What Makes Great Indie Comics Feel Different?

2026 is almost over, and I was thinking about how as comic book readers, the last two years we have really been spoiled with some great comics out there, mainstream and indie.

And don't be fooled by this title:
A great mainstream book can feel different too (Absolute Martian Manhunter was one of the most unique comics I've read in years), just as there are indie comics that can read like a streaming platform pitch.

But this blog post isn't about one being better than the other, and more a love letter to indie comics, because I grew up reading both mainstream and indie comics.

And as such, I wanted to start a conversation about, well, what makes a great indie comic feel different from what's out there? My takes on this may surprise you, especially my first main thought:
The fact that an indie book is, well, independent, isn't what makes it different. Look at something one of my all time favorite anything- The Crow.

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Surface level The Crow is a revenge story wrapped in a love story. It's arguable that something as mainstream as Spider-Man has used elements of both in the Death of Gwen Stacy issues.

So what is it that makes The Crow different to the the tune of having five live action movies and a live action TV series?

James O'Barr.

O'Barr injected so much of his personal pain and trauma in every sentence and line of art, that original mini-series is undeniably his. It set it apart from many of it's contemporaries. Speaking of contemporaries, what about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Again, the concept in of itself, a group of teenage mutants like the X-Men, and ninja elements like in Daredevil in itself has been done before. What made this comic stand apart?

Two friends living together, working on something that was essentially a love letter to the medium they were passionate about, creating without the pressure of not even thinking there'd be an issue two, just pure unadulterated fun. 

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Speaking of fun, one of my all time favorite horror comics is a vampire comics, 30 Days of Night.

A script originally meant as a movie pitch that wasn't picked up. So what did Steve Niles do?

Basically said to hell with it, I'll make it into a comic and it helped deliver a HUGE hit for then upstart company IDW, also spawning live action movies.

Again, a familiar concept:
Vampires hunting humans.

But he put his own unique spin on it with, in my opinion, a genius plot about using Alaska as the setting during a 30-day polar night.

And to keep it in that realm of super heroes and horror, how about another indie comic I admire:
​Spawn.  

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Created when he was a kid, again, we swirl around familiar themes:
Revenge.
Love lost.
Betrayal.

Many of those super hero tropes were turned up to 11 in Spawn, one of the founding books of Image Comics.

And much like the other books mentioned, this is a book that no one but Todd McFarlane could make.

He put in all his darkness into a book that could be even shocking for it's time, also Spawned (LOLz) a live action movie and THREE seasons of an animated series on HBO, and a handful of cult classic video games.

Not to mention an absolute empire of a toy company. 

Not just the extreme violence is what set this apart, it was McFarlane's absolute passion for this character and conviction to tell uncomfortable stories that made this comic stand out, and of course being a legendary artist helped.

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So, what makes a great indie comic different? One could say how personal the creator can make the comic, but, there can be mainstream books that can feel just as personal and even relatable. I feel that with an indie comic though, the works from the script to the art is so intertwined with the creator that it almost feels like you're not just discovering a new comic, you're discovering a person, too.

And who knows, maybe you'll even see a little bit of yourself in it, too, and if you're an indie creator, I'm looking forward to meet you.
-Alvaro "Lance Danger" Cortes Jr