The story is a murder mystery starring long-running Marvel character Millie Collins, originally introduced in Millie the Model. Other major characters include Toni Turner, Chili Storm and Jill Jerold, all of them returning cast from Millie's previous books.
When a robbery and a murder take place on a photo shoot, the models get entangled in events both as investigators and suspects. And it's not long before they find themselves in danger as well...
Although superpowers aren't central to the story, it's also set in the shared Marvel Universe and Patsy Walker (Hellcat) is another key character in the series, with some familiar faces from other Marvel books also appearing.
The first issue was released September 10, 2009.
Not to be confused with the similarly-named TV-series from and set in The '90s about a such-called models agency in L.A.; that one can be found here.
Models, Inc. contains the following tropes:
- Big Bad: Sachet Nelson is revealed to be behind the murders and attacks.
- The Bus Came Back:
- The series is Chili's first appearance in a decade, following on from a 1998 cameo as a TV host in The Avengers.
- It's Toni Turner's first appearance in almost 40 years, since the Millie the Model series.
- Continuity Nod: As well as the references within the stories, there are a few jokes on the magazine-style covers.
- The cover of the second issue hails the “sixty-year-old metal blast from the past” M-11 (the robot member of the original Agents of Atlas) for inspiring a rethink of modern designs.
- The cover of the third issue promises "616+ ways to make your costume look like more than just tights!". The Marvel Universe is referred to in-universe as Earth-616.
- Fake Action Prologue: The first issue begins with the models threatened by a wolf in the woods, which is then revealed to be a staged scene for a photoshoot. The same approach is used to open subsequent issues, with the cast seemingly finding a body or locked up in jail. The last issue begins with them seemingly trapped in a burning building - which is a Bait-and-Switch of sorts, as this time it is real.
- The Ghost: There are a few references to billionaire Kyle Richmond (the civilian identity of superhero Nighthawk). The models are staying in his mansion, Captain Norell's speaking to him off-panel in the first issue, and he's involved in running a charity auction. But he never actually appears in the story, and his dual identity is never mentioned - he's eventually just a Continuity Nod that's irrelevant to the plot.
- Packaged as Other Medium: The covers are designed to look like fashion magazines rather than comics.
- Queer Establishing Moment: The first issue swiftly mentions that Chili’s recently broken up with a girlfriend. There are references to tabloid stories about both boyfriends and girlfriends, suggesting that she's bisexual, although this is never directly stated.
- Shout-Out: There are a few references to real fashion designers. When choosing outfits for Sachet's portrait sittings in the first issue, Jill's going to wear an Alexander McQueen dress and Millie's wearing an Anna Sui outfit.
- Underestimating Badassery: At several points in the series thugs assume that Patsy's a model so not much of a threat. As she's also the superhero Hellcat, this tends to be a painful mistake.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Photographer Todd Speers is introduced as a friend and co-worker of the models, as well as one of Chili's exes. He's dead by the end of the first issue and the investigation into his murder is the core of the plot.
- Wolverine Publicity: The cover star for the third issue is Mary Jane Watson, long-term love interest for Spider-Man, but she plays very little part in the actual story.
