Image Previews Picks: July 2012
“The Walking Dead” reaches issue #100 this month. It’ll be the fifth Image title to hit that milestone after “Spawn,” “The Savage Dragon,” “Witchblade,” and “The Darkness.” That might not be much to brag about, but not only is it the first title to do so that wasn’t from a company founder, it also outsells all of them right now. Disappointingly, there doesn’t seem to be any bonus content in the issue besides the fact that it’s advertised as being an extra-length installment of the current storyline. This is in contrast to issue #75 which contained a great bonus story from Kirkman and “Invincible” artist Ryan Ottley that showed us the SHOCKING TRUTH behind the zombie invasion. It’s the only issue of the series I own, and it was worth tracking down. There will be eight different covers to commemorate the event, plus a $10 chromium version which is about as decadent as you can get these days. However, if any series deserves it, it’s this one.
Revival #1: Launching another zombie-themed series this month is either a fool’s errand or a brilliant bit of marketing synergy. It’ll be a couple months before we find out which it is, but this new title from writer Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton at least has a distinct take on the genre. For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead come back to life and the living inhabitants of the town have to deal with the fallout from not only that, but from fringe and mainstream elements of society as well. A murder mystery appears to be at the heart of the story which will live or die based on how clever Seeley is about exploiting the unique possibilities this offers. For instance, if someone is killed but then comes back to life as a zombie and identifies his killer, how do you investigate a crime like that? I’m just speculating here, but we shall see.
Chew: Secret Agent Poyo #1: Though the title rooster was killed off back in vol. 3, that was just a reason for him to get cybernetic implants and come back, better, stronger and faster than before. Anyone who reads this series will tell you that it makes perfect sense. At least, that’s what I think.
Sunset HC: This graphic novel about a former mob enforcer living a quiet life after he successfully stole a fortune from his former employers sounds like it would’ve fit right in with the “Vertigo Crime” line. Christos Gage even wrote one of the imprint’s titles, “Area 10,” which was less a piece of crime fiction and more of a suspense thriller with an eye-rolling bit of pseudoscience at its core. I want to think this will be better, but it sounds too generic for me. That said, whoever came up with the idea to offer a one-dollar sampler of the title should be commended for their cleverness.
Invincible vol. 16: Family Ties: I was wondering when Kirkman would get around to using that particular title. Anyway, I’m hoping that we’ll get a good idea of how Mark’s team-up with Dinosaurus to save the world will play out with this volume. I’ve said before that had this been done in the Marvel or DC Universes, this would end in tragedy with the hero being duped by the villain’s master plan before he redeems himself by punching the bad guy in the face. Here, Kirkman is bound by no rules other than his own so I’m hoping that this partnership subverts that trope by having the two bring out the best in each other and actually make a better world in the process. Of course, this move will pit them against EVERYONE at first so the face-punching quota will still be met in the process.
Mudman vol. 1: This is the latest from Paul Grist, creator of “Kane” and “Jack Staff.” Much as I like those two series (the former more than the latter), they’ve both remained incomplete to this day. So even though I recognize that this latest series, about a man who finds his body is turning into mud, is an attempt to leverage the incredibly positive word-of-mouth his other efforts have garnered into some sales traction, I can’t help but wonder if this title will share their fate. Even so, the odds point to this being a good read and worth picking up regardless of my speculations about its future.