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The writers at the Stately Beat Manor just finished reading and writing about the newest supply of comics in time for the weekend (which doesn’t always happen.) Spirits were high and income was low as The Beat crew retired to our quarters late in the evening. Due to all of our recent visits of characters from comics past, we were all sure that was going to be the very first week that we had no visitors and our lives would return to normal. The very next morning, we awoke to find various Beat Staff members left all alone in the laboratory encased in our own attic. They were busy recreating M-11 (also known as Human Robot.) The Human Robot IS a dangerous wildcard and added a lot of stress to the underworked Staff Members (how do you feed a robot?) The Manor divided into subsections of staffers — those that liked M-11, and those that hated him. When the upset staffers finally decided to go confront M-11, they discovered he was nowhere to be found, and was actually waiting for them in the reading room prepared to deliver but one thing: his weekly staff picks for brand new comics.

Alex’s Picks:

We are Robin! #1

Writer: Lee Bermejo   Artist: Rob Haynes, Jorge Coronoa and Khary Randolph

Spinning out of the pages of BATMAN! The teenagers of Gotham City have adopted the ‘R’ and made it their own. A new Robin? No, HUNDREDS of new Robins! Don’t miss the start of this new series from rising star writer Lee Bermejo (JOKER, SUICIDERS), who also provides the covers!

For all of the hullaballoo about the New DC Universe, most of the series thus far are familiar concepts being dusted off the shelf and turned into new comics. We are Robin! — a title shrouded in delicious mystery is one of the strongest contenders to really add something new to the DC formula — no pressure or anything. M-11 promised me that he would give the first issue a shot after lots of convincing.

X-Men ’92 #1

Writer: Chris Sims and Chad Bowers   Artist: Scott Koblish  

Everyone’s favorite version of the X-Men from the ’90s is back! When Baron Kelly charges the Clear Mountain Project and it’s mysterious new director with ‘mutant rehabilitation,’ it’s up to the X-Men to investigate! PLUS: Free Range Sentinels?!?

M-11 loves X-Men, and his attachment to the 90’s X-Men knows few boundaries, though he doesn’t like stories that have multiple numbers in their name — M-11 declares this as a forgivable sin. With that in mind, we decided to give a shoutout to one of the most exciting new books of Secret Wars known only as: X-Men ’92. The story stars all your favorites from the old cartoon going and fighting an extremely unique opponent from a different X-TREMELY awesome era of comics.

Matt’s Pick:

SHIELD #7

Writer: Mark Waid   Artist: Greg Smallwood

The SHIELD agent you’ve been demanding – Skye, a.k.a. Quake, a.k.a. Daisy Johnson – has only one ally she can turn to: her father, Mr. Hyde! Rated T+

Though sales don’t seem to be on its side, SHIELD by Mark Waid and friends is responsible for some of the most fun I’m having reading comics in recent months. This issue, introducing “Skye” to the series, coincides perfectly with my Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD binge on Netflix. Read this if you want solid superheroics with a modern bend and impressive art from The Dream Thief’s Greg Smallwood.

Kyle’s Picks:

Superman #41

Writer: Gene Luen Yang    Artist: Klaus Jenson, John Romita, Jr.

The epic new storyline “TRUTH” continues with the debut of the amazing new creative team of new writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and continuing artists John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson! What will happen when the big secret is revealed?

Gene Luen Yang is writing Superman. I repeat, Gene Luen Yang, multiple Eisner winner, and the cartoonist behind what I’d argue was the finest graphic novel of 2013 (Boxers & Saints) is writing freaking Superman! This is like Jaime Hernandez coming on board to write Wonder Woman, or Craig Thompson taking over Batman, it’s that kind of a monumental hire. Wednesday can’t come soon enough.

Dave’s pick:

Sons of the Devil #2

Writer: Brian Buccellato    Artist: Toni Infante

After the suspicious murder of his friend, Travis tries to move on with life. But when his girlfriend Melissa follows a clue that might lead to his birth family, they wind up in the crosshairs of a killer. Also, a look into the past and the cult of David Daly! Grounded, character-driven psychological horror.

If you missed issue one, you missed the breakout debut of Brian Buccellato‘s instant classic. Travis is a deeply disturbed enigma you’ll want to know. Murder, the occult, mystery; all the things you expect in an Image comic and more.

I would prefer not to name names, but a certain member of the Beat Staff has ingested one too many Steve Gerber comics and fell into the celebration of oddities. For those not in the know, we’ve been getting a lot of stray visitors at the mansion lately — the castaways of comics long ago who find themselves wandering the hallways of The Stately Beat Manor after hours. This week Ruby Thursday happened to pay us a visit. No…not ringing any bells? Thursday is a member of the Headmen, a group of B-list Defenders rogues sent to wreak havoc upon the work schedules of everyone here at The Beat. Or so we thought…as the aforementioned Beat Staffer blamed above and Ruby Thursday seemed to be getting along quite well. When Thursday heard that we took down Howard the Duck villain Bessie (Hellcow) with the power of love (and literature) she grew a newfound respect for us. We introduced her to some of the signatures we’ve acquired from past guests of the Comics Pull(s) including the Matter-Eater Lad (who she is also quite fond of.) She decided to help us continue The Beat tradition. Ms. Rubinstein suggested the following comics for this week revealing herself as quite the Archie fan.

Ruby Thursday’s picks:

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #3

Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Artist: Robert Hack

It’s the night before Halloween, the night before Sabrina’s sixteenth birthday, the night of the blood-moon and the lunar eclipse, and Sabrina has made her decision: She will go into the woods of Greendale as a half-witch and emerge…on the other side of a frightful ritual…as a fully baptized member of the Church of Night. But there will be a cost, and his name is Harvey. And unbeknownst to Sabrina and her aunts, there is a serpent in the garden, their great enemy Madam Satan, who is conspiring against them…

With a taste for the dark arts and 90’s sitcoms, Ruby couldn’t help but single out this week’s installment of Sabrina. While she did voice displeasure at the comic’s amount of delays — the villain can’t get enough of this reimagining of the titular witch. She expressed that the story has all the morally ambiguity she looks for in media, and the comic has just started to bring out more of the creepie crawlies…whatever that means.

Black Hood #4

Writer: Duane Swierczynski Artist: Michael Gaydos 

NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE! “Bullet’s Kiss, Part 4″ The Connection’s lieutenants have discovered the identity of the new Black Hood. And now Greg Hettinger has only 24 hours to unmask their boss-the man who set Greg up!  As the badly-injured Black Hood struggles to piece together the puzzle, he’s forced to put his faith in a woman who could end up saving him… or sending him straight to the slammer!

Black Hood is also gearing up for a fourth issue that Ruby specifically wanted to single out. This is another installment within Archie’s own Dark Circle line of comics. With another series that’s filled with moral ambiguity and gritty realism, this is just the comic for Ruby. Before she left, Ms. Rubinstein wanted to mention that she will have revenge on the X-Men, Bruce Banner, Heroes for Hire, Bullseye, She-Hulk, Cloak, Silver Samurai, Skaar, and more. She’s also running in 2016 — so look for that — did we mention that Ruby Thursday previously ran for president?

Matt O’Keefe’s picks:

Old Man Logan #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Andrea Sorrentino

Enter the Wastelands: a realm where all heroes have been murdered by their arch-enemies, villains who now rule over the land with an iron fist. In the midst of this dystopian chaos, one man may make a difference?a reluctant warrior who was once the greatest mutant of all? A man known as OLD MAN LOGAN.

The original Old Man Logan (illustrated by Steve McNiven), was exactly what you’d expect from a Mark Millar comic: bold, brash, broad and full of interesting concepts largely left unexplored. That’s why it’s so exciting to see Brian Michael Bendis pick up on those old threads, adding his depth of character and focus on the more intimate details to the mix. The fact that the X-Men annuals he did with Old Man Logan artist Andrea Sorrentino were the best Bendis I’d read in years only gives me more confidence that this series has the potential to be something special.

Dave’s Pick:

Sons of the Devil #1

Writer: Brian Buccellato  Artist: Toni Infante

Last year, Brian Buccellato asked everyone for help making this project. On Wednesday, Sons of the Devil is officially an Image Comics reality. The premise poses the question; what would you do if you found out your father was evil like a Jim Jones or David Koresh? SOTD looks to bring supernatural horror to a human level.

Kyle’s Picks:

Material #1

Writer: Ales Kot Artist: Will Tempest

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.

I love pretty much everything Ales Kot does, from Secret Avengers to Zero (easily one of my top books of the 2010’s thus far), so this will surely prove no different.  Material looks to return to the wide-ranging ensemble cast style of his critically acclaimed earlier work like Change, but as with everything written by Kot, it’s impossible to pin down any of his titles into one particular box and that’s why I find him to be such a refreshing read every time out. I already know what will be on top of my modest pile tomorrow. It should be on top of yours as well.

The Sandman: Overture #5

Writer: Neil Gaiman Artist: J.H. Williams

The fate of the entire universe hangs in the balance when Dream finally gets his mother’s full attention. Magic, joy, war and heartbreak are brought to life on the pages with epic luminosity in the penultimate issue of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE.

The biggest problem with Overture is that it’s been so long since the last chapter, I don’t remember what happened in the previous issue, much less anything before that. But, to its benefit, Williams’ work is so gorgeous that its hard to argue with re-reading the four issues that came before in order to catch up. It’s Neil Gaiman’s second to last issue of Sandman, if I was a betting man, I’d say you’re probably going to read it.

Writer: Brian Buccellato

Penciller: Toni Infante

Publisher: Image Comics

From New York Times Best Selling 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.

After a Kickstarter, publisher announcement, Image Expo appearance and months of build-up Sons of the Devil is finally here. Creator Brian Buccellato even spearheaded a short film to go along with the comic on release for the Image website. Needless to say, there was an immense amount of lead-up this issue; so…is the comic any good? My immediate reaction would mention that it isn’t quite that simple. Buccellato and artist Toni Infante seem to be working the story towards a big moment in later issues that makes this first issue a quiet storm before the rest of the series will hopefully pick up the pace.

Toni Infante’s art gives the story a heavy stylized line work that echoes back to someone like a Tradd Moore mixed with Sean Murphy. Nestled in the back of these pages is a horde of detail including multiple fixtures within the room itself. Infante’s layouts are impressive as well. He approaches the page by letting panels bleed out for texture purposes. One of the best parts of the issue is when Infante is given the mileage to muck around with the tone of the comic, adding a canine in the story. This presents a lot of potential for him to draw a pretty interesting looking devil via his excellent representation of the other creatures — especially when the actual depiction of Venice itself is already impressive. Sometimes, the facial expressions of the characters can get a little muddy, and the characters themselves are suffering from one too many lines on their faces that are obscuring the people of California.

Protagonist Travis is a broken man wandering through life after a tough upbringing. The book squanders at first in how it tries to make the audience sympathetic towards the lead. Fortunately, the tale picks up some steam in the latter half that serves to move the comic in the right line. This comic is pretty light on dialogue, and the plotting also slowly starts to move the rest of the pieces into place.

Sons of the Devil takes place in California which may take some readers by surprise. The story could easily function as some sort of companion piece for Southern Bastards tonally. Which tangentially brings me to another point — the rest of the cast doesn’t quite pop the way that they probably should. Most of them don’t quite reach the level of above being stereotypical supporting cast members. The one saving grace of this story is that the mythological elements have not yet been revealed here. With the high concept of the lead being the son of a devil being put in play, this story may have served audiences better in an expanded page count or even less compressed format here.

It’s hard to exactly call this story a character study, the art of Infante and the mindset of Buccellato seem to contain a sturdier emphasis towards action — which this issue is largely absent of. The cliffhanger and the rest of the story present a package that seems to be building towards a deeper climb with the dark parts of humanity. It’s virtually impossible to judge an entire comic based off of one issue, especially one containing such a high concept premise. Sons of the Devil #1 is the first set of building blocks towards a bigger story.

Sons of the Devil #1 launches May 27.

The short film from Image Comics is available here.

Check out our MATT CHATS column with the author.

Welcome to MATT CHATS, where I (Matt) talk to a person of interest in the comic book industry every Tuesday at 4:30 PM Eastern. Today I am speaking with an industry veteran but relative necomer to the Image renaissance. When Brian Buccelleto offered the first two issues of his upcoming Image series Sons of the Devil (also a short film) to reviewers on a recent episode of the Word Balloon podcast, I jumped at the chance to read them and talk to him. As a fan of his collaborations with Francis Manapul on The Flash and Detective Comics, I was not disappointed, more than happy to discuss with Brian the differences between something on the screen and on the page, the effect crowdfunding has on financials and other aspects of the creative process.

Did you talk with Kyle Higgins about the process of bringing something from the screen to the comic book page?

He’s a really close friend of mine and so we talk about everything – including the process of filmmaking and comic books. That said, he helped me out a lot on the film. Shout out to Kyle!

How are your philosophies similar?

We love film and comics and want to do both. So I think everything we create is done with the hope of being able to tell the stories in both mediums.

What do you think are the pros and cons of doing a film simultaneously with a comic, as opposed to adapting a film years later like Higgins did?

I think the biggest pro for doing it simultaneously is that you can actually SEE the story come to life on screen, which informs what you do in the comic AS you are doing it. Having actors take your material, interpret it, and make it their own helps you see the characters in new and interesting ways. Also, in the case of Sons of the Devil, we were able to secure interesting locations and have visual reference that I then gave Toni in the script. I think there was a certain level of synergy with doing both comic and film together. For Kyle and C.O.W.L./The League, I think adapting it later allowed him distance to cherry pick the best elements of his short. Honestly, I don’t know if there is a downside to either. Making comics and films are each awesome experiences… getting to do BOTH is off the charts awesome.

What are some storytelling benefits of telling a story both on the comic page and on the screen?

I think the two mediums are similar but have their own inherent advantages in how the story is told. Film is a forward-moving visual medium where you experience the story with sight and sound. There is a momentum to films that you want to sustain because you HOPEFULLY have the viewer’s undivided attention and you want to keep it. It’s more of a sensory experience for the viewer. Comics are also visual, but are experienced at a pace dictated by the reader. There is no captive audience. In some ways that’s a disadvantage… but the benefit of a comic is that a reader can spend as much time on a single page as he/she wants. And the reader can go back and re-read and really digest the material without it hurting the experience.

What kind of audience did the Kickstarter attract? Was it more composed of fans of films or comics?

It was mostly comprised of fans of my work, who were intrigued by my transmedia concept.

Does the fact that the comic was funded through a Kickstarter campaign change the financials of the series at all? Because of the Kickstarter, for example, is the sales threshold lower?

II I don’t think being a Kickstarter project has any bearing on sales thresholds. In the case of SOTD, almost all of the funds we got went into the budget of the short film – which ended up costing more than what we got from Kickstarter. So financially speaking, the Kickstarter didn’t pay for the ongoing series. I had to get financial support from other means. But Kickstarter allowed me to start the comic book and get far enough down the road to pitch it to Image. This allowed me to take the concept from its initial plan as a one-shot to becoming an ongoing series.

Kickstarter is as much about marketing tool nowadays as it is a way to amass funds. How big of an impact do you think the campaign has had on the visibility of the work?

Honestly, I don’t know how directly Kickstarter will factor into the marketing of the book. I had approximately 250 backers, so I don’t think that number will significantly impact the sales number for issue 1.

For any artists looking to be discovered, can you describe how you searched for an artist for Sons of the Devil?

I feel VERY lucky. I was searching an international portfolio website called Behance when I came across Toni Infante’s work. I also tried DeviantArt and inquired using social media.

What were some of the challenges of working with a less experienced artist?

Honestly, I don’t look at his art or our lack of American comic credits and think “less experienced.” He is a professional artist with an amazing skillset, and I haven’t had any challenges that you might associate with a new artist.

Were there any benefits?

Only that I get the honor of working with him.

Was it hard letting go of the coloring duties for Sons of the Devil?

Not really. I’ve been coloring for 20 years and have had my fill. Of course, him showing me great coloring samples helped to make the decision easy.

You’re perhaps best known in the comics scene for your collaborations with Francis Manapul. Has it been difficult in any ways to be seen as a writer in your own right?

Not really. I made the decision to do my own solo stuff very early on, so that I could carve out my own identity as a writer. I self-published a book called Foster early on in our Flash run and did a 12-issue Black Bat story for Dynamite. I think it took a little more time for me to build trust within DC editorial so that they saw me as an individual in collaboration with Francis and not just the guy that he brought in to help. But to their credit, they have been very supportive of me and have allowed me amazing opportunities to shine on my own with Rogues Rebellion, Injustice and a few solo arcs on Flash. Oddly enough, I think Francis has had a tougher time being seen as a writer because he is such an amazing artist that it overshadowed his own writing chops. But he IS a writer/storyteller and has future plans to do his own solo stuff.

What are your hopes for Sons of the Devil professionally, creatively and personally?

Personally and creatively, I am always trying to grow as a writer and tell personal stories that resonate. So my hope is that each project I do is better than the last. Professionally, I would love for SOTD to be an ongoing series AND a television series.

Do you think the amount of great output from Image Comics good for business, or does it make it harder for your book to stand out?

I think there is always room for good books from every corner of publishing. The Image brand is obviously something any creator would want to be associated with. The amount of quality content that Image puts out means that retailers and fans will be more likely to try the book because Image’s track record is a promise of quality. As far as standing out among the other great books, I think that’s a challenge no matter how many books Image is publishing. There are 400 books that come out in a given month… so standing out is bound to be a challenge,

What’s the most exciting part of taking the plunge with a creator-owned series from Image?

Being able to tell the stories I want to tell EXACTLY how I want to tell them. Unfiltered.

You can find Brian on Twitter and his name on issues and trades in comic shops across the world.

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.

By: Alexander Jones

Author Brian Buccellato is looking to steer his career in a brand new direction with the upcoming Sons of the Devil comic from Image, announced at the Image Expo with artist Toni Infante. He seems to have a new frame of mind as well, sporting a beard and a sleek red sweater. The author was ready to tell the press all about the trials and tribulations of Sons of the Devil, and about how taking the comic from Kickstarter to Image is the right way for fans to experience the story. With the short film of the same name announced on Image’s website, Buccellato is looking to diversify the Sons of the Devil experience. Along the way Comics Beat checked in with his DC work, as Buccellato is also the writer on Detective Comics with Francis Manapul which is welcoming Anarky to the cast of villains.

We’re talking Sons of the Devil. I know you Kickstarted the comic at first, but why then decide to take the big leap and bring the comic to Image?

“There is a whole world of entertainment out there and Image allows creators to flex those muscles.”

Kickstarter was a way to get the one-shot and the film going, and to be honest, the film cost me more than the Kickstarter. It was a head start, and really got me the chance to make Sons of the Devil a reality. I always wanted it to be an ongoing series, but the sad reality of it is that unless you are with Image, it’s hard to do it on your own. I tried that with Foster years ago, and it was very difficult to sustain. Luckily my buddy Kyle Higgins showed pages to Eric and that got me in the door. Once that opportunity presented itself it was just a no-brainer. Image is the top of the game. They treat you well, and it’s the best way to survive with a series.

Could you give us a quick elevator pitch for the comic?

Sons of the Devil follows an adult orphan who’s a blue collar worker living in Venice. He’s having some abandonment issues. He grew up in foster care, and he’s had a rough life. He’s a good guy who doesn’t know who his parent’s are. He figures out his dad was a murderous cult leader.

Is there a definitive launch date for the title?

I don’t have it yet, but it’s going to be early summer. Toni is already done on the first issue, and we are inking the second issue. It’s completely penciled. The earliest would probably be May. It will more than likely probably be shipping in July.

How did you meet Toni Infante?

I found him. I was looking for just the right artist when Sons of the Devil was just a concept.  I was like “I can’t do this book unless I have the right artist.” I was looking online, I was scouring and tweeting. Marie Javins, who is an editor at DC now, had suggested I check out Behance which is like an international website portfolio. I was scrolling through, looking at all the artists, and I looked at a European comic he did. He has no experience with American comics at all. I cold emailed him and told him, “I would love to work with you” and he said “Yeah, sure.” What do you need to make this happen?  We talked about it and he was onboard.

How does the short film correlate with some of the work in the comic?

It’s the same story told from a different perspective. They are different mediums. The short film is geared towards being a digital series. If you actually lined up the order of the events, the short film would probably be issue three with the comic. I started earlier with the story in the comic. Oddly enough, because of casting and just how things worked out, the character in the short is older. Travis is 30 in the film, but in the comic he’s 25. So I think there’s gonna be some differences just because it’s also in a different medium. We are going to focus on different aspects of it. Each one enriches the other without overlap.

Should fans watch the Sons of the Devil short or read the comic first?

That is a good question. I would read issue one and then watch the short. The short is going be available before the comic, but I would rather people watch the film. Hopefully it will drive them to read the comic. There is only one scene that overlaps in the two.

How exactly do you balance your output with DC and your own creator-owned work?

That’s always a funny question. Deadlines are deadlines in publishing. There’s a date the book’s got to come out, and you know that you have to get it done by then. All your planning goes around when that book’s gotta come out. To me, I’d rather sit down and write a whole issue of something than just write five pages of something and then jump to detective or jump to Injustice. You know what your responsibilities are, you want to make it happen, you want to work hard, because you want the stuff to come out, so you just do it.

That’s a great mantra for artists to abide by.

Yeah, you know I know Nike says “just do it” but writers should say “just do it” too.

Can you tease anything about the return of Anarky in Detective Comics?

What can we tease? It’s more of our origin of Anarchy. All is not as it seems. I think the reveal of who Anarky is, is gonna shock some people. I want them to chill, and read the whole arc before they get mad at us.

That’s not going to happen on the Internet!

Just read all the issues before you decide that we suck. The Anarky story is truly about what would you do if you had the chance to start over? That’s something that Bruce considers and I think that will play out throughout Detective.

Is there anything else you would like to say about joining the stable of Image creators on stage today?

I am really just honored. Everyone knows that Image is the prestige, the respect. It’s the place people go for creator-owned material. You saw all the artwork. I was in awe of all the new books. Of course, they showed all the books from last year and all these covers. I thought wow, there’s just so much great stuff. I love Marvel and DC comics, I love the Big Two stuff, but this is something different. I think they both can succeed. I don’t think the Big Two is the enemy or Image is the upstart. There is a whole world of entertainment out there and Image allows creators to flex those muscles.

Before You Buy The Book See The Movie

By David Nieves

Tons of exciting announcements came out of the Image Expo keynote today. It’s become the CES, E3, and WWDC of comics (But way way more fun). In his first Image Expo appearance Brian Buccellato (Injustice, Flash) announced his new horror drama project Sons of the Devil. A project so special for him that he crowdfunded a short film to go along with the series.

You can view the  film here:

Image Comics is constantly pushing the boundaries of storytelling which makes this marriage of creator and company a definite standout amongst a slew of big news. Sons of the Devil is set to hit comic shops and digital this Summer.