Image Comics Solicitations for February, 2008

[CBR News]

Image Comics has released images and solicitation information for comics and products shipping in February, 2008.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/ne...m.cgi?id=12445

[The Xenos]

KRASH BASTARDS OGN
story JOE CASEY
art & cover AXEL#13

AN ORIGINAL ADVENTURE MANGA BROUGHT TO YOU BY IMAGE COMICS!

Dammit. I thought Image was beyond the bullcrap trend of calling American books by a Japanese name. I guess I was wrong. This is by Joe Casey, dammit! It's an American published in America, therefore, not fxxxing manga!

At the same time, I'm looking forward to the book itself. I'm just disapointed by Image's cheap marketing of it. It's almost like they're admiting being honest and calling something American comics is worthless. I keep seeing this happen, certainly not just at Image, and it makes me sad. Do you have to pretend to Japanese to sell an American book? Very sad sign for the American comic industry.

Also, checking out AXEL#13's website, it was originally going to be released as comic issues by AiT/PlanetLar.

Is anyone else sick of this trend? I like manga. I even like comics and graphic novels inspired by manga. Yet I hate when a US company tries to leech off the name manga. Nevermind manga in Japan are released periodically in chapters too, not in full graphic novels. So the whole reason to call full volume OGNs manga is inaccurate.

[GRANT!]

Some good stuff coming in February like Savage Dragon (featuring Madman AND the Amazing Joy Buzzards, what an underrated book), Invincibles going in a new direction, Godland and Jack Staff seem to be getting back on track, The Perhapsnauts annual and heck even Youngblood is looking good.

[Strannik]

Dammit. I thought Image was beyond the bullcrap trend of calling American books by a Japanese name. I guess I was wrong. This is by Joe Casey, dammit! It's an American published in America, therefore, not fxxxing manga!

At the same time, I'm looking forward to the book itself. I'm just disapointed by Image's cheap marketing of it. It's almost like they're admiting being honest and calling something American comics is worthless. I keep seeing this happen, certainly not just at Image, and it makes me sad. Do you have to pretend to Japanese to sell an American book? Very sad sign for the American comic industry.

Also, checking out AXEL#13's website, it was originally going to be released as comic issues by AiT/PlanetLar.

Is anyone else sick of this trend? I like manga. I even like comics and graphic novels inspired by manga. Yet I hate when a US company tries to leech off the name manga. Nevermind manga in Japan are released periodically in chapters too, not in full graphic novels. So the whole reason to call full volume OGNs manga is inaccurate.

I like manga, I like comics, and quite honestly, I don't give a hoot. Does it effect the content? No. Does it affect the quality? No. Does it affect your ability to enjoy other comics and/or manga? No.If Joe Casey wants to call it manga, so be it. It's his right.

[Ramiel]

CASANOVA #13

Aw, blast, no Madam Mirage

[The Xenos]

I like manga, I like comics, and quite honestly, I don't give a hoot. Does it effect the content? No. Does it affect the quality? No. Does it affect your ability to enjoy other comics and/or manga? No.If Joe Casey wants to call it manga, so be it. It's his right.

Yeah, but is it really Joe Casey or some marketing department. I've heard this from interviews with authors at TokyoPop too. They're happy just to be published. Meanwhile, the money hungry marketing morons are making 'manga' THE buzz word in comics and making 'comics' or even 'graphic novels' (which is the better term for these anyway) dirty words. I think it's very harmful to the industry which has finally started to boom.

It's 'manga' that leading the way in sales, not American books. Kid's prefer the import and are prejudiced against the domestic. Now it wasn't right to ignore manga, and I am glad to see people finally accepting it, but now it's too much the other way. American books are ignored in favor of cheaper and more trendy Japanese ones. The American ones that do get noticed by this crowd are the ones who have to cross dress as Japanese to get sales.

And if I see another MegaTokyo fan insist that MegaTokyo is manga... ugh. "He's not even fxxxing Japanese! He's from Wisconsin you fxxxs!" No wonder DC's joke of a manga imprint is the current publisher.

[md62]

Dynamo 5 # 12

[the goddamn batman]

Xenos,

Sometimes I think you're just a very angry man. Is it really anything to get worked up over?

Manga is a buzz word right now, marketing folks have nothing to do with that. I don't at all blame them for trying to cash in on that. Especially not at a smaller publisher. If you do, fine. But man, I've just got better things to get worked up over.

And I know nothing about the Joe Casey book, but.... what makes it not manga? Manga isn't a term that involves any exclusivity to where it was published. It's, in the west anyway, and regardless of it's accuracy, become a term that references a style.

[Mugetsu]

Xenos,

Sometimes I think you're just a very angry man. Is it really anything to get worked up over?

Manga is a buzz word right now, marketing folks have nothing to do with that. I don't at all blame them for trying to cash in on that. Especially not at a smaller publisher. If you do, fine. But man, I've just got better things to get worked up over.

And I know nothing about the Joe Casey book, but.... what makes it not manga? Manga isn't a term that involves any exclusivity to where it was published. It's, in the west anyway, and regardless of it's accuracy, become a term that references a style.

well the funny thing is that they call it "Manga" when its not even that in spirit, Manga is like Xenos said a "weekly published" "Black and white""comic strip" like read.(yeah it blows,watch an episode of DBZ or Bleach and you will see what i mean)

what mostly passes for "Manga" here in the states is in fact
"Anime" styled work(boy all those quotations are tiering)
"Manga" is really distinct to the "Manga" style of drawing while "Anime" styled art varies in look. its hard to explain
"Manga"(ok thats enough of that) has a rough simplistic yet over detailed loose style. While Anime is simpler cleaner and uses elements of manga and animation.

Anywho what i think the industry needs to get across is that its OK for western artists to try to assimilate both styles in to more traditional western styled story telling(or would that be an oxymoron? ) or with elements of all 3.
there are plenty of american/Asian-american/latin-american artists who have a Manga/anime/western style. that i think in a way has become its own style.

[Lobsterdom]

INVINCIBLE DEAD

Jesus, why does every hero have to be zombified? LOL

[BouffonVert72]

Perhapanauts Annual
Gutwrencher #1 (of 3)
Urban Monsters #1
Hazed Gn (mr)
Krash Bastards Gn
Princess At Midnight Gn
Brit #7
Casanova #13
Cemetery Blues #2
Dynamo 5 #12
Fearless #4 (of 4)
Godland #21
Overman #3 (of 5)
Pax Romana #4 (of 4)
Proof #5
Steve Niles Strange Cases #4

[The Xenos]

Xenos,
Sometimes I think you're just a very angry man. Is it really anything to get worked up over?

Manga is a buzz word right now, marketing folks have nothing to do with that. I don't at all blame them for trying to cash in on that. Especially not at a smaller publisher. If you do, fine. But man, I've just got better things to get worked up over.

Eh. It's a pet peeve of mine. I half joke that now I know the frustration a high school English teacher had when that Alanis Morisette song Ironic came out, totally decimating the proper academic meaning for the word. I also annoyingly correct people when they misuse psych terms 'bipolar' and 'anti-social'. I think the latter was given a new name, sociopath, because people just kept misusing it.

well the funny thing is that they call it "Manga" when its not even that in spirit, Manga is like Xenos said a "weekly published" "Black and white""comic strip" like read.(yeah it blows,watch an episode of DBZ or Bleach and you will see what i mean)

what mostly passes for "Manga" here in the states is in fact
"Anime" styled work(boy all those quotations are tiering)
"Manga" is really distinct to the "Manga" style of drawing while "Anime" styled art varies in look. its hard to explain
"Manga"(ok thats enough of that) has a rough simplistic yet over detailed loose style. While Anime is simpler cleaner and uses elements of manga and animation.

Anywho what i think the industry needs to get across is that its OK for western artists to try to assimilate both styles in to more traditional western styled story telling(or would that be an oxymoron? ) or with elements of all 3.
there are plenty of american/Asian-american/latin-american artists who have a Manga/anime/western style. that i think in a way has become its own style.

Actually I'd argue that manga is more varied in look and anime is more homogenous due to its need to be animated. Though you are right that anime is simpler and cleaner by its vary nature. (Though even there I'm sure someone can think of some experimental animation that isn't.) Certainly many of these styles look more like simpler anime styles than specific manga artists.

Whenever someone says they or an artist they like has a manga style, I always feel like asking why it doesn't look as beautiful and detailed as Ryoichi Ikegami's style.



I guess I am trying to argue what you kinda say. Western comics are okay! You shouldn't need manga style to be accepted. Not that manga influence is a bad thing either.


Anyway, back to the subject of Image, that Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows print and Ben Templesmith's Fell print look awesome.

[The Xenos]

INVINCIBLE DEAD

Jesus, why does every hero have to be zombified? LOL

Well, at least this one kinda makes sense. The author's two big books are a superhero book and a zombie one. Here's a hilarious paring of the two. Though I'm a fan of both, I'm not a fan of the print. Plus lord knows I'm spending too much on the other two prints there. And then you say there's actually three other prints. And then I ignore you and anything with a character named Shaft signed by Rob Liefeld. Really, what is he? Five years old?

[websbestcomics]

Thought I'd let everyone know we have a 10-page preview up of The Overman Book III, at www.theovermancomic.com, plus a brand new flash trailer that reveals some glimpses from this issue. Hope you enjoy it!