Incredible Doom Returns with Volume Three: Eternal September

Earlier this month, I chanced upon Incredible Doom, a delightful comic by Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden that captures the vibe and energy of those early days of online culture. As I wrote in my review of the first two volumes, “if you ever spent any time on a BBS, making zines, and/or listening to punk/alternative music in the early ’90s, then I think you’ll feel like Incredible Doom was written just for you.”

Originally starting out as a webcomic and self-published mini-comic in 2016, Incredible Doom was picked up by Harper Alley, which published the first two volumes to considerable acclaim. Earlier this year, Bogart and Holden decided to return to their self-publishing roots and began work on Incredible Doom’s third volume, titled Eternal September. Set in 1999, it features a new cast of characters caught up in those heady days when the World Wide Web was just beginning to break into mainstream culture.

Eternal September’s first two issues are already online, and they follow two best friends — Doug and Anna — who are trying to convince people to be part of the Web by offering to write blog posts about their lives. Of course, things quickly get complicated. Just two issues in, and the nostalgia’s already flowing — the Netscape screenshots will do that — and I just know I’m going to be heartbroken when Doug and Anna’s idealism and friendship are tested by a cold, hard, cynical world.

To support Incredible Doom’s production, Bogart has a Patreon page where subscribers can get early access to new issues, exclusive supporter-only comics and stories, discounts on merch, bonus gifts in the mail, and even get drawn into the comic.