Tim Davis of Alternate Reality in Chicago, Illinois has been tracking the late Image books, and sent us this summary and comment:

I just finished my in-store late list for this week.  According to Diamond this week there are a total 34 Image titles currently on the late list.  Don't believe me?  Here they are:

Age of Bronze Vol. II: Sacrifice HC

Alternation #4 Cvrs. A-B

Aria Vol. III: Uses of Enchantment TP

Bad Ideas #2

Bloodstream #3

Bloodstream #4

But But Barbarians GN

Casefiles: Sam and Twitch #10

Casefiles: Sam and Twitch #14

Casefiles Sam and Twitch #15

Dawn: Three Tiers #4

Distant Soil #37

Heaven's Devils #4

Hellhounds #5 Cvrs A-B

Jack Staff #5

Jack Staff #6

Jack Staff #7

Liberty Meadows Sourcebook

Liberty Meadows #37

Mage Vol. I: The Hero Discovered HC

Phantom Jack #4

Proximity Effect GN

PvP #7

Rex Mundi #11

Rex Mundi #12

Sammy: A Very Sammy Day

Ride #1 Reg.+SGN

Savage Dragon #115

Savage Dragon #116

Savage Dragon #117

Something Wicked #4+Incentive

Walking Dead #8

Wanted #4

Witchblade #76

If you really want to be anal about it (and who in our industry can't be) there are actually 42 line items when you also count the solicited A, B, C variant covers, incentive and signed editions listed.

In the May Previews (Vol. XIV #5), which I'm currently working on, Image has 36 NEW comic book items they are soliciting.  There are more actual line items but I'm not counting STAR SYSTEM 'Order Again' items or action figures.  Just new funny books and new trades and graphic novels.

What's my point?  How can the third largest publisher in the industry actually be considered as such when they have the equivalent of almost a whole month's worth of solicitations MIA.  I'm no newbie to Image and their current decade of shipping problems and irregularities (how's that 10th Anniversary Hardcover coming guys?), but this is ridiculous.  At what point does Diamond (or someone in authority) spank their rumps, rub their nose in this list and yell 'Bad Dog!'

The rest of us are expected to run our businesses like grown ups, when's the 'Mighty I' going to get around to it?

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