Part of our mission here at Visionist Cove is to celebrate the fiction that we love. Oftentimes, when it comes to comics, that means talking about the best new books on the stands each week. However, comics aren’t limited to the direct market – in fact many of the best stories being created exist outside that market altogether.
Crowdfunded comics have exploded over the last few years, and there are more and more exceptionally exciting new projects being launched every month. Here’s a look some of our most anticipated stories, from a variety of creators and genres, that you should be aware of!
Mirenda and the Golden Horns by Grim Wilkins
“MIRENDA AND THE GOLDEN HORNS is a 70+ page, oversized fantasy comic centered around a woman possessed by a mysterious demon, and her journey to exorcise it. Along the way she makes new friends, evades mystical pursuers, and gets closer to answering the question: Who is Mirenda?”
Following on from the original, silent graphic novel, Mirenda and the Golden Horns boasts some of the most beautiful artwork I think I’ve seen. Expertly utilising a wide yet somewhat muted colour palette, this title from Grim Wilkins promises an incredible piece of visual storytelling that stretches across 70+ pages.
Evocative of the style of Studio Ghibli films, it’s impossible not to fall in love with the emotive and creative storytelling going on here.
Back Mirenda and the Golden Horns on Kickstarter!
Stone Hearted by Meredith McClaren
“Nobody runs away to the woods because things are going WELL.“
First brought to my attention on Twitter by Kelly Thompson, Stone Hearted is Meredith McClaren’s latest solo venture – this time into the world of fantasy and romance.
It’s a (mostly) black and white story about a girl named Alma, who has run away from the problems in her life and found herself studying under a witch in the woods. She’s also found herself in the company of Vers, a ‘handsome mountain troll’ with whom she’s set to share many NSFW pages.
Yes, that’s right, this is a sexy book. It’s a smutty book. And, it’s a book about love.
Equal parts adorable and horny, I’m getting the vibe that this book is going to be perfect for anyone that’s a fan of McClaren’s previous work (such as her most recent title Black Cloak, with Birds of Prey‘s Kelly Thompson) as well as anyone that loves series like Sunstone, Mercy or Harleen from Stjepan Šejić.
Coming with such a distinct and characterful sense of style, and clocking in at a whopping 240 pages, it’s hard not to recommend something so individualistic! For those who want to back this project, you can find it here:
INFERNO GIRL RED BOOKS ONE & TWO by Mat Groom + Erica D’Urso
If you’ve been paying any attention to the Indie comics scene, then you’ll know about the Massive-Verse. You’ll also likely know that it’s been kicking tremendous ass, carving out its own space as the next biggest shared universe in comics.
Part of the Massive-Verse is Inferno Girl Red, a standalone series set in a neighbouring universe to the one that titles like Radiant Black and Rogue Sun occupy. It follows Cássia Costa as she fights to defend her hometown with incredible new powers and, by the sounds of it, a burgeoning new romance on the horizon?
New villains, new challenges and new adventures are all set for the second instalment of one of the most visually arresting series I’ve read in a long time.
Drawing inspiration from tokusatsu superhero properties like Power Rangers, and infusing it with huge bursts of passion and imagination, the creative team of Mat Groom, Erica D’Urso, Igor Monti, Becca Carey and Kyle Higgins started something really special with the campaign for the first book in 2021. Now, two years and a Massive-Verse later, book two is up for crowdfunding.
What’s more? You can even grab a copy of Book One in wonderful, deluxe, oversized hardcover format too (and take it from someone who backed the first campaign, boy does it look good)!
Back INFERNO GIRL RED BOOK TWO on Kickstarter now!
THE CODEX Volume I – A Post-Apocalyptic Graphic Novel
“Join Tansky, Anna, Konrad and Ace as they traverse the wastelands of Veroque, encountering eldritch beasts, nomadic mercenaries, and marauding warlords on their voyage to unveil the mysteries of THE CODEX — a grimoire of evil forged through the destruction of DARMOK, the ancient demon.”
THE CODEX looks brilliant for a multitude of reasons (not least of all because it’s endorsed by crime-fiction extraordinare Ed Brisson!).
Writer Corey Crater and artist Pablo De Bonis, joined by colourist Damian Penalba, have whipped up a fantastically rendered, grit-filled and action-packed look at what wild stuff can happen when the world ends.
What’s more, this title isn’t a first issue – it’s a first volume. Upon completion, this campaign will deliver to you a 196-page graphic novel packed with great art, a killer concept and brilliant designs. If you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic stories, or stories with dogs, or even stories with the odd bug-person, this should be right up your alley.
Back THE CODEX VOL 1 on Kickstarter!
BIG F#@K OFF WORMS #2
Rounding out this list of Kickstarter comics is a pitch so mad and so fun I couldn’t not include it on the list. BIG F#@K OFF WORMS follows, naturally, the after-effects of some abnormally large worms descending back to Earth after being shot into space and subsequently irradated to high heaven.
Written by UK comic creator Matt Garvey, this second issue (you can also buy the first as part of the campaign) promises bucket loads of mayhem, madness and radiation-enhanced critters. J Francis Totti’s artwork doesn’t mess around either, matching the zanieness of the script and elevating it with as much energy as it can.
This series strikes me as something in the vein of a Daniel Warren Johnson joint with a sprinkling of Mad Max, populated all the while with mammalian, reptilian and avian humanoids.
