Grafix Chronicles returns this week and while you won’t find it in most comic book shops you should pop online and order it in either print or digital. There is something very pure about this series and really the books published on the Will Lill Comics line. Maybe it’s the black and white art, but mostly I think that it captures the spirit of comic books both new and old. If you’re unfamiliar with the series it’s an anthology collection and this issue actually has three new stories so there’s no reason to shy away from it. Since there are only three stories in the issue I’m going to touch on the first two so that you have at least one complete surprise.

The first story stars a character called Skyscraper. He’s a superhero with some pretty kicks ass armor, you can think of it as if Iron Man and a Destroyer had a baby and that baby had a dramatic past that forced them to put the armor on. The man behind the suit is Chad Johnston and his father was a cop that was killed in the line of duty just after creating the Skyscraper armor. Chad is a barrel of emotions as his Dad’s old partner has called to tell him they’ve caught the guy responsible for his father’s murder. Chad, all suited up as Skyscrapper, is faced with what to do and say to the man responsible for his father’s death as he approaches the hospital to face him.

This story will actually continue in the next issue. The story itself was kind of predictable and Chad isn’t very fleshed out at the moment. It has potential and it was a fun read. The art was really good and Skyscraper had a clean and detailed design. It really reminded me a lot of Sean Chen’s style which is a very good thing to be compared to.

The second story is a short horror tale. It was reminiscent of something you’d tell around the camp fire or even a tamer version of Tales from the Crypt (or any of its counterparts). The gist is that a woman comes into a store late at night to grab some chips and gas. One of the customers is talking to the guy behind the counter and they’re basically discussing how dangerous it is at night for a woman.

Again the story was a bit predictable, but it was still entertaining. It probably could have been shorter to help prevent the predictability of it and hold the anticipation more. The art was very good and the body language of the characters was great. There were some character stances I haven’t seen in a comic book before and that was refreshing for sure.

Anthologies are always fun to read because in order to be successful the creators have to have a handle on short form storytelling which isn’t always easy, but can be very rewarding. All three stories inside of Grafix Chronicles are very balanced and a perfect fit for the anthology format. If you like things like Dark Horse Presents, then definitely check this issue out.

Score: 4/5

Writers: Mark F. Davis, Ron Fortier Artists: Ron Stewart, Armin Odzic, Paul Moore Letterer: T. Warren Montgomery Publisher: Will Lill Comics Price: $2.50 – Print, $0.99 - Digital Website