Part 11/12:
The dispute at Image Comics serves as a microcosm of larger industry debates—balancing creative independence, worker rights, profit motives, and corporate culture. It raises questions about the future direction of the comic book industry, especially as independent companies and freelancers confront the realities of labor rights in a creative economy.
While some industry veterans reminisce about Image’s founding principles of creator control and independence, the current dispute signals potential changes—either for better or worse—in how comic book companies operate and treat their employees.