6 New Image Series We're Excited to Start in 2018

Image Comics has reliably discovered and published many of our favorite new comics over the past decade, and it doesn't look like that will change in 2018. As we start the new year and begin to look for some new stories to try, the Image Comics roster already appears to be stacked. Just within the first couple of months, they're releasing a bevy of exciting new graphic novels, mini-series, anthologies, and ongoing series. The best part is that none of these releases resemble one another; there's genuinely something for everyone.

We have selected six of the new comics coming from Image in January and February that we find to be the most exciting. These are comics that spotlight the immense talents and incredible array of stories being told today. Take a look below and you're bound to find something you'll want to check out for the rest of 2018.

Days of Hate

Written by Aleš Kot

Art by Daniel Žeželj

Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Release Date: January 17th

Days of Hate confronts the current, deeply divisive status of politics in America. It proposes a future that is starting to resemble reality more by the day. Gritty, thoughtful, and nuanced, the story tackles difficult issues across a planned 12-issue arc. Both writer Kot and artist Žeželj are immigrants who fled the Balkans to America due to a massively destructive war. They bring that perspective to tell an intense and personal story about lessons learned and a future they hope to avoid. It's apparent in Kot's typically complex writing and Žeželj's bloody, muddy landscapes (last seen on Starve). Together they make a perfect team to tell this story for anyone interested in exploring modern politics through the comics form.

Ice Cream Man

Written by W. Maxwell Prince

Art by Martín Morazzo

Colors by Chris O'Halloran

Release Date: January 17th

Ice Cream Man might remind readers of a modern classic: 100 Bullets. The series is composed of individual stories trading in noir, violence, and tragedy—all of them strung together by a single element. In this case it's not a briefcase of bullets, but an ice cream man who plays a supporting role in every story. According to Prince, the titular ice cream man will play as an unreliable narrator whose reality readers will have to question. Is he a god, a devil, or just a deeply unwell man? Whatever the answer, it's bound to be a fascinating journey played out along the deliciously detailed linework of Morazzo, no matter how ugly things might get.

Get Naked

Written by Steven T. Seagle

Art by Various

Release Date: February 7th

If the title Get Naked doesn't capture your attention, then nothing in comics will. This original graphic novel isn't the pornographic experience its title suggests though. Rather than focusing on nudity, it emphasizes the experiences and stories of people who have to go through the act of getting naked. It's a delicate line, but one that comics memoirist Steven T. Seagle is infinitely well equipped to tackle. If you have any doubts, just check out It's A Bird in which he tells the story of being commissioned to write Superman. There are no capes and less clothes this time though in a total of 18 different stories from 18 different artists. It's bound to be an engaging look at a topic we don't discuss much and a great showcase of modern comics art.

Twisted Romance

Written by Various

Release Date: February 7th

Twisted Romance is already looking to be one of the absolute best comics of 2018. Don't believe us? Just check out the advance review here. Published on a weekly schedule in February, this anthology will include four issues each consisting of 48 pages and three stories -- two comics and one prose. It's a lot of material, and it's all coming from some of the most engaging and diverse creators working at the cutting edge of comics today. While there's a connecting theme of romance stories that weaves all of these unique contributions together, they also feature some very exciting genre elements. Vampires, wendigos, and even darker creatures lurk in the pages of the first issue, while future installments promise other fantastic additions. Twisted Romance is a pure delight to the eyes and the stories are perfectly bite-sized dark chocolates to delight readers throughout February.

VS

Written by Ivan Brandon

Art by Esad Ribić

VS has been a long time coming, but it also looks to have been entirely worth the wait. It tells the story of a future in which corporations run the world and broadcast a war filled with incredible tech to the masses as entertainment. Part Lazarus and part Secret Wars, this series is the best to dystopian and blockbuster entertainment in a single package. There couldn't be a better team to make it real either. Brandon has shown a real knack for science fiction comics in the pages of Drifter and Black Cloud. If you need an introduction to Ribić, then you've been missing out for the past decade in a big way, he's simply one of the best artists for big action and grand settings in the business. Together they're bringing a mega-sized adventure to comics stores next month.

Bingo Love

Written by Tee Franklin

Art by Jenn St-Onge

Colors by Joy San

Release Date: February 14th

Bingo Love is the comic to buy this Valentine's Day. There's nothing twisted about this romance, the story of two women who meet playing church bingo in 1963 and begin a relationship that will last into the 21st Century. It is a story that plays with history, region, discrimination, and religion as it traces the story of two people across the tumultuos journey to LGBTQ equality in the United States. That doesn't mean the comic isn't also a lot of fun. The central pair are a delight, even more so as drawn by Jenn St-Onge who brings a vibrant sense of life to every page. Bingo Love is a comic about a whole lot, but it's a story about two people in love at its heart. It's just the comic we needed this year and this Valentine's Day.