image Comics iOS app.

“Image Comics was one of the first to publish a comic the same day digitally as print with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, and that turned out great for all involved,” said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “With one of the most diverse selections, we are excited to power their digital initiatives as they publish more of their top comics digitally the same day as print.”

Of course, all Image Comics will also be available digitally on all participating retailers digital storefronts. Retailers can take advantage of the digital storefront program at retailers.comixology.com.

More after the break.
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Image Is Offering Up A Pricey Sci-Fi Hardcover In December

Posted 9/26/11 10:09 am EST by Charles Webb in Announcements, Comic Books, Image Comics, News

The publisher seems pretty confident that you'll be up to pony up 17 bucks for 88 pages this holiday season. Read More...

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Image Comics Reviews: 'Severed,' 'Li'l Depressed Boy,' '27,' and 'Pigs'

Posted 9/14/11 2:55 pm EST by Charles Webb in Comic Books, Image Comics, Reviews

Pigs #1, Nate Cosby & Ben McCool (w), Breno Tamura (a)

So this is one of those cases of strong concept meeting fair to not great execution. It has a killer of a last-page reveal that's unfortunately undercut by needlessly jumbled chronology.

The book opens with a group of commandos in wetsuits on a raft planning some kind of attack on American soil, and then jumps to another time period to a couple of D.C. cops grilling an icy Russian national about her knowledge of Soviet sleeper cells left in Cuba following the Bay of Pigs. First off, why a couple of cops are grilling this particular suspect about the particular case we learn they're following strains credibility, but moreover, we're given no frame of reference about who this woman is (besides being some Russian lady in the know) and why she's important.
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