Another month of great independent comics for our perusal, and another month of IndyStash working to not only get creators in front of audiences, but also helping other creators to get their projects moving. Ryan Wise and the team are using the subscription model to help fund other creators who want to get their stories out there and doing so by getting already published work into the hands of readers is a great double whammy. Anywho, on to this month’s offerings.
Dusk: Written by David Doub, Art by Maki Naro, Jerry Gonzales, Franc Czuba, and Chris Scott
A graphic novel-sized delving into the underworld of vampires and the other critters that go bump in the night. Rising above the standard vamp tale, Dusk features a cast of somewhat broken individuals, none more so than series heroine Eve, whose life now revolves around the world of the bloodsuckers and the neat reversal of the typical process by which she gains extraordinary abilities. In all but the final chapter, we get not only some kickass action but more and more of Eve’s life now and the one she left behind. The drama and pain she’s experienced make her incredibly relatable and terribly fascinating. It’s nice to have a character-driven tale where the characters are actually really engaging.
Bandthology II:
This is an anthology about bands. Yes, I know, sometimes I even amaze myself with my deep revelations. Eight shorts that tell stories from the mundane to the heroic, all with incredible hooks that make each one something that sticks with you. Some stories follow the process of making the music that they need to create, others slap a band together from a group of misfits that double as either monster-kicking heroes or monster kicking . . . well, you wouldn’t call them heroes. I think the most crazed one is the first in the issue titled “Farewell.” The story hinges on the decisions of one person and the reaction of one fan who got well more than she bargained for.
Bulletproof Chicken: Created by Bobgar Ornelas and Mat Nixon, Written by Jon Westhoff, Art by Ornelas and Nixon
Remember the old cop movies that set the stage for all the great tropes that signify “instant classic?” Well, this team certainly does, and they go out of their way to make a new property feel familiar and enjoyable. Filled with enough twists and turns to make every one-liner feel fresh and amazing, this chicken delivers. (Yeah, I hate myself, too.) A tale of deception, redemption, and a hard-boiled detective out to make good, this book is pure fun from top to bottom. Though the last page makes me beg you to get help, it’s so good that I hope it doesn’t take.
My Pick of the Box:
Like Father Like Daughter Issue 1+2 with Bonus CD-ROM: Written by Kathryn Calamia, Art by Wayne A Brown and David Aravena
Can superheroes be good parents? This is the focus of LFLD’s story: a young woman (Casey) and her mother live together resenting that her father left them to be a superhero. Having great power he decides that the world needs him more than his family, and we get to see what happens in the wake of that choice. Things get more interesting when our young protagonist comes into powers of her own. Fueling an angst-ridden drama where Casey’s identity and sense of self are thrown into a spin cycle because of many factors that she can’t control. I like the practicality of the storyline, making everyone much more relatable than a millionaire beating up folks in a Halloween costume or an alien getting a solar high. The grounding of this series is what makes me enjoy it so much; it brings a truthful personality to the work, and every character and choice seems to reinforce how much this story can relate to just about anyone.
That’s it for this month. Don’t forget that using the code FANBOY will net you half off your first box, and that you can sign up for a boxload of solid indie projects to arrive at your door every month at Indystash.com.
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