Independent Showcase: Skeleton Crew Review

If you went to New York Comic Con this year and had the chance to check out some independent creators’ booths through the utter chaos, you may or may not have been able to pick up a comic or speak to a creator. The talent some of these individuals have is big, and supporting the underground community is what will help keep comic books alive. Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down and reading a book that is out now called Skeleton Crew, and it was a cool one-of-a-kind treat.

The story is by Ray Haughland, Ben Bishop, and Kristian Nilsen and proves that when you put pirates, ghosts, a dinosaur, and, that’s right, skeletons, in the same story, it can turn out to be a real cool concept. In the first issue, the story begins with our protagonist, a man named Kevin, who has a compass around his neck. After an incident where Kevin is thought to be dead, we find ourselves, “A few years earlier or later,” as he is still alive, but now a young boy.

Kevin boards a ship where the crew members encounter him, and no one knows who he is. Yet the captain of the ship, a man named Grey, notices the compass and recognizes him right away. This left me with even more questions. The story gets even better, taking the reader through twists and turns in this fantasy world that I hope grows to be more vast, with a crew that kept me interested until the last page.

In my other reviews, I have spoken about art, and I definitely want to do that for Skeleton Crew. The whole book is in black and white, a treat for readers who are into seeing the detailed sketches putting emphasis on various things, such as a specific scene where Kevin takes a gun out of a holster. The art and the feelings it inspires give this story a bit of a manga feel to me. Take a look for yourself at the artwork by Bishop; the way he illustrates the faces on these characters almost gives you a bit of insight into the emotions these characters inspire, which in turn makes the reader more immersed.

All in all, it’s a cool read, and I don’t want to give away too much because you should check it out for yourself. Personally, I would love to see this book get some color to it, as I think it would give readers the full perspective on how this world looks. You can pick up the story here, and for a limited time, if you order a copy you will receive an original sketch done by Ben. That’s right, you’ll get the full book along with an original sketch within the book!

All in all, it is worth the buy. This story has potential with a great cast of characters brilliantly written from what I’ve seen so far, and I hope to see them adventure for issues to come and travel all around to really help their readers step away to a different land. Check it out if you like to see independent creators doing some great work.