Tag Archives: alterna comics

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: X-O Manowar #4 (Valiant) – Two years ago, I would have laughed at you if you told me I’d be super excited to get my hands on this comic (despite having access to review copies I still buy this every month), I’d have laughed at you for hours. I genuinely though X-O Manowar was a stupid name with a stupid concept. The. I gave it a chance… and now it’s one of my favourite series. Each issue is a monthly highlight for me.

Scrimshaw #1 (Alterna) – The newsprint movement returns with another comic at $1.50. I have no idea what it’s about but every one of Alterna’s newsprint comics have been great so far. No reason not to get this, really.

 

Shay

Suicide Squad #20 (DC Comics) – I am hella excited for the start of the “False Flag” arc. A new arc means new mayhem and after what happened last issue, it means a new team leader and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.

Throwaways #9 (Image) – I think they’ve finally gotten the hang of things and there’s more focus than tricks in this issue.

Deadpool vs Punisher #5 (Marvel) – We’ve come to the end of the road and I am eagerly awaiting this finale while “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” plays on a loop in head.

Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – The newest take on Jean Grey isn’t here for the Phoenix foolishness and she will find a way to keep her out of her mind and body by any means necessary. So obviously, I’m all the way here for this!

 

Paul

Top Pick: Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – I’m really enjoying this book and love how Jean Grey is being portrayed; a strong female character out to take control of her own life. She’s gotten flashes of The Phoenix coming for her, and surprisingly the X-Men aren’t taking it seriously (you’d think after everything they’ve been through with the Phoenix the mere mention of it would cause panic). But now Jean is off on her own to get some answers and do what she can to shape her destiny and not follow the path of her past self. It’s a great read with great writing and I strongly recommend it.

The Defenders #2 (Marvel) – I’m really liking seeing these characters together in their own book, even if it is to coincide with the upcoming Netflix series. There’s plenty of action and good banter between the characters and I can’t wait to see where this title goes.

Totally Awesome Hulk #20 (Marvel) – I don’t read this title, but I am really excited about the Weapons of Mutant Destruction crossover with Weapon X. I want to keep up with all the pieces to see this puzzle come together.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 and Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special #1 (DC Comics) – DC has been knocking it out of the park with their crossovers. First their Hanna-Barbera ones and now with Looney Tunes. Each issue has been fantastic to read and generally have been good to great. They are exactly what comics should be, lots of fun.

Bankshot #1 (Dark Horse) – Alex De Campi and Chris Cross’ new series about a man who is either a modern-day Robin Hood or a terrorist. I read the first issue and immediately wanted to check out more.

Clue #1 (IDW Publishing) – The classic board game turned movie is now a comic book. I liked the game and loved the film and can’t wait to see what IDW does with it. I’m fully expecting multiple ending fun.

Eleanor & Egret #3 (AfterShock Comics) – A beyond adorable comic series about an art thief and her bird and the policeman who’s attempting to track them down. The story is cute and art is amazing.

Medisin #2 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – The concept is great, doctors who treat villains. The first issue hooked me and I’ve been looking forward to seeing what the second is like.

 

Underrated: Great Comics Not In Diamond’s Top 100 Sellers For May

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This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Comics not in Diamonds top 100 sellers for May.

This week we’re going to be looking at a list of comics that are all fantastic, but don’t get the attention that they deserve. Now I’m not even going to pretend to have a definitively exhaustive list of underrated comics here, because we’re hoping  that you decide to check at least one of these series out next time you’re looking for something new either online or at your LCS, and giving you a huge list to check out would be counter productive to that. Instead, you’ll find six(ish) comics that are worth your attention that failed to crack the top 100 in sales. You’ll notice that there’s only one comic from a publisher featured – this was done to try and spread the love around, rather than focus exclusively on one publisher.

Where possible, I’ve also avoided comics that have appeared on the last version of this list, but the only hard stipulation for this week: not one of the comics made it into the top 100 for May’s comic sales, according to Comichron, which is why they’re Underrated.

 

croak 1.jpgCroak #1 (Alterna)
May Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 424 /2,906
Alterna’s range of newsprint comics have been a fantastic addition to my pull list, with the stories on offer crossing numerous different genres and styles, and each one easily being worth the price of admission. Croak is a fantastic little horror tale that’ dripping atmosphere from every panel – if horror isn’t your thing, I’d still recommend you give this a shot. It’s more a thriller/psychological horror style of comic, and one that benefits from the newsprint adding a murky, retro feel to the art. I’m a big fan of the newsprint idea, and thankfully this comic lives up to the promise.

4 Kids Walk Into A Bank #4 (Black Mask)
May Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 263 /6,706
There have been some significant delays surrounding this series, which is a genuine shame because the momentum the series had been gathering seems to have dissipated a little bit, but if you can find the individual issues then this is a series that’s going to take you on quite an unexpectedly brilliant ride.

TMNT #69 (IDW)
May Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 169 /13,726
Ninja Turtles fan? You’ll love this. It’s a brilliant series that has been quietly chugging along for nearly seventy issues for a good reason.

XO2017_003_COVER-B_ROCAFORTX-O Manowar #3 (Valiant)
May Sales Rank/Comics Sold: 152 /16,002
Perhaps my most loved on going series right now, X-O Manowar can be best described as Space Conan. Every issue is a joy to read and experience. Seriously I can’t express just how great a series this has been over the last few issues, and Matt Kindt’s reluctant-soldier story meshes really well with the phenomenal artwork of Tomas Giorello and Diego Rodriguez give an almost effervescent quality to the pages in your hands. Quite simply, this series is one you have to check out.

Unless the comics industry ceases any and all publication look for a future installment of Underrated to cover more comics that aren’t cracking the top 100.

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: God Country #6 (Image) – A sleeper hit for me, I didn’t start reading this until the 4th issue had come out, and I was struck by the stark brilliance of the comic. Everything about this issue is a joy to experience; Emmett Quinlan’s attitude embodies the best of humanity’s stubborn refusal to quit, and then the creative team produce a wonderfully written and drawn issue each month.

All-Star Batman #11 (DC Comics) – I’ve made no secret of the fact I’m a Scott Snyder fan… but I loved the previous issue. I can’t wait to read this, especially with Snyder delving back into Alfred’s past.

Rapture #2 (Valiant) – This is a bit of a cheat because I’ve already read the review copy and know I like it, but I’m excited to get my hands on a physical copy to check out the gorgeous artwork.

The Chair #1 (Alterna) – I have no idea what this is about.. but it’s a dollar. Every other one of Alterna’s newsprint comics has been more than worth the money, so I see no reason for this to be any different.

 

Shay

It’s a great week to be comic book lover, so many awesome titles that this almost became a top ten list. If you’re lucky you can finish them off, if you’re not , then you’ll have more than enough to keep you occupied next weekend as you gear up for the long beach (or camping) holiday weekend.

Harley Quinn #22 (DC Comics) – Poison Ivy is back and I’m looking forward to this dynamic duo getting their friendship ( or something else) back on track.

Batwoman #4 (DC Comics) – Alas, the end of the current arc is here and it’s looking like it’s going to bring up more questions about Batwoman’s origins and give us an interesting bad guy to learn more about in the next arc.

The X-Files: Origins – Dog Days of Summer #1 (IDW Publishing) – The truth is out there and teenage Mulder and Scully are going to find it. I can legit here the theme song in my head.

Crosswinds #1 (Image) – Cat Staggs and Gail Simone have teamed give us what I’m sure will be a true gift from the comic gods!

America #4 (Marvel) – Mardrimar is revealed, the Ultimates might be getting the band together and America gets a blast from the past that reminds her that she doesn’t always get it right.

Luke Cage #2 (Marvel) – Luke’s in New Orleans making new friends ,dealing with enemies and getting even closer to the truth or Dr. Burstein.

Bill & Ted Save the Universe #1 (BOOM! Studios) – I’m here for it!

Brik TP (Oni Press) – The series I miss the most is back in it’s very own trade paperback. Nothing new but, it’s nice seeing it in one place so I can revisit the things that made me fall in love with it , as I pine for some new issues.

 

Paul

Top Pick: Super Sons #5 (DC Comics) – This has been a great book from the start. Great action, I love the banter between Robin and Superboy and the art is great. I couldn’t ask for anything more from a superhero book. You really should be reading this.

Iceman #2 (Marvel) – I really enjoyed the first issue of Iceman’s solo series. It really gave new readers a glimpse into the character’s past, and gave us veterans a starting point to see where Bobby is going and how he is changing. It was a good mix of action and insight into the character and I hope it carries on in this second issue.

Secret Empire: Underground #1 (Marvel) – This event, like many of Marvel’s past events, has been a real let down. Aside from the fact that Marvel turned Steve Rogers into the fascist leader of Hydra and it seems Hydra’s reach didn’t take long at all to take hold, the event has just been boring and has induced many eye rolls, at least from this reader. But, I have been enjoying the tie in series more then the main event and this book has me excited. We saw this team in action in Secret Empire #4 and I was totally into all of it. I love the line up and their agenda and I’m really looking forward to seeing more from them. And to be honest, anything with Mockingbird in it is a must read for me.

W.M.D. Weapons of Mutant Destruction #1 (Marvel) – The new Weapon X series has been so-so; nothing terribly exciting except for this new mysterious Weapon X project that seems to be hunting down mutants instead of turning them into weapons. But after issue 4, we now have a better understanding of their why after finding out who is pulling the strings. But Old Man Logan and team are on their way for a little payback, so I’m excited to see how all this is going to explode…and if the cover to W.M.D #1 is any indication, it is going to explode big time!

 

Brett

Top Pick: Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #1 (Marvel) – Chip Zdarsky takes on Spider-Man and boy am I looking forward to this one. Zdarsky’s humor should fit really well with the classic Spider-Man which was more about the quips and fun. Here’s hoping!

Lobo/Road Runner Special #1 and Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil #1 (DC Comics) – The first two series that mashed up DC characters with Looney Tunes were a lot of fun and I can’t wait to read the fun that’ll be these two issues.

Solarman #3 (Scout Comics) – It’s been a long time coming, but I’m still looking forward to this issue which feels like the predecessor in some ways to Lion Forge’s Catalyst line.

Spencer and Locke #3 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – A great combination of concepts for a solid noir series with a twist.

Victor Lavalle’s Destroyer #2 (BOOM! Studios) – A new take on the classic Frankenstein story. The first issue was good and I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on by

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Alex

Top Pick: Rai: The History Of The Valiant Universe#1 (Valiant) – I’ve been waiting for a return to Rai for a long time, an these four standalone stories may scratch that itch.

Kill The Minotaur #1 (Image) – The cover looks awesome, and I’m on an Ancient Greece kick.

Mother Russia #1 (Alterna) – With Alterna’s move to bring back newsprint, their price points have dropped significantly. I don’t even know what this comic is about, but I’m getting because it’s $1.50.

Trespasser #1 (Alterna) – The second of this week’s newsprint comics from Alterna that also rings in at $1.50. I don’t know what this is about either, but it’s at a very attractive price, and Alterna haven’t done me wrong yet.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Dark Days: The Forge #1 (DC Comics) – DC has been teasing this for so long and this is our first look as to what we can expect in this summer’s event. I’m beyond excited to see how this fits into Rebith and where it goes.

Legion of Super Heroes/Bugs Bunny #1 (DC Comics) – This just looks too fun.

Martian Manhunter/Marvin the Martian #1 (DC Comics) – See above, too fun.

Tomboy #11 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – This series continously surprises me mixing horror, manga, superheroes, and teenage drama. An awesome indie series that deserves more eyes on it.

Catalyst Prime Accell #1 (Lion Forge Comics) – Lion Forge has been killing it with their Catalyst line of comics and I look forward to each series to see what it entails.

 

Shay

Suicide Squad #19 (DC Comics) – Zod has broken free, a Kryptonian army of invaders is about to take over earth and, the Suicide Squad is our only hope. Grab some popcorn kiddos, this is about to get epic!

The Defenders #1 (Marvel) – The gangs all here and the first story arc , hopefully tying in with the upcoming Netflix series, is about to kick off. Fingers crossed for a fantastic story and a good time.

Motor Crush TP Vol. 1 (Image) – The first collection of the amazing lady powered bad assery that is Motor Crush. Catch up and get blown away by the kick ass Domino, her killer wheels and a high octane story line that’ll knock your knickers off.

Kingpin #5 (Marvel) – Sarah is in too deep , Fisk has got his image makeover, for better or worse, and now we get to see his end game. Is he going to keep showing us his human Fisk side? Or is the Kingpin gonna stay out and play? Or, are they both gonna run the town? I shiver with anticipation and you should too.

 

Paul

Top Pick: X-Men Blue #5 (Marvel) – I’ve really been enjoying this new title, setting the time displaced X-Men out on their own and doing the superhero thing. And the dynamic with Magneto has been interesting, and I’m really curious to see his end game given what was revealed to us in an earlier issue. Not totally on board with the arrival of another Wolverine character, but it could make an already interesting cast that much more interesting and throw some new curves in.

The Defenders #1 (Marvel) – Well we had to see this coming (thanks Netflix :P) but I am curious to see these 4 take to the page together. I’m hoping this is an action packed, fun ride.

Hulk #7 (Marvel) – Well the Hulk has come out, and it is very different from the She-Hulk we all know and love. This has been a fantastic book and I’m looking forward to see things progress now that Jen has released her Hulk.

Uncanny Avengers #24 (Marvel) – Given how things ended between this team and Steve Rogers, I am more then excited to see Rogue go up against him and his Hydra. I hope the gloves come off (literally) and she gets a little payback.

Alterna Comics Thanks Readers and Retailers In A Big Way

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Alterna Comics is running three major promotions right now to give thanks to their readers, promote retailers, and reward new readers for trying out their titles.

The first major promotion has been a staple at Alterna for over a year now: signing up for their newsletter gets you 30 free digital comics from their lineup. This gives readers a chance to try out a host of titles at the company without even spending a cent.

The next promotion is a giveaway contest that also helps to promote local comic shops. Alterna’s Monthly Graphic Novel Giveaway is easy to enter, as there’s just two easy steps.

1) Take a picture of the Alterna Comics titles that you purchase from your local store.

2) Post the picture to Alterna on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hash tag #BringingBackNewsprint and mention the store where you got them. That’s it!

One reader will then be chosen on the first of the next month and notified that they’ve won the contest. This promotion will not only reward readers for purchasing titles from Alterna’s lineup, but it will also promote the stores that carry Alterna’s titles.

The last promotion provides a thank you gift/bonus to readers that pre-order Alterna Comics titles at their local comic shop. By visiting alternacomics.com/preorderbonus, readers can sign up to receive a 4″x3″ “I love the smell of comics on a Wednesday” sticker, 4″x4″ Alterna Comics window cling, and an Alterna Comics pen. Comic shops are also encouraged to reach out to Alterna to provide these bonus items directly to those that pre-order Alterna’s titles in their shop.

Alterna Comics made waves recently by publishing a sold out line of newsprint comics that have prices between $1.00 to $1.50 each. They have also secured newsstand distribution for these comics, which will be debuting in July at several hundred Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, convenience stores, specialty shops, and other various stores across the world.

Underrated: Indie Publishers

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This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Indie Publishers.

I’m defining Indie Publishers as having less than two percent market share from the month of April according to Diamond, and obviously doesn’t take into account any digital sales. If you didn’t click the link, that precludes Boom, IDW, Dark Horse, and Image from the list (Marvel and DC, obviously, go without saying). The list will be in alphabetical order so my biases toward certain publishers aren’t as evident in the ordering of the list.

croak1Alterna Comics
I’ve been raving about Alterna’s Bring Back Newsprint movement on twitter for the last week or so after I finally got around to reading their newsprint offerings fairly recently (the fourth, not mentioned here, is Lillith Dark, a charmingly innocent tale about a young girl with an active imagination) after I picked them up based solely on the price point – at $1.50 I figured I really couldn’t go wrong. The newsprint comics may have turned me on to Alterna, but after a little research I signed up for their news letter and received an email with 30 free comics included that’s not a typo – your get thirty free digital comics upon signing up for their email newsletter (this was true as of 6/1/2017; it may be different depending on when you read this), and you really can’t argue with that.
Titles To Check Out: Any of the Newsprint comics (Croak and Adam Wreck were my standouts from the first batch).

Oni Press
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t give Oni Press the credit they deserve. Whenever I do pick up an Oni title, I frequently find myself wondering why I don’t read more of them.
Titles To Check Out: Redline, Scott Pilgrim & The Sixth Gun

Self Made Hero
A British publisher that specializes in graphic novels, what I have been able to get my hands on from Self Made Hero has without exception been utterly captivating. If you like to branch away from superheroes, then this is a company that you need to check out, and your best bet would be your favourite online retailer.
Titles To Check Out: Fun & Return Of The Honey Buzzard.

vile1Study Group Comics
Home of Tyler Landry’s stream of consciousness style of story telling, this is a gold mine of inventive storytellers, writers and artists that produce some truly exciting and exhilirating work. Landry’s Vile has produced two of my favourite horror stories in comic form, and his sparse use of colour on the black paper is incredibly well suited to the genre. It’s exciting stuff, and you’ve probably not read it. You need to fix that.
Titles To Check Out: Vile & Titan

Valiant Comics
Valiant are, hands down, the publisher that gets me most excited about superhero comics – especially ones set in a shared universe. I don’t love everything Valiant have published, but on the whole I tend to enjoy their stuff so much more than anything from Marvel or DC.
Titles To Check Out: X-O Manowar, Faith, and Divinity

There we have it folks. An incomplete list taking a look at some underrated indie publishers. I’ll see you next week!

Alterna Comics in August 2017

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MOTHER RUSSIA #2 of 3

JUN171144
(W/A/L) Jeff McComsey

Stalingrad, 1943. Caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse during World War II, Soviet Sniper Svetlana Gorshkov must make an uneasy alliance with a Nazi soldier if she and the newfound child hope to see the sunrise. Printed on newsprint.

In Shops: Aug 23, 2017
SRP: $1.50
32 pages, Black & White

SCRIMSHAW #2

JUN171145
(W) Eric Borden
(A) Dave Mims
(L) Spike O’Laochdha

Hans and the rest of the crew set sail with their illicit cargo, unaware of the danger that awaits. Mr. Song enlists the help of Indonesian cut-throat, Danny Yuda, to track down the Runaway Horse – by any means necessary. Printed on newsprint.

In Shops: Aug 30, 2017
SRP: $1.50
32 pages, Full Color

THE CHAIR #2 of 4

JUN171146
(W/A/L) Peter Simeti
(A) Kevin Christensen

With the madness of the prison consuming him, Sullivan lashes out and draws the attention of the sadistic Warden. As Sullivan is pushed to the brink, he begins to question his sanity and starts to wonder if the Warden is more “puppet” than “puppet-master”. Printed on newsprint.

In Shops: Aug 16, 2017
SRP: $1.00
40 pages, Black & White

TRESPASSER #2 of 4

JUN171147
(W) Justin M. Ryan
(A) Kristian Rossi
(L) DC Hopkins

With their problems behind them, everything slowly returns to “normal” for Hector and his daughter. But their moment of peace is about to come to an abrupt end as someone comes back into their lives. Someone Hector thought he’d never see again. Printed on newsprint.

In Shops: Aug 2, 2017
SRP: $1.50
32 pages, Full Color

THE WICKED RIGHTEOUS #1 of 6

JUN171149
(W) Terry Mayo
(A) Lucas Romero, Chris Hall
(L) Brandon DeStefano

In post-apocalyptic San Diego, four teenage brothers rescue a young girl from a brutal gang of psychopaths and spark a chain of events that attracts an onslaught of unspeakable evil. This is the world of the Wicked and the Righteous… and the children will lead them all. Printed on newsprint.

In Shops: Aug 9, 2017
SRP: $1.50
32 pages, Full Color

UNIT 44

JUN171148
(W/L) Wes Locher
(A) Eduardo Jimenez

Area 51’s storage unit falls into the wrong hands when a pair of bumbling agents forget to pay the rent. Now an alien invasion threatens Earth and the Dimwitted Duo are our only hope. Basically… We. Are. So. Screwed.

In Shops: Aug 30, 2017
SRP: $11.95
104 pgs, Full Color

Sitting Down For A Cup Of Tea & Some Comics: Issue One

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In what may or may not become a new feature, I decided to make a cup of tea (PG Tips if you’re curious) and sit down and read a couple comics whilst I drank said cuppa. My intention isn’t to read review copies, or digital copies if I can help it, but either graphic novels, TPBs, or floppy comics. I may have read them before, or they may have been on my To Read pile for far too long, but whether this happens monthly, weekly, daily or never again will depend entirely on the time I have. Tea And Comics will be a feature designed solely to get me back to reading comics with a review in mind. I’m aware of the irony.

This week, I decided I wanted to finally read the three Alterna newsprint comics I picked up at the beginning of May, so I made myself a cuppa, put my feet up, and got started.

img_1155

Above were three comics that I read today, all first issues  of Croak, Age Of Awesome and Adam Wreck. Each comic was printed on newsprint, and cost me $1.50 a pop; which isn’t an introductory price – that’s how much Alterna’s newsprint comics are. Each mini series will run three or five issue (at least the ones I could find – there may be others that will have higher or lower issue counts.

Anyway, on to what I thought of the comics.  This won’t be a typical review, because I was consciously avoiding thinking about the comics critically – I just wanted to enjoy them, or not, as I so often did when I was a youngling, so all credits will appear at the end after croak 1my thoughts on each.

The first book I read while waiting for the tea to cool was Croak. This type of comic is usually not the kind of book I’d gravitate toward because it’s a touch more horror in nature than my usual fare. That being said, Croak has a fantastic old school feel to it that has echoes of early horror comics style of story telling, but could easily come from the feel of the newsprint – either way, I loved it. One niggle was that in places the art seemed a bit murky, but through no fault of the artist or colourist as it seems more of a printing issue, which for me added charm to the comic. If you can find this, then buy it.

With my tea cooled, and several sips taken I picked amazing ageup Amazing Age. This was the first of the two all-ages comics I picked up, and I was enthralled with it. There’s a brilliantly Golden Age sense to the comic, a feeling augmented by the opening story-within-a-story that opens the comic. The story blends a happy-go-lucky superhero feel with some heart wrenching tragedy in a smooth and genuinely emotional way. The writing show cases this dichotomy so well, and the less detailed art holds up really well on the newsprint making this a great buy for the price I paid.

adam wreckLast but by no means least is Adam Wreck a sci-fi story that features an interstellar family travelling past the known reaches of space. This is a very classic Earthling-meets-Alien style story that has the added benefit of Adam constantly griping about the lack of earthly amenities (this may sound like a gripe of my own, but it’s written in a way that you can’t help but laugh at, or empathize with, the space bound teenager). Artistically, the comic doesn’t suffer from the newsprint at all, and has  a brilliant use of colour within the story. If you’re even half curious, this is worth checking out.

I’ll be completely honest with you; these are absolutely worth a buck and a half, but if they were printed on the typical comic paper rather than newsprint then I assume that they’d be a bit more expensive, likely between $3 and $4 or so, they’d still be worth the more inflated price. However I probably wouldn’t have been drawn in as much at the higher pricing point, so I’m happy with the newsprint comics.

The large cup of tea I had made myself was finished by this point, and after having read  three pretty great comics, I realized that I forgot to take a photo of the tea and comics… so I made another cup of tea. Just for the photo, of course. Sooner or later I’ll sit down for more Tea & Comics.

Croak #1 
Writer: Cody Andrew Sousa Artist: Francesco Iaquinta
Colourist: Chris O’Halloran Letterer: Dezi Sienty

Amazing Age #1
Writer: Matthew D. Smith Artist: Jeremy Massie Colourist: Christine Brunson

Adam Wreck #1
Writer/Artist: Michael S. Bracco

Alterna Increases Print Runs for June’s Comic Releases

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With a few days to go before the May 3rd debut of Alterna‘s affordably priced newsprint comics, early order numbers for June’s releases are currently blowing away expectations. Currently, at double the amount of May’s initial order numbers, Alterna will be increasing print runs for all of June’s titles by 50%. Alterna had increased May’s print runs by 25% but an ordering surge still created sellouts across the board.

Publisher Peter Simeti shared his excitement about the early success of the newsprint titles:

We’re less than a week away from debuting our newsprint comics at shops across the world — needless to say everyone at Alterna is very excited.  Readers and retailers have been super supportive of this initiative and it means so much to the creators here.  It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the initial orders for June were so high, so we’ll be increasing print runs to hopefully accommodate all the readers and retailers (and any reorders) without having to go back to press on second printings.  It’s been great, receiving messages from customers that they’re opening up pull boxes for the first time in years, and that they’re buying a reader copy AND a copy to keep safe… for a creator-owned company like us, it’s very surreal to hear things like this.  Personally, I hope that readers love the stories and that they’ll use the savings on our books to even try other creator-owned books at their local shop.  I’d like to give a big thanks to all the comic shops and readers that are helping us bring back newsprint to new comic book day!

Three of the four books being released on May 3rd are great for kids. Adam Wreck #1, Amazing Age #1, and Lilith Dark #1 are fantastic reads for kids — so pick ’em up on Free Comic Book Day if you don’t get a chance to scoop ’em up on the 3rd!

Due to a small overrun on comic shop/direct sales editions on each book, Alterna will be able to fill reorders via Diamond on May releases.

Alterna Increases Initial Print Runs For Its Newsprint Comics

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Alterna Comics has announced that the following titles, printed on newsprint and priced at $1.50 each, will see a print run increase: Adam Wreck #1, Amazing Age #1, Croak #1, and Lilith Dark #1. All four titles will be debuting on May 3rd, 2017 – the Wednesday before Free Comic Book Day.

Alterna’s #BringingBackNewsprint initiative has introduced a single issue comic book line printed on newsprint with cover prices between $1.00 and $1.99.  Most issues will be priced at $1.50.

Publisher Peter Simeti explains why and how Alterna is increasing print run numbers, instead of the usual method of re-printing issues with a second print run:

One of the nice side effects of printing on newsprint is an extremely quick turnaround time of about 3 to 5 business days.  Our printer is used to putting out weekly publications, so the speediness (while new to us) is definitely nothing new to them.  Because of this, it allows us flexibility to increase or decrease print run numbers as necessary, instead of going back to print on an entirely new print run or rolling the dice on a print run and getting stuck with a massive amount of excess copies or being a few hundred short.

It should be noted that we’re also adding a few thousand copies into each run to compensate for our upcoming newsstand distribution with PDG which will begin this Summer in July.  The only difference between a comic shop comic and a newsstand comic, will be the barcode.  We do not plan on making market-specific variant covers.

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