This Mind-Bending Comic Series Returns With New Sci-Fi Stories

by

Worries about the end of the world are frequent in today’s fiction, but the new series Essentials offers a particularly fresh take. Luke Arnold, known for Black Sails and Nautilus, teams up again with producer Chris “Doc” Wyatt to follow scientist Harris Pax as he confronts a terrifying, otherworldly threat that could destroy everything.

Volume 2 of Essentials features a diverse group of artists, each bringing a unique style to enhance the story’s themes. The book feels like a dark fairy tale, blending fantastical elements with unsettling, reality-altering chaos. This installment sees protagonist Harris Pax developing a closer bond with Buttons while encountering a cast of bizarre new characters, including a disheartened oil-rig worker and an artist who can bend reality. The story skillfully weaves together themes reminiscent of The Walking Dead to create a truly unique and otherworldly experience.

ESSENTIALS VOLUME 2

CREATED & WRITTEN BY LUKE ARNOLD & CHRIS “DOC” WYATT

ART BY JEFFREY KAM, DAVE ACOSTA, JOE FLOOD, ZELDA DEVON, KELLY WILLIAMS, EMMA PRICE & JASON HOWARD

COLORS BY ADAM GUZOWSKI

LETTERS BY JARED K. FLETCHER

COVERS BY BILL SIENKIEWICZ & DANI

The upcoming release of Essentials Volume 2 hints at more adventures in space, where the characters will face life-or-death struggles. The story involves Earth intersecting with a strange, alien dimension that alters reality itself. This leaves scientist Harris Pax – armed with a shotgun and aided by his unusual companions (a reanimated corpse and a toy robot, both from another dimension) – as humanity’s last chance. A talented team of artists vividly depicts these bizarre, dreamlike landscapes, where otherworldly beings try to trick humans into destroying themselves.

Essentials Vol. 2 Sees Humanity Come Face-To-Face With A Crumbling Reality

Wow, this project just completely blew up in the best way possible! It started as a small idea, but it’s become something way bigger and more ambitious than I ever expected. I’m so grateful to have teamed up with Chris and to be working with The Lab Press – they’ve been amazing. We’ve also got an incredible team of artists bringing this story to life. Honestly, this project, which we’re calling Essentials, is where we’re working through all our anxieties, hopes, and, yeah, a little bit of craziness. I really hope it resonates with others and helps us all navigate the chaos of the world right now. As a gamer, I feel like it’s a safe space to process everything, you know?

Chris “Doc” Wyatt, who co-wrote and produced the project, explained that Luke’s initial idea for Essentials was immediately captivating. Having written for film, television, and comics, Wyatt felt this project was uniquely ambitious. The core concept – a billionaire trying to genuinely help people – was already bold, as the team at The Lab pointed out. But the story goes much further, exploring a world where people’s perceptions and delusions shape their reality.

The second volume of Essentials is coming soon, and will feature a special limited-edition cover designed by up-and-coming artist Dani. This volume is a great place to start reading the story, even though the first volume of Essentials is still available if you’d like to begin there.

Read More

2026-05-13 16:12