What are Image Comics doing right all of a sudden?

Image formed in 1992 as a bunch of young upstarts reacting to the dominance of the ‘big two’ comics companies – DC and Marvel (much like Marvel when it started in the 1960s was a reaction to DC). Unfortunately, for all their good intentions, they produced some of the worst comics of the 1990s, and became synonymous with foil embossed variant covers, ridiculous anatomy, and highly questionable levels of violence and misogyny.

But recently, since Erik Larson took over as publisher in 2004, Image have suddenly started producing something new to them – top quality work. They are currently responsible for some of the most original, genre busting material comics have seen in a while. These are four of their best:

Fell

Fell is perhaps most significant because of it’s format – single self contained issues, at an affordable price – which makes it very easy to pick up on a whim, without obsessing over things like continuity or collecting (as most comic nerds like to do). It’s a quality chunk of disposable entertainment – as comics should be.

The story is a weird cop drama, where the desolate location of Snowtown is as large a character as the displaced detective Fell. Ben Templesmiths’s art is dark, subtle and expressionist, while Warren Ellis provides words in his usual style.

Madman Atomic Comics

Mike Allred is a genius. No other word for him. One of the most talented artists in comics today – obsessed with pop culture and deeply in love with his medium. His recent Madman issue 3 featured a potted history of comic art, riffing on 140 different artists in 23 pages, it has to be seen to be believed.

Godland

“Co-creators Joe Casey and Tom Scioli surprised me by taking Kirby as a genre unto himself and presenting an original concept within that genre” – aintitcool

A contemporary Kirby comic – such a simple idea, it’s difficult to believe it hasn’t been done before. Godland manages to do silver age wackiness and abstraction, without ever straying off into inconsequence, which is quite a delicate balancing act to pull off. But it’s not just retro, it would be boring if it were, it is something completely new. If you liked Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol in the 90s you’ll get what I’m talking about.

It’s strength is it’s simplicity. And the colouring. The colouring is discotastic.

Casanova

The second comic to be released in the ‘Fell’ format, a Jerry Cornelius/James Bond action series, combining 60’s sexiness with 70’s craziness which insists on returning the fun to comic books. Writer Matt Fraction describes it as a ‘wall of sound’ comic, ideas heaped upon ideas, resonating against each other.

Image have a ‘creator owned’ policy, which means the characters a creator writes or draws are theirs to do what they like with, rather than owned by mega-corps who cannot allow anything to ever change for fear that it will effect the tied-in movie or merchandising deals. This makes a huge difference in terms of creative freedom. Also, all Image comics now come ad-free, with letters pages/back matter, on high quality paper, and with a commitment to regular trades to keep everything in print, i.e. they are making an effort to produce something that a consumer might want to buy on a regular basis.

All the title links above will take you to places you can read these comics online, so go check them out.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 20th, 2007 at 3:44 pm and is filed under comics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.