We’re about halfway through 2021, so I thought it was a perfect time to do a little writing about some of the indy titles that have been sent my way so far this year. Independent Comic Spotlight has always been one of my favorite parts of my position as Chief Creative Officer of Comic Booked. So here I am. I’m back with a fantastic selection of reading material for you to take a second look at (or possibly a first, if you’re new to this whole thing). Here is a sample of some of the cool works sent my way so far this year.
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
- Battle Chasers Anthology by Joe Madureira, Munier Sharrieff, and Adam Warren from Image Comics is a full-color reprint of the beloved Cliffhanger! title that bridged the gap from Image to DC / print to the web and helped launch several careers in both the comic book and video game worlds and is a personal favorite of mine, arriving back in print just in time for the long-awaited conclusion chapter, due out later this year – softcover
- Championess by Tarun Shanker, Kelly Zekas, and Amanda Perez Puentes from Legendary Comics is the black and white (and the occasional yellow and red) true story graphic novel about an infamous 18th century female bare-knuckle boxer told for a young adult audience – softcover
- Chartwell Manor: A Comics Memoir by Glenn Head from Fantagraphics is a black and white graphic memoir about and underground artist and his triumphs, tragedies, and travels, much in the tradition of the legendary Peter Bagge and R. Crumb – hardcover
- The Flutist of Arnhem: A Story of Operation Market Garden by Antonio Gil from Dead Reckoning is a full-color historical fiction graphic novel about the World War II events that helped change the tide of the war against the Nazis – softcover
- Freiheit!: The White Rose Graphic Novel by Andrea Grosso Ciponte from Plough is a full-color painted World War II biography of the college student activists who stood up against the Nazis and inspired a generation – hardcover
- Godzilla: Dominion by Greg Keyes, Drew Edward Johnson, Allen Passalaqua, and Arthur Adams from Legendary Comics is a full-color original graphic novel that serves as one of two prequels to the blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong film – softcover
- Kingdom Kong by Marie Anello, Zid, and Arthur Adams from Legendary Comics is a full-color original graphic novel that serves as one of two prequels to the blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong film – softcover
- Kitty Quest by Phil Corbett from Razorbill (Penguin Random House) is a kid-friendly full-color graphic novel that is equal parts heartfelt and hilarious about a pair of kittens who go on a magic adventure – softcover or hardcover
- The Last Kids on Earth: Thrilling Tales from the Tree House by Max Brallier, Douglas Holgate, Lorena Alvarez Gomez, Xavier Bonet, Jay Cooper, Christopher Mitten, and Anoosha Syed from Viking (Penguin Random House) is the newest collection of six great full-color kids comics that helped inspire the Netflix original series – hardcover
- Mellybean and the Giant Monster and Mellybean and the Wicked Wizard by Mike White from Razorbill (Penguin Random House) is a soon-to-be classic young readers series of full-graphic novels about a loyal dog and his magical adventures as he is accompanied by a group of cats who just want to take naps and mythical creatures and brave knights – softcover or hardcover
- MPLS Sound by Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, and Meredith Laxton from Life Drawn (Humanoids) is a full-color original graphic novel about a band of singer-songwriters inspired by the works of Prince during the year of 1982 in Minneapolis – softcover
- Star Runner Chronicles: Fallen Star by James Watson, Leo Cordeiro, Carlos Eduardo, and Charlotte Stauffer from Atlantis Studios is a trade paperback collection of the full-color comic book miniseries adaptation of the screenplay of the same name about a space opera for a new generation – softcover
- The Tankies by Garth Ennis, Carlos Ezquerra, Hector Ezquerra, Tony Avina, and Simon Bowland from Dead Reckoning collects the complete Dynamite comic book saga of the characters from Ennis’ beloved Battlefields comic book, including some never-before-seen interviews, sketchbook material, and interviews – softcover
NOVELS:
- Morbius: The Living Vampire: Blood Ties by Brendan Deneen from Marvel and Titan Books is an in-continuity tale of the fan-favorite Marvel comics antihero where he teams up with a survivor from his past to battle a demonic cult in the present – hardcover
- You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes from Random House (Penguin Random House) is the latest in the great stalker-thriller series from one of the best writers currently in the business, providing us with a new story of Joe while we anxiously await the next season on Netflix to arrive – hardcover
OTHER BOOKS:
- Birds: A Smithsonian Coloring Book by Rachel Curtis from IDW is a beautifully-produced adult coloring book that is as meticulously pencilled and quite informative with text provided by the National Zoo and Conservation Institute – softcover
- Kong and Me by Kiki Thorpe and Nidhi Chanani from Legendary Comics is a children’s book about Kong and his new friend and the adventures they go on – hardcover
MY FAVORITES FROM THIS BATCH:
- Battle Chasers Anthology
- Godzilla: Dominion
- Kingdom Kong
- Kong and Me
- Morbius: The Living Vampire: Blood Ties
- You Love Me
So there you have it. Plenty of great indy titles to add to your reading pile. And while you’re at it, make sure you check out all of these creators other works, both in print and incoming. If you yourself are an independent creator (or you work for the Big Two, I don’t discriminate), feel free to send me an email at either admin@comicbooked.com or jeffhill@comicbooked.com or reach out to me on Twitter or Facebook at jeffhillwriter. I’d love to see your work. As for the rest of you, I hope to see you reading some of these great books. And I hope to see you again at the end of the year for the next installment of Independent Comic Spotlight!
