The Pull List: ALTERNA COMICS (Wednesday 9th March 2016)

ALTERNA COMICS Releases: Wednesday 9th March 2016

Each week, we take a look at the forthcoming ALTERNA COMICS titles, either in store or made available on the comiXology digital comics platform, giving you a comprehensive guide to your comics pull list.

Ten years, people. Ten years! TEN! TENNNNNN! Ten years…

Yup, did you really think that we wouldn’t mark our first Pull List post for recent birthday celebratory company ALTERNA without a GROSSE POINT BLANK reference, did you? We really are that obvious! We’d like to welcome ALTERNA along to our weekly Pull List coverage.

The company has dedicated itself for a decade to bringing creator-owned titles to the stands – and to digital platforms, too, being one of the first out there to embrace the medium. They’ve brought some incredible books out during that period… And, this week, they’re at it again.

• Writer Gregory Schoen and artists Alonso Molina and Paulo Lopez are the latest to render the scientific genius that was Nikola Tesla in this, the debut issue of their new book – but, in RAYGUN #1, Tesla’s no hippy. Back in 1912, he went and built something with a bit more kick than the light bulb… And, in present day, young Matthew Baker has got his hands on it. He’s new in town, he’s struggling to get settled in the world after being passed from his mom to his dad, and the bullies already have their eye on him. So what would you do if you had the most destructive weapon in the world in your ten-year-old hands?

In this digital release, the creators have established a strong basis for the world of RAYGUN; they do take their time in this first issue and, after an explosive start and a jarring change of gear to take their time to introduce you to Matthew and his circumstances, it’s obvious that Schoen, Molina and Lopez are thinking the long game for the book. You do wish that the middle exposition section wasnt so drawn out and things moved along just a little quicker but, thankfully, the artwork is brisk and clean (with just a hint of manga around the edges), and Molina’s characters are nicely defined – Matthew’s problems are real and relatable and you do hope, by the end of the book, that things won’t get worse for the kid. (Yep, now I’ve said it, they probably will!)

It’s a sweet first issue and I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the next installment. Watch this space…

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WEEKLY TITLES

[click to enlarge]

RAYGUN #1

Writer: Gregory Schoen
Artist: Alonso Molina
Inks: Paulo Lopez

“Matthew Baker has a lot of problems. A new school, bullies, and dealing with a father he barely knows; it’s a lot to deal with for any ten-year-old.

But when he stumbles upon Nikola Tesla’s Death Ray, will it lead to his salvation or his destruction?“

Action/Adventure, Science Fiction

English / Teen Readers (15+) / 24 pages / £1.99

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Click here to purchase this book from the comiXology website!