When Image Comics was first founded in 1992, it was seen as a safe haven for writers and artists to create and own their work, away from the constant presence of big corporations breathing down their necks.
From that idea, a new generation of comics was launched that encapsulated the look, tone and sensibilities of the '90s. This was a time when extreme violence and sexuality ruled, and fans bought up these adventures in record numbers.
Creator-owned titles like Spawn, The Savage Dragon, WildC.A.T.S. and Youngblood broke into the marketplace and instantly began wrestling the sales dominance away from Marvel and DC, based solely on the creators involved.
Over the years, the creative troupe that brought Image together (including Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane) began to dissolve, and a new group - led by executive director Eric Stephenson and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman - began to lead Image down a new path.
This new path was blazed by a more progressive mindset, away from the excesses of the '90s. This would bring the company universal acclaim and a slate of unique books for every sensibility.
Now Image has a problem that every publisher out there wishes they had: there are simply too many great books to keep track of. It's almost impossible to read through everything from the publisher while still making rent, so we're here to make life a little easier for you.
From action/adventure, to noir, comedy, sci-fi and everything in between, we're looking at the best current comics Image has to offer.
Nameless
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham
Who Should Read It: Anyone who wants their mind melted.
Grant Morrison isn't exactly the easiest writer to get into - frankly his books should all come with a handful of Aleve or a hit of acid - but if you're patient and pay attention to all the details, his stories are full of concepts you just don't find anywhere else on the spinner racks. Take Nameless, for example; this book deals with the occult, a pending doomsday, alien riddles and the infiltration of our nightmares.
It's only four issues in, but the book is already the headiest title at Image. It's typical Morrison with his weaving narrative and lofty ideas, but there is also a good dose of horror and Kubrickian paranoia that makes the book stand out from the normal sci-fi crowd. Artist Chris Burnham - who is one of the rare penciliers on the same wavelength as Morrison - ties the whole package together into something infinitely maddening, but impossible to put down.
Rat Queens
Writer: Kurtis Wiebe
Artists: Roc Upchurch, Stjepan Šejić, Tess Fowler
Who Should Read It: Fans of kickass females and snark.
It doesn't matter what race, age, gender or creed you are: you'll dig Rat Queens. Focusing on four adventurers that fight, drink and snark their way through a fantasy world, Kurtis Wiebe's femme-fueled masterpiece is like Tolkien taken with a shot of whiskey and a mug of ale. With sardonic wit and colorful art that oozes character, Rat Queens brings a raw, punk rock sentiment to a fantasy genre that has traditionally been dominated by humorless academics.
The interplay Wiebe brings to the four leads is the star of the series here, as even those who shun the sword and sorcery of the fantasy genre will find some common ground with these ladies. Whether the girls are taking on titanic dragons or arguing over who got the better of the other during their most recent bar brawl, this series effortlessly weaves widescreen fantasy action with cutting humor to bring this quartet to life.
Chew
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
Who Should Read It: People that think police procedurals need more cybernetic, kung-fu chickens.
It's nearly 50 issues in, but Chew is just as irreverent and original as ever. The story revolves around FDA Agent Tony Chu, who just so happens to be a cibopath. A cibopath is someone who gets a psychic impression from anything they eat, especially when it comes to the last moments of a living thing. This obviously makes him a great detective but a poor dinner guest (no one wants to know about the last moments of the cow you're serving up).
Coupled with John Layman's absurdist scripts is artist Rob Guillory, who brings a depth of detail to the art that is key to the series' humor. Every panel is full of sight gags and small gems of nonsense that are key to the comic's overall flavor. It's a mashup between a police procedural, a Tex Avery cartoon and The Food Network - if you could describe any other series like that, we'd love to hear about it.
Chrononauts
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Sean Murphy
Who Should Read It: Anyone who thought Back to the Future wasn't brotastic enough.
A cynical reader might look at Mark Millar's current output and say that he's doing nothing but creating series so he can sell the movie rights. An idealist could look at Millar and say that his books are so enticing that studios can't help but be attracted to him. The answer likely falls somewhere in the middle, but when it comes to Chrononauts, it's the reader that benefits the most.
Simply put, Chrononauts is what happens when you take Back to the Future and infuse it with bro culture. This breezy bit of time traveling mayhem is an easy read, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. With some off-color humor and plenty of big ideas, Millar explores what happens when wish fulfillment fantasy collides with the combustible implications of time travel. Better yet, the story is all told through the impeccable art of Sean Murphy - the man behind the criminally underrated Punk Rock Jesus.
Descender
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Dustin Nguyen
Who Should Read It: People who love Philip K. Dick and Wall-E.
Image Comics has the market cornered on sci-fi titles. Roche Limit, Lazarus and Prophet line comic book store shelves every month, telling tales of the ethical and moral implications of our advancing technology. But no book has harnessed these ideas quite like Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's Descender, a title that puts humanity, morality and technology on a collision course on the page.
Like something out of the pen of Asimov, Descender explores a world where robotics was thought to usher in a new wave of prosperity for humanity, before things went south. Now as humanity hunts down the very androids they created, one young robot tries to survive a world that wants him destroyed. Lemire and Nguyen bring a dreamlike, fairy tale quality to Descender, and while it deals with heavy themes, it's an incredibly universal read.
The Fade Out
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Who Should Read It: If you like your comics drenched in grit, grime and cheap scotch.
Anyone that has followed Ed Brubaker's career knows that the man absolutely owns the noir/crime corner of the comic book world with titles like Criminal and Incognito. But it's with The Fade Out that Brubaker hits the peak of the genre by combining crime, sex, murder and classic Hollywood starlets into a complete package of Raymond Chandler-esque goodness.
It might seem full of tropes on the surface, but The Fade Out is so well researched, so expertly illustrated and feels so authentic that it can't help but be fresh. The title follows the conspiracy surrounding the murder of a young Hollywood actress, yet that's only one tool in the book's arsenal. There is also the cast of shifty characters and the mood-drenched artwork by Sean Phillips to draw people into Brubaker's crime-ridden world.
Rasputin
Writer: Alex Grecian
Artist: Riley Rossmo
Who Should Read It: People who love history but are bored by reality.
Want to learn about Russian history...but not really? Check out Rasputin by Alex Grecian - a supernatural take on the life of the infamous Russian mystic. We all know that Rasputin was an influential force under Czar Nicholas II in the early 1900s. But we'll bet that you never knew that Rasputin's rise to the top involved otherworldly healing abilities and trips to other planes of existence.
It might not be the best idea to use anything learned from Rasputin on any exams, but the fantasy world crafted by Grecian and artist Riley Rossmo looks at the fascinating life of a prominent fixture in Russian history from a much different perspective. And along the way, they also made a damn fine comic book.
Southern Bastards
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Jason Latour
Who Should Read It: Anyone who loves good football, sticky barbecue, and plenty of violence.
In Southern Bastards, Jason Aaron shines a horrifying light on the obsession with high school football in the South and the corrupt culture it breeds. Imagine Friday Night Lights through the pen of Cormac McCarthy and you might begin to see where the brilliance in this book lies.
Focusing on the Runnin' Rebs football team of Craw County, Alabama, Southern Bastards is a sickening look at the destructive nature of people that put the Hail Mary above humanity. Aaron has always had a knack for crafting the vilest of villains, and Coach Boss might be his most disgusting creation yet. He's basically Chinatown's Noah Cross with a whistle around his neck, and he is so disgusting - but so expertly crafted - that you will find yourself turning every page with a white knuckle rage. And isn't that the sign of a good crime drama?
Sex Criminals
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Chip Zdarsky
Who Should Read It: If you like reading about - well - it's right in the title.
There’s no easy way to describe Sex Criminals without venturing into some pretty vulgar territory, so be warned – basically the book is about a couple that realizes they can freeze time upon achieving an orgasm and the misadventures they encounter along the way.
Alright, now that the filthy premise is out of the way, you should know that Sex Criminals is also an insanely fun book with humor and energy soaked into every panel.
This isn’t a book the kids would love, and it’s certainly not something to be trivialized by the geek crowd; instead, Sex Criminals is a comic for people who aren’t afraid to bask in life’s taboos. As most comics neuter themselves in order to pander to all demographics, this book is unapologetic as it aims to make readers blush from head to toe every issue. If you’re squeamish or bashful, by all means, turn away – but if you’re looking for humor, character and a little raunch, you should pick up some Sex Criminals.
Saga
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Artist: Fiona Staples
Who Should Read It: Anyone with a pulse.
You can try to slap a genre on Saga and curate it in an Internet-friendly way, but that's the beauty of the series - there's just no describing it. The plot centers on two lovers from warring planets that have a child together and are hunted down by vengeful governments and ruthless mercenaries. Sure that sounds fine as an Amazon.com synopsis, but the beauty of Saga is everything that defies logic - such as an entire race of aliens with television sets for heads. Or disembodied little girl ghosts. Or talking cats. Or this:
But beneath the absurdity of it all, Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples have created a book that is completely alien, yet incredibly relatable. Themes of love, loss and war permeate the pages, while being amplified by operatic space battles, talking seals and plenty of alien sex scenes.
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