Shifter
Created by Skip Brittenham and Brian Haberlin
Written by Brian Haberlin and Brian Holguin
Illustrations by Brian Haberlin, Geirrod VanDyke, Kunrong Yap and Chan Hyuk Lee
Letters by Francis Takenaga
Technology by David Pentz
Anomaly Publishing
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Cover Price: $19.99

Shifter is the newest offering from the creative team that brought us Anomaly last year. This huge graphic novel spans over two hundred pages and is more than just entertainment, it’s thought provoking. I found myself pondering how certain people and groups abuse the power they have over others, not to mention what I would do were I in the protagonist’s place.

We start off with Noah (which just so happens to be my nephew’s name), he’s just your average government employee that has a job flying drones to keep an eye on the environment. While getting ready to knock off for the day and head out to his bachelor party, he sees something that’s just a little off. After reporting it to his boss, he heads out for the night, not giving it a second thought. Everything seems normal when he gets up the next day for a nature hike, he even stops to help a couple of guys who are lost on the trail. Following an accident that leaves him half drowned and stuck in an underground cavern, he eventually makes his way to another cave that seems to be the legendary White Lodge that the Native Americans once held sacred. Above him hangs a sphere that abruptly pulls him inside and begins to interact with him in order to repair the damage done to his body.

Anomaly
Hardcover
Written by Skip Brittenham
Illustrated by Brian Haberlin
Anomaly Publishing
Release Date: November 15, 2012
Cover Price: $75.00

Anomaly is a massive, awesome graphic novel that takes place in a future where most of the nations on Earth have joined together as one entity called The Conglomerate. The Conglomerate is eagerly trying to take over worlds and spread their influence.

The story begins with an ex-enforcer for the Conglomerate named Jon. Jon disobeyed orders in combat and got demoted to a low-level worker, or a menial. Jon is given an opportunity to redeem himself when he is reinstated as an enforcer and ordered to accompany Sam, the daughter of a high-ranking Conglomerate member, on an interplanetary mission of “peace.” However, once they land on the plane that they named Anomaly, their peace mission turns out to be a suicide run. The atmosphere of the planet destroys most of their technology and the crew members find themselves in the middle of centuries-old conflict between several alien races. The would-be explorers are now fighting a desperate battle for survival.