@@CryptoComics I never took much interest in Malibu comics till watching your vids a few days ago. So yesterday I trucked on down to my comic shop and stocked up. Reading Mantra and Strangers now. Must say, pretty damn good. Thank you for the awesome suggestion👍
Glad you're enjoying them! I'm still high on the first six issues of Solitaire. The Ultraverse being set in L.A. County gives it an entirely different vibe to Marvel's New York and DC's fictitious cities. I'm surprised Image didn't focus more of their characters on living in Los Angeles. Rob Liefeld's Youngblood was very forward thinking in having a government sanctioned group of heroes who are also celebrities. Unfortunately, he never had a writer who could really capture that concept well, other than the single issue Jim Valentino did for Image X Month, when all the boys swapped books. There's a review of that issue on here, if you're interested.
@@CryptoComics I fully agree,you would think the comic companies would space out their characters and teams more, other than sticking them all in NY. But yes I'll check out whatever your channel offer👍
This was such a great start for all three of these characters. I wouldn't be surprised if the stories meant for DARKER IMAGE#2 were repurposed into DEATHBLOW #0 and THE MAXX #1/2. I'm not sure if BLOOD WULF anything past a 4-part limited series. I have all of their issues as far as I can tell.
The Maxx story was never published, it only recently saw publication in the form of the uncolored original pages from Sam Kieth's personal collection as part of The Maxx Artist's Edition. It's bizarre, because it's in the table of contents and Sam Kieth mentions that Darker Image #1 AND #2 are in there along with The Maxx 1-6, but IDW the people who published it? They don't even mention that it has the Darker Image material at all. Not in the solicit, not on their page, not on the webstore it is super weird. They also don't say that the book comes signed... I do not get them sometimes. It's cool the story did finally see publication after 20+ years though! Now if we can only get Sam Kieth to letter that unreleased issue of The Maxx that he found a few years ago in his personal vaults.
@@nicolekoch1332 Kieth has posted teaser images of Batman an Maxx begging him to finish the book. It's a real shame what The Maxx series did too Kieth in the long run and I'd hoped his doing that series was his coming to terms with the fact it's okay people still like that stuff because he hates it. Poor guy just can't seem to get a book done to save his life since The Maxx
I have a Deathblow/Cybernary #0 flip cover, 2 previews, flip the comic upside down and flip and it's 2 covers, Deathblow was black gloss on matte black, but Nick Manabat's Cybernary cover art was amazing, shame it never released.
The best part about Rob ripping off Lobo for BloodWulf- is after that, in Lobo issue 5, they rip him off back. Where Lobo has to hunt down another hunter/killer who has Rob's Disease. Where his hands and feet swell and his head shrinks until it disappears! Ha.
I got this comic for cheap too, on Rob's podcast he says that he found Bloodshot's design cool and wanted to do a one shot with his Youngblood and Bloodshot but then the owner of Valiant comics Steve Masarsky got it into his head to make a bigger crossover with Image and Valiant to which Rob was not too pleased because now the other Image founders were coerced into it.
Bloodwulf #1 is coming up here in just a couple weeks! Same for a deep dive into Deathblow! I made a video comparing the first issue of the Maxx with the MTV cartoon from 1995, but TH-cam struck it down. Might try uploading it to the Facebook page.
As for what comic moved the needle for me when I was in middle school ? I was in middle school in the mid to late 80s so for me it was anything x men related !
Had to be. Unfortunately, Jim quit drawing the interiors of Deathblow after issue two, which I found to be a major disappointment. I foolishly bought the first ten issues simply because I assumed he'd drawn them all.
Never. But Bloodwulf is basically Rob's take on Lobo, and that character is going to get his own flick soon (or so they say), so we do have that to be excited about!
This was a super-cool book back when. I remember Gen 13 making a huge impression on my 13 year old self. Seemed like it was going to tie in with Stormwatch and be funny and sexy. I don't what I would think now, but I loved it.
It is just my guess, but I think the reason this mini-series was never finished was because IMAGE COMICS was so successful in those years that Sam Keith and Jim Lee decided to just launch ongoing series of THE MAXX and DEATHBLOW respectively. I really don't know why Rob Liefeld didn't get the BLOOD WULF mini-series out sooner, outside of the fact that Extreme Studios already had a lot of titles going and falling behind schedule. (i.e.: YOUNGBLOOD, BRIGADE, SUPREME, PROPHET, YOUGBLOOD: STRIKE FILE, etc.)
@@CryptoComics It is true that it was partially completed - the reasons for the cancellation have never been made explicit, but it is easy to know why. Both Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld were already struggling to say the least to keep up with the amount of work that it took to run their own studios respectively and had no idea how intensive this would be when they started and instantly announced this series. It was also probably at least partially conceived as an anthology of 8 pages stories because that's what Sam Kieth, the smoking artist working on those insane Marvel Comics Presents covers that everyone was talking about, would agree to do at the time. Sam Kieth completed his part of the second issue and if you want to shell out the 125 bucks for the Artist's Edition of the Maxx scanned from his original art you can check out the story as it was finally published in their maybe, 4 or 5 years back? Jim Lee might have gotten his story done, maybe... he was a busy little bee at this point. But Rob Liefeld? That's a definite no. He couldn't keep his titles on track if you put a shotgun to his head, or threatened him with legal action as later occurred, haha. Since Deathblow and Bloodwulf never really went anywhere no one had impetus to come back to this series, Cyberforce was always much more profitable for Lee to work on and he wouldn't really return to Deathblow and this "gritty" style that he wanted to work on as a complete change of pace for him until he put out those squarebound 48pagers a few years later with the really heavily Frank Miller influenced negative white lines on black everywhere thing he did for like 15 minutes... More proof that this series was behind schedule literally before it started? It introduces The Maxx, right? Wrong. The 8-page story here, which takes place before The Maxx #1 (or Maxx #1/2 from Wizard Magazine which was later repurposed and put chronoligcally in a later issue - I think 7, maybe 8?) wasn't published or released until almost a month after The Maxx #1 hit comic shops. Weird but true stuff that consistently took place with Image books back in the day that just drove me nuts. I loved The Maxx, still do, totally obsessed. But at the time, it was like - wait, what comes first? I already got issue 1, and Wizard is saying they have an original 1/2 issue - what is this Darker Image thing that says Introducing?
There is no cheap back issue bins. I wish you would sell me a bunch of dope image comics. I’ve bought CyberForce 1-4 Savage Dragon 1-25 and a group of Badrock/ Young Blood. But PITT, Black Flag, and most of the other dope image comics are going for a lot more on eBay when you add shipping. I have Absolute Wildcat and a slipcover Spawn 75-100
Liefeld is a hack, every character he's ever created was plagiarized and he still can't draw feet. Boys liked his art because it was overkill on muscles and guns while the women were just eye candy with rubber spines. Jim Lee on the other hand is a freakin' legend.
I'm glad someone other than me loves all these image comics. Thanks for the killer reviews👍
I still have a long box of Image to go through! Glad to have you here!
@@CryptoComics I never took much interest in Malibu comics till watching your vids a few days ago. So yesterday I trucked on down to my comic shop and stocked up. Reading Mantra and Strangers now. Must say, pretty damn good. Thank you for the awesome suggestion👍
Glad you're enjoying them! I'm still high on the first six issues of Solitaire. The Ultraverse being set in L.A. County gives it an entirely different vibe to Marvel's New York and DC's fictitious cities. I'm surprised Image didn't focus more of their characters on living in Los Angeles. Rob Liefeld's Youngblood was very forward thinking in having a government sanctioned group of heroes who are also celebrities. Unfortunately, he never had a writer who could really capture that concept well, other than the single issue Jim Valentino did for Image X Month, when all the boys swapped books. There's a review of that issue on here, if you're interested.
@@CryptoComics I fully agree,you would think the comic companies would space out their characters and teams more, other than sticking them all in NY. But yes I'll check out whatever your channel offer👍
@@johnharvath6966 Thanks for being here and for the comments!
This was such a great start for all three of these characters. I wouldn't be surprised if the stories meant for DARKER IMAGE#2 were repurposed into DEATHBLOW #0 and THE MAXX #1/2. I'm not sure if BLOOD WULF anything past a 4-part limited series. I have all of their issues as far as I can tell.
There's also a Bloodwulf Summer Special. That one is missing from my own collection, too.
@@CryptoComics Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure I've got that one too. I want to say BLOOD WULF encounters SUPREME in that one.
The Maxx story was never published, it only recently saw publication in the form of the uncolored original pages from Sam Kieth's personal collection as part of The Maxx Artist's Edition. It's bizarre, because it's in the table of contents and Sam Kieth mentions that Darker Image #1 AND #2 are in there along with The Maxx 1-6, but IDW the people who published it? They don't even mention that it has the Darker Image material at all. Not in the solicit, not on their page, not on the webstore it is super weird. They also don't say that the book comes signed... I do not get them sometimes. It's cool the story did finally see publication after 20+ years though! Now if we can only get Sam Kieth to letter that unreleased issue of The Maxx that he found a few years ago in his personal vaults.
@@JerkComic I agree. That and get the last 2 issues of BATMAN/THE MAXX: ARKHAM DREAMS released to finish the 5-part mini-series D.C/IDW began in 2018!
@@nicolekoch1332 Kieth has posted teaser images of Batman an Maxx begging him to finish the book. It's a real shame what The Maxx series did too Kieth in the long run and I'd hoped his doing that series was his coming to terms with the fact it's okay people still like that stuff because he hates it. Poor guy just can't seem to get a book done to save his life since The Maxx
As a kid I always wondered when Darker Image #2 was going to come out, lol!
Some of Rob Liefeld best Artwork of his career.
I got this same issue lol, just found my old comics and completely forgot I had this. Thanks for the vid.
Sam Kieth is a underrated artist. Great stuff. Loved his run in Aliens: Newt's Tale by Dark Horse
If I remember correctly darker image was the very first image comic I ever own.
I have a Deathblow/Cybernary #0 flip cover, 2 previews, flip the comic upside down and flip and it's 2 covers, Deathblow was black gloss on matte black, but Nick Manabat's Cybernary cover art was amazing, shame it never released.
The best part about Rob ripping off Lobo for BloodWulf- is after that, in Lobo issue 5, they rip him off back. Where Lobo has to hunt down another hunter/killer who has Rob's Disease. Where his hands and feet swell and his head shrinks until it disappears! Ha.
I got this comic for cheap too, on Rob's podcast he says that he found Bloodshot's design cool and wanted to do a one shot with his Youngblood and Bloodshot but then the owner of Valiant comics Steve Masarsky got it into his head to make a bigger crossover with Image and Valiant to which Rob was not too pleased because now the other Image founders were coerced into it.
Nice info! I had no clue!
Issue 1 A is valued at 95 $ ! I'm still chasing down back issues of the maxxq
I used to own this comic how I wish image would have released this later on in the future I would love to see the maxx or even bloodwulf.
Bloodwulf #1 is coming up here in just a couple weeks! Same for a deep dive into Deathblow! I made a video comparing the first issue of the Maxx with the MTV cartoon from 1995, but TH-cam struck it down. Might try uploading it to the Facebook page.
I want to read shadowhawk and cyberforce.
Do it! I have a couple of Cyberforce reviews on here and 4 of various Shadowhawk series!
A speculator once told me this would be worth hundreds some day. Lol
big fan of the big fin himself ..the savage Dragon,had a solid run 1-4 mini/1-56
Had it! I followed the MAXX back in the day
I loved that comic.
As for what comic moved the needle for me when I was in middle school ? I was in middle school in the mid to late 80s so for me it was anything x men related !
The style of Deathblow - Monochrome, with red bits- is reminiscent of Frank Miller's Sin City. Can't help but think this was intentional by Lee...
Had to be. Unfortunately, Jim quit drawing the interiors of Deathblow after issue two, which I found to be a major disappointment. I foolishly bought the first ten issues simply because I assumed he'd drawn them all.
Shadow hawk #1 for the ongoing series .
You think ine day Bloodwulf will get his movie ? Or they've give up
Never. But Bloodwulf is basically Rob's take on Lobo, and that character is going to get his own flick soon (or so they say), so we do have that to be excited about!
This was a super-cool book back when. I remember Gen 13 making a huge impression on my 13 year old self. Seemed like it was going to tie in with Stormwatch and be funny and sexy. I don't what I would think now, but I loved it.
The max did have a complete story don’t worry
I have the gold foil logo Darker Issue #1 signed by Jim Lee.
Probably worth nothing but it's still cool.
Very cool!
It is just my guess, but I think the reason this mini-series was never finished was because IMAGE COMICS was so successful in those years that Sam Keith and Jim Lee decided to just launch ongoing series of THE MAXX and DEATHBLOW respectively. I really don't know why Rob Liefeld didn't get the BLOOD WULF mini-series out sooner, outside of the fact that Extreme Studios already had a lot of titles going and falling behind schedule. (i.e.: YOUNGBLOOD, BRIGADE, SUPREME, PROPHET, YOUGBLOOD: STRIKE FILE, etc.)
I wish they'd release the issue two they had completed, if that rumor is indeed true.
@@CryptoComics It is true that it was partially completed - the reasons for the cancellation have never been made explicit, but it is easy to know why. Both Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld were already struggling to say the least to keep up with the amount of work that it took to run their own studios respectively and had no idea how intensive this would be when they started and instantly announced this series. It was also probably at least partially conceived as an anthology of 8 pages stories because that's what Sam Kieth, the smoking artist working on those insane Marvel Comics Presents covers that everyone was talking about, would agree to do at the time. Sam Kieth completed his part of the second issue and if you want to shell out the 125 bucks for the Artist's Edition of the Maxx scanned from his original art you can check out the story as it was finally published in their maybe, 4 or 5 years back? Jim Lee might have gotten his story done, maybe... he was a busy little bee at this point. But Rob Liefeld? That's a definite no. He couldn't keep his titles on track if you put a shotgun to his head, or threatened him with legal action as later occurred, haha. Since Deathblow and Bloodwulf never really went anywhere no one had impetus to come back to this series, Cyberforce was always much more profitable for Lee to work on and he wouldn't really return to Deathblow and this "gritty" style that he wanted to work on as a complete change of pace for him until he put out those squarebound 48pagers a few years later with the really heavily Frank Miller influenced negative white lines on black everywhere thing he did for like 15 minutes... More proof that this series was behind schedule literally before it started? It introduces The Maxx, right? Wrong. The 8-page story here, which takes place before The Maxx #1 (or Maxx #1/2 from Wizard Magazine which was later repurposed and put chronoligcally in a later issue - I think 7, maybe 8?) wasn't published or released until almost a month after The Maxx #1 hit comic shops. Weird but true stuff that consistently took place with Image books back in the day that just drove me nuts. I loved The Maxx, still do, totally obsessed. But at the time, it was like - wait, what comes first? I already got issue 1, and Wizard is saying they have an original 1/2 issue - what is this Darker Image thing that says Introducing?
The darkness got 2 video games
You got me spending money
I have that in my collaction to hehehe
There is no cheap back issue bins. I wish you would sell me a bunch of dope image comics. I’ve bought CyberForce 1-4 Savage Dragon 1-25 and a group of Badrock/ Young Blood. But PITT, Black Flag, and most of the other dope image comics are going for a lot more on eBay when you add shipping. I have Absolute Wildcat and a slipcover Spawn 75-100
I'll get them to you after we launch the campaign for my new comic here in the next few days.
The Maxx
Liefeld is a hack, every character he's ever created was plagiarized and he still can't draw feet. Boys liked his art because it was overkill on muscles and guns while the women were just eye candy with rubber spines. Jim Lee on the other hand is a freakin' legend.
I like Rob's layouts most of all. No one more dynamic.
Interesting that you're using a piss/poo colored table lol
If your feces and urine are both neon green, stop watching my videos and go to the doctor. Resume watching my videos while awaiting the test results.
I just wonder why you wear the gloves but still beat the dogshit out of your comics
Ya' gotta have a gimmick. Plus, this is worth fifty cents.
SUCKED