indie comics – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:52:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png indie comics – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. indie comics – Nerds on Earth false episodic indie comics – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. indie comics – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ Kickstarter LIVE Now: All-Ages Comic Stealth Hammers https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/08/kickstarter-live-now-all-ages-comic-stealth-hammers/ Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:12:02 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=32342

Stealth Hammer is an all-ages comic that's live on Kickstarter now!

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We need a new hero for these tough times. I’m talking of course about comics that my nephews and oldest daughter will love.

Stealth Hammer is an all-ages comic that tells the story of Jami Taylor, a teenage college student, who finds her “never-give-up” spirit part of a grand legacy of protectors in a world of high tech gadgetry and supernatural mythology.

Taking on the name Stealth Hammer, Jami will find her lineage traces back to such legendary heroes as King Arthur of Camelot and the Norse god Thor. She’ll face many challenges as she goes against mythological beings and mechanical nightmares.

She’ll find supernatural and technological allies in her search for her grandmother, in meeting her destiny with the Goddess Aurora, and in her struggle with the beast targeting her family, Jormungand.

This first issue is her origin and first battle, but it only scratches the surface for the plans on where this story will go. Once the issue is created, the creative team will begin discussions with publishers to continue the story in a mini or ongoing series.

The team has at least 30+ issues of stories to tell that will bring Jami to her ultimate destiny as the protector this world needs. Stealth Hammer is a truly indie comic that fits the spirit of what Kickstarter was originally created for.

Who will this comic appeal to? It’s for those that like superheroes, crazy technology, robots of all shapes and sizes, and supernatural mythology. Stealth Hammer is a true all-ages comic that is designed to be perfect for a child, adult, or grandparent. The idea is to tell a compelling story with interesting characters that everyone can enjoy!

The Kickstarter to support the creation of the Stealth Hammer comic is now live and runs until August 24th, 7:00pm EST. The goal is to reach $8500, which will cover the costs for the artwork, printing, and other reward expenses.

Ohio-native creator Ryan Drost describes Stealth Hammer as a female Iron Fist in a world of Mega Man meets Thor.

Visit the Kickstarter here.

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Uncommon Graphic Novel: Death Wins a Goldfish https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/05/uncommon-graphic-novel-death-wins-a-goldfish/ Fri, 15 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=30807

Are you looking for something off the beaten path? Then follow the grim reaper as he navigates forced vacation in the graphic novel Death Wins a Goldfish.

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Graphic novels too often get pegged as one kind of story: action and adventure, mainly of a superhero nature. And while I love my X-Men, it intrigues me when someone does something unusual with the medium and tells a widely different story. And Brian Rea’s Death Wins a Goldfish: Reflections from a Grim Reaper’s Year Long Sabbatical is exactly that.

First off, you could get pretty distracted and disappointed if you come to this book looking for masterful art. It isn’t that. Instead it is using simple line art drawn on pencils and then it uses some yellow, orange and red tones on pages that are roughly half the size of a comic book.

But the art is part of the charm of the book as well. It is unique in its design and it works well. So if you initially pick up the book and have an adverse reaction, consider this encouragement to push through because of the content of the work itself.

Because Death Wins… is a fantastic treatment of a look at rest, creating, and intentionality, without it being a didactic textbook on any of those things.

The premise of the book is that Death himself writes his story of a year sabbatical. HR calls him in and says that he has built up too many vacation days and needs to exhaust them for the next year. So you as the reader come alongside Death for this journey.

  • Some pages are done as postcards from a moment of an adventure.
  • Some pages are lists that Death has made that, acting like a sabbatical bucket list.
  • Some pages are commentary about what Death has done.

All of it winds up being delightful.

Death Wins a Goldfish is also the kind of book that you can read over and over again and catch little pieces that make you laugh because you missed them originally. Rea has drawn with intentionality each part and small things sometimes speak loudly when noticed.

Part of why I like this work so much is that it does something that is a hard sell from the start: it makes Death a likable, funny character and you as a reader sympathize with him not as the Grim Reaper but instead as a guy that was just too dedicated to his job who, like most of us, would find it hard to think about what to do other than watch Netflix for the first month.

That it manages to do it without many pages of text and words is even more intriguing. (And even the pages that are full of text are still done in Rea’s freehand, which matches the art especially well.) And, if we are honest, we would mirror Death, having a hard time finding meaning outside of work. That kind of honest exploration is thoughtful, meaningful but doesn’t descend into darkness as much as honest self-reflection.

So, if you are looking for a unique, interesting read in a graphic novel form that isn’t about what superhero team is fighting what other superhero team, you should definitely check out this volume. It may be a quirky but great book for people in times of transition in their employment lives.

You can get Death Wins a Goldfish here.

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Indie Comics Canon: Vertigo Comics Edition https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/07/indie-comics-canon-vertigo-comics-edition/ Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:00:37 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=25103

Nerd on Earth lists 7 must-reads from the Vertigo Comics library.

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Welcome to Indie Comics Canon, a series of articles where I discuss seminal contributions to comic books outside of the Big Two. 

This week is kind of a cheat in that regard. Back in late 2018 when I was discussing writing this series with several of my fellow Nerds on Slack, I intentionally said that I was going to avoid Vertigo altogether. Yes, it’s hugely popular. Yes, it’s very influential. But is Vertigo really indie or just an attempt by the DC to moonlight as an indie publisher? 

I’m torpedoing my earlier qualms regarding this because of the recent news that DC is closing down the venerable imprint soon. Rumors have persisted for years that DC was interested in moving past Vertigo. Most would point to editor Karen Berger moving on in 2013 as the beginning of the end for the line.

Once a line known for putting out critical indie hits, the Vertigo line has lost some of that creative luster to Image of late. In the last couple of years, DC confusingly began, and subsequently focused on, two new mature publishing lines, Black Label and Young Animals. 

And now the Vertigo line is gone. Let’s celebrate the hits! 

These greatest hits are specific to me and my taste. I know that I left some heavy hitters off this list. There will no doubt be many people who read this and shout, “But you left off ____________!” 

Please, fell free to excoriate me in the comments on social media for having the audacity for leaving out Transmetropolitan or 100 Bullets. I can take it. I’m a grown man (mostly).

Trust me, I love Vertigo above all else. I will show more titles some love down the road. I could easily write another three or four articles featuring Vertigo titles that I enjoyed!

The Sandman 

Though I try to keep from ranking the comic books in Indie Comics Canon, there’s no denying that Neil Gaiman’s Sandman is the true crown jewel in the Vertigo library.

For the uninitiated (there can’t be many left out there), Sandman follows the story of Dream, the lord of dreams, as he navigates the mythological and esoteric corners of the universe. It was a vast universe, spawning many spin-offs and sequels in the years since it finished. 

Filled with a vast and interesting cast of characters, Sandman is horror and fantasy storytelling at its best. Assisting Gaiman is a stable of fantastic artists (that are too long to reasonably list) who paint the dreamscape of Gaiman’s world.

The Sandman is a lush, dense, and extremely satisfying reading experience that grabs the reader from word one and doesn’t let go. It put Vertigo on the map, earning a spot on any comic readers bookshelf. 

Fables

Though The Sandman might get the lion’s share of the attention from the label, Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham’s Fables is my personal favorite Vertigo title. Fables was appointment level reading for me every month throughout its publication history.

Fables follows the premise that many of the characters from our folklore tales were real, living in exile from their homelands due to massive war that displaced them. The story initially centered around Snow White and the Bigby Wolf, and later followed their offspring on adventures both in the mundane world and their homelands. 

Fables was a surprisingly dark series, taking the good with the bad in equal parts. Good stories have a way of grabbing readers by the throat and never letting go. Seldom was the time I ever left an issue of Fables not wanting more. Willingham and Buckingham seldom failed to deliver. 

Though the first half of Fables‘ 150 issues was stronger than the last half, Fables remained one of the best titles throughout its storied run. The series won a total of fourteen Eisner Awards amongst many more awards from other organizations. It’s a beloved series that spawned many spin offs and even got a popular video game adaptation. 

Arguably its most “original” success, Fables gives Vertigo readers a fantastical reading experience from beginning to end. Its rich story and wonderful cast of characters always entertains.   

Hellblazer

Hellblazer is a gruesome, horrific slice of darkness from Vertigo. The book follows occult detective John Constantine on his horror fueled adventures in, let’s face it, being an absolute bastard. There’s probably not a more Vertigo-like leading character than John Constantine.

Hellblazer (like Sandman, Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Shade the Changing Man, and Animal Man) got its start in the regular DCU and was later grandfathered into the Vertigo wheelhouse at the beginning of the line. 

I consider Hellblazer to be the workhorse of the Vertigo line. Celebrated Hellblazer runs from Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis get highlighted frequently, but Hellblazer seldom gets the attention that other Vertigo titles get in the comic press and that’s a mistake. 

Hellblazer ended up being its longest running title, clocking in at 300 issues before DC brought John Constantine back in the DCU. You know, so they could defang him and make him as appealing as lite beer after years of being the good stuff.

Yeah, count me in as one of the Hellblazer fans that is still bitter at this limp move. No one wants to read a PG-rated Constantine! Your move, DC. Regardless of how milquetoast DC has nerfed Constantine, those Vertigo years remain the definitive statement on one of comic books greatest antiheroes. 

If you want the REAL John Constantine, the original Vertigo title is your best shot. It’s unfiltered, raw, and thorny. There are very few happy endings. However, Hellblazer gives fans an opportunity to see magic in its darkest form. DC may have neutered Constantine, but they can’t take away the horrific brilliance of Hellblazer.

Preacher

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s classic profane (and profanity laden) tale of possessed preacher Jesse Custer ran 75 issues from 1995-2000 and was recently adapted as television show.

Preacher finds Custer on a quest to find God, who abandoned his throne when Jesse was bonded to Genesis, an entity born of the coupling between an angel and a demon. Aided by his love Tulip and his Irish vampire friend Cassidy, Custer and crew blaze a compelling trail across America that blends humor, horror, and action in one tidy package. 

Preacher is remembered for its cast of secondary characters as much as it was for its primary cast. It’s hard to read Preacher without walking away with fond memories of Herr Star, Jesse’s family, Arseface, the Saint of Killers, and The Duke. Ennis’s ability to create quirky, memorable characters is fantastic, but beneath the humor of the title was a serious reflection on what it means to worship a being that is divine whose creation is so flawed. 

I’m going to take a minute to praise the covers for this series too. While Ennis and Dillon get much of the credit for the title, Glenn Fabry’s painted covers were just as essential and iconic to the series as anything else. The covers for Preacher were grotesque, whimsical, and utterly gothic. They stand tall as some of the most memorable from Vertigo’s storied history as an imprint. 

Preacher was shocking, both in its content and its presentation. Some of that was played for pure shock value, but it was never done at the expense of the story. Preacher stands as the sardonic lord over Vertigo’s early middle years, blasting all three creators to rockstar status. It remains one of the comics that helped change the vocabulary of the modern medium.

Doom Patrol 

Doom Patrol was created in 1963 featuring a group of freaks that were unaccepted by the outside world. Led by a wheelchair-bound genius, the team fought for truth and justice in a world that rejected them.

If that sounds eerily similar to the X-Men, you’re not wrong. Appearing just weeks apart, both titles dealt with similar subject matter. However, it’s Marvel’s mighty mutants that most people remember and not the Doom Patrol.

After several attempts to make the Doom Patrol a going concern, the they returned once again in the 1980s. Like the previous incarnations, the Paul Kupperberg title struggled to find an audience. The title was handed over to Grant Morrison and the rest of deliciously weird comic book history! 

Doom Patrol has always been a left of center comic, exploring the strange and freakish ends of comic books from its inception in the 1960s, Morrison (and later, even more so with Rachel Pollock’s run on the title) took Doom Patrol to its strongest and strangest point yet.

Morrison gave the team a punk rock edge and ethos. The writing and art took the title in a decidedly surrealistic direction. Some issues dipped into Dadaism. Some were parody. Some felt like Morrison was actually, kind of, maybe, sort of trying to do a superhero story but not. It was weird. Wonderfully weird.

The strangest part is that though we typically associate all of Morrison’s run with Vertigo, it wasn’t until after his run that the book officially became a Vertigo title. Yes, Morrison’s Doom Patrol was retroactively assigned the Vertigo moniker. However, it’s fitting because so much of the experimental storytelling elements Morrison used would become part and parcel of what all Vertigo books would try to accomplish.  

In many ways, every Doom Patrol run since Morrison’s has been a reaction to it. Both the John Arcudi and Gerard Way runs accept and embrace the Morrison strangeness, while John Byrne rejected it (as he pretty much does with anything). There’s no denying the influence of Doom Patrol on Vertigo, though.

Morrison’s run remains highly influential today and has even spawned a recent television show that has gotten rave reviews. Not too shabby for a series that was on the brink of cancellation. 

Y the Last Man

Brain K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s post-apocalyptic hit Y the Last Man is one of the biggest original properties Vertigo would produce. Along with Fables, Y the Last Man was the last of the major breakout hits for the Vertigo line.

It followed the story of Yorick, an amateur magician who becomes seemingly the last man on earth after a virus eradicated the male population. The tale of survival and endurance stands as one of Vertigo’s proudest moments.

While widely available in trades and deluxe editions now, reading the title at the time it was released was thrilling. Vaughan was the master of the cliffhanger, giving each issue a sendoff that made me and other readers have a monthly panic attack. The series is beautifully paced. I would argue that Y the Last Man is the best paced series in the history of the medium. Not a panel is wasted or a page unused. Yorick is the perfect every (only?) man for the series. He’s possibly the best leading character for any Vertigo book. 

Despite its well-regarded reputation, like Sandman, Y the Last Man hasn’t had the media success that other Vertigo properties have seen. Long in development hell, a television series is rumored to finally be hitting our television/streaming devices soon. This gives readers, old and new alike, an opportunity to revisit one of the crown jewels in the Vertigo crown.  

Swamp Thing

The last title on this list (but certainly not the least, nor will this be the last list) is Swamp Thing, but not for the reason (*cough*cough* Alan*Moore *cough*cough*) that most would assume.

Like many other books mentioned, the classic horror comic was grandfathered into the Vertigo fold. Early trade reprints of Alan Moore’s seminal run, a true masterpiece of the medium, helped bolster Vertigo’s moniker recognition and ushered in the lines early adoption of collecting stories into collections. Like Morrison’s Doom Patrol, Moore’s Swamp Thing became the model for which Vertigo’s storytelling would be based on in its earliest years.  

Although for many, any discussion of Vertigo’s Swamp Thing begins and ends with the Alan Moore run, the title enjoyed a successful run with a few different incarnations throughout Vertigo’s time as an imprint. The original Swamp Thing title ran for 171 issues and featured excellent (and trippy) runs by Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette, Grant Morrison, and a young Mark Millar.

Brian K. Vaughan wrote a second Vertigo series that followed Swamp Thing’s daughter Tefe for 20 issues. In 2004, a third Swamp Thing series followed with 29 issues featuring runs from writers Andy Diggle, Will Pfeifer, and Joshua Dysart. 

For my money, the Morrison/Millar and Vaughan runs are just as a amazing as the Alan Moore stories. Though not as popular as the Moore run, the subsequent runs were no less interesting and spooky. 

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7 Howard Chaykin Comics to Read Besides Star Wars https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/05/7-howard-chaykin-books-to-read-besides-star-wars/ Tue, 07 May 2019 12:00:02 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=24148

Howard Chaykin has done SO much more than write a few Star Wars comics. Earth Nerd Morgan points you to 7 series with his name all over them.

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Howard Chaykin is one of the cult heroes of the comic book world. He has all the qualities necessary to be a comic book rock star with his quirky personality, ability to play as both writer and artist, and steady body of groundbreaking work. Yet Chaykin never quite achieved the rock star status that many of his contemporaries would earn like Frank Miller or Alan Moore. That doesn’t mean that he’s not every bit as important as those luminaries, but he’s still considered by many to be living in their shadows. 

One shadow Chaykin is apparently ready to get out from under is his early work on the original Star Wars title from Marvel in 1977-1978. Chaykin provided interior art on the first ten issues of the series, and is given a co-writing credit for three of the issues as well.

Back in January, Chaykin posted a not-so-subtle rant on Facebook attempting to distance himself from that early work. Seemingly referencing his early work on the galaxy-spanning Star Wars, Chaykin calls his early work on the title “insipid adolescent junk.” Ouch. 

Fair enough, Mr. Chaykin. We might split hairs over how you approached this issue, but you are well within your right to have quibbles about how comic book conventions advertise your talents. 

I’m going to attempt to provide some direction for readers curious about checking out the books from Chaykin that don’t include laser swords or Death Stars. 

American Flagg! 

Chaykin’s undisputed crown jewel is his series American Flagg! from First Comics. Published from 1983-1989 and taking place in 2031, American Flagg! follows the misadventures of Reuben Flagg, a former television star who is drafted into the ranks of the Plexus Rangers, a corporation that runs the American government. It’s a story that mixes social, political, and economic commentary in a spiffy looking package. The first twelve issues tell a very cohesive, connected story, split conveniently into four three-issue arcs. Though the title lasted for 62 issues and a couple of specials, these first twelve issues are the real meat of the story. 

Fans looking for a convenient way to grab some issues can find collections from Image. In recent years, Image has collected the first fourteen issues in a single hardcover and two softcover collections. Fans looking for collected editions outside those first fourteen will have to look in the back issue bins at your LCS. Fortunately, back issues of the title are insanely easy to grab out of dollars bins and online retailers on the interwebs. However, the quality of the book, and even Chaykin’s own involvement in the series, is spotty at best. 

Satellite Sam

Howard Chaykin’s work is generally seen exploring the seedier side of society, with heavy noir tendencies. Chaykin recently collaborated with Matt Fraction with Satellite Sam at Image Comics to do just that with the 1950s. Satellite Sam is set in the early days of television. Following the death of the star of the popular serial Satellite Sam, his son Mike begins to investigate the death as murder, trying to unlock the secrets of his father’s past and the intricate layers of intrigue in early network television.  

While not written by Chaykin, Fraction is obviously showing his Chaykin fanboy roots throughout its fifteen issues. One can definitely go into this book not knowing that Chaykin didn’t write it and walk away thinking that he actually did. Of course, having Chaykin on art was a superb move on Fraction’s part, as each page is stellar, classic Chaykin. The entire series is collected into three softcover volumes or a single hardcover collection.  

Wolverine & Nick Fury: The Scorpio Connection

This particular book holds a lot of nostalgic value for me. The Scorpio Connection was the first Chaykin comic I read, and it had to be the first OGN I ever read as well. The Scorpio Connection was one of the few comic book trades our school’s library had back in the early 1990s. This 1989 graphic novel is written by Archie Goodwin with art from Chaykin. The graphic novel tells the story of Fury’s old enemy Scorpio returning. There’s a huge plot twist to the new Scorpio’s identity that turns Fury’s world upside down. It’s all good comic book melodrama and pathos! 

In retrospect, The Scorpio Connection isn’t a classic, but it’s a solidly entertaining read that showcases Chaykin’s talent as an artist. It was super cool as a kid to see his depictions of childhood favorites Fury and Wolverine. The Scorpio Connection is collected along with its 1991 sequels Bloody Choices and Scorpio Rising in the trade Wolverine & Nick Fury: Scorpio in 2012. However, copies of The Scorpio Connection can easily be found in comic shops and online retailers on the cheap. 

The Shadow: Blood & Judgement

Howard Chaykin has always been a bit of a rabble rousing raconteur unafraid to ruffle a few feathers at the expense of telling an entertaining story. His blunt, and at times confrontational, persona can be seen as being antagonistic. His comics have always been rebellious, and his 1986 miniseries revival of The Shadow for DC is probably the finest example of his unruly sensibilities. Thirty plus years on, this miniseries still sparks a passionate and divisive response from fans.

Chaykin’s main change? He brought The Shadow into the modern era, and he even gave him a pair of Uzis to use. Traditional fans of The Shadow were howled, furious over the move, and still complain loudly online and in person to anyone willing to listen. However, many fans do enjoy his miniseries, which lead to the deliciously weird cult classic ongoing from Andy Helfer, Bill Seinkiewicz and Kyle Baker. The Blood & Judgement miniseries has been collected several times throughout the years by DC and Dynamite. Chaykin even produced a new miniseries Midnight to Moscow for Dynamite in 2014. 

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola adapting fantasy pioneer Fritz Leiber’s greatest works? Do I really have to sell this book further?

This 1990 miniseries from Marvel isn’t exactly a graphic novel intended to tell a singular story. Rather, this miniseries adapted seven of the original Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber. That might give the book a bit of a disjointed quality to modern readers who pick up a comic expecting to read one continuous story rather than adaptations of disparate short stories. If a reader goes into this book with that knowledge, they won’t be caught off guard. 

Chaykin’s script, much as he does with anything he adapts, boils down the dynamic duo of sword and sorcery to their basic essentials. Many Lieber purists might quibble with Chaykin’s story adapting liberties, but they won’t have any problems with Mignola’s artwork. It’s awesome to see some of Mignola’s pre-Hellboy pencils, and he does not disappoint throughout the seven adaptations. The original Marvel issues are still quite easy to find, but Dark Horse produced a trade about a decade ago collecting the entire miniseries that can be found on the cheap as well   

Bite Club

Before American Vampire became the standard for Vertigo Vampire comics, there was Bite Club. Howard Chaykin had several really awesome Vertigo and DC books come out in the early 2000s. While most of his work for DC proper was with their Elseworld line giving him the ability to reconfigure longstanding characters without terribly upsetting fans, his Vertigo work gave him more of a blank check to deal with the more adult themes that characterize much of his indie work. Case in point is his lovely vampire comic Bite Club. Set in Miami, both of the two Bite Club miniseries follow the story of the del Toro crime family who are, you guessed it, vampires! 

With help from his frequent 2000s writing partner David Tischman, art from David Hahn, and covers from Frank Quitely, Bite Club is the perfect mix of Godfather meets True Blood meets Game of Thrones. Though it only lasted eleven issues, the story definitely has a (wait for it) bite. A collection of both miniseries was released in 2007 as The Complete Bite Club. 

American Century

American Century was another one of Chaykin’s Vertigo books from the early 2000s that I really enjoyed. In fact, I would say that thus far it has been my favorite work from Chaykin in the 21st Century.

American Century was a wild comic book. It followed the zany adventures of Harry Kraft, who fakes his own death and travels around the country from job to job as he tries to establish himself with a new life. Each arc featured Harry in a new role, on the run from his past in the best gritty, noir ways possible. Mild spoilers: he eventually ends up working in comic books! It’s pretty bonkers, quintessential Chaykin. 

Amazingly, this Vertigo series lasted 27 issues despite have low sales. I remember rumors persisting at the time that Chaykin had struck some Faustian deal with the DC editorial types to keep his book alive despite the fact that it sold far less copies than many other titles that were getting the axe. I can’t speak to those rumors, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed each and every issue that hit the stands as it was being released.

Unfortunately, only the first nine issues were collected: Scars & Stripes and Hollywood Babylon. In theory, the remaining issues could potentially be harder to find than most on this list since print runs were so low by the time cancelation occurred. However, they are definitely worth the hunt if you want to read one of Chaykin’s best works! 

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Indie Comics Canon: 7 Essential Indie Comics https://nerdsonearth.com/2019/03/indie-comics-canon-7-essential-indie-comics/ Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:00:41 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=23771

Earth Nerd Morgan delivers the first in a series that will explore must-read indie comics.

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We here at Nerds on Earth love comic books. Well, let me rephrase that. We here at Nerds on Earth love comic books from the Big Two. Okay, maybe I should express that in a different manner. We here at Nerds on Earth love Marvel Comics.

That sounds right.

We love Marvel. We’re Marvel Zombies. Our Slack channel is constantly filled with discussions of all things Marvel. DC gets fleeting, and often ignored mentions, but most of the denizens of the Halls of Nerds are Marvel partisans through and through. 

I certainly can’t deny that I am also a diehard Marvel fan, but like Thanos suggests, balance is key. I try to maintain a reasonable diet of reading titles from the Big Two and indie publishers. The heroes from the House of Ideas are great, but their adventures can get a little stale. After all, no matter how sweeping or earth shattering a change happens, the cosmic reset button has to be pressed when a new creative team jumps on a book. Character development stalls and the status quo returns. Ho hum. 

This sad reality is part of the reason why I check out indie comics. Most of the true dynamic storytelling happens outside of the Big Two. Pound for pound, I would stack up almost any classic story from the Big Two against any number of indie books.    

But where to start in the world of indie comics? The alley ways of the indie-verse are vast and varied. Many fanatic fans of the Big Two simply do not know where to start on their journey to the indie aisle. I hope to address that concern in a series of articles over the next several months. I’m going to attempt to provide what amounts to an indie canon for readers to check out. Many indie books are important to the cultural tableau of the comic book genre. Their importance and influence can’t even be denied by chief nerd Clave

Don’t fear if you don’t see your favorite indie book in this list. This is just the first of several articles exploring the indie canon. 

Let’s get into the canon!

<Cue Vivaldi or some other important sounding classical musician>

Love and Rockets

What’s the deal? This classic anthology book from the Hernandez Brothers (Jamie, Gilbert, and Mario) first hit the stands in 1981. The book primarily centers on Gilbert’s characters in the fictional village of Palomar and the adventures of Jamie’s beloved characters Maggie and Hopey in Los Angeles (sometimes referred to as the Locas stories). Both of the main stories offer lively characters, interesting backdrops, and a sense of mysticism and wicked surrealism that most non-superhero books lack. The focus on the daily lives of their characters, their failures and successes, has been a staple from the beginning. And unlike many books, the Hernandez brothers have allowed their various characters to age in real time along with their readers, avoiding the comic book trope of perpetual youth. 

Why you should try it? Anthology books can be a tricky proposition – even for the Big Two. However, the Hernandez Brothers succeed in large part by mixing vibrant storytelling with memorable characters. The book has a true punk rock aesthetic throughout its now almost 40 year run. While both the Palomar and Locas stories are central to the various incarnations of the book, L&R also features many one-shot stories, cartoons, and other surrealist slices of life that make reading any L&R issue/volume an adventure unto itself. The book is still being published today, as the most recent volume has returned to the magazine format of yesteryear. It releases on a roughly quarterly basis from Fantagraphics. 

Where to start? After nearly 40 years of publication, it might seem like a daunting task to just pick up a dense and varied book like Love and Rockets. I would recommend a couple of places to get started. Starting in 2007, Fantagraphics began releasing paperback omnibus volumes of the original run. Maggie the Mechanic and Heartbreak Soup feature the first Locas and Palomar stories respectively. Those can give readers a ground floor view of both ends of the L&R spectrum. In 2010, Fantagraphics also published a graphic novel called The Love Bunglers, which is another great place for readers to start. Collecting Jamie’s Locas material from the third volume of Love and Rockets called New Stories (a series of graphic novel series), The Love Bunglers follows Maggie and her relationship with two men, Ray and Reno. It’s poignant tale that gives readers a cohesive story in one volume. It’s the quintessential Locas story, and works as great introduction to what L&R has to offer readers. 

Stray Bullets

What’s the deal? Dave Lapham’s Stray Bullets is a crime noir story around the lowlife underworld in Baltimore that spans decades, following a large cast of characters from the late 1970s up through the 1990s. As its current publisher Image describes Stray Bullets, it’s “a story about violence, love, and really bad decisions.” Truly, a better description of the story does not exist. Though the cast of characters is large, that shouldn’t turn anyone off. Pretty soon, any reader will fall in love with Beth, Virginia/Amy Racecar, Orson, Spanish Scott, Monster, and yes, even Joey. Barring a decade long hiatus from 2005 to 2014, Stray Bullets has been in print, first from El Capitan and now Image, for a quarter century. That’s nothing to sneeze at! 

Why you should try it? Murder, mayhem, and humor are in abundance for Stray Bullets. I have always approached this series as if it were a Tarantino film laid out out in comic book format. Brubaker, Rucca, Miller, and others might have crime comic books out there, but nothing quite beats Dave Lapham. The narrative of the story jumps all over the place, especially in the first volume. The first issue takes place in the 1990s, the farthest point any story has gone, while every successive issue has taken place in the past, and it jumps around from there as well. Each issue is a standalone story, and can be picked up at any time to get a slice of life from the seedy underworld. The cast may be vast like Game of Thrones, but each one is insanely fun to read about and follow. 

Where to start? The first trade, The Innocence of Nihilism, is widely available either in its old printing for El Capitan or the new printings from Image. However, if you’re even slightly interested in the story, the Uber Alles edition is the way to go. Collecting the entire first volume of the series, the Uber Alles edition is a 1,200 page tour de force. It collects absolutely everything, and trust me, you’re going to want to read it all. If the $60 entry fee is too steep, smaller collections are available as well. 

Grendel

What’s the deal? Matt Wagner’s legendary, award winning, long-running title Grendel is another one of those titles on this list that’s still going on and close to hitting the 40 year mark as well. There have been many to take on the mantle of Grendel over the years, but the original Grendel started out following the criminal exploits of a famed writer Hunter Rose, who, in his costumed identity, operated a vast criminal network. Though Hunter Rose has appeared off and on throughout the years in crossovers and miniseries, there have been many Grendels, ranging from a continuing series legacy heroes, to an emperor, and even a robot! 

Why you should try it? Grendel scratches nearly every itch that a comic book fan could ever want. Like Crime? Grendel’s got it. Love Science fiction? Grendel has lasers and apocalyptic future scapes. Like Fantasy? There are werewolves and other beasties! Love crossovers? Grendel has basically met up with every character you could think of. Still looking for current books? Grendel has a new miniseries featuring Grendel Prime, Grendel: Odyssey, coming out in the summer/fall. 

Where to start? The original Devil By the Deed, the collection of the first Grendel story (a prose telling of Hunter Rose’s rise and fall) is still in print and available in various, easily found formats. Probably the best way to start with Grendel is to pick up one of the softcover omnibus volumes available from Dark Horse. There are currently six omnibus collections available from Dark Horse. However, folks interested in mixing a little mainstream into their reading should definitely check out the excellent Batman/Grendel stories. Both miniseries are conveniently collected into one volume by Dark Horse.  

The Crow

What’s the deal? James O’Barr’s The Crow has been an off and on staple of the indie comic scene for thirty years now. Though most comic fans may be familiar with the original Brandon Lee film, many have probably never actually gone back to check out the comic book it was based off of from the late 80s/early 90s. Like Grendel, many individuals have taken up the role of The Crow over the years, but the general story is almost always the same. The various Crow stories almost always tell the story of a murder victim being returned to life by a supernatural crow to avenge the death of themselves and/or loved ones. The Crow can be potent in its melancholies and brutal in its violence, but revenge stories are bittersweet entertainment that can pull on the heart just as much as they amp up the adrenaline. 

Why you should try it? Having probably already seen the film, or at least having a familiarity that one exists, most fans at least know of the character. I would argue that The Crow remains one of the best comic book films of all times (and some of the nerds in the Halls of Slack have laughed greatly over this, but I stand by my assertion: fight me!). Films after the first represent an exercise in diminishing returns, but the comic books are almost always solid reads. The books aren’t feel good, uplifting reads. That has to be stated upfront! This is, afterall, essentially the story of murdered individuals seeking revenge for their untimely deaths. However, The Crow almost always delivers a poignant, heartfelt story no matter what miniseries a potential reader picks up. 

Where to start? I would argue (fight me!) that one could do no wrong in picking up almost any Crow miniseries. They are almost always self-contained and at the very least entertaining. However, nothing beats the original Crow miniseries. Gallery Books released a lovely hardcover collection of the original miniseries back in 2011, though copies of the original trade from Kitchen Sink can still be found in the wild. It’s a dark, moody, and atmospheric tale that draws on the aesthetic of the time. I have always thought that it was the comic book version of The Cure’s classic Disintegration album from the same year as its original publication. There’s a poetic beauty to that original miniseries that completely sweeps me away. IDW currently has the publishing rights for the series. Anyone looking for a more current Crow book should definitely check out their excellent Memento Mori miniseries from 2018.  

Nexus

What’s the deal? Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s magnum opus Nexus is one of the finest comic books of all time. Pound for pound, blow for blow, I would stand Nexus up against any titan that fans could name from the Big Two. First published by Capital Comics and the First Comics starting in 1981, Nexus tells the story of Horatio Hellpop who receives special powers to destroy mass murderers throughout the galaxy. Nexus becomes a kind of intergalactic cop taking on the worst that the universe can throw at him. 

Why you should try it? Do you like superheroes? Great! Do you like science fiction? Even better. Nexus is the perfect mix of the two genres. It outdoes Marvel and DC’s space opera heroes and then some. Fans of Silver Surfer, the New Gods, and Guardians of the Galaxy will find much to love about the adventures of Horatio Hellpop. Baron’s writing is top notch, but there’s no denying that the main draw to Nexus is the stellar artwork from Steve Rude. Page after page, readers will be dumbfounded by Rude’s superb artistic ability, which is a throwback to the styles of Alex Toth and Jack Kirby. Yes, it’s a great read. It’s also a pretty awesome book to look at as well. 

Where to start? Nexus has had an on again, off again publishing schedule for many years. According to the official canon provided by Baron and Rude, there are 105 official Nexus issues spread across the main series and the miniseries that followed its original publication. Depending on personal preference and budget, the readers can either start with the first hardcover collection or first softcover omnibus collection from Dark Horse. The omnibus collections are a convenient and cheap way to get in on the ground floor, but the hardcover collections look great on a bookshelf. I went for the latter because this is a story worth getting in the deluxe format. 

From Hell

What’s the deal? Was there any chance that I wasn’t going to mention an Alan Moore book in this list? Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s From Hell takes a deep, dark look into the infamous Whitechapel/Jack the Ripper murders from 1888-1891. The black and white comics attempts to pierce the mysterious veil around the murders, while also providing a commentary on modern society’s fascination with its grisly past and present. Moore’s prose, coupled with Campbell’s distinctive art style, make this story one of the greats in the entire medium. It may be a work of fiction, but Moore and Campbell convincingly lay out the case for a killer with ties to the Royal family. 

Why you should try it? So let’s kill the elephant in the room and move on. Many fans and curious onlookers out there will probably note and remember that there is a truly terrible film version floating around out there featuring Johnny Depp. It’s horrible. If you haven’t seen it, please don’t. This will not be one of those cute, “Oh, it’s so bad it’s good” film viewing experiences. It’s just bad. Period.  Ugh, forget the film, okay?

The comic book is the difference between a finely done HBO premium show versus that of a thirty minute session of a four year old retelling their experience watching a Paw Patrol episode. Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell produced a story for the ages. It’s brilliant. There’s not a superhero in sight, but this book packs a punch. The Whitechapel Murders are gut wrenching enough, but the mixture of mystery and mysticism Moore and Campbell bring to the page is palatable. 

Where to start? This might seem a no-brainer since this was a limited series. It’s not like there’s a vast, dense network of series to wade through when it comes to From Hell. However, one might be surprised by the variety of editions out there. At nearly 600 pages, From Hell is a bulky book that is begging for a multi-format release. The softcover edition is the classic presentation of the miniseries. If one is looking for an upgraded edition, the hardcover was made available in 2016. Not to be outdone, The Master Edition was produced by Top Shelf in 2018, which represents the series in a colored, remastered, director’s cut format. Fans wanting the Deluxe-ultra-super-awesome From Hell experience can surely expect that edition to be collected in the near future. If that’s not enough, Top Shelf also has a From Hell Companion with articles, notes, and Moore’s research on the Jack the Ripper case. That’s a deep dive purchase, though. 

Savage Dragon

What’s the deal? Erik Larsen’s Image comic Savage Dragon is one of the longest running comics both drawn and written by the same artist. With the exception of one issue, Larsen has written and drawn all 230+ (and counting) issues of the title. Despite early appearances in the 80s, Savage Dragon gained fame in the first wave of the Image boom in the early 1990s. Where all of the other original Image creators have left their original books to varying degrees, Larsen has been the lone, consistent voice throughout the company’s entire existence. The book follows the adventures of the Dragon, who initially showed up in Chicago an amnesiac. Eventually the Dragon joins the Chicago PD to fight all of the mutated freaks that have cropped up in recent years. Though the story has evolved beyond that original premise, it remains one of the zaniest reading experiences on the stands today. 

Why you should try it? This book is insanely fun to read. I don’t feel like I need to write more beyond that. It’s just fun. Many of the books out there (even on this list!) can be kind of dreery at times. Not Savage Dragon. It’s manic in its joy. Savage Dragon is a love letter to the comic book medium itself. There’s nothing predictable about Savage Dragon, and that’s part of the fun! 

Where to start? There are a few collections of the first miniseries, Baptism by Fire, out there floating around. Later reproductions included reworkings of  the original material, but the story essentially remains the same. The single issues are also easily found in shops and dollar bins. However, probably the best way to initially get on board is to seek out the recent Savage Dragon Archives omnibus. These are black and white “phone book” style reprints that feature around 25-30 issues each. These volumes are convenient, but if you enjoy the first volume, you will probably want to skip over to the color trades. Another great place to begin your Dragon reading is with the A New Beginning trade. This collects issues 193-198 of the series and is about Malcolm Dragon, the son of the title character, taking over as the main protagonist of the title. 

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