The best Image comics are, at the top, Saga , The Walking Dead , Spawn and Invincible. This tier list ranks the series from the independent publisher Image Comics according to their quality and influence. Facts (authors, dates) verified, no invented odds; each entry refers to a site file when it exists.
Founded in 1992 by star cartoonists, Image Comics has become the major “creator-owned” publisher and the home of the best independent series. This tier list classifies its catalog according to quality and impact. Criterion: the success of the series, from indie blockbuster to gem.
Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.
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Start my trial →Tier S: the monuments Image
Saga is the most awarded indie space opera of the decade. The Walking Dead redefined survival over nearly 200 issues. Spawn, Image's founding series, has been running since 1992, and Invincible is the great creator-owned superhero story.
Tier A: major modern series
East of West, Paper Girls, Monster and Sex Criminals embody the ambition and inventiveness of Image in the 2010s.
Tier B: cult series
Go down , Deadly Class , Southern Bastards and The Wicked + The Divine show the diversity of the Image catalog.
Tier C: the nuggets
Bitch Planet, Ice Cream Man, Nailbiter and Gideon Falls complete the selection with strong concepts.
Tier D: the founders
Savage Dragon, WildC.A.T.s and Youngblood close this tier list: the series from the beginnings of Image, historic even if less accomplished.
To remember
- Image is the king of creator-owned and modern indie.
- Saga and The Walking Dead are his greatest successes.
- Recent #1 Images (Saga #1, The Walking Dead #1) are wanted.
- Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.
Where to enter the Image catalogue according to your tastes
Image is not a shared universe like Marvel or DC: each series is independent and its creators keep the rights. There is therefore no general reading order, but as many entry points as there are genres. Here is how to choose from the tier list, with no prerequisites.
The founding series of 1992
McFarlane's Spawn, Larsen's Savage Dragon, Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.s and Liefeld's Youngblood all date from the creation of the publisher in 1992 by star artists. They are historic and read as a testimony of their era. Spawn, the founding series, has run since 1992 and sits in tier S, unlike the other three, ranked in tier D.
Robert Kirkman's series
Kirkman signs two pillars, both launched in 2003: The Walking Dead, which redefined survival fiction over nearly 200 issues, and Invincible, with Ryan Ottley, the great creator-owned superhero story. If you want a modern superhero without going through Marvel or DC, Invincible is the most direct choice.
Entry points by genre
- Space opera and fantasy: Saga (2012), Monstress (2015), Descender (2015) and East of West (2013).
- Horror and thriller: The Walking Dead, Ice Cream Man (2018), Nailbiter (2014) and Gideon Falls (2018).
- Social and dark stories: Southern Bastards (2014), Deadly Class (2014) and Bitch Planet (2014).
- Humor and pop culture: Sex Criminals (2013) and The Wicked + The Divine (2014).
Collecting tips
Recent first issues, Saga #1 or The Walking Dead #1, are the most sought-after in the catalogue. For reading, most of these series exist in complete collections, the simplest format for discovering a title before hunting for single issues. When you aim for a first issue, check that it is the original edition and not a reprint. Finally, a series that has run since 1992 like Spawn cannot be completed like a shorter series: set yourself a period or an arc rather than exhaustiveness.
Frequently asked questions
Saga and The Walking Dead dominate the Image catalog, followed by Invincible and Spawn, the publisher's founding series.
At Image, creators retain the rights to their works (“creator-owned”), which encourages more personal and daring stories, far from licensed superheroes.
By Saga (accessible and acclaimed) or Invincible (modern superhero). Both exist in complete collections.
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