Hey, it’s Zack!
It’s been a busy few weeks over here. In fact, I was so busy that last week, when Forever Forward dropped, I didn’t even get this newsletter out. So I’ll cover that exciting release here as well. I also have the grand finale of Metal Society out today, which I’m really excited for. And then, I’m headed to Portland tomorrow for the return, or my return, anyway, to Rose City Comic Con - one of my favorites!
It feels like the end of the year is upon us, even though it’s only September. I don’t know about you all, but Labor Day does that - it feels like the final bell. Okay, everyone, this is it, the last stretch, because once Holidays hit, you are out of time. So think about all those final plans and last moves you want to make. So, it feels like a big last round bell has rung. I’m an avid planner and super organized, and the amount of projects this year has completely thrown that into disarray. So I’m excited to find some time to get control of the ship and maybe avert a catastrophe. The good news is the comics are flowing, so at least that’s going well. Speaking of, onto the comics…
METAL SOCIETY #5 drops today, from Image Comics/Top Cow, with some stunning interior art and a breath-taking Cover A from Guilherme Balbi and Marco Lesko, letters from Troy Peteri and an incredible Cover B from Sunstone creator Stjepan Sejic. This is it, the final fight - robot v human. Who will win? This entire series was a fight drama leading all up to this issue and this moment, and in a way, it’s a risky way to do a comic series - perhaps this is why there are not a lot of fight dramas out there. A lot of the monthly issues are all build up to this - so I’m really excited to see what you all think and hopeful that the conclusion lives up to expectations. If you haven’t read the series, definitely get caught up and read them all together!
Last week, FOREVER FORWARD #1 dropped in stores, from Scout Comics, with the fantastic creative team and art by Arjuna Susini, colors by Brad Simpson and letters by Troy Peteri. We also have an impressive array of covers, Jacob Phillips, Stefano Simeone, Jahnoy Lindsay, Ivan Tao and Alan Quah, and John Giang!
The story is a time travel adventure, but only forward in time. It comes from my fascination with the future and my curiosity about what we might find there. But it also comes from my concern that the future is not getting better, but perhaps, worse. The story imagines time traveling through "the future" as an Odyssey-style mythic journey home. When brilliant young scientist Dr. Lewis Moody accidentally launches himself, his secret longtime crush and three best friends 33 years into the future with his unproven quantum time machine, they find a mysterious message from their future selves: "The Only Way Back Is Forward." Now, as they jump again and again through strange future times, will they one day find the technology to time-travel back, or are they doomed to hopelessly travel forward... forever?
I think if you like my other work, you’ll love Forever Forward. The first issue sets everything up and then the journey really takes off in an incredible way, so definitely strap in! It gets really really good.
So YES! I will be at Rose City this weekend. I’ll be tabling in Artist Alley and I’ll have all of my comics from previous years and this year! Port of Earth, Eclipse, Lost City Explorers, Join the Future. I’ll have variants, exclusives, and bundles of signed issues, so definitely come check it all out and say hello. I’ll also be signing exclusive Mindset stuff at the Vault booth on Friday, and then I’m doing two amazing panels with Brian Bendis, Soo Lee, James Asmus and Jim Festante, one about Creator-Owned Comics and another just on our current Dark Horse projects. So definitely check those out.
Next week MINDSET #3 is out in stores. Man oh man, you guys are not ready for that one - but that takes the series to a whole new level
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BREAK OUT #3 just hit stores and is still available. BREAK OUT #4 is slated to release at the end of this year, sorry for the delays, but it’ll be worth the wait.
FOREVER FORWARD #2 releases this October and both #2 and #3 are available for pre-order now.
So yeah, I’m thinking about endings a lot lately. Just finished writing Forever Forward #5 and Mindset #6, the conclusions of those stories. Metal Society is ending today! Break Out is on its last issue. And this amazing year of mine is heading into its final round. While I’m trying to wrap everything up, I’m also training/plotting for next year and some amazing new comics coming your way. So yeah, stick the ending, because it’s just a beginning to the next fight, isn’t it. I also really need the holiday break.
Anyway, thanks for reading!
Zack Kaplan
9.7.22