Snyder and Francavilla’s WHITE BOAT Series Sets Sail with Exclusive Vinyl Soundtrack by Noel Heroux
Contact your local comic shop to make sure you receive this exclusive collectible
DSTLRY, the next-generation comics publisher and physical-digital collectibles company that redefines creator-owned comic books for consumers worldwide, is thrilled to announce an exciting addition to the WHITE BOAT universe. This Summer, the chilling series crafted by Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla will be enhanced by an atmospheric soundtrack from Noel Heroux, the New York-based indie rock powerhouse behind Hooray for Earth and Mass Gothic.
The first outing of this sprawling accompaniment sets sail in a premium 7-inch vinyl, signed by Heroux, Snyder, and Francavilla available via your local comic shop. This 7-inch release marks a first-of-its-kind venture for DSTLRY, blending the immersive worlds of comics and music.
Crafting an “oceanic noise terror soundtrack,” Heroux’s work perfectly captures the essence of WHITE BOAT, providing fans with a multi-sensory experience that elevates the tale’s Lovecraftian maritime horror. The soundtrack, debuting first in a premium 7-inch vinyl format, offers a unique collectible for fans. Each limited-edition vinyl is signed by Heroux, Snyder, and Francavilla, making it a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Debuting this May, WHITE BOAT revolves around a titular mega-yacht that the super-rich use to traverse the globe—floating islands where your every desire can be fulfilled. And getting invited on board should be a dream come true…that is until the crew traps and transports you to a remote island where secret cults have existed for millennia, working on something called “The Human Project.” Does the White Boat ship you to paradise or sink you into hell on earth?
WHITE BOAT reunites Scott Snyder, the visionary writer who redefined comic book dread with Wytches and introduced Batman into a terrifying, cerebral era, with modern noir master Francesco Francavilla for a white-knuckle descent into Lovecraftian maritime madness. DSTLRY Founding Editor and frequent Snyder collaborator Will Dennis joins as editor. Noel Heroux, with over two decades of experience as a national recording artist, including work under the esteemed Sub Pop Records label, brings his vast musical expertise to the WHITE BOAT project.
Fans are encouraged to contact their local comic shops to secure their copy of the 7-inch WHITE BOAT Vinyl, signed by the creative trio behind this innovative project. This release not only celebrates the launch of the WHITE BOAT comic series but also marks a significant moment in the fusion of comic book storytelling and musical exploration. Issue #1 of WHITE BOAT hits stores this May with the 7-inch releasing in June.
Hit up your Local Comic Shop to preorder your signed vinyl before FOC this weekend!
For more information on WHITE BOAT and to stay updated on DSTLRY’s upcoming releases and projects, visit www.dstlry.co and follow DSTLRY on social media at @DSTLRY_Media.
Dawnrunner #1 by writer Ram V, artist Evan Cagle, colorist Dave Stewart, and letterer Aditya Bidikar tells the story of a world ridden with kaiju. The Tetza arrived one day through a portal, and are as big as they are indestructible. The human race threw everything they had at them, but the best way to keep them out was to build a giant wall. Now, to hunt them down, giant mechs named Iron Kings have been created.
The story follows Anita Marr, a famous Iron King pilot who takes no pride in the glorification of this war against the Tetza that’s being fought. The battles are filmed and shown to the people by Andro Lestern of the Cordonware Corporation. Anita gets to the base, and is greeted by another Iron King pilot named Xander who decides to poke fun at her. She puts him in his place, and it’s clear that he’s just upset that he’s not as famous or important as her. After a Tetza that’s been tracked for a while finally emerges, Anita is sent in to fight it, piloting a new Iron King prototype named Dawnrunner. Her connection to the Iron King, however, may be more than she anticipated it to be.
First look at Moshaus One
Ram V expertly displays his worldbuilding skills here. The world the story takes place in feels well thought out, and is explained to you in bite sized chunks that keeps anything from getting too confusing. The issue has this great pacing that makes it easy to follow, but doesn’t shy away from introducing a lot at once in a delicate and impressive manner. We see the world through the eyes of Anita, but V doesn’t have this book conventionally narrated. There’s no internal monologue; instead, the story is mostly told through dialogue. The only time it isn’t is when the history of this world is explained to the reader in the issue’s opening pages.
While Anita is the protagonist that the reader is invested in, we’re cycled through multiple points of view. Anita poses the questions that V wants us to be asking ourselves. She isn’t in awe of all this as many of the others around her are. She wonders why fighting off these invaders is now done for sport, and why more don’t realize a war is going on. Are we to root for the Iron Kings? Or do we share Anita’s wonder of why a spectacle has been made out of this?
V does an excellent job of structuring this issue. The writer is a master of subtext, and does a wonderful and consistent job of saying more with less. Every line either deepens our understanding of a character or works to further our perception of the story. It subtly lays out how you should feel about each party involved, while also being heavy handed in explaining how you should feel towards the seemingly less important characters.
Anita Marr’s Introduction
Evan Cagle assists V by providing incredibly detailed looks at each of these characters. Every muscle on a person’s face is well defined, and the intention with each word spoken is clear. From Xander’s cockiness to Anita’s retrospective manner, it’s told to us through the looks on their faces. There’s so much depth behind each character’s eyes that Cagle transfers from script to page. It’s laid out well for us. Not just to mention that, but the designs of this world are nothing to sneeze at either. The suits that the Iron King pilots are fitted with, as well as the facilities around the city, seem detailed and carry personalities of their own. Cagle has a great understanding of the story told with an exact vision for how it should look.
The designs for the Tetza themselves are also very well done. While we only see one in this issue, we get a good idea of what these hulking and reptilic beasts are capable of, and how they’ve been causing problems for as long as they have. In response to the Tetza, however, we also have these beautifully designed mechs in the forms of the Iron Kings. Dawnrunner itself looks intricate and gargantuan. It’s an incredibly flexible mech with hidden blades, and who knows what other kinds of surprises. Everything drawn carries unique purpose and personality.
The world of Dawnrunner would be nowhere near as well defined as it is without Dave Stewart’s coloring complimenting Cagle’s art. The warmth of a sunrise engulfs the beginning of the issue, and the passage of time is clear throughout the issue. As Lestern walks with a colleague named Murali, the sun gleams through the skylights in a way that shines on a confident, egotistical Lestern as he exits. This also leaves Murali, as well as his cautionary words, ignored in a dimmer light.
The Dawnrunner itself has colors mimicking Anita’s own costume, and the speeding backgrounds with flat colors assist in giving us a good idea of just how arduous these battles against the Tetza are. Near the end of the issue, we’re transported to a new location along with Anita. The page transitions wonderfully from the green color initially surrounding her to the red skies of the new and unknown area.
Aditya Bidikar gets intelligently creative with the lettering as well. When a sports radio gives its daily broadcast, the channel number is attached to the panel. In flat-colored panels sprinkled throughout the beginning of this issue, we also have these passages that detail the world and its history as though we ourselves are reading it from their records personally. Near the end of the issue, faded text bubbles also creatively show us how a character isn’t listening, with their mind elsewhere entirely.
With many questions unanswered, this is a great start to this story. There’s plenty of action, worldbuilding, and beautiful art to keep anyone entertained. Dawnrunner #1 sets the stage for what is bound to be the most enthralling mech vs. kaiju story of the year.
EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #2 hits your local comic book store on March 27th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive six-page preview for you!
About the issue: Welcome to Spider-High, the most dangerous high school on Earth. Gluemy Miller is the new kid, and things aren’t looking good for him making it through his first year there with the villainous teachers actually trying to kill him. On the bright side, he may have a shot with the cute cheerleader, but who is the mysterious and deadly SPOOKER-MAN?! CYBORG SPIDER-MAN returns! The coolest Spider-Suit from the ’90s has gone underused for TOO LONG! Don’t miss the most kick-ass Spider-Character’s star turn!
The issue is by writers Kaare Andrews and Richard Douek, artists Robert Quinn and Edgar Salazar, inker Victor Olazaba, colorists Brian Reber and Alex Sinclair, and letterer Joe Caramagna. The main cover is by Chad Hardin and Chris Sotomayor.
Check out previews of both stories in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #2 below:
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DAREDEVIL #7 hits your local comic book store on March 27th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: THE WOLF IS AT THE DOOR!
The pulse-pounding DAREDEVIL saga from Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder continues – as whatever mysterious force that has made Matt Murdock’s life a living hell for weeks has now put him and his fearless alter ego DAREDEVIL on a collision course with the one and only WOLVERINE!
The issue is by writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Aaron Kuder, with colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by Clayton Cowles. The main cover is by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Richard Isanove.
Check out our DAREDEVIL #7 preview below:
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From contemporary comics auteur Ram V (These Savage Shores, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr) and artistic phenom Evan Cagle (Dark Tropic, Superman and the Authority) comes a cerebral take on kaiju stories with Dawnrunner #1. Featuring colors by Dave Stewart and lettering by Aditya Bidikar, this debut issue takes the standard tropes of Pacific Rim-style monster stories and injects a devious twist at the hands of corporate brutality. With a compelling script and staggering visual work, Dawnrunner is one of the best new titles of the year so far.
“A century ago a portal opened over Central America and the Tetza that came through changed our world. Now the world bends all its effort to making the Iron Kings–great mechs that must battle the Tetza for humanity’s continued survival in gladiatorial combat. Anita Marr is the greatest of the pilots and is chosen to pilot a new prototype that could change the tide in humanity’s favor.”
Writing & Plot
Ram V has always had a habit of injecting resonant themes into a myriad of genres, and he does it again here in Dawnrunner #1. In this future setting, Earth was invaded by a race of massive monsters called the Tetza. As humanity struggled for dominance, they discovered the best way to fight these massive beasts was by getting up to their level – mecha style. As this combat approach proved effective, corporations decided to make these battles a form of entertainment, selling both weapons and circuses to profit off of our near damnation. One company unveils a prototype, supposedly the most advanced mech yet. It’s new technological advantage proves to be an unsettling and compelling twist that absolutely sells the rest of the series. Ram V succeeds with Dawnrunner by taking a concept that feels familiar and trope-y on the outset and injecting it with some classic corporate greed and existential dread. The opening half of this issue feels like the dozens of other kaiju-fighting comics that have come out over the last few years. Even with Ram’s concise narrative voice and ear for naturalistic dialogue, Dawnrunner doesn’t read as anything particularly special on its opening. However, once the story hits its larger concepts – capitalists constantly inventing new ways to profit off of war and death – this comic really becomes something incredible. The Kaiju genre, starting with Godzilla in 1954, has always been about having a thematic focus even larger than the monsters themselves. Here in the West, we forget that aspect and lean in to the spectacle. It’s both reassuring and totally unsurprising to see Ram V leaning into the more meaningful side of the genre while still allowing for kickass action to take place.
Art Direction
Dawnrunner #1 may also be the best looking kaiju comic of the last few years thanks to the phenomenal visual work of Evan Cagle. His fluid animations, expressive character work, and hyper-detailed environmental and biomechanical design makes for a comic issue you won’t stop just staring at. Cagle emulates a sort of multi-dimensional look with his pencils, thanks to how he handles shading. He showcases indirect lighting and shadow with intense hatching, and this is usually seen in the background of most panels. With the characters in the foreground having very little shading by comparison, he’s able to craft a sense of scale and distance that’s difficult to accomplish in a 2D medium. Cagle’s design work adds to both the sense of scale and alien-like aspects of this world. His approach is comparable to the work of Katsuhiro Atomo’s on Akira, Hiroya Oku with Gantz, and even reminds me of Nick Dragotta of East of West fame. Cagle carries the story along at a careful pace, allowing for the plot to simmer and intensify and the action to hit with a hammer when it finally arrives. Industry veteran Dave Stewart give life to Cagle’s pencils with phenomenal effect. Stewart’s tonal approach gives the whole comic a sort of uncanniness, with his hues adding an eerie sci-fi horror element to this broken future. His work adds a menacing tone to every interaction, from the sanitized office spaces of CEO’s, to the unforgiving jungles and decaying technologies of this Earth to be. His colorwork on the monster in this issue sticks out as well, with a pale, flat pink selling the impression that this beast doesn’t belong on this world. Aditya Bidikar once again delivers solid lettering, with his SFX work feeling like an artistic exclamation point over an environment that looks as though it has shunned art to make war. Dawnrunner is a staggering comic issue in terms of visual storytelling.
Verdict
Dawnrunner#1 is well on track to be the best comic book of its kind. Ram V delivers a script that takes the familiar kaiju-fighting tropes and blends them with a sharp political edge mixed with a cerebral sci-fi/horror twist. The visuals from Evan Cagle and Dave Stewart are nothing short of astounding, with a use of lighting and scale seldom seen in the medium. Be sure to grab this phenomenal debut when it hits shelves on March 20th!
Dark Horse Comics’ Helen of Wyndhorn #1 is complex and understated all at once. The all-star creative team behind Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow— writer Tom King, artist Bilquis Evely, colorist Matheus Lopes, and letterer Clayton Cowles — are back with another stunning labor of love. Helen of Wyndhorn is about many, many things. But, it seems, it’s most of all about how stories get told.
About Helen of Wyndhorn #1 (from Dark Horse):
Following the tragic death of her late father C.K. Cole, the esteemed pulp writer and creator of the popular warrior character Othan; Helen Cole is called back to her Grandfather’s enormous and illustrious estate: Wyndhorn House.
Scarred by Cole’s untimely passing and lost in a new, strange world, Helen wreaks drunken havoc upon her arrival; however, her chaotic ways begin to soften as she discovers a lifetime of secrets hiding within the myriad rooms and hallways of the expansive manor. For outside its walls, within the woods, dwell the legendary adventures that once were locked away within her father’s stories.
Writing
From page one, King’s playful tone in this series is obvious. Despite the premise of the story revolving around Helen losing her father, the first words we see are simply “I didn’t know him.” These are the words of Ms. Appleton. She was Helen’s caretaker at Wyndhorn, and now, in her ripe old age, she’s being interviewed about her connections to the daughter of the famous pulp writer, C.K. Cole. But she never met him, and she’s proud to admit that she never has — nor ever plans to — read his work. “It’s all trash, isn’t it?” she tuts.
And so, it’s through Ms. Appleton’s voice that we hear about Helen and Wyndhorn. She’s a character who would shiver to think that her own words would be printed in something so lowly as a comic book. But King chooses her voice for a reason. Her discomfort with the subject matter of her own story — the teenage Helen’s binge drinking and chain smoking for instance — leads her to be scant on the details. She’s verbose, but she’s also evasive in how she relays what she witnessed, perhaps worried that she should have done more. When she speaks to a barkeep, trying to track down her ward at the very start of our tale, she says “It has been over five decades, and still I hesitate to admit where he sent me next.” She goes on cryptically, painting an even more vivid picture through what she’s not saying, describing the prison cell where she finds the poor girl passed out. As a narrator, she not only lends humor and subtlety to these pages, but she stands in stark contrast to our raucous titular character.
Art
Similarly to King, Evely plays against every moment. Helen’s addictions, in reality, are quite depressing. She’s a sixteen year old girl who is dependent on booze and cigarettes. But instead of highlighting what we already know, Evely depicts Helen’s addictions in whimsical ways. When she knocks back a drink, she almost seems to be doing a dance. The smoke of her cigarettes sweep across her, joining in the movement. Rather than judging Helen for her vices, Evely gives us a window into why she depends on these things. As dysfunctional as it might be, she simply comes alive when she has a drink in her hand. These are the things she can count on as entertaining distractions from not ever really fitting in.
When Helen is first shown around the Wyndhorn House, she is pictured across two pages, small against the backdrop of the massive rooms in the mansion. She’s standing in the exact same rigid stance in each panel, but her placement in each panel changes. Evely makes us feel like Helen is totally lost, being led around a world that’s not her own. It’s when she’s given a tour of the wine cellar that we first see her begin to move again. Her arms open a little, and soon she’s relaxed and at home, with wine running down her satisfied face.
Coloring
The world of Helen of Wyndhorn is bright, vibrant, and full of life. Even the dirty prison cell where Ms. Appleton first finds Helen has a brilliant yellow light cast across it. When we see them both later, they’re aboard a train that’s lumbering across a nighttime landscape. The panel is shown in a blue that almost seems to glow. Even Wyndhorn itself is perched atop rolling green hills. Everything, for the first few pages, almost feels magical in its coloration. But the inside of the Wyndhorn mansion is a different story. Where once there were vivid hues of yellow, blue, and green, there is now nothing but dull earthy tones. Every panel is covered in shades of brown and grey. The ornate decorations are somehow rendered to seem boring and unimpressive.
It seems that, despite Ms. Appleton being the one who is narrating this particular story, Lopes is actually showing it to us through Helen’s eyes. She sparkles in the outdoors. She’s more in her own skin when she’s in a cramped prison cell than when she’s in a gargantuan house. That is, until she sees the wine cellar. For the first time on her tour of Wyndhorn, Lopes brings bright coloring back into the page. The panels of Helen slurping down a whole bottle of red wine are depicted in a familiar warm yellow. She acts like she’s unaffected by her environments. Lopes assures us that that is not the case.
Lettering
Thanks to Cowles, the sentiments of our narrator towards pulpy “trash” fiction are never forgotten. Her captions show up, looking like they’ve been ripped out of her diary. The font looks like neat handwriting and the caption boxes have uneven edges to them. I’m sure Ms. Appleton would be more inclined to see this story published in a memoir, rather than showing up in the pages of a comic book. But try as she might, she certainly lives in the kind of world that still has a tendency towards moments of flashy action. Whether it’s his haphazard looking fonts that present the sounds of shattering glass, or the sounds of people’s screams that push beyond the borders of their word balloons, Cowles deals as expertly in excitement as he does in subtlety.
Verdict
Dark Horse’s Helen of Wyndhorn is about more than worlds colliding. It’s about more than a young girl who is trying to run from trauma — in the most entertaining ways she can muster. Helen of Wyndhorn is about how stories get told. This creative team proves they know the art of storytelling intimately. What they’re doing here is nothing short of beautiful. Helen of Wyndhorn #1 is out now from Dark Horse Comics at a comic shop near you!
VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #3 hits your local comic book store on March 20th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive three-page preview for you!
About the issue: VENGEANCE EXACTED!
As the new Moon Knight serves his own vision of justice, Marc Spector’s allies and friends take it upon themselves to find his base of operations and take the fight to him! But the Fists of Khonshu hold a bloody and well-earned reputation, one which the likes of Hunter’s Moon, Tigra and Soldier are all about to experience firsthand!
The issue is by writer Jed MacKay and artist Alessandro Cappuccio, with colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Davide Paratore.
Check out our VENGEANCE OF THE MOON KNIGHT #3 preview below:
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MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT #2 (OF 3) is coming to your local comic book store June 26th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has the exclusive first look at the issue!
About the issue: THE REUNION CONTINUES!
What do you get when you cross two Ghost Riders, a daywalker, their supernatural-hunting friends and a horde of vampires swarming the Earth? A whole lot of fangs, fire and penance…
The issue is by writer Bryan Hill and artist Germán Peralta. The main cover is by Ken Lashley.
Get your first look at Lashley’s MIDNIGHT SONS: BLOOD HUNT #2 cover here:
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Transformers #6 by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton is one of the best single issue releases of the year so far. Since the very first issue, this comic has dealt with themes of morality and mortality, with every subsequent issue going on to deepen and further those ideas. This issue ends the comic’s first storyline, but also provides a climax for these ideas that’s sure to get the reader’s eye watery.
The Autobots run from Devastator
Johnson takes on the roles of both writer and and artist on this book, concluding the storyline he’s been expertly crafting for the past five months. The story picks up with last issue’s Devastator reveal, with mayhem ensuing. All the Autobots try to escape, with Carly taking Cliffjumper on a detour. Starscream is filled with bloodlust as he battles Optimus, and Optimus does his best to keep Sparky and everyone else safe. He’s put out of commission pretty early on into the issue, with Starscream taking cover as well. This gives us time with some of the other characters here.
Optimus’ character arc reaches a full climax here, and he gains something new to fight for, as do all the Autobots. Johnson constantly impresses with his ability to really flesh out each character, with everyone having their own sets of wants and goals that morph and shift as time goes on. The Decepticons are as ruthless as ever, but that gives way for each Autobot to not just change how they feel about them, but about themselves.
The star of the show here is Cliffjumper. He has an internal struggle in this issue in a battle with Carly by his side, and it leaves him feeling lost. All the Autobots do. Every character is more than meets the eye. What do they fight for on this foreign planet, and why do they continue this fight in the cycle that it has been fought in? Optimus is more understanding now as a result of this, and our human cast has evolved greatly as well. Carly is terrified and angry, but you also have Sparky who has a beautiful change of heart. Every character feels special, and is handled with a beautiful love and care. These characters constantly contemplate throughout this series if they’re happy warriors, or if they ever were.
Optimus Prime battles Starscream
Onto the art, Johnson excels here with the help of Mike Spicer. A benefit of writing and drawing seems to be that you know exactly what you want something to look like and that you’re able to execute it yourself. Johnson does just that constantly. Every panel is concise and detailed beautifully, with this issue even containing a couple of fun references to past Transformers works in the art itself. Johnson usually goes above and beyond for fight scenes, and this comic is no exception. Every blow is felt and you can feel the weight behind every last one.
Spicer and Johnson are an incredible duo, as Spicer does a great job muting some of the colors on the Autobots to really make that battle damage show. He also does an incredible job making sure the lighting in certain scenes adds to emotional beats. The light emanating from a character’s spark is a call to another character, and that message really gets across through it. Not to mention the coloring on the insane action pages that really make each character and their actions pop. There’s this fantastic page where Optimus is in battle, guns blazing, with a myriad of colored sound effects on a yellow background that just looks awesome.
Rus Wooton also does a great job in differentiating the Transformers from the humans. His lettering fits Johnson and Spicer’s style incredibly well. His letters quite literally look as though they’re popping out from the art itself, and that’s exactly how it would look if those characters rose from the page and began to talk. It’s an amazing match.
Overall, this issue provides a thematically and visually stunning experience that’s sure to tug at your heartstrings. This comic deserves every bit of praise it’s been receiving over the last few months. Johnson, Spicer, and Wooton all pitch in to tell this story that’s moving and memorable in a way that will have you going back to it for weeks to come.
THE IMMORTAL THOR #8 hits your local comic book store on March 13th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you!
About the issue: Thor confronted his mother Gaea about her machinations in Midgard… and the dark secrets she had kept from him. Meanwhile, a trap was prepared – baited with blood vengeance, laced with insidious poison and carefully set by she who perhaps cared for the Odinson best. This is the story of the IMMORTAL THOR…and of the women who loved him.
The issue is by writer Al Ewing and artist Ibraim Roberson, with colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Joe Sabino. The main cover is by Alex Ross.
