If there’s one comic that could drag my old bones out of slumber (yes, I’ve been dragging my feet for weeks now), it’s ANA.
A few months back, my friend Saurabh from Comix.one introduced me to ANA, a comic from Cynation Comics (he also slipped me Gods Among Men from the same crew, but that’s a story for another time). Since then? I’ve been harboring a not-so-secret crush.
I went to sign my comics—and grabbed a few more while I was at it.
I did a giveaway of a fully signed ANA issue.
I listen to their music when I shower.
I’m planning to see them perform live.
I’ve been chatting with them on Instagram.
And when I take photos with people I like, I make sure to casually flash their comic in the shot. You know, like a cool brand ambassador. Uninvited.
So why all the fuss about ANA?
Glad you asked.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I don’t review comics unless they spark something. Could I crank out 100 reviews a week if I treated them like chores? Sure. But I don’t want to. I want to write about comics that hit a nerve—a memory, a feeling, an idea. Good or bad, just not boring.
And ANA? It was good.
Then I met the team.
And it became epic.
What’s ANA about?
The inter-dimensional goddess ANA arrives in our world, searching for the greatest champions Earth has to offer. Her motives are unclear—but one thing’s certain: if you’re in her way, you’re toast.
She assembles a team of misfits—lost souls trapped in the monotony of modern life. Eager, talented, but green. They’ve got to learn fast, because a threat looms on the horizon: an ancient foe with modern tech and a sinister plan that might already be reshaping reality.
(Yes, that’s copy-pasted from the Kickstarter. But trust me, this one delivers.)
A Little Personal
I’ve done every job under the sun. Started young. Worked in construction, coffee shops, pubs, bakeries. Managed an internet café. Factory line at a dip factory. Hell, I even made coffins with CNC machines.
Some jobs I loved—working at a coffee shop? Bliss. Others? Soul-crushing.
There’s a moment early in ANA where you meet these everyday people, trapped in the same loop so many of us know. And I thought: If someone walked into that factory and handed me a mask and said “go live your life,” I’d have it on before they finished the sentence.
That’s what ANA taps into. That pull toward something more. That spark you thought you lost.
Okay but… is it just feelings?
Not at all. It moves. I didn’t know ANA had such a strong action backbone until I cracked it open. And I would’ve still loved it without the fights. But I’m glad they’re there—because damn, Ben Sullivan’s art does not miss.
From the moment ANA descends in a blaze of goddess-level power, the pages explode with energy. The character designs are slick and distinctive — the pink mohawk, the masked warriors, the cats (yes, the cats), it all pops. The fight choreography? Insanely fluid. You can feel every impact, every dodge, every mid-air twist. And somehow, amidst all the chaos, the emotion still lands. Whether it's a panel filled with blood and fury or a comedic beat with a wide-eyed cat doing kung fu mid-sentence.
The coloring is loud in the best way: saturated, glowing, kinetic. The lighting effects during action scenes practically singe the page. And I have to give props to the page layouts, they’re clean and readable even when packed with motion, which is no small feat with this kind of high-octane storytelling.
In short: if this was a movie, it’d be directed by the Wachowskis and scored by a synth-metal band you accidentally discovered at 2AM and now follow religiously.
And trust me, that ending? It’ll leave you wanting more. Not that your thirst will be quenched any time soon—because there’s no second issue. Yet. But there will be. And if the first blew your mind, the second’s going to scatter the pieces.
OK I feel I haven’t stretched this enough but I really think that the team behind ANA are exceptionally talented and creative people. So do yourself the favor and do follow them. I am sure that whatever they are going to produce next is also going to be a hit.
So -
Ana Khristenko - Co-creator, Editor-in-Chief
Josh Mak - Co-creator, Story writer
Aaron Mak - Co-creator, Script writer, Letterer
Ben Sullivan - Artist (Pencils, Inks)
Wilson Go - Colourist
Kibar - Cover Artist
I am now off to bed … don’t you dare bother me.
