Best of ComiXology Submit 2015 #1-10

Pipedream Comics

It’s been another amazing year for digital indie comics and so picking the best of ComiXology Submit 2015 has not been an easy task, but here we present our top 10 which features cybernetic sleuths, nightmarish pyramids, Victorian action heroes and an otter with a turtle on his head.

1. The Kill Screen (Mike Garley Comics)

Humanity has collapsed as a result of the devastating ‘Kill Screen’, a world altering event that has turned humanity into groups of mindless zombies who, when not engaging in fearsome death matches, are looking to turn any humans who survived into ‘Followers’ just like them. Writer Mike Garley, artist Joshua Sherwell and letterer Mike Stock have created a unique technophobic world that weaves internet memes, video game references and pop culture in-jokes into a tale of survivors doing whatever they can to make their way in this dark and disturbing digital dystopia.
Purchase The Kill Screen from ComiXology

2. Outer God (Mind Screw)

Luc Labelle’s disorientating and twisted tale of an archaeologist stuck in a nightmarish tomb whose only contact with the world outside is via the pages of his diaries, starts off like a fairly straightforward archaeological pulp adventure but soon morphs into a twisted fever dream. With Mike Mignola meets Giger-esque visuals from artist Daryl Toh and a claustrophobic tension like classic horror such as John Carpenter’s The Thing or Stephen King’s The Shining this is the kind of haunting and brilliant book that you shouldn’t read with the lights off, unless you want nightmares!Purchase Outer God from ComiXology

3. Lady Mechanika: The Tablet of Destinies (Benitez Productions)

Just like his cybernetically enhanced heroine, Joe Benitez’s Lady Mechanika: The Tablet of Destinies is a tantalising hybrid of styles and genres that are combined together to create a powerful and exciting adventure. The story from M.M. Chen is a rip-roaring adventure that reads like a cross between Lara Croft, Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes and the whole thing is rendered in Benitez’s trademark exquisite detail to create a truly stunning book and more than worthy follow up to it’s debut series.
Purchase Lady Mechanika: The Tablet of Destinies from ComiXology

4. Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman (Merrick)

A Victorian sideshow phenomenon like Joseph Merrick might not seem the obvious choice for a comic book hero, but writer Tom Ward and artist Luke Parker have managed to do just that. Mixing a historically accurate re-telling of his story, with a few creative flourishes that turns Merrick into a pulp adventurer, a supernatural sleuth and a masked avenger without ever descending into farce or parody, Merrick is a truly unique book about a unique character that certainly lives up to it’s sensational moniker.
Purchase Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman from ComiXology

5. Adventures in Pulp presents vol 1: Hawk and a Handsaw (Adventures in Pulp)

These pulp-inspired weekly webcomics have been given the collected treatment and bring the adventures of Dick Ruby and Dr Destructo to life for a whole new audience. As you would guess from the title, Adventures in Pulp presents is heavily influenced by the pulp serials of the 40s and 50s – which means tales of private eyes, golden age superheroes and little green men (and women) trying to take over the world! However, these throwback stories have a slick 21st century feel to them thanks to artist Matthew Childers that helps them to really stand out from the crowd.
Purchase Adventures in Pulp from ComiXology

6. War of the Woods: Season 3 (Monster Island Media)

Season 3 of War of the Woods kicks off in dynamic style by moving the narrative 3 months forward from the battle between the animals and evil Raathinaaks at the end of season 2 and sees the story now being told by an ageing racoon around a campfire. What this means for our hero Phin and his buddy Isaac we will have to wait and see, but with an almost literal cliffhanger at the end of issue #1 it may be another rollercoaster journey through this outstanding series. Season 3 is also unique for being rendered as one long 20 spread story which shows the level of devotion Petz is prepared to put into his creation!
Purchase War of the Woods Season 3 from ComiXology

7. Atomic Robo: Ring of Fire (Tesladyne)

With the whole Atomic Robo line now available through Submit there’s never been a better time to get into the world of ‘the worlds greatest science adventure magazine’, and new series Ring of Fire is the perfect start point. With giant mechs and indestructible mutant monsters on the rampage the only thing holding back Robo and his team of adventure scientists from saving the world is that they have been kicked out of their base by the evil ULTRA and Robo has been lost in time for thousands of years and appears to have mislaid his body! So just a standard day really!
Purchase Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire from ComiXology

8. Tet (Comics Experience/IDW)

Part murder mystery, part tragic love story and part commentary of the horrors of war, Tet is much than your average ‘Nam story. Split between two time periods it sees soldier Eugene Smith investigating a murder on the eve of the Tet offensive and falling in love with local girl Ha, before fast forwarding to 1984 and seeing how Smith’s idealistic plans have turned out post-war. Instead of being a war story that is heavy on action, Tet is a much more emotional and heart-breaking story, which is brilliantly rendered by Paul Tucker’s classy art and colours that evoke Marvel Comics of the late 1970s like ‘Nam,with a clever use of blues, purple and oranges to help make this whole story feel like a real smartly produced period piece.
Purchase Tet from ComiXology

9. Exit Generation (Comix Tribe)

Unlike most post-event sci-fi tales, what makes Sam Read’s Exit Generation so enjoyable is that it’s actually rather upbeat. When 90% of the world’s population take off into space on giant space arcs when the planet becomes too full, the people who are left behind actually manage to get on better without them and start developing a more happy way of life – especially orphan Jack who’s life revolves around 80s action movies and punk LPs. Unfortunately that all gets ruined when a bunch of hungry carnivorous aliens turn up and kidnap Jack’s adopted family. Will he be able to save them before they are put on the aliens lunch menu?Purchase Exit Generation from ComiXology

10. Here We Go (Saint James)

There is an old adage that says: ‘The most effective way to do something, is to do it’. Aspiring comic writer Jesse Young has taken on that mantle and rather than wait to be given an opportunity from a publisher has gone out there and written an amazing collection of short stories, sourced some fantastic artists to illustrate them and has collected them together into this fantastic anthology which is as good as any book produced by a mainstream publisher. A great example of the ‘can do’ spirit of digital publishing.
Purchase Here We Go from ComiXology

Don’t miss these other great digital indie comics…

>> Read the Best of ComiXology Submit #11-#20
>> Read the Best of ComiXology Submit #21-#30