Comics/Graphic Novels

Panels Indie Scene #1

Marcy Cook

Staff Writer

Marcy Cook is a creator of short stories, comic book scripts, interviews and articles. She’s also a semi-professional cat wrangler with an insatiable lust for Lego. When not slapping words together she’s a sci-fi geek, comic book fan and avid reader. Follow her on Twitter: @marcyjcook.

Each week on Panels I’m looking at two indie comics, under the original *ahem* title Panels Indie Scene. I’m restricting it to this number so that I can read a good chunk of each comic to get a real feel for it before I write about them.

Unfortunately, due to the time scales involved, it means I can’t read a long-running comic start to finish, but I’ll tell you that in the little blurb at the end of the review along with a few other handy facts. If I didn’t read the entire run I won’t know of all the problems, triggers or what have you in an indie comic; to some degree here you are on your own.

Also note that when I’m looking at indie comics, I’m looking for the good in them. I’m not going to be trash talking anyone’s work here. If an indie comic is distasteful or flat out bad, I’ll just avoid writing about it at all.

Lastly, because I’m explaining Panels Indie Scene this week I’m looking at only one indie comic, not two, but don’t worry because this weeks comic is great!

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

M.F.K

I love the artwork on MFK, this is professional level stuff. The story world builds slowly but forms a wonderful fantasy world that is stuffed full of unanswered questions and mysteries. The comic has been running from 2012 but catching up is a breeze thanks to clear art and storytelling.

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

Abbie is on a quest to take her mother’s ashes to a mountain range called Potters Spine, on the way she happens to stumble into a small village which is under repeat attack by super powered rogues called Parapsi. While there she ends up with an unexpected follower, the slightly inept but kind of heart Jaime. Abbie happens to be a little different from the other villagers herself, she’s deaf and also a Parapsi, someone with skills very much like an earth-bender from Avatar the last airbender. Rogue Parapsi like Abbie are often not welcome as they are so powerful that abusing that power becomes all too easy.

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

MFK is by Nilah Magruder and it’s won a bunch of awards including the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity, 2015. It’s great that the indie first comic featured here has a WoC writing and drawing it and features a WoC protagonist with a disability! MFK is highly recommended for almost all ages and one of the reasons why I wanted to start a regular look at indie comics, it’s joys like this that make the indie scene so vibrant.

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

MFK, Nilah Magruder, https://www.mfkcomic.com/

Vol Read: All
Rating: PG-13
Updates: Mondays
Where: https://www.mfkcomic.com/