IMAGE COMICS
Here they are! The Image Comics titles that were in stores this week! Which did you read? And what did you think?
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Saga faithful, we understand. Here’s a little reassurance for you at this difficult time.
Did you see it? The variant cover of Grant Morrison’s and Darick Robertson’s HAPPY! #4 by Frank Quitely!
Did you see it? The variant cover of Grant Morrison’s and Darick Robertson’s HAPPY! #4 by Frank Quitely!
SNAPSHOT #1 GETS SNAPPED UP
Debut issue of Diggle and Jock miniseries gets second printing
SNAPSHOT #1 by Andy Diggle and Jock, the Image Comics debut of the renowned creative team, has sold out after hitting stores on February 6. A second printing (JAN138087) is set to be on shelves on March 13.
The four-issue, black-and-white mini-series follows Jake Dobson, an ordinary comic book nerd who becomes entangled in a bizarre murder plot when he finds a cell phone with a gruesome photo stored on it. Now, whoever is responsible for the killing depicted wants the phone back and Jack out of the way… permanently!
To celebrate the success of SNAPSHOT — and as a nod to its City-by-the-Bay setting —James Sime, owner of Isotope Comic Book Lounge in San Francisco, is launching a special SNAPSHOT contest for fans of the book!
Simply take a picture of a staged “murder” on your cell phone and post it to Twitter with the hashtag #snapshotcomic or on the Tumblr page snapshotcomic.tumblr.com. The pictures will be posted on the Tumblr page, and selected fans whose pictures are posted will receive a limited edition SNAPSHOT bookplate signed by the series creators. In addition, Diggle and Jock will choose their favorite picture as the grand prize winner, who will receive a piece of original art by Jock from SNAPSHOT!
“Diggle & Jock’s SNAPSHOT is so great, definitely one of the best reads on store shelves!” said Sime. “And the action takes place in a comic store here in San Francisco? On Fell street at Gough?! The Isotope had to celebrate!”
The first issue has garnered excellent reviews:
“Reading Snaphot #1, the world that Jock draws has the paradoxical feeling of being both detailed and minimalistic at once. He is selective — choosing to focus the reader’s attention in certain places with densely rendered patches of texture and depth and in other places, using only a few lines to suggest space and presence. The reader gets a sense that every line was precisely placed and serves a purpose, just like how in good prose, every word counts.”
- Comic Book Resources
“Jock and Diggle have established strong creative chemistry over the years, and Snapshot takes advantage of both creators’ strengths to create a satisfying story with striking visuals.”
-The A.V. Club
SNAPSHOT #2 will be in stores on March 6.
Just in time for Lenten season, the cover of TODD, THE UGLIEST KID ON EARTH #2 by MK Perker and Ken Kristensen — an homage to THE WALKING DEAD #48!
Debuting in May from Image Comics is THE DREAM MERCHANT by Nathan Edmondson (DANCER, THE ACTIVITY, WHERE IS JAKE ELLIS?) and Konstantin Novosadov. Haunting, magical, and atmospheric, the series explores the dream life of a young man named Winslow. We talked to writer Edmondson about his newest project.
Who is THE DREAM MERCHANT’s main character, Winslow?
He is a troubled boy, the creative type many people are familiar with: can’t focus in school, has trouble relating to other people. His best friend is a schizo in a mental hospital. Winslow’s problem is a recurring dream, one that is only getting more intense.
What about the world of dreams inspired you to write this story?
A friend wrote to me once that they “wished I could sell them my dreams, as they were far more interesting than their own.” That started me thinking about dreams as something one could exchange, and trade, which yielded (eventually) the idea behind Winslow’s dream. I also studied some of the philosophy of dreams in school, and was fascinated by where science, philosophy and theology all converged in this field…
Tell us about your artist, Konstantin Novosadov. How did you find each other?
I discovered some of (Russian artist) Konstantin’s work online he’s superbly talented, and—and this is something I did not learn until months into the production of the book—we communicate primarily by Google Translation. Now I’m able to practice some Russian on him and he works out English on me, but the he works twice as hard as most any other artist just to “Get” the script, and he deserves credit for that as well as his fantastic art.
Issue #9 sells out before in-store date
Flying high after issues #7 and #8 sold out, the Image Comics/Shadowline series PETER PANZERFAUST continues on its remarkable course, as issue #9 sold out well before its in-store date of today, February 13. A second printing (JAN138082) has been ordered and will be in stores on March 13, the same day as PETER PANZERFAUST #10.
The World War II adventure inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan is written by Kurtis J. Wiebe (DEBRIS, GREEN WAKE) and drawn by Tyler Jenkins. It was recently optioned by the BBC to be produced as a motion comic and a live-action drama.
A second printing of PETER PANZERFAUST #7 will be in stores on March 6, while a second printing of #8 will be on shelves on February 27.
Coming in May from Image Comics is THE BOUNCE by Joe Casey (BUTCHER BAKER THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER, SEX) and David Messina. A superhero comic that focuses on fun, THE BOUNCE features a twenty-something protagonist who isn’t going to let his responsibilities make him take life too seriously.
We talked to Joe Casey to get a little peek into the life and creation of THE BOUNCE.
Tell about your protagonist — who is Jasper Jenkins?
Japser’s a fairly normal guy in his early 20’s who finds himself living a double life as a masked superhero. But that doesn’t stop him from living life at his age. There’s still a lot of hanging out that needs to be done. Of course, he’s got a brother who works in law enforcement, so keeping his secret identity secret becomes a top priority. But that’s okay, because they don’t really get along anyway. But getting busted would really harsh his melt. Meanwhile, he’s got friends that he cares about they’re his surrogate family. Plus, there’s a girl he’s interested in… and he met her through the Internet! So the character really has it all going for him… a perfect example of a modern, 21st Century guy.
What about a “slacker superhero” captured your imagination?
I’m not sure if I’ve seen one depicted as realistically as this. As a storyteller, you pose the question, “What would it be like if you were a typical guy in your early 20’s and you had superpowers?” and then you try to answer it honestly. Spider-Man did it so well for the 1960’s through its stylized storytelling, it at least felt like teenage life, especially to the kids who were reading it at the time. So for THE BOUNCE, we’re going for something that feels just as authentic, but for right now. In our case, that involves a lot of hanging out with your friends, shooting the shit, getting pleasantly baked, watching TV, nightly clubbing, chasing girls, avoiding any heavy responsibility… that’s generally what we do at that age. Placing a bona fide secret superhero identity — and all the baggage that involves — in the middle of that is interesting to see.
Your March release, SEX, explores a darker side of the superhero archetype. What aspects of the superhero genre are you highlighting in THE BOUNCE?
The fun aspects, I hope. The craziness of being young mixed with the craziness of being a superhero. No one seems to get it right any more. Kirkman’s Invincible, maybe. But this is a lot more grounded than that book has been for a while, more street level stuff. There’s a vibe that you get from just flipping through a comicbook when you’re at the store, and we want this one to have good vibes emanating from the pages. Granted, it’s a Mature Readers book, but there’s a reason for that. Sometimes the idea of “fun” can get a little heady… as it does right off the bat in issue #1.
