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Image Comics
After years of waiting, the much-anticipated Image Comics HC is here! The four remaining Image founders return to the characters that made them sensations for a celebration of the creation of Image. The never-before-seen origin of Savage Dragon! A turning point in the life of Spawn -- featuring Todd McFarlane's first full-length comics work in nearly 10 years! The final fate of Cyberforce! The future of Shadowhawk! Plus: an introduction by former Image Executive Director and legendary Beanworld creator Larry Marder and a quartet of special features by each of the founders covering Image -- past, present and future!
- GenresComicsComic Book
128 pages, Hardcover
First published December 13, 2005
14 people want to read
About the author
Erik Larsen
964 books75 followersAs a child growing up in Bellingham, Washington and Albion, California, Erik Larsen created seveal comic books featuring versions of a character named 'Dragon.' He eventually published a fanzine, which led to his doing professional work on a comic book called Megaton for creator Gary Carlson. It was here that he introduced the Dragon, a super powered superhero, to the comic-reading masses.
After a multitude of mailings, showing his work, Erik became aquainted with Jim Shooter, who was, at that point, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief. Erik eventually met Jim at a convention in Chicago and Jim was impressed enough with Erik's work that he consented to co-plot a story with him on the spot. That story was a battle between Marvel Comics characters Hulk & Thor. Although it wasn't actually published until years later, it did impress a variety of Editors enough to get Larsen some more high-profile work in the funnybook field.
Erik jumped around various books in this part of his career. He did an Amazing Spider-Man fill-in story at Marvel, a few issues of DNAgents for Eclipse, and he eventually took over the art chores on DC's Doom Patrol. Soon afterwards, he left DC and moved on to the Punisher for Marvel. Five issues of that book was about as much pain as that poor Minnesota boy could stand. Erik wanted to write and when a Nova serial was given the thumbs up to run in Marvel Comics Presents with Erik as the writer/artist, he gladly left the Punisher. But it was not to be! The powers that be had other plans for Nova and Erik's yarn didn't fit in with the impending New Warriors series. Editor Terry Kavanaugh gave Larsen an Excalibur serial to draw for Marvel Comics Presents while the poor bastard waited for his big break.
When ever-popular artist Todd McFarlane left his artistic duties on Amazing Spider-Man, Larsen was chosen to be his successor. That run was astoundingly well-recieved, and included popular stories like 'The Return of the Sinister Six', 'The Cosmic Spider-Man', and 'The Powerless Spider-Man'. Although he was comfortable with his position as Amazing Spider-Man penciller, he was frustrated drawing other people's stories. Larsen found that his ravenous desire to write had only gotten stronger. He left Amazing Spider-Man, quite pooped.
By this time, the New Warriors was going full tilt and Erik tossed together a proposal for a Nova ongoing series. While he waited for it to get the nod, Todd McFarlane left the new Spider-Man title that he had launched. Erik was called upon once again picked up the torch - and he ran with it. Larsen created a memorable albeit brief run on that title, despite a traumatic event in his personal life - his house burned to the ground, destroying all of his childhood drawings and comic books.
After this period, creator Rob Liefeld invited Larsen to help found a new comic book imprint called 'Image' at Malibu comics, alongside notorious creators Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Erik's flagship comic book at Image (which soon left Malibu and became the third lagest comic book publisher in the United States) was an updated version of his childhood creation -- 'The Savage Dragon.' Larsen has been succeeding with his ideas ever since, through his creations Freak Force, Star, SuperPatriot and the Deadly Duo as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which he helped revitalize and bring to Image.
As of 2004, Erik Larsen became the Publisher of Image Comics and shows no sign of slowing down.
After a multitude of mailings, showing his work, Erik became aquainted with Jim Shooter, who was, at that point, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief. Erik eventually met Jim at a convention in Chicago and Jim was impressed enough with Erik's work that he consented to co-plot a story with him on the spot. That story was a battle between Marvel Comics characters Hulk & Thor. Although it wasn't actually published until years later, it did impress a variety of Editors enough to get Larsen some more high-profile work in the funnybook field.
Erik jumped around various books in this part of his career. He did an Amazing Spider-Man fill-in story at Marvel, a few issues of DNAgents for Eclipse, and he eventually took over the art chores on DC's Doom Patrol. Soon afterwards, he left DC and moved on to the Punisher for Marvel. Five issues of that book was about as much pain as that poor Minnesota boy could stand. Erik wanted to write and when a Nova serial was given the thumbs up to run in Marvel Comics Presents with Erik as the writer/artist, he gladly left the Punisher. But it was not to be! The powers that be had other plans for Nova and Erik's yarn didn't fit in with the impending New Warriors series. Editor Terry Kavanaugh gave Larsen an Excalibur serial to draw for Marvel Comics Presents while the poor bastard waited for his big break.
When ever-popular artist Todd McFarlane left his artistic duties on Amazing Spider-Man, Larsen was chosen to be his successor. That run was astoundingly well-recieved, and included popular stories like 'The Return of the Sinister Six', 'The Cosmic Spider-Man', and 'The Powerless Spider-Man'. Although he was comfortable with his position as Amazing Spider-Man penciller, he was frustrated drawing other people's stories. Larsen found that his ravenous desire to write had only gotten stronger. He left Amazing Spider-Man, quite pooped.
By this time, the New Warriors was going full tilt and Erik tossed together a proposal for a Nova ongoing series. While he waited for it to get the nod, Todd McFarlane left the new Spider-Man title that he had launched. Erik was called upon once again picked up the torch - and he ran with it. Larsen created a memorable albeit brief run on that title, despite a traumatic event in his personal life - his house burned to the ground, destroying all of his childhood drawings and comic books.
After this period, creator Rob Liefeld invited Larsen to help found a new comic book imprint called 'Image' at Malibu comics, alongside notorious creators Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino. Erik's flagship comic book at Image (which soon left Malibu and became the third lagest comic book publisher in the United States) was an updated version of his childhood creation -- 'The Savage Dragon.' Larsen has been succeeding with his ideas ever since, through his creations Freak Force, Star, SuperPatriot and the Deadly Duo as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which he helped revitalize and bring to Image.
As of 2004, Erik Larsen became the Publisher of Image Comics and shows no sign of slowing down.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 31, 2012
The Image Comics Hardcover is a collection commemorating the tenth year founding anniversary of the upstart publisher that changed the comics landscape for better or for worse. It features new stories as the remaining Image founders return to the characters that made their careers in 1992. Particularly noteworthy is the Spawn story with art from Todd McFarlane, whose pencils have not graced comic book interiors in years.
Image Comics launched in 1992 with seven artists who bolted Marvel for greater control in their creator owned work. This book has the remaining four founders on hand. The three founders, who left, are Rob Liefeld, who resigned from Image due to a conflict with the other partners and Jim Lee, who sold his Wildstorm studio and character portfolio to DC Comics which also included Whilce Portacio’s Wetworks.
Of the missing founders, Liefeld’s absence is easy to ignore. His Youngblood may have been the first Image comic released, but I’ve never enjoyed his overmuscled and anatomically distorted art. On the other hand, Jim Lee has always been my favorite artist and it is sad he cannot participate in this book. On my shelf though, Lee’s WildC.A.T.S. Compendium hardcover appears side by side with my Image Comic Hardcover as a companion volume.
The two books couldn’t be more different. WildC.A.T.S. Compendium is an inedible snapshot into early Image. Brash, ambitious, beautiful art and a barely there plot, these are all the hallmarks of the excesses of Nineties comics. The Image Comics Hardcover is a more polished work compared to it. The Image founders have matured as artists. Also, each contributed story in this book leads to a new direction for their respective characters that would be explored further in their monthly titles.
Why compare these two books? It is hard not to associate Lee’s contribution to Image itself. At one time, Lee, along with Liefeld, McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino and Portacio were Image.
It is also a nice contrast between Image then and Image now. If there is one thing that remained consistent through the years, it is the great art. If there is one thing that Image Comics invested in, it was in its image.
Image Comics launched in 1992 with seven artists who bolted Marvel for greater control in their creator owned work. This book has the remaining four founders on hand. The three founders, who left, are Rob Liefeld, who resigned from Image due to a conflict with the other partners and Jim Lee, who sold his Wildstorm studio and character portfolio to DC Comics which also included Whilce Portacio’s Wetworks.
Of the missing founders, Liefeld’s absence is easy to ignore. His Youngblood may have been the first Image comic released, but I’ve never enjoyed his overmuscled and anatomically distorted art. On the other hand, Jim Lee has always been my favorite artist and it is sad he cannot participate in this book. On my shelf though, Lee’s WildC.A.T.S. Compendium hardcover appears side by side with my Image Comic Hardcover as a companion volume.
The two books couldn’t be more different. WildC.A.T.S. Compendium is an inedible snapshot into early Image. Brash, ambitious, beautiful art and a barely there plot, these are all the hallmarks of the excesses of Nineties comics. The Image Comics Hardcover is a more polished work compared to it. The Image founders have matured as artists. Also, each contributed story in this book leads to a new direction for their respective characters that would be explored further in their monthly titles.
Why compare these two books? It is hard not to associate Lee’s contribution to Image itself. At one time, Lee, along with Liefeld, McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino and Portacio were Image.
It is also a nice contrast between Image then and Image now. If there is one thing that remained consistent through the years, it is the great art. If there is one thing that Image Comics invested in, it was in its image.
December 16, 2025
As with any compilation featuring different artists, the stories vary in quality and art. I enjoyed Erik Larsen's origin of the Savage Dragon and Marc Silvestri's Cyber Force story especially featuring Velocity and Ripclaw. The Shadowhawk story I didn't really get into. The Todd McFarlane Spawn story reads like a novel (which may be OK for some people).
Overall, if anyone is a fan of beginning of Image Comics in 1992, this would be a book that would interest them. This was supposed to be a celebration of 10 years of Image Comics (with new stories from 4 of the founders) but it ended up being a few years late.
Overall, if anyone is a fan of beginning of Image Comics in 1992, this would be a book that would interest them. This was supposed to be a celebration of 10 years of Image Comics (with new stories from 4 of the founders) but it ended up being a few years late.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews