Story:
Joe Casey
Art:
Paul Maybury
Letters:
Rus Wooton
Designer:
Sonia Harris
Flats:
Ricky Valenzuela
Publisher:
Image Comics
Their names are legend: the Glorious Knox! Greg Horn the Battlebjörn! Jhago the Irritator! Three warrior gods vacationing on Earth, just looking to get their drink on and have a good time! Join the drunken festivities with toastmasters JOE CASEY (SEX) and PAUL MAYBURY (SOVEREIGN). The new mythology begins now!
Joe Casey’s Valhalla Mad has been a long time coming. The author’s satirical look at Thor and the Warriors Three from Marvel certainly had a lot of potential when it was initially announced. Joining Casey for pencils in his exploration of myth is Paul Maybury. Knox, Greg, and Jhago return for a visit to Earth home to find things out of place and the innocence of the previous decades that they were used to almost completely eradicated.
The first thing really striking about this comic is how it is presented to the reader with production design that can be likened to that of an old book. The first page for readers to see after the opening the title adds more to the texture of the series looking like a frayed old manuscript — where thereafter the series reveals a credits page with beautifully aged font. Graphic designer Sonia Harris’ influence can really enjoyed by the reader. Maybury’s pencils are subtle and designed to seem ancient, the artist perfectly colors his own work — allowing his pencils to accentuated in just the right manner. Also, the Jack Kirby designs on the leads are wonderfully retro — and make me wish that the Odinson retained more of his classic look as well. Readers can tell that Maybury has a deep love of the King’s artwork, as this series doesn’t seem to be talking down to those older 60’s comics.
Casey’s flowery prose given to the three leads are presented in a poignant, but in an interesting manner that illustrates the author’s strong command on language. As the series goes on it will be interesting to take a look at how far the scribe has developed the mythology of Viken, the homeworld of the gods. One such example of fine mythology is how Knox and his people are returning to Earth, and happy to see the older members of the force that they had previously spent time with before. The different attitudes towards the three characters allows for a comparison of the different world of the 60’s comics that the trio likely originated from. Surprisingly, it takes the the trio of this comic quite a while before they are able to taste the mead of our world. However, the scene in which they do is justly audacious.
This first issue barely has a plot — being that there are a couple of people coming back to Earth to spend some time partying. With comics now being so driven by events and violence, spending a few moments getting to know who these characters are is pleasant. Also, seeing the people of Earth’s different reactions to these characters is quite profound. Not every bystander in this comic has the same thing to say about these people. Some remember Knox and company — and some do not. Next installment offers some teases of the plot kicking into gear and becoming more grand. For the time being, this comic should offer Thor fans some old-fashioned mead-induced fun. Maybury’s detailed and triumphant artwork paired with Casey’s love of wordplay transforms this first installment into a joyous celebration of the different kinds of places comics can take us.
Image launches an assortment of brand new number ones each month, however, May‘s selection of new Image titles features some huge names creating important new properties. Before May comes around the pipe, lets take a look at all the new titles launching in that month. Thanks to CBR for posting these solicits and covers.
We heard about projects like Valhalla Mad at the Image Expo before last, so it’s a relief to finally be seeing author Joe Casey‘s take on the god flavored funny fiction. Casey’s new batch of comics riffing on Marvel’s Thor with veteran artist Paul Maybury deserves to be on your radar come May.
VALHALLA MAD #1
STORY: JOE CASEY
ART / COVER A: PAUL MAYBURY
COVER B: NICK PITARRA
MAY 20 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.50
Their names are legend: the Glorious Knox! Greghorn the Battlebjörn! Jhago the Irritator! Three warrior gods vacationing on Earth, just looking to get their drink on and have a good time! Join the drunken festivities with toastmasters JOE CASEY (SEX) and PAUL MAYBURY (SOVEREIGN). The new mythology begins now!
The hottest new title coming from Image in the next couple months has to be Injection, the new comic book series from the awesome creative team of Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey. The two creators are coming off of a fan-favorite run of Moon Knight. With their new Image project solicited with a brand new beautiful cover here:
INJECTION #1
STORY: WARREN ELLIS
ART / COVERS A & B: DECLAN SHALVEY & JORDIE BELLAIRE
MAY 13 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
Once upon a time, there were five crazy people, and they poisoned the 21st Century. Now they have to deal with the corrosion to try and save us all from a world becoming too weird to support human life.
INJECTION is the new ongoing series created by the acclaimed creative team of Moon Knight. It is science fiction, tales of horror, strange crime fiction, techno-thriller, and ghost story all at the same time. A serialized sequence of graphic novels about how loud and strange the world is getting, about the wild future and the haunted past all crashing into the present day at once, and about five eccentric geniuses dealing with the paranormal and numinous as well as the growing weight of what they did to the planet with the Injection.
Next up is Mythic, a new title from Phil Hester and John McCrea about how science is dead. With a stunning cover and an excellent first two names associated with the project, the story is due for a look from fans searching for something a little different in the comics market. The high concept is that magic has to be suppressed from the surface world as science doesn’t exist. Take a look at the cover and solicit:
MYTHIC #1
STORY: PHIL HESTER
ART / COVER A: JOHN McCREA
COVER B: SEAN GORDON MURPHY
MAY 6 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $1.99
SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF $1.99!
Science is a lie, an opiate for the masses. The truth is, magic makes the world go ’round. And when magic breaks, MYTHIC fixes it. Apache shaman Waterson, Greek immortal Cassandra, and cell phone salesman Nate Jayadarma are the crack field team assigned with keeping the gears of the supernatural world turning, and more importantly, keeping you from ever knowing about it.
Join Eisner nominee PHIL HESTER (Green Arrow, The Coffin) and Eisner winner JOHN McCREA (Hitman, The Boys) on their latest expedition to the dark heart of weird comics.
Ed Brisson, the creator of hit indie comic Shelter is working on a new comic entitled The Mantle. Brian Level is joining him with art for the title. The two creators are telling a superhero story about a young man getting the powers of mysterious object called (you guessed it) The Mantle.
THE MANTLE #1
STORY: ED BRISSON
ART / COVER A: BRIAN LEVEL
COVER B: PHIL HESTER
MAY 13 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99
Robbie never asked for any of this. While drunkenly walking home from a punk show, he’s hit with lightning and wakes to find that he’s been chosen as the new host for The Mantle, a power set of unimaginable scope. Despite his lack of interest, he’s forced into action. The Plague, a being who has spent 50 years killing every previous host of The Mantle, is already coming for him.
Ales Kot and Will Tempest‘s Material contains the high concept ideas of Kot’s other work, as the story tells various plot threads seemingly unrelated to each other that will all line up to something? Tom Muller is back designing the covers for the project, showing off the artwork in some exciting new ways. The cover should be enough to hook some into the brand new Image comic.
MATERIAL #1
STORY: ALES KOT
ART: WILL TEMPEST
COVER: TOM MULLER
MAY 27 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.50
A man comes home from Guantanamo Bay, irrevocably changed. An actress receives an offer that can revive her career.
A boy survives a riot and becomes embedded within a revolutionary movement.
A philosopher is contacted by a being that dismantles his beliefs.
Look around you. Everything is material.
We conducted an interview with Brian Buccellato on his upcoming Sons of the Devil project, a story that he’s launching with artist Toni Infante switching from Kickstarter to Image comics. The comic is contained in both a short film and this upcoming project about a man that learns of his dark familial ties to a deadly cult.
SONS OF THE DEVIL #1
STORY: BRIAN BUCCELLATO
ART / COVER A: TONI INFANTE
COVER B: FRANCIS MANAPUL
COVER C: PAOLO RIVERA
MAY 27 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99
From New York Times bestselling writer BRIAN BUCCELLATO and artist TONI INFANTE comes a psychological horror story about TRAVIS, an average guy trying to get by, who discovers that he has familial ties to a deadly cult.
Told across three decades, SONS OF THE DEVIL is an exploration of cults, family, and the dark side of human nature. It’s TRUE DETECTIVE and ORPHAN BLACK meets HELTER SKELTER.
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