REVIEW: Splitting Image #1

Story, art, and lettering: Don Simpson
Colors: Brian Murray
Review: Art Bee

A few weeks ago I ordered a back issue I was missing (Reborn #4) from eBay. The seller sent me an interesting pull as a freebie, Splitting Image #1. Once before, I covered the founding of Image Comics in a review but this comic book details it in a cute parody. Don Simpson, who is known for doing comic parodies created this one-shot to help tell the story of the split.

The comic introduces all of the seven parody characters of the Image Comics founders:

   1. Lotus Jee (Jim Lee)
   2. Godd McFarthing (Todd McFarlane)
   3. Brat Lifeguard (Rob Liefeld)
   4.  -Name Withheld- (Eric Larsen)
   5. Val J. Tazmania (Jim Valentino)
   6 Sly Virility (Marc Silvestri)
   7. Wilt What’ziz’name (Whilce Portacio)

The likeness of each individual is very good, even Name Withheld, whose head is just a crystal ball. Seriously, Google Eric Larsen! At the start of the book, the “Marginal Seven” meet for an unfriendly game of Monopoly and to talk about their work. The griefs offered are some of the same issues that drove these men from Marvel Comics; just amplified for humor. After the first few pages the parody begins to smooth out.    

My favorite part of the comic book is on page eight. The “Marginal Seven” go to the “Marginal Comicbook Conglomerate” (a.k.a. Marvel Comics) to see Jerry Stumart (Terry Stewart, Pres. Marvel Comics). The seven are met with the head of Stan Lee, featured much like the floating head in The Wizard of Oz, and it is portrayed as a mindless propaganda tool.
Jeez, I wonder how they really feel?
Don’t get me wrong, the portrayal of Stewart is pretty low as well. This part of the comic was a roundhouse to Marvel’s jaw.

From page nine on this comic features parodies of each of the seven Image creators’ signature titles such as Youngblood, Savage Dragon, Spawn and WildC.A.T.S... Some are really creative and others are stretching…a lot. None of them were very exciting in this issue, but a little refreshing. Actually they were more of a splash of nostalgia.

Don Simpson has done a lot of work over the years for various publishers. His own work is highlighted by The Megaton Man, which was produced from 1984-86. The work in this book is very likable but very much from the days of pencils and pens…and that’s a complement. I wish more artists would still publish this way rather than use digital tools.

This issue completely reminded me of a Mad Magazine, which has been an obsession of mine since I was very young. This was a nice little bonus to my purchase. If you have any comics you are looking to purchase, check out darkknightcomics store (http://www.ebay.com/sch/darkknightcomics/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=) on eBay, they do very good business.