In collaboration with bestselling writer/creator Greg Rucka ( The Old Guard ), writers Robert Mackenzie and Dave Walker ( Lazarus Sourcebook ) team up with artist Justin Greenwood ( Stumptown, The Fuse, The Last Siege ) to take readers on a breathless journey in the forthcoming Compass . This all-new, five-issue miniseries will launch from Image Comics in June. " Compass was born out of our desire to tell a story of discovery without colonialism, of adventure without exploitation—something with the verve and energy of the pulps, but with a perspective that hadn't been seen much in that genre," said Mackenzie. "Getting there was its own process of discovery, and it’s been a joy to work with co-creators who have the talent to truly unearth Shahidah‘s quest. I'm so pleased to be able to share Compass with the world." In Compass , readers meet Shahidah El-Amin, the main character who is many things: scholar, cartographer, astronomer, mathematician, scientist,...

 GREG RUCKA proudly presents a new direction in adventure with... COMPASS! COMPASS #1 Writer: Robert Mackenzie, Dave Walker Artist: Justin Greenwood, Daniela Miwa Letterer: Simon Bowland Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: June 16, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Shahidah El-Amin is many things: scholar, cartographer, astronomer, mathematician, scientist, explorer, adventurer, and - when need be - two-fisted fighter. Setting out from Baghdad's legendary House of Wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age, Shahi's quest brings her to 13th-century Britain... where the Welsh are whispered to possess the secret of eternal life. But Shahi's not the only one after it... Re-teaming from the pages of THE OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME, writers ROBERT MACKENZIE and DAVE WALKER (LAZARUS SOURCEBOOK) and artist JUSTIN GREENWOOD (Stumptown, THE FUSE, THE LAST SIEGE) take you on a breathless race. Follow the Compass to unlock the secrets of the ancient world!  Score:  ★★★★☆ (4/5) QUICK REVIEW: ...

COMPASS #3 Writer: Robert Mackenzie, Dave Walker Artist: Justin Greenwood, Daniela Miwa Letters: Simon Bowland Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: August 18, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 GREG RUCKA proudly presents a new direction in adventure with... COMPASS! Evil pursues Shahidah El-Amin to the ends of the Earth...and miles beneath it. The quest for the Cauldron of Eternal Life takes Shahi - and her one-time sister-in-arms, now enemy, Ling Hua - deep within the darkest caverns of Christendom, where the treasure hunters face monsters, visions, and the legions of the dead! The acclaimed OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME team of writers ROBERT MACKENZIE and DAVE WALKER (LAZARUS SOURCEBOOK) and artist JUSTIN GREENWOOD (LAZARUS: X +66, Stumptown) plunge comics' boldest new heroine to thrilling depths of danger! Score: ★★★★1/2 (4.5/5) QUICK REVIEW: 'Compass' #3 is where the dueling scholars converge. Arriving at different points of entrance, Shahidah and Ling take their own perilou...

COMPASS #4  Writer: Robert Mackenzie, Dave Walker Artist: Justin Greenwood, Daniela Miwa Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: September 15, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 GREG RUCKA proudly presents a new direction in adventure with...COMPASS! Deep in the belly of the underworld, undying beasts and warrior ghouls await...but can Shahidah El-Amin survive the last deadly guardian of the fabled Cauldron of Eternal Life? Finding her way through the darkness is only the beginning-outside the cavern, a Mongolian war party awaits! From the acclaimed OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME team of writers ROBERT MACKENZIE and DAVE WALKER (LAZARUS SOURCEBOOK) and artist JUSTIN GREENWOOD (LAZARUS: X +66, Stumptown), Shahi's quest for the prize of immortality nears its thrilling end! Score:  ★★★★1/2 (4.5/5) 'Compass' has been an educational and exciting adventure that's brought two intelligent women together despite their opposing motivations. This penultimate episode is a breath-taking perilo...

 Shahidah and Uma race to find the Cauldron of Eternal Life. This action-packed adventure series dials up the conflict as two opposing forces draw nearer and nearer to each other.  COMPASS #2 Writer: Robert Mackenzie, Dave Walker Artist: Justin Greenwood, Daniela Miwa Letters: Simon Bowland Publisher: Image Comics Release Date: July 21, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 GREG RUCKA proudly presents a new direction in adventure with...COMPASS! Chased across continents, marked for death by Mongol assassins, and betrayed by her sister-in-arms - the odds are stacked against Shahidah... and the adventure's just begun! As Shahi closes in on the fabled Cauldron of Eternal Life, the emaciated and bloodthirsty Margul Khan rallies his forces in her pursuit. More than just an old man's health is at stake... if the Khan gets his clutches on the prize of immortality, he'll crush the Earth in his tyrannical grip! The acclaimed OLD GUARD: TALES THROUGH TIME team of writers ROBERT MACKENZIE and DA...

It what could be the best year in independent comics in sales and quality, here are some examples of what made 2021 in comics so entertaining, funny, exciting, thrilling, and thought-provoking.  Rumors of the death of the comic industry have been wildly exaggerated. Despite what some angry internet trolls may have posted, the comic book industry is alive and well, thriving in 2021. In fact, since 2012 , book sales have steadily climbed every year becoming a billionaire dollar industry with no sign of stopping. Bolstered by manga, middle-grade publications, and graphic novels, comics are as healthy as ever.  I've been lucky to read and review so many wonderful independent comics thanks to the generosity of comic book publishers, public relations agencies, and creators themselves that reach out and/or agree to provide copies. The truth is, there are too many great comics to not only read but to review in a timely manner. It can be overwhelming, especially for a one-man operat...

Everything you want in a sword and sorcery book is right here. A barbarian cursed by witches to do good. An enchanted talking ax that steers his moral compass and talks smack. Let the adventure begin! BARBARIC #1 Writer: Michael Moreci Artist: Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke Letterer: Jim Campbell Publisher: Vault Comics Release Date: June 30, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Owen the Barbarian has been cursed to do good with what remains of his life. His bloodthirsty weapon, Axe, has become his moral compass with a drinking problem. Together they wander the realm, foredoomed to help any who seek assistance. But there is one thing Owen hates more than a life with rules: Witches. Welcome to the skull-cracking, blood-splattering, mayhem-loving comic brave enough to ask: How can a man sworn to do good do so much violence? Hah! F***ing with you. It's just...BARBARIC. Score: ★★★★★ (5/5) Michael Moreci has made a success of putting his own spin on well-worn genres like horror ( The Plot ),  advent...

 Check out this week's recommendations in new independent comic releases! This week we're trying out a new feature using our new YouTube channel. We're highlighting some new independent comics coming out this week that we think are worth checking out. Some are debuts, some are ongoing series, some are even finales. Overall, the Top Ten are in no particular order and come from various indie publishers. We hope to have reviews of some of these as well later in the week. If these titles spark your interest, follow the link to the respective publisher site for more information, and be sure to call your local comic shop to hold a copy for you. If you don't have a regular shop you visit, find a shop near you by using the shop locator . Happy Reading! THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA #9    Writer: Roberto Aguirre Sacasa Artist: Robert Hack Publisher: Archie Comics Release Date: October 13, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 THE HIT HORROR SERIES THAT SPAWNED A MASSIVELY SUCCESSFUL...

 A Light-Hearted, Educational Look at Unrealized Technological and Societal Advances The Full-Color 300+ Page Comics Collection Explores Futures Which Never Came to Be History is often written by the winners… but this spring, the award-winning independent publisher Iron Circus is jumping through the cracks in history to spotlight those who didn't let failure stop their dreams. Iron Circus, the premiere publisher of award-winning, critically-acclaimed graphic novels in the American Midwest, is launching a crowdfunding campaign for FAILURE TO LAUNCH: A TOUR OF ILL-FATED FUTURES, a light-hearted, educational tour of (so far!) unrealized technological and societal advances promised in years past, but which never came to be. FAILURE TO LAUNCH tells the tales of what could have been but wasn't: planned utopias in space, wild inventions, attempts to improve society, robot pets, and predictions of armageddon. With over 300 pages of full-color comics, this collection of disasters ex...