Welcome to Image Rundown!
Here’s a quick look at everything Image Comics is releasing this week, with highlights and quick reviews for new series and collected editions as well as good jumping-on points for new readers. Let’s get started!
New Series and Arcs:
Death or Glory #1 – Glory Owen finds herself in desperate need of a lotta cash fast for her father’s life-saving operation, but not only is she new to crime, she’s also about to get in a lot more trouble than she’s ready for. Rick Remender and Bengal kick off this new series with several bangs and engine-revs. (See below for a quick review)
The Gravedigger’s Union #6 – Space monkeys, apocalyptic prophecies, and the undead! The true prophet has been revealed to the Union, and it seems some hard choices will be in Cole’s future. But can they make it in time to save the world? The second arc starts now! (See below for a quick review of Vol. 01, also out this week)
Black Science #35 – “Later Than You Think” begins here! Sara Mckay deals with the many things her husband has done and tries to set it right.
Continuing Series:
- East of West #37 – Someone we thought gone is back, and they’re out for blood-soaked revenge.
- Sex Criminals #24
- Scales & Scoundrels #9
- Spawn #285
- Stray Bullets: Sunshine and Roses #34
- The Walking Dead #179 – Part 5 of “New World Order”.
Collected Editions:
Extremity Vol. 02 TPB- The Gravedigger’s Union Vol. 01 – (a little further down for that quick review…)
- Reborn TPB – Mark Millar and Greg Capullo team up to tell a fascinating story of life after death. Not quite Heaven or Hell, but something that’s in between and both: looking like something out of a fantasy novel, ten times the size of Earth and a mish-mash of many cultures and eras. Bonnie must help the townsfolk fight off an evil presence trying to take over their land, and get some closure from people in her past. The first issue alone is one of the best first issues I’ve read in recent years, and some of my favorite Capullo artwork.
- Spread Vol. 05 TPB
- Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses Vol. 01 TPB
- Street Angel Goes to Juvie HC – I haven’t read any Street Angel before, but I’ve heard this is a fine story to pick up if you are a new reader.
Free Comic Book Day:
This Saturday (05/05) is Free Comic Book Day, and Image is putting out a couple very special items. After you pick these up, shop around some more and take advantage of those huge sales most stores will be having, they will certainly appreciate your business.
Barrier #1 (FCBD Special) – Also available next Wednesday (05/09) along with issue #2, then #3-5 weekly for the rest of May from Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin! As described by Image, “an unconventional drama about violence, language, and illegal immigration…with a shocking sci-fi twist.” I’ve read the first two issues, and this is a can’t-miss! Last I heard, there are no plans to release this series in a collected edition, so get them while you can! Then head over to Panel Syndicate and check out their other great series, all available for name-your-price!- Street Angel’s Dog FCBD Special – Even skateboarding ninja-fighters love dogs, and Jesse Sanchez is no exception! Follow Street Angel and her new friend on a day full of adventure and important lessons.
Quick Reviews:
Death or Glory #1 – “Get a job, work hard, and you’ll be set for life.” It’s what we’re brought up believing, and is the foundation for making all major decisions in life. But when all the company’s cost-cutting measures are taken, automation begins taking over positions, and it becomes impossible to get insurance, being diagnosed with a disease becomes your death sentence. Glory Owen, a racecar driver, mechanic, and trucker living in Yuma, Arizona, needs to find a lot of money fast if she is going to help her father who has been diagnosed with a fatal liver disease. She has a plan, and though she knows it’s illegal, it’s going to get her into much deeper trouble than she realizes. (Cover C by James Harren shown)
The subject matter is close to the chest for Rick Remender, as he has struggled with the U.S. healthcare system for years (for more on that, read the Death and Glory feature in the Mar/May issue of Image+). Glory is a relatable character, someone who wants to do what she can for the one she loves, and while she may be smart and a badass behind the wheel, she seems new and uncomfortable to the violence and criminal aspect of her plan. The writing is solid, but the real selling point for me is Bengal’s fantastic artwork, especially the colors. Each panel is spectacular to look at, and the action scenes toward the end look like something out of a movie.
I’m certainly interested to see where this series goes, and I recommend this first issue for any fan of Remender’s and Bengal’s, plus anyone into crime thrillers and fast cars.
(Double-page spread from issue #1 shown below)
The Gravedigger’s Union Vol. 01 – When you lose a loved one, several types of people enter your life to guide you through the process. A Doctor might deliver the news, a Funeral Director might see to preparations, and a Priest might say some nice words and hold a service in a cemetery. But there’s one more person that finishes the job, and that’s the Gravedigger. It’s their job to place your loved one in the ground, and fight to make sure they stay there.
The Gravediggers Union is like a team of soldiers, fending off zombies, vampires, ghosts, and all other manner of undead-types on a daily basis. But Algernon Cole has noticed that traffic out of the ground has picked up, in larger numbers and with greater frequency. He and his team set out to discover why this is and how to stop it, and come to learn that this fight is more than professional for Cole, it’s personal too.
For his debut in comic writing, Wes Craig takes us on a wild ride through an interesting world, and fans of his artwork will be treated to several flashback pages of his pens and colors. The majority of the art in this series is done by Toby Cypress, whose colors especially compliment the supernatural and otherworldly story. I highly recommend this series for fans of 30 Days of Night and Hellboy.
Looking for more recommendations? Find me on Twitter and Tumblr.
Happy reading, everyone, and see you next week!
