After a high-profile Kickstarter campaign Rosy Press‘ first release, Fresh Romance #1, has hit the web featuring three stories from writers Kate Leth, Sarah Vaughn, and Sarah Kuhn and artists Arielle Scurti, Sarah Winifred, and Sally Jane Thompson.
“School Spirit” is a lighthearted take on classic high school romances with two queer women in the lead. Because Malie and Justine want to keep their romance a secret, they pretend to be competing over the same guy, Miles, but Miles also has a secret.
“Ruined” is a classic Regency romance, with lots of attention to period details. Catherine and Andrew are getting married – but neither one of them is happy about it.
“The Ruby Equation” is a story about love in a coffee shop – where barista Ruby is on a mission to help people find love so she doesn’t have to deal with people anymore.
Harkening back to classic romance comics, with a modern twist, each story is entertaining in their own way. Each story is a fun read, perfect for the summer months. Paired with fantastic art, these are comics that you stare at the page spending as much time reading as you do looking at the visuals in front of you. You never know the quality you’re going to get with a Kickstarter project (though the talent here gave a good indication), but this is top-notch material that any smart publisher would be gobbling up, and Rosy Press did. The fact that it turned around so quickly after the close of the fundraising period also speaks to the professionalism, and quality of the project. It was clearly planned and executed with love…. it is a romance anthology after all.
The only problem I had was, it was too short! I actually wanted more of each story, and they could easily have stood on their own for a completely entertaining issue. It’s a good sign when you want to read more, right?
The industry has been shifting away from spandex and capes for some time, and indie, web, and digital comics have been leading that charge. Rosy Press’ Fresh Romance #1 is the latest example that there truly is something (and someone) for everyone when it comes to comics (and life). A fantastic addition that revitalizes a genre in comics often overlooked, or dismissed. The quality brings the issue, and genre to life.
Story: Kate Leth, Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Kuhn Art: Arielle Scurti, Sarah Winifred, Sally Jane Thompson
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
Rosy Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
