Image Comic of the Week - 12/17/14

[InformationGeek]

It's a new week of books from Image so let's take a look at what we have. Last week, Southern Bastards walked over all of the competition with Bitch Planet coming in second place. How will things look this week?

This week's new book is Rumble, which seems to be getting a lot of good buzz around the Internet. So folks, what was your favorite Image book of the week?

[HellsRider]

Intersect #2 - Yeah still not getting much of it. I mean the synopsis in the beginning helped me understand the first issue though that was still a bit vague and if I have to rely on that to understand an issue thats not good. I understood a few sequences, but I'm not gonna bother much with this.

Zero #13 - I'm at a weird point with this comic. At first I was really into it jumping to different time periods in Zero's life and see what shaped him and the different artist collaborations was a great thing to see. But since we've been more linear for some time now I feel like the series has lost something. Part of it is the lack of dialog which has become more prevalent in the last few issues and here again and thus the issues become very quick reads. But I would think their would be two stories here - the immediate with the attack in the agency told through the art which Ponticelli does a great job with especially the elevator fight scene which is the highlight of the issue and the psychological and getting inside Zero's mind and what his state is after seeing his full file though we get nothing of that and no interesting back matter either. I've hoping to see more content but it just seems like we've been getting less and less.

The Activity #16 - Another Nathan Edmondson comic comes back from the dead. Its been more than a year since the last issue of The Activity came out and this time around we get a double sized issue. Those that were keeping up with the series may need to re-read at least the previous 2 issues before reading this one just to re-familiarize with a few characters and events that lead to this issue since this issue doesn't provide any synopsis though provides just enough to get by. The basics is that Team Omaha has been dispatched to Iran to get a scientist out of there that will hopefully provide intel to disable Iran's nuclear capabilities. The story is good overall though I feel like their should have been more closure as the issue seems to suggest more to come but no new issues have been solicited for some time now. Art duties is interesting as series artist Mitch Gerads is joined by 7 other artists and 3 colorists. With this many hands on deck its easy to imagine this being a mess but surprisingly everyone jells well. All the characters as well as gear and equipment look recognizable and kept consistent for the most part throughout the issue with the scientist himself being a bit of a weak point though he appears really infrequent. I like a good special ops story every now and then and The Activity has certainly provided me with that and I'm happy to see it back and hopefully more issues do come out. Now Nathan, can Jake Ellis come back now?

Manifest Destiny #12 - My pick. After a bit of a break the series returns and wow is their a lot of content. I very much enjoyed this issue and will start with the art as from the fantastic cover to the Indians, the creatures, and the framing of the flashback the art team is in full force than its ever been in this issue. Speaking of that flashback the issue provides not only the proper context as to how Lewis/Clark were chosen on this mission while at the same time providing insight to both characters past, but we also learn about what the team has been up to since the freaky frog/insect arc, encountering the Indians and providing their story about the arch, and a lot of character building for a lot of characters such as Sacagawea (her with the Otoe and her last comments made me even more curious about her and hope we get a flashback of her), Boniface (her interaction with Hardy was interesting), and a few others. I really hope to see more of Jefferson in the future. The issue also works as a nice jumping on point for new readers to check in and I really encourage those that have been curious to try this issue out. Its a lot to take in, but after reading it I'm very excited to see what comes next.

[Maxpower00044]

Read Zero, Wytches, last week's EoW and Supreme: Blue Rose. My vote goes to Wytches. Had some really eerie moments in this issue.

[rac shade]

Drifter, Manifest Destiny, Rumble & Wytches were all spectacular but Zero got my vote this week :-

• Drifter #2 4/5

• Intersect #2 0/5 Dropped....The art or the story has to draw me in, both fail, they're both just too vague & I just don't care.

• Manifest Destiny #12 4/5

• Rumble #1 4.5/5

• Wytches #3 4.5/5

• Zero #13 5/5 My favorite issue this week, this is the 2nd issue of an actual story arc, Zero's first since it's inception. Bellaire's coloring gives the arc it's continuity despite having a different artist on each book. I liked the fact the story tied in with the stolen tech & super-soldier plot from issue one, although this time round it's an entire platoon. After a brutal fight scene between Zero & 2 soldiers which takes up 14 blood soaked pages he finally comes face to face with the brother of the super-soldier he killed in issue one.....to be continued. A really good issue, next month can't come fast enough.

[eye of all]

Most of my books are coming at the end of the month, but of the stuff I read (Wicked + Divine, Drifter, Manifest Destiny) Drifter #2 was strongest.

[Detox]

I read Rumble, Zero and Alex + Ada this week. Zero is one of my favorite titles and this was a great issue. I'm really excited to see the conclusion of what I just read. Alex + Ada was just ok for me this go around. Rumble was a spectacular first issue, I enjoyed every second of it and will definitely be picking the up the next one. I gave my vote to Rumble this week, just a really cool start to the story.

[cc008]

Drifter #2 for me. I will say that Rumble was really cool and a lot of fun.. and I keep hearing really great things about this week's Manifest Destiny. I may have to see what all the hubbub is about.

[InformationGeek]

Here's how it looked for me this week, other Indies included, from best to worst:

The Kitchen #2
Manifest Destiny #12
Rumble #1 (I say an 8.5 out of 10)
Wytches #3 (if I did score it, it would be an 8 out of 10)
Oddly Normal #4
The Wicked + The Divine #6
Intersect #2
Wayward #5

Overall, I had a very nice range of quality with the books. Some very good and some just not that good. Best book of the entire week was The Kitchen #2, but the best Image comic for me was Manifest Destiny #12.

[Anduinel]

Manifest Destiny #12 for me. I had some inherent wariness of the premise and there were some creative choices I found pretty eye-rolling in the first volume (Sacagawea: Warrior Princess among them), but I'm glad I stuck with this book. The storytelling has gotten sharper and more complex these last five issues, and #12 was an excellent informative pause. It brushed up against the real-world history closely enough that it alleviated much of my wariness wrt how the creative team are going to handle the portrayal of Native Americans going forward, and their take on Lewis makes me very curious on if they're going to touch on his real-world counterpart's presumed depressive tendencies and spoilers:

eventual suicide

end of spoilers. And the art is, as always, top notch.

Great book with room to get even better.

[TotalSnorefest]

Alex + Ada takes it for me. Recently read a comment somewhere this is ending at #15?! Can't find any mention of it on 'official' sources or even regular comic news websites though, so I'm gonna elect to ignore it. It felt more like we're approaching a half-way point rather than a conclusion to me. Not the best issue in the series I think, but even a less-than-stellar issue of A+A still plays in a higher league than most comics.

[The Cheat]

Alex + Ada takes it for me. Recently read a comment somewhere this is ending at #15?!

Just finally caught up on 1-11, so hopefully this isn't true.

[TotalSnorefest]

Just finally caught up on 1-11, so hopefully this isn't true.

Yeah like I said I've seen it literally nowhere else so just posted to ask if anyone knew perhaps. Didn't want to create any panic haha. ^^ Anyway Girls was 24 issues and I think this might be headed that direction too, based on nothing but speculation and wish-fulfilment.

[Conway]

I haven't read Zero yet, but Manifest Destiny had a great Sacajawea moment.

[Detox]

Just finally caught up on 1-11, so hopefully this isn't true.

Yea this would be bad.

[wwise03]

Alex + Ada takes it for me. Recently read a comment somewhere this is ending at #15?! Can't find any mention of it on 'official' sources or even regular comic news websites though, so I'm gonna elect to ignore it. It felt more like we're approaching a half-way point rather than a conclusion to me. Not the best issue in the series I think, but even a less-than-stellar issue of A+A still plays in a higher league than most comics.

Luna mentioned in an interview before the book came out that this was planned as a 12-issue series that could turn into 15. It then became official rather quickly that it would be a 15-issue series. I don't think that has changed in the last year.