Tag Archives: dstlry

A Mischief Of Magpies #1 has potential to be a modern classic

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A Mischief Of Magpies #1

Mar has a secret. Sometimes, without warning, he falls out of the world. This would be an inconvenience if his life wasn’t already such a drag. When he’s gone, he finds himself in an extraordinary city. A city which is also a machine, endlessly crossing a shoreless ocean. A city of two halves: the bright, bustling spires above the waves, and the beast-haunted twilight halls below. And between, clowning along the rusting beach, a troupe of anarchic magpies with all the answers but none of the questions. A Mischief Of Magpies #1 kicks off a magical story that evokes the feeling of the classics of the 80s.

There’s those films from when you few up that stick with you well into adulthood. Jim Henson, Steven Spielberg, Don Bluth, and so many more were able to deliver these types of movies and experiences like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, ET, The Secret of NIMH, Time Bandits, The Never Ending Story… the list is long. All of those magical movies hit you in an emotional way, delivering awe and beauty in their visuals but also getting viewers to laugh, cry, fear, feel tension, and some of those at the same time. A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is a comic that evokes that experience with a story full of heartbreak, adventure, mystery, and excitement.

Written by Simpn Spurrier, A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is an intriguing debut, part comic, part picture book, part journal, telling the story of Mar whose home life is full of chaos but he’s able to escape into a magical world. Is it real? Is it his way to cope with the trauma he’s experiencing?

A Mischief Of Magpies #1

The comic is broken out into three distinct narrative experiences. Towards the beginning, Mar acts as our guide, introducing the reader to his life and family, teasing that there might be something more. But, Mar’s life spirals with family crisis and we get his thoughts as penned through a journal where he shares his thoughts and experiences. Finally, there’s the magical world of the Wandering City where things shift to a more traditional comic. It’s an interesting reading experience that is engaging and stands out from everything else being released.

What helps it stand out is the art of Matías Bergara who handles colors along Kike J. Díaz and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. The comic is gorgeous. Spurrier and Bergara have previously worked together on Coda, and while that was a fantasy series, the two projects are worlds apart. Bergara’s art emphasizes not just the dreamlike nature of Mar’s experience but also the tragedy and sadness of his home life. The story shifts from a “graphic journal” to more traditional comic seamlessly creating a flow that’s almost poetic. The worlds go from grounded reality to magical with floating cities, talking birds, rusted technology, and beings whose clothing and body language is otherworldly. Each page and panel begs readers to linger to catch every detail even if it’s just the flow of the narrative.

A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is perfection. The story feels like a childhood classic while the art is hauntingly beautiful. It’s a comic that sticks with you and you immediately want to read again while also wanting to find out what happens next. We’re halfway through the year and this debut sticks out as one of the best so far.

Final Order Cutoff: 5/25/26 Out in shops: July 15, 2026.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Matías Bergara
Color: Matías Bergara, Kike J. Díaz Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Third Eye Comics – DSTLRY

Indie Comic Alliance forms offering Distribution and Printing

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Indie Comic Alliance

With the implosion of Diamond, smaller publishers have been left scrambling to find new distribution either through new companies offering it or new models. A half dozen (or so) new companies have risen focused on solving the issue and offering new avenues for distribution. The Indie Comic Alliance has launched to not just provide distribution but also printing services with the first set of comics to be released in January 2027 with solicitation in October.

Headed by Christopher Reda at Critical Entertainment and Thomas Cho at STS & Associates the alliance has launched with sixteen publishers. Publishers include: Critical Entertainment, DSTLRY, Red 5 Comics, Wise Acre Comics, Outland Entertainment, BentBox Comics, Forbidden Futures, Patriot Comic Books, Diabolik, 2510 Press, World at War Comics, Monkeygong, Bear Treasure Studios, K-Toon Studios, Phantom Blade Productions, and Narwhal Press.

Like other deals that have been announced, some of the publishers will be distributed under the Critical Entertainment label, not their own publishing label and be distributed through Universal Distribution and Philbo Distribution. Some are already offered through Philbo.

DSTLRY is the highest profile of the publishers and currently have an exclusive with Penguin Random House Comics, which could hint that exclusive will be ending soon.

You can read the full announcement below:

The Indie Comic Alliance has officially been created with the first set of Publishers being announced. The Indie Comic Alliance is a Collective of Independent Comic Book Publishers focused on offering original comics in local retailer stores and making independent publishing thrive in a growing comic book market. Headed by Christopher Reda at Critical Entertainment and Thomas Cho at STS & Associates, the Alliance’s goal is to make independent publishers successful while giving readers a destination to find creative stories.

The first set of Publishers are the following: Critical Entertainment, DSTLRY, Red 5 Comics, Wise Acre Comics, Outland Entertainment, BentBox Comics, Forbidden Futures, Patriot Comic Books, Diabolik, 2510 Press, World at War Comics, Monkeygong, Bear Treasure Studios, K-Toon Studios, Phantom Blade Productions, and Narwhal Press.

The Indie Comic Alliance will offer Independent Publishers reasonable Distribution into retail comic book stores and affordable Printing, Shipping, and Storage while creating a competitive advantage in the direct market by having a destination for customers to find Indie Titles. Most Indie Comic Alliance books will be scheduled to release in retail stores on the third Wednesday of each month called Indie Comic Book Day. Indie Comic Alliance will service thousands of Local Comic Book Stores and Brick and Mortar Retail Bookstores. We aim to give Retailers a place they will know where to look for fresh indie comics. Solicitations beginning in October, many of the publishers will be distributed in Universal Distribution and Philbo Distribution through the Critical Entertainment label in the United States and Canada. This first lineup of comics are set to release January 20, 2027. Some of these publishers are already featured in Philbo Distribution and DSTLRY is currently exclusive with Penguin Random House Comics.

Indie Fans can follow the latest Indie Comic Alliance updates on Instagram, X, and www.indiecomicalliance.com.

White Boat #3 wraps up the series focusing on the motivation of the super rich

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White Boat #3

After learning the dark secrets of the mysterious island, Lee is left to decide if he wants to join these cosmic cultists or make a break for freedom. But when he’s unwilling to leave his metamorphic monster of a brother behind, he will make a fateful decision that might save their necks but doom the entire planet! White Boat #3 is an intriguing finale that feels like a mix of aspiration, condemnation, and monster horror.

White Boat has been an interesting series, a solid concept that feels like it’s far more complicated than it needs to be. Written by Scott Snyder, the series follows a reporter who has been trying to find out about White Boats, mega-yachts that the super-rich use. After finally being able to explore one, he was kidnapped and brought to a remote island. There we find out about a rich society, a cult that has existed for millennia working on “The Human Project.” Their goal is to bring about paradise, but as we learn in White Boat #3, their goal is a bit sinister underneath.

The series has had a mix of ideas behind it, a little Jurassic Park, a little Jim Jones, a little The Prisoner, it’s been an ever expanding mystery. White Boat #3 brings things together as Lee learns the truth of it all and has to make a decision if he wants to risk everything or live his life with the brother he thought he loss.

At its heart, White Boat #3 shines a spotlight on a story of the super-rich whose entire motivation is what benefits themselves, and themselves only. It brings the real world debate we have about the ultra wealthy and the hoarding of not just their money but their focus on only enriching themselves further instead of benefiting society as a whole. It’s a worthy concept to discuss and explore, and unfortunately it’s touched upon as motivation instead of a major discussion in the finale. There are some flaws in that finale beyond that. Lee takes what he’s told without any exploration or examination to see if claims are real. It’s a leap that needed to be justified in some other way to really understand Lee’s internal debate as to what to do. The issue about have been helped by adding a few more pages to flesh that and more out, decrease a slight choppiness, including an ending that feels like it’s a bit rushed to wrap things up nicely when a more nebulous and open ending could have been more interesting.

Francesco Francavilla‘s art is solid as expected. With color by Francavilla and lettering by Andworld Design, the comic has the horror/monster vibe that Francavilla shines. There’s some great panels and moments of coldness in the characters’ expressions or abject terror that drives home the situation. Overall, the art feels like it mines more classic monster horror than anything else, especially when things begin to unravel into chaos.

White Boat #3 is an interesting finale that wraps things up but overall feels a little rushed. It could have benefited from a fourth issue or at least an expanded third issue to flesh out some moments, motivations, and the actual ending. As is, it’s entertaining and has some great ideas and an interesting theme underneath, but it’s not the strongest release from this creative team.

Story: Scott Snyder Art: Francesco Francavilla
Color: Francesco Francavilla Letters: Andworld Design
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Third Eye Comics

The City Beneath Her Feet #3 Delivers a Reflective and Explosive Finale

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The City Beneath Her Feet #3

Behind every love story is a tragedy- and this tale is no different… Chased into the city’s underbelly with Liz hot on her trail- Zara must use everything she’s learned about the secret world of assassins to find a way to survive — and bring Jasper’s killers to justice. The City Beneath Her Feet #3 wraps up the series with a finale that takes readers in unexpected directions.

It’s been a bit since the previous issue of The City Beneath Her Feet, but when provided the chance to check out a copy before release, I jumped at the chance to see how Zara’s story ends. The series as a whole is an intriguing one, a story at its surface level is one of assassins, action, and mistakes, but underneath, it’s one about relationships and how we handle even the worst of them.

Written by James Tynion IV, The City Beneath Her Feet #3 wraps up the series with a nice finale that’s a little melancholy but also packed with action, humor, and reflection. The action continues as an assassin is on Zara’s tail with a large bounty out for the writer who might know too much. But in-between those sequences we get a reflection by Zara on her brief relationship with Zara. As short, as strange, as toxic, as it was, there was a truth and honest Zara was able to see and final actions by Jasper show what she might have really felt towards Zara. It’s an interesting ending that is full of emotion… mixed emotions, that readers will take away differently based on their own relationship history.

The art by Elsa Charretier continues to be fantastic bouncing between the action and what feels like a confessional. The visuals pop in part due to the colors by Jordie Bellaire which deliver a pop-art look to the comic and Aditya Bidikar‘s lettering helps add to the rollercoaster of a ride. The art is intriguing as it’s one that very much feels like it’s a bit of a throwback to pop-art of the past and also has a lot of small details that really help tell the story of the characters themselves. Scars, some blood, a little bit of dirt, it all comes together to visually bring the world and narrative together.

The City Beneath Her Feet #3 is an interesting finale that feels like it’s an indie action film on the comic page. There’s something unexpected and really satisfying in the way it wraps up and leaves us wanting a bit more of this world to see how all of the loose ends are wrapped up. We had to wait a bit to finally be able to experience it, but it was well worth it as The City Beneath Her Feet #3 delivers an ending that’ll leave readers satisfied but still wanting more.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Elsa Charretier
Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Golden Apple Comics – Amazon

White House Robot Romance #3 wraps things up with a nice, but safe, ending

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Now that the Canadians have made their move, Chef-9 races to find Service-1 before it’s too late!

The fate of two nations hangs in the balance in this explosive finale!

Story: Chip Zdarsky
Art: Rachael Stott
Color: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics

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Early Review: A Mischief Of Magpies #1 has potential to be a classic

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A Mischief Of Magpies #1

Mar has a secret. Sometimes, without warning, he falls out of the world. This would be an inconvenience if his life wasn’t already such a drag. When he’s gone, he finds himself in an extraordinary city. A city which is also a machine, endlessly crossing a shoreless ocean. A city of two halves: the bright, bustling spires above the waves, and the beast-haunted twilight halls below. And between, clowning along the rusting beach, a troupe of anarchic magpies with all the answers but none of the questions. A Mischief Of Magpies #1 kicks off a magical story that evokes the feeling of the classics of the 80s.

There’s those films from when you few up that stick with you well into adulthood. Jim Henson, Steven Spielberg, Don Bluth, and so many more were able to deliver these types of movies and experiences like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, ET, The Secret of NIMH, Time Bandits, The Never Ending Story… the list is long. All of those magical movies hit you in an emotional way, delivering awe and beauty in their visuals but also getting viewers to laugh, cry, fear, feel tension, and some of those at the same time. A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is a comic that evokes that experience with a story full of heartbreak, adventure, mystery, and excitement.

Written by Simpn Spurrier, A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is an intriguing debut, part comic, part picture book, part journal, telling the story of Mar whose home life is full of chaos but he’s able to escape into a magical world. Is it real? Is it his way to cope with the trauma he’s experiencing?

A Mischief Of Magpies #1

The comic is broken out into three distinct narrative experiences. Towards the beginning, Mar acts as our guide, introducing the reader to his life and family, teasing that there might be something more. But, Mar’s life spirals with family crisis and we get his thoughts as penned through a journal where he shares his thoughts and experiences. Finally, there’s the magical world of the Wandering City where things shift to a more traditional comic. It’s an interesting reading experience that is engaging and stands out from everything else being released.

What helps it stand out is the art of Matías Bergara who handles colors along Kike J. Díaz and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. The comic is gorgeous. Spurrier and Bergara have previously worked together on Coda, and while that was a fantasy series, the two projects are worlds apart. Bergara’s art emphasizes not just the dreamlike nature of Mar’s experience but also the tragedy and sadness of his home life. The story shifts from a “graphic journal” to more traditional comic seamlessly creating a flow that’s almost poetic. The worlds go from grounded reality to magical with floating cities, talking birds, rusted technology, and beings whose clothing and body language is otherworldly. Each page and panel begs readers to linger to catch every detail even if it’s just the flow of the narrative.

A Mischief Of Magpies #1 is perfection. The story feels like a childhood classic while the art is hauntingly beautiful. It’s a comic that sticks with you and you immediately want to read again while also wanting to find out what happens next. We’re halfway through the year and this debut sticks out as one of the best so far.

Final Order Cutoff: 5/25/26 Out in shops: July 15, 2026.

Story: Simon Spurrier Art: Matías Bergara
Color: Matías Bergara, Kike J. Díaz Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-Order: Third Eye Comics – DSTLRY

Early Review: White Boat #3 wraps up the series focusing on the motivation of the super rich

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White Boat #3

After learning the dark secrets of the mysterious island, Lee is left to decide if he wants to join these cosmic cultists or make a break for freedom. But when he’s unwilling to leave his metamorphic monster of a brother behind, he will make a fateful decision that might save their necks but doom the entire planet! White Boat #3 is an intriguing finale that feels like a mix of aspiration, condemnation, and monster horror.

White Boat has been an interesting series, a solid concept that feels like it’s far more complicated than it needs to be. Written by Scott Snyder, the series follows a reporter who has been trying to find out about White Boats, mega-yachts that the super-rich use. After finally being able to explore one, he was kidnapped and brought to a remote island. There we find out about a rich society, a cult that has existed for millennia working on “The Human Project.” Their goal is to bring about paradise, but as we learn in White Boat #3, their goal is a bit sinister underneath.

The series has had a mix of ideas behind it, a little Jurassic Park, a little Jim Jones, a little The Prisoner, it’s been an ever expanding mystery. White Boat #3 brings things together as Lee learns the truth of it all and has to make a decision if he wants to risk everything or live his life with the brother he thought he loss.

At its heart, White Boat #3 shines a spotlight on a story of the super-rich whose entire motivation is what benefits themselves, and themselves only. It brings the real world debate we have about the ultra wealthy and the hoarding of not just their money but their focus on only enriching themselves further instead of benefiting society as a whole. It’s a worthy concept to discuss and explore, and unfortunately it’s touched upon as motivation instead of a major discussion in the finale. There are some flaws in that finale beyond that. Lee takes what he’s told without any exploration or examination to see if claims are real. It’s a leap that needed to be justified in some other way to really understand Lee’s internal debate as to what to do. The issue about have been helped by adding a few more pages to flesh that and more out, decrease a slight choppiness, including an ending that feels like it’s a bit rushed to wrap things up nicely when a more nebulous and open ending could have been more interesting.

Francesco Francavilla‘s art is solid as expected. With color by Francavilla and lettering by Andworld Design, the comic has the horror/monster vibe that Francavilla shines. There’s some great panels and moments of coldness in the characters’ expressions or abject terror that drives home the situation. Overall, the art feels like it mines more classic monster horror than anything else, especially when things begin to unravel into chaos.

White Boat #3 is an interesting finale that wraps things up but overall feels a little rushed. It could have benefited from a fourth issue or at least an expanded third issue to flesh out some moments, motivations, and the actual ending. As is, it’s entertaining and has some great ideas and an interesting theme underneath, but it’s not the strongest release from this creative team.

Story: Scott Snyder Art: Francesco Francavilla
Color: Francesco Francavilla Letters: Andworld Design
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-Order: Third Eye Comics

Early Review: The City Beneath Her Feet #3 Delivers a Reflective and Explosive Finale

Posted on by
The City Beneath Her Feet #3

Behind every love story is a tragedy- and this tale is no different… Chased into the city’s underbelly with Liz hot on her trail- Zara must use everything she’s learned about the secret world of assassins to find a way to survive — and bring Jasper’s killers to justice. The City Beneath Her Feet #3 wraps up the series with a finale that takes readers in unexpected directions.

It’s been a bit since the previous issue of The City Beneath Her Feet, but when provided the chance to check out a copy before release, I jumped at the chance to see how Zara’s story ends. The series as a whole is an intriguing one, a story at its surface level is one of assassins, action, and mistakes, but underneath, it’s one about relationships and how we handle even the worst of them.

Written by James Tynion IV, The City Beneath Her Feet #3 wraps up the series with a nice finale that’s a little melancholy but also packed with action, humor, and reflection. The action continues as an assassin is on Zara’s tail with a large bounty out for the writer who might know too much. But in-between those sequences we get a reflection by Zara on her brief relationship with Zara. As short, as strange, as toxic, as it was, there was a truth and honest Zara was able to see and final actions by Jasper show what she might have really felt towards Zara. It’s an interesting ending that is full of emotion… mixed emotions, that readers will take away differently based on their own relationship history.

The art by Elsa Charretier continues to be fantastic bouncing between the action and what feels like a confessional. The visuals pop in part due to the colors by Jordie Bellaire which deliver a pop-art look to the comic and Aditya Bidikar‘s lettering helps add to the rollercoaster of a ride. The art is intriguing as it’s one that very much feels like it’s a bit of a throwback to pop-art of the past and also has a lot of small details that really help tell the story of the characters themselves. Scars, some blood, a little bit of dirt, it all comes together to visually bring the world and narrative together.

The City Beneath Her Feet #3 is an interesting finale that feels like it’s an indie action film on the comic page. There’s something unexpected and really satisfying in the way it wraps up and leaves us wanting a bit more of this world to see how all of the loose ends are wrapped up. We had to wait a bit to finally be able to experience it, but it was well worth it as The City Beneath Her Feet #3 delivers an ending that’ll leave readers satisfied but still wanting more.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Elsa Charretier
Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DSTLRY provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Pre-Order: Golden Apple Comics – Amazon (collection)

Neon Ichiban and DSTLRY Introduce Pre-Order Rewards

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Neon Ichiban DSTLRY FOC Rewards

Neon Ichiban and DSTLRY have announced FOC Rewards, a first-of-its-kind program that gives fans credit on Neon Ichiban when they pre-order print comics at their local comic shop before Final Order Cutoff (FOC).

The program is live now. Fans earn up to $5 in digital credit per title redeemable toward any comics or manga purchase on Neon Ichiban. FOC Rewards debuts with six DSTLRY print titles that are currently available for pre-order via local comic shops.

How It Works: Fans earn $2.50 for submitting proof of a qualifying pre-order, and an additional $2.50 for confirming in-store pickup with a photo and geolocation — $5 total per title.

Launch Titles

Neon Ichiban’s FOC Rewards launches with six forthcoming DSTLRY titles. DSTLRY’s print single issues ship in their Prestige format; collected editions as premium hardcovers. Each title below carries a $5 reward on Neon Ichiban:

  • WHITE HOUSE ROBOT ROMANCE #3 — Chip Zdarsky & Rachael Stott
  • THE CITY BENEATH HER FEET #3 — James Tynion IV & Elsa Charretier
  • WHITE BOAT #3 — Scott Snyder & Francesco Francavilla
  • A MISCHIEF OF MAGPIES #1 — Simon Spurrier & Matías Bergara
  • BIG BURN Hardcover — Joe Henderson & Lee Garbett
  • WARM FUSION Hardcover — Scott Hoffman & Alberto Ponticelli

The Consignment Group files their Support for the Ad Hoc Committee’s Motion to release Consigned Stock in Diamond’s Chapter 7 Case

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The Consignment Group, which consists of Aspen, Black Mask, DSTLRY, Dynamic Force/Dynamite, Heavy Metal, Magnetic Press, Massive Publishing, Oni-Lion Forge, Panini, Alien Books, Graphic Mundi, Titan, Vault Comics, and Dark Horse, have submitted a response/joinder to the court in support of the Ad Hoc Committee‘s motion for the court to release consigned stock currently held by Diamond.

One of the biggest fights during Diamond’s chapter 11/chapter 7 process has concerned consigned goods provided by publishers and currently held by Diamond and stored by Sparkle Pop. In short, Diamond believes they “own” the product and can sell the goods to help pay off its debts. Of course, the publishers wants their goods back.

In their response/joinder, the Consignment Group argues:

  1. The publishers have a distribution agreement with Diamond for the goods on a consignment basis, but the publishers own the inventory,
  2. If the distribution agreement is terminated, the goods need to be returns,
  3. Diamond currently has a lack of “adequate storage,” has let insurance lapse, and the goods are still being sold unauthorized,
  4. The stock is losing value and publishers aren’t able to distribute the product through other ways which is causing issues with consumers as well as contractual claims,
  5. The distribution agreement has been terminated/rejected and because of that, the goods should be immediately returned,
  6. Some consigned goods were provided after Diamond’s chapter 11 process began, so the trustee doesn’t have claim to that.

They’re asking the judge to grant the Ad Hoc Committee’s relief and release the consigned inventory, as well as any other relief the Court deems just and proper.

You can read the full filing below.

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