13°
I talk a lot about the Big Four — Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image. But today the smaller comic publishers are gaining steam in the industry. Archaia Studios Press is one of these publishers and one day may very well be one of the Big Five.
Hybrid Bastards! —
Anyone who has read Greek mythology knows that Zeus is a randy god. He is the father of the Greek gods not just because he is a good leader, but also because he is father to a majority of the pantheon. Of course his wife, Hera, doesn’t like Zeus’ earthly constitutionals and curses him so that for one night, he will couple with inanimate objects. On this night Zeus fathers several creatures — Cotton, a cloth creature; Carmine, an automobile-like person; Corey, an apple; and Walter, “a belligerent stack of bricks.” This series is a humorous commentary on mythology and, if you’re into that sort of thing, will show you what it looks like for a car to give birth.
Revere —
“The Werewolves are coming! The Werewolves are coming!” For some reason, our history textbooks leave this part of Paul Revere’s warning out. Revere, Revolution in Silver is an alternate history about silversmith Revere and his war on the British, as well as the creatures of the night. Fighting winged demons as well as werewolves; Revere must also deal with the darkest of monsters — his fellow man. Collected in hardcover, Revere offers a fresh take on the Revolution and werewolves, but might not capture readers in its brevity. Luckily, Revere: Salem’s Plot will continue where this series leaves off.
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 —
I think we can all agree that mouse fiction is a bit cliché. We have Redwall and the Rats of Nihm that even take on the Tolkien fantasy aspects. So do we need yet another series about talking mice? No. Do we need Mouse Guard? Absolutely. Mouse Guard is a series about the Mouse Guard, a group of mice that police the pathways between settlements, protecting the kingdom from vicious animals like snakes and hermit crabs, as well as from the darker elements of mouse society. In September, I spoke highly of Image’s Mice Templar, a similar series about mice in an ancient time. While I still like Templar, Mouse Guard is superior in art. Series writer David Petersen masterfully draws the bright colored panels of action and captures the vicious as well as delicate in his characters.
Misericordia —
This is a story about the future, about a human girl trapped in a city of robots. Told, as far as the first issue, without only a few words, Misericordia is a series in which images carry the burden of storytelling. An 11-issue series, the mystery of how humans and robots became enemies, trading drugs for information in some sort of tentative alliance, is a compelling one. And though I am a little lost at the moment, I am sure the plot will soon begin to unfold. But, due to its unconventionality, I would recommend this series to the more art-inclined.
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