Hello again comic fans, I am dishing out the Image Comics first issues for the month of July as my next comic book solicitations post since there are a nice batch of issues to examine that are just launching. There are also a couple of celebratory tomes that help us to keep the toasting going on the company’s 25th Anniversary. The title premise and art come from the official channels but the editorial closing is all us. Here we go.

Moonstruck #1: A NEW ONGOING SERIES from Lumberjanes creator GRACE ELLIS and talented newcomer SHAE BEAGLE that tells a story of monsters, romance, and magical hijinks! The first arc also includes an additional short story with artist KATE LETH! Fantasy creatures are living typical, unremarkable lives alongside humans, and barista Julie strives to be the most unremarkable of all. Normal job, normal almost-girlfriend, normal…werewolf transformations that happen when she gets upset? Yikes! But all bets are off when she and her centaur best friend Chet find themselves in the middle of a magical conspiracy. Will Julie and Chet be able to save their friends? Is Julie’s dogged determination to be normal a lost cause? Who’s going to watch the coffee shop while our heroes are out saving the world?? These questions and more will be answered in MOONSTRUCK, coming July 19 from Image Comics.
Story: Grace Ellis; Art: Kate Leth, Shae Beagle; Cover: Shae Beagle

Sacred Creatures #1: When the supernatural forces maintaining the fragile balance of power in this world start to unravel, Josh Miller, a young college grad and expecting father, is caught in the middle of a vast conspiracy threatening to tear apart the foundations of humanity as we know it. As myth and reality collide, Josh finds himself on the frontline of a battle against an enemy dating back to the beginning of time itself. Comic legends KLAUS JANSON (Daredevil, Dark Knight Returns) and PABLO RAIMONDI (X-Factor, Book of Doom) proudly present SACRED CREATURES, their first-ever creator-owned series, with a monster-sized first issue featuring 66 pages of color art!
Story: Klaus Janson, Pablo Raimondi; Art / Cover: Pablo Raimondi
Bloodstrike #1 Remastered Edition: 1993’s original BLOODSTRIKE #1. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Image Comics with a bloody delightful remastered edition of 1993’s BLOODSTRIKE #1, illustrated by DAN FRAGA and DANNY MIKI over layouts from ROB LIEFELD, dramatically recolored by color wizard THOMAS MASON (X-Men)!
Story / Variant Cover: Rob Liefeld; Writer: Eric Stephenson; Art: Dan Fraga, Danny Miki, Rob Liefeld; Cover: Dan Fraga

The Darkness: Darkness / Batman & Darkness / Superman 20Th Anniversary Collection TP: Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Image Comics and the 20th anniversary of THE DARKNESS, this special volume collects THE DARKNESS ORIGINS (Issues one through six and Preview), THE DARKNESS/BATMAN, and THE DARKNESS/SUPERMAN! This is a one-time printing in honor of the anniversaries, so don’t miss out!
Story: Garth Ennis, Jeph Loeb, Ron Marz, Scott Lobdell; Art: Clarence Lansang, David Finch, Marc Silvestri, Tyler Kirkham; Cover: Marc Silvestri

Generation Gone #1: America, 2020. Three young hackers with nothing to lose. A secretive scientist with a plan. One final job. What happens when you’re poor, angry, and get superpowers you never asked for? Skins + Unbreakable = GENERATION GONE, sort of— if you also include multiple trips to the sun, weird black goo, a breakup fight inside a nuclear factory, love, hate, anger, loss…and survival. GENERATION GONE is for every kid struggling out there. It’s about what it means to be young in the USA, 2017.
Story: Ales Kot, André Lima Araújo; Art / Cover: André Lima Araújo, Chris O’Halloran

Lazarus: X+66 #1 (Of 6): In the wake of “CULL” and setting the stage for “FRACTURE,” the sixth storyline of the critically acclaimed LAZARUS, this series takes us into the year +66 with six separate stories. Casey Solomon has caught the eye of the Lazarus, but gaining the Family’s attention can be as much a curse as a blessing. Will Dagger Selection destroy Casey, or will survival mean something worse?
Story: Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann; Art: Steve Lieber; Cover: Michael Lark

Mage: The Hero Denied #0: MATT WAGNER returns with the third and final volume of his epic fantasy trilogy—MAGE: THE HERO DENIED. This long-awaited conclusion follows the adventures of the reluctant everyman hero Kevin Matchstick, who, after encountering a shaggy and beguiling wizard, discovers he is the reincarnation of the legendary Pendragon and able to wield the power of the mystical weapon, Excalibur. The story picks up several years after the fateful climax of THE HERO DEFINED and finds Kevin beginning to once again doubt the virtue of his actions and the course of his destiny. This introductory, half-sized issue #0 continues MAGE’s tradition of an “Interlude” short-adventure, bridging the gap between this series and the previous storyline. It also acts as a perfect jumping-on spot for new readers.
Story / Art / Cover: Matt Wagner

Mage: The Hero Discovered, Vol. 1 TP: The first of two volumes reprinting the classic early issues of creator MATT WAGNER’s epic fantasy trilogy. THE HERO DISCOVERED reveals the fledgling adventures of the reluctant everyman hero, Kevin Matchsick. After encountering a shaggy and beguiling wizard, Kevin soon discovers that he is more than he ever imagined. This seminal work has found an enduring popularity with readers for decades and marks creator MATT WAGNER’s emergence as a powerful story-teller. With the release of the final part of the MAGE trilogy, this series will spark interest with new readers and older fans alike.
Story: Matt Wagner; Art: Matt Wagner, Sam Kieth; Cover: Matt Wagner & Sam Kieth
PiercingMetal Thoughts: I’m most interested in the couple of collected editions noted in this post since its Mage and The Darkness as they are two titles that I enjoyed way back when. I also might purchase the anniversary edition of the “Bloodstrike” title. Did you know that the original cover had a “blood” feature as its cover texture? It was a time of gimmicks on the comic book covers for sure back then. I have boxes of titles with wild covers such as this one but the special re-release will just be a conventional comic book cover. Don’t forget that this month’s 25th Anniversary variant covers are called “Images Of Tomorrow” and I lined those out for you in THIS POST. What do you think of these offerings for July? Will you be picking anything up? Let me know in the comments section below.
Official Website: http://www.imagecomics.com