Image Firsts - Wave One

Continuing my liking for $1 comic books ... my fortnighly comic book delivery arrived yesterday and in amongst the regular monthly titles - and an action figure! - were a number of 'Image Firsts' - reprinted first issues of a number of Image titles.

I believe these titles were more recently published back in the Spring of this year as the 'first wave' of Image Firsts so maybe my shop relisted them to publicise 'Image Firsts - Wave Two' which kicks off next month featuring reprinted first issues of Elephantmen, Madman, Godland, Hack/Slash and Dead@17.

Prior to picking up these issues I'd not read any of these titles before ...

IMAGE FIRSTS: PROOF #1
story ALEX GRECIAN
art & cover RILEY ROSSMO

A really enjoyable read - at times it felt a little bit like one of the earlier X-Files episodes where we were getting to know the central characters: only in this case instead of Mulder and Scully we were introduced to Agent Ginger Brown and her unconventional partner ... Bigfoot.

Great dialogue, really pleasing art - sold! I'll definitely be looking to pick up the first trade of this series which, I'm helpfully told at the back of the book, is Proof - Book 1: Goatsucker.







IMAGE FIRSTS: GIRLS #1
story JOSHUA LUNA
art & cover JONATHAN LUNA

Focusing on Ethan, a young man in a small town who just doesn't seem to connect with many - any? - of the women in his town I found myself in two minds at the end of the book: I'd enjoyed the read, the art was quite simple but worked well and I liked it, I just didn't get that 'I must pick up the trade' feeling.

Ironically, this might just be a book that I'd enjoy more as a trade rather than in single issues ... but I obviously won't know unless I pick up the first volume.


IMAGE FIRSTS: THE WALKING DEAD #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover TONY MOORE

I've heard so many people speaking in glowing terms about this title that the first trade - Volume 1: Days Gone Bye - has been on my wish list, along with a thousand other titles, for a while so this Image First came along just at the right time for me.

Needless to say - but I'm going to say it! - I loved it. I think I was expecting a visually dark book and maybe that was one of the things that was previously stopping me picking the trade up - but that wasn't the case: without doubt the black and white illustrations were a help in this regard and added to, rather than took away, from the 'feel' of the book.

Great writing, great art - I've now ordered the first trade!