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!
Dark Planet Comics’ 2025 Graphic Novels by Stephan Franck
Creators: Dark Planet Comics
Goal: $14,000
End Date: June 5, 2025
Goodies: For $57, you can get the new books bundle, the Palomino Vol. 4 & 5 digital bundle, the Dark Planets Comics digital bundle for $41, or, at higher tiers, the discovery bundle for $55 and much more!
This Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is a must-see for fans of strong and unique author-driven comics. Stephan Franck (of Silver and Palomino) returns with two new volumes of his acclaimed neo-noir series and a reprint of his original graphic novella, Romance in the Age of the Space God, a sci-fi satire described as “Watership Down by way of Black Mirror.”
With endorsements from creators like Jim Lee, Jeff Lemire, and Elsa Charretier, Franck’s work blends pulp energy with philosophical depth. Whether you love hardboiled detective drama or surreal, thought-provoking shorts, this campaign has something for everyone.
The Complete MFKZ Series by Run
Creators: Label 619 – Magnetic Press
Goal: $7,500
End Date: May 30, 2025
Goodies: The digital copy is $12, the volume 1 hardcover is $25, the complete digital saga is $55, and the limited edition hardcover omnibus is $115 at higher tiers.
The groundbreaking graphic novel series behind the animated feature film by Studio 4C and Ankama is presented in one deluxe collection.
When MFKZ hit the scene, it was one of the few times I felt I had experienced something unique. It was like I was a kid in a candy store and couldn’t help engrossing myself in the comic, not to mention the animated movie. That’s why I can say from experience that if you love wild, genre-smashing comics with attitude, the MFKZ Kickstarter is absolutely worth checking out.
From the mind of Guillaume “Run” Renard, MFKZ is a gritty, kinetic mashup of The X-Files, Grand Theft Auto, and lucha libre mayhem, all wrapped in a sci-fi conspiracy thriller with bold, ever-shifting art styles. With over 600 pages of story, new English editions, and premium formats like a deluxe slipcase set and exclusive “Black Hole” Omnibus, this campaign delivers a visually stunning, action-packed epic. It is worth the hype and makes checking it out all the better.
Trinity: Vampire Volume 1
Creators: Casey Cruz (Artist/Writer/Creator)
Goal: $3,500
End Date: June 12, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $10, the poster bundle for $15, cover a for $20, or at higher tiers get cover b for $20 and much more!
Imagine Romeo and Juliet, but Juliet becomes a vampire and wants nothing to do with Romeo anymore. Now, Romeo has to become a hunter.
Trinity: Vampire Volume 1 reminds me of a fun and brutal supernatural anime. It’s hard not to feel that way when the story is set in a monster-ridden Tokyo under curfew, and follows Myles Suzuki, a biracial teen whose first date with his best friend Scarlett takes a deadly turn. They awaken a dark new reality, setting him on a hero’s journey full of danger, identity, and inner conflict. The themes are gender role reversal, personal transformation, and the blurred lines between human and monster. It seems like loads of fun, and I can’t help but want more.
Misfit Island
Creators: Nicholas Doan
Goal: $6,000
End Date: May 29, 2025
Goodies: Get the digital copy for $8, the PDF Paradise bundle for $18, a signed first edition for $20, and much more!
The second entry of KNAPSACK MAGAZINE, a love letter to serialized comics magazines of the ’90s & ’00s, by Lucky Pocket Press!
Misfit Island is a heartfelt, all-ages adventure bursting with charm, magic, and mischief. From the creative team behind Monster Elementary, this crowdfunding project blends monsters, mystery, and emotions into a whimsical comic that’s as fun as it is meaningful.
Centered around Brody the jackalope and his misfit friends on the island of Dissidentia, the book features three interconnected stories, including a rock-n-roll Frankenstein and a runaway harpy. With stunning art by Bobby Timony and stories about friendship, identity, and belonging, Misfit Island is lightning in a bottle and an actual labor of love that promises even more to come. It’s one of those projects that you can feel the effort and love put into, and I will always want more projects like that on the Comics Crowdfunding Round-Up!
GUNBRAIN: COMIC BOOK
Creators: Coastalvania
Goal: $6,000
End Date: June 8
Goodies: The digital copy is $20, the physical copy is $30, cover B is $30, and at higher tiers, the double set is $50.
GUNBRAIN comes from Coastalvania, they’re well known for their art, their Instagram account with more than 2,000 followers, and the multiple Kickstarters they’ve done, building a name for themselves and to that end have made their art recognizable from a mile away.
That takes us to the GUNBRAIN crowdfunding campaign. The comic looks absolutely fantastic, with Vanitas‘s distinct art style. It’s a high-octane, 64-page mecha comic one-shot. I want you to think Metal Slug meets The Iron Giant, with a time-warp twist and a telepathic war dog whose mind powers a giant mech.
Packed with kinetic art, cosmic stakes, and vintage war-mecha vibes, GUNBRAIN is a complete story that delivers big thrills in a bold, black-and-white package. Signed, numbered, and loaded with variant covers and custom art options, this campaign is a must for fans of stylish indie comics, robots, and raw creative energy. Unsurprisingly, it hit its goal and is still on track for more funds. Make sure to check it out; you will not regret it.
For more from The Beat’s Crowdfunding Round-Up, check out our archived posts here!
