Issues
From the Eisner award-winning creators who brought you Captain Marvel, Bitch Planet, and Wonder Woman: Historia comes this genre-busting, apocalyptic odyssey about a group of metal kids who face a medley of bizarre foes and encounters in Portland, Oregon during a worldwide pandemic.
FML #1
Riley is a teen that sketches out his heavy metal future with a ballpoint pen between monster movies and band practice. But musical stardom needs to compete with high school, the temper of a former Riot Grrrl mother, the morbid obsessions of a goth sister, and the eccentricities of bandmates that threaten to drive him and everyone around him insane.
The balance gets harder after a ritual during a party in Portland's Forest Park causes him to wake up one day to discover that the creatures, witchcraft, and metal world he's obsessed with may be a bit closer to home than he preferred.
FML #2
As Portland smolders, an airplane door falls from the sky, flinging Riley’s Mom into a trauma-induced reverie. This leads to a bizarre encounter with physicist Richard Feynman and ends with a gathering of middle-aged riot grrrls united to solve the murder that haunts them all.
Meanwhile, the school conducts a dystopian shooter drill and Riley’s monstrous form shields his peers, casting a ludicrous light on modern horror.
FML #3
As wildfires edge closer to Portland, unexpected challenges hit Riley’s band, STFU. Riley’s transformation complicates their audition for HeavyFest, leading Lydia to “help” with her heavy metal… trombone.
Meanwhile, Patti preps for an impending interview at True Crime Con LIVE about a book yet unwritten, and unknowingly steps closer to a grim mystery. When a dead body surfaces at the Witch’s House, secrets threaten to unravel. Tune in for a narrative rich in dark humor and suspense, where every note and clue draws us deeper into the chaos.
FML #4
“8 Minute Murders” buzzes with theories about the dead man at the Witch’s House, as the city plans the structure’s long-overdue demolition. In an effort to save it, Glory and Savvy dive deeper into its history, while Lydia, our polar bear detective, seeks truths. Meanwhile, Riley turns to his mom with his trauma and the two reconnect through their art. This issue is a darker turn for the series, but the return of Dad from an absurd job in LA adds a light-hearted twist, and the introduction of Susan, the mysterious new assistant linked to past secrets, moves the plot along. FML Issue 4 sees the middle-aged riot grrl coven reconvene and struggle with their culpability for the murder, while the fires close in on all sides.
FML #5
As Riley and his band become schoolyard pariahs, accused of murder, their daily life turns into a bizarre blend of fear and isolation. The school principal, ever so helpfully, suggests remote learning “to avoid disruption”—because nothing says normal like school over Zoom. Determined to clear their names, the gang finally joins forces with the Whine & Crime ladies, diving into the murky depths of the dark web and past misdeeds.
Meanwhile, a dog walk with Dad takes a nosedive when Riley discovers another body, this time in a sinkhole. Cue the clandestine purchase of a burner phone—because reporting a body anonymously is just another Tuesday in Portland. Back at the house, a revelation from Mom about her imagined magical friends sends shockwaves through the group, only to be overshadowed by Amy’s bombshell confession about her past with Kat. In the stunning silence that follows, the phone rings: Riley’s been arrested and charged with murder. FML.
