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I Heart Skull-Crusher #2 has sold out and is getting a second printing

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BOOM! Studios has announced that I Heart Skull-Crusher #2, the next issue of the post-apocalyptic YA sports action series written by Josie Campbell, along with artist Alessio Zonno, colorist Angel De Santiago, and letterer Jim Campbell, has sold out at the distributor level!

Trini and the Twins are well on their way to assembling a full team for Screaming Pain Ball! But after a mutant attack on their way to the qualifying match, things aren’t as simple as they’d hoped. And with their competition having deep pockets, can they really convince serious players to join their team? They’ll have to find another way, like a sheer display of skill…

BOOM! has announced I Heart Skull-Crusher #2 Second printing (FEB249172), featuring the line art version of the  red hot variant cover by award-winning artist Simone di Meo and available in stores May 15, 2024.

I Heart Skull-Crusher #2 Second printing

Build Your Screaming Pain Ball Team in I Heart Skull-Crusher! #2

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BOOM! Studios has revealed a first look at  I Heart Skull-Crusher! #2, the next issue of the post-apocalyptic YA sports action series by Josie Campbell along with artist Alessio Zonno, colorist Angel De Santiago, and letterer Jim Campbell. Coming to comic shops everywhere April 17, 2024.

Trini and the Twins are well on their way to assembling a full team for Screaming Pain Ball! But after a mutant attack on their way to the qualifying match, things aren’t as simple as they’d hoped. And with their competition having deep pockets, can they really convince serious players to join their team? They’ll have to find another way, like a sheer display of skill…

I Heart Skull-Crusher! #2 features a main cover by series artist Alessio Zonno and variant covers by acclaimed artists Natacha Bustos, Rian Gonzales, and Simone Di Meo.

I Heart Skull-Crusher! #2

I Heart Skull-Crusher! sells out and gets a second printing

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BOOM! Studios has announced that I Heart Skull-Crusher! #1, the premiere issue of the post-apocalyptic YA sports action series by Josie Campbell, the breakout, hit writer of DC’s Amazons Attack event and screenwriter/producer on My Adventures With Superman, along with rising star artist Alessio Zonno, colorist Angel De Santiago, and letterer Jim Campbell has sold out at the distributor level!

18-year-old Trini will do anything to compete in her favorite sport, Screaming Pain Ball, aspiring to the heights of her longtime hero Skull-Crusher! But she can’t do it alone, and a gaggle of misfits is just what she needs to cross the American Waste and battle in Queen Mob’s deadly tournament.

With Trini’s dreams of being just like Skull-Crusher on the line, do she and her friends have what it takes to win a coveted spot on Skull-Crusher’s undefeated team?

In response to the overwhelming support from retailers and fans, BOOM! Studios has announced I Heart Skull-Crusher! #1 Second Printing (JAN248799), featuring a skull-crushing Trini character design cover art by series artist Alessio Zonno, available in stores April 10, 2024.

I Heart Skull-Crusher! #1 Second Printing

I Heart Skull Crusher #1 Combines Sports Manga with a Pop Punk Apocalypse

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I Heart Skull Crusher #1

In the post-apocalypse desert town of American Waste, Trini Wastelander has always wanted to be on Skull-Crusher’s screaming pain ball team. Now, with the opportunity to make her dreams come true, Trini has to assemble a scrappy squad of players to play on Skuller Crusher’s team potentially. Josie Campbell and Alessio Zonno’s I Heart Skull Crusher! #1 starts a compelling new series filled with humor, bandits, and fighting. 

Campbell never slows down the pace from the beginning but presses harder on the gas as you learn more about Trini and the world of American Waste. I appreciate Campbell trusting the reader to keep up with the story while dropping us immediately into this universe. More specifically, she crafts an exciting world with a strong and relatable protagonist that you can’t help but fall in love with. Considering how many different narratives have tackled apocalyptic wastelands, Campbell framing it through a darkly humorous lens and playing with those overdone tropes feels highly refreshing. Imbuing the story with a robust pop-punk vibe quickly overtook me. 

I Heart Skull Crusher! #1’s writing is also heavily influenced by sports manga and anime. Trini feels akin to a shonen protagonist, with her personality and goals aligning with that archetype. I am a sucker for those characters, and I appreciate Campbell playing with those elements. Even the twin bandits appearing at the end of the issue would feel like they were in those stories. As a result, I Heart Skull Crusher! #1 will satisfy readers who are already sports manga or anime fans or want a book to dip their toes into those stories. By bringing those story sensibilities to the series, Campbell crafts an engaging and fast-paced narrative that stands out from other titles on the shelf. I Heart Skull Crusher! #1 can easily be described as Fallout combined with a shonen sports anime.

Aside from manga and anime influencing the writing, it can also be seen in Zonno’s expressive and stylized artwork. Considering the heightened nature of the world, his work expertly translates it through his visuals. Whether through character design, facial expressions, or paneling, he hearkens back to that aesthetic while making it his own. He even draws Trini’s dreams about Skull Crusher’s team, referencing Clamp’s Visual style. Angel De Santiago’s coloring works in tandem with Zonno’s art through his excellent color scheme. Visualizing the world through neutral colors helps sell the wasteland setting while allowing the more striking colors to be distinct and contrast with the setting. Letterer Jim Campbell’s work sells this exciting world and culture. 

I Heart Skull Crusher #1 is an exciting debut to a new series perfect for sports manga and anime fans and comic book readers looking for a fun time. Campbell and Zonno do an excellent job crafting an exciting world with a strong narrative premise. So cue the training montage in a wasteland full of screaming pain ball, water bandits, and grit. 

Story: Josie Campbell Art: Alessio Zonno
Color: Angel De Santiago Letterer: Jim Campbell
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Meet Your New Favorite Sports Underdogs in I Heart Skull-Crusher

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Josie Campbell, the breakout, hit writer of DC’s Amazons Attack event and screenwriter/producer on My Adventures With Superman, along with artist Alessio Zonno bring sports action to post-apocalyptic America in the new, YA Mad Maxian series I Heart Skull-Crusher!

18-year-old Trini will do anything to compete in her favorite sport, Screaming Pain Ball, aspiring to the heights of her longtime hero Skull-Crusher! But she can’t do it alone, and a gaggle of misfits is just what she needs to cross the American wastes and battle in Queen Mob’s deadly tournament.

With Trini’s dreams of being just like Skull-Crusher on the line, do she and her friends have what it takes to win a coveted spot on Skull-Crusher’s undefeated team?

I Heart Skull-Crusher #1 will be available in comic shops March 13, 2024.