Our hardcore fans may remember that we started off reviewing B-movies while driving around in a car. So just like the characters of Ashes, we know a thing or two about road trips! 

Our time on the road was spent debating the strengths of Pumaman, but Polly, Moho, and Piter are on a much crazier adventure as they follow a map leading to a cryptic “X” to scatter the ashes of a lost friend.

ASHES SYNOPSIS:

Polly, Moho, and Piter haven’t seen each other in years. Now they’ve piled into a car for a loooong journey to a mysterious cross marked on a map. All their old personality quirks and conflicts are resurrected with new wrinkles as this surreal reunion gets underway. Up ahead are car chases, alcohol, roadside motels, banjo-playing thugs, a ship graveyard, violence, sensual tension, and, of course, a monkey!

Why we like it:

The book reads at a very fun and brisk pace with a first-person narrator style that informs the audience of the major players and plot points. With its narrative style and storyboard layout, it almost feels like reading a film at times.

The characters are relatable, we even find out that Polly grew up loving B-movies! And amidst all the comedy and chaos, the story of three old friends reuniting for a purpose hits a sweet spot in our hearts.

Ashes is published by Top Shelf Productions and will drop on Februrary 7th (Available for Pre-Order Now!)

ABOUT Author ÁLVARO ORTIZ:

Álvaro Ortiz studied graphic design at the Escuela Superior de Diseño de Aragón and illustration at the Escola Massana in Barcelona. After winning several comic competitions, including the 2003 Injuve Comic Award, he has become one of Spain’s most acclaimed cartoonists. After the youth graphic novel series Julia and the Norwegian-themed comic book Fjorden, Ortiz released his debut graphic novel for adults, Cenizas (Ashes), which was created with an Alhóndiga Bilbao grant at the Maison des Auteurs in Angoulême, France. His subsequent works include Murderabilia (2014), Rituales (2015), and Viajes (Astiberri, 2016), as well as a collaboration with the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum and a pair of webcomics created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashes is his first book in English.