Hey there, comic fans! Anthony here, EIC of Monkeys Fighting Robots, welcoming you to the first MFR newsletter of 2021.
I’ve gotten really into music over the break. I mean, I’ve always loved listening to music, but I feel like I’ve deepened my music appreciation in recent weeks. My fiancé Brooke’s brother gave me a turntable he wasn’t using right before Christmas, so I’ve been building a small record collection and listening to genres that I never really got into before. Jazz and early-90’s East Coast hip hop have pretty much defined the soundtrack to my January.
All of this is to say that I’ve started collecting yet another thing that takes up space, and Brooke — the aforementioned love of my life — is simply thrilled about it.
In more pertinent news, MFR: THE MAGAZINE #2 is off to the printers! MFR Publisher Matt Sardo and I painstakingly went through the issue multiple times, sentence by sentence, making it look all pretty and perfect. It went off to print last week, so we will soon have it in hand, and then it will be off to all you wonderful backers who helped bring it to life!
We already got the ball rolling on issue #3 as well, the Summer 2021 edition, the theme of which I’ll reveal in a future newsletter. It’s all very exciting, I love how issue #2 came out, and I’m so thankful that you all care enough about what we have to say about comics to read our stuff.
SPACE BASTARDS Interviews
Newly-minted Assistant Editor Zac Owens recently interviewed writers Eric Peterson & Joe Aubrey AND artist Darick Robertson about their new series SPACE BASTARDS. Both interviews are great peeks behind the curtain of creating indie comics. Robertson also includes some fascinating process art for all you art junkies out there.
Review: SCOUT’S HONOR #1 Throws You Directly Into The Superb Action
SCOUT’S HONOR is a new series from writer David Pepose and artist Luca Casalanguida. In a post-nuclear future, a cult rises from the ashes, and their bible…is the Boy Scouts guidebook. I was so looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint. Pepose never fails to deliver the goods, and Casalanguida’s work is simply thrilling and engaging. Reviewer Darryll Robson felt the same way!
Review: RAIN LIKE HAMMERS #1 — Living The Stagnant Life In A Walking City
Justin Munday reviews Brandon Graham’s RAIN LIKE HAMMERS #1 from Image Comics, and calls it “likely to be one of the most unique and noteworthy comics in 2021.”
“A lonely and oddly breathtaking look at depression, change, and the used future we may find ourselves in.”
Well I’m sold.
A Bewitching Tale Begins in LAST WITCH #1
Reviewer Cat Wyatt took a look at THE LAST WITCH #1 from BOOM! Studios’ “BOOM! Box” imprint.
“An enchanting beginning…one that is full of daring characters, creative storytelling devices, and magnificent artwork.”
It’s a YA tale full of adventure and magic, and that cover image alone is charming and electric enough to suck me in and make me want to read it — but Cat’s review compounded that desire tenfold.
What am I reading?
I’ve been dipping my toes into DC’s “Future State” event (is it an event?) and just cherry-picking the titles/creators that interest me. So far, that’s mostly been the Bat-family of books, i.e. DARK DETECTIVE, NEXT BATMAN, HARLEY QUINN, and NIGHTWING, but I’ve also read SWAMP THING and SUPERMAN VS IMPERIOUS LEX. On all counts, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Like many fans, I’m pretty over “event comics,” but these Future State books feel fresh and fun, and the art is hot (full disclosure, Dan Mora on Dark Detective is the #1 reason I bothered checking into this event at all). And in the case of Swampy and Imperious Lex, they give you some extra philosophical deepness to sink your teeth into. This is what I want in more superhero books, up-and-coming creators putting an original spin on classic characters. Worth checking out.
On the creator-owned front, I checked out the first issues of HAHA and RADIANT BLACK, both from Image Comics. If you’re a fan of ICE CREAM MAN, you need to get your butt down to your LCS and pick up HAHA #1 right now. W. Maxwell Prince brings the same eerie melancholy from ICM to his new anthology series, this one centered around professional clowns. This debut was everything I wanted from the series, with stunning art from Vanessa Del Rey that perfectly matches the tone of the story (just look at that cover!!). And Prince promises that HAHA will break away from horror as well and showcase all kinds of different stories featuring clowns.
RADIANT BLACK, meanwhile, is a new indie superhero book from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Marcelo Costa. Image bills it as “Power Rangers meets Invincible” and honestly I can’t think of a better way to describe it. The story’s about a thirty-year-old guy who’s a little down on his luck when he suddenly has incredible cosmic power thrust upon him (classic tale as old as time). You can feel just how personal of a story this is for Higgins, and Costa’s art makes it feel like you’re reading a superhero movie. It’s cartoony and full of life without sacrificing emotion, and that costume design is just sleek and beautiful. The first issue is out February 10th — definitely check it out.
COMIC STRIP • TALES OF MFR
TALES OF MFR Volume 2 will ship with the second issue of the magazine, so now is the perfect time to catch up on or re-read the first volume!
Catch up on the series here: TALES OF MFR
The war between monkeys and robots has raged on for eons; these are the stories that have survived. With art by Jamie Jones and the occasional words by Matt Sardo, Tales of MFR hits the web every Sunday.
For more reviews, interviews, and “Legends of the Longbox”, head over to the website to see what the team’s been working on this week:
That’s all for now! Remember: Darkseid is… but so are we.
Until next week,
Anthony Composto
@The_Great_Ace
@monkeys_robots
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