By Dustin Cabeal
Yeah I'm still not big on this idea. I mean the covers are fun and all, but it seems hypocritical for a publisher that's denounced the practice of variant covers to then celebrate it's anniversary with variant covers. Granted the industry doesn't seem to be able to come up with any other way to celebrate their anniversaries, but then also why the fuck do we need to celebrate it either?
Press Release
Image Comics is thrilled to reveal the first 11 of 15 homage variants planned for February’s 25th anniversary theme month—“tribute covers” celebrating iconic cover images from throughout the company’s history.
Each month of Image’s 25th year will boast a theme for special anniversary variants, beginning with Wednesday, February 1st—the exact date of Image Comics’ founding in 1992, and the date of this year’s “Image Comics Day.”
“One of the great things about celebrating our 25th anniversary is that it creates an opportunity for us to look back at over two decades of history-making comics and showcase some of the wonderful work that made Image what it is today,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Everyone in the Image family is a fan at heart, and this month’s tribute variants give the participating creators a chance to show their admiration for some of comics’ greatest creator-owned triumphs by putting their own unique spin on classic images from that rich and varied past for a collection of covers as fun as they are stunning.”
Available in stores on Wednesday, February 1st:
Rick Remender and Wes Craig’s DEADLY CLASS #26 commemorating Marc Silvestri’s CYBER FORCE #1 (Diamond Code NOV168917)
Available in stores on Wednesday, February 8th:
Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s EAST OF WEST #31 commemorating Rob Liefeld’s TEAM YOUNGBLOOD #19 (Diamond Code NOV169165)
Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #26 commemorating Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s SEX CRIMINALS #1 (Diamond Code NOV169053)
Available in stores on Wednesday, February 15th:
Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s INVINCIBLE #133 commemorating Rob Liefeld’s YOUNGBLOOD #1 (Diamond Code NOV169172)
Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw’s GOD COUNTRY #2 commemorating Erik Larsen’s SAVAGE DRAGON #1 (Diamond Code NOV169169)
Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser’s KILL OR BE KILLED #6 commemorating Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD #1 (Diamond Code NOV169051)
Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s SEX CRIMINALS #16 commemorating Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1 (Diamond Code NOV169052)
Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD #164 commemorating Jim Lee’s WILD C.A.T.S. #1 (Diamond Code NOV169171)
Available in stores on Wednesday, February 22nd:
Charles Soule and Ryan Browne’s CURSE WORDS #2 commemorating Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s INVINCIBLE #1 (Diamond Code NOV169173)
Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s DESCENDER #19 commemorating Dale Keown’s PITT #2 (Diamond Code NOV169174)
Tim Seely and Mike Norton’s REVIVAL #47 commemorating Marc Silvestri, Brian Haberlin, Michael Turner, and David Wohl’s WITCHBLADE #1 (Diamond Code NOV169170)
