Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

Logan

Cruel Kingdom #1 (Oni Press) – The new anthology Cruel Kingdom defectively puts an EC Comics spin to the sword and sorcery genre. The lead story “Blood of the Robo King” by Greg Pak and Leomacs has a medieval Robocop energy as the inhabitants of a small village get sucked into the cycle of violence and expansionism. The story has a good message, but gets a little repetitive towards the end. Lord of the Rings meets Star Trek with a sinister twist in Al Ewing and Kano‘s “Friendly Visitors”. Ewing’s writing is wonderfully anachronistic while Kano has fun with the genre mash-up elements like forcefields and spaceships showing up in a copyright friendly version of The Shire. However, the story isn’t just a mere genre pastiche, but has a lot to say about colonization and imperialism. I could honestly read a whole series set in this world. “Death and Pickaxes” is a dark and twisted take on the Snow White story from the POV of the last survivor of the Seven Dwarves. Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard make their protagonist a greedy, lustful being that is struck by conscience all too late. Adlard’s visuals are fairy tale storybook meets horror novel illustrations and epitomize the dark fantasy genre of this anthology. Ben H. Winters and Andrea Mutti execute a simple, yet powerful deconstruction of the Chosen One archetype in “The Demon’s Face”. Mutti’s art is traditional fantasy until he channels some spectral in the final pages. Along the way, it’s kind of a critique of girlboss feminism aka “What if Eowyn became the Witch King instead of killing him?” If you like fantasy stories that are less heroic and more a dark mirror of current society with halflings, dwarves, swords, dragons, and smoky taverns, then Cruel Kingdom #1 is the comic for you. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Altered States: Purgatori Grindhouse (Dynamite) – Ray Fawkes, Alvaro Sarraseca, and Salvatore Aiala throw the 90s Bad Girl icon Purgatori into a 70s teen beach/slasher movie in Altered States: Purgatori Grindhouse. The story plays with the Final Girl trope as the most moral girl, track athlete goodie two shoes ends up being the red hued demon and messing up the cultists’ day. There’s a real sense of athleticism and motion to Sarraseca fight scenes punctuated by Aiala’s red and black. However, for all the titillating variant covers, Purgatori Grindhouse feels like a PG-13 horror cutting back on the gore and freaky elements and feeling like a film you’d legitimately buy a ticket to instead of sneaking into. Overall: 7.3 Verdict: Read

Batman: Dark Patterns #2 (DC) -This isn’t definitely a week for serial killer comics as a young Dark Knight continues to hunt down the Wound Man in Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman‘s Batman: Dark Patterns #2. The mystery expands in this comic going from Batman hunting down a serial killer to police corruption, random arsons, and of course, the creepy formaldehyde addicted doctor. Watters’ captions put us in Batman’s deductive mind while Sherman indulges in some freaky imagery with their art. They have a real gift for making storytelling interesting on the page and panel to panel level like a scene where Batman talks to a reporter through the act of eating a donut. There’s a rawer, more dangerous feel to Gotham in this story with Batman and Gordon being in a much more precarious position that makes it exciting. Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy

Those Not Afraid #1 (Dark Horse) – Kyle Starks and Patrick Piazzalunga tap into American society’s endless thirst for serial killers in Those Not Afraid. It’s about two serial killers who cross paths and decide to basically have a murder-off to break the record for most straight murders. Colorist Marco Brakko brings the reds and blacks while Piazzalunga’s art style goes from straight up crime to something darkly humorous to match Starks’ script. This first establishes the killers and the non-murderer supporting cast with just enough of a twist to go beyond just setting up the premise. Those Not Afraid #1 is both a self-indulgent and self-aware take on the true crime genre. Overall: 7.8 Verdict: Buy

Christmas 365 #2 (Dark Horse) – The holiday season might be done, but Mikey Way, Jon Rivera, and Piotr Kowalski hit their stride in the second issue of Christmas 365, a series about the Rockwell family celebrating the titular holiday all year long. Christmas 365 #2 leans into the humor of the concept with parodies of “extreme” YouTube videos and wild moments like protagonist/patriarch Peter Rockwell overdosing on radioactive, cryptocurrency-bought egg nog or a silent tribute to fallen soldiers during a Memorial Day gathering. However, Way and Rivera give the series a little bit of heart, especially when Peter bonds with his daughter Tina over a story about he and his dad built a tree house from scratch. Christmas 365 #2 continues to be an over-the-top, silly read with just enough of a satirical bite. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Absolute Batman #4 (DC) – Co-writers Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, guest artist Gabriel Walta, and colorist Frank Martin dig into the early days of Absolute Batman in this stand-alone “year one” story. The story follows the thread of how bats inspire Bruce Wayne, and there’s many Golden Age flourishes like when Batman uses a gun or wears vampire fangs to break up a protection racket around Crime Alley. However, this is just small potatoes, and the narrative thrust of Absolute Batman #4 is about Bruce Wayne going bigger and more systemic with his war on crime. However, it’s still rooted in a young boy’s prize-winning science project. Snyder and Dragotta turn the Batman mythos on its head by making bats something that Bruce loves and doesn’t fear. And the art doesn’t miss a beat with fluid action scenes, the aforementioned homages, and a really cool ghostly effect from Martin when we get to a flashback with Thomas Wayne and his father. (Bruce’s grandfather died before he was born the same way mine did so I had a personal connection to this comic too.) Overall: 9.1 Verdict: Buy