Category Archives: Wednesday Rally

Wednesday Comic Rally: Animosity: The Rise

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animosity-riseIt feels like all too often we’re lamenting how our favorite comic series got canceled due to lack of sales and interest. That’s where Wednesday Comic Rally comes in. The point is to spotlight comics that we as a community should be rallying around and most importantly purchasing to make sure they’re here for quite some time.

“The Animals thought, spoke, and took revenge. The dust has settled and the blood dried, but a new force is rising in the West, ready to help Animal-kind seize power in the dark new world to come…”

Spinning out from Marguerite Bennett‘s hit new series Animosity is this special one-shot illustrated by Juan Doe! Witness the devastating effects of “The Wake” and how it affected other parts of the world on that terrifying day!

If you’re unfamiliar with the world of Animosity the concept is simple that one day animals “wake up,” begin talking, and rise up against humanity taking over the world. The series is excellent with a concept we haven’t seen too often and a vibe that’s part horror and part apocalypse.

Animosity: The Rise is a one shot that’s a solid introduction into the world. It’s a starting point that allows new readers to check out this series which is painfully under purchased and not on enough individual’s radars. Solid storytelling and art combines for an experience that feels like the early days of the Walking Dead, but replace zombies with talking animals and if there’s justice, this series will see that sort of popularity.

But, what I think Bennett does so well, and is on display here, is the series doesn’t just focus on the chaos but more of a big picture and the rebuilding of society. This one-shot touches upon that not just delivering “scares” but also a discussion of what might come down the road. I’d expect no less from Bennett who’s the talented writer behind DC Comics Bombshells, Angel Queen of Hel, the upcoming Batwoman, and so much more..

A series that gives chills and also challenges to make you think through what this world might be like, Animosity: The Rise is a solid comic that’ll introduce you to this bigger world and make you want to go back and get the already released issues.

This is where you come in. You can buy Animosity: The Rise now! It’s available at local comic shops and you can find yours. For those without a local shop you can buy it digitally through comiXology, Kindle, or physical copy at Amazon or Things From Another World.

Have a comic you think we should be rallying around? Send us a message and maybe it’ll be featured in an upcoming post.

 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Wednesday Comic Rally: Mayday #3

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mayday-3It feels like all too often we’re lamenting how our favorite comic series got canceled due to lack of sales and interest. That’s where Wednesday Comic Rally comes in. The point is to spotlight comics that we as a community should be rallying around and most importantly purchasing to make sure they’re here for quite some time.

Three issues in, it’s not too late to check out Mayday by writer Alex De Campi and artist Tony Parker.

A Cold War action-thriller like no other. It’s 1971, and two young Soviet operatives are sent to California to kill a defector and recover top-secret information. As the mission falls apart into a mess of good sex, bad drugs, and ugly violence, the young Russians are faced with a dilemma: they need to rely on each other to escape America, but they must betray each other to survive Russia.

Mayday isn’t just a slick Cold War comics, it’s also a period piece in a time that you just don’t see too many modern comics set. That creates a unique experience that’s currently like no other monthly comic on the market. Parker’s art is fantastic as well giving us at times trippy visuals that nail the vibe and feel of the time period.

It’s a combination that comes together for a fun time and entertaining read that you won’t find anywhere else.

This is where you come in. You can buy Mayday #3 now! It’s available at local comic shops and you can find yours. For those without a local shop you can buy it digitally through comiXology, Kindle, or physical copy at Things From Another World.

Have a comic you think we should be rallying around? Send us a message and maybe it’ll be featured in an upcoming post.

 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Wednesday Comic Rally: Libby’s Dad

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libbys_20dad_20cover_20small_originalPublished by Retrofit Comics, the comic is a beautifully drawn and colored indie comic that’s engrossing and entertaining exploring youth and how rumors can spin out of control and shape reality.

The story is basically a few girls at a pool party who begin to discuss why one of their friends aren’t there. It’s best to not reveal too much and see for yourself to see where the story goes. You never know exactly where that is.

Davis does an amazing job building the story throughout the comic and gets it to a point that you’re not sure what to believe until you get to the ending… and it’s a hell of a twist that had me gasping. It’s masterful storytelling at a great pace that captures the essences of sleepovers and kids chattering.

This is a perfect example of a comic where the less said the better because part of my enjoyment was not knowing what the comic was about and feeling the tension build as I didn’t know where things were going. Is this a simple story of kids playing telephone? Is this going to be a bloodbath? Is this a story about abuse? It’s wonderful storytelling.

The art too is fantastic with a style that’s hard to describe. The color choice is almost like crayons, it’s unique and absolutely fantastic adding to the childlike aspect of the story.

Libby’s Dad is an amazing example of indie comics and one folks should check out. Retrofit Comics puts out amazing comics and this is a fine release to show off how some of the best comics are being produced by indie and small publishers. Another home run for Retrofit and a fantastic comic by Davis.

You can by the comic now through Retrofit Comics’ website in print or as a PDF, from Things From Another World, or from Amazon.

 

 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Wednesday Comic Rally: The Unstoppable Wasp #1

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unstoppable_wasp_1_coverIt feels like all too often we’re lamenting how our favorite comic series got canceled due to lack of sales and interest. That’s where Wednesday Comic Rally comes in. The point is to spotlight comics that we as a community should be rallying around and most importantly purchasing to make sure they’re here for quite some time.

And for the first rally cry of the new year, I’m focusing on the brand new The Unstoppable Wasp #1 published by Marvel, written by Jeremy Whitley with art by Elsa  Charretier. There’s a lot of positive chatter about this series going by our site’s Twitter feed, but chatter doesn’t necessarily equal sales, so we need to get out there and buy the comic!

Why this comic? Let me list off my top ten reasons!

  1. Nadia Pym – Raised in an offshoot of the Red Room, Nadia is new to the world of superheroes. But, it’s not just her wide-eyed innocence that’s a draw, it’s a fact she has a positive outlook on things and living life now that she’s free from the clutches of the Red Room. There’s a positive fun about it all that wasps flys off the page.
  2. Female Scientist! – Nadia isn’t just a super suit but is a kick-ass scientist in her own right. That’s a chunk of the comic emphasizing this is a hero who doesn’t just solve things with punching but also her brain.
  3. Real Female Scientists! – At the end of each comic real world female scientists are featured in the letters section. So, not only do you get to see Nadia get all sciency on the page but you also learn about real women out there kicking-ass in the STEM field.
  4. the_unstoppable_wasp__1-1The Art – Elsa Charretier’s art is awesome in the comic. It reminds me a lot of Hawkeye with small notes added to the panels pointing out small details. Want to know what Nadia notices about the joints of a giant robot and she battles it? It’s there! Speaking of giant robots…
  5. Giant Robot!!!! – A battle against a giant robot being piloted by an evil scientist? Check!
  6. Mockingbird and Ms. Marvel – And who’s helping the Wasp fight the robot? That’d be Ms. Marvel and Mockingbird. The issue feels like a perfect “goodbye” to Chelsea Cain’s gone too soon Mockingbird run. There’s even a small f-u to the haters of Cain and the series.
  7. It’s Feminist as Fuck – This comic has no problem taking on the comic patriarchy. There’s a long discussion about scientists in the Marvel Universe and how they’re all male (and mostly white)… until now! The first issue has no problem pointing out problems such as this in Marvel’s history. This series and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur are showing why the smartest people at Marvel aren’t all men.
  8. It’s a relatively new character – While The Wasp has been around for decades Nadia Pym is a relatively new character (she debuted last year with an introduction that shows how to introduce new concepts into legacy and decades of continuity). This is her first comic and we need to show that new characters can sell so we get more of them.
  9. It Can Be Enjoyed By All Ages – Young kids will enjoy the robot battle. Teens will enjoy the humor and bonding. Adults will get a lot more of the jokes and enjoy the whole. This is a comic that has something for everyone and you can go back to multiple times to pick up even more detail.
  10. The Ending – Think I’m going to spoil it? Lets just say it’ll ramp up points 2 and 7 all delivered by Charretier’s fantastic art.

This is where you come in. You can buy The Unstoppable Wasp #1 now! It’s available at local comic shops and you can find yours. For those without a local shop you can buy it digitally through comiXology, Kindle, or physical copies at Amazon or Things From Another World.

Have a comic you think we should be rallying around? Send us a message and maybe it’ll be featured in an upcoming post.

Wednesday Comic Rally: The Paybacks #4

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the-paybaks-4Too often comic fans rally around a series far too late, when it’s already been cancelled or announced its ending. We’ve recently seen that with the cancellation of Nighthawk and Mockingbird, two solid series that featured excellent writing, but lacked the buzz to keep them going.

Introducing “Wednesday Comic Rally” (the eventual name to still be determined) where I hope to spotlight a series, comic, graphic novel, etc., that you should go check out when you head to the shop each week. The idea is to focus on small press and indie comics as well as low selling mainstream comics and make the case as to why you should get it (and actually provide options as to where you can purchase the comic if you don’t have a local shop or prefer digital).

We saw how easily we can boost a series like Mockingbird so lets show our power as comic fans and speak with our dollars to keep quality comics around by showing our support.

This week’s rally? The Paybacks #4 by Donny Cates, Eliot Rahal, Geoff Shaw, and published by Heavy Metal.

Heroism doesn’t come cheap, so when superheroes borrow money to finance their genetic enhancements or crime-fighting supercomputers, their debts make student loans look like IOUs. Enter the Paybacks, a repo squad composed of bankrupt former heroes here to foreclose on everybody’s secret lairs!

The second volume has to do with a database of superhero identities being leaked and the Paybacks being blamed for it. Yes, this is Wikileaks meets superheroes and it’s funny as all hell.

There’s been two volumes of The Paybacks with the first being published by Dark Horse and second by Heavy Metal and judging by its sales numbers that’s estimated, a lot of you missed the series. The basic gist is explained above taking a comedic send-up to the superhero genre lampooning so many characters it’s almost too many to name (there’s an entire character based around pouches!). It’s funny. It’s really funny. But more importantly, the comic is fun. If you grew up reading comics in the 90s, it especially nails the ridiculous nature of some of the characters that ruled the stands during that time and in general many of the comic icons today.

Without the comedic tone of the series, it’d likely fall flat being too serious and it wouldn’t work, not standing out at all from the bunch. The humor is what really makes the comic, taking what otherwise would be just another action superhero comic and moving it to a whole other level of entertainment. From the gags in the action and the characters to every small detail in the background each issue packs laughs within.

Everyone that I’ve had read an issue has been converted and hopped on board. It’s a style of comic that you just don’t see a lot of on the shelves which makes it stand out even more and really feels like a unique experience. This fourth issue looks to wrap things up, but you can catch up digitally and find out why this is a series I continuously gush about. You won’t be disappointed.

You can purchase The Paybacks #4 at your local shop, on comiXology, volume 1 through Amazon, or some single issues through Things From Another World.

Wednesday Comic Rally: Motor Girl #1

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motor-girl-1Too often comic fans rally around a series far too late, when it’s already been cancelled or announced its ending. We’ve recently seen that with the cancellation of Nighthawk and Mockingbird, two solid series that featured excellent writing, but lacked the buzz to keep them going.

Introducing “Wednesday Comic Rally” (the eventual name to still be determined) where I hope to spotlight a series, comic, graphic novel, etc., that you should go check out when you head to the shop each week. The idea is to focus on small press and indie comics as well as low selling mainstream comics and make the case as to why you should get it (and actually provide options as to where you can purchase the comic if you don’t have a local shop or prefer digital).

We saw how easily we can boost a series like Mockingbird so lets show our power as comic fans and speak with our dollars to keep quality comics around by showing our support.

This week’s rally? Motor Girl #1 by Terry Moore and Abstract Studio!

When Samantha’s junkyard is visited by a UFO looking for spare parts, she is only too happy to oblige. But when word gets out she is a reliable source, Sam’s booming alien business catches the attention of an Area 51 investigator determined to shut her down!

Moore originally was going to create this series after Strangers in Paradise, but instead he made ECHO instead. After ECHO was the new plan, but then Rachel Rising was his next project. So, finally we get this new series that’s been years in the making and the wait was worth it.

The first issue of Motor Girl debuts this week and it’s as solid as I’d had hoped giving us a cute and entertaining comic that bends genres and features the quirks that makes creator Terry Moore’s comics great. The comic star Samantha a tech handy manager of a junkyard and a talking gorilla, it’s everything I expected and more. The comic has that sensibility of a series like Wonderfalls or Pushing Daises… but with a talking gorilla. There’s a magical and whimsical feel about it that had me immediately wanting to read the next issue.

That’s helped in Moore’s distinctive black and white style which perfectly balances details. There’s not too much, there’s not too little. It’s something he’s mastered over the years and is a prime example of a black and white comic being superior to its color bretheren.

Having read the issue, it’s solid and a comic I highly recommend being one of the best I’ve read this week.

So, lets show quality can rise!

You can purchase Motor Girl #1 at your local shop, through the Abstract Studio website, on comiXology, through Amazon, or pre-order the second and third issue through Things From Another World.