After Dorothy’s adventure a power vacuum occurred in the Magical World of OZ and in its place a dark force has risen. Now, a war rages, and the granddaughter of Dorothy Gale is thrown into the middle of it all. Welcome to The O.Z.
Story: David Pepose
Art: Ruben Rojas
Color: Whitney Cogar
Letterer: DC Hopkins
After Dorothy’s adventure a power vacuum occurred in the Magical World of OZ and in its place a dark force has risen. Now, a war rages, and the granddaughter of Dorothy Gale is thrown into the middle of it all. Welcome to The O.Z.
Story: David Pepose
Art: Ruben Rojas
Color: Whitney Cogar
Letterer: DC Hopkins
THE O.Z. #1
Written by David Pepose
Art by Ruben Rojas
Colors by Whitney Cogar
Lettering by DC Hopkins
What if The Hurt Locker took place in The Wizard of Oz? Find out in THE O.Z., the smash-hit Kickstarter series from Ringo Award-nominated writer David Pepose (Spencer & Locke, Scout’s Honor) and rising star artist Ruben Rojas (Proton)! This action-packed series follows Dorothy Gale’s granddaughter, a disillusioned Iraq war veteran who is swept up by a tornado and stranded in the war-torn land of Oz. Forced to confront her past and her grandmother’s ties to this magical battlefield, this new Dorothy will have to navigate the Tin Soldier, the Scarecrow, and the Prince of Lions if she hopes to bring peace to the Occupied Zone… or as the locals call it, The O.Z.
Writer David Pepose heads to Kickstarter for his latest series with The O.Z., a re-imagining of the classic story that sees a disillusioned Iraq War vet surviving in a war-torn land of Oz.
Described as The Hurt Locker meets The Wizard of Oz, Pepose teams with artist Ruben Rojas for a 44-page first chapter. Along for the fantasy ride is colorist Whitney Cogar and letterer DC Hopkins.
The Kickstarter is for the first issue of the series and features digital copies as well as variant covers. Some tiers also include behind-the-scenes material like scripts, inks, and colors. Higher tiers include original art, the chance to be drawn into the comic, and even plush dolls from Pepose’s Spencer & Locke!
If you’ve wanted to check out Pepose’s past work, this is your chance as well with numerous print and digital editions of Spencer & Locke and Going to the Chapel.
GARGANTUAN #1
Story by: El Torres
Art by: Ruben Rojas
Cover Artist: Ruben Rojas
They were the Titans that once walked the Earth and ruled over its inhabitants. Now they only exist in dreams and nightmares… like the ones Marshall Sarah Lozen has. And she doesn’t know that her pursuit of the criminal rockstar Crius will end with the rise of The Gargantuan… and the end of life on Earth as we know it!
“At last! The Giant-Lovecraftian-Godzillesque monsters story that I always wanted to write!”
–El Torres
FANTASY, MATURE THEMES
SC, 7×10, 32pgs, FC $3.99
UPC Code: 799456681641-00111
Rogues! #1
There’s some fantastic fantasy series out there right now. They run the gamut from series fantasy tales to off-the-rails D&D like adventures. Rogues! is the latest entry into the genre that’s somewhere down the middle. It attempts to be serious at times and also employs humor.
This is the tale of Bram and the Weasel, two reputed thieves in the slums of a fantasy world! After rescuing a girl from her wizard father, the two outlaws are cursed with the most horrible curse — for a thief!
Also included in the first issue there’s an extra 4-pages story, featuring the artwork of Rubén Rojas. In “The Rogues’s song” we learn some more facts about Bram and The Weasel… and some more obscure fantasy heroes.
There’s a lot I enjoyed about the first issue, but also a lot I didn’t. The story had a great amount of humor, almost over the top at times, but then at other points the fantasy was somewhat serious. The mix didn’t quite work overall. There’s also a sexualization of the comic that’s over the top and pulled me out of the story. In fantasy it can work if done right and here, it just didn’t work for me.
What’s interesting to me though is when the comic is running on all wheels and really hitting the all the right notes, it’s fantastic. But, there’s a weird mix for me. What works, really works and what doesn’t really doesn’t.
I’m sure many fans of fantasy or D&D would really appreciate this series, but with everything out there, not sure it’d be the top of my list. This is definitely for hardcore fans of off the rail D&D type stories.
Story: El Torres Art: Juan José Ryp and Rubén Rojas
Story: 7 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read
The Westwood Witches #1
Jack Kurtzberg is a successful writer of young witch romance bestsellers… and he hates it so much. Suffering from writer’s block, he decides to move back to his hometown, not knowing that his new neighbours are witches, the kind of demon worshippers that would kill anyone who could disturb their dominion in Westwood.
There’s something very “Stephen King” about this new series, blending the domestic life with horror. An unease pervades the comic, the stronger of the two debuts from Amigo Comics.
Witches are a difficult thing to pull off in stories. They can be a bit hokey if not done right, but the mix of average day women and a neighborhood any of us could live in help pull of the story.
The idea or story of a cult living in domestic bliss isn’t anything new, but how it’s presented in this first issue sets up a series that’s both intriguing and interesting.
The most impressive thing to me is the set up of mood. The writing, the art, both create an unease throughout the issue.
The series is a fantastic horror series, a genre that I tend to be a bit harder on. But, this is a great first issue of a four issue limited series that I expect to be fantastic. Well worth checking out this first issue from this indie publisher.
Story: El Torres Art: Abel García
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Amigo Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Rogues! #4
Author(s): El Torres
Artist(s): Diego Galindo, Rubén Rojas
Cover Artist(s): Diego Galindo
Genre : Fantasy
Format : Comic book sized, FC, 32 pages
Retail Price: $3,99
Weasel-in-prison! Bram and the Weasel have been separated,and now the sultry thief must suffer behind bars… Catfights! Lecherous wardens! And even more clichés! Meanwhile, Bram is determined to rescue his mate. With the art of Diego Galindo and words by El Torres, come and enter into a world of sword, sorcery and fun!
THE WESTWOOD WITCHES #3 (of 4)
Author(s): El Torres
Artist(s): Abel Garcia
Cover Artist(s): Abel Garcia
Intended Audience: Mature themes
Genre : Horror
Format : Comic book sized, FC, 32 pages
The Witches Sabbath went awfully wrong… Now one of the demon-worshippers is dead, and Jack knows the truth about his beautiful-yet-deadly neighbours. With their spells failing, the witches have no choice but to ask the Oracle, their former friend that became mad due to Baphomet’s revelations.
Amigo Comics is planning to conquer the world, starting with fantasy title Rogues and the horror-title Westwood Witches.
Rogues #3
Story by: El Torres
Art by: Diego Galindo, Rubén Rojas
Cover Artist: Diego Galindo
Genre : Fantasy
Format : Comic book sized, FC, 32 pages
Retail Price: $3,99
UPC Code: 700371999995-00311
Diamond Code: APR13 0774
The newest adventures of Bram and the Weasel!
The exciting opening of our new arc of stories with the awesome art of Diego Galindo!
Something new happened in Gerada, The City of the Thousand Thieves… There is a new Chief Magistrate, and he is incorruptible! One by one, the brigands and rogues of Gerada are being imprisoned… or slain. And only Bram and Weasel are still on the loose!
The Westwood Witches #2 (of 4)
Story by: El Torres
Art by: Abel Garcia
Cover Artist: Abel Garcia
Genre : Horror
Format : Comic book sized, FC, 32 pages
Retail Price: $3,99
UPC Code: 700153928700-00211
Diamond Code: APR13 0775
Amigo brings the witchcraft horror into the modern world with the words of El Torres and art by Abel García!
Jack is still consumed with his brother’s death and his writer block, not knowing that his attractive neighbors are planning to abduct him to the Witches’ Sabbath… as human sacrifice!
