15 Best Breakout Image Comics Series of 2026 (So Far)

2026 has been a stellar year for fans of Image Comics, but which titles have stood out the most. From epic fantasy adventures to brilliant crime capers, in this list we’re taking you on a tour of Image’s best new launches of the year. Get your reading lists ready, folks!

Image Comics has been the home of elite, creator-owned titles for decades. Every year we see glorious new ongoing series drop, and this year has had a particularly impressive lineup. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re ready to cozy up with a pure escapist fantasy, you love western stories, or you want to be amazed, disturbed… or both.

We’ve already compiled a few best of lists for Image this year, but new titles launch every month, and as we head into the fall season, it’s time for yet another refresh. So without further ramble, here’s 15 breakout Image Comics series you need to pick up if you haven’t already.

The Karman Blade

We were taken aback by just how stunning The Karman Blade is when we picked it up. You can check out our review here. The mythical comic comes from the esteemed team of Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram, the team behind best-selling titles Little Bird and Precious Metal. The comic takes place in a dying world under a tyrannical god — and there’s just one blade capable of delivering freedom.

Framed as a hero’s journey by way of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the debut issue follows a young man on the outskirts of a dying world, who is chosen by a blade forged by the starts to slay the deity Kalu and free the water he hoards in his kingdom. Will he answer the tempting call of the Karman Blade?

For fans of myth and legend, The Karman Blade is an absolute must-read. It’s pure comic book escapism, told with some of the best artwork I’ve seen this year.

Of the Earth

Brilliant creators Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, News from the Fallout) and Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead) combine their expertise in Of the Earth.

The 6-issue series introduces us to Tabitha as she traverses the United States to the comfort of her Gramma’s home in Solitude, Texas. She clearly has a precarious history with her Gramma, having pursued a sordid life, and when she arrives back in her hometown, it’s eerily quiet and not what she remembers it to be.

Of the Earth has drawn comparisons to beloved genre classics; look no further than ’80s cult movie Blood Simple and John Carpenter’s legendary horror The Thing. Living up to such high calibre works pits it in a tough battle to stand-up to them — they’re standing on the shoulders of giants. But with Condon and Adlard at the helm, they deliver a debut issue that takes inspiration and carves out its own unique and creative identity.

Royals

Royals follows twin brothers Paul and Castor who have an uncanny telepathic connection. Such a connection unlocks the ability to do many different things, and they choose to go down the gambling route, utilising their skill to create the perfect poker hustle. It all goes very well, but they bite off a little more than they can chew when they take on the leader of the Bloody Cocks, the most ruthless criminal syndicate in Seoul. Check out our review of Royals #1 here.

The story is very much a crime, but it’s not dark and gritty — in fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s a story about two brothers using their unique power to earn a fortune through cheating in Poker. The connection between the brothers is the most charming element of the comic. They’re got completely different personalities, and in turn their motivations sway. Paul is quieter and more reserved, while Castor is outgoing and charismatic. The conflict doesn’t just come from the opponents they face, but also by the introspective interactions between Paul and Castor.

Narco

From Doug Wagner (writer), Daniel Hillyard (artist), Narco was an instant standout when it debuted back in March, praised for its unique premise and quirky tone, as well as sharp artwork.

The series follows Marcus Wesphal, who has a rare form of narcolepsy (when he gets excited, he passes out).He lives a homebound life… with a harmless infatuation with the girl next door. However, when he witnesses her murder and collapses, he becomes the number one suspect. In the wake of this, he’s forced to leave his apartment to pursue a killer.

Universal Monsters: Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is one of the best-loved gothic horror novels of all-time. Of course, the story was made into a pop culture phenomenon thanks to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical. And now, the seminal work is reimagined in comics from esteemed creators Tyler Boss (You’ll Do Bad Things) and Martin Simmonds (The Department of Truth).

Universal Monsters: The Phantom of the Opera takes readers on a new foray deep beneath the grand chandelier of the infamous opera house. Boss and Simmonds’ comic series offers a terrifying new vision of the iconic story.

In terms of uniqueness, we actually praised its differences to the original story. In our review of Phantom of the Opera #1, we wrote: “When I first read this issue I imagined I would bash it for its lack of faithfulness to the source. Since then, I have grown to appreciate this new approach. References, adaptations, inspirations, at the end of the day, they are all bricks out of which we build new houses. There is nothing truly original, as there is nothing truly faithful anymore, where the difference lies is not if Christine Daae will say the appropriate line out of the first 20 pages of the book in comics format, but rather if I can see Christine Daae, while seeing a level of respect for Gaston Leroux from Boss’ and Simmonds’ and I dare say, this might be the first adaptation, I feel the French author’s presence lurking in those same negative spaces I was invited to peek out of.”

M.A.S.K.

Back in June, Dan Watters and Pye Parr ushered in the next phase of the Energon Universe with MASK. In the series, Matt Trakker leads an elite network of specialists — ‘M.A.S.K.’ — deploying transformable vehicle technology to stop Miles Mayhem and V.E.N.O.M. in a dangerous global arms race.

The series was a major breakout success at Image Comics. It was the best-selling title at the publisher in June 2026.

Red Roots

Created by acclaimed comics artist Lorenzo De Felici (Oblivion Song), Red Roots follows lives of a professional killer and a high school teacher, who are inexplicably bound by a terrifying, mysterious force. It’s dark, brutal, and presents a unique mystery that’s super difficult to solve. De Felici’s artwork is stunning as always. It’s more grounded, visceral and gritty than his previous work. Panels move quickly and the action flows. It’s clear that he’s learned how to master the art of cliffhangers after his long-time collaboration with Robert Kirkman.

Issue #1 was a breakout success at Image securing over 60,000 sales.

Narco

From Doug Wagner (writer), Daniel Hillyard (artist), Narco was an instant standout when it debuted back in March, praised for its unique premise and quirky tone, as well as sharp artwork.

Narco #1 was a quick sell-out on release, and has since had two reprints.

If Destruction Be Our Lot

Sci-fi series If Destruction Be Our Lot comes from co-writers Matthew Rosenberg (4 Kids Walk Into a Bank, We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us), Mark Elijah Rosenberg (Approaching the Unknown, Year Million), and artist Andy MacDonald (Doctor Strange, Wonder Woman), colorist Francesco Segala, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

In If Destruction Be Our Lot, humanity is (supposedly) extinct and all that remains are the robots who once helped us.The robots are happier now, doing their work and former public services without human interference. In amongst these robots is a human-looking robot version of Abraham Lincoln, but he’s tired. He is lonely and wants something more. Surely something lies beyond the edge of the robot-ruling city? He’s determined to find out, even if it means his ultimate destruction.

The world-building in this comic is nothing short of brilliant. At its core, it’s a story about a guy looking for meaning in a world that’s left his type behind. Given its stellar creative team, quality oozes from the first page. All the robot designs are creative and a lot of fun, and the world building is exceptional. All of it is depicted in breathtaking fashion by artist Any MacDonald.

Corpse Knight

Corpse Knight is a gothic horror limited-series from a top-tier creative team that’s not just renowned for comics, but some hugely acclaimed film and TV projects. The full team consists of writer/co-creator Michael Chaves (The Conjuring franchise), artist/co-creator Matthew Roberts (Universal Monsters: Creature from The Black Lagoon Lives!), colorist Rico Renzi (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and letterer Pat Brosseau (Birthright).

Corpse Knight takes place in war-ravaged France in 1429 — during the midst of the Hundred Years’ War — where a young girl named Foy lives in relative peace with her father. However, after tragedy strikes and she loses her father, the one person by her side, she’s granted a miracle. Her father returns from the dead to protect her as the corpse knight.

Tightly plotted and gorgeously illustrated, Corpse Knight is one of the instant stand-outs of the year.

Crowbound

One of the most recent entries to Image’s 2026 roster, Crowbound made an instant impression. From acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire and artist Dustin Nguyen, new series Crowbound has drawn a lot of big comparisons. I mean, Image has ambitiously named it a blend of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, with echoes of Kill Bill and Pan’s Labyrinth. The praise doesn’t get much bigger than that, and all of those are some of my absolute favorite pieces of media ever, so the comic caught my undivided attention from the get-go. The challenge then was for Lemire and Nguyen to deliver. Naturally, I’d expected it to fall short on the comparisons purely because of my passion towards them, but as I was drawn into Crowbound, I soon realised that this is a story that deserves to be celebrated as it is, not by what it is compared to.

Crowbound is set in a dystopian, Neo-Western world with clear fantastical elements. We follow a young mother, Rose, who works in a place only known as the Factory. This imposing, monolithic structure runs along the coast and divides the world in two. The world is insular… nobody really knows of the horrors that exist outside. All which exist are desolate, dark settlements within the Factory’s shadow. When Rose’s daughter Ava is kidnapped, she risks everything to track her down and save her, putting compliance aside and ardently trying to save Ava by any means.

White Sky

Longtime, critically-acclaimed comic book and video game writer William Harms (The Mafia III) debuted his comic series White Sky in February 2026, and it was a top-tier post-apocalyptic foray. White Sky sets up an interesting premise from the outset. At its core, it is a ghost story, but rather than the ghost activity taking place in paranormal hotspots, it asks the question: What if the entire world is haunted?

For the series, Harms teams up with fan-favorite artist JP Mavinga and colorist Lee Loughridge (Standstill). The publisher cites the series as ideal for fans of The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, and 28 Days Later. Those comparisons set up huge expectations, but they’re absolutely vindicated. White Sky tales place 5 years after an apocalyptic event that saw the sky turn white… and not long after, the world ended. Now Violet and her father, David, are driven from hiding and forced to cross the desolate remains of America toward the shattered ruins of San Francisco, chasing a grapevine rumour of refuge. However, traversing a land haunted by the dead, nowhere is safe for the living.

Super Creepshow

With Super Creepshow, there’s a little bias on our side. We followed the series from the beginning, interviewing every creator with each issue, including Ryan North and Kieron Gillen. Our love of the series is certainly vindicated.

Creepshow spinoff series Super Creepshow takes everything we love about the original series and weaves together new standalone stories, told from a superhero genre viewpoint. So far we’ve seen excellent tales from a number of top tier writers, including comics legend Marv Wolfman. There’s a Spider-Man riff, a deadly take on The Flash, and so on. These stories are enormously creative, and bring all of the signature shocks and brutality that the Creepshow umbrella is regarded for.

Terminal

Terminal #1 led the way for creator-owned titles in July 2026, making the top 5 top-selling comics of the month. Suffice it to say, the new superhero universe from Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey is one of the must-read comic book launches of the year.

If you read one new superhero universe this year, make it Terminal by Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey. That’s exactly what we said in our hugely positive review ofTerminal #1, which debuted in July 2026. The new series marks the launch of an all-new superhero continuity, fuelled by the powerhouse minds of both Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and Joe Casey (Ben 10). Also involved is artist Andy Kubert, colorist Dave McCaig (The Walking Dead Deluxe), and letterer Rus Wooton (TRANSFORMERS). All things considered, this is one of the most kick-ass teams out there.

Terminal takes place in a world where a secret war is being raged between violent forces, both bestowed with superpowers. We’re introduced to our human protagonist, Marilyn Howe, in the traditional sense — she’s a regular person, thrown in at the deep end way over her head. Marilyn and her sister Alessandra lost their parents at a young age, and Alessandra bought her up from a young age. However, we learn that Alessandra had since gone missing, returning as a hero with super-strength powers.

D’ORC

Author-illustrator Brett Bean has worked on several esteemed projects, notably working as an illustrator on Skottie Young’s beloved series I Hate Fairyland and Marvel’s Rocket and Groot. His other works range from Draw! Brett Bean Breaks Down the Art of Drawing, to graphic novel series Zoo Patrol Squad. This year, he debuted D’ORC, a hilariously brilliant high fantasy romp.

A whimsical, laugh-out-loud fantasy, D’Orc follows an orphaned half-dwarf, half-orc, wielding an ambitiously violent sentient shield, caught in the middle of a never-ending war between the Light and Dark.

The series quickly became one of Image’s biggest breakout hits of 2026. It has now reached a total of 7 reprints, and the momentum is showing no signs of slowing. Back when the comic debuted, we interviewed Brett Bean to discuss the series. Check out our interview here.

Which of these series will you be reading? Which ones are you reading? Tell us in the comments down below!