The 11 Best Image Books Of The 21st Century | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

The last twenty years would see Image become an entirely different type of comic company, one focused on quality in a way they weren't before.

Image Comics began its life with a huge coup, as the most powerful artists in the industry left the Big Two and started their own company. Whileitwas mostly seen as a style-over-substance company, that would change as the years went on; the publisher now boasts some of the greatest writers in the comics medium.

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The last twenty years would see Image become an entirely different type of comic company, one focused on quality in a way they weren't before. A lot of great stories have come out of this period and fans constantly argue about which books are the best, especially with all of the great books of the 21st century.

Phonogram, by writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie, told the story of phonomancers, magic users who used music as the basis for their power. Set in England, the three volumes of this book feature a diverse cast of characters but mostly focuses on David Kohl and Emily Aster, two phonomancers dealing with their pasts.

The stand out of the series is The Singles Club, which focuses on seven different phonomancers and their night at the same club. Gillen's deft characterization and musical knowledge combine with McKelvie's amazing pencils to tell three unforgettable stories.

Taking place in a future overrun by technology and drugs controlled by corporations, Tokyo Ghost, by writer Rick Remender and artist Sean Murphy, tells the story of Debbie Decay and Led Dent, bounty hunters who are hired to go to Japan, the last pristine land on Earth. The two of them decide to disobey orders and while Debbie relishes her new life, Led's need for "civilization" rears its ugly head and changes everything.

Featuring some of Rick Remender's best characters, Tokyo Ghost is social commentary disguised with some great action and adventure. Sean Murphy's art is amazing as well, bringing the whole book to life in a way it wouldn't have if anyone elsehad drawnthe book.

The'90s Image was full of characters that could stay in their decade and no one would miss them. However, one '90s revival no one knew they wanted was Prophet. Prophet, written by Brandon Graham with art by Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, and Graham, was completely different from what came before. Set in a far off future, it told the story of the rebirth of the Earth Empire and the aliens who fought them, led by Old Man Prophet who was responsible for the Empire's previous defeat in the distant past.

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One of the best sci-fi books around, Prophet dropped readers into a fully formed universe and slowly filled them in. It even found a way to make Youngblood cool, which isn't something that anyone has been able to do in years.

Descender/Ascender, by writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen, tells the story of Tim-21, a boy android searching for his family in a galaxy that hates artificial lifeforms. He finds himself embroiled in a new conflict between humans and robots and Descender ends with the galaxy in shambles again. Ascender, the sequel, follows Mila, the daughter of Tim-21's human "brother", in a galaxy overrun by magic in a search for the android.

One of Image' Comics' best kept secrets, Descender/Ascender is a sci-fi tale with heart, informed by Lemire's deft characterization and plotting. Nguyen's lush watercolor art is perfect for the book, really capturing the wonder and terror of the book's plots.

Another book by Jeff Lemire, this one written and drawn by him, Royal City tells the story of the Pike family, as they deal with changes to their hometown and the death of the family's youngest child in the '90s, an event that haunts every member of the family still.

Royal City isn't an everyday comic; it's all about a family and how they deal with life, from shirking their responsibilities to overworking to falling onto drugs and alcohol to so much more. Lemire packs it all in on this book, not pulling any emotional punches, and ends it perfectly.

Invincible, by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Ryan Ottley, tells the story of the titular character. The son of the superhero Omni-Man, Invincible discovers his father's terrible secret and has to deal with the repercussions. Filled with amazingly bloody and exciting fight scenes and great characters, Invincible has proven to be a superhero yarn for the ages.

On its way to becoming an Amazon Prime series, Invincible was a superhero series that wasn't afraid of embracing the more adult aspects of superheroing. Kirkman's deft character work and plots inform the whole series and Ottley's art brought the hard-hitting action sequences to bloody life.

Wytches, by writer Scott Snyder and artist Jock, stars the Rook family. Moved to a new town, the family gets way more than they bargained for, as their daughter Sailor is "pledged", a sacrifice for one of the town's darkest secrets. However, there are some who want to help them. Witches may not be real but wytches... well that's another story.

Snyder and Jock give readers a wonderful horror tale in this six-issue series, reconceptualizing witches, those that hunted them, and their relationship to the world. One of the best horror books Image has to offer, fans are still waiting for a sequel.

Jupiter's Legacy, by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely, tells the story of Brandon and Chloe Sampson. The children of the greatest superheroes on Earth, who spend their time doing drugs and partying before Brandon gets embroiled in the schemes of his uncle Brainwave and taking over the United States, with his sister trying to stop him.

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Playing on a lot of plot points that Millar introduced in earlier works, his reunion with Frank Quitely paid dividends, with big-time superhero action and drama. Another volume of the book is forthcoming and the prequel series, Jupiter's Circle, fills readers in on the past of this fascinating world.

The Walking Dead, by writer Robert Kirkman and artists Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, told the story of Rick Grimes and his band of survivors after a zombie apocalypse. The inspiration for a very popular TV franchise, The Walking Dead can be said to be the turning point of Image Comics, focusing more on writers and new voices than what the publisher had done before.

Not scared to kill off major characters, the book was constantly shocking. Kirkman's writing gave the whole thing a gritty realism that made all of the gut-wrenching moments that much more powerful. Drawn in stark black and white by Moore and Adlard (who did nearly issue after Moore left early in the book's run), The Walking Dead is probably the greatest Image success story of them all.

The Wicked + The Divine, by writer Kieron Gillen and artist Jamie McKelvie, told the story of the Recurrence- every ninety years, twelve young people are given the powers of the gods for two years and then they die. The book focuses on a fangirl of the newest Pantheon, Laura, as she meets her idols and gets embroiled in their affairs.

The Wicked + The Divine teams long time collaborators Gillen and McKelvie for what is their magnum opus, a story about life, love, art, death, and pop culture. Filled with one of the most diverse casts of characters in any comic, this book is full of twists and turns and straight-up gorgeous art.

Saga, by writer Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples, tells the story of Marko, Allana, and their child Hazel. Marko and Allana were on separate sides of a massive galactic war and fell in love, running from both of their races and having their child, Hazel. What follows is one of the most beautiful and tragic comics of the 21st century, full of love, war, and everything in between.

Not enough good things can be said about Saga. Fans love its characters and situations and the art is top-notch. On hiatus for two years now, fans can't wait for the next issue to drop.

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David Harth has been reading comics for close to 30 years. He writes for several websites, makes killer pizza, goes to Disney World more than his budget allows, and has the cutest daughter in the world. He can prove it.

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The 11 Best Image Books Of The 21st Century | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources