Featuring stories from Eric Shanower, Troy Riser, Michael Tierney, and seventeen other masters of the form, FANTASTIC VOYAGES is all about doors --
Newest Miskatonic High Takes Teen Team on Eldritch Quantum Leap
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Submitted by RJ Carter on Fri, 07/02/2021 - 15:08
Miskatonic High is the ongoing story about a group of teenagers who, voluntarily or otherwise, are participants in their school's Community Service Club. On their very first outing, they were transported through time and space to witness an arcane ritual, and their lives have never been the same since. In this issue, "Reflections out of Time," an encounter with a device that might have been designed by Jack Kirby and M.C. Escher during a three-day drinking binge once again hurtles the friends through history -- this time, however, landing in the bodies of their parents.
In each era, they encounter the device -- and the monster that apparates out of it -- with their numbers gradually dwindling as fewer of their ancestors exist in the Arkham Society, until ultimately only one remains -- in a past so distant it predates human civilization.
Creators Mike Shea and Ryan Mendoza have set the gold standard for independent comics creators who produce and distribute through the online crowdfunding model. "Reflections out of Time" is their eleventh consecutive issue, with all previous issues shipping on time and on a regular schedule. The guys also know how to tell a comic book story that results in a returning readership. While there are several plot threads that are being slowly rolled out and intersecting, this is all done in the background -- what comics writers of myth would refer to as "subplot." The main story arc takes place within the confines of a single issue (with one exceptional two-part story). There's no storytelling gimmick going on here that drags out the action (or, usually, lack thereof) over an interminable number of books: Miskatonic High fires the starting pistol on page one and crosses the finish line each time when you close the book.
Each issue of this series is released through Kickstarter campaigns, with catch-up tiers and add-ons available for those who want to backfill their collection. Each book pre-opens with the clever conceit of one of the characters talking directly to the reader on the inside front cover to quickly get you up to speed on who the characters are and what various subplot developments have taken place. You can also keep abreast of upcoming releases by visiting the creators' website, MiskatonicHighComic.com.
Miskatonic High will remind you of things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scooby-Doo, and Ghostbusters. But more importantly that than, it will remind you of when comic books were fun to read.
Grade:
5.0 / 5.0
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