Indie Edge: Rachel Rising and Wrinkles

by Andrea Purcell

If you've ever browsed through a PREVIEWS catalog, you know how packed full each issue can be. It's so packed, that you might have overlooked a choice comic tucked away on one of its many pages. There are so many sections to look through each month, it can be almost impossible to search out all of the awesome comic books that you want to pre-order at your local comic shop. The Indie Edge column is made to help by taking a look at just some (and trust us, there's a lot) of the amazing small press, alternative, and indie titles currently available in this month's catalog!

The "indie" umbrella can be wide, and these comics cover a lot of different story types and styles, but you can find just about any comic you've ever wanted and maybe a few you never knew you needed. Take a look at the books highlighted below and if anything is begging to be read, wander over to your local comic shop to pre-order these comics and anything else from this month's PREVIEWS catalog!

There’s so much to choose from in April’s Indie Edge column! With everything from sci-fi and horror to foodie cartoons, this month’s PREVIEWS catalog is full of amazing books that you might have overlooked. Dive into the small press side of comics with Indie Edge!

Ashes to Ashes

The stunning conclusion to Terry Moore’s horror opus is upon us in Rachel Rising Volume 7 Dust to Dust (APR161109). Published by Moore’s own Abstract Studios, the story of Rachel, Zoe, Lilith, and Malus comes to an earth-shattering end. Zoe’s life is saved by Rachel but it’s up to Lilith to confront the elusive demon Malus to fight for the future of humanity. A series that at first glance looked like a simple murder mystery, Rachel Rising has wound an engaging tale of life and death through forty-two issues. A fine addition to Terry Moore’s other works such as Strangers in Paradise (MAY042161) and Echo (MAY110780), you’ll want to travel back to the little town of Manson and relive Rachel’s life and many deaths, again and again. 

Funnies for Foodies

Readers unable to get their hands on a copy of Lucky Peach Magazine are hitting the jackpot, as James Beard nominated Lisa Hanawalt’s  column and cartoons that were first serialized there are being collected by Drawn & Quarterly. Her second collection with the publisher, Hog Dog Taste Test (APR161576) will focus on the food-related, while maintaining the idiosyncratic absurdity Hanawalt is known for. Brought to life between her work as designer for the critically acclaimed Netflix series Bojack Horseman, and creating illustrations and cartoons for The New York Times and Vanity, this collection covers everything you’ve ever needed to know about food. With essays on Vegas buffets, Argentinian cuisine, and Chef Wylie Dufresne this is one book that needs to be read on a full stomach. 

Young at Heart

Spanish artist Paco Roca’s critically acclaimed graphic novel Wrinkles (APR161626) is finally coming to the hands of English readers in an all new translation from Fantagraphics. A touching and tear-wrenching look at life in an elderly care home dealing with dementia patients, the story of Wrinkles and its main character Ernest is universal and filled with the fear of growing old and the acceptance of unavoidable fate. In an easy and gentle style that exudes a kind of tough sweetness, Roca’s version of Dante’s Inferno will leave readers with a tear in their eyes and a smile in their heart. 

The Hateful Face

A horror twist on the classic Wild West fare, Humanoids is bringing Philippe Trirault, Marc Males, and Mario Janni’s supernatural epic Thousand Faces (APR161700) to American comic shops with an all-new cover by artist Paul Pope. The series title is the name of an evil entity that uses blood to enslave others and won’t stop until the world is under its control. This sweeping tale follows ex-surgeon on his quest to escape this hellish beast, if he can. A blend of science and paranormal that fuses perfectly with horror and redemption, Thousand Faces is a glorious and gory addition to the Western genre.

Full Dark, No Stars

Following in the footsteps of such seminal science fiction classics as Stranger in a Strange Land and Event Horizon, The Disciples Volume 1 (APR161333) will leave you breathless. King of the macabre and Black Mask Comics’ co-founder Steve Niles along with artist Christopher Mitten give deep space a grit and grime that oozes noir personality. Taking place in a near-future where the ultra-rich have gained universal power by colonizing moons throughout the solar system, three private eyes are tasked with retrieving the teenage daughter of a high-ranking Senator from an enigmatic religious cult on the moon of Ganymede. The story becomes more then it seems as the cultists have woken up something very old and very angry, turning The Disciples into a sleek sci-fi mystery with an old-fashioned ghost story twist.