Image Advance Arrivals: December 2023
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Where the Body Was HC
Big surprise: Another OGN from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips gets the top spot this month! It may seem obvious and predictable that I keep giving this spot to new work from these creators. However, when they’ve consistently been delivering greatness (or at least above-averageness) for over two decades now, it’s not hard to get excited about whatever they’re doing next. Particularly in this case when they’re doing something that’s different yet of a piece with the crime fiction they’ve come to specialize in.
There’s been a murder in a suburb and nobody knows whodunit. Lots of people have ideas, however, and they may even have a direct connection to it. “A boarding house full of druggies. A neglected housewife. A young girl who thinks she’s a superhero. A cop who wants to be left alone. And a private detective looking for a runaway girl,” are some of the characters who we’ll meet here and maybe a few of them may even be telling the truth about what they know or saw. It feels like we’re getting “Rashomon of the Suburbs” and that sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than the basic premise of “Night Fever.” Which, you’ll recall, ultimately turned out OK in my book. If everything goes well, we’ll get to see (once again) what these creators can do with a genuinely good premise.
Pete Townshend’s Lifehouse HC: Based on the screenplay written by Townshend which the solicitation text lets us know also inspired The Who’s classic album “Who’s Next.” The graphic novel is set in a dystopian future where music has been outlawed and a band of rebels are trying to organize an underground concert to stick it to The Man and free Britain (and humanity) from oppression. Sounds fine to me, and I imagine your interest in this will likely be proportional to how much of a fan you are of The Who and Townshend specifically. James Harvey and David Hine are the men adapting the screenplay into print, with Harvey and Max Prentis providing the art.
Adventureman: Ghost Lights #1 (of 2): If you’re wondering where Matt Fraction has been of late, he’s been working on the “Monarch” series that recently dropped on Apple TV. He’s making a quick return to “Adventureman” with artist Terry Dodson to let you know that they’re both still committed to this series. Something which I’m sure fans of this series will appreciate. The rest of us are still waiting for the first two volumes to hit softcover because Fraction is too much of a wild card when it comes to writing to commit to buying either of them in softcover.
Bloodrik #1 (of 3): Only the last word of the solicitation for this comic is in caps. After reading it, it feels like it should be ALL CAPS. Here it is, in case you’re wondering: BLOODRIK IS ANGRY, CONFUSED, AND STARVING. UNABLE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN HIS USUAL HUNTING GROUNDS, HE STOMPS HIS WAY INTO UNFAMILIAR WOODS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FEED HIS STOMACH AND HEAL HIS EGO. WHAT HE FINDS WILL LEAD HIM ON A JOURNEY OF MADNESS, VIOLENCE, FIRE, AND BLOOD! Yeah, that looks better. It does seem like a straightforward take on “Conan”-esque swords and sorcery action, but there’s a gap to fill in my reading list with “Head Lopper” being MIA at the moment. Written and illustrated by Andrew Krahnke.
The Bloody Dozen: A Tale of the Shrouded College #1 (of 6): The next series that’s part of writer Charles Soule’s “Shrouded College” shared universe. Where the previous series, “Hell to Pay,” was a supernatural action adventure, this is a sci-fi caper about three down-on-their-luck astronauts who get roped into a job that’s as unlikely as it is risky: Breaking vampires out of a jail that orbits the Sun. They don’t get more high concept than this. If that setup sounds insane to you, then it’s only fitting that Soule’s partner in crime on “Letter 44,” Alberto Jimenez Albuquerque, joins him again for more shenanigans in space.
Duke #1 (of 5): The first “G.I. Joe” title in the Energon Universe isn’t an ongoing one. Interesting. Anyway, this miniseries has the title character trying to find out the truth behind the Robots in Disguise after one of them nearly kills him and his superiors refuse to believe his story. His search for answers is going to lead him into a war that is (of course) much bigger than he could possibly conceive. Joshua Williamson writes this, and Tom Reilly provides the art. No points for guessing why I’ll be passing on this latest relaunch of the franchise.
Our Bones Dust #1 (of 4): A feral child wanders a Mignola-esque landscape occupied by cannibal tribes and investigated by A.I. You wouldn’t be wrong to raise an eye at the use of “Mignola-esque” in the solicitation text, but that’s excusable here. That’s because this miniseries comes to us from Ben Stenbeck, who has illustrated a ton of comics with the man himself. Unless I’m mistaken, “Our Bones Dust” represents his first solo writing project and I wish him the best of luck because he’s illustrated some really good comics over the years. That said, I’m REALLY CURIOUS as to why this is coming out from Image as opposed to Dark Horse. You’d think he’d have a leg up getting this out through the latter publisher after all the work he’s done for them over the years.
Shift (One-Shot): Have you wondered what the story is behind that dick with super-speed who made like hard for Radiant Black in the previous two volumes of the series? No? You’re like me and just glad he’s in the hands of the U.S. Government and won’t be coming back to that title again? Well, the solicitation text tells me that you’re going to be disappointed there, but you’ll be getting an origin story for the character with art from Daniele Di Nicuolo, Francesco Manna, Danilo Beyruth, Geraldo Borges, and Chris Evenhuis – reprinting the shorts from the “IMAGE!” anthology with an extra five-page story. So that’s something, right?
Immortal Sergeant: Jim “Sarge” Sargent is your typically grizzled old-school detective who has just had a break in an unsolved case that has haunted him for decades. While he’s prepared to chase this lead to the ends of the Earth, circumstances have conspired to have him drag his anxiety-riddled adult son along with him. Hijinks ensue, of course. This comes to us from writer Joe Kelly and artist Ken Niimura, and while the latter is best known for his work writing “Deadpool” comics over the years, he and Niimura did “I Kill Giants” together, one of those series that I’ve heard no end of good things about over the years, but have yet to read myself. This is their first project together since that one and while it’ll set you back $25 in a smaller format, you’ll be getting a 400-page story for your trouble. I’m interested, and maybe I’ll even get around to reading their signature title before this one. Maybe.
What’s the Furthest Place From Here #17: In which the Battle of the Keepers begins here. As far as we know, only Lafayette is still in the hands of the Keepers. Alabama’s fate is… unknown. Not knowing either of these things isn’t going to stop the remnants of the Academy from storming the place to try and save either of them. Which should make for a good story as some dumb-ass kids try to take on some adults who are barely holding things together in this new world. Also, when this issue comes out there will be six whole issues uncollected. Sounds like the perfect size for a trade paperback, right?