The market for DC and Marvel titles remains strong, but they tend to continue the same ongoing stories without end and with little change to the old status quo–which is why indie comics are so great. Frankly put, indie comics produce original stories unlike anything available from the Big Two.
They also offer a space for writers and artists to be as creative as they like, while indie companies frequently are the first to hire new talent (and therefore the first to get new perspectives never-before-seen in comics). These forthcoming books will be released later this summer and are exactly the sorts of things that make being a comic fan so much fun.
10 AQUARIUS: THE BOOK OF MER Is A Modern-Day Mermaid Tale
As the name suggests, Aquarius: The Book of Mer is a modern-day reimagining of classic mermaid myths. The protagonist, Astara, is a young girl who suffers from nightmares of malevolent water spirits—and these dreams begin to impede on reality.
This is the passion project of artist Afua Richardson, who has been developing it for years. Richardson is a true polymath, having worked as a voice actress, TV prop designer, lyricist, and vocalist in addition to her career illustrating comics. She even composed original music specifically to accompany this book. Aquarius: The Book of Mer comes out on August 11th.
9 THE BLUE FLAME Is A Surrealist Superhero Character Exploration
There are some types of stories that comics excel at capturing in a way other mediums seem to fail to replicate. One such narrative involves a character or characters grappling with seemingly disparate struggles that converge at the same time, often rooted in an identity crisis of some kind. Christopher Cantwell and Adam Gorham’s The Blue Flame is a great example of this.
The Blue Flame is, according to the promotional material, a cosmic hero, a do-it-yourself vigilante, and a working-class HVAC repairman by the name of Sam Brausam—separate identities that blur together in the wake of a devastating tragedy. Sam must work to save himself—and humanity—not knowing if either is even worth saving. The book will be released on May 26th.
8 DJINN HUNTER Is An Epic Fantasy About A Hunting A Wayward Djinn
Djinn Hunter is a forthcoming fantasy epic from Blackbox Comics. A rogue djinn named Abyss enters the human world, granting wishes to people without restraint and unleashing horrors previously undreamed of. The situation becomes so dire that Zara the Djinn Hunter is released from her prison so she can track him down, but it may already be too late.
This story by Jay Sandlin delivers a high-stakes original adventure with fantastic lore, while Fabrizio Cosentino’s art and lettering give Djinn Hunter an unforgettably dynamic visual aesthetic that is truly magical. The comic comes out on July 28th.
7 PARASOMNIA Is A Haunting Dark Fantasy About A Father Looking For His Son
The forthcoming horror series Parasomnia follows an unnamed protagonist as he searches for his son, who has gone missing. The man stumbles through a nightmarish dreamscape and battles against a reckless cult, driven by desperation as he encounters forgotten gods and creeping monsters.
Writer Cullen Bunn and artist Andrea Mutti are collaborating on this book, which will be published by Dark Horse Comics. Bunn is a master of creating dark stories that lodge in the chambers of your heart and Mutti’s haunting illustrations evoke the liminal nightmare state that brings a comic like this to life. Parasomnia will be released on June 30th.
6 ORDINARY GODS Is About A Young Man Who Is Really A Reincarnated God
The upcoming series Ordinary Gods by Felipe Watanabe and Kyle Higgins follows a young man named Christopher with a loving supportive family, a job working in a store, and what appears to be a fairly normal life. Christopher is also a god–one of the Five, ancient deities who were damned to live out eternity being reincarnated as human again and again.
Through past life regression, he needs to unlock the powers and memories of his past lives to access his full godhood. Image’s website recommends this book for fans of The Old Guard and God Country. It comes out on July 7th.
5 SAVE YOURSELF Is About Magical Girls With Their Own Agendas
The trope of magical girls is one of the most popular modern fantasy subgenres and has been ever since the release of Sailor Moon in the early 90s. Writer Bones Leopard and artists Nichole and Kelly Matthews have come together to create Save Yourself, a story about three magic girls who saved the Earth, and the aftermath of this event.
The whole world idolizes these three, including a girl named Gigi, but when watches the trio fight a monster up close, she realizes that her heroes are not who she thought they were. Save Yourself will be released on June 16th.
4 BLACK HAMMER REBORN Continues A Modern Superhero Classic
The original Black Hammer is one of the most compelling independent superhero series of recent years. It is a smart deconstruction of the genre in the vein of titles like The Watchmen and The Boys.
Jeff Lemire and Caitlin Yarsky are bringing the series back with Black Hammer Reborn, the newest installment of this story set twenty years after the story left off. This is a great jumping-on point for new readers while extrapolating upon the existing story that won the hearts of fans the world over. Black Hammer Reborn will be out on June 23rd.
3 NINJAK Is A Ninja Spy In The Valiant Universe
After it relaunched in 2012, Valiant quickly rose to prominence as it continued to grow in scope and popularity. It soon became the third-largest superhero universe after Marvel and DC.
While Valiant has many wonderful characters, the coolest by far is Ninjak, a mercenary spy who works with MI-6 and the superhero team Unity, using martial arts, incredible high-tech gadgets, and mystical training in his missions. Now, writer Jeff Parker and artist Javier Pulido are bringing back Valiant’s British ninja superspy in a brand new series. It is released on July 20th.
2 WHITE Explores The Politics Of White Supremacy In The USA
In 2016, writer Kwanza Osajyefo and artists Tim Smith 3 and Jamal Igle released their comic Black, which explored what the world might look like if superpowers were real, but only Black people could manifest these abilities. The comic was a visceral exploration of white supremacy that showcased a myriad of perspectives and reactions to such systemic inequities, challenging hate and ignorance with manifestations of Black power. On top of this, artist Khary Randolf illustrated the covers, ensuring each issue unapologetically confronted systemic racism with bold visual statements before it was even opened.
White is the long-awaited sequel to Black. The fact that some Black people have superpowers has become public knowledge, and the US responded by electing an openly white supremacist president, Theodore Mann. Osajyefo, Smith 3, Igle, and Randolf return to helm this title. There is a limited print run, so fans should hurry and add White to their pull lists immediately. The book launches on June 9th.
1 BARBARIC Is A Hilarious Fantasy Story
The premise of Barbaric is a hilariously irreverent reimagining of fantasy epics. The protagonist Owen the Barbarian suffers from a terrible curse: he must spend the remainder of his life doing good deeds. His massive battle axe, named Axe, has also developed a bit of a drinking problem. Questing through the land, he must suffer the indignity of helping those in need.
Good comedy titles are harder and harder to find, but Michael Moreci and Nathan C. Gooden’s Barbaric looks like something that fans of comedy, fantasy, and just all-around good stories are bound to like. The book will be released on June 16th.
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