PopCultHQ received a preview copy of Sane6 #1: Catalyst from Rats & Crows Publishing. Coming this June, the creative team for this new series features writing from Rob Cannon, artwork by Rob Cannon, coloring from Rob Cannon, and lettering is handled by Rob Cannon. It’s also a Rob Cannon production. Cannon is co-founder of Rats & Crows with fellow creator and Editor-in-Chief Kevin Parent.
Sane6 #1: Catalyst is where everything starts. This is the beginning of the contractors’ stories. Sane6 #1: Catalyst is a 56-page book. It includes Sane6 #1: Catalyst and the pilot issue Sane6 #00: Wreckage the pilot issue, as well as bonus artwork.
Sane6 is a comic book series created and produced entirely by Rob Cannon. Sane6 was officially born on February 20th due to a successful Kickstarter campaign. This Kickstarter campaign has financed the production of Sane6 #00: Wreckage and Sane6 #1: Catalyst.
Here is PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of Sane6 #1: Catalyst…
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review: Sane6: Catalyst #1
A scorched earth. A world in ruins. A dilapidated city in shambles. A looming threat that could mean life or death. Sometimes you just have to take any job thrown your way to survive. That’s just the case for six individuals who will come together for a common cause… gettin’ that money!
A mysterious envelope appears at their residences. Upon removing it’s contents, they each are informed they have been carefully selected, as to their skills and reputation, as candidates for a unique contract. A contract of lucrative proportions.
From the moment these individuals come together for the first time, you can tell this group just might have difficulties getting along. They put aside any differences, however, and focus on the job at hand. A heist. A heist that will reward them all handsomely. All members of this squad have been assigned codenames: Rosy, Coal, Tulip, Crimson, Silver, and Tuscan; obviously for the sake of anonymity as is the case with thievery.
Upon carrying out their mission, the crew gets hit with a harsh reality that something is amiss. Did they make a mistake somewhere? Are they being set up as patsies? Or was it simply wrong place, wrong time?
Halfway through the book, separating issue one and the pilot issue, there’s a brilliant advertisement page for CHARM – “Where the World is your Workspace” (read the comic and you’ll get it) that ties in with the previously read story. Love this!
Sane6 #00: Wreckage is essentially a prologue story with a look back at an earlier exploit of a couple of the characters. It truly gives you a feel for the intensity and violence that surrounds this line of work.
Okay, where to begin. When I first received a preview copy of Sane6 #1: Catalyst, it was late afternoon/early evening yesterday and I figured I would wait to start on reading and reviewing until today. As so often happens, my curiosity got the best of me and I thought to myself, “I’ll just take a look at the first few pages to get a sense of what I can look forward to.” Being a relatively new publishing company, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. Let me tell you… what creator Rob Cannon has delivered in this debut book has me floored. He has accomplished what many struggle to do with an initial premiere of a title, and that is to put forth a strong and solid effort on all aspects of the comic book.
Cannon has created a masterpiece of a story. The characters, the storyline, the intensity, the drama, the interactions, the ambiance, and the overall feel you get from each page.
Writing a compelling story is difficult enough. When you add the responsibilities and demands of other roles, such as lettering and illustrations, one could surely be overwhelmed by the demands. They could also be strong in one area but not so strong in another. With Sane6 #1: Catalyst, Cannon shows his versatility as a comic book creator by producing a riveting story and combining it with vivid artwork that is as gritty as the story. You can’t help but become immersed into this comic and feel the adrenaline that the characters are emanating throughout the story.
When I review and critique comics, I try to be as objective as I can. Not allow my likes or preferences affect my judgment of a book. In looking over Sane6 #1: Catalyst a second and third time, I have to say that there is nothing about this comic I do not love. Cannon has delivered a gem of a premiere issue with tremendous potential for future issues. Sane6 will most definitely have a place in my collection. Notice I said Sane6 and not Sane6 #1: Catalyst. I can assure you that this will not be the only issue I purchase from this series.
Well done Mr. Cannon. And a special shout-out to EIC Kevin Parent, co-founder of Rats & Crows Publishing with Cannon. Looking forward to what will be coming next from this story. Don’t make me wait too long!
PopCultHQ’s Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Sane6 #1: Catalyst
Two criminal contractors, thriving under the waning effectiveness of government leadership, stumble into the highest paying job of their careers. Along with a number of other specialists, they are tasked with hijacking a series of shipping trucks. The cargo is unknown and the client is secretive but the promise of a big payday is all they need to know.. or so they thought. As ugly truths surface about their employer, the crew must choose between continuing to work a dangerous job or facing the violent consequences of breaking their contracts. It’s insane to think anyone will make it out alive.. of course, nobody would accuse them of being anything else.
You can pre-order Sane6 #1: Catalyst in digital format or print format directly from Rats & Crows Publishing now! And by pre-ordering through their website, you will be the first to receive the book (before every distributors and online selling service). Print and digital copies will be available across other outlets this June!
Be sure to follow the creative team!
Rats & Crows Publishing
Website: http://www.ratsandcrowspublishing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ratscrows/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RatsAndCrows
Rob Cannon was born in Sacramento, California in 1989. He graduated American River College with an AA in Art in 2011. Rob works in a broad range of traditional and digital medium, with a focus on illustration. He has completed several graphic stories of varying length. In 2010 he teamed up with writer Eric Myers to work on the nine part HARLEN MARTYR, and from there proceeded to collaborate with other writers including Alec Kerestesi, Tim Neumann, Christopher sides of Redshift Press, and started an ongoing queue of solo projects. Rob has recently shown at several Sacramento shows and venues, and has operated a booth at two River City Marketplace events. Now a co-owner of Rats & Crows Publishing, he is pushing to make comic publishing and creation a full time career. He lives and works in Sacramento, California.
You can follow Rob Cannon through his social media outlets:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rob.cannon.52
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlownMinded
- Tumblr: http://blownminded.tumblr.com/
Kevin Parent was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (Canada) in 1997. He started his career of a writer as a web French journalist and novelist (2012-2014). He as became co-owner of a comic book store in June 2015 and he as felt at the same time in love with the American comic book medium. He started to work in the comic book industries as an artist manager and the producer of the comic book series Sane6. After a successful Kickstarter campaign for Sane6: Catalyst the writer and artist Rob Cannon and Kevin Parent decided to found the publishing company Rats & Crows Publishing. Kevin Parent will release under the label of Rats & Crows Publishing is first comic book series this summer.
You can follow Kevin Parent through his social media outlets:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.parent.142
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kevarent
Rats & Crows Publishing was founded by Kevin Parent and Rob Cannon, two independent comic creators interested in creating, publishing and promoting unique comics and graphic novels.
Our mission: We are a publishing agency that rewards the merit of creators and honors its responsibilities, including but not limited to elevating the medium by encouraging risk-taking challenges to the norms of storytelling and art through comics, and also publishing great books to a global market with attention to detail and the desires of creators.
We hope to have the gratification of sharing our stories with you for years to come. – Kevin Parent & Rob Cannon (Rats & Crows Publishing Co-Founders)
