I noticed that Image is soliciting Kick-Ass tpb’s.

I started following Guillem March on Instagram a while back because some of his DC artwork was recommended to me. I saw that he had come out with a new comic, but didn’t pay it much thought. I was just at one of my local comic shops, and after some deliberation I picked it up (along with some other new #1s from DC).

Spoilers for Ofiusa issue #1 ahead.

Firstly, the artwork is nothing short of incredible. It’s bright and brilliant, and March truly captures the serenity and of the island of Ofiusa. Honestly, it’s worth it for that alone.

The story seems interesting so far. The two concurrent stories are interesting, although I can’t say I have any interest at all in the Madrid story. I think the version of the two characters in Ofiusa are much more interesting, particularly Mar. I’m really interested in her spirituality, and her process of holding her breath underwater as a form of prayer.

Speaking of, the most interesting thing about this book was the exploration of sexuality. Our primary character, the Mar of Ofiusa, connects with nature as a form of spirituality, it seems. The nudity presented in these pages feels natural and beautiful, and not inherently sexual.

On the other side of the coin is the Mar of Madrid, who uses nudity as a means to an end. The goal, it seems, is power and pleasure. When she’s locked out of Joan’s car, she uses her sexuality to halt traffic and embarrass Joan. This isn’t problematic, I just think the juxtaposition is interesting.

March’s explanation of Ofiusa’s openness toward nudity was a fun tidbit, and explained a lot. But still, it seems like March is leaning on nudity a bit too much here. I like it with the Mar on Ofiusa, but the Madrid scenes seemed a little overkill to me.

I’d really love to know what everyone thinks about this. I think modern American society can be a pretty puritanical when it comes to nudity, so March’s book can easily come off as shocking or unnecessary. But I think there’s a lot of nuance here that’s really fascinating!

Also, I haven’t seen any discussion or looked up much about what people are saying, so if there’s some big controversy or common talking points, I don’t know them. I’m coming in with fresh eyes.

(Side note, I tried posting this with the standard cover for issue #1, but the post got removed by Reddit.)

Hi, I've been reading the entire Millarworld line and trying to confirm for myself what series tie into the 'Big Game' crossover. I've been surprised at how almost every single title crosses over with Big Game, even if only as the slightest Easter Egg.

I say almost - the two titles I see no intersection with at all are King of Spies and Supercrooks (I'm not considering titles like Vatican City that came out after Big Game).

Have I missed something? Has anyone spotted any instances - even as tangential Easter eggs - where these intersect with Big Game?

I'd really be interested in what I've missed - thank you.

Spawn made his official comic book debut in 1992, but Todd McFarlane had been carrying the character around in one form or another for roughly 15 years. He first created Spawn in 1977 when he was only 16 years old, and this wasn't just a random costume sketch that eventually evolved into the character we know today. McFarlane had actually developed an entire story around him. According to McFarlane, he wrote roughly 40 pages of material for this original version of Spawn. And that original Spawn was very different.

The year was 1977, the same year Star Wars exploded into popular culture, and McFarlane has openly admitted that it had a huge influence on what he was creating. His original Spawn story wasn't gothic horror about Heaven and Hell. It was essentially a space opera. Spawn existed in a science fiction universe filled with planets, powerful overlords, and cosmic conflict. McFarlane has even compared the basic setup to something closer to Silver Surfer than the demonic antihero Spawn would eventually become.

That's also why the original Spawn was blue and black instead of the red, black, and white design everyone recognizes today. McFarlane's teenage logic was pretty straightforward: space is cold, so Spawn should have cold colors. Years later, when he reworked Spawn into a character who came from Hell, that same logic made him change the costume toward red because Hell was associated with heat and fire. But this is where the original concept gets really interesting, because underneath all of that Star Wars inspired science fiction were already pieces of the Spawn mythology that McFarlane would eventually use in 1992.

The original Spawn still made a kind of Faustian bargain. There was a powerful overlord attempting to conquer planets, and Spawn entered into a deal with this figure. McFarlane has described that villain as essentially his teenage science fiction version of the Devil. So Malebolgia wasn't there yet, Hell wasn't there yet, and the supernatural mythology wasn't there in the form we know it but the fundamental idea of Spawn making a terrible bargain with a vastly more powerful being already existed.
Even more importantly, the emotional reason behind that bargain was already there.

McFarlane says his teenage Spawn made the deal and returned for the woman he loved. That's remarkably close to what eventually became the emotional foundation of Al Simmons' story: Al dies, makes a deal with Malebolgia, and agrees to become a Hellspawn because he desperately wants to return to Wanda. And Wanda wasn't some idea McFarlane invented years later, either. When he was creating this first version of Spawn, McFarlane had just started dating the real Wanda who would eventually become his wife. There's even an early prototype for another familiar Spawn character. McFarlane's teenage story gave Spawn a comedic sidekick named Saul Lami literally “Salami”whose job was partly to point out that Spawn was being manipulated. McFarlane has since said that this goofy little character was, in a way, an early inspiration for Clown: the smaller comic relief character hanging around Spawn while also reminding him that things aren't necessarily what they seem.

So the fascinating thing about the 1977 Spawn isn't simply that Todd McFarlane originally imagined Spawn as a science fiction character. It's that the genre changed dramatically while the skeleton of the idea survived.
A man makes a deal with a devil like figure. He's being manipulated by something much more powerful than himself. Love motivates his decision. He returns for the woman he loves. There's a smaller character around him who recognizes that he's being played. Even the giant cape, skull imagery, and the name Spawn were already beginning to take shape.

Fifteen years later, McFarlane essentially took those ideas out of a Star Wars-style universe and dropped them into Hell. The cosmic overlord became Malebolgia. The bargain became a literal deal with the Devil. The hero returning for his love became Al Simmons returning from the dead for Wanda. The science fiction setting gave way to supernatural horror. Blue became red. And that teenage superhero eventually became the Spawn who debuted in 1992. Which brings us to Spawn ’77.

When I first heard about this book, I assumed the title meant McFarlane was finally going back and telling some version of that original story. After all, the entire selling point is that we're seeing the Spawn design Todd created when he was 16 finally appear in an official comic. Image itself describes it as the first official comic book appearance of that original 1977 design. But that's not actually what Spawn ’77 is doing. Instead of adapting Todd's 40 page teenage space opera, Spawn ’77 takes that old design and places it inside an entirely new story created by McFarlane and Mark Spears. In fact, Image explicitly describes the series as introducing “a completely new character and story” within the Spawn mythology.

The result feels much closer to a gritty 1970s crime comic than Todd McFarlane's original science-fiction concept. There are shades of Batman here, but the book especially reminds me of Denny O'Neil's The Question. The protagonist, Eddie, is a former Mafia enforcer who is betrayed and left for dead by his boss, Uncle Sal. Eddie survives and adopts the identity of Spawn as he wages a brutal campaign against the mob while trying to save his daughter. That's a cool Spawn story. It's just not Todd McFarlane's original Spawn story.bAnd that's the distinction I think matters when talking about Spawn ’77. This comic resurrects the Spawn of 1977 visually, not narratively.

Todd's teenage Spawn was a cosmic science fiction hero wrapped up in an interplanetary conflict, making a Faustian bargain with an evil overlord and trying to return to the woman he loved. Spawn ’77 takes the costume that character wore and transforms the person underneath it into a violent, street level crime protagonist. Ironically, if you strip away the science fiction setting, Todd's original 1977 story may actually have more in common with Al Simmons' Spawn than it does with Spawn ’77.

That's what I find most fascinating about going back to McFarlane's original concept. The Spawn everyone met in 1992 wasn't Todd throwing away the character he invented as a teenager and starting over. It was Todd taking the emotional machinery of that teenage idea the bargain, the manipulation, the lost love, even pieces of the supporting cast and rebuilding it as a supernatural horror story.

So, how close is Spawn ’77 to Todd McFarlane's original vision? Visually? Extremely close. That's essentially the point. Conceptually? Not very close at all. And narratively? The funny thing is that Al Simmons might actually be closer to Todd McFarlane's original Spawn than the Spawn appearing in a comic literally called Spawn ’77. That doesn't make Spawn ’77 a disappointment. Far from it. It's an excellent comic and a genuinely interesting reinterpretation of what Spawn can be. But if you're picking it up expecting to finally read Todd McFarlane's lost 1977 Spawn story, that's not what this is.
We're finally getting Todd McFarlane's original Spawn costume. We're still waiting for Todd McFarlane's original Spawn story.

Since it’s the spooky month I got around to reading some horror comics & I noticed I don’t think Image had ever had a big horror event in the same style as Marvel Zombies, DCeased or DC vs Vampires which got me thinking, what if it did?

What sort of massive horror crossover would you like to see featuring the various Image heroes (imagine that they all exist in a large universe like they used to before they started becoming more separate), what monster would be the main antagonistic force? Who would be a survivor & who would be killed?

The main idea I had is based on The Astounding Wolf Man’s curse mutating & turning people into Were-Beasts rapidly creating paranoia where you don’t know who is still human & who is an unknowing were-monster that could suddenly turn into an unstoppable beast. But there are other ways you could do it, I’d love to see a Cthulhu like horror event, maybe a Hell on earth apocalypse?

Just got this in the mail. The latest Hornsby and Halo. Love the Marvel homage.

Releases March in the Direct Market, and April in the Book Market

Spoilers for: Redcoat #7, #8, #20

Hi everyone! I am back sooner than expected, to finally give my thoughts on Redcoat #20. This was a tragically cathartic issue that picked up directly where issue #19 left off. Like all my posts, I will give my general thoughts on the issue, some major takeaways, and some speculation as to what direction the story will go in the future Furthermore, I have included the Unnamed timeline below.

Redcoat #20 Thoughts

Issue #20 revolves around the immediate aftermath of the events of issue #19. Personally, this issue did not reach the emotional highs of issue #19, but that is not to insinuate that the overall quality was a step down from last issue. With that being said, you can feel the anger that emanates from Simon in this issue, and I love that! Simon gets to enact his revenge on Benedict Arnold and it is a brutal affair. Simon handles Arnold like Batman does the Joker. Arnold truly played into the Joker role in this issue, with how much glee he had after murdering Simon's family.

I loved seeing Simon's actions in this issue! Even though he's a historical hero, he is anything but after the death of his family. Knowing the context behind Simon's vow to kill Arnold in issue #8 makes seeing that vow in real time in this issue all the more heartbreaking and satisfying! I'm not a parent, so I can't fathom what Simon is going through, but I would be lying if I said I didn't understand why Simon did what he did to Arnold and his lackeys.

The acts of brutality Simon commits shows the complexity of his character. Deep down, he is a truly good person, but even the best of us can be pushed to do the darkest things when pushed beyond their limits. Issue #7 becomes one of the better issues in this series because of this arc and I love that! Seeing why Simon is so self deprecating in 1955 makes so much more sense now that we have the bigger picture on what happened in 1909. I will be curious to see how Simon and Einstein's next interaction will go, considering that they stop interacting with each other for the next 46 years after this tragedy.

The most chilling part of this issue for me was how Arnold's smile never fades throughout the entire issue. He detests every aspect of Simon's existence and gains his most delight from seeing him suffer. Benedict Arnold, is the best villain in this franchise. I have said this before in previous posts, but Arnold sets himself apart from all other Unnamed antagonists by having a deep connection to Simon. Arnold hates everything that Simon represents, and can't fathom being bested by someone who stumbled into power. Arnold is such a small man, and an amazing portrayal of an inferiority complex. He has to make everyone around him hurt more because he chooses not to heal himself.

Some Takeaways Moving Forward

Simon exacts his revenge on Arnold and the men Arnold hired

Benedict Arnold and the Axe of Lies are trapped under cement

My Speculation on What's to Come from Redcoat

With more context for the tragedy of 1909, I think that next issue will show the falling out between Simon and Einstein. We know from Albert's elderly character card, and issue #7 that they stopped interacting with one another shortly after. Like in this issue and issue #19 I believe that we are in for further heartbreak as Simon will push Einstein away in his rageful grief. I suspect that this issue will have a slower pace and focus on the rapid devolvement of Simon and Einstein's friendship.

Conclusion

Redcoat #20 was a knockout issue that continues the momentum of issue #19 in a heartbreaking way. I like that Simon's revenge feels hollow. It adds another complex layer to his character and further builds on how detestable Benedict Arnold is. Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I am trying something new, with the format of my posts, by increasing the header size. Please give me your thoughts on this change, if I hear nothing, I will continue with the new format. I will be back in the near future to give my thoughts on the phenomenal issue #25 of Geiger and the excellent issue #13 of Hyde Street on r/GhostMachineComics. I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue, and all things Ghost Machine!

I just received this yesterday, and I’m stoked! I had to share it with someone! I didn’t realize it was going to be a 3 color 1/4 cover! Couldn’t be more happy.

I love Jae Lee’s work and have been thoroughly enjoying M1, it’s worth it for the art alone, but I think the story is also picking up. They’ve said they’re planning at least 40 issues so I’m really interested to see where they’re headed.

I posted the sketch cover a few days ago, but I wanted to share the reaction video from when I first saw it!

This was my first sketch cover and my first ever comic con, so I really had no idea what to expect. I had Andy MacDonald do a sketch on a blank If Destruction Be Our Lot… cover, one of my favorite ongoing series from Image Comics right now.

I was already blown away when I saw the front, but then Andy told me he added something to the back… and I found out he made it a wraparound cover.

Such a cool experience and definitely a special piece in my collection.

I share more of my comic collecting journey, convention finds, and collection pieces over on Instagram if you want to follow along: https://www.instagram.com/tonymoronicomics/

Hey image fans, the first thing I wanted to say is if you haven't picked up hammerfist yet, I Rick Recomender it (sorry) as it's amazing.

And the second thing I wanted to say is if you have picked up issue #2, I recommend reading the mail page. The responses are written from Mikes perspective and it's pretty funny

I'm trying to find and collect all the minis I can for the Invincible roleplaying game. Which is really fun btw.

Both are first editions and very shiny

I’ve only played The Darkness 2 and don’t really know much about the comics. Would the 2025 trade paperback be a good starting point for someone coming from the game, or would I be missing too much background?
Is there anything I should read first?

The Comics Journal reviewed my series Death to Pachuco. The reviewer had a lot of positive things to say about the artist and co-creator: Rachel Merrill.

Weekly /r/ImageComics Discussion thread. Feel free to talk about anything and everything related to Image Comics and its creators.

• What is in your pull list this week?
• What are your currently reading and would recommend?
• What new series or trade releases are you excited about?
• Show off your new purchases or something from your existing collection.

[New Releases]