Comics & Graphic Novels | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Snowlands: A Blood Moon by Morr Meroz, Illustrated by Collin Fogel

Author Morr Meroz and illustrator Collin Fogel have summoned a beautifully stunning world with their immersive graphic novel Snowlands: A Blood Moon.

Feba the snow-white wolf cub is forced to flee her pack to avoid a curse – or a death sentence – launching her on the journey of a lifetime, as she crosses paths with many other creatures wandering in the wild, some who are keen to join her adventure, and others who aren’t so sure. Gathering allies and making friends along the way, like Batu the monosyllabic wildcat, Usha the grief-stricken leopard seeking the Seeress, a pacifistic […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2022-01-03T09:55:37+02:00January 1st, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Children's Books, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy|

Review: Dragon’s Mist by Randy Cruts, Art by Marco Cosentino

Author Randy Cruts and artist Marco Cosentino deliver a wickedly entertaining YA graphic novel in Dragon’s Mist, an unexpectedly riveting ride through the imagination of a young boy, Charlie. Imaginary friends and epic quests are a staple of childhood, making this book deeply relatable for young readers, and nostalgia-inducing for older ones.

After a chance encounter with an Irish priest – a water-loving cousin of dragons – Charlie’s imagination springs to life, spinning out an entire world of adventures to explore. The regular introduction of new characters, from god-like guardians and titanic best friends to shape-shifting villains and avian […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-05T07:33:23+02:00September 1st, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult|

Review: Empty Quarter: The Heredity of the Sands by Baltasar

Attempting to achieve something profound through a graphic novel is a major challenge for many artists and writers, namely because so much has to be expressed in such a short and condensed amount of space. In Empty Quarter: The Heredity of the Sand, a new graphic short by Baltasar, there are plenty of ideas on display, but the book struggles at times to keep the flow of meaning clear.

Based on the Empty Quarter area of the Arabic Peninsula, this is a simply illustrated book, primarily visualized with stock-posed characters over photographic backgrounds and speech bubbles. The premise is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:31:50+02:00March 4th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels|

Review: Storm Shelter by Raymond Payne

Storm Shelter by Raymond Payne is a vivid illustrated novel based on his 2004 novel Shelter from the Storm, which tells the tale of Juan “Johnny” Lopez and his plans to escape from a juvenile detention center.

With a fellow gang member to help him, Johnny thinks he has everything figured out. He will escape and tell anyone who will listen about the conditions at the facility. At the same time that Lopez is planning to obtain his freedom, Danny Matthews – a young boy who had spent a good part of his life in foster care – is on […]

SPR2019-01-11T14:50:42+02:00September 12th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels, Contemporary Fiction|

Genesis II by Allen Ling & Christian Boe

Graphic novels may have spent decades in the shadow of comic books, but the genre continues to expand and progress, as shown in the electric new graphic novel, Genesis II, by Allan Ling and Christian Boe, a stunning artistic and storytelling achievement.

The core of the story is the friendship between two young boys who grow up to be incredible scientists in a strange, dystopian future. Joining forces to battle for freedom, they draw on their lifelong friendship and the strength that has brought to both of them, taking on a monster who would see the world’s population eliminated.

In […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:31:55+02:00June 28th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels, Science Fiction|

Review: Tricaillin by Steve Galley

Content warning for some violent and sexual content/nudity.

Tricaillin is a new graphic novel from Steve Galley, set in a post-apocalyptic society dominated by industrial overlords and torn apart by the horrors that sprung from an old war. A secret society works tirelessly for freedom, and they require help from beyond the pale to win it; meanwhile, a mysterious woman makes her way to answer the call. She must defend and assist the downtrodden and fend off the sterile tyranny of Fivecorp, all to cleanse her soul. The strange and the powerful must fight for their own ideas of order, […]

James Grimsby2020-02-21T06:32:02+02:00February 4th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Post-Apocalyptic|

Review: I and You by Beverly Garside & Lucas Duimstra

This Ayn Rand-inspired comic book from writer Beverly Garside and illustrator Lucas Duimstra is a refreshing read in my pile of reviews this month.

Drawing on the social theory by novelist Rand of Objectivism, i.e. that the sole purpose of life is to pursue one’s own happiness, and to basically act individually in everything to better oneself (hence the title alluding to the outlawed use of the word “we”), we follow Sara, a young official working for a military sector which monitors activity across the nation via cameras a little like Big Brother’s CCTV style watch. Sara believes very much […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T06:32:10+02:00December 18th, 2013|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels, Dystopian Fiction|

Self-Publishing Comic Books

One facet to self-publishing we at SPR have never really touched on is the potential for self-publishing comic books. We met three interesting self-publishers at San Diego Comic Fest whose comic books are highly entertaining, and use a slightly different model to fiction paperback self-publishers – a lot of selling is done at conventions, in shops and on their own websites as a result of their offline marketing – maybe there is something to be learned here for paperback writers!

Read on for info and free books!

Little Vampires.com is a highly amusing take on the vampire legend, authored by […]

Cate Baum2020-02-21T06:32:14+02:00October 9th, 2013|Categories: Member Blog|Tags: Comics & Graphic Novels|