The Seasons #1 Preview

 

This alternative-history story set a hundred years ago, opens with an intriguing mystery. It looks like a lot of fun! Here's all the info from Image Comics!

 

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES—RICK REMENDER & PAUL AZACETA SHOWCASE BOUNDARY-BREAKING HORROR WITH THE SEASONS LAUNCHING JANUARY 2025

The New York Times bestselling writer Rick Remender (The Sacrificers, Grommets, Deadly Class) and artist Paul Azaceta (Outcast by Kirkman and Azaceta) will invite readers to the big top next year for an unforgettable show in the upcoming series, The Seasons. This all-new, ongoing series was first announced in an exclusive scoop with Fangoria and is set to launch out of Remender’s Giant Generator line in January 2025 from Image Comics.

Azaceta will appear on the "Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground" panel on Sunday, October 20 @ 11 a.m. in room 406.2 to share more details about the announcement.

Kicking off with a double-length premiere issue, Remender and Azaceta weave an elevated tale of whimsical horror unlike anything ever experienced in comics.

"Paul and I have worked tirelessly to create a world unlike anything we've ever done before," said Remender. "Inspired by Miyazaki, Windsor McKay, and Tintin we wanted to make something that was delightful, poignant, and heartfelt. We hope you find the Seasons sisters as charming as we do. And the Ringleader and his imps as devilishly terrifying. Paul and Matheus have delivered one of the most spectacularly vibrant comics you're going to see in the modern marketplace."

Summer, Winter, Spring and Autumn are the Seasons Sisters, the daughters of the world-renowned Seasons Detectives. Ten years ago, their famous parents disappeared. Left to raise themselves, the sisters formed an unbreakable bond. Now that bond is tested as the sisters fall prey to sinister forces. The youngest sister, Spring, is the last hope of saving them from a fate worse than death. Will Spring be able to piece her shattered family back together before it’s too late for them all?

Azaceta added: “I’m having so much fun on this book. I think we took a big swing with it. We challenged ourselves and I couldn’t be happier with the result. The kind of project is what excites me about comics and what drives me to push my art in new directions.”

The Seasons promises to be the perfect new read for fans of Brubaker & Martín’s Friday, Young & Corona’s Middlewest, Tynion IV & Dell'Edera’s Something Is Killing the Children, and boundary-breaking horror in all forms.

Now, let's take a look inside this first issue!

 

 

 

Is this fun or what? I can't wait to see what happens next! I feel sorry for the goldfish though! 

Check out the other cover options: 

• Cover A by Azaceta
• Cover B 1:15 copy incentive Kiki’s Delivery Service homage by Jordi Lafebre
• Cover C 1:25 copy incentive by Kent Williams
• Cover D 1:50 copy incentive by Wes Craig
• Cover E 1:100 copy incentive Paul Azaceta Sketch Cover
• Cover F Blank Sketch cover

  Let's meet the creators:

ABOUT RICK REMENDER
Rick Remender is the writer and co-creator of comics such as The Sacrificers, Low, Deadly Class, Tokyo Ghost, The Scumbag, Death or Glory, and Black Science. He's written video games such as Dead Space and served as a showrunner on the Russo’s Brothers adaptation of Deadly Class. He’s currently developing several as-of-yet unannounced TV projects while he curates his publishing line, Giant Generator, at Image Comics. 

 

 

ABOUT PAUL AZACETA
Paul Azaceta is a New Jersey-based artist with a simple but bold style. His past work includes Daredevil, Spider-Man, Punisher Noir, and B.P.R.D. 1946. He also co-created Graveyard of Empires for Image Comics with Mark Sable and Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta with Robert Kirkman. 

 

The Seasons #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

The Seasons #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. 

 

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this preview with us! 

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States, and is the #2 graphic novel publisher in America. It is the publisher of such award winning titles as, Spawn, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Monstress, Deadly Class, Chew, The Old Guard, I Kill Giants, Criminal, The Department of Truth, W0rldtr33, Geiger, Descender, Gideon Falls, It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth, Do A Power Bomb, and more. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit: www.imagecomics.com.

I Can Count To Ten Review

 

I Can Count To Ten Review

Writer, Artist, Colorist, Letterer & Cover Artist: Roman Dirge

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $19.99

Release Date: October 9, 2024

 

Math ranks among the most essential skills a child can learn. Yet even into our teen years and adulthood, many struggle with basic math. Thankfully, we are never too old to learn! Would you like to learn to count to ten? Can the tiny Boofles help us master this essential skill? Let’s grab our slide rules, leap into I Can Count To Ten, and find out!

 

Story

One by one, the Boofles take the stage. The Boofles are friendly, kind, and eager to help you learn. The problem creeps into the pages with the fourth entrant. He is not a Boofle. Worse, he's a hairy, four-eyed purple Boofle-eater. (And no, I'm not suggesting he wears glasses. He has four eyes!). The monster isn't necessarily evil, but he is hungry. And with no fruits or vegetables in sight, he chooses the Boofles to sate his appetite. Once the killing begins, the Boofles’ sense of camaraderie diminishes amid the fight to survive. Thankfully, their battle does not go unobserved.

 

As Roman Dirge showcases the Boofles' encounter with the monster, he devotes equal time to the numbers. They introduce each Boofle, or at least they try to. The numbers may not have the starring roles in I Can Count To Ten, but they take the stage like somewhat noteworthy people announcing the contestants at an awards show. The procession breaks down when the monster starts slaughtering Boofles. Number Four makes an emergency call. Number Five tells his family he must stay longer at work. Like the Boofles, the numbers have their own lives. At least, they do for now, provided the police arrive quickly.

 

As Roman Dirge announces in his introduction, I Can Count To Ten is not a children’s book. It’s the arithmetic-based picture book Monty Python never published, with ample doses of Sci-fi horror and humor. (It does feature a rabbit, but not an unladen swallow). If your chief concern is mastering essential math skills, you should probably opt for Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels instead. But if you are hungry for wacky fun with references to violence, adult situations, and gore, check out I Can Count To Ten.

 

And please, don't eat the Boofles.

 

Art

The numbers are purple with lavender outlines. Their yellow eyes shine, and they smile as animals gather near them. But the puppy runs away when the monster starts eating the bean-shaped Boofles. The numbers frown and grimace as the hairy four-eyed monster with batwings for ears grabs the lively legumes with little feet and devours them. (And no, I'm not saying the monster wears glasses.) Scarlet covers the monster's fangs and spills from the partially devoured Boofles in the foreground while a pink haze fills the white background in I Can Count To Ten. At least until the alien baby appears and yellow smoke fills the air. Still, the police arrive by then. The officer is the Number 5 "oh" and is determined to book the evildoer, even if his name isn’t Danno.

 

Amid the murder and mayhem, Roman Dirge fills white dialogue balloons with generous-sized black letters. The numbers and the Boofles’ conversations draw you in, while the hairy, four-eyed purple monster’s silence conjures an air of mystery. (And no, I'm not saying the monster wears glasses. Did I mention that before?) Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

People battle bureaucratic systems, alcoholism, and the right to bear arms against the monsters that threaten them in the humorous, violent, and not-safe-for-children book I Can Count To Ten.

 

Rating 10/10

 

To preview interior art, see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.

Lucky Devils #1 Preview

 

Here's a preview of an upcoming series from Image Comics. It looks fiendishly fun! Here's all the info:

 

BESTSELLING EIGHT BILLION GENIES TEAM TO LAUNCH THE LUCKY DEVILS SERIES IN JANUARY 2025

The wildly successful creative team of #1 New York Times bestselling writer Charles Soule (The Oracle Year, The Endless Vessel, Star Wars) and critically-acclaimed artist Ryan Browne (Curse Words, God Hates Astronauts) reunite for their follow-up to the hugely popular Eight Billion Genies with an all-new series, The Lucky Devils. This nine-issue, fantasy/satire adventure is set to launch in January 2025 from Image Comics.

Soule and Browne will be at artist alley table D42 at New York Comic Con this week and will appear on the "Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground" panel on Sunday, October 20 @ 11 a.m. in room 406.2 to share more details about the announcement.

"After the incredible success of Eight Billion Genies, Ryan Browne and I knew our next project together had to be something truly special," said Soule. "The Lucky Devils feels like exactly that—a spiritual successor to Genies in that it, too, tells a self-contained, tightly-plotted story about the supernatural unexpectedly intersecting with the lives of a few ordinary, unsuspecting people. That said, it's also very much its own beast. We're playing with the myth of the devil on your shoulder here—what Genies did for wishing and desire, Devils does for Faustian bargains and humanity's struggle with temptation. Not to mention I get to see Ryan draw hundreds of hilariously badass little demons—unbeatable. In The Lucky Devils, it's good to be bad. I can't wait for people to check it out this January."

Browne added: "Over the last year, Charles Soule and I have crafted, revised, rebuilt, sculpted, edited, and polished The Lucky Devils, reinventing an approach to the 'Little Creatures Who Mess With Humanity' angle that worked so well with Eight Billion Genies. Oh, and as always, I get to draw as much crazy world-building insanity as the page will allow! Heart, humor, sin, and madness all wrapped around two little punk devils that were born to raze hell to the ground!"

The Lucky Devils is a tale of two ordinary, good-hearted, 20-something Chicagoans who begin working with the devils on their shoulders in an attempt to fix their broken lives. It works beyond their wildest dreams, and in time they become two of the most powerful people on earth. While they fully intend to use that influence to make the world a better place, we all know what they say about the road to Hell...  

A dark, hilarious satire about the struggle to do good in a world that makes it so easy to be bad, The Lucky Devils is an examination of everything that makes humanity both grand and terrible from two of comics' most unique storytellers.

For fans of their previous bestselling collaborations like Curse Words and Eight Billion Genies—or stories like Good Omens, Lucifer, or tales where ordinary people's lives intersect with the supernatural—this new series is sure to delight readers looking for a fantastical new read.

Check out this red hot preview art:

 

 

 

Did I say it looked like fiendish fun or what? I'm not convinced these imps have the best interests of the humans they visit in their hellfire hearts, but I can't wait to check this series out! It's only three months away! The first issue will have several cover options:

The Lucky Devils #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 8:

• Cover A by Ryan Browne
• Cover B by Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair
• Cover C Blank Sketch cover
• Cover D 1:25 "Glitter" copy incentive by Browne
• Cover E 1:50 "Foil virgin" copy incentive by Frank Miller
• Cover F 1:100 copy incentive featuring Soule & Browne Sketch
  

 

The Lucky Devils #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this tempting preview with us!

 

 

 

Transformers #13 Review

 

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artist: Jason Howard

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer; Viktor Bogdanovic; Jorge Fornés; Francesco Mattina; Homare; Ludo Lullabi; John Giang; Björn Barends; Mico Suayan; Alan Quah; Deegan Puchkors; Juan Gedeon; Livio Ramondelli; Erik Eliarrez; Tiago Da Silva; Ivan Tao; Sajad Shah; Patricio Delpeche; Bill Sienkiewicz

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Production: Ashby Florence

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 9, 2024

 

Starscream made the most of his Early Bird Breakfast. He blasted Bumblebee and would have wiped all the Autobots out. But Optimus Prime and a handful of Autobots escaped the Ark, and Starscream’s continual failures eventually cost him Soundwave’s respect. Soundwave challenged Starscream for leadership of the Decepticons and hurled him into a volcano. But what turned Starscream into such an Energon-thirsty killer? Let's recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #13, and discover Starscream’s transformative journey!

 

Story

Once, Starscream was Ulchtar. He cherished peace and marveled at the universe. Ulchtar mapped the stars and worked with Jetfire to chart a course for Cybertron’s future. But his friend Genvo disliked anything he didn’t understand and delighted in killing the smaller beings that inhabited Cybertron’s mechanized ecosystem. Genvo spoke of his charismatic leader and urged Jetfire and Ulchtar to join their cause, believing that war would cure Cybertron’s ills.

 

Starscream, or Ulchtar, respected his friend's decision, even if he didn't understand it. But then, while Optimus (or Orion Pax) collected and organized the literature and knowledge of his race, Ulchtar expanded Cybertron’s understanding of the universe. Like that of a librarian, a cartographer’s life can be a solitary one. Jetfire abandoned Ulchtar to reap the fruits of their partnership. Still, at least there was Genvo. And Ulchtar had his work to fill his days.

 

Transformers #13 reveals the events that destroyed Ulchtar’s world and transformed a soul who gazed upon the universe in wonder into a soldier who squashed smaller intelligent species for amusement. Daniel Warren Johnson reveals why Starscream’s first act upon awakening on the Ark was to kill Bumblebee and his second to attack Jetfire. Johnson’s story shows how those who cherish knowledge and peace can become hardened killers. But then, charisma, intolerance, and hatred will always trump wisdom, peace, and love.

 

Art

Jason Howard portrays Genvo racing down the stairs as Ulchtar connects thick conduits to machinery. Genvo’s face radiates excitement. But in Transformers #13, Ulchtar is more concerned with studying the readouts. Jetfire’s carefree attitude induces Ulchtar to abandon the gauges and monitors. They fly off toward a spiky, hollow moon. As they sit on a hill, a spike-like tower rises behind them. While Ulchtar and Genvo gaze up at the starry expanse, Jetfire studies the pipes and machinery covering the metal planetoid.

 

Ulchtar’s red, white, and blue markings link him with the predominantly white Jetfire, while his yellow chest connects him with yellow, blue, and white Genvo. His enthusiastic friend’s mouth forms a line when Jetfire talks of leaving. Ulchtar places a hand on Genvo’s arm when his frowning friend smashes a green, ant-like creature. Ulchtar’s blue eyes glow, and he smiles as he regards the tiny beings that seem equally fascinated by him. Then Genvo points a blue finger at something that makes his friends rise in Transformers #13. It prompts Ulchtar to hurtle into the purple void. Mike Spicer shows Ulchtar become a streak of orange and red and break the rules governing his civilization to summon a plume of yellow and orange.

 

Soundwave’s blue dialogue balloons match the Energon spraying from Starscream. As the damaged Decepticon leaks blue into molten yellow and orange, his words shrink in wobbly white dialogue balloons. Blue and yellow sound effects enhance Starscream’s battle with Soundwave and Ulchtar’s frolics with his friends, while red and white booms and screeching arise when war erupts in Ulchtar’s corner of Cybertron. Starscream’s words threaten to burst dialogue balloons when the lava threatens to consume him like Anakin on Mustafar. Then, Rus Wooten uses a blue metallic sound to introduce a Human cloaked in shadow. He and his squishy species speak uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons until expressive sound effects and colorful dialogue signal a sad ending and an even sadder beginning. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Before he became a gun, someone gave Ulchtar a gun. Transformers #13 reveals why Ulchtar opted to rage against the machine and ravage the universe as Starscream.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

To preview interior art see the First Look At Transformers #13 on the Skybound website.

Image Comics NYCC 2024 Panel Lineup & Programming

 

Are you attending New York Comic-Con? Check out all the great panels hosted by Image Comics! I attended several Image events at Comic-Con International in San Diego this summer, and they were a blast! But then, Image is a great publisher that helps creators bring you fun, new stories each week!

Here's all the info from Image Comics:

 

 

 

IMAGE COMICS' NYCC 2024 

PANEL LINEUP & PROGRAMMING

Image Comics will return to New York Comic Con this year with a show-stopping lineup of can’t-miss panels. Each of these Image Comics panels will be packed with jaw-dropping, eye-popping announcements sure to be the talk of the town!

Please note: updates to the schedule may appear online during the show. Please refer to www.imagecomics.com for the most up-to-date information.

—THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 PANELS—

Image Comics Presents: Enter the MASSIVE-VERSE
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Location: Room 409

Join Massive-Verse superstars Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black, No/One), Marcelo Costa (Radiant Black), Rod Reis (C.O.W.L.: 1964), Mat Groom (Supermassive), Brian Buccellato (NO/ONE), Geraldo Borges (NO/ONE), Ryan Parrott (Rogue Sun), and Ryan Sidoti as the crew unveils exciting new developments and announcements in store for the Massive-verse this year and next! Moderator: Ryan Sidoti

Moon Man Panel featuring Kid Cudi
6:15 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Location: Main Stage

Two-time Grammy Award-winning musician Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi took NYCC by storm last year, surprising everyone with Moon Man, his first step into comics. Now, Cudi is back, with co-writer Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black) and artist Marco Locati for a can't miss panel packed full of behind-the-scenes secrets and announcements!

—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 PROGRAMMING—

Bear McCreary: Musical World-Building*
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Location: Main Stage
Join Bear McCreary, the celebrated composer of projects as diverse as God of War, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Walking Dead, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Outlander, Battlestar Galactica, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, and his new rock concept album The Singularity, as he explores the dramatic impact of music on the creation of fictional worlds, fueled by collaborations with artists from across all disciplines. McCreary will be joined by several integral The Singularity contributors from the music and comics realms, including Grammy-nominated signer/songwriter/composer Rufus Wainwright, renowned writer Mat Groom (Inferno Girl Red, Self/Made), comics writer & filmmaker Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black, NO/ONE), and multiple Eisner & Harvey Award-winning cartoonist Ramón K Pérez (Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Jane).*This panel will have a limited number of hearing assistance devices. When you arrive at the panel, please see a NYCC staff member to receive one.

Todd McFarlane Talks Movies, Comics & Toys
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Location: Room 406.1

Todd McFarlane gives an update on the Spawn movie, all upcoming comic projects, toys, and much more! Be the FIRST with the inside scoop.

Hasbro Toy Panel: Action Brands + Skybound G.I. JOE Ashcan Comic Book
5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m.
Javits Center Room 408

In addition to sharing the latest news on Hasbro's action brands, including G.I. Joe and Transformers, panel attendees will have the chance to receive one of Skybound's G.I. Joe Ashcan comic books.

Midtown Comics (Times Square) Signing with Energon Universe Talent Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly, and Jorge Corona
7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Location: 200 W. 40th Street (corner of 7th Ave), New York, NY 10018

Yo, Joe! Join creators Joshua Williamson (Duke, Cobra Commander, G.I. Joe), Tom Reilly (Duke, G.I. Joe), and Jorge Corona (Transformers) for the second annual Energon Universe group signing at the famed Midtown Comics (Times Square). Limited quantities of a Midtown Comics exclusive variant of the G.I. Joe #1 NYCC Ashcan will be available for purchase for all attendees. Existing Skybound Insiders and newly joined fans who attend will receive 5,000 loyalty points.

—SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 PROGRAMMING—

Ghost Machine: One Year In
10:45 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Location: Room 1C03 

After launching last year at NYCC and following up with sold-out success on its initial wave of books (Geiger, Redcoat, Rook: Exodus), GHOST MACHINE returns with a one-year anniversary panel spotlighting its new launches (Hyde Street, It Happened on Hyde Street…Devour, The Rocketfellers, Hornsby & Halo) and making announcements on new titles by Brad Meltzer and Lamont Magee in 2025. You don’t want to miss this huge panel featuring: Brad Anderson, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi, Maytal Zchut and a few surprise guests!

TRANSFORMERS & G.I. JOE: What’s Next for the Energon Universe? 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: Javits Center Room 406.1

G.I. Joe and Void Rivals from Skybound have taken over the comic book world and this is the only panel where you'll discover what's next! Superstars Robert Kirkman (Void Rivals), Jorge Corona (Transformers), Joshua Williamson (G.I. Joe), Tom Reilly (G.I. Joe), and Sean Mackiewicz (SVP/Publisher, Skybound) will reveal huge surprises that you can't afford to miss.

—SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 PANELS—

Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground
11:00 a.m–12:00 p.m.
Location: Room 406.2

Join Jason Aaron (The Goddamned, new announcement), Mahmud Asrar (new announcement), Charles Soule (Eight Billion Genies, new announcement), Ryan Browne (Eight Billion Genies, new announcement), Pornsak Pichetshote (The Horizon Experiment), and Paul Azaceta (Outcast With Robert Kirkman & Paul Azaceta, new announcement) for some special announcements of upcoming projects, and a conversation about genre, storytelling, industry secrets, and tricks-of-the-trade. Moderator: Jim Viscardi, VP of Business Development at Image Comics

—BOOTHS—
Ghost Machine - 3043
Tiny Onion - HB907

—ARTIST ALLEY—

Aaron, Jason - H42
Andolfo, Mirka - D38
Asrar, Mahmud - D24
Barnes, Rodney - L03
Bertram, Ian - L18
Boss, Tyler - I11
Brown, Chuck - B42
Browne, Ryan - D41
Buccellato, Brian - G34
Chiang, Cliff - L16
Craig, Wes - L19
Corona, Jorge - K28
Costa, Marcelo - G38
Daniel, Tony - E30
Delulis, Mattia - D33
Di Nicuolo, Daniele - F12
Duggan, Gerry - G32
Fiumara, Max - H23
Gillen, Kieron - A30
Greene, Sanford - L17
Groom, Mat - G39
Higgins, Kyle - G40
Hixson, Joshua - G07
Kim, Derek Kirk - H26
Kubert, Emma - F31
Larsen, Erik - I15
Lemire, Jeff - E01
McCaig, Dave - I21
Morazzo, Martin - E04
Opeña, Jerome - L04
Ottley, Ryan - G29
Parrott, Ryan - G37
Pichetshote, Pornsak - I32
Reis, Rod - E23
Seeley, Tim - J27
Simmonds, Martin - G05
Phillips, Jacob - H20
Schultz, Erica - E27
Shalvey, Declan - A31
Soule, Charles - D42
Ward, Christian - G06
Watters, Dan - A32
Wijngaard, Caspar - A30
Zdarsky, Chip - F44

 ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States, and is the #2 graphic novel publisher in America. It is the publisher of such award winning titles as, Spawn, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Monstress, Deadly Class, Chew, The Old Guard, I Kill Giants, Criminal, The Department of Truth, W0rldtr33, Geiger, Descender, Gideon Falls, It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth, Do A Power Bomb, and more. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit: www.imagecomics.com.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this great news with us! 

I Heart Skull-Crusher #6 Review

 

Writer: Josie Campbell

Artist: Alessio Zonno

Colorist: Angel De Santiago

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: Alessio Zonno; Brittney Williams; Alessio Zonno & Angel De Santiago

Designer: Grace Park

Editors: Kenzie Rzonca, Elizabeth Brei, Bryce Carlson & Matt Gagnon

Special Thanks: Dafna Pleban

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 9, 2024

 

Trini Wastelander has achieved her lifelong ambition. Her amateur Podunk Lil Team defeated the professionals and won the championship. But now, Trini joins her idol's team as Queen Mob sells Cutter Dan, the Bandit Twins, and Dave The Mutant Bear-Man to other teams. As the Screaming Pain Ball teams return to the Bubble Cites, how will Queen Mob spice up her next tournament? Let's get our heads in the game, leap into I Heart Skull-Crusher #6, and find out!

 

Story

In Josie Campbell's story, Queen Mob poisoned one of her empire’s few remaining lakes. As the teams battled in an immense arena, she dropped sections of the grandstands into the poisoned lake and drowned Crater Town. But as she slays her subjects, Queen Mob looks toward the future. She pits the tyrants of the bubble cities against each other while seeking a worthy successor.

 

Trini reminds herself that, with Coach Blood-Bone's help, she welded her teammates into a well-oiled machine. As she joins the Goalie Deckard, Second Striker Huxley, and First Defender Trish for the ride back to Queen Mob’s Capital Dome, she vows to forge friendships with her new teammates. But her new captain, Marcus Mob, squashes that idea quickly. Trini made him look bad when Podunk Lil Team defeated the Bubble City Bullets. Queen Mob disowned Marcus when he tried to overrule her decision to let Podunk Lil Team win the championship. As they compete against the other bubble cities in Queen Mob’s new tournament, Marcus has one rule: no one befriends Trini. But he and Trini discover that everything revolves around Skull-Crusher. And just as Queen Mob likes surprises, the team will get another surprise player in I Heart Skull-Crusher #6.

 

While Trini loved the bandit twins and Dave The Mutant Bear-Man, she misses Cutter Dan most. As she grew up alone, with only the skulls she dubbed Mother and Father, Screaming Pain Ball became her world. But the life of a sports professional clashes with everything she envisioned. Her teammates will never be her friends, and the rules encourage players to kill each other. While never lowering her guard, Trini must find a way to preserve her love for the game and avoid becoming a cynic like her hero.

 

Art

Alessio Zonno blends postmodern imagery and historic grandeur with comic characters and fanciful caricatures in I Heart Skull-Crusher #6. It's a world of the Haves vs the Have Nots, as Queen Mob’s soldiers pull Trini away from former teammates who stare at a cheering crowd through hologrammatic banners. Trini's soulful eyes peer through the shutters of the four-axle vehicle as the convoy races through the American Waste to Queen Mob's Capitol Dome. Only Skull-Crusher rides solo, wearing a scowl and crossing her arms over her chest, as her motorcycle steers a straight path between the armored trucks.

 

Angel De Santiago fills Trini’s world with bold colors in I Heart Skull-Crusher #6. The green trucks contrast with the glaring yellow American Waste. Inside Trini's transport, swashbuckling Marcus stands before a green and beige trading card listing his statistics and accomplishments. Air rushes through the window shutters, making his black cape trimmed with gold braid flutter and revealing a Londo Calrissian-like blue lining. The light filling each giant Victorian-style dome colors the classic architecture pink and blue while red and pink crowds cheer amid tropical greenery.

 

As Trini and Cutter Dan embrace, Jim Campbell fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with small uppercase lettering that grows bold for inflection and enlarges for shouts. Giant letters identify the bubble cities on a map showing the extent of Queen Mob's domain. Sound effects arise as Trini and Cutter Dan fall through the floor, giant dialogue helps us hear the cheering crowd, and music notes adorn a touching song as Dave The Mutant Bear-Man roars amid cherubs and flowers. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Queen Mob breaks up Podunk Lil Team, Trini must convince her new team not to kill her friends in I Heart Skull-Crusher #6. Unfortunately, her new teammates include a team captain with an axe to grind and Trini's lifelong idol who wins by any means necessary.  

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6 Review

 

Writer: Stephanie Phillips

Artists: Paolo Villanelli

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Mark Brooks & Audrey Mok

Design & Production: Carlos Lao

Editors: MR Daniel, Jordan D White, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 2, 2024

 

Gwen Stacy’s compassion for Chameleon won her a fan. But the way they hide their identities behind masks and aliases makes the relationship weird. At least Chameleon told Gwen who was gunning for her. Chameleon may have tarnished her hero image, but if Gwen takes out Black Tarantula, perhaps the police will stop hunting her. Can Gwen adopt a new strategy and get her life on Earth-616 back on track? Let's thwip into Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6 and find out!

 

Story

Fabian finds Gwen enchanting. Black Tarantula's son plays her game while “bumping” into her in Bear Coffee. Perhaps she connects the dots between the man clad in black leather who wanted to buy her a coffee and the man before her who makes the same offer. Perhaps not. But a social life can wait. After she foiled his bank heist, Black Tarantula sent Chameleon to deal with New York's latest spider hero. Gwen needs to send Black Tarantula back to Rykers before he sends someone else after her. But villains lurk in the shadows. Perhaps she should take a leaf out of their book.

 

Gaining respect from the criminal fraternity gives Gwen the confidence to descend into the shadows in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6. But questioning people in a bar is a skill that doesn’t come naturally. Gwen can disguise her appearance. Still, she lacks the subtlety to get the answers she seeks. Jessica Jones intervenes when Gwen's questions in the Low Life bar raise the villains' threat level. While Jessica admires Gwen’s willingness to try new things, she encourages Gwen to play to her strengths. Their heart-to-heart over pizza helps Gwen relax and envision what life could bring once she gets over this bump in the road. But then, Ouroborus of the Time Variance Authority and Silk also know the soothing power of pizza.

 

Gwen has a lot on her plate (aside from a slice of pepperoni). She wields a strange power she is only learning to understand and control. Her superpowers should have made her a hero. Instead, they have made her hunted, feared, and hated on two worlds. Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6 gives Gwen a moment to pause and reflect on the hero she wants to be. But she doesn't have long. Black Tarantula won't back down. And even as Gwen makes a new friend, she seems destined to lose another.

 

 

 

Art

Descend the stairs from the sidewalk and venture inside the Low Life, where a flatscreen nestles among the shelves of bottles behind the bar. More TVs hover at the periphery of the pipe-adorned ceiling, surrounding the patrons with the latest news, weather, and sports. Gwen ventures into the bar clad in a black trench coat. With her white hoodie pulled over her head and a green scarf further obscuring her face, Gwen pulls a wad of green notes from her pocket. The burly bartender in a white tank top appears less than impressed by a secretive, overdressed customer who doesn't order a drink. Shadows fall blue and purple on the patrons as they gather around Gwen in the dimly lit bar. Yet white flares behind Jessica as she steps through the orange door.

 

Gwen’s gray laptop blends with the window frame in the colorful Bear Coffee. The peach and gold sign on the street draws customers inside Bear Coffee’s grand reopening. Pink, purple, and peach balloons mingle among green potted plants and tan loveseats. More balloons cluster near the pink and purple pennants adorning the ceiling. In his gray clothes and trench coat, Fabian seems more attuned to Jessica Jones’ shadowy vibe than Gwen’s usual green, blue, and yellow casual attire. But even though Gwen seems better suited to a colorful, vibrant world, she is testing a new life in the shadows in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6.

 

As Paolo Villanelli and Matt Milla populate inviting settings with compelling characters, Ariana Maher thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons with long white arrows and places rouge words in white narrative boxes outlined with turquoise. The text grows bold for intonation and enlarges for raised voices. Sound effects accompany a colorful bar brawl and herald an emerging arachnid threat amid pages steeped in blue, purple, and pink. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

When Gwen begins a new career in the shadows, she makes a new friend and discovers a web of protection in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #6.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.