Hell in Stalingrad – Preview

Madius Comics & Mad Robot Comics are already established Indie comic producers in their own right but when these powerhouses put their creative heads together on a title – it’s instantly got the feeling of something to take notice of.

That trait has been emboldened by a Kickstarter campaign that hit the ground running straight out of the blocks but while it was there, it seems to have crushed the blocks and dragged them along with them as each target has been swept aside with ease.  From that alone it was fair to say that the potential was there for many people to see and with that comes a preview look at the first two chapters.

The inner workings of army deployments are laid out for all to see as wartime interrogations unravel alongside the battle-field carnage and with the line between enemies & allies quickly being blurred, we see German Ernst & Russian Vassily having to reassess their stance on all-out war with the emergence of a darker foe for them to face.  The intimacy of an interrogation and the visceral violence of war are a recognizable contrast for sure but with the added element of demons drifting into the mix, things definitely go up a notch as creators Matt Hardy & Rob Jones flank us with a comic-book ambush in the space of just these two chapters.

The gritty world is dangerous enough without that added evil but it’s all hammered home by the artwork from Russell MacEwan & William McLaughlan who give it the energy & urgency it all needs from the very beginning.  As they capture the very worst of each character as dictated by the plot, it’s clear that every page turn helps the story gain momentum at the same time as it slapping you in the face with the ugly side of war.  A curious combination of breathless & subtlety but with words & imagery stepping into no-mans land to let you see every destructive detail.

The creators are firing on all gun barrels here and with us being left on a cliffhanger of just what the whole book has to offer, it’s clear that the strength of Madius & Mad Robot is shining through in the hands of this creative team that knows how to entertain.  I can’t wait to see what the finished book has in store and the campaign itself seems to be adding more impressive names to do covers, prints & artwork that act as reinforcements to a campaign that’s already been gaining ground while on the front foot.

Check out those prints that are on the way:

Lucy Sullivan

Iain Laurie

Russell Mark Olson

Grim war is on offer here but with a second wave of demons & camaraderie to come….it feels certain that this could be a cross-publisher project that fuels more titles and more success from here on out.  Bring it all on!!

You can get your hands on a full copy of the release through the campaign link below along with a ton of other options on those award tiers:

Hell in Stalingrad Kickstarter

G-Man