Image Previews For March

Thomm: I already know I’m looking forward to some of this. Let’s see what else Lee has picked.
Lee: Maybe we should let you pick some month.  It would be interesting to see how we differ.

SAGA #1
story Brian K. Vaughan
art / cover Fiona Staples
48 Pages / FC / M / $2.99
Y: The Last Man writer Brian K. Vaughan returns to comics with red-hot artist Fiona Staples for an all-new Ongoing Series! Star Wars-style action collides with Game of Thrones-esque drama in this original sci-fi/fantasy epic for mature readers, as new parents Marko and Alana risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. The adventure begins in a spectacular Double-Sized First Issue, with forty-four pages of story with no ads for the regular price of just $2.99!
Thomm: And this is one of the ones I had my eye on. Although I really need to go back and re-read it, I greatly enjoyed Y: The Last Man, as well as Vaughan’s Ex Machina and Pride of Baghdad. The art looks great, too.
Lee: If this is as long as it appears it's going to be I am waiting for the trade.  Don't get me wrong, I am eagerly waiting... but waiting just the same.  And kudos to the cover with a breast feeding woman.  Don't see many of those on the stands these days.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1

story Jonathan Hickman

art Nick Pitarra / Cris Peter

32 Pages / FC / $3.50

"Infinite Oppenheimers" What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs? What if the union of a generation's brightest minds was not a signal for optimism, but foreboding? What if everything… went wrong? Welcome to The Manhattan Projects, a brand new, ongoing, monthly comic from the creators of The Red Wing.
Thomm: This was another one I was anticipating. Something must be wrong. Lee and I are picking out the same stuff. A super-secret project as cover for an even more super-secret project? Everything went wrong but we’re not all dead? Where is Hickman going with this? Intriguing.

Lee: The pitch sounds great but I have doubts about Hickman’s ability to sustain another monthly title. Collectively, how many is he writing now? It’s either going to be great or awful.

HELL YEAH #1

story Joe Keatinge

art / cover Andre Szymanowicz

32 Pages / FC / $2.99

The Last Generation Of Heroes Is Here! Twenty years ago, the first-ever superheroes debuted without warning and forever altered our global culture! Now, the generation born in their wake fight to claim their place in a world evolved beyond them! Written by Eisner and Harvey award-winner Joe Keatinge and illustrated by Elephantmen and Popgun's Andre Szymanowicz, Hell Yeah combines the over-the-top excitement of the original Image Comics launch with modern, innovative storytelling. It all begins with a giant-sized first issue containing a full thirty-two pages of story with no ads for the regular price of just $2.99!

Thomm: This is less appealing to me. I didn’t get on board with Image until much later than its original launch. These characters and this sort of concept really aren’t my thing.

Lee: The story is certainly generic enough but the appeal to the book is the artist Andre… something or ‘nother. Jim and I met him at the last Balti-Con or the one 2 years ago. He was very, very nice and gave us great sketches. He’s got a great style and has the potential to do great things. This is a “I knew Andre before Andre was Andre” book. And yes, his art is a lot better than the cover suggests!

HOAX HUNTERS #0
story Michael Moreci / Steve Seeley
art JM Ringuet
Cover Steve Seeley
32 Pages / FC / $2.99
"Getting Away With Murder" Cryptids. Aliens. Monsters. All the world’s bizarre secrets--what if they were real? Their existence would be debunked by a reality TV show! Hoax Hunters is that show, publicly disproving all variety of lore. But their real goal is the opposite: as the world’s dark corners surface, the Hoax Hunters cover them up.  When a mysterious astronaut made of crows appears in Russia, the Hoax Hunters are on the case.
Thomm: Image really likes this general idea. Perhapanauts, Proof, and now this. The debunking angle is more Scooby Doo than the other two. Wonder if there’ll be a musical interlude?
Lee: Now that you mention it, Image does seem to do alot with this plot.  But the real draw here is JM Ringuet.  Jim and I have been fans of his for years and I am always excited to see new work by him.  You can read Jim's interview from 2008 here. 

THE LAST OF THE GREATS, VOL. 1 TP
story Joshua Hale Fialkov
art / cover Brent Peeples
136 Pages / FC / $12.99
Meet The Last - He's mankind's last hope and he f#@ing HATES us. As the Earth stands on the brink of annihilation we must beg the last survivor of a family of superheroes to put aside his hatred and save our asses. From the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated writer of ECHOES, Tumor and I, Vampire comes the complete first volume of the critically-acclaimed vision of Super Heroes for the 21st century. Collects Last Of The Greats #1-5
Thomm: I know nothing of this series, but I have enjoyed Fialkov’s take on I, Vampire. It’s worth a look, at least, just on that, but the concept looks like fun, too.
Lee: I know nothing of the series either but Fialkov seems to be getting some buzz with the success of I, Vampire.  This is a good way to see some of his 'early' work. 

SAVAGE DRAGON ULTIMATE COLLECTION, VOL. 1 HC
story / art / cover Erik Larsen
336 Pages / FC / Oversized / $34.99
The earliest adventures of fandom’s favorite fin-head are collected for the first time in an oversized volume in full color! It’s all here! Overlord! SuperPatriot! Mako! Arachnid! Freak Force! It’s the beginning of the greatest comic book in the history of comic books! Savage Dragon defends Chicago from Overlord and the Vicious Circle and the stakes--and body count--couldn’t be higher! It’s the definitive Savage Dragon collection! Guest-starring Rob Liefeld’s Badrock and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Comes with our highest possible recommendation! Collects the expanded five-issue miniseries and Savage Dragon #1-7, plus covers, sketches and behind the scenes material.
Thomm: My only Savage Dragon reading has been when the character shows up in other Image books. Of course, the mention of Liefeld is not making me want to look into this, even though it’s just a guest appearance of his characters. Probably something for someone who’s already a fan, rather than someone unfamiliar with the work like me.
Lee: There is a more than a little nostalgia at play here.  I'm sure I have these issues somewhere in the collection but finding them is something else entirely.  I can't remember if I liked this enough to invest in the hc.  Then again, I dropped the series before getting to 10 issues so maybe I should consider that.

THE WALKING DEAD: CUTTING ROOM FLOOR HC

story / art Robert Kirkman
cover by Charlie Adlard / Cliff Rathburn
112 Pages / FC / Oversized / $19.99
For the first time ever: an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at Robert Kirkman’s original, hand-written plot lines for the early issues of the Eisner-award winning series! See what plot lines were left on the cutting room floor and get an in-depth look at how the series came together. This collection includes commentaries on Kirkman’s original plots with never before seen material. This is the Walking Dead collector’s item of the year! Collects Never Before Seen Walking Dead Plots!
Thomm: This is for collectors all right. Just not the kind of collector who wants something for the potential future value. This is for the collector who’s a completest. I love The Walking Dead, but I’m not all that interested in the mind of Robert Kirkman. He puts his mind out there pretty well with his literary works. Best bought if you’re going to teach a course on Kirkman.
Lee: Definitely for the completist but why is it oversized?  Is this the large print edition?

Thomm: All in all, a good month for Image. Some very intriguing new books in particular.
Lee: I can't believe we agreed on as much as we did.  That's kinda creepy.