A milestone for Free Planet

Free Planet breaks a sales record as I continue exploring its bibliography

Apr 16, 2025

Kickstarters you should back from my Brother-in-BEEF Tyrell Cannon and science fiction maestro Simon Roy
Edgar Snow’s Red Star Over China and how it influenced the development of Free Planet
Where to get each version and cover of Free Planet #1
A barrage of podcast appearances, including Casually Comics, Comic Book Couples Counseling, Beyond Wednesdays and more

But first…

You made this happen

Just yesterday, I received final order numbers for Free Planet #1 and I couldn’t be more pleased. Free Planet didn’t just beat my previous first issue sales record; it demolished it, with a more than 50% improvement. This is even more impressive when you take into account not only the challenges of the current economic environment but the fact that I don’t have a Marvel or DC superhero run on my CV, the numbers from which are what many comic shop owners use to set orders on new creator-owned books.

While I’d love for myself and the rest of the Free Planet team to take full credit for this success, it wouldn’t be just; there are plenty of brilliant, innovative comics that fall by the wayside each and every month. The reason Free Planet has hit with people, why comic shops are backing it is because of the groundswell of support from people like you. My path through comics has been unconventional, winding and, honestly, immensely frustrating but it’s always been made possible by a coalition of generous backers going all the way back to my days doing my STRAIGHT SHOOT podcast. Thank you for, once again, helping me make unique, idiosyncratic work.

Forging a new society

Thus far, my exploration of Free Planet’s extensive bibliography has been primarily focused on the west: The Spanish Civil War, The Black Jacobins and even The Dawn of Everything takes as its starting point Europe’s interactions with the Americas. This week, I look back at the Chinese Civil War through the lens of journalist Edgar Snow and his acclaimed account, Red Star Over China.

The Chinese Civil War was fought off-and-on from 1927 to 1949, between the ruling nationalist Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. In 1936, Edgar Snow traveled to the isolated Communist capital, providing the West with its first meaningful reports of not only Chinese communism but the leader of the movement, Mao Zedong. Red Star Over China was an instant sensation, informing perceptions of China in the West up until Snow’s political leanings led to him becoming a victim of McCarthyism.

By 1936, the Chinese Communist Party and its Red Army had suffered brutal defeats, necessitating the Long March to new capital Bao’an. Though the Red Army began its retreat with 100,000 troops, by the time its 6,000-mile trek had been completed, there remained a mere 8,000. This drastic reduction is explained not only by the ongoing conflict and running guerrilla warfare, but by the debilitating deprivation affecting a countryside wracked not only by civil war by a Japanese invasion.

Details regarding the crushing poverty and starvation suffered during the Chinese Civil War were invaluable in fleshing out the world of Free Planet. Like the Chinese Red Army, the revolutionaries of Free Planet were insurgents, battling an established and well-heeled opponent benefitting from international backing. Even after independence has been won in Free Planet, omnipresent poverty and need remains one of the planet’s most salient features, influencing not only our narrative but Jed’s extensive design work.

One of the most striking aspects of Red Star Over China is the Red Army’s welcoming of diverse factions and regional and ethnic groups. The historical alliances made between the Chinese Communist Party and Muslims are particularly shocking in the contemporary context. But in Snow’s accounting, this willingness to take anyone, the eagerness to find a path that works for everyone, was directly responsible for the Chinese Communist Party’s appeal and eventual success.

In building out the world of Lutheria, we looked to mirror this type of complexity. The Revolutionary Coalition of Free Planet contains a myriad of individual factions: multiple and divergent labor groups, military NCOs, middle class technicians, indigenous peoples and adherents of multiple religions. But while the desire for freedom and to overthrow the existing government were enough to unite these disparate groups, holding them together in the wake of victory is a much more difficult endeavor, as indicated by the struggles experienced by China and any other nation that wins its revolution.

Reduced in numbers, unbelievably poor, consisting of historically fractious factions, and surrounded by the nationalists, the Chinese Communist Party had an uphill battle ahead of it. But even amid their movement’s darkest moments, the Red Army continued to place a heavy emphasis on bettering the lives of ordinary people. This came in the form of extensive literacy campaigns and schooling, meant to elevate the Chinese peasantry out of their destitution and oppression. As important as increasing literacy was, however, it was merely a means to the larger end, jettisoning the old order and way of doing things in favor of one capable of benefiting everyone.

A revolution that overthrows a government but changes little else isn’t much of a revolution at all; it’s just trading the old boss for the new. The dream of creating a new society, a better society, sits at the core of Free Planet. In keeping with this, the Revolutionary Coalition and the new government both prioritize the betterment of people’s lives, through education, health and autonomy. And just like it was to the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, this aim was of particular importance to the leader of Free Planet’s Revolutionary Coalition, Commander Oliver Gracchon.

Free Planet cover and version guide

Free Planet #1 finally hits stores on May 7 with a variety of different covers and even three different types of issues. As embedded in comic books as I am, it’s easy to forget something crucial: Keeping up with comic books can be incredibly intimidating to the uninitiated. To help clear things up, I am proud to present a full rundown of Free Planet #1’s cover options. If you haven’t preordered already, call your local comic shop ASAP to reserve the cover of your choice.

Open order covers: Can be ordered in any quantity by any retailer.

A: Painted by Jed Dougherty, with our signature planetoid design
B: Painted by Jed Dougherty, with a full-page design
Blank sketch: For a bespoke cover by an artist of your choosing (#1 only)

Retailer incentives: Only available to retailers who hit an order minimum.

1 in 25: Silver foil version of the A cover
1 in 50: By my No One Left to Fight cocreator Fico Ossio (#1 only)

Retailer exclusives: Only available from specific retailers.

Buster Moody variant: 500 copies, available from Big Clutch and Collector’s Paradise
Image Select Retailer variant: 200 copies, gold foil version of B cover, available from Four Color Fantasies

Special editions: Extremely limited edition advance copies.

Ashcan edition: A cover, deluxe printing, 407 copies, hand-numbered, distributed to select comic shops
Preview edition: B cover, slimmer issue, no backmatter, 1,200 copies, distributed to comic shops

While you’ll have to wait until May 7 for open order, retailer incentive and retailer exclusive covers, the special edition Free Planet issues can be found on eBay right this very moment. The ashcan edition has gone for as much as $150 but you might still be able to find a deal.

Running the podcast gauntlet

If you follow me on social media or have any kind of proximity to the comics internet, you know that I have been making the rounds, hitting more than a dozen of the most popular and exciting podcasts and streams. When I tell people about how many shows I’ve done – or they just notice on their own – they’re typically aghast, wondering how I have the energy and time for all that. The answer is simple.

I love comics, making them and talking about them. As such, getting an opportunity to jabber with people, not just about any old comics, but comics that I myself made, is a treat, a joy and a privilege. If you’re feeling lackluster, with the ennui setting in, and could use an infusion of pure, unadulterated comic book enthusiasm, give these a listen:

Ideas Don’t Bleed Part 1 and Part 2: Talking shop with comics writers Matthew Rosenberg and Ethan Parker
Comic Book Couples Counseling: Going in depth on my theories vis-a-vis comics as design.
Beyond Wednesdays: Discussing our unique approach to the page with a group of comics retailers and sellers
Casually Comics: A deep dive into Free Planet’s literary aspirations and the techniques we harnessed
Let’s Talk Comics: Talking about exploring big ideas and complex ideology with comics industry veteran James Viscardi
The Oblivion Bar: Getting to the bottom of what it means to create a comic that functions as literature and art object
Comic Book Club: Making bold claims about why physical, print comics can accomplish things no digital comic can
Rennavision: Looking back at the entirety of my career, including comics editorial, before segueing into Free Planet discussion
Kurt’s Comic Review: Digging into my extensive research and how it informed Free Planet’s world building
The Experience: A popular comic book retailer show, in which I show off some never before seen pages of upcoming Free Planet issues
ComicsXF: Jed joins me to discuss our unique and holistic collaboration and how it’s developed over the years
Turn a Page: Getting nitty gritty on the specific techniques and theories that went into developing Free Planet
ComiClub: I get deep in the weeds on my journey as a creator and what we hope to accomplish with Free Planet’s unique approach

Kickstarters you should be backing

First and foremost, for those who didn’t listen to me last week: Go, right now, and back Tyrell Cannon’s ERIS Kickstarter. As you’re probably aware, Tyrell is my Brother-in-BEEF, cocreator of the instant classic populist superheroes BEEF BROS and, as such, he excels at big action and even bigger muscles. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg vis-a-vis Tyrell’s immense talents. If you aren’t convinced, check out the note linked above, in which I discuss ERIS #1, contained within the collection currently on Kickstarter.

Already backed ERIS: The Complete Collection? Good. Now go back Simon Roy’s A Star Called the Sun. I first encountered Simon’s work on the legendary Prophet series at Image and he’s been absolutely killing it ever since with thoughtful, atmospheric science fiction work. His latest is a collection of shorts that share some of the same 60s and 70s prose sci-fi inspiration as Free Planet.

NEXT WEEK: While Free Planet was cocreated by Jed Dougherty and I, it simply wouldn’t have been possible without colorist Vittorio Astone, letterer Taylor Esposito and designer Mark Kaufman. Look forward to a deep dive into their inimitable contributions to the Shape of Comics to Come.

Aubrey