Ex.Mag is a comics anthology series from Peow2, a great indie comics publisher operating out of Sweden but with a strong US presence at the small cons I go to. They put a lot of effort into their books, making them look really nice, and it shows here. Each volume of Ex.Mag has a different theme, and the theme for Volume 6 is “Space Exploration,” which if you have cast an eye over my reviews, is something that is right up my alley given my love of sci-fi. The editors of Ex.Mag also do a wonderful job at choosing a range of new and interesting cartoonists.
The 12 stories here range from humor to horror, and I think they capture the wide scope of what can be done in comics. I was especially excited to read Linnea Sterte and Gareth Damian Martin’s story because I think Sterte is a true superstar, with her delicate lines conveying so much emotion and depth, but I also enjoyed Hanna K’s story of a tiny child on a solo space mission — and really all of the work here. Showcasing a variety of approaches is the strength of an anthology like this, and it gives you a sense of the current comics scene on a more international level as well. I backed this on Kickstarter, so I got the dustjacket, and I liked that they used specific colors tied to the theme for the ink in the book (“void purple” and “pale lunar green”). Overall, I think I liked the vampire themed Volume 5 better, but this was a strong entry and I will pick up future volumes as they come out. Hopefully they will reprint 3 and 4 soon, because those are the only ones I’m missing.
