Vast Expanse #1

4.3/5 ( ratings)

Not every story has to be an ambitious, sprawling epic with a multitude of characters and a far-reaching story arc with limitless possibilities.

Some stories work better short.

That is the primary concept behind VAST EXPANSE. Each of the stories in the debut issue of this new anthology ends in five pages. All these tales are complete with a beginning, middle, and end. They are not opening chapters of longer, serialized sagas. Some of the characters have the potential to recur in future complete stories, if well-received, but the narratives presented here are stand-alone.

A secondary conceit for this book is that almost any kind of story can be told via sequential art, and as such, there is no limitation to the type of tales found in these pages. Comics can tell science fiction, fantasy, romance, action, or any type of story that can be imagined.

The adventures herein run the gamut of genres. In this premiere issue, a Muslim philosopher travels with his
companion through France during the Dark Ages in THE HORROR AT TOURNUS. They encounter a street vendor selling meat of a decidedly macabre nature.

In 100% WEIRD, a high school student endures daily bullying from other girls because of her androgynous appearance. She discovers a clandestine school club that exists to protect those like her from the ignorance of her fellow students.

The third story in this issue is PERPENDICULAR LIVES. It is for fans of surrealist art and ideas. A man lives apart from all the world, bound to the west side of buildings, unseen by all. He searches for any chance of love in this odd tale of romance.

Finally, in AIN’T AFRAID OF NOBODY, a woman and her boyfriend stumble across a battle between two mutant beasts while trying to experience a relaxing camping trip in the mountains. Will the couple survive, and—more importantly—what will her father think of her man afterward?

The tertiary and, perhaps, more subtle goal of VAST EXPANSE is to tell great little stories that stick with the
reader long after the story ends. They may not blow your mind like a company-wide crossover filled with event deaths and sweeping, radical changes to the status quo. If, however, in a quiet moment sometime hence, you find yourself remembering one of these stories—if something in them connected enough with you personally to register forever in your conscious—then that third purpose will be fulfilled.

Thank you for reading the first issue of VAST EXPANSE. Hopefully you like what you see here. Stick around to find out what shows up next.