Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer/artist inspired by a lifetime of reading graphic novels. A visual artist at heart with a BFA in Industrial Design I have worked over a decade in conceptual thinking for research and development in the manufacturing sector. I love the experimentation that breaks the boring norms of industry standards. I wanted to use my talent, experience, and passion to create a sci-fi graphic novel, Bear Serum, and break the medium norms. I wrote and drew it to satiate my own wild ideas in the sci-fi category to push the medium further.


I wrote

Bear Serum

By Kyle Fleischhacker,

Book cover of Bear Serum

What is my book about?

When the human race is battling for survival and leans on the military... humanity’s "evolved" cell phones into mental chips…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Night Hunters

Kyle Fleischhacker Why did I love this book?

Before a Friday night drink, turn on some heavy metal (or hard rock) and decide if you want to, “Become a cop or die.”

 This indie sci-fi graphic novel has style with thought-provoking themes that will make you wonder about our lives in the near future. 

The monochromatic color palette is not only stylistically cool but it frames emotion perfectly well. I loved the raw indie art by Ziritt, feels like a classic tattoo artist took his inks and drew inside comic panels. He frames a lot of statuesque and memorable moments with his violent, dystopian characters.

As an indie artist and writer, it’s awesome to see another indie story. Indie at its core is unfiltered, which is what makes it great. It isn’t watered down to hit the right tone to sell a lot of copies. It’s the creator’s voice being heard.

I suggest that you read this one on a Friday evening.

By Dave Baker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Night Hunters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Night Hunters is a pulsing cyberpunk classic that tells the tale of two brothers who have to navigate the futuristic dystopian world of Venezuela, 100 years in the future.

How far would you go for your family? Would you enlist in a corrupt police department and slowly sell your body-parts for cyborg replacements so that your aging father can have a roof over his head? The only answer is pick up your gun and put one foot in front of the other.

This sci-fi epic by indie comics all-stars Alexis Ziritt (Space Riders, Tarantula) and Dave Baker (F*** Off Squad,…


Book cover of The Whole Shebang

Kyle Fleischhacker Why did I love this book?

Scud is a ’90s indie comic at its best and is now in one giant collection. Vending machine robots with various whacky, funny, and violent scenarios. Artist/writer Rob Shrab created a ton of awesome indie work. His passion and talent are undeniable as he creates one crazy scenario to the next. I recommend going to a local coffee shop and spending some time with the printed copy sipping a latte while listening to 90’s grunge rock.

I suggest that you read this one on a Saturday afternoon.

By Rob Schrab, Dan Harmon, Mondy Carter

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Whole Shebang as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the world of Scud, bullets are cheaper than human life. Corner vending machines provide any weapon you might need. The most popular weapons are Scud disposable assassins: Robot hitmen that self-destruct when they kill their target. This volume follows Scud 1373, assigned to take out a hideous female man-eater named Jeff. While fighting the indestructible Jeff, Scud discovers his infamous warning panel in a bathroom mirror. Realizing that to kill Jeff is to kill himself, Scud blows off her arms and legs and hospitalizes her. Her life support bills will have to be paid, and Scud will have to…


Book cover of Batman: Dark Victory

Kyle Fleischhacker Why did I love this book?

This is my favorite mainstream graphic novel of the Caped Crusader. Mostly because of the art by Tim Sale. This graphic novel has a special place for me because it is my first experience with Tim’s art. Tim represents style, emotion, and grit through his visuals. I am an art-first comic book fan. I got into writing later as a young adult but art is what drives me to pursue graphic novels. I flip through graphic novels without reading a word first. If it is visually appealing throughout the story, I go back and read the whole story.

Dark Victory is technically Jeph Loeb and Tim’s second Batman novel after but Dark Victory is more polished, feels cooler and the story is smoother.

I suggest that you read this one on a Saturday night.

By Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Batman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It is early in Batman's crimefighting career, when James Gordon, Harvey Dent, and the vigilante himself were all just beginning their roles as Gotham's protectors.Once a town controlled by organized crime, Gotham City suddenly finds itself being run by lawless freaks, such as Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker. Witnessing his city's dark evolution, the Dark Knight completes his transformation into the city's greatest defender. He faces multiple threats, including the seeming return of a serial killer called Holiday. Batman's previous investigation of Holiday's killings revealed that more than one person was responsible for the murders. So the question…


Book cover of Shadow Life

Kyle Fleischhacker Why did I love this book?

I picked this book up on a whim, I’m glad I did. It was a pleasant surprise with no expectations. A simple, easy-to-read story with art guiding you frame by frame from artist Ann Xu. The smooth art guides you through the effortless story. It shines a light from a different perspective of life. It is soft, warm, and enlightening as we question death around the corner (especially close for the elderly woman in this story who literally vacuums up death). If you are looking for something different from a harsh dystopian/superhero graphic novel, pick up Shadow Life.

I suggest that you read this one on a Sunday morning.

By Hiromi Goto, Ann Xu (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Shadow Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Kumiko's well-meaning adult daughters place her in an assisted living home the seventy-six-year-old widow gives it a try, but it's not where she wants to be. She goes on the lam and finds a cosy bachelor apartment, keeping the location secret even while communicating online with her eldest daughter. Kumiko revels in the small, daily pleasures: decorating as she pleases, eating what she wants, and swimming in the community pool. But something has followed her from her former residence - Death's shadow.

Kumiko's sweet life is shattered when Death's shadow swoops in to collect her. With her quick mind…


Book cover of Akira, Volume 1

Kyle Fleischhacker Why did I love this book?

Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira is a sci-fi masterpiece. Visit Neo-Tokyo again and again… then watch the most beautiful Anime ever made, based on the manga. The manga is a breeze to read with art that will have you staring and looking for insane detail. It explores dystopian imagination with a wild and cool cast of characters. Its unfathomable style and design with the attention to detail in the art will make you marvel at how Katsuhiro Otomo was able to deliver such a feat.

I suggest that you read this one on a Sunday night.

By Katsuhiro Otomo,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Akira, Volume 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Akira 1 introduces readers to a gritty Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that levelled Tokyo. At the core of the agency's motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira.


Explore my book 😀

Bear Serum

By Kyle Fleischhacker,

Book cover of Bear Serum

What is my book about?

When the human race is battling for survival and leans on the military... humanity’s "evolved" cell phones into mental chips provide great strength but also lead to their demise when a central authority is controlling push notifications... molding the new world. Chaos is sure to ensue!

A soldier's life is saved by his mental chip and precious Bear Serum, we follow his journey as the world around him evolves and changes. Politics, power and greed shape his journey in the 4-level planet, Earth 2. A dystopian, stylistic and action-packed sci-fi graphic novel.

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Lethal Impulse

By Steve Rush,

Book cover of Lethal Impulse

Steve Rush Author Of Lethal Impulse

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Investigator Instructor Outdoors lover Book enthusiast Researcher

Steve's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

He’s riddled with guilt. She’s annoyed with the status quo.

The death of a crime boss’s daughter forces Detective Neil Caldera to leave NYC. He seeks refuge in the tranquil embrace of a small town, where he finds himself entangled in the labyrinth of a teenage girl’s murder. Tess Fleishman’s pale skin and extreme weight loss portrays a disease she wants others to see. While inside, a compulsion for Neil fuels her passion to have him or destroy him.

Lethal Impulse

By Steve Rush,

What is this book about?

He's riddled with guilt. She's annoyed with the status quo. The death of a crime boss's daughter forces Detective Neil Caldera to leave NYC. He seeks refuge in the tranquil embrace of a small town, where he finds himself entangled in the labyrinth of a teenage girl's murder. Tess Fleishman's pale skin and extreme weight loss portrays a disease she wants others to see. While inside, a compulsion for Neil fuels her passion to have him or destroy him. As Neil delves into the heart of the town's secrets, will truth deliver solace? Or will Tess prevail?


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Tokyo, Canada, and Japan?

Tokyo 92 books
Canada 450 books
Japan 516 books