Image United No. 1
Published by Image Comics. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino.
The Deal: All the founding partners of Image Comics Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino (but not Jim Lee) unite for their own blockbuster limited series. The comic not only brings the creators and their most famous creations together, it also combines the collective artistic talents of the entire group by letting each founder draw his own character on every page (like in those "jam" type drawings). And new image partner Robert Kirkman handles the writing chores.
The Verdict: This comic is pure schlock but it's good schlock, dripping with the same manic energy and enthusiasm that crackled during Image's earliest days. The art, which could have come off disastrous, is a lot more cohesive than one might think ... and, shit, it's just fun to look at. Flipping through the pages is sort of like going on an artistic scavenger hunt, trying to pin the correct style on the correct illustrator. Just go ahead and buy it, OK?
Reviewed materials provided by Heroes Arent Hard to Find: www.heroesonline.com.