How Magma Comix Is Changing the Face of Independent Comics

Magma Comix has burst onto the comic scene with an explosive three-issue debut and a mission to change how we think of creator-owned comics, allowing creators complete freedom and support to bring readers the best books possible from some of the best talent.

With their three debut titles, Magma has hit some of the most popular genres in comics, covering horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, and giving readers fresh new adventures outside of the Big Two. All of these titles have been great — some of the best comics currently coming out of the independent comic scene. Let’s take a look at the creative teams behind them, and how Magma Comix is setting itself apart from other comic publishers.

The History of Magma Comix

Magma Comix was founded in 2020 by Denton J. Tipton with the mission to give creators the support and freedom to tell their passion projects and deliver new and exciting stories to readers. To bring this vision to life, Tipton then recruited Bobby Curnow as editior-in-chief in 2023. Both former editors at IDW, the publishers behind titles such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic, Tipton and Curnow know what makes a great comic book, and with their passion and experience, they set out to find a set of heavy-hitting creators to launch this dream into reality.

What sets Magma apart from other up-and-coming publishers is not only the experience behind its founders but also their dedication to doing it the right way by both readers and creators. Tipton, Curnow, and the rest of the Magma team have worked tirelessly over the past couple of years to ensure that the creators joining Magma would be able to tell the stories they wanted to tell while having the full support to create new and different stories to captivate readers. With everything in place, Magma officially debuted earlier this year with its three titles: Principles of Necromancy, Silicon Bandits, and Scale Trade.

‘Silicon Bandits’ #1

Silicon Bandits by Jason Starr is Magma Comix’s epic sci-fi adventure. Set in the near future, it follows two programmers who are fired from their jobs by a massive corporation developing the next evolution in sentient AI. In order to save their research from those looking to exploit it, the programmers stage the perfect heist that leads to disastrous consequences.

Silicon Bandits is a fantastic first issue that brings readers into this futuristic sci-fi world that Starr has crafted. Starr excels at using this alternate future to reflect our world and the current landscape of AI technology. The art by Dalibor Talajić fits this story perfectly, with beautiful and intricate splash pages that pull readers into this alternate future, making it feel real and lived in.

While this was a great introduction to this world, it is a rather slow burn to begin with that may not hook everyone immediately. There are a lot of interesting pieces being set into place, but no clear direction yet of where they fit. This first issue was a great introduction to the story that Starr and Talajić are setting up and one that I can not wait to explore more of.

‘Scale Trade’ #1

Scale Trade by Steve Orlando fills the fantasy genre for Magma, bringing readers into a modern world one step removed from our own where dragons exist and roam free. While the dragons are revered and respected by most, poachers have brought the creatures to near extinction. One young idealist joins the federal agency that manages dragons to stop the illegal dragon trade. Scale Trade is a wonderful issue that blends genres of fantasy, mystery, and crime thriller.

Instead of bringing elements of our world into fantasy, Orlando brings fantasy into our world and uses it to discuss and reflect on societal issues. The artwork by Megan Huang is phenomenal, giving the dragons and world a perfect blend of cartoon fantasy and realism that brings the story’s premise to life. Scale Trade #1 is an amazing first issue that perfectly balances its themes to tell a captivating adventure that leaves readers wanting more.

‘Principles of Necromancy’ #1–2

Principles of Necromancy by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly is a pure horror adrenaline kick. In a world without magic, we follow the tale of Doctor Jacob Eyes, who has tasked himself with curing death. To achieve his goals, Doctor Eyes must study death in all its forms with gruesome experimentation on those he encounters.

Principles of Necromancy is a jaw-dropping book in all the best ways. Lanzing and Kelly do a masterful job in these first two issues, crafting this terrifying character and his world without needing to hold the reader’s hand. The book wastes no time getting to the point, sprinkling in details about the world and Doctor Eyes to give us context but never diverting away from the issue’s main story.

While the writing and structure of these issues are great, the art from Eamon Winkle really sells this book and brings everything together. Winkle’s art in these issues is nothing short of spectacular, with some of the most gruesome and gut-wrenching pages I’ve seen this year.

Both issues are filled with intense visual horror, but Winkle truly excels in the details, with beautiful layouts in every panel that make the world breathe and live. Great and unique storytelling and awe-inspiring art make Principles of Necromancy a gut punch of horror fantasy in all the right ways and one of the best horror books of the year so far.

Magma Comix Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

With three great debut titles and more being announced, it’s clear the Magma Comix train is moving full steam ahead. All three of these titles hit a very specific genre of comics, giving something for everyone with some of the best creative talent behind them.

The fully creator-owned model is not just a great mission to get behind but also translates into the work with each title being creatively unique and the creators’ distinctive voices having free range to implement their ideas. A great team of people, a great mission, and a great caliber of talent with free range to explore their passions make Magma Comix stand apart from other independent publishers and is resulting in some of the best books on the shelves.

At the time of this article being written, Magma has also announced three new titles The Pedestrian by Joey Esposito and Sean Von Gorman, Greaser: Gemini Blues by Darick Robertson and Stephen B. Jones, and Hell’s Half Acre by Magma founder Denton J. Tipton and Ramon Bunge.

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