Hero Tomorrow Comics has set up their plucky, determined hero to face off with the massive boxer turned villain. The Apama versus Punchline showdown is now seeking backers on Kickstarter for Punchline and the Vaude-Villains #2.

Formed in 2010, Hero Tomorrow is a creator-owned publisher and studio featuring refreshingly different hero and villain stories. It started with Apama, the story of a down on his luck ice cream truck driver who gained powers. But unlike a superhero that is instantly successful, Apama’s journey to becoming a hero is quite messy and bumpy.

From there, creator Ted Sikora introduced the Tap Dance Killer and the Vaude-Villains. This zany group of criminals are all vaudeville-themed with strange, violent twists. Among the team is Punchline, the former heavyweight boxer who the Vaude-Villains kidnapped, then transformed him into their personal clown assassin.

Now Punchline will come face to face with local hero Apama for an epic showdown in Cleveland. The five-issue Punchline and the Vaude-Villains “turns on a dime from horror to comedy, and from the super-heroic to the dark and supernatural,” according to the Kickstarter description.

(Scoop has been a fan of Hero Tomorrow for years. Check out our reviews of Apama and Tap Dance Killer.)

Pledge levels start out at just $5 for a digital copy of Punchline and the Vaude-Villains #2, then move up to physical copies of the first two issues, levels with multiple cover options, metal covers CGC Signature Series options, art prints, t-shirts, and much more.

The Kickstarter campaign teases the interior art, showcases the covers, and introduces the creative team. It is live now through April 26, 2023.