Isom #1’s Campaign

Isom #1’s launch was a historic moment for not only the indie comic book space but also for the many people whose lives would be impacted by its success. When the clock struck and the hour was upon us, we all watched with bated breath to see how the audience would respond. No one could have predicted the insane outpouring of support from the fans that we saw, and just when we thought, “It can’t go any higher than this, surely,” the numbers kept climbing, and milestone after milestone was demolished in rapid succession. On a personal note, I remember messaging our Lead Illustrator, Igor, whom you all now know as the talented hand behind many of the graphics and illustrations you see on our website and social media platforms, and having to constantly update and reassess milestone graphics because the fans were kicking them down faster than we could create them.

That first day also is what led many of us who now make up the core Rippaverse Team to leave our current day jobs and work full-time for this brand-new comic book company—something that was a dream none of us could have expected, but are no less grateful for.

The Launching Pad for a Universe

Isom #1 held a heavy responsibility on its 96-page shoulders: it had to establish not only the Rippaverse’s flagship hero, but also the world in which he inhabited, while also introducing other key characters who would become cornerstones of our comic book world. Doing that in 96 pages was no easy task, but what sprang from Ill-Advised Part I was an excited new world with unique takes on existing comic book archetypes and room for so much more.

The plot was simple: a retired street-level vigilante is forced back into the city he worked so hard to get away from in order to check in on a family friend at the behest of his sister. The day trip to the city of Florespark should have been simple, but Avery Silman’s luck was not as such, for that family friend was tied up in the employ of Avery’s former schoolmate Darren Fontaino, who now was a club owner and gangster of less than savory means. One thing leads to another, and Avery soon finds himself in one fight for his life after the next before he’s confronted with the decision to put on his old suit once more.

Isom’s first entry introduced not only Avery and the city of Florespark but also characters who would soon receive their own series set within the Rippaverse as well, such as the Alphacore and Yaira. The production gap between Isom #1 and #2 was long, as we had immediately learned that our online infrastructure was far from sufficient to handle the response from the fans, and so much of the next year was focused on bolstering said infrastructure…or so we’d thought…

Growing Pains

After a year of hard work producing the next entry in Isom’s first arc and beefing up our website, we launched Isom #2: Ill-Advised Arc Pt. 2. But the demand for more Rippaverse stories exceeded our expectations and preparations. To say the Isom #2 campaign launched a bit rough would be a gross understatement. In truth, it was a mess to the point where the team even had artwork made that showcased how everyone’s hair was on fire. But we took it as a learning and growth point, and it showed us just how much we underestimated the fans’ demand for our books and our current infrastructure’s lack of capacity to handle it.

The fan response to Isom #2, once it was in their hands, was overwhelmingly positive, with many fans noting an uptick from the entire creative team and stating they enjoyed it even more than the first book!

Doing it Right

Isom #2 taught us all some very valuable lessons creatively, logistically, and in infrastructure. Eric also knew that Isom #3 would have to be a very large book—a real kaiju, if you will, and with many plot threads to tie off neatly while leaving fans ready for more. We used this opportunity to beef up our website, increase our staff even further, and start releasing other books that would continue to grow this ever-expanding comic book universe. And so came Alphacore #1 by Chuck Dixon, Yaira #1 by the Soska Sisters, Goodyng: The Polymath by Mike Baron, and more. Each new title brought with it a new genre and new characters with new perspectives from acclaimed writers and artists, while Isom #3 was being prepared to close out our flagship hero’s first arc with a BANG!

And so, we’ve come to it—the Ill-Advised Arc finale. It has been a long road to get here. We didn’t want to launch the Isom #3 collection until it was right and ready, because our faithful fans had waited a long time to get their hands on this hallmark issue. Isom #3 is a very special book for not just Eric but all of us here at The Rippaverse who have been on this incredible journey for the past three years, with God-willing, many more to follow. As big a job as Eric had in launching our entire universe out of the pages of Isom #1, his job was demonstrably bigger in Isom #3 to bring his first character’s first arc to a satisfying conclusion. Well, from this NDA holder to you, the reader, let me assure you that Eric pulled it off magnificently. Isom #3 is a wild ride, with twists and turns and revelations that no one could have predicted or expected. This is a monster of a book, and while many of you many tear through it in a single sitting (I certainly wasn’t able to put it down from the moment I started), we hope it will tie you over until Isom #4 while Eric continues to tell more stories with other characters he created as well.

To Many More Years of Greatness

Whether you’ve been with us since that first Summer 2022 campaign, or you just recently heard about us and dove into the Isom #3 collection with the Isom Catch-Up Pack, we thank you so much for your support of good, fun, comic books. We promise to bring you many more. Thank you for making us GREAT.