Image = QUALITY?

[FHIZ]

Are there Image titles that have ads for non-Image books? By that I mean non-comic related products.

Not that I know of, by ads I meant in-house ads for other titles. I have seen a few occasions certain creators will advertise books they had a part in that were published elsewhere, but those are also (at least partially) creator owned books. For instance Millar regularly puts ads for his Icon books in there.

And just to clarify my previous post, it's not like Image does zero marketing on their own, but where a company like DC will go out of their way to schedule press interviews with various sites and creators at conventions (along with the stipulation that the interview sticks entirely to DC related questions, and a PR handler usually being present), Image isn't babysitting anyone outside of scheduled panels or signings. If a creator wants their book to have more exposure, they've got to put in the effort.

[ishikabe]

Quality AND Quantity.

Image comics alone are what made me switch hobbies from anime to comics. Their stuff, in general, is ages above any other fictional form of entertainment out there right now, in my opinion, and, if anything, Image Comics should be called the new House of Ideas.

I agree 100%. I grew up on Marvel, but Image is the shit right now. Marvel might as well be making history movies, because that's where their good comics are located.

[ishikabe]

Quality AND Quantity.

Image comics alone are what made me switch hobbies from anime to comics. Their stuff, in general, is ages above any other fictional form of entertainment out there right now, in my opinion, and, if anything, Image Comics should be called the new House of Ideas.

Not that I know of, by ads I meant in-house ads for other titles. I have seen a few occasions certain creators will advertise books they had a part in that were published elsewhere, but those are also (at least partially) creator owned books. For instance Millar regularly puts ads for his Icon books in there.

And just to clarify my previous post, it's not like Image does zero marketing on their own, but where a company like DC will go out of their way to schedule press interviews with various sites and creators at conventions (along with the stipulation that the interview sticks entirely to DC related questions, and a PR handler usually being present), Image isn't babysitting anyone outside of scheduled panels or signings. If a creator wants their book to have more exposure, they've got to put in the effort.

DC and Marvel's problems are they can't bring the real Spider-Man or Superman to conventions. I bet you the original Image people like McFarlane, Lee, etc could crush attendance numbers. With these super talents running lose, I would say they attract more people than whoever the current artist for Spider-Man is or the current writer for Batman, for example. If Marvel/DC could get/keep people like Stan Lee or Jim Lee, then they wouldn't need to blow all this money on PR.

[Dark-Flux]

DC do have Jim Lee. You wont see him at an Image booth.
And yeah, no. DC/Marvel top creatives pull in more numbers than the Image guys except for maybe Kirkman. And maaaaaaaaybe McFarlane.

Theres obviously writers who do both though. Scott Snyder for example.

[Lasse]

I agree 100%. I grew up on Marvel, but Image is the shit right now. Marvel might as well be making history movies, because that's where their good comics are located.

Word. I also grew up on Marvel, but besides from Waid/Samnees Daredevil and the occasional Bendis X-Men issue, Marvel doesn't do much that interest me the slightest at the moment. I'm a huge Spidey fan, but Spider-verse doesn't seem to be my cup of tea at all. Maybe it's time to dive into Invincible for real...

[Michael P]

I'd argue that as great as Image is, the publisher doesn't have that much quality control without an editorial.

Image books have editors.

[Rocket Rick]

Over the past two years, I have become increasingly disenchated with Marvel and DC and have spent more money on indie books. I like how Image has put out a lot of diverse and quality books.
What I get:
Velvet
Manifest Destiny
The Mercenary Sea
Deadly Class
Low
Peter Panzerfaust
The Fade Out
Rocket Girl
Nightworld
Rat Queens
Wytches
Birthright
Death Vigil

[Starchild]

I think aside from Invincible, Savage Dragon & Rat Queens. Image titles are highly hit & miss. Witchblade and The Darkness ended which made me sad, yet happy at the same time. I don't read The Walking Dead because I prefer Crossed. Since Al Simmons is coming back to Spawn, I'll definitely be checking that out. Image loves to end books that I care about. (The Bounce, Luther Strode) Bring back Shadowhawk & Bomb Queen, then maybe I'll be a happy camper.

[Tayne Japal]

Witchblade is still ongoing and AFAIK the decision to end books come from the creators themselves, not Image.

[ishikabe]

DC do have Jim Lee. You wont see him at an Image booth.
And yeah, no. DC/Marvel top creatives pull in more numbers than the Image guys except for maybe Kirkman. And maaaaaaaaybe McFarlane.

Theres obviously writers who do both though. Scott Snyder for example.

So they pull in more numbers, that is true. Where do you go with that? Are you saying that means their comics are better?

[ishikabe]

I think aside from Invincible, Savage Dragon & Rat Queens. Image titles are highly hit & miss. Witchblade and The Darkness ended which made me sad, yet happy at the same time. I don't read The Walking Dead because I prefer Crossed. Since Al Simmons is coming back to Spawn, I'll definitely be checking that out. Image loves to end books that I care about. (The Bounce, Luther Strode) Bring back Shadowhawk & Bomb Queen, then maybe I'll be a happy camper.

Image seems to be giving creators freedom, which is why some things are hit and miss. You won't see everything superpolished and superpowered to a squeaky clean state like with Marvel/DC.

The hits for Image have been awesome: Walking Dead, Saga, East of West. Aphrodite was a short lived titled, but solid.

[Anduinel]

I agree 100%. I grew up on Marvel, but Image is the shit right now. Marvel might as well be making history movies, because that's where their good comics are located.

A bit harsh. I think Ms Marvel, for example, is an excellent comic with style and heart, as are All-New Ghost Rider and the recent Rucka run on Cyclops. I'm also looking forward to Spider-Gwen. But I agree with the overall sentiment -- generally speaking, it's Image, Oni, Boom!, and the occasional Vertigo title that get me excited these days, while Marvel and DC's superhero lines occasionally deliver a pleasant surprise at best.

[Dark-Flux]

So they pull in more numbers, that is true. Where do you go with that? Are you saying that means their comics are better?

Not at all. Quality and sales are two different things. Its just you said that Images talents attract more numbers than Marvels/DCs. Im just saying thats not true. Just like how Image books dont attract as much as Marvel/DCs.
No comment on the quality but it is what it is.

[ishikabe]

Not at all. Quality and sales are two different things. Its just you said that Images talents attract more numbers than Marvels/DCs. Im just saying thats not true. Just like how Image books dont attract as much as Marvel/DCs.
No comment on the quality but it is what it is.

I didn't say Image draws more numbers. I was wondering what the point was saying that Marvel/DC pull in more numbers than smaller publishers? That's a bad argument to start in a thread about quality. We know the old arguments about how just because McDonald's sells the most burgers, they are the best burgers: is wrong. It's great for business, but that doesn't mean it's quality.

[ishikabe]

A bit harsh. I think Ms Marvel, for example, is an excellent comic with style and heart, as are All-New Ghost Rider and the recent Rucka run on Cyclops. I'm also looking forward to Spider-Gwen. But I agree with the overall sentiment -- generally speaking, it's Image, Oni, Boom!, and the occasional Vertigo title that get me excited these days, while Marvel and DC's superhero lines occasionally deliver a pleasant surprise at best.

I bought Ms Marvel #1 and it was pretty nice looking. It's just hard to be burned by Marvel so many times and then want to jump on the 8th new Ghost Rider title or whatever the Avengers titled is currently called this year.