I’ve collaborated with Pete Carlsson a few times over the years, and every time he brings a high level of professionalism and “creative oomph” the party. So when he told me he was working on new project, Cayrels Ring for Wave Blue World, my reaction was “Spill it! I need to know all about what you are doing, Pete.”

Cayrels Ring started as a comic book by Shannon Lentz , that has now grown up to become a beautiful hardcover graphic novel.   This is a science fiction tale with a big, sprawling cast told in 17 chapters, each illustrated by a different artist. The multi-level epic develops and reveals the nuanced and enormous stories of the characters, described as “everyday people”,  by the author.   Surprisingly, Lentz , and his many artistic compatriots, are able to make the reader wonder about and, in some cases, care for the characters in a just a few pages.

Cayrels Ring refers to, on one hand, a group of planets – each with their own rich backstory and history. On the other hand, it seems to refer to the wide cast of characters. That makes this GN, and each of the three comics as they were originally published, an expansive shared universe. “The shared universe idea shined out for me,” said Lentz. He has especially fond memories of that cohesive universe of Valiant comics when they first burst onto the scene.  Continue reading “With Further Ado #090: Cayrels Ring” →