Nova Phase
Written by Matthew Ritter
Art by Adam Elbahtimy
Slave Labor Graphics
Release Date: January 15, 2014
Cover Price: #1 Free; #2 $.99

On a dusty backworld planet, Veronica Darkwater dreams of escaping her desolate city via a starcruiser into space. However, her ambitions don’t quite see eye to eye with her bank account, and in order to get the ticket onboard the shuttle, Veronica takes up bounty hunting to earn a living and save up the required funds. Her fate is set, when after taking in her most recent bounty, Veronica keeps the criminal’s “lucky coin” for herself.

Meanwhile a team member of a ragtag space ship crew, Dillard, has been sent to the same planet to retrieve said “lucky coin”, with a deployment of Confederate soldiers hot on his heels in pursuit of the same coin. As Dillard and Veronica’s paths cross, the stage is set for an unlikely pairing and Veronica dreams of space may just become a reality, though not in the exact manner she expected!

Sanctuary
By Stephen Coughlin
Slave Labor Graphics
Release Date: Available Now
Cover Price: $.99

Stephen Coughlin‘s Sanctuary is a really nice change of pace from any comic that’s out there today. Not quite sure where you’d categorize this, and I get the feeling that’s what the writers are going for, so I won’t even try to. Although the comic features talking animals, make no mistake, this is NOT a kids book and nothing along the vain of Captain Carrot or Spider-Ham. I feel bad even making those comparisons. Billed as “part Lost, part Island of Dr. Moreau” that wasn’t quite the feeling that I got out of it, having the bite of neither of these things. Yes, there’s mystery, but that’s really where it ends. The story is a little slow to begin, but once it gets going, it’s decent.

By TygerLily Ernst

Zombies Calling
Written and Illustrated By Faith Erin Hicks
Slave Labor Comics
Cover price: $9.95; On sale now

Do you believe that zombies will take over the world someday? Do you spend a lazy evening watching Shaun of the Dead or 28 Days Later for the fortieth time? Did you know that a spork can be a handy weapon when the zombies come? Do you insist on buying every zombie movie and comic book the day it’s released? Do you eat, drink and breathe all things zombie? Or wish that George Romero was your grandfather? If you do then Zombies Calling is right up your alley.

Already noticed for her online comic Ice, which was nominated for a Joe Shuster Award in 2006, it was Zombies Calling that actually earned Faith Erin Hicks the prestigious award in 2008. This 104-page graphic novel, the first print work to be released by the newcomer, is set in an urban college town in Canada. That’s where we find our protagonist, Joss, enjoying a lazy evening watching zombie movies with friends. She has an obsession with all things British; from the slang she uses right down to the Union Jack tank top that she always wears. However, she also has the normal trials of a college student — exams, financial aid, and what not. Her dorm-mate, Sonnet, is the intelligent, Gothy, level-headed member of the group. Then there is Robyn, the cute (but somewhat clueless) boy who rounds out the crew. Each is recognizable to the reader; we’ve all known these guys. They’re at every university and coffeehouse in any college town.