Table of contents for 27 in Comic Heroes

You may have noticed that there’s a new X-Men movie out soon. With that in mind, we thought it was time we checked in on the Children of the Atom. This issue presents our pick of the 20 best X-Men stories, as well as previewing the ace-looking Apocalypse Wars crossover. Elsewhere you’ll find a wide-ranging interview with Charles Soule, Paul Dini talking about his incredible new graphic novel Dark Night, Tess Fowler on the ever-wonderful Rat Queens, and Noel Clarke talking about the origins of his kick ass superhero book, The Troop. We also have some fascinating retrospective pieces. Mark Millar and Nigel Kitching were incredibly generous with their time for our piece on The Saviour. And we get in-depth on the history of Action – the subversive ’70s comic…

Harvey-nominated writer Fred Van Lente and illustrator Guiu Vilanova will be working together once more with their new creator-owned series, Weird Detective . With New York plunged into chaos followed a string of bizarre crimes, Detective Sebastian Greene finds himself tracking down monsters and horrors from beyond space and time, all with a distinctly Lovecraftian twist. Meanwhile, Greene himself is carrying a dark secret that his partner must solve. “I love H. P. Lovecraft, I love cop shows, and their unholy bastard child is Weird Detective,” says Van Lente. “Seeing cosmic horror at the street crime level opens up both genres to incredible new possibilities.” Lente and Vilanova previously collaborated on Conan The Avenger. Weird Detective will be manifesting ominously in comic stores in June, with the…

“We all knew that it would be an uphill battle to reconnect with our readers” Comic Heroes: For those who missed the first series, how would you sum up Nowhere Men ? Eric Stephenson: The four most famous scientists in the world band together to form a company with the lofty goal of making the world a better place, but when things start to go wrong and they all fall out, the world may wind up paying the price. The new series is the second half of the story and deals with the fallout from the events in the first trade. CH: You’re working with some new artists – Dave Taylor and Emi Lenox. What do they bring to the world of Nowhere Men…

For over 50 years the X-Men have charmed, dazzled and shocked comic readers, thanks to their heady mix of blockbuster action and soap opera melodrama. Their distinguished history is crammed with classic stories, and we thought it would be fun to pick out our top 20 all-time best. How wrong we were. The rich work of Chris Claremont merits its own list alone, so how would we possibly also acknowledge the best of Joss Whedon, Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and more? How much Wolverine should we incorporate? Should a story arc get brownie points because it served as the basis for a film adaptation? See? Distilling the 20 best X-Men stories is a fool’s errand. But luckily we are nothing but fools. Tin hats at the ready, we’re going in...…

“I REALISED IF I WALKED AWAY FROM SOMETHING I ENJOY I WAS LETTING THE ATTACKERS WIN” “BATMAN REPRESENTS THE STRONG FORCE FOR JUSTICE WE ALL WISH WE COULD BE” In 1993, Paul Dini was enjoying the first flushes of success from Batman: The Animated Series . The show would come to define his career and introduce the much-loved (and soon to be seen in movies) Harley Quinn to the world. But a walk home one night led to a chance encounter that left Dini emotionally and physically scarred. Twenty-three years later, Dini has transformed his experiences into Dark Night: A True Batman Story – an original graphic novel to be published by DC Vertigo in June. We caught up with Paul and the…

Viewing them as “chapter breaks,” Johnson has also written a series of short stories set in the Beast Wagon universe, which are being published between issues. “They’re really, really fun,” he says. “They’re intended as canon, as they essentially function as single pieces on their own but they also tie in with the main narrative. It’s mentioned throughout Beast Wagon that Shaman is gifted with second sight, where he can see incidents across the globe of human/animal interaction, which are only mentioned in passing the main series itself, as we didn’t have enough space.” While Martin Simmonds (Death Sentence: London) and Pearson himself have drawn previous instalments, the latest episode – published in this very issue of Comic Heroes – is illustrated by Jay Gunn, who conjured up some memorable…

“ACTION WAS FOR MOST THE CLEAR WINNER, PULSATING WITH QUALITIES THEN RARELY OR NEVER SEEN IN UK COMICS: REALISM, RELEVANCE, MORAL AMBIGUITY AND GRAPHIC VIOLENCE” “Boys’ comics were in massive decline. Sales were falling both for IPC titles and for DC Thomson, and both of them were struggling to find a new way to relate to boys.” Martin Barker, author of Action: The Story Of A Violent Comic, is recalling the late 1970s, a time of uncertainty and furious competition in British comics. It culminated in the country’s two main comic publishers issuing rival boys’ adventure anthology weeklies on the same day. Both Action (IPC) and Bullet (DC Thomson) sought to create a new paradigm for British comics, which were clearly lagging behind the times and behind the more stylish…

Reviewed: Issues 1-2 Writer: Simon Spurrier Artist: Ryan Kelly Publisher: Image Format: Ongoing The elevator pitch for this comic is, in writer Si Spurrier’s own words, “lesbian werewolf goes to war.” Cry Havoc , though, is far more complex and nuanced than that, subtly teasing out its myths and mysteries. Louise Canton lives in hip Hackney and scrapes a living (pun intended) as a violinist, busking and playing in a band. That’s until she is attacked and savaged outside the Old Bailey by a huge, doglike anthropoid monster. Soon enough she’s indulging in the traditional bloody lycanthropic nocturnal shenanigans, which she wakes up with only a hazy recollection of. Quickly recruited to a private-contractor team of international were-monsters, Lou finds herself helicoptered into Afghanistan on the trail…

Reviewed: Issues 1-2 Writer: David F Walker Artist: Dietrich Smith Publisher: Dynamite Format: 4-part series Sub-titled “Imitation Of Life”, is David Walker’s follow-up to Shaft: A Complicated Man influenced by the REM song of the same name? The comic is based more closely on the Ernest Tidyman books than the ’70s movies, but it’s certainly cinematic and the song’s “sugarcane” and “Hollywood” chorusing is a good fit. And as John Shaft ruthlessly takes out the bad guys, the song could almost be his theme tune: “This lightning storm, this tidal wave, this hurricane, I’m not afraid” – something of a departure from the character’s more familiar eponymous Isaac Hayes track. The comic is a worthy, high-quality sequel to the previous Shaft comic. Matthew Clark’s pulpy front covers are nicely “distressed”…

Reviewed: Issues 1-2 Writer: Chuck Wendig and Adam Christopher Artist: Drew Johnson, Ray Snyder and Al Barrionuevo Publisher: Archie/Dark Circle Format: Ongoing Novelists Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig unite for this new take on classic Dark Circle character The Shield – inevitably dubbed a “female Captain America” by some. In fact, the original Shield actually predates other flag-draped heroes. The series centres on Victoria Adams, the latest incarnation of The Shield – an unkillable woman whose sole purpose for centuries has been to protect America. Now, with only a vague memory of who she is, Adams finds herself caught between a detective who wants to help her and a mysterious FBI agent who’s hunting her. Except it might not be as simple as that... The series doesn’t hang around –…

Writer: Anne Martinetti Artists: Guillaume Lebeau and Alexandre Franc Publisher: SelfMadeHero Format: Graphic novel For a book about the celebrated Queen of Crime, this new biography in comic form doesn’t offer a great deal of mystery. Instead it’s a walk-through the life of a rather astounding woman who served as a nurse in World War One, loved to fly, travelled the world and, in the process, became the best-selling novelist of all time. Beginning with her puzzling 11 day disappearance in December 1926, Martinetti, Lebeau and Franc guide us through a life less ordinary, skirting her inspirations and successes, relationships, family and most famous works, sticking to fact, while introducing her fastidious Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot as a sort of (occasionally unwelcome) framing device. An entertaining read for fans of…

Reviewed: Issues 1-3 Writer: Gail Simone Art: J. Calafiore Publisher: Dark Horse Format: 6-part series Leaving Megalopolis might have been a high-concept mash-up of every post- Marvelman super book, spliced with The Walking Dead and Escape From New York , but boy it was a page-turning blast. The fact that Gail Simone had to crowdfund to get this sequel off the ground is all the more remarkable, given the stellar results. Surviving Megalopolis follows immediately on from the last scene in Book One, which saw our motley crew of Megalopolis residents escape the City’s “afflicted” superheroes. Simone and Calafiore thrust you straight back into the action. With female lead Mina (a nod to Alan Moore’s League member,…

Reviewed: Issues 11-14 Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Chip Zdarsky Publisher: Image Format: Ongoing Bigger and bolder – that’s Sex Criminals’ third arc. Better? Not quite, but that’s only because Fraction and Zdarsky’s series has been so consistently spectacular throughout its run. The third series sees Suzie and Jon still avoiding the attention of the Sex Police, while also trying to track down other people with their peculiar gift. The book has evolved from being just Jon and Suzie’s story – if it was ever really that – and into something approaching a very strange, very rude and very funny team book. That arguably comes at the cost of some of the focus. Volume Two was so laser-targeted at exploring the main duo’s mental and emotional states…

“MICROSPACE IS COLLAPSING AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY” Arguably as well known for their classic runs at Marvel in the ’80s as they are for their original action figures, Rom and the Micronauts have been largely absent from comics for the past three decades. But now the cybernetic Space Knight and the miniature warriors are set to make their long anticipated return. Although they were previously integrated into Marvel continuity, licence owners Hasbro are keen to stress that the new comics, published by IDW, are a fresh start for both properties. “There hasn’t been a Rom comic in 30 years, so accessibility was important to us,” says IDW Editor-In-Chief Chris Ryall, who is co-writing Rom: The Space Knight with Christos Gage. “We want to introduce Rom, his antagonists the Dire…

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Think Donald Trump as US President is a crazy idea? It could be worse… Marvel has announced Vote Loki – a new book to debut in June which features the Asgardian trickster trying to win American hearts and minds for no doubt nefarious reasons. Hey, it’s election year. WATCH YOUR BACK, JOE Judge Dredd creator John Wagner has announced that he intends to kill off a major 2000 AD character soon. Although he told the comic’s official Thrill Cast that he doesn’t enjoy ex-ing characters, he warned that “one is going soon. I’m not going to say who – but watch out.” HAIR (METAL) TODAY... Retired rockers Mötley Crüe have had their debauched and big-haired story immortalised in comic form. Mötley Crüe: Livin’ The Fast Life…

SOLO GOES SOLO Another month, another new Star Wars book. Marjorie Liu writes, Mark Brooks draws Han Solo, which finds the space scoundrel entering a galactic race. TIME-TWISTING TURTLES Inept Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains Bebop and Rocksteady are back in a new weekly miniseries from IDW. TMNT: Bebop And Rocksteady Destroy Everything is penned by Dustin Weaver and Ben Bates, with a rotating cast of artists. PSYCHO SERIES “Blade Runner meets Minority Report” is how Dark Horse are describing Psycho-Pass: Inspector Shinya Kogami – the new manga series they will be releasing in November. Written by Midori Goto with art from Natsuo Sai it works as a prequel to the popular anime series. “FOR THE EMPEROR!” Titan has joined forces with perrennial purveyor of little plastic men, Games Workshop…

“What if comics were not actually a secondary medium at all, and were in fact the origin of both art and literature?” Comics is defined as a secondary medium, in the way that orange and green are secondary colours. It is seen as the squishing together of two primary media: art! and literature! Media which, if you add the word “great” before them, evoke all kinds of intense cultural associations, like Da Vinci or Tolstoy, Dickens or Turner. Art and literature are top-flight media, in that case. Blue blood, old money, card-carrying legit proper ART. Comics, in that case, are not just seen as a poor cousin, but a web-footed marsh-dwelling banjo-duelling cousin at that. The general public and mainstream journalists absolutely cannot seem to grasp…

COMIC HEROES: What are your earliest memories of the Black Panther? BRIAN STELFREEZE: It would have been reading Jack Kirby Fantastic Four issues. But I really wasn’t a fan of Jack’s work when I was a kid, so it didn’t leave much of an impression, so it would have been Neal Adams and John Buscema (on Avengers and Black Panther’s 1970s solo title Jungle Action respectively) who really started to make me pay attention to the character. CH: How did you first come to team up with Ta-Nehisi Coates on the new Black Panther series? BS: For me, it was all about Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso and editor Wilson Moss. Wil and I worked together a few years ago on an issue of Jonah Hex at…

There’s a point early in Attack On Titan, the wildly successful manga series from Japan, where a child watches his mother being eaten alive. It happens just after his city is breached by “titans” – grotesque, man-eating giants who bumble around, naked, like toddlers, mindlessly devouring anyone they can. His mother, trapped beneath some rubble, is helpless as it approaches, a huge, deformed freak, with a face forever fixed in a rictus grin. It doesn’t stop smiling when it picks her up off the ground. It doesn’t stop smiling when it dangles her, like a mouse, into its mouth. And it doesn’t stop smiling when it chomps her in two. As of July 2015, Attack On Titan was confirmed to have 2.5 million copies in print – spread over 15…

Superheroes may have been all the rage in the ’40s – they still are! – but one of American comics’ greatest characters is a redheaded teenager whose only real concerns are hanging out, having fun with his friends, and dating. Archie Andrews made his first appearance in Pep Comics #22, coverdated December 1941, published by MLJ Magazines. Based in part on Mickey Rooney, he was a klutz, but a loveable one, and it wasn’t long before he was headlining his own book alongside best pal Jughead Jones, sworn enemy Reggie Mantle and the two great loves of his life: Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Archie’s adventures were funny and whimsical, the town of Riverdale a safe and cozy world where the spirit of the ’50s forever lingered, no matter the…

Charles Soule is one of Marvel’s leading authors. Currently helming four monthly – sometimes twice-monthly – titles, including Daredevil, Uncanny Inhumans and The Death of Wolverine, he also somehow still finds the time to pen his creator-owned Oni series Letter 44, play guitar (in the appropriately named Charles Soule Band) – oh, and run a busy Brooklyn law firm. “I don’t stop to rest very often,” he laughs. “I’m always moving on to the next thing, and I start to get extremely anxious and stressed out if I’m not doing anything for a while. It’ll probably grind me into an early grave, but at the moment it’s allowing me to a whole bunch of stuff that I like to do.” Growing up in Milwaukee in America’s Midwest, Soule admits he…

One of Tess Fowler’s biggest inspirations is Kevin Smith’s 1997 film Chasing Amy, which centres on two comic book artists. “It sounds weird,” she says, “but it’s because there’s a scene where Smith takes the camera to a convention and, lo and behold, there are girls there! There’s a girl on the panel! And it just never clicked for me until then that I might be welcome, that there might be a real spot for me in comic books.” It’s fitting, then, that Fowler got her first real break at San Diego Comic Con in 2004, where she worked as an artist on the Heavy Metal magazine booth at the request of editor and co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman. And even more fitting that, 11 years later,…

“I’m hoping for some hate mail… this one should really offend people and I’m really looking forward to it. If this doesn’t work I’ll just set fire to a primary school.” – Mark Millar, 1989. From the very start of his career, Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar had a talent for contentious one-liners. Here he was, in the pages of Trident Comics’ fanzine, Fantasy Advertiser, previewing his debut series The Saviour and planning some provocative arson. Spool back to March 1988, when Trident announced it was to launch its own comic line, to be overseen by FA editor Martin Skidmore. “I’m genuinely very interested in submissions,” he wrote. “All will be read and considered, but only a few will be published.” Millar’s proposal – The Saviour – was eye-catchingly bold. “A…

“I’m a product of somewhere dazzled by American culture” Blutch is an artists’ artist, admired and influential for the daring draftsmanship and ceaseless innovation of his bandes dessinées. He was born Christian Hincker in 1967 in Strasbourg, France; “Blutch” was his childhood nickname, because his friends thought he looked and behaved exactly like the reluctant hero Corporal Blutch in the popular American Civil war series The Blue Tunics, by Belgians Lambil and Cauvin. The nickname and link with comics both stuck, and he won the Grand Prix in Angoulême in 2009. With the translation of his feverish Roman epic Peplum out in April from New York Review Comics, what better time to talk to this modern master of the Ninth Art? COMIC HEROES: What is the act of drawing for…

Reviewed: Issues 1–2 Writer: Dan Slott Artists: Laura & Michael Allred Publisher: Marvel Format: Ongoing The numbering may be different, but rest assured, the new Silver Surfer volume brings the same pep and verve that made the last one a sleeper hit. Once again Dan Slott teams up with Michael and Laura Allred to create a psychedelic adventure inspired by the best of ’50s sci-fi. The concept is simple enough, with our titular hero still travelling around with small-town Massachusetts girl Dawn Greenwood. Slott’s move to give Norrin Radd a human companion gives a great spin on the character, effectively turning Silver Surfer adventures into Marvel-flavoured Doctor Who romps. (Keep your eyes peeled for a lovely Tom Baker reference to top off the comparison). The new volume sees Dawn and…

“AN ENTRY POINT TO COMICS, MANGA AND BANDES DESSINÉES, AND A LAVISH TREAT” Writer: Various Artist: Various Publisher: Humanoids Format: Anthology Life can turn on a pin. One minute you’re happy in the routine of your day-to-day existence, the next something has happened that has changed you completely and unexpectedly. The Tipping Point chronicles these moments. It’s an anthology of 13 tales, broad in scope and very varied in style, all elegantly presented by Humanoids. “Hannako’s Fart” by Taiyo Matsumoto opens the book with a tale that begins with the titular guff and closes on the world turning, having taken in life, death and baseball. It’s a quiet, intimate tale and Matsumoto’s art – focussed almost entirely on human faces and expressions – is powerfully emotive. This is followed by…

Reviewed: Issues 1-5 Writer: Mark Alan Miller and Joe R Lansdale Artist: Piotr Kowalski Publisher: Dark Horse Format: 5-issue miniseries Steam Man is marketed, and begins, as a steampunk sci-fi adventure. By the end of its first issue, however, it’s already throwing in a horror element and the story takes a different, and ultimately disappointing, turn. The reader starts out hoping for Victoriana robots punching invading aliens, but ends up with a weak and disjointed gore-fest. Issue one is jumbled and can’t quite seem to decide its tone when jumping between timelines, with the dialogue equally letting this interesting premise down. It’s stilted, and every other line has someone swearing or flinging insults, seemingly trying to hammer home “this is a comic for grownups”. In actuality, it jars…

Reviewed: Issue 1 Writer: Alex Irvine Artist: John Aggs Cover: Yohann Schepacz, Michaël Verhaaf, Alex Ronald Publisher: Titan Format: 5-issue miniseries 2000’s cyberpunk conspiracy game Deus Ex has spawned a “universe” of novels, apps and other spinoffs. This release is itself a prelude to upcoming game sequel Mankind Divided. Thankfully the comic’s enjoyable as a standalone sci-fi adventure. Cyber-augmented people and natural humans are at each other’s throats; Interpol has founded Task Force 29 to tackle threats from both sides. Adam Jensen is its latest recruit and this first mission is to rescue children kidnapped by a group of anti-aug extremists. Jensen himself is a contradictory fellow, waffling about having to blend into the team then disobeying orders and going all Rambo. The art is vibrant,…

Reviewed: Volume 8 Writer: Yusei Matsui Art: Yusei Matsui Publisher: Viz Format: Manga There reaches a point in many a manga series where a to-date interesting narrative begins to lose momentum. Such is the case in the eighth Assassination Classroom. Previous volumes established the premise of a strange emojifaced, tentacled monster who has threatened to blow up the Earth unless he’s allowed to teach the students of class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School for a year. In that time the students will be afforded the chance to assassinate him. Once funny and affirming, the seeming thrust of the story of demoralised, ‘cast aside’ students realising their potential via unconventional tutelage is now stretching thin. ‘Koro-sensei’ – as his students refer to the monster – is relegated to the fringes,…

The Tipping Point presents stories by 14 incredible creators (see our 5 star review on page 125). Humanoids have kindly given us three copies to give away – with one including a sketch by superstar artist Eddie Campbell! To be in with a chance of winning one of three copies of the book, simply answer this question: Eddie Campell worked on which graphic novel with Alan Moore? A) Watchmen B) Promethea C) From Hell HOW TO ENTER… Simply head to this link: https://www.futurecompetitions.com/tippingpoint/ and submit the correct answer. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Enter the Comic Heroes Tipping Point competition online at www.futurecompetitions.co.uk/tippingpoint between 8 April 2016 and midnight 8 July 2016. Prize is as stated and cannot be transferred or refunded. No cash alternative will be offered. This competition is only…

THE BRIDGE Story & Art by Mal Earl malearl.com Originally written for radio, Mal Earl’s moonlit blue one-shot tale of honour, duty and expectation is a distinctly literary piece, a philosophising rumination that utilises the works of WB Yeats and Will Allen Dromgoole. Was it the poetry that inspired the story or the other way around? Explains Mal: “I’m constantly inspired by the works of Beckett, Pinter and Potter, and where Potter’s songs infiltrate his teleplays, I think poetry serves a similar purpose in my work. It has an almost disconnected, yet intimately connected, attachment to the action taking place, hopefully adding an extra level of meaning to the scene without actually describing anything within the scene directly.” LOU SCANNON Story & Art By Dan Harris, Kris Karter, and Jim…

While Valiant’s upcoming summer event is set in the far-flung future, the tale that 4001 AD chronicles is as old as humankind itself. Beginning with a special Free Comic Book Day issue, the four-issue miniseries sees Rai’s current creative team of Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain taking the fallen spirit guardian’s ongoing battle against supposedly benevolent artificial intelligence Father beyond the dystopian confines of New Japan and into the vast post-apocalyptic environs that surround his high-tech homeland. “Rai has been building towards this over the past two years and, when Matt turned in his pitch for 4001 AD, we knew that it needed the biggest stage possible,” says editor Kyle Andrukiewicz. “The story itself is primal and compelling, as at its heart it’s about a son’s…

Titan’s adaptation of Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers Of London novels continues with a second arc, “The Night Witch”. But although it takes place in the build-up to novel The Hanging Tree – the next installment in the literary adventures of PC Peter Grant, out in June – Aaronovitch insists that the five-issue comic can still be enjoyed on its own merits. “It does indeed precede the new book, but it doesn’t especially lead into it,” says Aaronovitch, who is again co-writing with veteran comics and Doctor Who scribe, Andrew Cartmel. “You can read the book with no knowledge of the comic, and vice versa. It’s exaggerating to say that it’s a prequel to the new novel, so we’ve just stated that “The Night Witch” comes before it…

“COMICS CULTURE IS ALL AROUND US AND INVENTION IS STILL ONGOING” Laurence Grove is the co-curator of an exhibition exploring how comics have been constantly reinvented. From Egyptian hieroglyphics to Frank Quitely originals, the multi-themed Comic Invention at the Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow mixes ancient and modern, fine art and comics art, Scottish and international, to make four exhibitions in one. Comic Heroes spoke to Laurence to find out more. COMIC HEROES: What are your main goals for this exhibition? LAURENCE GROVE: That geeks come out saying “This old stuff is cool”, and that stuffy academics come out saying “This Frank Quitely chap does have a modicum of talent”! The exhibition, and the box-set of four catalogues, is open-ended. Each visitor will make their own associations and conclusions that…

A resourceful young girl, improbably named Addidas, lives with her widowed father and helps him in his job as a chimney sweep by climbing into all the nooks and crannies that he can’t. One day, she encounters a soot-coloured creature and discovers a whole subterranean city, inextricably linked to the human world above. This charming, moving and very strange tale by Pierre Wazem and Frederik Peeters, with colours by Albertine Ralenti, was originally published as a six-issue miniseries. It’s released in trade paperback by Humanoids in June.…

CH: Is it good to be back working on Beasts Of Burden with Evan Dorkin again? JT: Yes, I just have been very slow. That’s the only reason that Beasts Of Burden has not come out any sooner. He has had four stories written so I am working on the last two right now. Once again, great stories. These are sad stories and exciting stories which will make you cry. CH: How does it feel, drawing someone else’s script when you are yourself an accomplished writer? JT: I always enjoy collaborating with people whose work I admire and I am really lucky to be able to do. I started out just drawing for other people so for me it’s really natural and I am really lucky…

1 ONE-PUNCH MAN: The tale of impossibly strong Saitama, who – much to his boredom – can destroy any monster with a single punch. Wry and surreal, it’s a novel take on the superhero genre, with Saitama mostly using his powers to seek out bigger and better foes in hope of a challenge. 2 TOKYO GHOUL: Ghouls, who survive only by eating human flesh, face humanity in a thriller set in the streets of Tokyo. In the middle is Ken Kaneki, a half-ghoul freshman who must navigate between his love for humanity and his insatiable hunger for its flesh. Twilight it is not. 3 PLANETES: An SF classic collected in a deluxe, English omnibus by Dark Horse. More soap opera than space opera, it follows the lives of DS-12, a…

STRONGMAN (2009) SLG Publishing An original graphic novel, drawn by Allen Gladfelter. Tigre used to be huge on the Mexican wrestling scene, but that was a long time ago. Now washed up and living in New York, he is offered an unlikely shot at redemption when he’s drawn into the mystery surrounding an organ trafficking ring. A sequel, Strongman: Oaxaca Tapout , followed in 2014. TWENTY-SEVEN (2010-2011) Image A four-issue series drawn by Renzo Podesta and W Scott Forbes. Rock star Will Garland turns 27 and fears he may be fated to follow in the footsteps of other stars who died at that age. An exploration of creativity, numerology and mortality, the series riffs on Soule’s own history as a musician. A second four-issue series followed in…

Owen Michael Johnson knew that John Pearson was the perfect choice to illustrate his new self-published comic book Beast Wagon after seeing Pearson’s unusual choice of materials for the Manson Family Triptych, his collaborative contribution with artist PM Buchan to 2014 exhibition Cult at London’s Orbital Comics. “I finished it in gold ink and hand-painted it in pig’s blood,” recalls Pearson. “That was my introduction to everybody, and we met there and hit it off.” “I just looked at that and thought ‘That’s the guy for me’,” laugh Johnson. “It was like love at first sight. I’d had the idea for Beast Wagon kicking around as a very different, much tamer sort of book. Then I met John, and that gave it a real sense of focus. I’d just moved…

While in discussion with Nigel Kitching, he mentioned he had a copy of the completed cover and pages for The Saviour issue seven, the one that never saw print. “This bizarre Doctor Who reference comes in, with this priest and a time-travelling church [referred to as C.A.T.H.E.D.R.A.L.],” Kitching revealed. He kindly made them available to Comic Heroes, and we shared his find with Mark Millar. “Oh man,” he says, having leafed through 24 pages that encompass an immortal Judas relaying his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp (“They just kept trying to kill me, over and over again”), gasmask-wearing angels ripping the faces from children, the Baby Jesus having been sent to Hell… and a charity golf match. “I had genuinely forgotten every page of this. I’d forgotten it even…

“IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHERE THE STORY IS HEADED, YOU’RE WRONG” Reviewed: Issues 1–5 Writer: Brian K Vaughan Artist: Cliff Chiang Publisher: Image Format: Ongoing Paper Girls takes the kids-meet-aliens aesthetic of ’80s movies like ET and Flight Of The Navigator (and recent homages like Super 8 and Earth To Echo ) and turns it inside out and upside down. Our protagonist, Erin Tieng, is twelve years old and starting her first day bike-delivering the Cleveland Preserver in her Ohio hometown. She soon falls in with fellow paper girls KJ, Tiffany and rough, tough local legend Mac. But it isn’t just neighbourhood bullies or intolerant cops the four have to worry about.…

Writer: Louis Shaeffer Artist: Antonio Barreti Publisher: Rebellion Format: Graphic novel Comics historians have long argued over Goldtiger , the Swingin’ Sixties newspaper strip which, in the opinion of some, rivalled Modesty Blaise . As Peter O’Donnell’s spy-caper comic gets all the plaudits and the handsome reissue collections, Goldtiger languishes in obscurity, its lack of renown not aided by the fact that it saw publication in just a handful of little-known European magazines and dailies. There are those, indeed, who believe that it never existed, that it is all just some postmodern joke dreamed up by retro-loving pranksters. As if! Happily, we now have unimpeachable proof that Goldtiger did exist, thanks to the diligent efforts of Guy Adams and Jimmy Broxton, who have unearthed…

Reviewed: Issues 12-16 Writer: Tim Seeley and Tom King Artist: Mikel Janín Publisher: DC Format: Ongoing Dick Grayson carries a lot of baggage. He’s the original Robin, tainted by Batman’s derided silly period in the ’60s. Packed off to college in the ’70s, his absence led to Batman becoming the Dark Knight – most fans’ favourite incarnation. He’s not just in the worst Batman movie, he’s part of the title. But Grant Morrison, during his mission to make every crazy era of Batman canon, saw the potential in a character with as much experience as Bruce, drafting him as Batman post-RIP, giving him a blend of toughness and kindness that made him the most likeable man in Gotham. Now that version of Grayson is undergoing his most extreme transformation yet,…

Writer: Mike FrenchArtist: Karl BrownPublisher: Elsewhen PressFormat: Graphic novel Mike French and Karl Brown’s illustrated novel (and it is more of a novel than a standard comic) is a dizzying trip through fractured fictional realities. Android Writer PD121928 is trying to get a story accepted by the Android Publishing Program. He’s had knockbacks so far, which wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t only have a limited number of chances before he is deactivated forever... French’s story is bizarre and funny, with more than a dash of Philip K Dick and 2000 AD’s satirical bite in its DNA, while Brown’s numerous black and white illustrations and double-page spreads are crisp and futuristic.…

Writer: Benjamin Read Artist: Christian Wildgoose Publisher: Improper Books For their follow-up to Porcelain: A Gothic Fairytale , Benjamin Read and Christian Wildgoose have moved the story on by 15 years. Child has become Lady and mastered the art of creating the Porcelain automatons, but this brings her into conflict with the war-hungry General... Lady has matured into a confident yet complex character. Her mistrust of outsiders after years in solitude is tested by love and money, and while the brattishness of youth has gone, it is replaced by a steely reserve and a refusal to be manipulated. Read’s story is reminiscent of the intelligent fantasies of Gaiman and Pullman, while Wildgoose’s art mixes steampunk aesthetics with art nouveau flourishes and a meticulous eye for detail.…

Reviewed: Issues 1-3 Writer: Ed Brisson Artist: Adam Gorham Publisher: Image Format: Ongoing Brisson and Gorham’s new crime monthly is a bleak look at the dark side of life in Vancouver. Ex-con Mason and his partner Becky are trying to build a new life together with their young daughter. But through a combination of bad luck, poor choices, an unjust system and the local lowlifes, the hapless family gets pulled back into some very bad situations. It’s a low-key, small-scale and potently “real” book – if at times so relentlessly dark that it edges towards self-parody. Still, Brisson’s dialogue is always sharp and Gorham and Garland make a great combo. Gorham’s figures are beaten-down and bedraggled, and Garland colours them in with various shades of bruise.…

PART THREE: CROWDFUNDING One of the biggest of all challenges for most aspiring creators is raising the funds needed to produce a comic. In this article we’ll focus on two of the many crowdfunding platforms that you can use to raise funds. Crowdfunding has rapidly become an increasingly viable alternative to financially and emotionally crippling debt. But before we begin, it’s probably best to state the obvious. You need to remember to do these three important things. 1 DO YOUR RESEARCH All of the crowdfunding sites have plenty of information about how they work and what the risks are. Review it before starting your project. They want you to succeed! 2 BE REALISTIC It’s important to look at other similar projects, and not just those that have succeeded but those…

THE FIRST COMIC I EVER READ I grew up reading British comics such as Buster, Whizzer & Chips, The Beano and The Dandy. I still have a great fondness for them. The first American comic book I remember buying was the 1984 adaptation of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. I read it until it fell apart. THE FIRST INFLUENCE ON MY WORK I certainly feel the influence of all the Batman stuff I read as a child, and see it impacting on the tone of my own work, but the first time I sat up and realised that comics weren’t just about superheroes or TV/ movie tie-ins was probably reading Transmetropolitan. I devoured those comics, and I think it was at that point that I decided I wanted…