MISC. MANGA, *I Heart Skull-Crusher

Josie Campbell already revolutionized the old He-Man spinoff of She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power for Netflix and then went on to specialize in stories featuring the character's Golden Age counterpart Mary Marvel for DC Comics, she also brought a new anime aspect to the Man Of Steel mythos in My Adventures With Superman. Campbell now has an anime-themed mini-series for Boom! Studios taking a spin on Battle Angel Alita, although minus the man/machine overtones. I Heart Skull-Crusher is a post-apocalyptic lesbian roller derby sports manga not seen in anything since the wild west days of 90s anime.

After your standard cataclysm where water is the most valuable resource, civilization has calmed down a little with most of the survivors becoming huge fans of the new sport called Screaming Pain Ball. The most boisterous of any of these sports fans is the energetic teenager Trini who has spent her whole sad life training to be a player in the game. Her existence is so decrepit that she has no friends and pours out all her dreams to the skulls of her deceased parents. Trini gets wind of a tournament coming up where she can get a spot on the winning team with her longtime idol, the notorious player known as Skull-Crusher. Our plucky wannabe gets help from a washed-up ex-player plus a pair of thieving twins to set out across the desert and earn her place next to her hero who she has a major crush on.

The series is set for only five issues but looks like they might be able to cover quite a lot of territory in their limited run. Alessio Zonno does a great job as the artist in this what appears to be her premiere in professional comics. The first issue establishes the world quite well and gets you in tune to their vibe right away. This anime-styled American comic has some familiar cliches for average otaku, although it appears to have some surprises in store before the conclusion. While being a little campy for a wasteland fantasy, the sci-fi shojo-ai action more than makes up for it.