I declare July 5 to be "Independents Day" for the celebration of independent comics. I celebrated by reading something I've been dreading for a long time: Invincible.
I first heard of Invincible from the collectors set of the Heroclix they put with him and his cast. Since they, I'd heard a lot about how good it was, and that was what had me so frightened. Let me not fall in love with another universe to follow!
Well, I picked up issue 50, and my fears were fully justified. It was really good. With virtually zero prior knowledge of the characters, I was able to follow everything that went on in the book. Okay, maybe the "my new father figure betrayed me and is evil just like my real daddy" angle is a bit trite, but, hey, it's an Image comic. Did I just get myself hooked on an Image Comic? Please don't tell my mother.
Anyway, that's my main foray this year for Independents Day. I know it's not exactly a HUGE leap, since Invincible from Image is about a mainstream an "indie book" as can be imagined. But one starts with baby steps.
What independent do you read, intend to read, or would recommend to others to read?
Next on my personal list: I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Space. All the back issues are already on order....
19 comments:
Anything by Tony Millionaire. His work is filled with off-beat humour and style. Sock Monkey is an excellent place to start reading!
The cool thing to me is that neither of his father figures is irredeemably evil. Their evil acts are in both cases motivated by patriotism, of a sort. The look of sheer horror on Cecil's face when... well, no spoilers.
It doesn't really seem like it'd be your cuppa, though. I mean, the Invinciverse seems to be thematically between DC and Marvel, but much closer to Marvel..
you deserve to read PS238
Does "Concrete" qualify as an indie? I guess that if Invincible does,so does it.
It's one of those books that ( when published ) benefits from a "complete picture" perspective, not for continuity purposes, but to fully grasp the characterization and the progress it had.
Atomic Robo from Red 5 is another series perfect for those just getting into comics, or those just looking to branch out into indies.
Street Angel. But hey, don't take my word for it. Check out all the rave reviews at http://www.streetangelcomics.com/
I intend to read, if and when it ever comes out, Anne Steelyard from Penny-Farthing Press. Written by Barbara Hambly, one of my favourite fantasy writers.
How about Death Note? Does Viz count as an indie? I bet you'd love it.
I agree with Douglas. I think you'd like Death Note. Until you get sick of it.
It's a pretty fascinating cat-and-mouse story with a supernatural twist. But the back and forth just got too much for me, and I lost interest.
Coincidentally, I happen to have Invincible #50 right here in front of me. I've been reading the trades for a while now but never started buying the monthlies. Sounds like I picked a good issue on which to make the jump.
I've found myself picking up anything by Jay Faerber. Noble Causes, Dynamo 5, and now Gemini are fantastic examples of super-hero books without the mainstream Marvel/DC baggage.
Also, I'm still enjoying the Peter David/J.K. Woodward Fallen Angel, 25 issues into their IDW run.
scipio -- I will admit I found Dave Sim's Glamourpuss very interesting, and not at all what it was advertised as.
Seconding Atomic Robo from Red 5. Easily the most fun I've had with a new comic in a long time. The trade of the first mini just came out a few weeks ago and should be easy to find. The second mini starts up in August. Now's a great time to jump on.
I Was Kidnapped By Lesbian Pirates From Outer Space #1 (Platinum Studios, $0.99) I would like to say I'm disappointed this wasn't porn, but based on execution, I don't see that it would have made any difference. Every single aspect of what gets printed on the page was produced by Megan Rose Gedris, which is less about auteur theory than the necessity of getting published as part of a contest. Yes Virginia, this is clearly amateur hour. For less than a buck, you get 22 pages of story with typically more than a half dozen panels per page, which is damned sure your money's worth. There are a few chuckles and some Lichtenstein retro chic, so you could certainly toss a buck at worse, but don't expect the next indie darling coming out of this puppy.
PS238 and Usagi Yojimbo. The former for real children in unbelievable circumstances, the latter for a great mix of anthropomorphics / history / fantasy / true heroism.
I've been looking forward to every issue of Project: Superpowers. Some scenes work better than others, but the ones that do work are great. The elderly Fighting Yank is a compelling character, and it's great to see all these characters that I only know from a reference book on Superheroes Of The Golden Age come to life again.
I also read a book of Thieves & Kings by Mark Oakley recently. The cartoon style art is very enjoyable and the story was pretty good- if you like reading about children in a fantasy world.
-Citizen Scribbler
The Goon! If you count it as an independent. Honestly, it's so great.
"What independent do you read, intend to read, or would recommend to others to read?"
The Lone Ranger.
Dynamite Comics.
Everything you've ever wanted in a Lone Ranger comic except for cthonic Olmec mummies with super powers. And some of us didn't want those anyway.
Brubaker's Criminal.
What namely you are writing is a horrible mistake.
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