Image Preview Review For August

Jim: I like giving Image and Dark Horse there own spot light ever month, It may not always be pick months for each company, but both companies deserve solo spotlights. Let’s see what Image has in store for us.
Lee: Yak yak yak, no one reads the intro anyway. I’m gonna sit here in my tighty-whities and make silly comments. Not much more different than usual except for the underwhere! Underwhere? Underthere! HA HA HA. Enough humor on with the show.

GOLLY #1 story PHIL HESTER art BROOK TURNER cover ANDY BRASE
The end times have been canceled, but some pockets of Hell didn’t get the memo. Heaven chooses a dimwitted, kindhearted, foul-mouthed carnival ride repairman to wage war on any demonic forces still bent on starting something come Judgment Day. Southern fried horror for fans of Preacher and The Goon. AUGUST 13 - 32 PAGES - FC - $2.99
Jim: See I’m a fan of the Goon and I enjoyed Preacher in its day, but the premise is not really grabbing me and I’m not familiar with the interior artists, so this is a pass for me.
Lee: There’s something in this ad that just doesn’t grab me. When I think of The Good or Preacher, yes I get end-o-days and demons and what not but I also get a cool hero. The strong-n-silent, smarter than I appear type. In this case, the hype already says the hero is dim-witted which doesn’t really excite me. The message isn’t clear to me, is this humor or is this serious. I’m gonna have to pass because it doesn’t seem to be either.

GUERILLAS #1 (of 8) story BRAHM REVEL art & cover BRAHM REVEL
As the Vietnam War continues to drag on, the U.S. decides to implement their new secret weapon… Monkeys! GUERILLAS is the first issue of an action-packed miniseries which follows a troop of specially trained chimpanzees and the lone human soldier brought along for the ride. AUGUST 20 - 50 PAGES - BW - $3.50
Previews here
Lee: HEY!!!! A whole book about monkeys. You love Monkeys Jim. This is all you!!! Side note: Even if it weren't for Jim's love of monkey's that makes me vaguely uneasy, this sounds really cool.
Jim: I have a slight fondness for monkeys, it is not as bad as you and Gwen and others make it out to be, but this does sound like a bizarre and interesting concept.

FRANK FRAZETTA’S DRACULA MEETS THE WOLF-MAN story STEVE NILES art FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA In the wake of the legendary Count Dracula's "final" excursion to England, the bloodthirsty count finds himself on the hunt for a beautiful peasant woman in a village living in the shadows of Dracula's castle. Unfortunately for the seductive Count, someone else has eyes for the beauty, and that someone else just happens to be the fear-inspiring Wolf-Man! Prepare yourself for the battle of the year as vampire faces lycanthrope in a battle to the death!
AUGUST 13 - 32 PAGES - FC - $3.99
Visit Francesco Francavilla here
Jim: This has so many pluses. First all of these stories have been fun so far. Second Steve Niles as the writer, third Francesco Francavilla as the artist and Nat Jones is doing one of the covers. Should be fun.
Lee: I am impressed with the talent that Image has lined up for all the Frazetta comics. They have done a great job. And, I agree, this looks like a fine addition to the line. Now if only they would make a nice (affordable) trade of the material.

THE ROBERTS #1 (of 2) story WAYNE CHINSANGart & cover ERIK ROSE“ROBERT KENNETH SPRUNGER”The Boston Strangler and the Zodiac Killer are alive and well, living amongst the old and dying of The Shady Lane Retirement Center. Surrounded by bingo tournaments and tea times, these two notorious serial killers quietly trade "war stories" about their golden years, two seemingly parallel pasts filled with violence and victims.
AUGUST 6 - 48 PAGES - FC - $5.99
Visit Erik Rose here
Lee: If you like crime and horror this is right up your alley. I can only imagine how gruesome this book could be.
Jim: I will be finding out. Crime comics are entertaining and I have been enjoying a lot of the horror books, so the premise sold me on this book.

DEVOID OF LIFE OGN story RAFFAELE IENCO art & cover RAFFAELE IENCO
Following the discovery of a mysterious hidden planet in our solar system a series of horrible deaths occur at an isolated observatory leading investigators to an alien plot that threatens all life on Earth by a guard of unstoppable ghostly alien creatures. Cinematic science-fiction/horror for fans of The Ring and The Sixth Sense by writer/artist powerhouse RAFFAELE IENCO.
Visit Raff for a 15 page preview here
AUGUST 13 - 132 PAGES - FC - $14.99
Jim: Image is showing a real belief in the straight to graphic novel approach and for certain concepts I think they are right. This has a good premise.
Lee: I agree, sometimes it just makes sense to go to the longer format. And the preview looks really good too. Click the link to see for yourself!

INVINCIBLE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, VOL. 4 HC story ROBERT KIRKMANart & cover RYAN OTTLEY & BILL CRABTREE
Witness Invincible’s transition from new hero just starting out to an established superhero! This volume collects Invincible’s violent battle with the villainous Reanimen, the invasion attempt by the Sequids from Mars and the introduction of the Viltrumite agent, Anissa. This is a can’t-miss for any INVINCIBLE fan and a perfect addition to any bookshelf.
Collects INVINCIBLE #36-47
AUGUST 6 - 336 PAGES - FC - $34.99
Lee: It's weird but I don't think Jim has raved about Invincible in a long time. Very odd. Anyway, this is how I read it, and I love these oversized hc's.
Jim: I have been quite because the book has gotten so late, that and it has been a little slow building up to issue #50, that it has not been on the front burner for awhile. I also get these hard covers are they are a great bargain.

THE SURREAL ADVENTURES OF EDGAR ALLAN POO, BOOK 2 OGN story DWIGHT L. MACPHERSONart AVERY BUTTERWORTHcover THOMAS BOATWRIGHTIt's a clash of the titans as the forces of the Nightmare King collide with the armies of Terra Somnium in a battle to decide the fate of the Dream Child! In the end, Edgar Allan Poo must stand alone to rescue his mother and prevent the dark lord from trapping him in the realm of dreams…forever.
AUGUST 20 - 96 PAGES - FC - $12.99
Jim: FLAT OUT CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. I loved the first book and this looks to be just as much fun.
Lee: The first adventure of Mr. Poo was excellent so I’m sure this will be the same. Macpherson is a heck of a writer and I’ve liked everything he’s written so far. Jump on the bandwagon while there’s still time people!!!

WAR HEROES #3 (of 6)story MARK MILLARart & cover TONY HARRIS inks CLIFF RATHBURN colors JD METTLER
After weeks of training, the recruits finally get to try out their super-powers on real-life targets, as Project Olympus marches en masse across the Middle East, much to the horror of the world at large. But things are not as simple as they seem, and Calvin's poster-boy brother is up to something.
AUGUST 27 - 32 PAGES - FC - $2.99
Lee: YOWZA! Now that is one less than subtle cover. I wonder how Millar feels about the war in Iraq. It's a real mystery.
Jim: Not often that I would think Millar and I would be on the same page on almost anything.

Witchblade #120 (W) Ron Marz(A) Stjepan Sejic(Cov) Stjepan Sejic, Matt Haley, Kevin Nowlan
Dani discovers that the Witchblade affects all aspects of the bearer’s life including their love life as she deals with the ramifications of her recent betrayal at the hands of her lover. The consistent vision of Marz and Sejic continues to shine in this issue of Witchblade.
Cover A " Stjepan SejicCover B " Matt Haley and Kevin Nowlan
Full Color32 pages$2.99 Ongoing Series
Lee: Ya know... as I am looking at all the "Image" covers I realized that they were normal and quite tame. I was shocked! And mildly frustrated that we might have a "Embarrassed to be a fanboy cover"... then I got the the TopCow section. God Bless TopCow for making cover decisions based on hormones alone. Cover A is just plain ridiculous.
Jim: What are you a girly man? Cover “A” is the way most women should walk around the city streets :)

Jim: A relatively quite month from Image, but we have a good monkey book coming out, so that makes up for anything else.
Lee: It’s quiet in terms of volume only, the books offered are really good this month.