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Welcome to this week’s installment of The Beat‘s Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up! Let’s look at what happens when deep stories meet sci-fi fun!
Real Hero Shit Book 2: Harder than It Looks by Kendra Wells
Creators: Iron Circus comics
Goal: $20,000
End Date: July 10, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $13, the PDF bundle for $18, the book for $25, or at higher tiers get the issue #1 and #2 bundle for $35, and much more!
Grab the second volume of the queer fantasy adventures of a disparate band of mismatched adventurers: Real Hero Shit!
On a real note seeing more queer voices in anything fantasy related tends to be a kind of kryptonite for myself. So knowing that, when I saw Real Hero Shit: Harder Than It Looks it had my attention the second I saw that title, been more so when you see the animated trailer on the project page. This is a fantasy comic that doesn’t pretend its heroes have it together, and that’s exactly the point. Kendra Wells brings back the chaotic energy, heartfelt moments, and messy queerness that made the first volume so fun, but this time, the stakes hit harder. With a bounty on their heads and a kingdom in the balance, the crew finds themselves in a situation that demands more than just wisecracks and flirting. If you’re a fan of stories that mix sword fights with self-discovery and aren’t afraid to get a little sexy along the way, this one’s for you. Back it for the laughs, stay for the emotional punches, and maybe walk away with a few new fictional crushes. It’s queer, it’s fun, and it’s absolutely worth your time.
RISE #1-4: A Superhero Drama for a New Age
Creators: Trevor Fernandes-Lenkiewicz (Writer/Creator), Ryan Best (Interior/Cover artist)
Goal: $8,000
End Date: July 28, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $7, the issue for $15, Cover B for $16, or at higher tiers, get the Cover D wraparound for $25 and much more!
Subverting The Hero’s Journey: what would happen if you had to FEEL GOOD to DO GOOD?
There’s a man in the sky, and he’s falling. Not because the villain won. Not because the world is ending. He’s falling because he no longer knows if he deserves to fly. RISE is a superhero comic, but it isn’t about capes or catchphrases. It’s about a man trying to be good in a world that keeps redefining what that means. Jon Prufrock’s powers only work when he feels good about himself. The problem is, confidence is fragile, and guilt hits hard. Across four emotionally charged issues, this story pulls apart the myth of the flawless hero. It explores masculinity, failure, and the pressure to meet expectations that were never really yours to begin with. The artwork is vivid and intense, the writing sharp and personal.
If you’re looking for something real hiding behind the superhuman, RISE invites you to look closer. This is a fall worth watching.
WHERE YOU DIE: A Horror Story About Certainty
Creators: Richard Fairgray (Creator/Writer/Artist)
Goal: $2,000
End Date: July 14, 2025
Goodies: Get the Digital copy for $10, the book for $15, a little horrors digital catch-up for $30, or at higher tiers, get the original art bundle for $50, and much more!
A 100-page horror story about the burden of knowing exactly where you’re going to die.
Where You Die grabbed me with a single terrifying question: What would you do if you knew the exact place you would die? That hook alone demanded I dive deeper, because if that idea sits at the core, imagine the unsettling layers waiting on each page. This pocket-sized, 100-page comic is built to explore universal fears through intimate detail, dissecting the small choices that fill the space between living boldly and hiding from fate. The kicker is the artwork; it’s raw and immediate, and because of this, I find the project all the more unsettling. If you love the kind of horror that crawls under your skin or simply want to see the world through another’s darkest lens, back this project. It is absolutely worth the visit, I can promise you that.
MEZO vol. 1-3 Fantasy Trilogy
Creators: Jarred Lujan (Co-Writer/Co-Creator), Tyler Chin-Tanner (Co-Writer/Co-Creator), Val Rodriguez (Artist)
Goal: $6,000
End Date: July 17, 2025
Goodies: Get the early bird digital copy for $10, the physical copy for $21, the digital deluxe for $21, or at higher tiers get the physical deluxe for $27, and much more!
The complete three volume set of the Mesoamerican-inspired fantasy epic!
The sky darkens. The eclipse is coming. Tribes gather at the edge of war. In the land of Mezo, peace is a memory and the gods demand blood. Kyma watched her father fall. She saw her people scattered. She stood where others ran, and now she leads. With ancient powers awakening and the Tzalekuhl Empire tightening its grip, her fight is far from over. But this story is more than one hero’s path. In Volume 3, the spotlight shifts. Roden, a soldier once loyal to the empire, broke ranks to save the innocent. Now he stands trial. Friends, enemies, and uncertain allies must decide if he lives or dies.
MEZO is a fantasy saga told across three volumes, and it has completely pulled me in. Its ability to tell interconnected yet deeply personal stories is masterful. Rooted in Mesoamerican myth and driven by themes of resistance and identity, this world feels both ancient and urgent. Check out this project—they’re about to finish their third volume for a reason!
ASTRO ALLIANCE #1
Creators: Future Vision Comics
Goal: $1,500
End Date: July 20, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $5, the main cover for $12, the connecting cover for $15, or at higher tiers, get the cover combo for $25, and much more!
A group of super-powered heroes from across the universe unite to stop an evil god from recreating The Big Bang in his own image.
In the vast reaches of space, a team of unlikely heroes must come together to stop an ancient god bent on reshaping the universe itself. Astro Alliance #1 introduces Captain Saturn, a fugitive with new powers seeking redemption, and Princess Eclipto-Zarra, a young royal running from a destiny she never chose. As they race across galaxies, hunted by the ruthless Gentron Empire, secrets about their powers, the mysterious God Particle, begin to surface. This is a story about finding hope and family in the darkest corners of the cosmos.
Filled with pulse-pounding action, vivid worlds, and complex characters, Astro Alliance offers a fresh take on sci-fi superhero adventures, and honestly, I love that it’s willing to be something new. The project is fun and engrossing, I want more of it, and it’s great to see a project that is so self-aware of what it is. Whether you’re a fan of epic battles or stories about redemption and courage, this series promises a journey beyond the stars.
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!
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