Boom! Wham! Pow! The ComiQuad is a column dedicated to the spandex-laden world of comics and superheroes. It goes up each Wednesday and will alternate between comic book reviews and other comic book news. Reviews shall try to be spoiler-free. And it’s back! Zam!
At their very best, superhero comics at “the Big Two” (Marvel and DC) are inspiring and wildly entertaining. At their very worst, they’re utterly exhausting, frustrating, and are an pure example of bizarre storytelling. What other mediums can afford to kill off and resurrect heroes on a monthly basis and feature stories that never actually end? Has it ever occurred to you that Batman will likely outlive us all?
Sometimes it is time to meet new comic book characters and publishers. To tell Bruce Wayne that his cutesy “running around in a city like a flying rodent” act just isn’t that cutesy anymore. To tell Spider-Man that his costume looks more like it belongs to a clown than a spider.
If you’re craving serialized stories beyond the often rigid confines of DC Comics and Marvel Comics, check out these publishers.
Image Comics
Whereas Marvel held 34% of 2012’s comic book retail market share and DC held nearly 32%, Image Comics came in at resounding third place with 7%. Don’t let that number fool you, however. Image Comics is shaping up to be the home of the highest quality products in comic book-dom.
Image is the home of “creator-owned” stories. When a writer and an artist produce a comic series for Image, the characters and stories are entirely their own. There’ll be no editorial interference, lawsuits, or sudden creative team changes. At the Big Two, characters like Superman and Wolverine are not owned by their writers. Neither are the newer characters. A writer could create a new character one month, be fired the next month, and watch their beloved new creation literally get bludgeoned to death by another writer.
At Image, stories are told in their purest form. Due to that, Image’s comics have some of the highest approval ratings across comic reviewing sites. The enormously successful The Walking Dead comic comes from Image. Saga, the series that conquered a mess of “Top 2012 Comics” list is also from the company.
This year promises to bring a whole host of veteran comics creators to Image as they apparently seek creative freedom to tell their own stories. The most interesting include Greg Rucka’s (of DC’s GCPD) Lazarus, Kelly Sue DeConnick’s (of Marvel’s Captain Marvel, Avengers Assemble) Pretty Deadly, and James Robinson’s (of DC’s Earth-2) The Saviors.
IDW Publishing
Next in line in comics market share is IDW Publishing, home of nearly every TV show or movie-turned-comic book license out there. Searching for more Doctor Who (and I know Whovians can’t)? Go to IDW. Have a bloodthirst for more True Blood? Try on IDW. Geared up for Transformers, spaced out on Star Trek, or soldiering on for G.I. Joe? IDW Publishing is your go-to place.
Other comic licenses acquired by IDW include: Godzilla, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Popeye, and Ghostbusters. IDW has them all.
Dark Horse Comics
I lied. IDW does not have all the licenses, although they do have the most. Dark Horse, however, has the rest combined with a lot more original story ideas.
In the realm of other popular franchises, Dark Horse retains the comic book rights to Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, and Conan the Barbarian.
In the past year, however, Dark Horse, much like Image, has received substantial acclaim for its quality independent stories. Superhero story Black Beetle, horror comic Colder, and post-apocalyptic The Massive are some of the current comics of note.
