I’ll admit that even though creator Jake Tipton sent me a brief synopsis of Ashes Over Neon #0 with the digital review copy, I didn’t fully read it. Which meant that I was pretty surprised by the story as it unfolded. Pleasantly surprised, I should add.

Sera used to be in a band; the thrill and enjoyment of performing for an audience hasn’t quite transferred to her corporate job in presenting to clients, but she does use her past to help navigate her anxiety. Despite seemingly having left her previous life behind, she stumbles upon something that just might reawaken her previous self, and find some unusual friends in the process.

Though billed as cyberpunk, there’s a refreshing lack of the usual tropes here, and it feels more like a ‘five minutes in the future’ vibe. Rather than a far future, gritty dystopia, instead it feels as if we’re visiting a bright, optimistic future, albeit one where misfits can sometimes fall through the cracks. Going back to tropes, though there’s a big company involved when it comes to Sera’s job, they aren’t presented as the villains of the piece.

Instead, Sera is fighting against the mundanity of conformity, and the denial of being able to just let loose and be herself, regardless of the financial gains (or otherwise).

It’s a cute, charming setup and there’s some great little set pieces and ideas, such as the password shenanigans at a secret club, or a reawakening caused by the effects of a bad egg salad sandwich.

Despite a few typos in the text throughout, it’s all very well put together, with great art by Gustavo Noveas, and a fun script by Ethan Murphy (from an original story by the aforementioned Jake Tipton).

By the last page, it seems like all the pieces are in place for Sera’s story to truly begin, and we’ve got some endearing new characters to get to know too. I’m very excited to see where the story heads next.

The Kickstarter campaign for Ashes Over Neon #0 launches on September 9th, and you can sign up to be notified when the campaign is live here.

Many thanks to Jake Tipton for providing me with a digital copy of Ashes Over Neon #0 for review purposes.

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