The top indie comics: July 7th are mostly comprised of beginnings and ends. A good series begins with either strong characters to attach to or a riveting plot to get behind. Strong endings capture you emotionally or leave you compelled by a moral quandary. These comics do them all. Be sure to pick up these indie comics: July 7th!
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Blade Runner 2029 Volume 1
Creative Team: Mike Johnson, Andres Guinaldo, Marco Lesko, Jim Campbell
Publisher: Titan Comics
Ten years after the classic film Blade Runner 2029, Volume 1 follows Ash, a former Blade Runner who recently returned to the job with ulterior motives: save as many replicants as she can. It’s a great take on the Blade Runner franchise that feels far more at home in the genre, personally, than Blade Runner 2049. The stakes are sky-high, and the cyberpunk and sci-fi elements are very strong.
Chained to the Grave #5
Creative Team: Brian Level, Andrew Eschenbach, Kate Sherron, and Micah Myers
Publisher: IDW Publishing
The conclusion of one of the strangest comics I have read recently, Chained to the Grave #5, provides a satisfying conclusion to the limited series about a reanimated cowboy father. It’s wacky, it’s bizarre, it’s sometimes slightly offensive, but it’s also beautiful, artistically, and narratively. For as odd as this series is, I really admire it for how it goes absolutely all-in on its oddity. It never lets up, getting wackier and wackier every issue until it culminates here in a grand show of bizarreness. All the while, though, it’s a heartfelt story with a lot to say about Western tropes and how to break them creatively and successfully.
Doorways to Danger
Creative Team: Tom Angleberger, Jeff Harvey, and Valentina Pinto
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Doorways to Danger is essential a really solid episode of Ducktales in graphic novel form. But regardless of your experience with the classic show or its remake, this is just a fun Disney adventure featuring all of your favorites, from Mickey and Donald to Daisy and Uncle Scrooge himself. The story is fit for all ages and offers great humor in a familiar package.
The Eye Collector #1
Creative Team: Jonathan Ball, G. M. B. Chomichuk, and Lyndon Radchenka
Publisher: Heavy Metal imprint Virus
I’ll be honest. I don’t really know what’s going on here. But perhaps that’s the point in The Eye Collector #1. It’s ephemeral but effective. In its brevity, it introduces a chilling monster and poses a lot of menaces. Whatever happens from here, I’m ready to be pleasantly creeped out.
Karmen #5
Content Warning: Suicide
Creative Team: Guillem March, Tony López, Dan Christensen, and Cromatix, LTD
Publisher: Image Comics (original Belgian publisher Dupuis)
If you’re prepared to weep, Karmen is for you. It’s a metaphysical jaunt through the greatest mistake of Cata’s life, her own suicide. The conclusion of this mini-series is deeply moving as it puts life and meaning into perspective. The series begins simple, as a woman flies naked through the streets at the behest of her mysterious other-dimensional benefactor. It concludes here with a complete reinvention of the purpose of karma and reincarnation and several pages of absolute heartstring-pulling.
Mamo #1
Creative Team: Sas Milledge
Publisher: BOOM! Studios imprint BOOM! Box
Mamo #1 is your new obsession by Sas Milledge. The gorgeous comic follows Jo as she searches for the Witch of Haresden to help cure her mother of a curse and release the whole town. Reluctantly, the Witch agrees only to encounter some personal troubles of her own. With captivating characters and plot set to gorgeous and detailed art, this series will surely not be one to miss.
Middlewest: The Complete Tale
Content Warning: Child Abuse
Creative Team: Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, and Nate Piekos
Publisher: Image Comics
If you read nothing else this week, read Middlewest. It’s an absolutely incredible tale of one boy’s quest to make meaning of his father’s abuse. This full 18 chapter saga takes you across fantastical lands, terrible dangers, and what it means to be family. The core of its story, though, is about forgiveness: who deserves it, who can give it out, and whether and when you should. The whole way through, it is visually rich and filled with characters you will love instantly. And its powerful ending is perhaps one of the best in the medium.
Nocterra #5
Creative Team: Scott Snyder, Tony S. Daniel, Tomeu Morey, and Andworld Design
Publisher: Image Comics
Concluding the series’ first arc, this issue makes the list this week for how it completely flips the script on its main characters and the world they inhabit. The universe of Nocterra broadens as we learn more about the light and dark. And Val and Emory swap perspectives: with Val becoming optimistic for the first time ever and Emory finding himself in despair after surviving transformation into a Shade. It’s a very strong end to the arc and sets up riving conflict for the arc to come.
Stone Star Volume 1: Fight or Flight
Creative Team: Jim Zub, Max Dumbar, Espen Grundetjern, and Marshall Dillon
Publisher: Swords & Sassery/ComiXology/Dark Horse Books (print edition)
The Stone Star is a dangerous place for anybody, let alone kids. Yet, here we are, with a kid named Dail learning about the dangers of his friends, his family, his past, and his own mysterious powers. It’s a fun story with interesting character designs and an intriguing mystery at its core.
From strong beginnings to powerful endings, these stories are some of the best indie comics: July 7th. Don’t miss out on these and others at ComiXology.com and wherever comics are sold.
