Tag: image comics

NYCC: Has Image Already Won?

I have to feel sorry for more publishers at New York Comic Con this weekend because it appears that Image is going to walk away with the win as being the most talked about publisher at the convention. How couldn’t they be? The Walking Dead #115 is easily the highest-selling comic of the year and The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere is this weekend. When you look at those two items, it just makes the other publishers (even the Big 2) look silly.

Sure

Sure, DC Comics is going to be able to push how it has the best month in September, but the clouds of Image’s week and the Villaim Month allocation are going to hang over the company’s figurative head. Marvel can point to Infinity and how the series is putting up huge numbers, but one issue from a regular series just screamed past the House of Ideas. If the Big 2 can’t compete with the week Image is having with The Walking Dead comic and The Walking Dead TV series, how can the smaller companies compete?

New York Comic Con is the second biggest comic book convention in the world. If Image can manage to be the talk of the town every year going into NYCC, how long will it be until we are talking about Image being one of the top two publishers of comics?

Rat Queens #1 is My Pick of the Week!

Rat Queens #1 is my Pick of the Week due to the connections I made with the premiere issue. One of the most important aspects of the comic which becomes my Pick of the Week is connection. Rat Queens #1 connected with me on so many levels that it was easily the best issue this week for me.

What is Rat Queens #1?

The new title by Image is written by Kurtis J. Wiebe and illustrated by Roc Upchurch. It follows a band of four females in a fantasy world of monsters and magic. All four are crass and are ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Not only is this a fantasy story, it is a female strength story, and a comedy title.

Rat Queens #1 is my Pick of the Week!

Rat Queens #1 is my Pick of the Week!

Connections

Most of the regular readers here know that I have been in the gaming community for over 25 years. I grew up gaming, and took to collecting the old gaming books about 15 years ago. When a new fantasy title comes out in comic book form, I have to pick it up just to see if it takes me back to those old gaming sessions or reminds me of reading the fantasy stories I grew up with by writers like Tolkien, Lieber, and others.

The Old Reading

All I was thinking about while reading Rat Queens #1 was that the team could be compared to Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. The dark and often sexual humor reminded me of when I would sit on my bed and read the stories of the duo (back in my early and middle teens). This is the type of connections creator what to make. Of course, this won’t give the same results to everyone, but  this is my Pick of the Week and my emotional connections.

Strong Female Characters

This site has not been shy about our support of strong female characters and strong female character teams. I am happy to see another title enter the fray. If a creator wants to get my attention, create a story with a strong female character which is not over-sexualized. Rat Queens #1 displayed four female characters who were not over-sexualized and displayed strength.

Comedy in Comics

There are few writers in comics who can make me laugh out loud anymore. Sure, I might give a smile, a short “Hmph,” but that is about it. I found myself letting go of a few audible laughs while reading Rat Queens #1. Hopefully, the sharp and witty humor continues in future issues.

The Whole Package

For me, Rat Queens #1 gave the whole package this week. Great artwork and great writing are important, but not as important as making an emotional connection with characters and/or stories. This issue gave me everything I was looking for this week and even some loud laughs.