Another failed Communist Revolution

From each according to the needs, to each according to their crappy comics creations.

How Image Comics was formed in ’92 was a microcosm of every Socialist/Communist revolution in the world. Liefeld, Larsen, McFarlane, et al, sought to control their means of production, and set up a proletariat controlled state that eventually became a regime similar to what they originally rebelled against: Marvel. The early Image comics retain, in my opinion despite the criticisms of the Clement Greenberg-esque, Orthodox Church of the Comics Journal acolytes, an electricity and verve never seen since. Though “formally” speaking, there are failings in the comics, but, like much art, the emphasis is not necessarily on the formal. The Image founders were not attempting a revolution of form, or even content. But of desire. Of intent. Of control. Of production. Of style. They sought to make comics that were inspiring to the readers of the day the way Marvel and DC comics were to them. They had no reason to be held back. The first few image comics struggled to be as badass as possible as fast as possible, and the result of that struggle, in my opinion, was a pleasure to experience. Critics reacted as if they should have taken the opportunity to make existential autobiographical comics. All these creators ever knew were superheroes. Creator-owned superhero comics that could compete for the loyalty of Marvel and DC fans was a revolution indeed. A young person making their own superhero fantasies now knew that their own creations could reach the audience that their big brother’s (and father’s) icons once exclusively commanded. These were not your big brothers comics. Image was seen, by many, to be our generation’s Marvel. This was Fantastic Four #1 and Amazing Fantasy #15 but with hindsight. This initial burst of energy flamed out quickly, as the revolution eventually settled into the same business practices that they originally railed against.

Aside from The Maxx, I know not from Image. If there's anything else worth a gander from this company's backlog, they've kept themselves well hidden. As for the Uprising of the Proletariat -- a Revolution cannot sustain itself on an imbecilic collectors' bubble. (That be a bad patch of capitalism, which tends to run ahead of itself a little too far... except in this case it's hard to pinpoint where the glimmer of reality is... the early Spidermans and before that early Supermans your mom threw out?) Nor can it rest easy on stories designed around "pin-up poses" and pages designed to be worth more as original art.

There used to be a funny bit here about the launch of Image. It's now been deleted so is only available here.

Enter Rob Liefeld. The situation is as follows: there is a terrorist group from the future that is hell bent on awakening a terrible menace from our past in the present. One really cool monster, ninjas, assassins, barbarians, time-travelers and plenty of intrigue. All the ingredients that set X-Force apart from the pack 13 years ago are front and center here. The sins of Cable’s past really come back to haunt him this time around...

I have no comment on that. Perhaps our tcj poster does:

The Image creators were not nearly as self-conscious about it, but still, those early ones feel like comics made by that dude in junior high who could draw better than anyone and made his own homemade comics--no overthinking it, just drawing whatever the hell he wanted.