Whether it’s through popular songs like Foo Fighters’ “Learn To Fly” or Leonardo DaVinci’s prototype aviation machines, mankind has been enamored with flight. We have watched birds take to the air for millennia and we have attempted to mimic them for almost as long. Even mythology speaks of Icarus and his ill fated flight to freedom. Many fictional characters throughout the years have, through gadgets or superpowers, taken to the blue skies for one reason or another.

But what if the majority of people, rather than a few, gained just such an ability? What if, instead of walking, you could fly across the room? This is the scenario that Bizarre New World is bringing to the masses. At least that’s the plan, provided the good citizens of this planet help its Kickstarter campaign get off the ground. See what I did there? Yeah, I probably only amuse myself. *sigh*

Continue below for more info and to see the Kickstarter video.

I’m going to get straight to the point with this one. I was given the opportunity to read the graphic novel in its entirety and I accepted, of course. It was freaking amazing. It’s the story of the an average guy who develops the ability to fly, right before (nearly) everyone else finds themselves capable of the exact same ability.

But that’s not the entirety of it, not by a long shot. This 278-page comic is a massive accomplishment. Not only are we given the chance to examine how many folks would react to such an astounding ability, but this wondrous tome examines the darker side of having a “superpower.” Not everyone gains this power; many are left as they were before the pandemic of human flight. This, in turn, creates a new class of citizen that is reminiscent of many other social and economic disadvantages that people face everyday.

In short, it delves deeper than the average comic book story. The flip side of this coin is that, by and large, this story cracked me up. Hands down, it was one of the funniest things I’ve read in months.

And that’s just the original graphic novel that Skipper Martin has spent the last nine years creating. Yeah, you read that correctly. Nine years. And that’s just the work that he’s done himself. In addition to the complete story that he’s put together, Skipper has managed to get more than fifty other creators involved in an anthology that’s set in the same world and time frame. There are a lot of great folks that have helped broaden the horizons of Skipper’s concept but the one that stands out is our very own NeverWanderer, Joey Cruz. Joey has been a contributor here at Geeks of Doom for a long time and we were even asked to post an eight page lead in for the books and campaign. My article and the preview are available here for your reading enjoyment.

There’s so much to this campaign that it’s hard to narrow it down enough to cram it into one Kickstarter Spotlight. The gist of it all is that there are two different, yet connected, graphic novels. One is the original from Skipper while the other is the anthology of tales from all the others (I’d name them all but it would be a really long list). That anthology is 225 pages and has been edited by Skipper to stay within the parameters of his alternate world. Every single part of this is finished; there is nothing left to complete. The Kickstarter campaign is merely a means to publish, in physical form, the original story. But, and this is the kicker, if the stretch goal of twenty-five thousand dollars is met, the anthology will be printed as well. Otherwise, it will only be available in digital form. So let’s see if we can get both of these books fully published, shall we?

And as much as we all love to donate to a good cause, let’s be realistic, everyone likes to be rewarded for their good behavior. In this case, it’s all about the donors receiving comics, shirts, hats, and art. Smaller donations give you access or copies of the comic in digital form. Starting at $25 you get physical copies, double that and you get a cool T-shirt. Original art is available at the $120 level, but you can be featured on the cover if you are able to drop $350 for a special personalized edition. And there’s a massive unique reward level that you have to see to believe. It’s called the First Class Flier level for a reason.

Before you make any final decisions based on my thoughts, watch the video below and visit the official Kickstarter campaign here. Skipper has a lot of passion for this project and he’s recruited some excellent talent. It would be a shame for you to just ignore that. Take a few minutes and check it all out. The campaign ends May 29, 2015 so don’t put this off. Too often I stumble upon a great Kickstarter just a little too late and I end up drowning my sorrows in the bottom of a bottle (of Coke Zero). And no one wants to see that, you know.

Up, up, and away!

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