In the last year or two, crowdfunding has completely changed the world of comics, if not the world of independent creators as a whole. The effect has been enormous, allowing many projects – that would never have seen the light of day due to lack of funds – to find a possible level of success that had, until this point, never been within their reach. It’s also allowed incredibly intimate and personal projects to find their feet by allowing their creators to appeal directly to fellow comic book readers (and many others) by sharing the message, story, or mission behind the work. Anatomy of War, written by Roshawn D.  Rochester and featuring the art of Luisa Russo, is one of those passion projects, and while it may get off to a slow start, it is a story where the reader can’t help but feel the personal and profound efforts behind the story.

Anatomy of War #1 tells the story a friendly and intelligent man named Darrell whose world is turned upside down when he’s diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. At the same time, the book features a parallel story of an otherworldly warrior named Hyroe who also experiences a world-shaking event when a mysterious and alien threat unexpectedly appears, stating a desire to bring suffering and death to Hyroe’s world. Rochester, a cancer survivor and former member of the United States Air Force, has penned a tale that is intriguing, emotional, and clearly close to his heart. At times, Anatomy of War #1 struggles with a slow pace, given that independent comics usually need to lock their readers in with a death grip during the first issue in order to survive financially, but despite that potential flaw, the book does reach a place by the final pages where one is sure to be struck with an immediate desire to dive into Issue #2. The parallel stories operate well with each other and help the book to inhabit the comic book world of superheroes and monsters while still remaining connected to the powerful and realistic story of Darrell’s struggle for his life.

Anatomy of War #1 also has the benefit of featuring Russo’s excellent and emotion-filled artwork. Clearly a master of anatomy and evocative facial expressions, Russo’s style is clean and impactful, and she clearly has no issue bouncing between the slice-of-life story of Darrell and the epic tale of Hyroe. Russo also delivers an engaging and inspiring cover for the book that is sure to make comic book browsers stop and flip through the book – always a good advantage for any book, especially a first issue, to have!

You can find out more about Anatomy of War and check out a six-page preview of the first issue at the official website. Also, be sure to stop by Rochester’s Facebook page and follow him on Twitter. And, finally, don’t forget to check out more of Russo’s artwork at her personal website.

That’s all for now, comic book sniffers! Until next time, keep crowdfunding those comic books and other projects that you feel deserve it! The independent comic book world needs you!

-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer