When people think of comics, they think of the superhero genre which has pervaded our cinema and television screens for years. Or they think of the lesser known, but still immensely popular comics tacking a wide range of subjects outside of such as pulp, noir, and westerns. Burt sometimes, we get a comic that focuses on experimental stories and new modes of storytelling.
This is one such book. Published by Wave Blue World, a creator-owned story publisher, this comic explores scifi and fantasy subjects ranging from time travel, cosmic travel, the meaning of death, environmental mysteries, faith and religion, , fate vs destiny, genetics, and other topics. . Now, you can argue that mainstream comics already do that, but as the title suggests: this anthology is meant to push boundaries, leave unclear answers, and be thought provoking.
There are 27 fictions here:
Phantom Limb Ghostpunch by Greg Pak & Tom Raney
Stranger Than Fiction by Tyler Chin-Tanner & Ayşegül Sınav
Dark, Dark World by Cullen Bunn & Nathan Fox
Plunder by Phil Hester & Daniel Warren Johnson
The Wave by Robert Sammelin
The Wall by Tyler Chin-Tanner & Toby Cypress
In The Night, Mountains Grew by Marguerite Bennett & Varga Tomi
Flyer by Justin Zimmerman & Mike Lawrence
Kismet: Man of Fate by A. David Lewis & Noel Tuazon
The Beard by Fred Van Lente & Alison Sampson
Purgatory by Caral Berrocal
No Regrets by Jamie Coe
The Legend of Dyson Holmes by Edie OP
The Trip by Joshua Hale Fiaklov & Ryan Kelly
It’s About Time by Frederik Hautin & Facundo Percio
Death Signal by Adam Egypt Mortimer & Jeff McComsey
Quin Returns by David Hine & Mark Stafford
Here There Be Monsters by Sean Wang
Terran Omega by PJ Holden
Wreck of Vesalius by Steve Orlando & Yaroslav Astapeev
Sole Survivor by Steve Bryant
Rabid by Kurt Belcher & Rob Croonenborghs
Inside Out by Karrie Fransman
Down In A Hole by Noah Van Sciver
30 Years of Service by Box Brown
Key * A Bastard’s Tale by Salgood Sam
Last Dance at Omega Point by I.N.J. Culbard
As you can see from this list, this is an impressive roster. In addition, the book includes an index of materials that were part of the original kickstarter: copies of the bookplate and limited edition prints.
Which isn't to say that this anthology is completely unfamiliar territory. You don't have to squint to see echoes and parallels to other science fiction and fantasy already established in popular culture: Aliens, Star Wars, Mad Max, Ghostbusters, Total Recall, Flatliners, came to mind for me as I read this -- and I'm sure I'll come up with more if when I revisit this. Yet, this anthology updates and retools the echoes and parallels . It startles established cliches and sleepy tropes into new patterns.
I highly rec this anthology. If you don't read comics but love science fiction and fantasy, you'll like this because this stories are bite-sized appetizers to the best creators working right now in the industry. If you love comics, but are bored of seeing the same old material being recycled over and over, read this because you will see how inventive comics can be.
While I have almost nothing but praise for this anthology, I do have one problem with it, which I feel I must address. Although it does, indeed, push boundaries, the majority of the stories seem to feature cisheterosexual straight men. Women are generally sidelined as lovers or secondary characters. There appear to be no gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or non-gender conforming characters. Also, while the creator list itself is multicultural, many of the fictional characters appear to be white. Now, I like the stories in this anthology as a whole, but I don't think it goes QUITE as far as it could have, and should have, to be inclusive of new worlds. (Which I rec "The Beyond Anthology" edited by Sfe F. Monster as a compliment to Broken Frontier.)
But anyone who picks up this book will find a gem. I hope this book becomes a classic anthology.
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