Tales of Wonder #1 — Steve Skroce’s Metafictional Marvel Where Comic Characters Become Real
Steve Skroce’s new Image series imagines a world where the superheroes drawn by a legendary comic duo actually exist. As Stu and Jake reunite to launch a cinematic universe, their fictional creations step off the page, forcing the creators to confront their past and save the world.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the line between the ink on the page and the blood in the veins blurs, this is the book. Steve Skroce, the artist behind the haunting beauty of We Stand On Guard and the intense action of Wolverine, is stepping into the writer’s seat for a debut that feels both deeply personal and wildly imaginative. It’s a love letter to the golden age of comics, wrapped in a modern thriller that asks what we owe the stories we create.
Skroce brings his signature visual storytelling to a premise that could easily tip into gimmickry, but instead feels grounded in the emotional reality of creative partnership. With co-creator Ian Herring handling the art, the book promises to be a visual feast, blending the nostalgia of classic superhero aesthetics with a modern, high-stakes tension. It’s a story about legacy, regret, and the power of shared imagination, all while the characters they created are busy saving the world.
I’d also recommend keeping an eye on how this intersects with the broader Image landscape, particularly for fans of Ghost Pepper and The Ultimates. Those books explore similar themes of deconstructing superhero tropes, but Tales of Wonder adds a unique layer of meta-commentary on the creators themselves. It’s a fresh perspective on a genre that has seen every possible twist, largely because it’s anchored in such a specific, human dynamic.
One quiet detail to watch for is how Skroce handles the transition from page to screen within the story. The way he visualizes the cinematic universe unfolding in real-time, while the characters navigate their own reality, is going to be a masterclass in pacing. It’s the kind of nuance that rewards close reading, so don’t rush through the early issues. This is a story that builds its wonder slowly, and the payoff is going to be worth every page.