Prism #1, Oblivion Song #1, and Gideon Falls #1 by Image Comics. Available March 7, 2018.

Although I’ve been reading comics for a long time (hardcore in my youth and casually throughout adulthood), I’ve been hesitant picking up new issues unless I can start from the beginning. Fortunately for me, Image Comics has opened the gate and rolled out the welcome mat by introducing an entire slate of new comics recently. Let’s take a look at three of the newest titles available March 7, 2018: Prism Stalker, Oblivion Song, and Gideon Falls.

Prism Stalker #1
Story/Art: Sloane Leong
Age Rating: T

First, I think I need to share that I would have bought the first issue of Prism Stalker for the cover alone. It’s just that beautiful. Fortunately, the artistic beauty continues throughout this intriguing book whose debut issue is full of world building. While visually stunning, I’ll be honest, I had to read this book a couple times through and refer back to Image’s description to fully take in what I was reading and seeing.

The book doesn’t necessarily drop you in the middle of the action, but it does drop you in the middle of a completely foreign alien landscape where humanoids (like main character Vep) are a type of harvester for some gnarly insectoids with questionable motives. Vep is obviously a badass and full of surprises, so no complaints there. As a reader of comics for 30+ years, I don’t need tons of hand-holding, but I feel like a little editorial narrative could go a long way in this one. Well, that, and the lettering bleeds together a little too much for my nit-picky old man eyes.

It’s a little jarring being thrust into such an elaborate alien planet with little understanding of what’s going on throughout the issue. But you know what? That’s ok. I appreciate a fantastic world of oozing fleshlike walls and people sleeping in giant bean pods. I just wish I had the second issue of Prism Stalker handy so I could be a little more steady on my feet going into this exciting adventure. I’ll be riding this train through the next few stops (at least) before I decide whether or not to continue the ride. The next issue comes out on April 11, 2018.

Gideon Falls #1
Story: Jeff Lemire
Art: Andrea Sorrentino
Age Rating: M (Mature)

Wow! I had no idea what I was getting into reading Gideon Falls #1, but considering it was from the creative team behind Old Man Logan, I knew it was going to be good. Like Logan, Gideon Falls is cinematic in its storytelling. The rich visuals are gritty but paint a perfect picture of two distinct lives. Norton is a person with obsessive compulsive tendencies picking up mysterious objects around a dirty city and storing them in jars for reasons unknown. Wilfred is a Catholic priest on a new assignment in the seemingly sleepy Gideon Falls following the mysterious death of the previous clergy.

Though the worlds Norton and Wilfred inhabit are different, they are both connected by the Black Barn, which according to Image’s description is “an otherworldly building that is alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town, throughout history, bringing death and madness in its wake.” The touches of humanity along with the mystery of the supernatural make this one a must-read. Just be sure to check it out before Hollywood snatches up the movie rights and everyone is talking about it. I loved this one and will be anxiously awaiting future issues.

Oblivion Song #1
Story: Robert Kirkman
Art: Lorenzo De Felici, Annalisa Leoni
Age Rating: T+

While not a traditional superhero book, Oblivion Song is the one title – of my most recent Image Comics reviews – that is most familiar to traditional comic fans with plenty of action, intrigue, alien dimensions, and otherworldly monsters. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has enjoyed tremendous success, but it is great to see that the well has certainly not run dry in the creativity department. It kicks off hard and heavy, and by the time the action slows down, it’s too late, you’re already hooked.

For a visual medium, the most striking display in Oblivion Song comes in a Vietnam Memorial-styled monument, but with one exception. On this particular monument a handful of select names are chiseled away because they came back from the dead. If you’re thinking Kirkman is on another zombie train, think again. In this series, the world we know is recovering from some currently unexplained catastrophe that caused scores of people to perish . . . or so they thought.

Nathan Cole is on a mission to bring back the long-lost people from a harsh dystopian landscape to reunite with their loved ones. It may seem altruistic, but he has a reason to go back. The Oblivion Song is calling, and it’s one he can’t resist. Can you?