I've noticed multiple threads with this topic pop up, so I thought it would be wise to create a main book recommendation thread for those who are new to Image and are seeking new books to read.
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I've noticed multiple threads with this topic pop up, so I thought it would be wise to create a main book recommendation thread for those who are new to Image and are seeking new books to read.
Mandatory reading:
Saga
Five Ghosts
Rat Queens
Spread
Starlight
Sheltered
Why are those mandatory? What is Spread and Sheltered about?
[QUOTE=Larsa;405717]Why are those mandatory? What is Spread and Sheltered about?[/QUOTE]
RE: Spread - Straight from the horse's mouth:
[quote="JustinJordan"]I feel like starting this thread myself is likely to cause me to go blind or grow hair on my palms.
But anyway, starting in July me (writer of Dead Body Road and Luther Strode) and Kyle Strahm (artist on Hack/Slash and Haunt) along with colorist Felipe Sobreiro (again with the Luther) will be putting out Spread, a creator owned ongoing.
The really short pitch is babies, badasses and monster.
The merely short pitch is that it's Lone Wolf and Cub in a world where John Carpenter's The Thing ate North America.
I'll have some images and such shortly or....
[url]http://comicsalliance.com/justin-jordan-kyle-strahm-spread-comic-teaser-download-interview/[/url][/quote]
I'm loving Southern Bastards so far, would definitely recommend that to anyone.
[QUOTE=Larsa;405717]Why are those mandatory? [/QUOTE]
Because they're great. You'll enjoy these titles, you're probably dead if you can't.
[QUOTE=Larsa;405717]What is Spread and Sheltered about? [/QUOTE]
[B]Spread [/B]
read capuga's post
[B]Sheltered[/B]
[url]https://imagecomics.com/content/view/children-of-the-pre-apocalypse-anything-but-sheltered[/url]
"In a pre-apocalyptic world where any day could be humanity’s last, the youth of Safe Haven make a decision based on self-preservation. With limited resources and the end of the world swiftly approaching, the kids band together to kill off their parents and take society into their own hands."
The whole series takes place inside a doomsday compound where the youths are preparing for the end of the world led by their lunatic leader Lucas. He cuts off all contact from his followers to the rest of the world by destroying cell phones and other communication devices. The series is creepy and unnerving, a chilling account of teenagers banding together to survive brought back to humanity's primal roots. Factions are formed as some begin to question the motives of their leader through a series of events. I love these kinds of stories, very much like Lord of the Flies about what happens when children are cut off from the the world and has to depend on themselves to form a hierarchy and build a community. The art by Johnnie Christmas is just stunning, fits perfectly with the claustrophobic tone of the series. I can't recommend this series highly enough.
[QUOTE=benkunstman;406082]I'm loving Southern Bastards so far, would definitely recommend that to anyone.[/QUOTE]
Yes! It's great! Although I am worried about all the delays the series has faced in the first arc, and when Aaron starts writing the new female Thor series, I reckon SB might be pushed to the back burner : /
Is Izombies good? I'm not huge on the Zombie genre at all, but I'm drawn to the storyline and Allred art.
Here are my Image recommendations for new readers:
Saga - a sweeping space opera for adults with fantastic art by Fiona Staples
Chew - a quirky series about a detective who gets physic images from tasting things
Sheltered - a pre-apocalyptic story about a group of kids preparing for the coming apocalypse
Five Ghosts - a pulpy adventure about a man who is possessed by five literary ghosts
Zero - a spy thriller featuring a different artist each issue
Sex Criminals - a witty comedy about a couple who can stop time when they have sex...so they rob banks
East of West- a sci-fi western with a convoluted story and excellent art
Invincible - the only superhero comic you will ever need and some of the best fight scenes around
Rat Queens - an all female cast goes on adventures and causes mayhem in a fantasy setting
Anything with Rick Remender's name on the cover is worth checking out in my opinion. Deadly Class, Black Science, and now LOW.
manifest Destiny- Lewis and Clark fight monsters
Nailbiter- detective horror mystery
Drumheller- detective dos drugs and hunts ghost
the spread- pure awsomness
[QUOTE=Larsa;405717]Why are those mandatory? What is Spread and Sheltered about?[/QUOTE]
exactly, this thread should be about all the vast and diverse [I]options[/I] that Image provides, not what we feel a new reader should be bottlenecked in to reading.
That being said, the OP should update and edit his post w/ different categories as the thread continues to evolve. I mean, i could recommend 30 different Image titles under a variety of categories - fun/lighthearted, mature/adult, modern day, noir, superhero, hipster, sci-fi, etc. And someone else could recommend 30 w/ a different mix than mine. Image is just that good!
I'm not sure exactly how it'd work. Maybe just make the categories very broad...? But also have a quick 1~2 sentence summary of each title, and also where it is in the series.
For instance and examples, I'd recommend:
[B]Elephantmen[/B] (50+ issues) - a series about anthropomorphic creatures working in a human world, where there is still social stigma surrounding them
[B]Sex[/B] (10+ issues) - a series about a retired Batman-esque superhero returning to his home city to focus on his business. but of course, things get in the way of that...
[B]Peter Panzerfaust[/B] (20+ issues) - a WW2 interpretation of the Peter Pan story
[B]Manifest Destiny[/B] (5+ issues) - a new take on the Lewis & Clark expedition as they deal w/ the supernatural and weird.
etc etc.
What do you guys think?
edit:
i realized the categories idea would be a bit redundant if there're already short descriptions of the titles. So no categories needed, but I still think short description + # of issues would be really helpful for new readers.
[QUOTE=cc008;406791]Anything with Rick Remender's name on the cover is worth checking out in my opinion. Deadly Class, Black Science, and now LOW.[/QUOTE]
Seconded.
Dead Body Road by Justin Jordan and Matteo Scalera is also worth checking out.
East of West
Lazarus
Jupiter's Legacy
Zero
Sex Criminals
Pretty Deadly
Velvet
Black Science
The Saviors
Southern Bastards
C.O.W.L.
Outcast
Low
Supreme: Blue Rose
The Fade Out
Fatale
Dead Body Road
New titles that I think will be fantastic:
Wytches
Bitch Planet
Ody-C
Nameless
Tokyo Ghost
Descender
Injection
Feel Better Now
Hi all
I'm new to the forums here, having been reading comics on of for a while but as off a month ago and dived in. I only read Image comics at the moment because none of the titles from the other publishers have grabbed my attention lately (stopped reading marvel and dc completely tho mainly because of Invincible lol). Anyway in the past month and a bit I have spent quite a bit and caught up on a few Image series such as Saga, Black Science, East of West, Nailbiter, Outcast, Ghosted, Peter Panzerfaust, Five Ghosts, Wicked and Divine, Fade Out, Lazarus and Spread. I've almost caught up with Walking Dead and Invincible which leaves me with enough time and money to start a new series (or two).
What better place to ask than a comic forum. At the moment my favorites would have to be Saga, Black Science, Nailbiter, TWD and Invincible. Anyway here are the series' I am considering, what I'm asking you guys to do i sell me on one of these titles and get me really excited for it!
The titles I'm considering at the moment are:
[LIST][*]C.O.W.L[*]Manifest Destiny[*]Clone[*]Southern Bastards[*]Chew[*]Deadly Class[*]Revival[*]Sheltered[/LIST]
Looking forward to what you guys recommend and if you have a title that isn't on this list feel free to try and sell me on it if you can :p
If you like Nailbiter, check out Ghosted, same writer.
I want to check out Clone, but it ends at issue 20. Out of the rest, I've only read Manifest Destiny and I really enjoy that one.
Sheltered and Manifest Destiny is awesome, can't go wrong. Manifest Destiny gets a lot better after the first arc but Sheltered grabs hold of you on the first issue and never lets up. Fantastic series being made into a movie as we speak.
[QUOTE=Scott M Davis;453940]If you like Nailbiter, check out Ghosted, same writer.
I want to check out Clone, but it ends at issue 20. Out of the rest, I've only read Manifest Destiny and I really enjoy that one.[/QUOTE]
Should probably update the first post with stuff im up to date with (ghosted being one of them and loving it), just didn't want to flood the first post lol. Yeh I don't really like picking up mini-series (like Clone if it ends at 20), prefer ongoings
What is Manifest Destiny like? From the previews I have seen kind of reminds me of a less sci fi black science
I wholeheartedly recommend Sheltered from your list. It is a pre-apocalyptic tale about a group of teens who take over a settlement and chaos ensues. It has excellent art and great character development with some graphic violence added in for good measure.
I would also recommend Chew highly. The characters are sublime and the art is excellent. It is about a cibopath detective who gets psychic images through tasting things.
A lot of people like Sheltered but if I remember right, it ends at issue 18.
Manifest Destiny is re-telling of the Lewis & Clark Expedition but with fantasy aspects to it. There are 9 issues out, 1-6 have been collected, so its easy to catch up.
Manifest Destiny re-imagines Lewis and Clark's expedition in 1804 as they're trying to explore and map out new territory. Just a comic that's a ton of fun and doesn't take itself too serious. I've read both Black Science and Manifest Destiny and I've enjoyed Manifest Destiny a whole lot more. Matter of preference I guess but it has gotten some great reviews here the last few months. I do have an affinity towards stories set during the age of exploration, discovering new worlds though. Love the innocent sense of wonder I get from Manifest Destiny.
Unfortunately a lot of Image titles will be mini series if that's not your thing. Sheltered will end on issue #15 but that's how the creators wanted the series to end. I used to be like you a few months ago where I would hate to pick up mini series and get really annoyed. I've since come full circle and don't mind them at all. Starlight is probably one of my most favorite series of all time and I would've missed out on that if I decided not to pick it up because it was a six issue mini. Also sometimes a title that starts off as a mini becomes an ongoing because of great sales and the creators want to continue to work on it.
Anyone reading Saga should consider getting the first trade of [B]Alex + Ada[/B]. Unless you're only reading Saga for the weird space stuff, rather than the emotional core at heart. Alex + Ada is basically a 'boy meets girl/android' kinda deal, and is kind of understated in tone but very well done.
Like the wacky space stuff better than the emotional core? Then go for [B]Prophet[/B] or [B]Multiple Warheads[/B]. Both are Brandon Graham series, Prophet has different artists. Granted I'm a big fan of Graham (see my avatar), but hot damn these are some of the most bonkers series out there. Prophet is nearing its end with about 7 issues left to go, but it's worth looking for the earlier trades -- absolutely bananas sci-fi stuff. Multiple Warheads (early stuff is NSFW) is my favourite series of Graham since he also draws it, but the release schedule for that is about 4 issues per year.
From your list: Sheltered is one I actually didn't like, but I seem to be a minority there so disregard my opinion. [B]Revival[/B] however, is a very good choice imo. It's a very slow burn though, we're like 2+ years in now and the plot just meanders all over the place while barely offering answers. If you prefer series that are in for the long haul, then Revival will suit you well. It's creepy, occasionally gory, and a pretty likable main character (which seems pretty rare in zombie-esque stories). I read it in trade and it always surprises me how much I like this series, despite not thinking about it that often.
Lastly: [B]A VOICE IN THE DARK[/B]. This is another personal favourite. The first 7 issues were black and white, colour starts at the soon-beginning 2nd arc. It's a serial killer kind of deal, starring a very diverse cast in terms of gender, sexuality and race. A Voice In The Dark is written, drawn, lettered and inked all by Larime Taylor. Which is impressive in itself on a monthly schedule, but since he's disabled, he does ALL OF THAT BY MOUTH. It's an exciting story unlike any comic out there and yet it gets criminally overlooked (probably because it started in black & white?), so definitely give it a shot. First issue (double-sized too!) can be downloaded for free here: [url]http://topcow.com/files/AVITD001_reader_web.pdf[/url]
I've come full circle on minis as well, but I wouldn't really consider Sheltered a mini. Aren't most minis around 6-10 issues? Does anyone know the exact terminology on what determines whether something is a mini or not?
If you love Invincible you should be reading Savage Dragon.
Out of the ones on your list I would suggest Chew. The most consistently funny monthly comic around.
[QUOTE=Dorktron;454383]I've come full circle on minis as well, but I wouldn't really consider Sheltered a mini. Aren't most minis around 6-10 issues? Does anyone know the exact terminology on what determines whether something is a mini or not?[/QUOTE]
Groo has a new title coming out that's 12 issues and it's called a maxi-series, so I think that's the term for anything over 10 issues.
Is Clone a planned 20 issue series? Or was it cancelled at 20? Because a canceled series is still an ongoing. Even if it's ending.
Of those you listed, I would probably go with Deadly Class. I would also recommend Lazarus, The Mercenary Sea, and Five Ghosts for your consideration.
[QUOTE=Groo Odyssey;454035]Manifest Destiny re-imagines Lewis and Clark's expedition in 1804 as they're trying to explore and map out new territory. Just a comic that's a ton of fun and doesn't take itself too serious. I've read both Black Science and Manifest Destiny and I've enjoyed Manifest Destiny a whole lot more. Matter of preference I guess but it has gotten some great reviews here the last few months. I do have an affinity towards stories set during the age of exploration, discovering new worlds though. Love the innocent sense of wonder I get from Manifest Destiny. [/QUOTE]
I think I might just grab Manifest Destiny as one of my next two titles to read :)
[QUOTE=Jim Purcell;454405]If you love Invincible you should be reading Savage Dragon.[/QUOTE]
I just checked out the image page for savage dragon, so many issues out. Is the series consistently good?
Some great suggestions by everyone here tho, will do more research before making a final decision on the second title I'll be picking up but at the moment the first title I'm gonna be going for is Manifest Destiny. So keep your suggestions coming guys
Deadly Class! The first arc just ended, issue #7 comes out in September.
[QUOTE=Davenex;454838]I just checked out the image page for savage dragon, so many issues out. Is the series consistently good?[/QUOTE]
Any long running title has its rough patches (I'm not the biggest fan of SD 104-112ish for example). But over-all? It's my most favorite monthly comic of all time. So yeah, pretty consistent.
[QUOTE=Dorktron;454383]I've come full circle on minis as well, but I wouldn't really consider Sheltered a mini. Aren't most minis around 6-10 issues? Does anyone know the exact terminology on what determines whether something is a mini or not?[/QUOTE]
Recently at least, minis seem to vary between 3-8 issues. With 4 and 6 issues being the more prevalent ones, presumably because those collect well into single trades.
[QUOTE=Groo Odyssey;454670]Groo has a new title coming out that's 12 issues and it's called a maxi-series, so I think that's the term for anything over 10 issues.[/QUOTE]
Yeah maxis really seem to be 'more than 8, but less than 13' but admittedly it's not really a term you see much. Not sure if there are any strict definitions!
I think the whole business of calling something a mini, maxi or ongoing series may slowly be ending though. Whereas ongoing series used to dominate the industry, we're now seeing an increase in 'full stories' at the indies. I.e.: stories with a beginning, middle and end, rather than the Marvel/DC philosophy of an endless soap opera. Particularly now that Marvel is largely going in a direction of almost yearly relaunched volumes (I wouldn't be surprised if this soon became standard practice: just Daredevil 2015, followed by Daredeveil 2016), the whole idea of an 'ongoing' gets kind of muddied too.
Really, the only useful term is 'one-shot', and I like it when solicitations mention something being '#2 (of 8)' since that allows me to budget more effectively. Either way, whatever the semantics, its ultimately about the story inside!
[QUOTE=TotalSnorefest;455151]Recently at least, minis seem to vary between 3-8 issues. With 4 and 6 issues being the more prevalent ones, presumably because those collect well into single trades.
[/QUOTE]
I think the reason I put the max at 10 issues was because The Wake was advertised as a mini and was 10 issues. Plus, it will be in one TPB. But yeah, the terms are pretty much moot. I just have a hard time calling something that's going to be 3-4 trades (Sheltered) a "mini".
[QUOTE=Dorktron;455294]I think the reason I put the max at 10 issues was because The Wake was advertised as a mini and was 10 issues. Plus, it will be in one TPB. But yeah, the terms are pretty much moot. I just have a hard time calling something that's going to be 3-4 trades (Sheltered) a "mini".[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah The Wake is 10, good point! I was thinking more along the lines of Trillium or recent minis over at Boom (Lumberjanes was first announced as 8 issues, before becoming an ongoing; Midas Flesh is 8 issues, but weirdly will be collected in 2 trades). On the other end of the spectrum, Dark Horse has things like POP (4 issues), Breath of Bones (3) and the upcoming Tiger Lung collection is 3 stories from Dark Horse Presents I think... Just cherrypicking of course; I like that there's no standard to be honest. If a story needs 3 rather than 4 issues, it should not be stretched out to 4 to fit a model. (This opens up a larger discussion about why most comics use the same paper size format - but we're already derailing this thread a bit!)
Either way, I agree that calling something like Sheltered a mini is kind of odd. Y: The Last Man is 60 issues with a pretty definitive ending, does that make it a mini? Maaaaybe the term 'limited' could be applied; but really I don't think we need to invent more terms to make things even more confusing. In fact, I'd argue the opposite. Stories having a proper start/middle/end structure should probably be the 'default' model; from which creators can of course deviate if it serves the story. The Marvel/DC superhero genre really is kind of weird in that there's rarely a definitive ending. But because those have dominated the U.S. comics market for decades we've just somehow accepted those types of 'ongoings' as the default model. Not to diss on Marvel/DC (been reading Ultimate Spidey on and off since 2000), but I prefer things with actual endings that give some form of closure (purely personal preference though).
The 'eternal ongoing' works well for superheroes and some other genres, but in the broader scope of all possible stories being told, I think it should be regarded as somewhat of an anomaly.
I agree with you there Total, IMO I don't think something like Y the last man is considered a mini or maxi series. I would consider titles similar to be a series or ongoing(while it was running). Anything under 10 issues is probably a mini and anything that ends under 25 would be considered a maxi series I reckon.
[QUOTE=Jim Purcell;454690]Is Clone a planned 20 issue series? Or was it cancelled at 20? Because a canceled series is still an ongoing. Even if it's ending.[/QUOTE]
Cancelled:
[url]http://www.comicvine.com/articles/interview-david-schulner-reveals-the-future-of-clo/1100-149656/[/url]
The only Image title I read (besides an occasional issue of Invincible) is [I]Who is Jake Ellis?[/I]. The story is good, and the art is absolutely amazing. The series going on right now is called [I]Where is Jake Ellis?[/I]. You should give that a try.
Southern Bastards is one of my favourites. I highly recommend that one!
[QUOTE=friendly-fire-press;459415]Southern Bastards is one of my favourites. I highly recommend that one![/QUOTE]
What exactly is Southern Bastards, all the articles I've read are vague lol. All I understand is that its a revenge tale? Justified meets something else?
What is Zero about? I'm very new to Image (I've read a little Invincible and Walking Dead, but the only series I follow is [I]Who is Jake Ellis?[/I]). I heard that Zero had one issue illustrated by Tonci Zonjic (my favorite artist) so now I'm wondering if the book is good.