Webcomics in Print: Behind You and Street Angel

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 Kickstarter projects, web series, and more, 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 May's PREVIEWS catalog for you. May's "Webcomics in Print" column has web series and Kickstarters for fans of all comics. This month horror takes the lead with Behind You and The Dark North, while Jim Rugg’s Street Angel joins a gang, and more!

Behind You One-Shot Horror Stories

Horror and webcomics are a classic match, from Emily Carroll’s skin crawling comics to Brian Coldrick’s inventive vignettes. Now the latter is coming to comic shops as IDW Publishing brings Behind You to life. Behind You One-Shot Horror Stories (MAY170547) takes Coldrick’s panel breaking narrative and gives it flesh on the page. While the clever use of GIF files won’t translate, the disquieting horror remains the same. Reader beware, open to any page of this unsettling book and you may have to start sleeping with the lights on.  Read more of Behind You online at: https://tapas.io/series/Behind-You

The Street Angel Gang

Jim Rugg’s hyper-violent, take no prisoners, webcomic returns to print as Image Comics brings the next Street Angel one-shot to comic shops in The Street Angel Gang (MAY170648). This hardcover gives the titular Street Angel Jesse a home as she accidentally joins a violent street gang. The Bleeders welcome Jesse with open arms, but is there more to this than there seems? The Bleeders gang may have a mole in their ranks, and Jesse risks getting caught in the middle! It’s okay though, at least there’s free snacks at the gang tryout party. Read more Street Angel online at: http://streetangelcomic.com/

Lord of Gore

What happens when the movie becomes too real, when you can’t escape the creation you’ve made? D.B. Stanley and Daniel Leister have set out to answer these questions in their over four-timed funded Kickstarter for Lord of Gore. Coming to comic shops from Devils Due/1First Comics, Lord of Gore (MAY171536) tells the tale of the enduring horror film icon The Headsman. Screenwriter Danny Graves only considered the character a paltry career-making assignment, but that was before a madman in a mask looking just like his creation set out to destroy his life and kill his family!

The Dark North

Originally Kickstarted back in 2015, Dark Horse Comics is finally bringing The Dark North (MAY170065) to comic shops in a beautiful hardcover. An illustrated book of prose with five tales ranging from everything to Norse mythology to science fiction, The Dark North is a must have collection for fans of Nordic art. Featuring work by Scandinvia’s leading illustrators, concept artists, and writers, and complete with a foreword by the master of horror himself Clive Barker, anyone who missed out on the Kickstarter campaign or just loves a good horror story will love this book.

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Andrea Purcell is a Web Content Writer for PREVIEWSworld.com and a part-time assistant to busy comic creators. Her favorite past times are singing karaoke at comic conventions and memorizing obscure trivia about random pop culture.