Webcomics in Print: Megg and Mogg, Mercy and Magic

by Andrea Purcell

Are you glued to your computer screen reading webcomics? Looking for an excuse to get out of the house? Have no fear, your favorite webcomics may already be at your local comic shop! Webcomics are more popular than ever, and comic publishers are taking notice. As an introduction to new creators and fun characters, they are bringing fans to the medium and invading comic book stores. From fantasy to comedy with detours through the strange and surreal, these digital stories are unique looks at what small press creators are making. 

There’s a bit of everything online and we’ve endeavored to bring you the best of what’s available. From superheroes to fantasy, horror and slice of life, webcomics are a unique medium where the only uniting factor is being on the Internet. We’ve listed a few below, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There really is something for everyone in the wide world of webcomics.

The Internet is full of great comics, and we’ve pulled the best from February’s PREVIEWS catalog for you. February’s Webcomics in Print column has web series and Kickstarters for fans of all comics, from the follow up to The New York Times bestselling graphic novel Megahex, to the Kickstarted resurrection of Mercy Sparx, and many more! 

Cthulhu Waits, Dreaming

Cyberpunk meets Lovecraft in a new collection of terrifying stories from Alex De Campi and Jerry Ordway as Dark Horse Comics unleashes Semiautomagic (FEB160058). Following occult investigator Alice Creed, Semiautomagic doesn’t have time to baby its readers with myths and legends or friendly gods as Creed delves straight into the void, full of inexplicable and unspeakable horrors. Taking cues from J-horror and classic Lovecraft tales, Semiautomagic updates this monsters into modern horror and sets them into the strange nooks and crannies of America. Firmly placed at the crossroads where magic turns to murder, this collection has you questioning your sanity, and wanting more. In the meantime, check out Alex De Campi and Jerry Ordway's Kickstarter campaign to print an 80-page softcover full of new Semiautomagic stories.

Like Tears in the Rain

An all new webcomic series is taking readers to the stars and beyond in Fourth Planet (FEB161321). Printed quarterly by Chapterhouse Comics, Fourth Planet takes readers through space where a stolen warship full of runaway human slaves crash lands onto a planet where three races are waging war. Vastly outnumbered, but with superior technology at their disposal, will the humans become that which they fled? As the runaway slaves become entangled and pulled into the constant warring of the planet’s natives, they must decide how to survive. Written by Fred Kennedy and featuring breathtaking art by Mikko Maciaszek, Fourth Planet can be found online at: http://bigsexycomics.com/comics/the-fourth-planet/

Running With the Devil

Heaven’s secret weapon now has a Kickstarter funded omnibus, full of her wild adventures in the Mercy Sparx Omnibus (FEB161431) from Devils Due and 1First Comics. Mercy was resurrected in 2013 thanks to Kickstarter and now she’s back and better than ever. Collecting seven years of Mercy Sparx, this omnibus is packed with the original mini-series, Hack/Slash crossover, and the first nine issues of the new ongoing series. When Heaven doesn’t want to do the dirty work, they call Mercy; taking down rogue angels as the perfect double agent, no one suspects a devil to be working for the good guys! At over 400 pages, this omnibus makes a great jumping-on point to a devilishly good series. 

More Than Megahex 

Simon Hanselmann’s New York Times bestselling duo is heading abroad in Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam and Other Stories (FEB161490). Featuring stories originally serialized on Vice.com, this collection from Fantagraphics Books also packs in the Ignatz Award-nominated short story “St. Owl’s Bay,” and plenty of other surprises. Megahex stars Megg and Mogg want some quality couple time, so they take a trip to Amsterdam only to realize that they’ve left their antidepressants behind. Things rapidly head downhill as their couples getaway get hijacked by Owl and Werewolf Jones, and knowing Megg and Mogg, things can only get worst. A trippy and surreal jump into the deep end of Gen X and Millennial milieu as told through a witch and her talking cat boyfriend, Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam will make you enjoy reading about terrible people and the things they do to get high.  

The Sun Also Rises

Straight from a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, Corey Lewis and Alternative Comics are bringing the action to comic book stores in Sun Bakery #1 (FEB161067).  A frenetic and wild anthology with roots in manga and indie zines, Sun Bakery runs the gamut with robot space adventures, paranormal skateboarding, breakdancing, and social swordplay in just the first issue! A full color hybrid straddling the line between art book and comic book, Lewis’ art leaps off the page with neon colors and vibrant lines. This series is sure to be a hit, and fans of Shonen Jump inspired zines will want to pre-order their copy before it disappears.