It's clearly a story that the creator cares deeply about, and it comes through in every page of the work. This one comes highly recommended. Read Full Review

Not as dark as 'The Player' but as much as that iconic film was an indictment of the film industry, 'Public Domain' is about the comic ecosystem and the people it chews up and leaves behind. Told from the perspective of the sons of one such creator, Zdarsky finds the heart of an underdog story while exposing the IP machine he's seen firsthand. 'Public Domain' is a revealing satire that is all too real but hugely entertaining and brilliantly executed on every level. Read Full Review

Zdarsky opts to go the one-man show route with Public Domain (even going so far as to write the solicit), obviously because when the movie gets made, he gets all the glory (and money). Until then, we readers are stuck with a brilliant debut issue that is grounded in character work that is equal parts hilarious and melancholy. Don't wait until this hits public domain; support the arts and the artist and add it to your pull list! Read Full Review

Public Domain #1tackles the major issue of creators' rights in a funny yet heartfelt way and continues to cement Chip Zdarsky as one of the most interesting creators in the industry. If you've loved Zdarsky's other creator-owned work or his Daredevil run, I highly suggest picking this book up. Read Full Review

Overall, Public Domain is a great read and looks at the comic book industry's inner workings and ugly side. With the massive popularity of superheroes, creators deserve what is due to them for their work. Zdarsky blends his unique humor and tone in this issue to give readers a reason to stick around. Read Full Review

Zdarsky has a unique and entertaining visual style that beautifully emphasizes the characters and their emotions in the moment. A great looking first issue. Read Full Review

In addition to being the writer, Chip Zdarsky also did all of the art, coloring, and letters for Public Domain #1.  Zdarskys linework emphasizes how character-driven this story is, the characters pop while the background is blurry or lightly detailed in almost every panel.  The art gives the characters an added depth, helping to flesh them out and give them a life of their own. Read Full Review

Public Domain is very good at pace, character, and the tensions between characters. At its heart this is a family story, but that family happens to have ties to comics and by extension comic movies based on them. Those elements come together in a narrative that's relatable to our current climate of comics and superhero "mythology", adding up to an enjoyable story. Read Full Review

perfect satirizing and condemnation of some of the worst aspects of the comic book industry as told by someone within the machine. Read Full Review

Who is responsible for the success of a franchise movie like The Batman or next week's Thor: Love and Thunder? Is it the comic book creators from years past or the studios bankrolling them? Chip Zdarsky fights for creator rights in this interesting limited series, first published in his newsletter. Read Full Review

This is a familiar history to anyone who knows the history of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Bill Finger, or dozens of others, and it would be easy to utilize nearly a century of mistreatment and unethical dealings to romanticize or rage. However, in staging this story, creator Chip Zdarsky opts to focus on the whys and wherefores, avoiding easy answers on what promises to be a much more engaging consideration of culture and commerce. Read Full Review

While Public Domain #1 is very good, it just doesn't feel very deep. Its meta commentary is interesting and it could have a lot to say, but so far, it feels like it's a commentary tackling a subject but without much depth to really examine what it has to say. And in the end, it might not. This could be a unique story using a hot topic for entertainment only, we'll have to wait and see. But, as a first issue, it delivers an intriguing and unique debut, one to keep an eye on. Read Full Review

THis was not what I expected, but it is definitely what I needed

Chip Zdarsky knocked it out of the park.
Public Domain is off to a really impressive start.
This is such a fantastic first issue.

An incredible debut solely focusing on the struggles of the rights of creators and how they're treated in the mainstream. Hilarious how Chip jabs at Marvel Studios specifically and their historical treatment of the characters' creators. Obviously, this was the book made in lieu of fairly recent controversy and I'm absolutely here for it.

I'll be honest it felt emotional. It's not flashy at all but it does have a lot to say in one issue.

This is a really solid first issue. You can literally feel the anger Chip has toward the current comic-to-movie pipeline on the page.