Image Comics New Releases
Image Comics has just released a slew of new and continuing comics this week. Titles include Proxima Centauri (Farel Dalrymple), The Last Siege (Landry Q. Walker), STELLAR (Joseph Keatinge), and Shanghai Red (Christopher Sebela). Here’s my review of these new titles:
Up first is Proxima Centauri #1, by Farel Dalrymple. This new title features Sherwood, a young boy who is held in a spectral-zone prison orbiting a red dwarf star, 4.25 light-years away from Earth. Sherwood’s plans to escape this prison that houses multiple dimensional doorways (none of which lead outside of the prison) and find his brother Orson. Dalrymple composes a story that lends itself to a stream of consciousness nightmare inspired by Rick & Morty. It’s weird and oddly optimistic in its rendering. It makes me wonder, is this all just happening in Sherwood’s head? And if so, will he survive it? I need to know what happens next. I’ll definitely be checking this series out.
Shanghai Red #1 takes place on the high seas in this thrilling tale of redemption and revenge. Our antihero, Red, takes over a boat and steers her way back to Portland in order to right the wrongs that left her in servitude to Captain Schork and the crew of the Bellwood. Red finds an unwanted friend in that of Boston, a large black man with nothing to lose. This series starts with epic drama and violence with a promise of more to come. Christopher Sebela, Joshua Hixson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou compiled their talents to make a gripping tale of early frontier life and the sacrifices one makes to have a life there.
Joseph Keatinge and Bret Blevins have a captivating opening in their new comic, STELLAR #1. The writing is mostly dialogue between Stellar and her chained up alien bounty. Stellar recounts the tale of her beginning to the insectoid alien as she tries to collect the price on his head. What follows is nothing short of vibrant colors, a depressed protagonist and a sarcastic alien creature looking to find his way off an unnamed planet. The world Keatinge and Blevins have created seems to be a small piece of a story that will build into an exhilarating tale. Super soldiers with shaky morality hold a special place in my heart. I am certainly keeping up with this title.
The Last Siege #1 cover features a man with a bloody sword and disgruntled citizens looking on in disbelief. I am much too excited to contain my joy at the prospect of reading this comic. Landry Q. Walker and his team present us with a reimagined West involving kings, knights and fallen houses that you typically only read about in fantasy novels. The Last Siege brings an Easterner into the West to take hold of a house currently scrambling to marry off its only heiress in the hope of attaining peace rather than more bloodshed. The Easterner is not readily welcomed by Sir Feist and his men, so you can picture the impending brawl. Justin Greenwood and Eric Jones bring the artwork and coloring to life in a cohesive and animated style fit for a live-action adventure.
Hope you enjoyed my picks from Image. You can purchase copies at your local comic book shop or online at Image Comics. Catch you guys later.