Summary
Image Comicswas founded in 1992 as a home for creator-owned comic properties; in other words, a publisher where writers and artists could publish their comics without having to sacrifice the copyright to their IP. With other comics publishers,such as Marvel and DC,the publisher is the credited author, and the writer is simply a staff member, thus relinquishing any ownership they might have over their work. Image sought to alter that landscape, and boy did they pull it off.
As of this writing, Image Comics is the third-largest comic book publisher in the industry, behind only Marvel and DC (which both had an extra six decades to get there, give or take). Right out of the gate, Image instantly found success with two major series,Savage DragonandSpawn,which are still ongoing to this day. Beyond that, there is an abundance of fantastic series available under the Image Comics banner that have been published in the company’s 32-year history, and some of them have gone on to become some of the most recognizable names in the comic book industry.
11Chew
A Cibopath Detective
In a world ravaged by a deadly bird flu outbreak, all poultry meat has been outlawed, and Tony Chu is a detective who investigates chicken smugglers. He discovers that he is a cibopath — someone who has psychic visions from eating meat — and begins to use these powers to hunt killers. The Philadelphia PD fire Tony after he is caught eating the flesh of a murder victim, but he is quickly picked up by the FDA and paired with Mason Savoy, a fellow cibopath.
Between its debut in 2009 and its conclusion in 2016,Chewwon a pair of Eisner Awards; one each for Best New Series and Best Ongoing Series. It’s first two trade paperback collections were both featured on NYT’s Bestseller list, and its debut issue has been hailed as one of the best Image comics of all time.Chewmay not have the recognition of some of the other series on this list, but its strange and standout premise and darkly comedic storytelling have earned it a ton of accolades.
10Kick-Ass
What If Teenagers Became Vigilantes?
While it may be more famous today for its film adaptations starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Nicolas Cage,Kick-Assstarted out as a Marvel Comics publication before being republished by Image. Mark Millar called his series “almost autobiographical,” and both he and John Romita Jr. have poured their own childhood memories into the story and art. Two years after it debuted,Kick-Asswas adapted into a feature film,which also received a 2013 sequel, with two movies of a three-film sequel trilogy set to premiere in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Kick-Assmainly follows Dave Lizewski, a high school student who wonders why no one has ever tried being a real-life superhero. He buys himself a suit online one day, and starts wearing it under his clothes, while spending his nights doing “superhero stuff” such as climbing buildings, exercising, and fighting imaginary enemies. Eventually, he takes his skills to the streets, and receives a beating from some local thugs which hospitalizes him for months. However, as soon as he recovers, he is back on the streets, and a video of his efforts goes viral online, turning the local hero dubbed “Kick-Ass” into an overnight celebrity.
9Monstress
High Fantasy Fused With Lovecraftian Horror
Monstressis a tricky series to describe. On the surface, it is quintessential dark high fantasy. The story revolves around Maika Halfwolf, a teenager who shares a psychic link with an eldritch monster named Zinn, a creature she can barely communicate with, let alone understand. Maika is an Arcanic, although she easily passes for human. This is a good thing, as humans and Arcanics have been at war for ages. However, the death of Maika’s mother leads her — and by association, Zinn — on a quest for revenge. On this quest, Maika learns more about her mother and father, which complicates her relationships with the ruling powers of the world, and her place in the war itself.
Monstressis fundamentally a story about abundant racism and the strength it takes to overcome constant dehumanization. However, there is much more going on under the surface. The constant politicking of the various factions vying for power, or for control of Zinn, and the endless violence that seems to follow Maika wherever she goes, all lead to some incredible narrative moments. Sana Takeda’s art is realized in stunning detail, elevating the entire series to even greater heights.
8East Of West
The Four Horsemen Of The American Wasteland
InEast of West,the American Civil War never ended; at least, not until a comet collided with Kansas in 1908. After this, a truce was declared, the Seven Nations of America were established, and a pair of generals simultaneously prophesized The Message; a foretelling of the Apocalypse. After this, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse begin to physically manifest, and they now seek to bring about The Message, aided by pilgrims and cults who have sworn to their cause. However, when Death abdicates his Horseman duties and has a child with Xiaolian, things change. Xiaolian’s sister conspires with the three other Horsemen to kidnap her Death’s child and hide him. After uncovering their treachery, Death kills his fellow Horsemen, and sets out to find his son.
Despite its dense story and world-building, the first issue ofEast of Westsold out in under a week. Critics and readers alike praised the strong dialogue and artwork. Despite it being hard to fully grasp at the outset,East of Westweaves an epic tale that will reward readers for their patience and dedication. It is one of Image’s most popular and highly-regarded series from the last two decades.
7The Department Of Truth
Anything Can Be True If People Believe In It
As the newest series to appear on this list,The Department of Truthhas taken the comics' scene by storm. The series almost immediately skyrocketed to success due to itstimely themes of conspiracy theoriesand shady government agencies, as well as its jaw-dropping artwork by Martin Simmonds. While the series had been on hiatus, it picked back up again in 2024, and is due to have (at least) two more issues published before the end of the year.
The Depatment of Truthfollows Cole Turner, a conspiracy theory “aficionado” who spends his time digging into the mysteries behind real world events. However, to his surprise, it turns out every conspiracy theory is true; at least, that’s the impression he gets from his first interaction with the Department of Truth, a shady U.S. Government agency tasked with covering up these secrets. As it turns out,anythingcan be true so long as enough people believe in it, and it’s up to the Department of Truth to ensure that people don’t start believing in anything that might threaten “the truth” they seek to uphold.
6Savage Dragon
A Superfreak-Fighting, Green-Skinned Chicago Police Officer
The Dragon awakens in a burning field in Chicago with no memory of who he is, how he got there, or why he has green skin and a fin on his head. He arrives at an ideal time, as Chicago is being plagued by attacks from “superfreaks;” mutated criminals with superhuman abilities. The Dragon is recruited by the Chicago PD to help stop superfreak crimes, and specifically, to help track down an organized group of superfreak criminals known as the Vicious Circle.
What makesSavage Dragonso iconic in Image Comics history is that it is one of only two series, along withSpawn,that debuted along with the founding of Image in 1992 and has continued its run to this day. What’s also notable is the fact that the series' creator, Erik Larsen, is the sole writer and artist on the series, and has been for its entire existence.Savage Dragonis often featured on lists of the best comic book series of all time. It was even adapted into a 26-episode cartoon series in 1995.
5Deadly Class
A School For Teenage Assassins
There’s just something special aboutDeadly Class.From its premise alone, it doesn’t stand out much in the sea of modern comics. However, delve into its story, and this series quickly shows itself to be one of the most robust and vivid comics of its era. From the fantastic characterization of its expansive cast, to its gorgeous art, to its unique expression of inner monologs, and, of course, its mind-blowing storytelling, it’s tough to find a more complete series in the Image Comics library.
Orphaned teenager Marcus Arguello lives on the streets. After a horrific accident killed his parents, Marcus was enrolled in foster care, where he was dehumanized to such an extent that he is eventually blamed for an act of shocking violence. This leads to a visit from Master Lin, who offers Marcus a place at King’s Dominion, a school that trains teenagers to become elite assassins. Unlike the most obvious comparisons, such asHarry Potter, Deadly Classrarely focuses on the classroom day-to-day at King’s Dominion, and is far more interested in the characters who attend the school, and the lives that led them there. From moments of intense emotion to stunning narrative twists and bloody violence, even in its slowest issues,Deadly Classis still a cut above most other comics on the market.
4Invincible
Superhero Hyper-Violence
Recently adapted into a hit animation series for Amazon Prime,Invincibleis Image Comics' most successful superhero series, and one of the few times the publisher has rivaled DC and Marvel with a peak superhero comic. Robert Kirkman’s story about a teenage superhero coming of age just as he learns about his father’s villainous ulterior motives is engrossing and addictive, acting as both a send-up of classic superhero stories and an innovation upon them, all at the same time.
Mark Grayson is the son of a Viltrumite superhero named Nolan Grayson, aka. Omni-Man. Viltrumites are the most powerful beings in the Universe (think of them as Kryptonians), and Omni-Man has been assigned to protect Earth from any and all dangers. He and his superhero team, known as The Guardians of the Globe, are the Earth’s last line of defense. At least, that’s how it seems on the surface. As it turns out, Nolanwassent to Earth, but for a very different purpose; he’s there to prime the planet, and its population, for an eventual Viltrumite takeover. The shockingly violent reveal of this truth, as well as Mark’s discovery of it, is the driving force behindInvincible’sstory and the growth of its characters.
3The Walking Dead
The Ultimate Zombie Apocalypse
2003 was a heck of a year for Robert Kirkman. Just ten months after the debut ofInvincible,he was at it again, creating arguably the most iconic and well-realized zombie apocalypse story ever told.The Walking Deadis a household name at this point thanks tothe success of the TV series adaptation by AMC,but it began as a comic series published by Image Comics, and what a series it was.
The story of Rick and Carl Grimes, Michonne, Glenn, and the rest, is old news to many, as is the zombie apocalypse in which they find themselves. However, what madeThe Walking Deadspecial back in 2003 still holds strong today. With great characterization, a minimalist black-and-white art style, and a story founded on surprising twists and reveals,The Wakling Deadremains one of the most well-known and highly-regarded comic series of all time. For proof, look no further than the ongoing video game and TV adaptations of the source material, which continue to find quality story elements to mine from Kirkman’s original story, even years after its conclusion.
2Spawn
The Vengeance Of The Hellspawn
AlongsideSavage Dragon,the only other Image Comics series that has existed since the publisher was founded, and has continued its syndication to this day, isSpawn.Todd McFarlane’s iconic creation remains one of the most recognizable characters in comics. Even people who don’t know the “Who” or “What” ofSpawnwould still likely recognize the character if they saw a photo of him, just based on his design alone. He’s just that iconic. While the story has gone through numerous iterations in comic form, it has also beenadapted into several video games,a feature film(with another potentially on the way),and an Emmy Award-winning animation produced by HBO.
The story of Al Simmons is a tragic one. He’s a former Marine, Secret Service, and eventually, CIA agent, all before he was recruited by an even shadier government agency and turned into a master assassin. However, Al manages to retain a sense of morality through all this, something his handlers won’t allow. They hire someone to execute Al, and his death sends him spiraling into the pits of Hell. There, Al makes a deal with the demon Malebolgia: If Al can see his wife one last time, he’ll become a Hellspawn and serve Malebolgia for eternity. Thus, Al becomes Spawn, the bane of the world’s most despicable individuals. Spawn is almost limitless in his power, except that his abilities are fueled by Necroplasm. Once that runs out, he’ll be returned to Hell. Permanently.
