Friday, August 05, 2011

Image Preview Review for October

Lee: Image is really cranking out the series this year. This month has another big batch of new stuff to check out.

Thomm: See, aren’t you glad I bugged you about bringing Image back to its own post?


The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode #1 (of 6)

(W) Justin Jordan (A/C) Tradd Moore

Luther Strode is just your average nerd until he sends away for a bodybuilding course from an old comic book, one that works a whole lot better than he ever imagined. His newfound strength and strange talents make school a lot easier, but they’ve also caused some very, very bad people to take a very, very keen interest in him. Things will never be the same for Luther Strode…if he survives. 32 Pages / FC / $2.99. Visit Tradd Moore here and see sample pages. http://traddblog.blogspot.com/

Lee: This looks, and sounds, really cool. I really like the idea of gaining superpowers from the old “gain muscles” ads. Moore’s art looks solid enough to try to the first issue.


Thomm: Excellent premise. Image is killing me with good looking books to check out.




Feel Better Now


(W/A/C) Jonathan Hickman


A Plus! Novella. If you're a highly qualified psychologist in Los Angeles, the fake problem capital of the world, sometimes you get bored. And, sometimes, this means you screw with your patients. For the first time in three years, Jonathan Hickman is writing and drawing a creator-owned comic. Known for the boundary-pushing stories like The Nightly News and Pax Romana, this one-and-done book is the first of three PLUS! stories, will not be collected for over a year, and is intended to have a shelf life of several months. 40 Pages / FC / $3.99

Lee: Some of Hickman’s indie work was really good, Nightly News, some was just ok, Transhuman. His mainstream stuff has been very hit/miss so it will be interesting to see where this falls. I really like the idea that the stories will not be collected for a year. If you want to read it, then you will have to buy it.

Thomm: I love the humour of the teaser. Collecting stories? It’s a one and done. What’s there to collect?




The Last Of The Greats #1

(W) Joshua Hale Fialkov (A/C) Brent Peeples


“The Deal,” Part One. There were seven, possessing the power of gods, and representing all that could be right with the world. But now... he is the Last. As humanity stands on the brink of annihilation, he is our only hope. And he hates us for what we've done. From the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated writer of Echoes, Tumor and Elk’s Run comes a dynamic new take on how far mankind will stoop to survive. 32 Pages / No Ads / FC / $3.99. See Peeples art here.

Lee: Hey! Check this out, another series about the last of the superheroes. It seems like Image is making a living on deconstructing superheroes these days. Nothing wrong with that because I like the genre. Peeples art seems… I hate to use the word but… generic superhero-ish. There is nothing wrong, and it will suit the material perfectly, but I will need to see some panel pages before actually committing.

Thomm: I’m trying to think of what other super hero deconstruction Image is doing currently. Boom has Irredeemable and there was The Mighty from DC. Unless you count the usual Kirkman and Faerber stuff, which is less a deconstruction and more a different angle. Regardless, I’ll need to see more on this one, too.



Xenoholics #1

(W) Joshua Williamson (A) Seth Damoose (C) Dan Duncan


Are you addicted to aliens? Late night Encounters? Abductions? Probes? The XenoHolics are here to help! Because everyone thinks they’re a bunch of nutcases, a support group that claims aliens abducted them try to prove that aliens are real. But that’s much easier said than done and they find themselves caught up in not just ONE government conspiracy, but TWO. Oh, yeah and along the way they learn who is lying about being abducted… and who is telling the truth. Presenting a twisted new series about aliens and the crazy people who believe in them, by creators Joshua Williamson (Superman/Batman, Dear Dracula), and Seth Damoose (I Hate Gallant Girl) with covers by Dan Duncan (TMNT). 32 Pages / FC/ $3.50


Lee: Image just keeps pumping out the series with lots of potential this month. This appears to have just the right balance between conspiracy action story and just plain silly. After the success of Chew, I always wonder which book will be the next big surprise.

Thomm: Are they crazy independently or for believing in aliens? If the latter, they’re not so crazy in a story in which there actually are aliens. This has enough of a humorous bent to it that I think it could be good. Depends on Williamson’s writing skills, though.




Doc Bizarre, M.D.HC


(W) Joe Casey (A) Andy Suriano

From monsters crippled with pneumonia or demons suffering from incontinence, only one man claims to possess the skills and the training to cure what ails them…Doc Bizarre, M.D.! He’ll make globe hopping house calls for sick creepers, medically challenged myths and ghouls at death’s door!It’s over-the-top, comedic horror from Joe Casey and Andy Suriano!

Don’t Miss This Original Graphic Novel – Just In Time For Halloween! 72 Pages/ FC / $12.99. Visit Andy here.

Lee: I loves me some Joe Casey. He is at his best with his creator owned stuff, so I’m betting this will be good. Andy worked with Casey on another series, Charlatan Ball, which was ok. His blog states that he learned a lot from the other series and “won’t make the same green (new artist) mistakes”. Between Casey, a good artist, and a whole lot of inspiration from Gilbert’s Mr. Monster, I think I am sold on this one.

Thomm: Now this sounds really good. The title’s already visiting the Department of Redundancy Department, so it’s only likely to be funnier from there onward.



Science Dog Oversized HC

(W) Robert Kirkman

(A) Cory Walker (C) Cory Walker & Chris Chuckry

From the pages of Invincible comes a Science Dog odyssey no fan should miss! Spanning time and space, watch Science Dog fight fire with fire, evil with science! 64 Pages / FC / $19.99

Lee: It’s Science Dog in an oversized format!!!!! What’s not to like… besides the price?

Thomm: Yeah, that’s a lot of money for what boils down to two comic books stuck together. The Science Dog I’ve read is not bad but it’s not up to Invincible standards, either. It’s a bit of navel gazing within the Invincible universe, really.



Lee: Image is really starting to imact my budget. Don’t get me wrong, I like it, but it’s starting to hurt.

Thomm: Looks like some other things may have to be dropped to make room for some of these.

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