Geek of Oz

Well it’s that time of year again. With 2015 in its death throes I thought I would look back on some of my favorite comics from the year that was. As you will notice from my selections this year I decided to save my money and stay away from the the world breaking Convergence and Secret Wars events thrown by the big two, and instead focus on some of the great creator-owned series that launched. This is by no means a definitive list, but rather a selection of comics that stood out to me for their quality, depth or simply because they brought some new ideas to the table.   Sex Criminals Volume Two Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Chip Zdarsky Volume Two of the wonderfully weird Sex Criminals not only upped the ante in terms of dirty jokes, smutty puns and hilarious background gags (and who could forget that amazing dildo fight) it also continued it’s candidly honest exploration of sex and relationships. Where Volume One portrayed what it’s like to find someone who you c...

What do you get when you take the fun and raw energy of a character like Spiderman, remove all of the confusing continuity and throw in a few foul words for good measure? Why, you get "The Bounce #1" from Image Comics of course! It's energetic, dynamic, refreshing and channels a delightful sense of youth. If like me you've been meaning to pick up a Spider-Man book but have been too intimidated by the convoluted past of Peter Parker, then this is the book for you.

Image Comics have always excelled at two things: bringing astounding new talent to the attention of readers and giving well established talent a place to truly cut loose and experiment. Jupiter's Legacy #1 is a wonderful example of the latter. Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, although both well established creators in their own right, team up to bring forth a book which is nothing short of a fully realised alternative superhero comic. Before I go any further, I should probably 'fess up to being a raging Mark Millar fanboy. I pretend to want intelligent, thought provoking and conceptually mature comics but at the end of the day all I really want to see is two jerks in capes beating the living snot out of each other and Mr. Millar is all too obliging. Make no mistake, Jupiter's Legacy is nothing more (or less) than a tale of sex, drugs and superpowers.

In a flooded comic-book market place, Image Comics consistently deliver some of the most intriguing and original books on the rack. So it really is saying something when the first issue of Five Ghosts cements itself in my mind as a truly unique and innovative comic. Within its 22 pages, writer Frank J. Barbiere and artist Chris Mooneyham deliver nothing short of a perfectly executed pulp adventure. Five Ghosts tells the story of Fabian Gray a master thief and treasure hunter who just happens to be possessed by five spirits, each with unique abilities that he can tap into. By channeling the detective he gains superhuman powers of deduction and observation, channeling the samurai and archer grants him expert skill with the katana and bow respectively, the wizard gives him access to magical shenanigans and channeling the vampire gives him the ability to...well....be a vampire.

Click to enlarge Upcoming Image title "The Bounce" is described as giving a nod to the early days of Spider-Man and the origins of Robert Kirkman's Invincible... is there a single thing about that statement that comic fans should be worried about? No, not a damn thing. Although Casey is one quarter of Man of Action, the creative co-operative responsible for Ben 10, he is also well known for his more adult oriented titles such as Butcher Baker and another upcoming Image title, Sex, so The Bounce should be an interesting title indeed. Follow on after the jump for more info!

From as far back as July last year, Comic Book Resources reported on Joe Casey and David Messina's upcoming Image Comics release, The Bounce .  Casey is reported by CBR as saying, "the costume is great" before stating that fans presumed he was using "illicit substances" while writing Godland but believes that The Bounce is even more out there, "you'll have no idea what I'm on with this!" With very little heard since, the first official image has dropped with a confirmed release in May. Check out the image after the jump!

Shane and Chris Houghton are a sibling team of comic book creators responsible for the recently released "all ages" phenomenon, Reed Gunther. Now published by Image, RG has been met by critical acclaim from the likes of Comic Book Resources and AICN comics. They both took the time to chat with me about Reed Gunther and their thoughts on "all ages" books. Those who have been following my blog for a while may remember my rant about "All Ages" books . Well, I still think that they have a big place in the comic book industry. If you do too, put your money where your mouth is and pick up Reed Gunther, a book about a strange and hilarious bear-riding cowboy and his adventures in a wild west full of ghosts, zombies and all different kinds of spooks.

Reed Gunther isn't for children, it's for everybody. Bringing out the true meaning of Christmas... err... all ages, brothers Shane and Chris Houghton, in association with Image Comics, have released a book that is accessible to everyone and just plain fun. As you may well know, I'm a massive proponent for all-ages funny books so I really hope that Reed Gunther can make its mark. Issues 1 & 2 are already on shelves and  issue 3 should be on the spinner racks tomorrow. Carry on after the jump for a short public service announcement from Reed Gunther himself.

April the 20th sees the release of Robert Kirkman's latest creation, Devil Dinosaur, published by Image Comics. Inspired by his 5 year old son who asked Papa Kirkman to draw a Super Dinosaur he held onto the idea for almost two and a half years before creating SD, Derek Dynamo and his genius father, Doctor Dynamo. If you don't know who Robert Kirkman is, you've been under that rock for way too long. He is one of the five head honchos at Image Comics and the creator of such powerhouse titles as Invincible, The Astounding Wolfman and the Eisner award winning The Walking Dead. A creator owned dynamo who has changed the face of modern comics.

Good news for fans of Hack/Slash! Cassie will resume her monthly visits. Image have announced that Hack/Slash will be returning to an ongoing monthly release following the success of the recently completed mini series. Furthermore, the publisher is stating that the new series will be completely accessible to the uninitiated.

Yet again, Image Comics have graced us with a strange teaser image for an as yet unannounced project.

Someone at Image Comics is on acid. There is seriously something in the water! The next in a string of strange and disturbing teasers for ... for who the hell knows what!?!

The good folks at Image comics have supplied us with a confusing, and somewhat disturbing, teaser image. I'm at a loss. As far as I can see, the shape of the universe is buxom with child bearing hips and... is that a doodle? This seriously has me befuddled. The art doesn't ring any bells and I can't really think of any titles that this could relate to... any ideas? Post a comment if you can shed any light on the topic!

Hack Slash was one of those titles that I felt as though I was missing out on. Thankfully Image Comics have released the current Hack/Slash: My First Maniac mini which will be followed by Hack/Slash: Me Without You, the origin story of Cassie's macabre sidekick Vlad.

Image comics have announced that Morning Glories #2 and #3 have sold out at a distribution level. That makes all three issues sell outs! This has been a great read with my non-comic reading wife and I both digging it.

Image Comics have sent us a press release with details on The art of Todd McFarlane: The Devil's in the Details. Which is, believe or not, Todd McFarlane's first art book! If you're game enough, shell out the extra $35 bucks for the special signed copy which is limited to only 300!

Written by Alex Grecian and drawn by Riley Rossmo (COWBOY NINJA VIKING), PROOF was a massive hit over its 28-issue run. PROOF: ENDANGERED is the much anticipated ongoing chapter in cult-hit series.

News from the good folks at Image Comics is that everyones favourite half dragon, half human teenager is hitting shelves on the 1st of December in Firebreather Vol 3: Holmgang #1. What would you call a half human, half dragon? Humon sounds too close to human and Dragman just sounds like a butch Drag Queen...

This December will see the release of an all-new series telling the story of a new oceanic hero, MARINEMAN, written and illustrated by Mr Ian Churchill (Elephantmen, Hulk, Supergirl, Uncanny X-Men). The folks at Image have been so kind as to supply us with the cover art for the upcoming first issue.

Ratatoullie was cool and everyone loved Danger Mouse but I think we all know that the Mice Templar could wipe the floor with all of them. This December the award winning series is back!