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I've been with AP2HYC for almost two years now, and in that time I've tumbled down a rabbit hole that's littered with the weird and wonderful comic book series and graphic novels from the UK's independent comic book scene. The Led Zeppelin/Star Wars mash-up 7String and the Torchwood-meets-Only Fools and Horses uniqueness of Afterlife Inc. have become firm favourites of mine, and I keep promising myself to sit down and study the bizarre F*ck You Kitty Jenkins and the Jimi Hendrix/Asterix supergroup that is Tales of Bardic Fury from cover to cover. But one title has kept me hooked more than others - the insane, the indescribable and the ingenious Torsobear from writer/artist Brett Uren. Torsobear began life as one of the first comic books I ever reviewed for AP2HYC, which was all the way back in mid-2014. Since then, Torsobear now consists of two graphic novels, both funded through Kickstarter, and both tell deliriously bespoke stories of injustice, betrayal, love, villains and a fluffy-hearted hero at the centre of it all. Torsobear tells the hard-boiled, fluffy noir story of Detective Ruxby Bear's ongoing (or should that be never-ending?) fight for justice in the gruesome city of Toyburg, a toy world brought to life via greed, corruption and death. Both volumes present a subversive world that is something of a blending of Sin City and Toy Story on its surface, but its anthology-narrative, diverse artwork and complicated characters make it a work of fiction that pierces through comparisons. Torsobear Volume 2: All Stitched Up was released a couple of months ago, so I thought I'd guide you through six reasons why Torsobear should be on your bookshelf! 6. The Artwork. The basic source of enjoyment to be found in both Torsobear books lies in the artwork, and its sheer diversity. Throughout both volumes, Uren employs a rogues gallery of talent from the indie comic scene. The shifts in art styles may not be the smoothest of rides for everyone, but they highlight the anthology nature of the books and compliments the uniqueness of Torsobear in general. Uren's own artwork, thick in detail and rich in colour, is Torsobear's visual trademark. Several other fantastic artists lend their individual styles to Torsobear's success, but Uren is clearly the man with the vision, and his own artwork executes that vision splendidly. 5. The World-building. The loose, anthology nature of Torsobear gives it the dexterous knack of some solid yet subtle world-building. Neither Torsobear volumes tell a straight-forward story, which gives Torsobear the freedom to spin-off in multiple directions at once, crafting a sumptuous universe to take place in. The world of Torsobear is full of towns that rain lemon drops, buildings made from human-sized gas cookers and arcade video game machines, great tower blocks made from LEGO, and outskirts with such names as Giftrap Range, The Craftlands, and Fort Blankie. It's wonderfully complimentary of Torsobear's twisted nature, and makes for great pouring over when you've finished reading each volume. 4. The Evolution. On paper, Torsobear: All Stitched Up shouldn't work. The novel sees Ruxby framed for a crime he didn't commit rather out of the blue, separating him from Officer Hazbrow, and effectively splitting the novel into two entities - one that sees Ruxby locked up in The Corner, trying to work out who could have framed him and why, and Hazbrow dealing with a city that seemingly becomes more corrupt as each day passes. Narrative-wise, things are even looser than Yarns from Toyburg, with Ruxby and Hazbrow's efforts bookending a novel full of individual stories of criminals and lost souls of Toyburg. However, All Stitched Up feels effortless in its role as a follow-up to Yarns from Toyburg. As we journey deeper into the minds and souls of the individuals Ruxby spends his days arresting, a darker and more intimate picture of Toyburg is painted than the one we were introduced to in Yarns from Toyburg. What All Stitched Up may lack in narrative thrust it more than makes up for in its atmosphere. Almost without telling a direct story, All Stitched Up succeeds in creating repercussions that will surely ripple throughout future adventures for Ruxby. 3. Ruxby's Struggle for Justice. The opening pages of Yarns from Toyburg paints Ruxby Bear as a naive do-gooder, but by the final page of All Stitched Up, Ruxby is a beaten, broken little soul. Picture him as Jim Gordon without a Batman. The more he tries to solve the dastardly crimes being committed in Toyburg, the more treachery and deceit he uncovers from every corner. Very quickly, you do find yourself rooting for Ruxby, as it becomes rapidly apparent that he's one of the very few good guys in Torsobear. Additionally, Torsobear's all-encompassing scope shows that Ruxby's fight for justice is'nt a fight in vein. Throughout both volumes, and who knows what volume three may entail, we see a world full of individuals struggling to survive, and that individuality radiates on Ruxby as much as the vast array of other characters who populate this world. Ruxby may be the only decent teddy bear in all of Toyburg, but that doesn't mean he can't make a difference. 2. The Subversiveness. In all three of my Torsobear reviews, I bang on about how subversive Torsobear is to the point where the word just sounds weird in my mouth. Torsobear has a glorious Monty Python-esque sense of taking the ordinary and creating something extraordinary. As mentioned, the appeal in Torsobear begins with the artwork. The toys brought to life aspect is the blood that runs through the veins of Torsobear, and it's all given a subtle, menacing feel. The narration as well has a dreamy, nursery rhyme rhythm to it, but the stories it carries are gruesome and Devilish stuff. It's a testament to Uren as an editor that the end result feels unified and clear-minded, as though everyone involved is working towards perfecting this dark reality to the best of their abilities. 1. You're Helping the Indie Comic Scene Thrive. For all the love to be found for Torsobear, it hasn't been plain sailing. The initial Kickstarter for All Stitched Up failed to reach its target of £13,500, but another attempt for a far more modest budget of £3,000 was successfully achieved. In an accompanying video for the first Kickstarter, Uren explained that the five figure budget was set in order to pay the contributing writers and artists a substantial amount of money. Whatever the reason for All Stitched Up's initial stumble was, cutting the budget by a whopping £10,000 feels a rather drastic move. In the two yearss I've been with AP2HYC, the majority of comics we cover have been funded through Kickstarter. Some have met with great success, others not so, and the successes and failures of writers/artists raising funds to bring their creations to life cannot be put down to just any one reason. And even if a comic is successful on Kickstarter, its story doesn't end there. Buying a copy of Torsobear means you're supporting a creative endeavour that's full of originality, care, and all-round awesomeness. Of course, once could apply this last reason to any number of indie titles we've supported on AP2HYC over the years! But Torsobear is more than just another fish in the sea. It's a supergroup of talent from across the U.K.'s independent comic book scene, as well as being a damn fine saga in its own right. Have you read either volumes of Torsobear? What did you make of them? Let us know in the comments section below or send us a Tweet! And why not check out our interview with Uren about All Stitched Up here?

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