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Hello and welcome to our bi-weekly newsletter!
Whether you're new from C2E2 or a newsletter veteran, we've got some exciting things to talk about - including the first announcement of an upcoming project, a chance to win a free enamel pin, and our thoughts on some recent media (John Wick, Super Mario Bros., etc.)
Let's get into it!
Announcements
Let's run though our exciting Lifeline Comics announcements!
Coming Soon: The Beast & Snow
Readers of this newsletter are the first to learn that this summer we'll be launching a brand new series: The Beast & Snow!
It's a sexy queer romance that smashes together the Snow White and Beauty and the Beast fairy tales - with a supernatural twist!
Meet the vampiric Snow White...
...and the Beast she must vanquish to rescue her "Beauty"!
The Beast & Snow will be Lifeline Comics' first venture into NSFW comics, and we can promise it is incredibly fun and surprising! We look forward to sharing even more details about the project as we get closer to launch!
Show Us Your Haul for a Chance to Win a Free Pin!
One of our favorite things about working on Kickstarter is getting to personally send out all the packages to our wonderful supporters. We recently fulfilled our Rainbow Enamel Pin campaign and were blessed with so many personalized haul photos on social media.
As a THANK YOU to our backers, we'll be giving away our EXCLUSIVE Anime NYC 2022 Black Rainbow Dragon Enamel Pin for FREE to one lucky person who shares their Lifeline Comics haul on social media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram). It can be any of our books or products that you've purchased. All you have to do is share a photo of the haul with the hashtag #LifelineComicsHaul by April 27th.
Like Father, Like Daughter and HAUNTING Are LIVE Until April 20th
Lifeline Comics is almost always active on Kickstarter. And this month we have TWO campaigns live!
HAUNTING begins a new arc called "On the Run"!
Picking up where the HAUNTING Vol. 1 graphic novel leaves off, Bram's done a pretty good job at avoiding the consequences of his strange ability up until this point. But his reckoning has finally arrived in the form of Hope, a skilled and ruthless ghost hunter who has made it her mission to end Bram's unintentional reign of terror. Permanently.
Whether you're new to the series or a long-time fan, this 24-page issue is the perfect jumping on point! We pick up right where the previous arc left off, with Hope having just shot Bram and preparing to end his life.
Support this Kickstarter to see the action-packed premiere of our new arc! And be sure to check out all of the really exciting Reward offerings -- including a Kickstarter-Exclusive Metal Cover, Trading Cards, a SECRET Variant Cover, Mystery Boxes, and so much more!
Support the Project Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/philfalco/haunting-5?ref=7j10bs
And it's Like Father, Like Daughter's Grand Finale!
A father with superpowers leaves his wife and daughter to become “Invulnerable” - the world’s only superhero. Ten years later, his daughter discovers that she has inherited the very superpowers that made her father abandon their family.
Invulnerable isn't the only person keeping secrets! Casey's mom has been a villain this whole entire time as a lifelong KGB agent. But is being a villain or hero as black and white as we paint them out to be?
This is the 21-page grand finale of Like Father, Like Daughter. Don't worry, Casey and friends will be continuing their adventures, but the book is going to look very different following the ramifications of this issue. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT! And for new readers, we have plenty of tiers to help you jump into our superhero drama.
Support the Project Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/comicuno/like-father-like-daughter-a-superhero-dramas-grand-finale?ref=bte2qv
And if you back both projects at a Physical Level, you'll receive an EXCLUSIVE holo sticker! Don't miss out!
What Have We Been Up To?
C2E2 2022
Kat and Phil just returned from C2E2 in Chicago which has firmly cemented itself as one of our favorite conventions.
We connected with fans...
...had some accidental outfit matches...
...saw some phenomenal cosplay...
...repped Zestworld with our awesome table neighbors (shout out to Liana Kangas and Sean Von Gorman)...
...and had a fantastic sales weekend - moving 40 graphic novels, 39 enamel pins, 10 mystery boxes, and 69 single issues!
You can definitely expect to see us at C2E2 again next year!
Media Consumed
Let's talk about some of the movies and TV shows we've watched since our last newsletter!
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Kat: Super Mario Bros. Movie is a good foundation for something bigger and better. I hate that we live in a world where the next movie is more important than the current one, but if we live here - Mario plays to the script perfectly.
The film isn't a high brow character study with an intricate plot, but Mario, Peach, AND ESPECIALLY BOWSER are endearing enough to immediately suck you into their universe. The quick run time is one of the film's biggest highlights. It's a story that gets to the point without meandering in one place for too long. I want more movies like this!
Phil: My pre-teen cousin loved this movie, and honestly that's kind of all that matters. The Super Mario Bros. Movie isn't trying to be a Disney movie (equally enjoyable for young and adult audiences). It's a kid's movie. It's goofy. Its script isn't polished. It has a lot of out-of-place pop music needle-drops. And it has an unnecessarily star-studded cast.
But it's also fun and it doesn't overstay its welcome. The pacing is solid, and the animation is very strong. And there are some fun (if obvious) Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the runtime that Nintendo fans are sure to enjoy. Bowser, in particular, was a real scene-stealer. I don't know that I'll think about this movie much in the years to come. But we had a fun time watching it this time (in a theater full of excited kids).
John Wick Chapter 4
Phil: When it comes to action, nothing beats John Wick. The explosive third arc fight of this film (which includes a breathtaking overhead view as Wick tears through a condemned building, followed by a brutal onslaught as he makes his way up a long set of stairs) is maybe one of the greatest extended action scenes ever committed to film.
This sequel delivers everything you've come to expect from the franchise, and the electricity of fans in the theater was contagious. It's no easy task delivering show-stopping moments over two hours into your run-time, but John Wick: Chapter 4's final act had the entire audience on the edge of their seats and cheering with each punch thrown.
However, despite consistently amazing action and an incredibly strong third act, John Wick: Chapter 4 was just too damn long for my taste. I don't mind a longer runtime when it's justified. But I don't think that a John Wick movie ever needs to be more than two hours. And there were moments in the middle of the movie where my viewing party and I were shifting in our seats. Thankfully, the third act really managed to snap us all back into it. But I definitely wouldn't have complained the film trimmed some of the runtime down in the beginning/middle.
Nevertheless, John Wick: Chapter 4 remains a worthy sequel, and a must-see for fans of the franchise and fans of great fight scenes.
Good Trouble
Phil: In our newsletters, we always like to talk about something a little bit off the beaten path. So this week, I wanted to spotlight one of my favorite long-running dramas that I've literally never met another person who watches: Good Trouble.
An unapologetically woke drama and sequel series to The Fosters, Good Trouble follows two members of the Adams-Foster family, Callie and Mariana, as they step into young adulthood in Los Angeles. Much like its predecessor series, Good Trouble has a large cast, loves to tackle current social issues, and can be soap operatic in their plotlines (last season, we tackled the housing crisis, polyamory, religious cults to name just a few). But by some miracle (and that miracle is pretty good character writing), it all comes together for me. The show knows exactly what it is and it leans into it. Both the new and returning characters are engaging and ever-evolving. And the show isn't afraid to switch up the status quo - even staying strong after losing the biggest member of their main cast.
There's also something really comforting about remaining in a world that has been around since 2013. I've been consistently watching Mariana Adams-Foster on TV for over a decade now. She'll occasionally make reference to moments from her childhood that we actually got to see on The Fosters (such as a casual reference to going blonde in high school). It's uncanny hearing a throwaway line like that and thinking, "Wait, I actually saw that on a different show eight years ago."
Someday, I'm sure I'll meet someone else who watches this show. There's a lot to talk about. But until then, I'm happy to enjoy all season five by myself.
Comic Recommendations
Let's talk about some of our favorite comics these past couple of weeks!
The Flash - One Minute War
Kat: One Minute War is such a refreshing superhero event! The plot isn't very complicated: a supervillain stops time, which adds personal stakes to our heroes, and leads the WHOLE flash family to fight said bad guy. Very simple! The story doesn't shatter the existence of the franchise, but that's what makes it so refreshing. There is a ton of super speed action, while still keeping character work at the heart.
Second Coming: Trinity
Kat: Second Coming is three volumes deep, and SERIOUSLY never disappoints. The logline: Jesus Christ enters the present day and becomes roommates with a superhero. This volume puts a bit more focus on said superhero, Sunstar. The creative team magnifies the relationship between Sunstar and his archnemesis, Cranius. Sunstar is the very reason Cranius became a super villain...because get this...Sunstar was a high school bully.
In the span of three volumes, our "hero" has learned a lot about becoming a better person through Jesus Christ's parables. And that's the very brilliance of this book! Second Coming is a satirical look at the present day, but it never makes fun of Jesus or religion. It uses the American mythology of superheroes combined with biblical allusion as a vehicle to showcase how humankind created our hysterically twisted world.
Cristabel Vol. 1
Kat: All you had to say is: "Erica Schultz has a Kickstarter." Sign me up! Schultz' premises are always tailored to my personal tastes, and Cristabel is no exception. A princess, WHO IS ALSO A WARRIOR! Seriously, just take my money. If this series is anything like The Deadliest Bouquet, I'm sure Cristabel will be a slam dunk.
Back the Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericaschultzwrites/cristabel-vol-1?ref=user_menu
In Closing
That's a wrap for this week's email. Remember to use the hashtag #LifelineComicsHaul for a chance to win a free exclusive pin. And to check out our two live Kickstarters!
Thanks for reading!
Current Kickstarters: Haunting and Like Father, Like Daughter
Next Kickstarter: This is a secret until our next newsletter, but we will give you a hint...it's very gay.
Next Convention: Saturday, May 6th from 10am-3pm: FerryCon (Address: 55 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522)