Hi, I’m Daniel Thurman

Daniel reviews cyberpunk books, games, and more.

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  • Killtopia Volume 5 Is Live on Kickstarter

    Killtopia, the stylish ultra-violent cyberpunk comic from author/creator Dave Cook is on it’s fifth and final installment. This volume, as in the previous four, is being funded via Kickstarter. Killtopia Volume 5’s Kickstarter page is now live. As of the writing of this article, the comic is already past the halfway point for funding.

    The first Killtopia volume was funded back in March of 2018 and introduced the world to a violent yet high-concept storyline with memorable characters and wild art design. The series has since been a success having successfully funded the subsequent volumes. Killtopia Volume 5 seems poised to continue the tradition of the Killtopia universe while also saying goodbye to it for now, sadly.

    This campaign is for the fifth and final Killtopia book – a 55-page epic finale that completes our story of Mech hunters in Neo Tokyo.  We’re running this campaign to help us fund production of the book, including art, colouring, lettering and printing. With your help, we’ll ship in June 2023.

    –Kickstarter

    If the Kickstarter for Killtopia Volume 5 is sucessful, which seems pretty likely, the creators aim to have the comic in your hands by June of 2023.

    A Page from Killtopia Volume 5 from its Kickstarter page proudly displaying it’s chaotically beautiful art style.

    It’s hard to believe that the fifth and final volume of Killtopia is on its way. It seems like it hasn’t been very long at all since we got our first taste of the delightfully abysmal gore that Neo Tokyo had to offer.

    If Killtopia Volume 5 being the final entry in the series makes you sad, not to worry. Dave Cook has another comic series called BPM: Beatdowns Per Minute. BPM takes place in the same universe as Killtopia, albeit in the past of that world.

    Killtopia Volume 5 won’t be the last you see of the series. It’s being adapted into an animated TV series as well. The series is being developed by California-based startup Voltaku. So that’s something to keep an eye out for.

  • A Blade Runner: Black Lotus Comic Has Been Announced

    Titan Comics has announced a Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic book series is currently in production. Simply called Blade Runner: Black Lotus, the comic will be a four-part mini series and will serve as a sequel to the Black Lotus anime series which debuted back toward the end of 2021.

    The series is being written by Nancy Collins (Swamp Thing, Predator) and illustrated by Enid Balam (Hawkeye: Kate Bishop). Alternate cover art for the first issue has also been created by Junggeun Yoon, Creees Lee, Concept Art, and Mico Suayan.

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic will focus on Elle, the katana-weilding main protagonist of the anime series who is also a replicant. The comic is set to expand on the world and plot introduced in the anime which has some unique characteristics that set it apart from other Blade Runner media.

    Elle, aka Black Lotus, hoped she could leave behind her violent past and find a new life. But is that possible in a world where Replicants are still hunted and feared?

    -Titan Comics

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime debuted in November, 2021 on Crunchy Roll who handled worldwide distribution of the series. The English-dubbed release was distributed by Adult Swim and premiered on their Toonami programming block. The CGI-animated series was met with overall critical acclaim, with a few criticizing it for its lack of traditional hand-drawn animation and it’s slight departure from the traditional feel of Blade Runner.

    The Blade Runner: Black Lotus comic is set to debut June 1st of this year and can be pre-ordered now from Titan Comics. This would be the fourth Blade Runner comic series based on the cinematic universe created by Ridley Scott, following Blade Runner Origins, Blade Runner 2019, and Blade Runner 2029.

    Personally speaking, I thought the Black Lotus anime was brilliant and beautiful. Elle is a very interesting character and I’m very much looking forward to seeing her story continue. The Blade Runner comics have all been brilliant so far, so we’ll see if Black Lotus follows suit this June.

    [Source: Anime News Network]

  • A Comic Adaptation of Matt Adcock’s Novel ‘Complete Darkness’ Is on the Way

    Complete Darkness, the novel by UK author Matt Adcock, took the cyberpunk genre to new and unique places when it was published in 2019. Literally to Hell, in fact. Not a typical setting for a cyberpunk novel. Complete Darkness leans into the macabre a bit more than other works. Fusing darker themes with humor and violence alongside other more common themes of cyberpunk. This unique approach to the genre has been very well received, earning an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon.

    Now, the world of Complete Darkness will come to life in comic book form. The project is being funded via a Kickstarter campaign. As of the publication of this article, the campaign has successfully reached, and surpassed, it’s minimum funding goal. But there are a number of interesting stretch goals that many of you will probably be interested in. Among these is potential involvement from comic artist Siku, who is best known for his work with 2000 AD Comics like Judge Dredd.

    Complete Darkness
    Complete Darkness is the comic book adaptation of the novel of the same name by author Matt Adcock.

    The words will be adapted for comic by Matt Adcock, of course. Art for the comic will be done by Northern Ireland-based illustrator Karl Brown. Brown is known for his best selling book An Android Awakes, and his art is fantastic.

    What is it about? Well, imagine in the near future (2242) we manage to map dark matter – only to find out that it is ‘Hell’. Cue carnage on a serious level as the devil himself seeks to wipe us out, but inadvertantly grants super-powers to a loner guy who might just be the only thing that can then save us all.

    -Complete Darkness Kickstarter

    There are 31 days left in the Complete Darkness Kickstarter campaign. This should be plenty of time to reach those stretch goals. Adcock’s unique approach to cyberpunk along with Brown’s beautiful art style should make for a fun and visually stunning comic. I’m looking forward to this coming to life and can’t wait to see how it turns out.

  • Killtopia Comic to Be Adapted As an Animated TV Series

    Back in 2018, writer Dave Cook and artist Craig Paton debuted Killtopia, a delightfully over-the-top violent comic that takes place in a futuristic Japanese mega-city where pop culture is taken to the extreme. The first three volumes of the comic were successfully funded on Kickstarter and the series has gone on to receive widespread critical acclaim for it’s gritty action, beautiful art, and it’s unique video game and anime-inspired plot.

    Now, US studio Voltaku is going to adapt the comic series into an animated TV show, powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine. The series is planned to consist of eight twenty-minute episodes to bring the chaotic dystopia of Killtopia to life on the screen.

    When Killtopia launches, it’s going to look like nothing that’s been seen on TV before. Our world is garish and vibrant, where hype, fandom and pop culture rule the day, which is the perfect launching pad for big stories. I’ve always wanted to see something so colourful and abstract depicted in a 3D world. With Voltaku’s help, I think we’re going to blow people away.

    -Dave Cook, BHP Comics Press Release

    To get the Killtopia animated series started, Voltaku received an Epic Megagrant from Epic Games to get the project going. The Megagrant program was put into place by Epic Games to help give aspiring game developers, media creators, and startups funding to get their projects off the ground utilizing the company’s Unreal Engine.

    Killtopia
    Killtopia’s unique mix of dystopian themes and pop culture should adapt rather well to the screen.

    Of course, considering the fact that the series is going to be created in Unreal Engine, we have to wonder if there is the possibility of Killtopia becoming a video game at some point. It seems entirely possible. Given Cook’s background as a games writer and Killtopia’s penchant for wearing its video game influences on its sleeve, it wouldn’t surprise us if this is something that is planned further down the pipeline. It certainly is one step closer in that direction and that’s pretty exciting in our opinion.

    We’ll have more info on this series as it develops. And keep an eye out for our much-overdue reviews of Killtopia volumes 1-3 coming to the site soon.

  • A Trade Paperback of IDW’s Read Only Memories Comic Series Is Coming This August

    Back in 2019, IDW began publishing a series of comics based on the indie video game 2064: Read Only Memories. After the success of the game, developer MidBoss wanted to bring their unique cyberpunk world to life in the form of comics. Four issues were published from 2019 to 2020.

    Now IDW and MidBoss are collecting the issues and releasing them as a single volume trade paperback. The book will feature additional content and will come with a free Steam key for 2064: Read Only Memories. The book is due to be released this August.

    The trade paperback version of the Read Only Memories comics, brought to life by IDW Publishing with writing from The Walking Dead, X-Men, and Iceman veteran Sina Grace, will launch in August 2021. Collecting the full series into one volume with additional content such as interviews, the book will also include a Steam game key for 2064: Read Only Memories.

    -Press release
    Read Only Memories Trade Paperback
    Read Only Memories comics being released as a single volume trade paperback.

    Thus far, four issues of the comic have been published. The series acts as an interquel, taking place between 2064 and it’s recently announced sequel Neurodiver. Neurodiver is due for release in the first quarter of 2022, so if you want to get up to speed on the world of Read Only Memories, you have some time to play the first game and read through the comic book when it is released this August.

    It looks like Read Only Memories is turning into a bit of a multimedia franchise. No complaints here. We love 2064 and it’s world has a lot of potential to be fleshed out and realized through other formats.