Extinctioners

Extinctioners is a science fiction, action and adventure comic book created, written and drawn by Shawntae Howard that features a superhero theme, but uses anthropomorphic animals as its main characters.

Plot and setting

Extinctioners follows a group of characters who learn they are hybrids, a humanoid animal possessing special powers which augment some species characteristic, and that their creators are on their way back to their planet with plans of taking over. The humanoid animals on the planet Alden, or humanimals, were genetic constructs created by humans for the purpose of avoiding having animals become extinct on an overpopulated Earth, with the idea that more humanoid animals would be able to better adapt to the changing reduction to their natural environments and increased pollution. During a global war, the humans discovered a new fresh planet though a wormhole that would be habitable for mankind. Since the humans thought it would be too risky for themselves to colonize the planet, they sent a seeding of humanimals with human trainers to the planet to terraform it, build cities and set up social organizations, so that upon the human's arrival the transition to the new planet would go smoothly. However, a miscalculation in the wormhole's temporal properties caused the humans to lose contact with their humanimal constructs, leaving them alone on the planet. Without direct guidance, the humanimals developed on their own and eventually developed a social structure suitable for their vastly diverse races.

With the memory of mankind vague in the social conscious, humans - or The Makers as they are known - have been elevated to an almost deity status among many of the humanimal populous. The humans, however, are still on their way to Alden and the Extinctioners are the only ones that know that they are coming, due to less than positive encounters with a small faction of humans. What the humans' ultimate plans for Alden and its humanimal population are has yet to be revealed.

Characters

After the first six issues of Extinctioners, two groups were formed; The Extinctioners and the Solar Foxes. In the beginning, the two teams are able to fight off a human and humanimal plot to shang-hai hybrids and brainwash them into becoming soldiers for the human conquest.

The Extinctioners

Phenix
Alleycat (Katherine Fela)
Vague (Catrina Fela)
Copycat (Maxwell Manx)
Scarlet Ann Starfox
Forcewave (Walice Weazel)
Jacob WhiteEye (Micro)
Pandamonium (Pandora Lee)
Mindswipe (Cee Cee Reese)
Warfare
Umnus Nightcreeper (Shadowstalker)

The Solar Foxes

Publishing history

Extinctioners was first published in 1998 by the independent comic book company Vision Comics, then, after a year of hiatus was picked up by its current publisher, Shanda Fantasy Arts. The comic has had a somewhat bumpy publishing schedule due to various concerns, but has released a total of 16 issues and 3 annuals, the most recent being released in February 2006. Over that period, it has been reviewed by Comics Buyers Guide, receiving a B+ rating, and also saw Phenix appear on that publication's cover.

The first issue of Extinctioners (book one according the cover), entitled "Countdown to Extinction", was published in July 1998 by Vision Comics. It had a cover price of $3.95 US or $5.50 Canadian, and is 32 full-color pages on glossy paper. The story and pencils are by Shawntae Howard, and the inks by Malcolm Earle. The digital color is by Eric Blumrich and Scotty Arsenault.

The second issue of Extinctioners, issue 1 of volume 2, was published in April 1999 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. It had a color cover, and 32 black and white interior pages containing two stories: "Countdown to Extinction Part Two" (story and art by Shawntae Howard, inks by Malcolm Earle, lettering by Fender and Tom Ziolkowski) and "Freedom" (story, pencils, and inks by Shawntae Howard; letters by Fender).

It is slated to continue in mid-2008 under a new publishing company, Angry Viking Press, and includes the regular comics as well as a graphic novel that retells the first five issues. There are also a number of currently-running online comics at the Extinctioners website.