What do you think?
Rate this book
Four Color Bleed
Four Color Bleed is a novel about comic books, nostalgia, and the nature of reality. Featuring illustrations by Rian Gonzales, Weshoyot Alvitre, Ben Zmith, Morgan Perry (aka Geauxta), Ben Cohen, Kevin Kelly, Adam Prosser, and Chris “Chance!” Brown.
Ralph Rogers was the darling of the comic book industry, a teenage artist who’d taken the world by storm. He had it all, until a high-profile scandal left him in disgrace. Years later, his reputation in tatters, Ralph has fallen into an obsession with the legendary lost comics of Pithos Publishing—a shadowy company that vanished into the fog of time. As he uncovers the mystery of Pithos, the curtain unravels between his own mundane life and a fantastic version of reality. Ralph suddenly has everything he’s ever wanted: He’s a celebrity, a beloved artist, and he’s been reunited with the girl of his dreams. But soon this new paradigm turns deadly, and Ralph must fight for his life in a land where the impossible is commonplace, where caped heroes rule the sky, and where the villainous Ocularist will stop at nothing to conquer the world.
Ralph Rogers was the darling of the comic book industry, a teenage artist who’d taken the world by storm. He had it all, until a high-profile scandal left him in disgrace. Years later, his reputation in tatters, Ralph has fallen into an obsession with the legendary lost comics of Pithos Publishing—a shadowy company that vanished into the fog of time. As he uncovers the mystery of Pithos, the curtain unravels between his own mundane life and a fantastic version of reality. Ralph suddenly has everything he’s ever wanted: He’s a celebrity, a beloved artist, and he’s been reunited with the girl of his dreams. But soon this new paradigm turns deadly, and Ralph must fight for his life in a land where the impossible is commonplace, where caped heroes rule the sky, and where the villainous Ocularist will stop at nothing to conquer the world.
- GenresFiction
436 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2017
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Ryan McSwain
5 books32 followersRyan McSwain lives in Amarillo, Texas, with his wife and their two children. Ryan spends his days playing with his kids, writing, and wallowing in nostalgia. If you’d like to change reality, please check with him first—he’s currently living his best possible timeline.
You can reach Ryan using the red telephone in Commissioner Gordon’s office or by visiting www.ryanmcswain.com. Subscribe to his newsletter for a free short story every month.
You can reach Ryan using the red telephone in Commissioner Gordon’s office or by visiting www.ryanmcswain.com. Subscribe to his newsletter for a free short story every month.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2018
PG-17
What a fun story!!
As a comic book fan and former artist who had glossy dreams of having my work published, this story was somewhat relatable. Following the story of an artist who reached, then fell from stardom, and struggles to put the pieces of his broken life back together, this story is just as entertaining as any classic comic book. He becomes a unique kind of hero, and as the story delves into the impossible, and an alternate reality where his stories aren't stories, Ralph earns a new appreciation for life and all it's quirks.
The writing was fast, with short chapters and colorful descriptions. Easy to picture and follow, the scenes jump off the page just as well as illustrations. I enjoyed how the chapters were broken up, and how the story overall was organized and structured. It flowed well, and felt very nostalgic to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, comic book fan or not, and thank the author for the chance to read and review.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
April 28, 2018
I have never read a comic in my life. Right I threw that out there, don’t hurt me. With that being said I actually really enjoyed this. Which I was surprised by, just shows you don’t need to know about comic to enjoy a really good story about superheroes and bad guys.
The main character wasn’t perfect, he was flawed and had made mistakes. He hadn’t given up though, he was still trying to live his dream of being an artist. Even when he became something much more, he wasn’t even close to being perfect. He had to re-learn everything, had to learn who he is deep down as a person.
The illustrations were amazingly well done and the information pages were very highly detailed. Just adding that nice extra layer and tone to the story. You could tell both the Author and illustrators had really put their souls into this book.
The main character wasn’t perfect, he was flawed and had made mistakes. He hadn’t given up though, he was still trying to live his dream of being an artist. Even when he became something much more, he wasn’t even close to being perfect. He had to re-learn everything, had to learn who he is deep down as a person.
The illustrations were amazingly well done and the information pages were very highly detailed. Just adding that nice extra layer and tone to the story. You could tell both the Author and illustrators had really put their souls into this book.
May 1, 2018
I helped Kickstart this book because I'm Twitter friends with Ryan, he seemed like a smart and creative person, and the novel's concept sounded awesome. But I'm such a slow reader with such a large reading pile that it took a while for Four Color Bleed to work its way to the top of my list. I'm sorry I waited so long.
The novel is so strong on character and drama that you don't have to be a comics fan to enjoy it. But boy does it ever scratch that classic superhero itch in a powerful way. I really hope Ryan does more in this universe.
The novel is so strong on character and drama that you don't have to be a comics fan to enjoy it. But boy does it ever scratch that classic superhero itch in a powerful way. I really hope Ryan does more in this universe.
May 9, 2018
Excellent read for anyone who ever loved comics or superheroes. Four Color Bleed creates an entire universe of fictional comic titles with a diverse mish-mash of heroes who all deserve a long backlog of numbered issues, though we'll never see them. Alas.
Four Color Bleed tells a story that begins in our own reality but evolves through a twisty-turny plot that keeps readers guessing until the end. It felt a lot like binge-watching a new favorite series. While it is not a graphic novel, it has plenty of illustrations with that perfect comic-book flavor.
The storytelling is witty, and has a dark edge to it (though not as dark as Watchmen). It offers a sense of paranoia and lurking suspense, vibrant characters, and great gobs of nostalgia. It's unpredictable enough that I couldn't guess the end until I was on top of it.
Great read!
Four Color Bleed tells a story that begins in our own reality but evolves through a twisty-turny plot that keeps readers guessing until the end. It felt a lot like binge-watching a new favorite series. While it is not a graphic novel, it has plenty of illustrations with that perfect comic-book flavor.
The storytelling is witty, and has a dark edge to it (though not as dark as Watchmen). It offers a sense of paranoia and lurking suspense, vibrant characters, and great gobs of nostalgia. It's unpredictable enough that I couldn't guess the end until I was on top of it.
Great read!
January 11, 2018
Absolutely awesome. after a long hiatus I finally read the last few chapters and finished this book. it was great. I really liked the main character. the first few chapters of the book were chockablock full of nerd references, telling the story of ralph the failed comic artist. then the references calmed a bit and the primary mystery kicked in. the world started to slowly change around ralph, until eventually we were embroiled in a full on comic book world, full of hundreds of superpowered people and a history full of time travel, aliens, and magic. a personal favorite bit of mine was when the characters visit both heaven and hell, they're depicted so, so well. the ending was a bit abrupt, and the "twist" wasn't explained very well or explored nearly enough. that was a disappointment. but I know that it was exacerbated by how close to the end I was when I came back to it. overall it was a great book and perfectly suited to my interests. Thank you Phoenix!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews