This is the thread to talk about comics that aren’t DC or Marvel Comics.
Independent Comics Thread
- This topic has 895 replies, 32 voices, and was last updated 3 months ago by
.
Author
-
I got the Grendel omnibus type book (so yes it does exist in that form) a year or two back and despite its great reputation I struggled with it to be honest. It’s very stylish but there’s no real narrative to it. They present the stories chronologically, the publication order apparently goes back and forth in time and it has a lot of short stories that are more mood pieces than great tales and repeated telling of the same conflict from slightly different viewpoints.
I think I have the second volume unread as I was quite bored.
That’s just my 2p, lots of people love it but maybe it’s more because it was very original at the time when adult comics were scarce. I don’t know.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
It’s available in 6 of the digest sized Omnibus TPB’s that Dark Horse do – four of the main series and two “Tales of” books.
I have read bits & pieces over time, including the crossovers with Batman and The Shadow, but haven’t read enough to definitively have an opinion. I do love Wagner’s artwork though, which was the main appeal to me.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
-
The May Solicit thread (also in this very forum!) has activity.
Still absent are Image, Dark Horse, Valiant, Dynamite, and more.
I’ll assume they are coming soon.I am NOT encouraging you to look elsewhere.
I may know of a couple of things, but I can wait a few days.
I’ll pay to wear a GamesRadar shirt long before I start posting links from ‘BloodyFuckingIdiots.com’ -
SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY
In response to popular Savage Dragon fandom demand, Image Comics partner Erik Larsen will rework and reformat Savage Dragon #259 for release this May as North Force #0.
North Force #0 is a new presentation of the highly collectible issue in the long running series and will shine a spotlight on an all-new Canadian super team. Letters pages and funnies have been replaced with bios for team members. The Canadian super-team North Force is looking to recruit a new member to their team: Malcolm Dragon.
“When North Force was introduced in Savage Dragon #255 I knew they were something special and reader response has been overwhelming,” said Larsen. “This representation of Savage Dragon #259 focuses on the team in a more in depth fashion with bio pages and more!”
North Force #0 (Diamond Code MAR210085) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 5.
Wow! My first thought is ‘That really Works!’ and then ‘Savage Dragon is one cool dude!’
How come you never hear anything from these so-called fans?
I’d hate to think they’re loving in silence.1 user thanked author for this post.
-
TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
From the bestselling writer/artist Declan Shalvey (Bog Bodies) and Write It In Blood team Rory McConville and Joe Palmer comes an all new science fiction story in Time Before Time. This ongoing time travel series will launch from Image Comics this May.
Best described as Criminal meets Back to the Future and Looper, this high octane, extra-length debut issue will feature an alternate cover by artist John Paul Leon.
“I loved what this team did on Write It In Blood so I’m really excited to take that crew and work on something more ambitious,” said Shalvey in an exclusive scoop on the announcement at IGN. “This is a book with miles of potential, brilliantly realized by Joe Palmer and Chris O’Halloran. Their work to me, looks like the baby of Aeon Flux and Hellboy. I think readers will enjoy the gorgeous pages, but also the core story that follows Tatsuo into a more and more complicated set of troubles. With Time Before Time, Rory and myself get to write a crime drama that’s injected with even more dramatic twists and the compelling visuals that sci-fi provides.”
In Time Before Time, it’s the year 2140, and to escape a world with no future, many turn to the Syndicate, a criminal organization who, for the right price, will smuggle you back in time to a better life. After working for the Syndicate for years, Tatsuo and Oscar decide to steal one of their boss’s time machines—but soon find that the one thing you can’t run from is your past.
McConville told IGN: “It’s been great to reunite with the Write It In Blood team, as well as collaborating with Declan, whose work I’ve been a huge fan of for years. Time travel stories are my favourite type of sci-fi and getting to write one with so many twists and turns is incredibly thrilling. Joe and Chris continue to be a fantastic combo and I can’t wait for people to see some of the eye-popping pages they’ve been working on.”
“In Time Before Time, Declan and Rory have written a time hopping adventure in which the past can’t be altered, so the emotional stakes are always high,” said Palmer. “The whole team has put a lot of love into this book, and I’m really excited for readers to be able to get their hands on it. Buckle up, because this wild ride goes all over the place.”
Time Before Time #1 Cover A by Shalvey (Diamond Code MAR210037) and Time Before Time #1 Cover B by John Paul Leon (Diamond Code MAR210038) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 12.
Time Before Time #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.
Early praise for Time Before Time:
“Achingly good. This book crackles with the unique energy of a creative team that knows exactly what it’s trying to do, and pulls it off with exhilarating levels of skill. Time-traveling criminals fighting gang wars across millennia, done in the smartest possible way. Love it.” —Charles Soule, Undiscovered Country, Curse Words
“The most fun, inventive, razor sharp crime adventure I’ve read in years. Jump in and hang on, it doesn’t get better than this.” —Darcy Van Poelgeest, Little Bird, forthcoming Precious Metal
“A unique, high-concept mash-up of time travel and crime story, with beautiful craftsmanship from the entire creative team. If you love comics like Criminal and movies like Looper, run don’t walk to your local comic shop to grab this book!” —Robbie Thompson, Meet The Skrulls, Suicide Squad
“Right up there with Looper, Primer and 12 Monkeys—whip smart, engaging and timeless.” —Kyle Higgins, Radiant Black, Ultraman
“A time travelling crime thriller with an endearing protagonist caught in machinations bigger than himself. Declan, Rory and Joe have crafted a timeless crime story set across all of time and told with style and panache!” —Ram V, Swamp Thing, Blue In Green
“Shreds the tropes of time travel down to the raw bone and gives you a lean and mean corkscrew tale of hardbitten survival through centuries, where years act like stash houses and the future and past bleed together into a harrowing present that marches ever forward, forever unforgiving.” —Christopher Cantwell, Iron Man, Halt and Catch Fire
-
-
-
-
-
Mark Millar Unveils ‘Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem’
A final 12 issues starting June, Tommy Lee Edwards on art.
-
-
I think we all want more Quitely, I doubt his normal glacial pace though will be helped by the large wads of cash I’m sure he got for the MW sale.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
While I do like Edwards’s art, I really wish Quitely was doing the series.
Do you also wish it took until 2034 to come out?
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
This is why you need starvation wages for comics artists. Nothing serves them worse than money.
Look at the Image crew, Jim Lee even with his detailed style used to knock out two 22-page comics a month, with Alpha Flight, Punisher War Journal and Uncanny X-Men overlapping. A few months after his royalties for selling 8m copies and he’s requesting a page count cut with a backup story. Then they all gave up drawing after a few months if Image and have reputations for being slow and delayed.
Dave Gibbons used to be a monthly artist, then Watchmen royalties became a thing.
Jack Kirby on his $3 a week and he’s churning out 5 books a month. So for the sake of the fans – stop paying them!
-
-
-
Well, it seems Battle Chasers 10 will finally come out, with a new artist:
Here's a peek at Battle Chasers #10 art by @ludolullabi🔥 Every page blows me away! It will be oversized with 32 full pages of story! BCNW backers will of course get theirs, and it'll be available in shops later this year. Thank you for the love! <3 #BattleChasers #comics pic.twitter.com/niowYrXXTZ
— Joe Madureira (@JoeMadx) March 3, 2021
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Scott Snyder Goes Dark for His New Comic NOCTERRA
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Now there’s an example of proper productivity!
#1 April 1998
#10 2021 sometime or other, with a fill-in artist.
The funny thing is, if Joe Mad was actually drawing this, I would have bought it. But, less than zero interest in someone else doing so after such a long time.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
The June Solicit thread has a bunch of stuff.
Does not have Image. Nowhere to be found, don’t go looking.
Probably Monday or Tuesday. You’ll know when I know.But when I do have Image solicits, it’ll have:
JUPITER’S LEGACY: REQUIEM #1 (OF 5)
WRITER: MARK MILLAR
ARTIST: TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
COVER A: TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
COVER B: FRANK QUITELY
COVER C: FRANK QUITELY B&W
COVER D: JOCK
COVER E: BOSSLOGIC NETFLIX JUPITER’S LEGACY SEASON 1
COVER F: OZGUR YILDIRIM
COVER G: BLANK
COVER H: JOHN CASSADAY 1 IN 10 SILVER FOIL VARIANT**JOHN CASSADAY GOLD FOIL VARIANT – ONE FREE COPY FOR ALL ORDERING STORES**
16 JUNE / 56 PAGES / FC / M / $5.99
SPECIAL DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE!
The next chapter in 2021’s Netflix global phenomenon begins here as MARK MILLAR returns for the sequel to one of his most critically acclaimed series. Chloe and Hutch have gotten married and had more children. The superheroes are working in harmony with humanity and creating a perfect world. But all is not well in the Garden of Eden as the Sampson family gets ripped apart and the secrets of the Netflix show’s mysterious island begin to be revealed. Order big, as this will be a juggernaut!
-
-
-
-
-
-
Saw some publicity appear on this in the last day or two. Barry Windsor-Smith’s ‘Monsters’ which he’s been working on for decades.
I haven’t watched much of this video as I don’t want to be spoiled but the artwork is incredible. As they say as some artists get older they take short cuts of simplify their work but this stuff is so hyper detailed, I sense a lot of Wrightson influence from some of his black and white horror portraits.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
BWS is an amazingly detailed artist, which means he doesn’t release stuff on a regular basis; but when he does, it’s usually gorgeous.
I’m a huge fan. I think this stuff looks a lot more detailed than his 80s and 90s work for Marvel and Valiant (but he was more productive then).
I actually caught an interview with him on Youtube, he looks very good for his age, I think he’s in his early 70s but could easily get away with 10 years younger. He’s a bit curmudgeonly mainly because he makes it pretty plain he hates being edited. He revealed that he completed 4 episodes of Weapon X without even telling anyone at Marvel he was doing it so they’d have less chance of giving him direction.
He maybe took a bit too long to find a home like Fantagraphics where letting the creator do what they want it pretty much the default stance.
-
-
-
Yeah I just saw that Lemire announced it at the start of the year. #18 will be double sized, so the whole Descender/Ascender story will be 50 issue, which is a pretty decent run these days.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Valiant Unveils “Right for the Time” ‘Ninjak’ From Jeff Parker, Javier Pulido (Exclusive)
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
I’ve read Black Summer, No Hero, and Supergod. I don’t know if I’d recommend them. The first two feel very “Ellis writing for Avatar”. Overly violent, overly dark. A real “we are living in a post 9/11 world” vibe. The third has left absolutely no lasting impression on me. They did all finish though.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Have you already read Freakangels? As that does actually conclude.
Black Summer is good.
No Hero is utter shite.
Crecy is worth looking at.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Have you already read Freakangels? As that does actually conclude.
I read that for free as it was released on-line in weekly 6- or 8-page installments, and then I bought each TPB as they became available. I enjoyed this series.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Have you already read Freakangels?
I read about half of it when it was a free webcomic. I did enjoy it so I may take a punt knowing it finishes.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
This sounds exciting.
‘Echolands’ No. 1, a Comic Years in the Making, Unveils First Look
The acclaimed ‘Batwoman’ team of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman have spent an inordinate amount of time building to August’s release of the Image Comics title.
-
-
Yep. From the article:
Williams has always made every inch of the page his canvas, with intricate and ornate layouts his calling card. Echolands will literally extend that picture as the book will be entirely in landscape, extra-widescreen, double-page spread format. But it’s not simply one giant four-quadrant panel. Williams is using the entire form to squeeze world-building and storytelling into it.
“Sometimes we’ll have 13-, 14-panel spreads,” he says. “When you see it in person, it has a sense of flow from left to right. Some pages have a mural effect, which is not something I expected. Each page is a mini-experiment, you could say.”
-
Williams experimented a lot with page layouts and pushing the edges of the medium during his run with Alan Moore on PROMETHEA. Looking forward to seeing him take it to another level.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Image Solicitations for August – Image.com link
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Did you read Sandman Overture Jerry? Some amazing (and equally experimental) work from JHW3 there.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
I’ll go further: DC killed the run with their stupidity over not wanting a lesbian wedding in their comics. They were fine with the idea of there being an engagement, but they did not want to follow through on it to the logical conclusion.
I agree it’s better more for art than story, which is OK but JHW3 really boosts the visuals.
-
-
Millar tweeted a bit of the work he’s been doing with Travis Charest in the background:
One to look forward to in 2034
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
One to look forward to in 2034
So they’ve fast-tracked it!
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
#RewritingExtinction, a major, hopefully world-changing storytelling campaign and fundraiser to finally stop species going extinct, forever, has just launched. It’s project that not only promotes great environmental causes, but is being enhanced by comics, too!
The first, “Melody”, by Cara Delevingne, Eco Resolution, Kieron Gillen and Sean Phillips, “made with deep love and optimism”, dropped onto the official #RewritingExtinction web site, social media yesterday, on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter – and there’s much more to come!
Rewriting Extinction is a campaign to raise money and awareness for seven projects to tackle both the climate and the biodiversity crisis.These project are evidence-based, actionable, and ready to rollout in the next 12 months and will help stop species going extinct, once and for all.
The overarching plan comprises projects from Greenpeace, World Land Trust, Born Free, Re:wild, The Wildlife Trusts, Reserva and Rewilding Europe, and promotes simple, but powerful, actions we can all take.
Rewriting Extinction want to represent a moment in time when collectively, and put species extinction and biodiversity to the top of all our agendas. All the projects they are aiming to fund offer permanent solutions that can start right now… within the 12 months the campaign will run.
Along with scientists, artists, writers, and activists, I’m pleased to report that myself and Lew Stringer created a new humour strip for this project, and we’re honoured to be part of it, alongside the likes of Cara Delevingne, Dame Judi Dench, Peter Gabriel, Ricky Gervais, Jane Goodall, Sir Lenny Henry, Lucy Lawless, Andy Serkis, KT Tunstall, and many more.
Almost 200 comic creators from around the globe are involved in the project, including Charlie Adlard, Brian Azzarello, David Baillie, Doug Braithwaite, Conor Boyle, Jim Campbell, Amy Chu, Garth Ennis, Glenn Fabry, Simon Furman, Kieron Gillen, Paul Goodenough, Sarah Graley, Jenny Jinya, Davey Jones, Alan Moore, Ben Oliver, Sean Phillips, Chris Ryall, Alex Segura, Geoff Senior and Alicia Souza.
Short comic by Gillen, Delevingne, and Phillips here, which isn’t a team-up I expected to see:
https://rewritingextinction.com/stories/cara-delevingne_kieron-gillen_sean-phillips/
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
The sheer excitement and delight this news will bring about in so many people pic.twitter.com/kDcYlbU6Ke
— Big Bang Comics (@TheBigBang_) June 19, 2021
From Fiona Staples’ Instagram:
Btw, been working hard at Saga and there will be more news on that front soon. Thanks for your endless patience. :)
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
I might even be excited about this is Ellis wasn’t such a creepy rapey wee bastard.
-
From Templesmiths patreon
https://www.patreon.com/posts/fell-is-finally-52747733
Ok, it’s finally happening.
For better or worse, this is unfinished business to me. We really left it hanging. Obviously, so much has changed since those days. Yes, I know, *so much*. Not for me to speak for Warren, but I agreed to do the book and I’m glad he’s going to be doing some comics again. I don’t think anyone thought he’d bugger off and work in a shoe factory or anything. He is after all, one of the most important comics writers of the past few decades. It means a lot to me to finish this thing, finally, so I couldn’t say no. I guess we’ll let the market speak as to how things go.
We’re pretty much past the old concept of $1.99 comics, sadly, these days, so from what I know this will be a single volume work. And I hope I’m not speaking out of place by saying yes, it’ll still be through Image.
Warren got me some script, so I’m starting on pages now. So in addition to the other projects I’m working on, SQUIDSPIT, HAIR OF THE DOG, URNAKK BLACK BLOOD and the HE-BROS OF THE UNIVERSE thing, the Squid Army patreon is going to be privy to a bunch of my process work on all the pages.
As always, Hail Squid and all that.
-B
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Good stuff. Always liked Fell. I’ll be picking this up.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
If the whole series gets released in a single volume I’ll be picking it up.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
I really liked Fell. I would pick up new issues/ OGN. I suspect that it won’t stand out or feel as fresh as it once did, given the similarities with other titles that have followed since (e.g. Dept of Truth). But, it would be good to get some of the lingering mysteries answered.
-
I might even be excited about this is Ellis wasn’t such a creepy rapey wee bastard.
sadly he has not engaged with the problem: https://twitter.com/katiewest/status/1407778912520880128
-
-
-
-
Since his public statement a year ago, to the knowledge of these authors, Ellis has still not taken direct responsibility for his destructive behavior nor attempted to tackle the circumstances that allow such behavior to go on unchecked both on and offline.
Redemption is earned through actions, not ducking into a hole for less than a year
— Aw beans, it’s Ted “Nibs” Brandt (@ten_bandits) June 24, 20211 user thanked author for this post.
-
About the consent issue, I don’t know if true consent can be given if one partner is pressuring and lying to the other. That’s really what he’s being criticized for. Not the sleaziness of having dozens of sexual partners who didn’t know about each other but using lies, manipulation, and promises of work to get sex.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Warren Ellis just sent out an Orbital Operations email:
I was made aware today of the So Many Of Us collective’s offer of a mediated dialogue, and have today asked their permission to enter that dialogue. Where that will take us, I’m not sure, but I know I want to make certain that I’m doing all I can to no longer be part of the problem or in any way still perpetuating the past. I hope these conversations will be ongoing and productive for all.
A year ago, I put out this statement.
In it, I did my best to respond to the many accounts of my past behavior, the harm I’d caused, and the negative effects of my poor judgments. As I have come to realize, that damage has persisted and left lasting scars for many.
In the past, I have been careless and unthinking in my personal relationships, and I again apologise without reservation. In the last year, I’ve entered therapy and taken other measures to change my behavior, and am continuing to process the help and advice I’ve received. I’ve had a lot of long, hard conversations with people who are or have been close to me, and I need to have a lot more. I’m working on change. I’ve been silent because I had a lot of work to do and still do, and have repairs still to make, and wish to proceed mindfully without causing further harm.
I have, of course, been silent and isolated for too long, and should have addressed things sooner and proceeded with more speed.
I apologise.
All of this should especially have been addressed before word of a new project came out via my collaborator. That was my mistake and the book was prematurely announced without Image’s input or knowledge. I should have brought up to him beforehand that I still had work to do to address my past. I should have worked with Image to make sure they were ready and comfortable to commit publicly to the project when I still had work to do to address my past. This is another example of my lousy judgment. I now add both him, and Image, to the list of apologies I owe.
Naturally, trying to mend my errors now makes it look like the only reason I’m speaking at the moment is to serve that project. It’s not, but that’s irrelevant: this is about me trying to make things right—regardless of how it looks for me or how good or bad the timing is . So here are my thoughts:
I have had nearly a year to reflect on everything I’ve learned about how my behavior has hurt others and I am sorry. Repeating that over and over doesn’t make anything better for anybody, but, now I’ve had my time to listen and process and advance my understanding, there are a few further things I need to say.
I acknowledge that I have done wrong. Neither my intent at the time, nor my perception of it then, erases that fact. Nor does it at all obscure that the result of that behavior has clearly affected individuals for years, and may even have inspired others to perform negative behaviour.
If you are a reader who supported me, then thank you, but please don’t defend me anymore. Change doesn’t happen overnight — I’m at the start of a long road, and it’s not a road with a defined end – and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
If you want to support me, then support efforts towards transformation of communities, industries and workplaces.
Going forward:
I’ve been in therapy now for almost a year and will remain committed to that part of the process.
I will continue to work on new projects with only the collaborators who have expressed their comfort in doing so with me. I ceased all public appearances, and I think I have a long way to go before such activities would be appropriate again. I am grateful to all my collaborators for continuing to associate with me, and for the difficult but instructive conversations we had to get to that point.
I’ve always kept my charitable donations private, but, in looking for ways to contribute to change without privileging my own voice, I’ve expanded my donations into the space of women’s support groups.
Most recently, my last royalty cheque was split between funding therapy for young women and supporting women in the workplace. I hope to do more and will welcome suggestions of charities that I can build lasting support for.
I do not yet know the fate of this newsletter. I miss talking with you, but I committed to speaking less, listening more and becoming better. There are still 23,000 of you, and it would be nice to use this platform as a tool for doing some good. I’m going to keep thinking about it, take advice from friends and take regular inventory.
As I said before — I’m sorry I let you down, and I’m sorry I have failed the trust placed in me. I hope that, over time, I can earn back a little of that.
Sincerely,
Warren1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Interesting. It sounds like there’s quite a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of Ellis trying to make amends.
But I guess he’s in a bit of a bind because if you talk about that publicly, it seems like you’re doing it for self-serving reasons; but if you don’t, no-one knows about it (and you get a lot of commentary like we’ve had over the past couple of days with people talking as though nothing has changed with him over the past year and he’s just gone quiet to try and sit it out).
Equally though, from some of the reactions we’ve had from people who were affected by his actions in the past, it seems as though his efforts to make amends haven’t gone quite far enough yet.
I guess with a lot of these things only the people directly involved really know what’s going on – the rest of the people commenting on it are often reacting without being in possession of all the facts.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
Yeah, it’s a damn-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation.
He could have released a brief statement months ago but who knows where he was in his mindset and therapy. He may not have been in the right headspace to do so.
It sounds like he is genuinely taking this seriously and taking real steps to make substantive changes in himself.
More importantly, I hope the women who were victimized by him get the help and support they need. We cannot forget them in all of this.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
Assuming his statement is genuine, he does seem to be doing more to address his wrongs than pretty much everyone else in his position.
True. A two days ago I was dismissing him for refusing to acknowledge or apologize for his offenses. After reading his statement above, I’m more willing to consider supporting his future work.
-
-
-
Rob Liefeld is a dick, part #4092:
5 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
He solicited a book with the plotter listed as full writer? What a monster.
It wasn’t even a real book, just a comic book. Pfft.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
He solicited a book with the plotter listed as full writer? What a monster.
If I was someone who’s getting work relied on people liking the words I use, I would probably want to be clear when someone was saying I wrote some words I did not.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.