Tag Archives: Aditya Bidikar

Spectregraph #1 has a House on Haunted Hill vibe and has us intrigued as to what comes next

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A ghost story steeped in the decay of a century of capitalism. For years, the mansion has sat strangely, nestled into the coastline just a short drive north of Los Angeles. Rumors have haunted the place for years. Its owner a titan of American industry, with a strange fascination in the occult and the paranormal. For decades, the richest men and women in the country have whispered to each other, trying to understand what he was building alone in that mansion for all those years. And now finally, with his death, and his estate finally open for sale, they are eager to find out for themselves.

Story: James Tynion IV
Art: Christian Ward
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

TFAW
Zeus Comics

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

The Boy Wonder #1 shows off the talent of Juni Ba

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The Boy Wonder #1

The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins–to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers–and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means! The Boy Wonder #1 features the talent of Juni Ba and is a hell of a debut issue.

Juni Ba is a hell of a talent. It was clear early on this is a comic creator who is going to break big at some point. Djeliya is the first release I became aware of Ba and it has been entertaining to see the rise since. The Boy Wonder #1 takes Ba’s talent in both writing and art and delivers a debut that takes a classic storytelling technique and delivers a hell of a start.

Captured by a bank robber, a masked hostage recounts the story of a king and his three adopted sons and the fourth son he didn’t know he had and eventually meets. It’s the story of Batman and his Robins with Damian at the center trying to stand out from the others and figuring out what makes each of them so special.

Ba delivers a comic that takes a classic fantasy story, and storytelling style, and putting Batman and his boys front and center. You get a sense of questioning from Damian’s tale as he attempts to piece together what makes each Robin so special and feel sorry for his attempt to make himself special as well. It’s cute and there’s some empathy for Damian, a character who has grown so much over the years.

Ba’s talent extends to the art which is amazing to look at and blends classic creators like Tim Sale and Darwyn Cooke with his own spin and style. It’s fantastic to look at and the whole package delivers a read that feels like a bard recounting a grand adventure for a fantasy party. It’s classic in some ways and works so well.

The Boy Wonder #1 is the excellence I expected from Juni Ba, living up the high standards. It’s a great read that, if it keeps it up, is likely to be a modern classic comic fans won’t want to miss.

Story: Juni Ba Art: Juni Ba
Color: Chris O’Halloran Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

Explore the world of Black Hammer with The World of Black Hammer Omnibus 3

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Dark Horse Books presents the latest collection of the Black Hammer saga in the World of Black Hammer Omnibus Volume 3 in an affordable paperback omnibus format! The book collects Colonel Weird: Cosmagog #1—4and Barbalien: Red Planet #1—5. This collection features writing by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal with interior art by Tyler Crook and Gabriel Hernández Walta, colors by Tyler Crook and Jordie Bellaire, letters by Aditya Bidikar and Tyler Crook, and cover art by Dean Ormston.

In Colonel Weird: Cosmagog, sanity-challenged space adventurer Colonel Weird embarks on a strange journey through space and time for something that he’s long forgotten, with both his sanity and life at stake.

In Barbalien: Red Planet, the shape-shifting superhero Barbalien struggles to find his place in the world during the AIDS crisis—something made all the more difficult when a Martian enemy from the past follows him to Earth to take him back, dead or alive.

The World of Black Hammer Omnibus Volume 3 trade paperback will be available in bookstores May 7, 2024 and in comic shops May 8, 2024. The book contains 248-pages of Black Hammer content and measures at 6.625×10.1875”. It is available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, TFAW, and at your local comic shop and bookstore and will retail for $29.99.

World of Black Hammer Omnibus Volume 3 

The Six Fingers #3 Reveals What Lies Beneath the Surface

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The Six Fingers #3

As his reality crumbles faster, unwilling murderer Johannes Vale attempts to get answers from the previous One Hand Killer Odell Watts. Johannes pieces the previous events together, and artist Ada Avanax discovers his secret and trails his activities. But the two realize how much deeper the hole goes and how much more complicated it is than simply losing one’s memory. The Six Fingers #3 by Dan Watters and Sumit Kumar demonstrates that truth does not exist within a linear or binary concept. Still, it can only be comprehended by looking past reality.

Watters expertly knocks the down dominos he has laid since the beginning to hint at what lies beneath the surface of Johannes and Neo Novena. Much like an iceberg, a much deeper and darker side hides from ordinary eyes. The reveal challenges what the readers assumed about the metropolis and presents a more horrific version. With his job as an archeologist, he has to travel back to the past to discover the truth mentally. He is figuratively digging into his subconscious and the hollow skeleton of the city in front of him this entire time. Despite revealing some truth to Johannes and the reader, the mystery gets more complicated and cannot be easily solved.

The revelation of a “right hand” and a “left hand” portrays Johannes’s and Ari’s relationship and roles in a different light. Instead of existing as opposing forces, they worked together unwillingly towards some unknown goal. The reveal also reframes the cat-and-mouse hunts of the previous One Hand Killers as a cyclical force that moves onto a new person. Each is an investigator of different mysteries. With his dad’s gift as a guide, he must use it to decipher the past and figure out what happened between the gaps. Existing as a vessel for whatever force guides him, he needs to embrace being the right hand to unravel the blank spots in his mind.

I am still impressed with Kumar’s stunning art as he portrays the various psychological horrors within the book. All the events still feel like a nightmare you cannot wake up from. Matched with Lee Loughridge’s haunting colors and Aditya Bidikar’s stylish lettering, all of their artistic talent works in perfect unison. With all of the action and plot being dreamlike, The Six Fingers #3 artwork taps into the subconscious nature of the work and embraces it.

As the hidden underbelly of Neo Novena opens itself to Johannes, his understanding of his role as the right hand starts to become clearer to him and the reader. Watters and Kumar in The Six Fingers #3 do not give straight answers but masterfully start putting the pieces from the previous issues together while having the readers draw their conclusions on what has happened. The mystery of Johannes and his role as the right hand has gotten much more complicated and existentially interesting in the best ways possible.

Story: Dan Watters Art: Sumit Kumar 
Color: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.8 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The One Hand #3 is another amazing issue that hits all the right notes for the genre

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With the murders having no signs of stopping, Detective Ari Nassar hopes to pull the truth from Odell Watts, Ram V and Laurence Campbell’s The One Hand #3, which forces Ari to realize that he has been looking too small and needs to start seeing the bigger picture.

Story: Ram V
Art: Laurence Campbell
Color: Lee Loughride
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

The Six Fingers #2 will leave you guessing as we’re taken into the mind of a killer

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The Six Fingers #2 by Dan Watters and Sumit Kumar has a man wrestle with forces outside of his control, and all the while, it twists his life away from him.

Story: Dan Watters
Art: Sumit Kumar
Color: Lee Loughride
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Preview: Blue Book 1947 #3

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Blue Book 1947 #3

(W) James Tynion IV (A/CA) Michael Avon Oeming
In Shops: Apr 17, 2024
SRP: $4.99

Now a changed man after his bizarre aerial encounter with the mysterious fleet of light in the sky, Kenneth Arnold hunts for evidence of his confrontation to show the world, while at the same time federal agencies begin to get in the way of his quest for truth. Also including a True Weird backup story by Chris Condon, Jacob Philips, and Aditya Bidikar!

Blue Book 1947 #3

The One Hand #3 Presents a Different Form of Truth

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The One Hand #3

Detective Ari Nassar continues to hunt for the new One Hand Killer stalking Neo Novena. Left with no other clue except for the killer having a sixth figure, Ari decides to visit the previously supposed murderer he had arrested years ago. With the murders having no signs of stopping, he hopes to pull the truth from Odell Watts, Ram V, and Laurence Campbell’s The One Hand #3, which forces Ari to realize that he has been looking too small and needs to start seeing the bigger picture.

Ram and Laurence continue the intense, methodical, and slow-burn narrative following Ari’s investigation into the new series of gruesome murders while discovering the truth. The notion of the truth lies in the center of Ari as he interprets these strange occurrences to find the connective tissue between them. Granted, as reality bends, more and more impossible horrific events occur more frequently. However, he still holds onto his instincts and institutions to ground himself from the encroaching madness. But, his mindset closes his eyes to the truth or what he believes to be true since it does not exist in reality. He cannot see the whole puzzle, only the bits and pieces on the micro-level before him. The truth of the One Hand Killer cannot be explained in the physical evidence but on a more abstract and unexplained level. 

I also enjoy the issue’s use of cosmic horror for the narrative and themes. The evils Ari faces are not limited to human forces but unexplainable. During interrogation, Odell tells Ari, “You’re in alien territory now. You have to stop chasing what is in front of you and look in a different way.” The little details are meaningless in the overarching narrative of the truth. Following this encounter, Ari can only watch as multiple prisoners shank a willing Odell. Trying to understand madness through a rational mind is ultimately pointless due to existing in different worlds. But are these actions caused entirely by man or something else? The notion of the truth largely depends on the individual’s perception of reality and what they perceive to be true. Instead, Ari must learn to view a different form of the truth to start picking up clues about the murders and the killer’s identity.

Laurence’s art provides that gritty and noir aesthetic, which provides a necessary contrast when he depicts the more unnerving and unexplained horror. His evocative layouts in the prison attack sequence, paired with a shifting limited color palette by Lee Loughridge, perfectly capture Ari’s emotions of helplines and terror, where he can only watch the event occur. Aditya Bidikar’s lettering drives home that pulpy atmosphere through the depiction of dialogue.

As Ari and the One Hand Killer slowly approach each other’s orbit, the mystery becomes more unexplainable when investigated with traditional logic and facts. The cage that Ari built to protect himself must be opened to examine the resurgence of murders. He is investigating unknown waters and hopes not to drown because of the forces he cannot comprehend.

Story: Ram V Art : Laurence Campbell
Color: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The Six Fingers #2 Has Reality Become a Living Nightmare

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The Six Fingers #2

Johannes Vale has been unable to live normally after discovering his identity as the new One Hand Killer in Neo Novena. Haunted by a murder he does not remember committing, he has to retrace his previous night to discover why he committed such an act. As his dreams and nightmares blend with his real life, Johannes attempts to parse through reality to find the truth. The Six Fingers #2 by Dan Watters and Sumit Kumar has a man wrestle with forces outside of his control, and all the while, it twists his life away from him.

A key element established in the series is the notion of reality or how conditions or forces influence it we cannot see. Johannes does not know why he has been murdering people but aims to decipher what leads him to murder. The notion of a superficial understanding of his actions becomes moot since he firmly believes that a greater hand has led him to become the new One Hand Killer. Watters and Kumar do a fantastic job of presenting Johannes as an unreliable narrator, such as him staring at a tear in his wall before it immediately has him writing symbols after a murder. The walls of his reality begin to bend as he miraculously wakes up in alien locations despite having no memory of traveling there. I appreciate the team for not focusing on the physical motivation for his actions but on the more abstract reason why Johannes has become the new One Hand Killer. Aside from making the mystery more interesting, it allows the story to focus more on fears about the subconscious in the team’s depiction of psychological horror.

Similarly, the dream-like tone of the series provides a fascinating counterpoint to the analytic detective narrative of The One Hand. Considering Johannes’s background as an archeology student, he and Ari Nassar are investigators and examiners of human behavior through different lenses. The two differ since Ari’s job as a police detective forces him to think critically and logically, while Johannes demonstrates a penchant for looking outside the box for answers. Both are looking for answers inside of the darkness but for opposite reasons. Considering how the One Hand Killer leaves a series of symbols after a murder, Ari deciphers the wall for physical clues about the killer’s identity. Still, Johannes examines them to see what logically led him to it. And there might not be a logical reason as to what has been drawing him to murder.

Kumar’s art demonstrates how chaos and order are at war. Combined with Lee Loughridge’s colors and Aditya Bidikar’s lettering, the reader is effortlessly placed in Johannes’s headspace as he attempts to hold onto reality before it is quickly removed. It strongly connects the reader to his mental state and emotions as he tries to make sense of the darkness gradually surrounding him. Much like Johanness, the reader is at the whims of artistic talent as they challenge our notions of reality through their work.

The Six Fingers #2 stands as another powerful issue from Watters and Kumar that will have readers question what they know about Johannes. The light at the end of the tunnel slowly extinguishes while the darkness envelops the reader more. Eventually, the abyss can only look back at you.

Story: Dan Watters Art: Sumit Kumar
Color: Lee Loughridge Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.7 Art: 8.7 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Fight to survive in the Dawnrunner Hardcover Collection

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Dark Horse Comics presents the hit Dawnrunner comic series, now collected in one hardcover volume. An epic sci-fi adventure featuring brave humans piloting mighty mechs to defend earth from an invasion of giant monsters, this graphic novel includes issues #1-5 of the original Dawnrunner comic series, written by Ram V, with interior and new exclusive-to-this-edition cover art by Evan Cagle, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Aditya Bidikar.

A story of heroes, impossible armors, ghosts and two people, centuries apart, connected by their need to protect the ones they love.

A century ago, a portal opened over Central America and giant monsters known as the Tetza came through, changing everything we knew. Now people put all of their efforts into building the Iron Kings—great mechs driven by pilots that battle the Tetza for humanity’s continued survival in gladiatorial combat. War has turned to sport. Star jockey, Anita Marr, has been chosen to pilot a secret new prototype that could change the tide in humanity’s favor.

But after a difficult first battle together, Anita begins to uncover and understand the unusual connection forming between herself and the experimental new Iron King, Dawnrunner. As the Tetza threat grows, Anita, Dawnrunner, and their secrets will become mankind’s last hope. Are we doomed or will dramatic revelations push Anita and Dawnrunner to transcend into something new?

The Dawnrunner collection, hardcover, contains 168 pages and measures 6.625 x 10.1875”. The collection will be available November 27, 2024 in bookstores and November 28, 2024 in comic shops. It is available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at your local comic shop and bookstore and will retail for $29.99.

Dawnrunner
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