I always feel I should be into more Image comics, now that they have a much more expansive and higher quality range than when it first came out, but I don’t know if I can get over my stupid prejudices. I feel guilty when something I had been interested in picking up, The Silencers, announces in its back pages that the issue in my hand would be the only one as numbers weren’t enough to sustain a four-issue limited series. But it can’t be all my fault, can it?

Anyway, on to the solicitations. A Spawn collection? Is this timely or something? Or is it a reminder of what McFarlane did before he started spending all your money on sports souvenirs? I particularly like the ‘and others’ when describing the people who aren’t Todd – Alan Moore (#8), Neil Gaiman (#9) and Dave Sim (#10) are obviously not important in their own right …

The ‘critically acclaimed’ (their own words) Amazing Joy Buzzards gets a new series. Personally, the phrase ‘Rock’n’Roll adventure’ puts me off, but I am a cold-hearted cynic, so feel free to ignore me as a lot of other people seem to like this book.

Heroes and Villains: The World and Art of Michael Golden sounds like a nice idea to collect some of his astounding pencils, but 64 pages and in black & white? Couldn’t they get any more?

I don’t read The Walking Dead, even though I hear it is a good book, as I’m not into zombies, personally. (Sorry, Tom). Nevertheless, does it warrant a script book? It seems an odd choice for that sort of treatment …

Anyone have thoughts on Battle Hymn? The art looks interesting and the idea seems to have been thought out, but it is set in the Golden Age, which always me nervous. Saying that, I thoroughly enjoyed James Robinson & Paul Smith’s The Golden Age, so who knows?

Although many of the books don’t appeal to me, Image at least seems to put out a full package, with lots of extras to reward the fans for buying the book, such as Battle Hymn, Dawn vol 1, Ruule: Ganglords of Chinatown, which has to be commended.

I’d like to mention that Fell, by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith, has its second issue out this month, and it looks really good, it’s going to be packed with stuff and it’s only $2 (plus tax, where that applies), if only because Warren mentioned people should be ordering it in his Bad Signal the other week, and we don’t want him moaning now, do we?

I still haven’t read Invincible yet (sorry, Logan). I intend to rectify this shortly. But I thought I should point out that it is still coming out, it’s up to issue 28, which is impressive for Image, and lots of people like, so there must be something good about it.

Even though it is very odd, I really like the David Finch cover for PVP #20.

I usually skim over the Todd McFarlance product but couldn’t help but notice the ‘Spawn 12-inch’ figure; do we have something to prove, Mr McFarlane?

Top Cow’s big new release is a comic with a silly name written by a man with a strange name who writes for a TV show I’ve never heard of before. Is it me, or do you come out in screaming hives when you see a comic book with acronym for the title? VICE might be a great comic, but I can’t get past the name, Violent Incident Control Enforcement – I mean, aren’t Control and Enforcement kind of synonymous?

Question: does anyone buy and read Witchblade non-ironically? I’d really like to know …

That about wraps me up for this post. I might have to do one of the those ‘Request for recommendations’ post, specifically aimed at Image books, so that I can feel more well read and better able to comment on the Image solicitations. And remember to pre-order you books, folks.