How did they go from a collection of edgelord shit to the best

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>>84008537
Have read at least 4 issues of all of the following, but read up to the current issue of most of them:
Alex + Ada
Black Science
Chew
Invincible
The Manhattan Projects
The Maxx
Nailbiter
Rat Queens
Saga
Sex Criminals
Spawn

Nailbiter has been the most disappointing for me so far. Started out really strong, but now the pacing is all over the place, characterization is garbage, it reads more like bad fanfiction than an Image comic.

What do you guys think?

>>84008537
They were founded in the 90's, which we all know was edgelord central.

>best publisher in the business

good
fucking
joke

Image is literally just a receptacle for failed TV pilot scripts and failed movie scripts. That's it. Pretty much everything they have ends up running out of steam within 10 issues and mindlessly trudging along if it continues past that point.

(This isn't to say that there's nothing good. Just that, if you're talking about Image as a *brand*, then it's no better than Big2 or their imprints.)

This might be wrong, but didn't they offer a better deal when it came to film & tv deals and that's what started everyone running to them a few years back now.

I try to only read complete stuff so I've not read any of the new lot that are still going:
Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker
Fatale
Fear Agent
Glory #23+
Godland
Luther Strode
Proof
Supreme Blue Rose
Umbral
Zero

>>84008537
As bad as their early period was, the two series from that era that are still running (Spawn and Savage Dragon) are in general a lot better than your average Big 2 schlock.

>>84009062

They've always offered that great deal, it was part of the idea for founding Image in the first place. Liefeld, Lee etc were sick of working on properties they'd never make more than a page rate on so they started it so the writers/creators would own the rights to the comics. It never was a big deal as the stuff they did in the late 90's was hacky supehero garbage and was only when Walking Dead took off (and Kirkman earned a gajillion dollars) that it started to attract all the top tier creative stuff.

they should only publish stuff if the writer intends to finish it
the list of titles that are in limbo is ever growing

>>84008537
Aside from Spawn and the Extreme stuff their 90s material wasn't even edgy by and large. They are probably publishing more edgy comics right now, except they're sex edgy instead of violence edgy.

Shit, I jus realised I buy a fuckton of Image right now.

Saga
Wicked & Divine
Chew
East of West
Manhattan Projects
Mythic
Deadly Class
Sex Criminals
The Goddammed
Manifest Destiny
Southern Bastards
Wolf
Ringside
Trees
Descender
Paper Girls
Injection

>>84009252
hasn't trees gone full SJW schlock and discarded important plot elements for the sake of covering more liberal garbage?

>>84009293

Its one of those books I don't even know why I'm getting anymore. I don't mind some SJW stuff in books but Trees is absolute garbage sometimes. Like right from the start having that Chinese farmer kid enter this community where gender didn't matter or whatever which had nothing to do with the plot was like "What the fuck is this..". Did laugh when they were blown up after having zero to do with the main plot.

>>84008735
There are people at Image who work in comics because they love the medium and not because they want Hollywood money. Brandon Graham is a good example. You just have to look harder.

But really though,
>Creators shouldn't make film/tv pitches! Creators shouldn't make tons of money off their creations! Creators should be poor, starving art-eests who die in the gutter!
Shut up, your shit is getting old.

>>84009164
>It never was a big deal as the stuff they did in the late 90's was hacky supehero garbage

Did you actually follow Image's stuff during the late 90's? By 1995 they had Bone, Astro City, and Strangers in Paradise. By 1997 Jim Valentino turned Shadowline from being the part of Image that had Shadowhawk into the "non-line" of usually non-superhero stuff. Meanwhile Mage, A Distant Soil were getting published by Image. Bendis was doing his crime comics then, too. Sure, there was still Spawn and Witchblade and similar stuff, but Image was already getting diversified by the late 90's.

You're partly right in that Walking Dead taking off is part of the reason people went over to Image, but the other reason is that Vertigo's contracts changed somewhere in the 00's that made Image's deals look far more favorable.

>>84009398

I was actually going to mention Vertigo, you're correct there. They changed the contracts for books so much there and basically froze out Karen Berger after the shift toward the New 52 launch in 2010. As soon as she lost control as editor there Vertigo just tanked in quality and people looked elsewhere.

>>84009210
>wasn't even edgy by and large
Yeah Savage Dragon has always been pretty self aware how goofy it is without ever going complete "wink wink" at the audienc

Spawn at least can be the fun kind of edgy, I tried reading Youngblood and it was surprisingly boring

>>84009552
Yeah Youngblood was pretty bad. Bloodstrike and Brigade were probably better honestly. Liefeld aped Marvel's early 90s X-Men line note for note, right down to the main title being a messy clusterfuck and the spinoffs being more focused and interesting.

>>84009602
It was a weird hybrid of X-Men and Teen Titans, in fact Liefled claims it was a Teen Titans pitch DC didn't pick up. I mean Shaft is 100% Red Arrow/Speedy

>>84009398
All of this
It's really easy to spot someone who had never read Image before Saga or the Walking Dead tv show

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Dark horse is better

>>84009997
DH really needs to bring in new blood. Comics like Sabertooth Swordsman and Harrow County show that the company can do more than just the old guard ( Mignola, Sakai, Powell, etc) and all the licensed media comics for Alien, Buffy, etc

>>84008693
>What do you guys think?
About Nailbiter? You're spot-on. It never really recovered from the time they stopped the entire narrative just to have Bendis visit the town.

>>84009252
>>84009293
>Trees
Didn't even bother past the first "trans people will be the first victims of the apocalypse" arc.
>Ringside, Paper Girls
Never read.
>Everything else
worth reading.

>>84009365
You're strawmanning. Lots of Image titles clearly have no direction beyond the elevator pitch....because that's all they are: a proof of concept that hopefully gets them a movie deal.

>>84010119
>Sabertooth Swordsman
I'm glad there was a storytime recently. It's way too underrated for being effectively "James Stokoe's Usagi Yojimbo"

>>84009492
Part of it was over the books but another part was also that they changed it so that WB would get first exclusivity to adaptation rights or something like that for some number of years. The problem with this is that they could stall or make a really shitty adaptation and it means a lot of time is wasted and no money coming in.

>>84010119
Read DHP, they do plenty of new shit, quote a bit of those creators get their own books

>>84008537
it's still edgelord shit
the only difference is that they phased out almost all of their bulging muscles and pouches

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>>84010119
DH is full of idiots. They had this property for a year and nearly did nothing with it.

>>84008537
They only have a few decent series. They're literally a corporation that publishes film pitches. How you could consider that "the best" is beyond any conceivable reasoning.

>>84009997
THIS. Their back catalogue is one of the best of any publisher in history. They have literally put out hundreds of quality minis, one-shots, and ongoings.

>>84010119
They do ship out lots of new series, some of which are really awesome, it's just that they have no marketing and so everything dies after 4 issues.

>>84011061
>All of Image is Millarworld

>>84008537
>best publisher in business
>One (sometimes two) series that actually continues.
>Everything else peters out due to creators losing interest or finding out it's not successful.
WEW LAD

>>84010119
they got plenty new blood but the only way to find their comics is read the solicits because they don't advertise anything

>>84008537
Edgy is an infantile aspect of storytelling. But look like all infants, of it lives it grows into something wonderfully complex

>>84008537
>best publisher in the business
>when Fantagraphics exists

>>84008735
>>84011402
Feel free to tell us which is best then

>>84012156
>Pretentious hipster shit

>>84012156
name 5 titles from fantagraphics I should be reading right now

>>84008727
>They were founded in the 90's, which we all know was edgelord central.

Nah Image was the single largest collection of fucking dick heads in the comics industry

Images was the primary force behind the death of Comics in the 90's

>>84010823
DHP should be given away for free, since it's pretty much just advertisements.

>>84012843
Fantagraphics mainly doesn't do ongoings, they do one-shot releases instead.

Here is an ongoing that they offer:
http://www.fantagraphics.com/series/hiphopfamilytree/

Some recent releases:
http://www.fantagraphics.com/amsterdam/
http://www.fantagraphics.com/patience/

A new publication of an old /co/ favorite:
http://www.fantagraphics.com/boysclub/

And of course, Love & Rockets.

>>84013124
>http://www.fantagraphics.com/amsterdam/
>They need Owl to come and help them save their relationship. But why does he have a suitcase full of glass dildos?
Wow.

>>84012156
Are you the Fantagraphics poster?

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>>84008537
Best Image book and one of the GOATs coming through.

Currently, I try to avoid any Image book with a Big Two writer name attached to it because there is just so much garbage it's not really worth it. Exception is Jason Aaron because Southern Bastards is the closest to a spirtual successor to Scalped as it gets.

>>84012891
>Images was the primary force behind the death of Comics in the 90's

> Not Bob Harras driving Marvel to bankruptcy
> Not the speculator market killing comics book shops
> not Death of Superman
> Not all the bullshit gimmick covers from Marvel and DC

>>84008537
Avatar out-edged them so they had to start publishing good stuff?

>>84010989
Are those receipts meant to resemble 40k purity seals (and various seals in other media)?

>>84013746
Don't know if it is the best, but it is damn good. Got the comics because of the short-lived animated series from when MTV had quality stuff.

>>84013847
Kind of makes sense

>>84008537
I think its largely in part cause big names like Morrison, Remender, and Hickman started using them to publish their creator owned works. It's now a haven for bog established and new writers. Image also has an insanely lax policy to where all you have to do is make the first issue and an outline for the first arc and they will publish it if they think it sounds good.

I read almost exclusively image titles.
Alex + Ada
Birthright
Black Science
Casanova
Chew
Deadly Class
Death Vigil
Genius
I Hate Fairyland
Invincible
Invincible Universe
The Island
IXth Generation
Legacy of Luther Strode
The Li'l Depressed Boy
The Li'l Depressed Boy: Supposed To Be Here Too
Low
Monstress
Morning Glories
Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta
Paper Girls
Plutona
Pretty Deadly
Rat Queens
Red One
Revival
Saga
Sex Criminals
Shutter
Switch
Tech Jacket
Thief of Thieves
Tokyo Ghost
The Wicked + The Divine
Witchblade

And I know some of these have ended but I've collected enough to count them.

>>84012891
Speculation blew the bubble up in the 90s

And everyone was to blame for it not just a single publisher.

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Image has been fun

However I have noticed that most of their stuff just blends into the generic science fiction / fantasy background now.

>>84016259
If you're going to pin the blame on anyone it should be Wizard.

I'm still glad The Savage Dragon is still going and Erik Larsen is still at it. He's a pleasant fellow.

>>84016445
What things you think they should try?

>hard mode
things that sell.

>>84016468
>it should be Wizard.

Some writer/editor at Wizard ran an article about the price of Valiant going up just to sell their own issues

>>84016525
I don't actually have a problem with them selling books that don't interest me at all.

This piece by Kim Thompson is really good at why

http://www.tcj.com/a-modest-proposal-more-crap-is-what-we-need/

>>84016445
It's just the trend now, they used to publish mostly hero/action stuff.
It'll be something else 10 years from now

>>84008693
>Alex + Ada

no alex and ada was the worst. It's a story about American slavery only using white people
fucking the worst shit.

>>84016654
I like that a lot.

Is Morning Glories finished already? Stopped reading by issue 15 or something because of neverending misteries and no answers. Reminded of Lost which is fucking shit

You mean how did they go from a collection of edgelord shit to a bunch of HBO show premises that go nowhere?

>>84009365
>Shut up, your shit is getting old.
"Struggling artists" has nothing to do with it. The way a TV or a movie are writen is completly different from how most comics are writen. TV that go beyond their pilot have a bunch of other witers to fill in the minor episodes and add to it. Firefly`s pilot is just Outlaw Star, the other details are what make it unique.

>>84017736
>This meme again

>>84017712
Lost is good, though. Its characterization, mysteries, and overall presentation were fantastic, especially by TV standards.

Morning Glories is shit. And no, it hasn't ended and doesn't seem like it will anytime soon. It's just on huge breaks because Spencer literally has 4 ongoings right now.

>>84017861
They spent the whole show saying "This isn't Limbo guys, keep watching!" and in the end it really was. J.J. Abrams never again.

>>84008537
Isn't Valiant currently the best out there?

>>84017970
But that's literally not what the island was. It's not their fault you have poor comprehension.

>>84009997
Usagi yojimbo has the kill count of the goon and hellboy combined? But he looks so cute and fluffy!

>>84016445
i'm probably the only person who thought zero was good when it turned to the william burroughs stuff, but then again he's one of my favorite authors so inherent bias

>>84018243
Valiant is limited to cape, Image has a wider range of genres.

>>84018348
Zero to me was an excellent showcase of a lot of really great artists, barely held together by a plot.

>>84018243
lol no

>>84018376
i honestly think kot just comes up with premises, runs them for an arc, and then uses his comics to muse on his thoughts on politics, the body, media, etc.

I don't there is a "best publisher" anymore for most people.

It is just a list of books you read that come from all over.

>>84018416
Probably and I don't have a problem with it as long as he finds interesting to people to draw them.

>>84018348
What's a good series by him?

>>84018576
oh i meant william s. burroughs is one of my favorite writers as in novel writers
his most famous is naked lunch, after that i would recommend the cut-up trilogy

he is fascinating person and writer

as far as kot goes he's okay
I liked his graphic novel with rossmo Wild Children, his short 4 issue run on suicide squad is fantastic imo, and I thought Zero was decent. His current series Wolf has a cool premise but is hit or miss

>>84018576
Burroughs or Kot?

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>>84008537
I've been reading mostly Image recently, just because I find it easier to keep up with it than the Big 2 and I'm so fucking far behind the 8-ball with Dark Horse to ever truly catch up Although with Hellboy ending I might give it a go
Right now I'm reading
>Manifest Destiny
>Nowhere Men
>The Autumnlands
>Manhattan Projects rip
>Spread
>Southern Bastards
>Chew
>Roche Limit
>Low
>The Humans
>East of West
>Whatever Brubakers working on Criminal, The Fade-Out, etc
>Limbo
>Rumble
>Postal
>Revival
>Copperhead kinda fell behind on this, premise was interesting but no new issues in awhile
I'm mostly just following at a distance, picking up trades here and there. As other people have pointed out, there is a tendency for some of there comics to fall apart after the opening arc because it was essentially a TV pitch, but quite a few have managed to hold my attention. I feel like Image is at its best when the writers use it as an opportunity to get really weird.

>>84018716
brubaker used to be so good but fuck is he boring now. i'll give that his books have great art but man oh man are those stories rehashed or generic

>>84018606
I really want to check Wold out because the covers are fantastic, but a lot of Kot's stuff I can't help but feel it's kinda pretentious. Does Wolf manage to avoid that?

>>84018755
define 'pretentious'
i feel like this word gets misused a lot

sure wolf is cool and it has musings on racism, rape and all that but if that counts as 'pretentious' then imo i wouldn't recommend it. its weird because it has a female on male rape too

>>84018755
There's nothing wrong with being pretentious. I like it when creators aim high, when they aren't content to be generic or middling. And even when they fail to reach their goals, that's endearing to me too, like the underdog in a sports movie that we all love to root for.

There's nothing in the league rulebook which says that a dog can't make comics.

>>84018791
Might be interesting if it's well written I guess. The problem with musings on racism and rape is that if you don't do it well you faceplant, there's no real middle ground.

>>84018825
i would say he def tries to incorporate it in line with the story but the execution of it is good or bad on the opinion of the reader
>>84018823
agree with this so hard

Yeah I would I think always have creators try rather than not to really push the series they are doing and what it is about.

If you faceplant, you faceplant at least you went for it.

>>84013124
>http://www.fantagraphics.com/amsterdam/
>They need Owl to come and help them save their relationship. But why does he have a suitcase full of glass dildos?
Warhol.

>>84018754
He is putting out a new volume of Criminal later this year, hope it is on par with the rest. From his recent work i really liked Fatale, even bought the deluxe editions, but it seems most people on /co/ wasn't impressed by it.

>>84019021
the ending of fatale was kinda cool with the trippy cosmic shit i just wish he would stop writing noir stories and branch out because its starting to get a lil' stale

>>84018716
>Copperhead
Faerber just posted about it on Twitter. Drew Moss will be the new artist while Scott will only do cover work.

>>84019212
Damn, I liked Scott's art.
What else has Drew Moss done?

>>84019229
Never read anything penciled by him desu. Here is a link with some of his art: http://drew-moss.tumblr.com/

>>84019316
Doesn't look half bad.

Started reading Manifest Destiny today, wtihout knowing what was it about. It got creepy fast.

>>84008537
>tfw Image has the prestige right now that Valiant should have

FUCK
THEM

>>84010119
DH is crippled by retarded CEOs.

A year ago a dude that worked in the company made a thread to complain about how the higher ups basically had no idea what they were doing

>>84020426
I have never understood the Valiant love people have, the books of theirs I have seen look boring.

>>84016445
Image always had this problem, they tend to fall into trends pretty hard.

At least they are starting to drop the cop comics. God that genre is boring.

>>84017861
>morning glories
>shit
nah it's good. not mind blowing because time fuckery is almost never good.

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>>84020460
Almost everything they made in the 90's was gold, and all of the re-introduced series are either okay, to amazing. They have literally never made a "bad" series. I do not know why they aren't selling as well as others.

>>84020460
The only stuff worth reading is what Barry Windsor-Smith did in the 90's

>>84020439
I remember that, they have delusions of launching a DH cinematic universe with characters like Ghost and X. JESUS

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>>84016445
Does any one even remember what Glory was ORIGINALLY.

It's like the best example of how the company has changed with the times.

>>84020460
Harbinger was great desu senpai

>>84020590
The truth of the matter is something being boring is worse than something being Bad.

Middle of the Road okay Superhero universe is a really boring sounding thing, and none of the books I have looked at have changed that perception.

>>84020623
Their talent pool is really average as well, a writer focused company

>>84020594
>characters like Ghost and X
Are they bad?

>>84020618
some of benez early work
i got some of those issues

>>84020623
>middle of the road okay superhero universe is really boring sounding

It SOUNDS like, you've never read any of valiants works.

>>84020660
Their art is great, and their writing is stellar. Their talent pool is seen as "average" because they lack the exposure.

Bloodshot, Ninja, Shadowman, and Harbinger are some of their best selling works, and barely anyone's heard of them.

90's Ninjak is only one example of a fucking ACE run by them, in both art, writing, and characters.

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>>84020863
Fuck, forgot the pic.

>>84020530
Yeah, the biggest problem with Image is that while they in theory offer a platform where a creative team can write pretty much anything they want, a lot of writers want to make the next Sage or TWD and they try to ape those series. I find that some of the best books are being written by people that are either currently working for the Big 2 or just finished up with them, since they've already made their name and money so they have some room to get weird.

>>84020863
So you are assuming that I am lying because I disagree with you?

>>84020661
They are boring as death.

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>>84020920
What books have you looked at?

>>84020979
The recent ones I see storytimed on here from time to time and I checked out the first issue of the new Ninjak.

>>84008537
Eric Stephenson has done a really good job running the company. It's probably largely his doing.

Plus things like the boom in TV drama have made it increasingly possible to make money off a creator-owned comic. Most of them don't, of course, but Kirkman's success has proven the value of owning what you create, and that inspired other people to concentrate more on their own stuff, once they've built up enough of a name at the big companies.

Can it go on? I don't know. The Image model piles a lot of risk onto the people making the comics. Writers who are not also enterpreneurs may have a harder time; if you're just good at writing, but not the production/financing/marketing side of things, you're going to have problems. The Vertigo model was sometimes better because it combined creator autonomy with the slick production values of a big company.

But Vertigo isn't as creator-friendly as it once was, there's no more Wildstorm, there really isn't a middle ground between working for the Man and making your own stuff. So Image is the best choice for any creator who doesn't want to be stuck with superheroes forever.

>>84008537
Tokyo Ghost
Chew

>>84020992
Michel Fiffe and Ben Marra did a story in a Bloodshot annual that's worth checking out

>>84021127
I heard about that but haven't been able to find it in any of the stores I have been to.

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>>84020992
Okay, because what you said here:
>middle of the road okay superhero universe is really boring sounding

Is MUCH more in line with what Image offers compared to Valiant, which is who I was directly comparing Valiant to.

In terms of Ninjak, the first 4 issues from 1994 which are both their own story arcs are flawless in execution. After that the writing is still great, but the art fluctuates.

Bloodshot is perfect the whole way through and even now is amazingly well done, and probably their strongest character right now.

>>84021194
Image isn't a superhero company anymore. That's all Valiant has to offer

>>84021225
and that's a pretty decent niche to fill - superheroes for people who are bored of the Big Two.

It's probably not a big niche, though.

>>84021015
>Most of them don't, of course, but Kirkman's success has proven the value of owning what you create, and that inspired other people to concentrate more on their own stuff, once they've built up enough of a name at the big companies
The irony is that Kirkman himself dropped a lot in quality of his work after TWD became a TV series. Invincible went from great to okay while "new" creations like Thief of Thieves and Outcast were obviously written in the hope of being adapted to TV, and aren't really worth reading.

Stopped reading TWD during the Negan arc so can't comment on that. It already did everything it could and i wish he would write a completely new set of characters or just end the comic

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>>84021249
Yeah and I already have that niche filled just fine.

You only need so much of one thing a month it turns out

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>>84021310

>>84021225
>Isn't a superhero company anymore

Didn't they just launch Haunt, like, 7 years ago, and regularly release new issues?

But okay.

>that's all valiant has to offer

Nothing wrong with sticking to a genre. It's what Marvel and DC do, and when they do publish other stuff, it's usually through another imprint.

>>84021331
>>84021319
>>84021310
That was so fucking goat

>>84021310
One of the biggest turn offs about Valiant for me is the interconnected universe. I already have zero interest in company wide crossovers with The Big 2

>>84021354
yeah, but now i'm bummed about it again

>>84021352
I think new issues of Haunt haven't come out in a long time

>>84021393
The end of most recent chapter just gutted me in the best way possible.

Japanese Shonen utilizing the tropes of Superhero comics is a really potent weapon it turns out.

>>84021310
>>84021319
What the fuck is this

>>84021402
Yeah the Joe Casy / Nathan Fox was the end of Haunt

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>>84021434
Its My Hero Academia the perfect fusion.

>>84021452
I need to give this another chance. I read an awful scanlation awhile ago

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>>84021310
I was going to say "Shadowman isn't," but I remembered that his best runs were under Acclaim, which is where it turned into surrealistic paranormal horror.

>>84021452
Seems a regular "power through friendship" shonen story

>>84021352
>just
>7 years ago
And that answers that
Although for real by superhero company he means 'publishes only superheroes'. So even though they still put out Spawn, Savage Dragon and Invincible, and Brubaker's launching some superhero or 'vigilante' thing soon, that is pretty much it.

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>>84021621
It is largely that but it takes that and smashes it headlong into a Superhero World.

It gives Superhero comics back the large focus on action they have been missing IMO.

>>84021651
>It gives Superhero comics back the large focus on action they have been missing IMO

What the hell are you reading?

If you say anything under "Marvel", then don't bother, I already know why you think that.

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>>84021712
Nothing from them anymore.

Right now my mothly list looks like this for regularly releasing comics.

>>84021725
I need to pick up the Mirror 3&4

>>84021777
I haven't read all of #4 but it showing the real origins of the story reframe it all in some really interesting ways.

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>>84021725
>regularly releasing comics

I quit doing that years ago. I just buy volumes and compilations now, or one-offs. It's more cost-effective and I like having space without collecting piles of comics anymore.

I have no idea what I'd of done if I knew about Grendel when it came out while I was still buying single issues.

I've never read ANY of the Image comics, are they really that good when compared to Marvel and DC? If so then what would you reccomend to start with?

>>84021857
It is more cost effective for me to buy singles and new comics.

>>84021881
It depends on what you are looking for I would recommend a try given to any title on >>84016445

>>84021881
Manifest Destiny
Prophet (Graham issues)
The Maxx
Invincible
Saga
Deadly Class
Copperhead
Southern Bastards

Lots of good comics, really

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>>84008537
Paper girls is fucking sweet, my favourite ongoing along with vision

>>84009997
Deffo the best source of horror comics

>>84013746
I am the opposite, i tend to avoid aaron, i never like his stuff

>>84022321
I liked Aaron at one point but all his moves turned out to the be the same small handful.

>>84009062
>Fear Agent
isn't that from dark horse?

>>84022434
Started at Image went to DH after first 2 story arcs

>>84020590
harbinger went to shit when they did the massive crossover at issue 14 or so.

>>84021981
>(Graham issues)
as opposed to? i mean, he did cowrite almost all of it, only exceptions i can think of are the giannis and ron wimberly solo issues, 2 out of like 27 in total or something like that.

>>84022552
As opposed to any issues of Prophet before #21.

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>>84022552
He is talking about the first 20 issues

>>84022552
IT was originally by Liefield

>>84022578
>>84022580
>>84022590
oh, right. that was dumb
sorry

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>>84022632
I actually bought a bunch of those, and kinda really enjoy them.

In that extremely excessive way it is hard to find elsewhere

>>84022653
Underrated for sure. The stuff that Rob wrote is even pretty good. You can tell he was really excited about the character.

>>84022690
Going back to all that stuff is amazing now, because of how much money those guys were making at the age they were and so many people wanted to read all of it.

Would drive you to just go all into it, I can only imagine the stupid shit I would come up with in that situation.

>>84010799

plus a lot of the Vertigo stuff people don't even own.

so much of their stuff went out of print due to DC not thinking it worthwhile to keep up, and now you're seeing it being published elsewhere (Brian Wood getting Dark Horse to re-publish New York Four/Five, Tomasi getting Light Brigade re-published elsewhere).

Warren Ellis has openly said that hes disappointed in the current Transmetropolitan publications, but he doesn't actually know anyone who works at DC anymore, so he doesn't know what can be done about it or if he even could get them to change.

I love Image, but stop me if you've heard this one: a promising new series stalls out before it reaches its 10th issue. No real conclusion, it just kind of dies.
Image has a serious problem with retaining series. If a book hasn't reached 10 issues I tend to assume it's going to disappear and the creators are going to move on to something else.

That said, there are three Image books I love reading month-in, month-out.
Invincible
Saga
Autumnlands

>>84009188

but a lot of books that people stopped working on weren't financially worthwhile.

everything at Image is coming out of the creator's pockets, so if they're not making any money, theres no point in doing it.

>>84009352

If you think that had nothing to do with the plot then I think you're massively misreading the book.

>>84022787
deadly class and east of west have been consistently good month to month. island of course is a mixed bag due to its variance. my guilty pleasure book is Wayward even though i know its basically average and fizzled a bit after ten issues but young weeb me loves it

>>84022787

You can tell that some creators really can't work without the pressure of an editor or having someone do the little stuff that gets the book made.

I like that Stephenson has essentially made it so they won't solicit/publish your book until you have at least 2-3 issues complete just because of how bad they've been with consistency with new series.

>>84022787
I don't hold length as any barring of quality of a book.

>>84008537
>best publisher in business
Yeah no.

>>84022860
I agree that length doesn't matter, whether the series is 50 issues, or six, even a one-shot. But I'm not at all interested in a series that just stops mid-sentence. Why invest myself in something that goes nowhere? If I want that I can just read a webcomic.

>>84023129
There are plenty of reasons, you think it looks good, has something to say, you enjoy reading it.

Comics don't owe me conclusions, that is why I buy them in singles, new comics are a very in the moment thing for me so the ending isn't on my mind.

>>84022862
Who is then?

>>84011402
Image is a mixed bag.

It has a certain scene that appeals to hipsters and the like with stuff like W&D but straight up crime books like The Violent just struggle to get an audience.

It's a niche company despite having some strong titles, I just wish it was more level field as most series don't have a built in audience and titles just die after the first issue.

Having said all of this, the only current (and non-cancelled) titles I enjoy are Descender, Rumble and Manifest Destiny.

>>84023234
I don't think there is a correct answer to this question.

>>84023234
The problem is that it's a dumb question to ask.

The "best" publisher should be whatever publishes good-to-great series on average, has a variety of genres, pushes boundaries, does unique stuff rather than following trends, has ample material available on a regular schedule, etc.

No publisher is doing all that at the moment. Image *definitely* isn't doing that, but of course, Marvel/DC/Dark Horse/IDW/Valiant aren't either. Praising the best of shit companies isn't good practice. It's like creating an award for "best idiot" -- at best, all you're doing is telling people to be more like THAT idiot, as opposed to aiming higher.

I'm not >>84022862, but I read (and enjoy) more from DC, Valiant, and Fantagraphics than I do from Image. But, again, I wouldn't call any of them the "best".

>>84022787
Invincicuck is my best pull of the month.

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new Orc Stain WHEN

>>84023681
he's busy working on marvel one shots

>>84023681
Whenever Stokoe has enough issues to fill a second trade.

>>84023699
And I'm sure more Godzilla stuff

>>84011112
Shadow Glass becomes digital-first for its second half (and its TPB will be published next year), and The Paybacks becomes a part of Heavy Metal Magazone' creator-owned initiative.

>>84017861
All the delays and hiatuses of Morning Glories nowadays are due to Joe Eisma being an art instructor.

>>84020439
Don't forgot Scott Allie, who will never leave DH unless his friend Mignola leaves.

>>84021296
Outcast finally gets a TV series, so that TV pitch case works.

>>84022758
The most recent example of one creator pulling out his/her Vertigo comic to other publishers is Ronald Wimberly's Prince of Cats (from Vertigo to Image).

>>84023681
he's basically posted the next issue already

>CTRL+F Stray Bullets
>0 results
God dammit.

>>84021015
Kirkman's success also meant they had the money to attract big name creators. Their pre-TWD deal was pretty shit, whihc is why all the real talent went to Vertigo.

>>84026084
It's self-published until Image published the 41st issue.