Image Round-Up - July 17th 2013

The Image Round Up column aims to get some words down on Image Comics book published for the week. This weeks reviews are handled by Ricardo Guajardo and Hansel Moreno. They'll be dropping non-spoilery reviews the day before the books are available so you can best make up your mind on what to buy tomorrow. We offer this service because Image has been putting out some amazing content lately and it will be nice to shine a light on every single title they produce. This week our intrepid team looks at Invincible #104 and Revival #12. We also take a look at the collected editions of Glory Volume Two: War Torn and Think Tank Volume Two: Genetics.

This week the team decided Invincible #104 is COVER OF THE WEEK! Read Ricardo's preview for more info!


The reviews are graded according to the following scale:

Must Read. -- Do not miss this hot piece of comic action!
Buy It. -- For memories sake.
Check It. -- This is a toss up. Up to you really.
Byrne It. (skim it on the rack). -- Look at it but don't leave with it.
Avoid It. -- Steer clear.

Invincible #104

Written by Robert Kirkman
Art by Ryan Ottley
Inking by Cliff Rathburn
Colors by John Rauch
Letters by Rus Wooton

Ricardo Guajardo: After an intriguing cliffhanger in Invincible, the cast had their own dilemma to worry about Atom Eve facing a home invasion of a familiar character to longtime fans of the series. Mark a.k.a. Invincible has a problem of his own being stuck in another dimension where he is facing a issue of a different kind. This is where things come to a head causes something that can have consequences for both characters down the line.

What impresses me about Robert Kirkman's style of scripting is he manages to take a plot and makes things more complicated despite the resolution. I certainly was on edge wondering what was going to happen next and Kirkman has to be commended. On the artist front, Ryan Ottley brings crisp & detailed designs that grab the reader to take notice and enhanced further by the colors by John Rauch. No ways around it, this is the complete package that deserves to be noticed more often in the comic industry by everyone.

While this issue isn't new reader friendly, where person who is barely getting into the series will definitely be lost. Though, I believe that if the comic delivers in all fronts, then the comic should grab both faithful and new readers despite that notion. One positive that severely is underrated in comics, is that book tells the reader where to go to look on a certain reference made by the characters. Too many positives outweigh the negatives and Invincible continues to have me looking forward to what comes next.


Verdict: Must Read

Revival #12

Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Mike Norton and Art Baltazar
Colors by Mark Englert
Letters by Crank!
Cover by Skottie Young

Hansel Moreno: Revival has been picking up steam of late. The board has been set and most of the major characters are in play trying to either profit off the event or hold their community together.

Mike Norton and Tim Seeley have created a creepy scenario that deals with the dead rising with out them trying to tear us to pieces. This small community has been blessed/cursed with their deceased rising from the grave in various states of mind. There are so many different angles being played out by a diverse cast that, at issue twelve, this story is overwhelming to explain in a short preview. 

LUCKILY Art Baltazar comes to my rescue. In this issue the incredibly happy and effervescent art of Art tells the story through Dana Press young son Cooper. Cooper makes a small comic (Art's work) that summarizes the main plot and takes us through a close recap of the last four issues. I love Mike's creepy and freaky art but this recap works great to get some new readers on board and honestly it is a bit of a palate cleanser. 

It's fun to see Mike and Tim's characters through new styles. Skottie Young on the cover and Art on the interiors bring a fresh feel to the book and I hope to see every and all books with a bit of Art's style here and there.

Verdict: Must Read

Glory Volume Two War Torn

Story By: Joe Keatinge
Art By: Ross Campbell
Art By: Ulises Farinas
Art By: Owen Gieni
Art By: Emi Lenox
Art By: Jed Dougherty
Art By: Sloane Leong

Art By: Roman Muradov

Hansel Moreno: While Glory feels like it ended long ago, Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell went out with a bang. Not only did they take my heart and run it through a blender, they brought lots of friends to make the experience that more heartbreakingly wonderful.

Glory and her friends are set against impossible odds and things do not get much better from there. United with all her friends, former allies and the odd lover or two the entire casts pools their collective strength and luck and lays it all on the line in a massive all out battle against the gods.

Joe and Ross spin the most loving yarn out of the EXTREME Relaunch and wouldn't you know it good things just don't last. If you read the the singles you've seen the amazing caliber of work Ross but into the characters and the devastating scenes of destruction. If you have been trade waiting now is your chance to finish this journey.

Joe. Ross. Thank you so much for this wonderful story.

Verdict: Must Read

Think Tank Volume Two Genetics

Story By: Matt Hawkins

Art By: Rahsan Ekedal

Hansel Moreno: In Think Tank Rahsan Ekedal and Matt Hawkins have blurred the line between reality and fiction.

Doctor David Loren is brilliant beyond measure. The government has kept a close eye on David since his escape/authorized vacation in Think Tank Volume One but David is letting his next escape plan brew while he finished a new project for the military.

The best part of this trade, besides a puppy that learns to love and high five, is the development of smaller characters from Volume One. Rahsan's art and Matt's tale intertwine together to form a fully fleshed out person which invites the audience to feel and care for their part in the story. This trade had a few twists that I didn't expect and it always leave one nagging question on my mind. How is Matt Hawkins not imprisoned? His back up material for every issue is always information on very real technology that is used in testing, research and very real combat. My imagination is always set into panic mode on the terrifying new ways in which I might die. Thanks Matt!

Amazing work by both these gents. Special shout out to Brian Reber for his color work on the cover!

Verdict: Must Read

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