It may have a lot of bells and whistles, but if it doesn’t have a strong story then all that stuff is for nothing. According to the Kickstarter, the story of Past Away takes place in a not too far off future where an outbreak of violence plagues the overcrowded mega-cities. Jason Brooks is a pizza delivery guy who operates a remote control drone in Zone 13 of the mega-structure called The Place. It’s Halloween and he finds himself having to deliver pizza the old fashioned way in his pizza-mobile. It’s while Jason is out and about that all hell breaks loose.

The goal of the Kickstarter is to finance two aspects really. Middleton shows off a lot of work, but he needs to finish up the engineering and website, and he needs to put together the first episode. The goal is to make a free story online where you can play along and pick what Jason does in the zombie infested mega-city. It’s a motion comic that looks more like a cartoon and you get to decide how the story unfolds. You can check out the video below to see how it all looks.

I think this is one that is definitely worth your attention because it is incredibly unique. I’ve watched a lot of motion comics, I’ve read a lot of zombie stories, and I’ve played a lot of the choose your own adventure games, but I’ve never seen something combine them to the effect it appears Middleton has. You can check out the full Kickstarter page by clicking here to see if Past Away is for you. The Facebook page for the project and other things being worked on by Scindo Media can be checked out by clicking here.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Kickstart The Art: Past Away: Choose How You’ll Survive!

The indiegogo project is to cover the costs of the second issue. The summary:

After years of studying philosophy and film the two passions combined to create the first issue of my graphic novel.  I’m seeking funds to help with the second issue that will be completed in conduction with my illustrator, Sabine ten Lohuis, and professionally printed.

Life Through the Lens is a very character driven story, so it’s important you know a little bit about the characters. Here’s a brief sketch of Richard and Jerald:

• Richard Winston is the inner child of film, a person who sees himself and the world separately. He’s a follower in real situations, but a leader in the mind.

• Jerald Freestone lives out film, a person who sees himself not separated from the world. He’s a leader, but lost in his own deception.

This is a project you should really get behind because it’s a great indie story in the comics medium. Film buffs or philosophy students will dig it, it’s that type of scene. Read the review to get a good idea of the story and be sure to check out the indiegogo page by clicking here to help out a great series.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Kickstart The Art: Life Through The Lens

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, A Good Look At The Characters From Hyper Heroes

After reading issue #1

#1 was all about introducing Tomorrow Jones and her world.  With all of that out of the way, we can get to the meaty character development.  Tomorrow is much more likable this time around.  She’s equal rebellious and logical, something that is a rarity amongst teen heroes.  She wants to be a superhero, but understands what her parents are saying.  There are also some hints into what the world of Tomorrow Jones is like.  It seems like there are more unmasked superheroes than there are masked.  An interesting change of pace.  Brian Daniel, the writer, throws around a lot of sci-fi story points when giving Tomorrow’s mother a backstory, but doesn’t harp on it.  He gives the necessary information then moves on.  The big fight scene works as a nice bonding moment for mother and daughter.  The inner monologue is written well.  It builds on the previous issue, and how much training Tomorrow has gone through.  It would have been  unbelievable to have her suddenly wail on a massive villain.

The biggest thing in the win column for Tomorrow Jones #2 is the family dynamic.  Much like the Fantastic Four, it feels real.  Family members get in fights, and listen to one another.  I love me some superheroes fighting, but give me a side order of family disfunction, and we have a great comic.  By the end of the fight, the reader can feel the connection Tomorrow and her mother feel.  Quite a bit happens in this issue, but it doesn’t feel cramped.  The dodgeball scene could have been eliminated as it doesn’t add much to the story.  It would have given the comic more time to focus on Tomorrow’s school given her big development.  There is a quick line about superhero costumes and how they show off a lot of skin, which worked really well.  Tomorrow isn’t the normal female superhero, so I guessed that she wouldn’t want to wear a costume like her mother.  But to have the conversation come up naturally in the heat of the moment worked very well.

Manadin’s artwork is good, but still has the same problems as #1.  First off, it’s a little cheesecake, but not as bad as last issue.  Tomorrow has the physique of an 18 year old, but the story calls her 14 multiple times.  While it’s probably on purpose, as the book is trying to make a point about female superhero costumes, it still seems a tad off.  Her parents look the same age Tomorrow, which is a simple thing to fix.  The fight scene is a hard hitting piece of comic art.  There is a real fear in Tomorrow’s eyes when the villain his hitting her stomach.  Manadin adds gives characters anime type eyes, so they are very expressive.

Tomorrow Jones is an indie comic that should be getting more attention.  It has a few bumps, but it seems to be working through them fast.

Tomorrow Jones #2 gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, ADVANCE REVIEW: Tomorrow Jones #2

Yes THAT Eric, the one from our podcasts, who worships Aquaman and is super cool.

Kickstarter link: HERE

Rather than mope about his banishment and beg his Pop for a ticket back home, Thor elects to stay on Earth, and give her inhabitants the kind of God they deserve– one who would rather bludgeon their enemies to death with a hammer than be nailed to a cross by them.

Thor: Unkillable Thunder Christ is a comic book single by Eric M. Esquivel & Ander Sarabia, published by Moonstone Books.

It’s the second in a series of five one-shots which take classic, public domain superheroes, Gods, and cult icons and recontextualize them as a modern mythology for contemporary audiences.

Thor: Unkillable Thunder Christ tells the story of a rowdy immortal youth who is banished from his father’s Heaven to a world whose Gods are weak, absent and criminally negligent.

Rather than mope about his banishment and beg his Pop for a ticket back home, Thor elects to stay on Earth, and give her inhabitants the kind of God they deserve– one who would rather bludgeon their enemies to death with a hammer than be nailed to a cross by them.

Eric is using Kickstarter to finance the first print run of the books (a common practice among “indie” publishers).

If you’d like more information about Thor: Unkillable Thunder Christ, or to schedule an interview, please call Eric M. Esquivel at (520)-548-0045, or email Eric at ericMesquivel@gmail.com.

Eric M. Esquivel has been writing comics for seven years (in a row, even), and can be found online here:

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