Icon Comics is an imprint

Imprint

In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...

 of Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 for creator-owned

Creator ownership

Creator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. In some fields of publishing, such as fiction writing, creator ownership is a standard arrangement...

 titles, designed to keep select "A-list" creators producing for Marvel rather than seeing them take creator-owned work to other publishers.

History

It was launched in 2004 with Michael Avon Oeming

Michael Avon Oeming

Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...

 and Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis

Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...

' superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

/detective series Powers

Powers (comics)

Powers is an American creator-owned police procedural comic book series by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming. The series' first volume was published by Image Comics from 2000 to 2004...

, and David Mack

David W. Mack

David W. Mack is an American comic book artist and writer, best known for his creator-owned series Kabuki. Mack is known for his unique painted and collage-like work...

's Kabuki

Kabuki (comics)

Kabuki is a comic book series created by artist and writer David Mack, first published in 1994 by Caliber Press and later by Image Comics. It is a story of an assassin who struggles with her identity in near-future Japan. The most recent miniseries, Kabuki: The Alchemy, was published by Marvel...

moving to the imprint, both from Image Comics

Image Comics

Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...

. In June 2005 the imprint's third title, J. Michael Straczynski

J. Michael Straczynski

Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...

's Dream Police

Dream Police (comics)

Dream Police is an American comic book one-shot created by writer J. Michael Straczynski with artwork by Mike Deodato.It was published by Marvel Comics, on June 22, 2005, under their Icon imprint for creator-owned titles.-Story:...

was launched, followed in September by The Book of Lost Souls

The Book of Lost Souls

The Book of Lost Souls was an American comic book series published under the Icon Comics imprint, owned by Marvel Comics. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and pencilled by Colleen Doran....

, also from Straczynski. Criminal

Criminal (comics)

In 2009 the first three trades were also repackaged in a 432 page "Deluxe Edition" hardcover . Included in this edition are a number of extras, including three of the original backpages "essays" with all 13 original accompanying pieces of art, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund short story No One Rides...

by Ed Brubaker

Ed Brubaker

Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...

 and Sean Phillips

Sean Phillips

Sean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...

 is an ongoing crime comic also published by Icon.

Mark Millar

Mark Millar

Mark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer, known for his work on books such as The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, the latter two of which have been adapted into feature films...

 has described the deal with Icon in relation to his Kick-Ass series:

Current

• Brilliant (maxiseries) by writer Brian Michael Bendis
  Brian Michael Bendis
  Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
  
   and artist Mark Bagley
  Mark Bagley
  Mark Bagley is an American comic book artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on such titles as The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, New Warriors, and Ultimate Spider-Man.- Early life and career :...
  
  
• Casanova (ongoing series
  Ongoing series
  The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
  
  ) by writer Matt Fraction
  Matt Fraction
  Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
  
   and artists Gabriel Bá
  Gabriel Bá
  Gabriel Bá is a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on The Umbrella Academy and Casanova...
  
   and Fábio Moon
  Fábio Moon
  Fábio Moon is a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on Casanova. He is the twin brother of fellow comic book artist Gabriel Bá.-Career:...
  
  
• Criminal
  Criminal (comics)
  In 2009 the first three trades were also repackaged in a 432 page "Deluxe Edition" hardcover . Included in this edition are a number of extras, including three of the original backpages "essays" with all 13 original accompanying pieces of art, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund short story No One Rides...
  
  (ongoing series) by writer Ed Brubaker
  Ed Brubaker
  Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
  
   and artist Sean Phillips
  Sean Phillips
  Sean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...
  
  
• Incognito
  Incognito (comics)
  Incognito is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Ed Brubaker with art by Sean Phillips, It was published by the Icon Comics imprint of Marvel Comics.A second six issue miniseries, Incognito: Bad Influences, was released in late 2010....
  
  (ongoing series) by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips
• Kabuki
  Kabuki (comics)
  Kabuki is a comic book series created by artist and writer David Mack, first published in 1994 by Caliber Press and later by Image Comics. It is a story of an assassin who struggles with her identity in near-future Japan. The most recent miniseries, Kabuki: The Alchemy, was published by Marvel...
  
  (ongoing series) by writer-artist David Mack
  David W. Mack
  David W. Mack is an American comic book artist and writer, best known for his creator-owned series Kabuki. Mack is known for his unique painted and collage-like work...
  
  
• Kick-Ass (ongoing series) by writer Mark Millar
  Mark Millar
  Mark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer, known for his work on books such as The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, the latter two of which have been adapted into feature films...
  
   and artist John Romita, Jr.
  John Romita, Jr.
  John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
  
  
• Nemesis
  Nemesis (Icon Comics)
  Millar & McNiven's Nemesis is a creator-owned comic book limited series written by Mark Millar, drawn by Steve McNiven and published by the Icon Comics imprint of Marvel Comics.-Publication history:...
  
  (limited series
  Limited series
  A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
  
  ) by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven
  Steve McNiven
  Steven "Steve" McNiven is a Canadian comic book artist. He first gained prominence on CrossGen's Meridian, before moving onto books such as Ultimate Secret, New Avengers and Civil War.-Career:...
  
  
• Powers
  Powers (comics)
  Powers is an American creator-owned police procedural comic book series by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming. The series' first volume was published by Image Comics from 2000 to 2004...
  
  (ongoing series) by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming
  Michael Avon Oeming
  Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...
  
  
• Scarlet (ongoing series) by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev
  Alex Maleev
  Alex Maleev is a Bulgarian-born comic book illustrator, best known for the Marvel Comics' series Daredevil , collaborating with writer Brian Michael Bendis.-Career:...
  
  
• Dream Logic (ongoing series) by writer-artist David Mack
  David W. Mack
  David W. Mack is an American comic book artist and writer, best known for his creator-owned series Kabuki. Mack is known for his unique painted and collage-like work...
  
  
• Superior
  Superior (comics)
  Superior is a creator-owned comic book series written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu. It is published by Marvel Comics under the company's Icon imprint.- Plot synopsis :...
  
  (ongoing series) by writer Mark Millar and artist Leinil Francis Yu
  Leinil Francis Yu
  Leinil Francis Yu is a Filipino comic book artist, who began working for the American market through Wildstorm Productions. In an interview published in Marvel's Daily Bugle newsletter, he described his style as "Dynamic Pseudo-Realism."-Career:Leinil Francis Yu was first recognized after winning...
  
  
• Takio (ongoing series) by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming

Former

• Dream Police
  Dream Police (comics)
  Dream Police is an American comic book one-shot created by writer J. Michael Straczynski with artwork by Mike Deodato.It was published by Marvel Comics, on June 22, 2005, under their Icon imprint for creator-owned titles.-Story:...
  
  
• The Book of Lost Souls
  The Book of Lost Souls
  The Book of Lost Souls was an American comic book series published under the Icon Comics imprint, owned by Marvel Comics. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and pencilled by Colleen Doran....
  
  
• Jack Kirby's Galactic Bounty Hunters
  Jack Kirby's Galactic Bounty Hunters
  Jack Kirby's Galactic Bounty Hunters is a six-issue comic book limited series by Marvel's imprint Icon Comics and based on some of Jack Kirby's unpublished ideas.-Publication history:...