Creators: various
Groundforce Productions, 2026
As we have noted many times, anthologies are tricky to review. When many creators contribute a multiplicity of stories, the results can feel like a random assortment of comics rather than a cohesive collection. Groundforce Productions’ Digest This! #1 doubles down on this conundrum. It makes no attempt to hide its eclectic nature. Instead, it embraces the variety, giving creators a handful of pages to do their own thing in a compact, digest-sized format. (The cover art gives it away: what rhyme or reason is there to that which you would find in the gullet of a famished shark?)
First up is “Super Cyborg Time Warrior 7” by the enigmatically-named 27Rats, a quirky little story about an ordinary errand run interrupted by a gigantic mecha battle. The loose linework and limited color palette give it the feel of a homemade zine, which suits the absurd premise. It’s a fun diversion, although the story ends before it has much opportunity to develop beyond the central gag.
Anthony Kolodziej’s “(In)Convenience Store” is a more substantial offering. The story follows cyborg police officers reviewing security footage of a robbery at a convenience store. There’s something amusing about watching futuristic law enforcement deal with such an everyday crime – it is far removed from the ultra-violence of RoboCop – and Mr Kolodziej gets plenty of mileage out of that contrast. The clean digital artwork also helps keep the proceedings readable. A breakdown of the creative process at the end offers an interesting look at how the finished pages came together.
Serena Fantozzi’s “Everybody Loves an Idol Pt. 1” takes a sharp turn into darker territory. Heavy shadows, close-ups, and a persistent rain-soaked atmosphere do most of the storytelling. The largely silent approach boils away, allowing pressure and unease to build without exposition. It’s an effective setup, though readers will have to wait for the next instalment to see where it leads.
Then there’s Brett Ackley’s “Pizza Slug,” which is about as far removed from Ms Fantozzi’s mood piece as you can get. Set in a restaurant operating out of a garbage dump, it follows a worm-like delivery worker desperately trying to hide health-code violations from an inspector. Mr Ackley’s grotesque characters and rubber-hose animation-inspired designs give the strip a 1990s manic quality. Indeed, the story feels like a throwback to underground comix, with the kind of deliberately unpleasant humor that won’t appeal to everyone, but it certainly makes an impression.
Lydia Mastrangelo’s “Proserpina” brings the anthology back to more serious storytelling. This retelling of the Greek goddess’s abduction uses earthy colors and expressive character designs to emphasize the tragedy behind the myth. The pacing is measured, and the emotional weight comes through without the story having to lean too heavily on the familiarity of its source material.
Each story has its own identity, and the differences are more than substantial. We could never say the collection feels monotonous. Some entries are more successful than others, but the anthology gives each creator room to experiment without forcing them into a common style. We think we would have preferred a division, where the wackier stories flock together and the serious ones are hived off into their own compendium.
But Mr Kolodziej’s closing letter provides context for the project, discussing the challenges of self-publishing and the decision to work within tighter storytelling parameters. It’s a useful reminder that making comics independently often means balancing creative ambition with practical limitations.
Digest This! #1 is an uneven collection. Certainly its willingness to take chances is part of its appeal. Readers looking for something outside the usual corporate comics landscape will find a handful of interesting stories and a welcome glimpse of independent creators doing things their own way.