Author Archives: Logan Dalton

Mini Reviews: Umbrella Academy Plan B #5, Archie #2, Alien vs X-Men #2, Hello Kitty #3, Big Shakedown #2, Satanic Panic #1

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A comic book cover featuring two characters. One is wearing a tuxedo and looking surprised, while the other, wearing a crown and a hoodie, smiles and holds a plate of burgers.

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

Umbrella Academy Plan B #5 (Dark Horse) – At this point, Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba are throwing a flurry of story darts on the board, and some of them actually stick in Umbrella Academy Plan B #5. This book succeeds in the quiet moments like Vanya being tempted by the white violin again, or Allison using her Rumor abilities to empower her daughter. The stuff with multiple dimensions, aliens, and a bloated ensemble cast doesn’t work so much, but it’s par for the Umbrella Academy course. Ba and Dave Stewart get to indulge in some hazy cosmic jive thanks to the Sparrow Academy’s spaceship being stolen, and the ensuing showdown should be interesting. Maybe, this is a series that will read better in collected form without the long gaps between issues. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read

Archie #2 (Oni Press) – Ben H. Winters, Fabio Moon, and Jason Wordie execute a nigh-perfect slice of life story, moral and all in Archie #2 from an opening triptych layout from Moon to a last sweet moment of possible redemption. Honestly, Archie stories are at their finest when he’s utterly hapless and not an apex of perfection, and that is exactly what Archie #2. Also, Winters and Moon nudge the fourth wall just slightly hinting at a future where these eternal teens are not so eternal. In addition to the main story, we get a delightfully weird/noir-ish Jughead strip, a look at the various domiciles of Riverdale, a gorgeous Veronica pinup, and even a maze activity. The Archie/Oni partnership continues to go swimmingly. Overall: 9.0 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs X-Men #2 (Marvel) – Now this is what you call a crossover! Kieron Gillen and Gerardo Borges go beyond xenomorphs vs mutants and throw in a whole bag of tricks featuring time travel, face huggers, power absorption, and much more. Several scenes include a strict grid layout and smart plans from leaders like Beast and Professor X, but of course, it all goes splat. The Brood backup from Chris Claremont and David Messina is just plain weird, but we get a peek into the mental world of the xenomorphs. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #3 (IDW) – Even more items go missing in the third issue of Hello Kitty from Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux. I love that this comic’s layouts look like a scrap book or the snapshots that its protagonist takes. Also, Tuxedo Sam’s anxiety is relatable, and I love how dapper he is. This issue feels a bit like padding, but it’s still cute and charming. Overall: 7.8 Verdict: Buy

Big Shakedown #2 (Dark Horse) – Big Shakedown gets seedier and seedier in its 2nd installment as Ester chases a lead with the pornographers, and Tim Seeley, Jordan Blum, and Scott Koblish give us more glimpses at her tragic past. Ester is a messy character, and she acts through sex and violence. The latter especially gets brought to life through the power of Koblish’s pencils as she pummels her way through the Beverly Hills sinkholes. But The Big Shakedown #2 isn’t all action digging into Ester’s psyche and ethics and giving us someone to connect with as well as a completing mystery. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy

Satanic Panic #1 (Mad Cave) – Satanic Panic was just the gruesome comic book treat I needed for Halloweek. Matt Miner, Clay McCormack, and Oliver Mertz tell a story of othered outcasts fighting piece of shit jocks, but with several devilish twist and turns. Protagonist Naz is a total badass, and I want to be them when I grow up. Satanic Panic has creepy 80s B-movie vibes, but with better politics. It doesn’t skimp on the blood, gore, and punk rock though. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Mini Reviews: Die Loaded #10, Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special, Inglorious X-Force #10

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Comic book cover featuring a woman with long white hair and flowers in her hair, surrounded by glowing flames and geometric shapes. The title 'DIE' is prominently displayed along with the words 'LOADED' and '10'.

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

Die Loaded #10 (Image) – This issue is really an excuse for Stephanie Hans to draw cool, dungeon crawling action as the party reaches the Dreamlands. She and Kieron Gillen part the veil on many of the inner workings of Die too. However, my favorite bit of this issue is the last third where Sophie learns that Ash was a very different person in the world of the game. I’m excited to see how the last two issues unpack their relationship as well as its effect on Sophie’s journey and her struggle trying to get her spouse’s friends’ undead kids and mom out. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Amazing Spider-Man Halloween Special (Marvel) – Just in time for spooky season, Justina Ireland and Mike Hawthorne gift us with a fun stand-alone Spidey yarn where he must save the holiday with the help of frenemy Hallow’s Eve. Hallow’s Eve’s different-powered masks make for an engaging and clever story, especially when she messes with Spidey’s powers, and he must get creative to save the day. Ireland even goes into Hallow’s Eve’s motivation to not go full hero, and she and Hawthorne bring plenty of humor to the book. As backups, we’ve got a whimsical story from Lee Gatlin about Sinister Six trick or treaters, and Ty Templeton bringing Peanuts style gag strips to the Marvel Universe. I’d honestly read the Templeton stories more than the actual main universe ones. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Inglorious X-Force #10 (Marvel) – I wasn’t a big fan of Inglorious X-Force’s final timey wimey plot, but I’ve come to love the volatile combination of Kamala Khan, Boom Boom, Cable, Hellverine, and Archangel. I will definitely follow them over to Fugitive X-Force. But Inglorious X-Force #10 is kind of a mess and is full of paradoxes and keywords. Thankfully, Michael Santa Maria and Romulo Fajardo bring the amped up 90s aesthetic and have enough subtlety to assist Tim Seeley with character grace notes like Boom Boom’s rise to leadership and Kamala Khan getting a glimpse of her future. (I live for President Khan!) Overall: 7.6 Verdict: Read

Did You Hear About Mimi Green? #4 concludes in a fashion resembling the third act of The Substance, or honestly your average GWAR tour stop

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Comic book cover featuring stylized illustrations of characters, digital elements, and text elements like 'Did You Hear About Mimi Green?' and 'TRENDING L.A. Influencers'. The design includes vibrant colors and a blend of modern and abstract themes.

Did You Hear About Mimi Green? concludes in a fashion resembling the third act of The Substance, or honestly your average GWAR tour stop. Mimi battles the seemingly immortal and definitely not friendly Tyler for her body and soul as well as the lives and general existence of her partner Natalie and roommate Ashley. It’s a full body/mind/psyche fusion that comments on the manipulative nature of the entertainment industry, and how it ruins folks’ self-image. But Connor Goldsmith and Josh Cornillon never lose sight of Naomi/Mara/Mimi’s arc and using horrific, red-stained imagery, they have her clawing back to sanity and finding stability through the love that Natalie, Ashley, and eventually herself shows her.

The decline and fall and rise of a showbiz figure is a common story in American popular fiction, especially film and television with takes on the topic ranging from sleazy Behind the Music type documentaries (At least, those had decent production values ; now we’ve got AI-slop on celebrity scandals.) to great works of art like Sunset Boulevard and most recently HBO’s Hacks. Goldsmith and Cornillon use the infinite potential of the comic book medium to tell this story using exec-frightening gore and bodily twist and turns. On the surface, Did You Hear About Mimi Green? #4 seems like a final act superhero fight scene between good and evil with loved ones hanging in the balance. Josh Cornillon gives Mimi Wolverine claws that break against Tyler’s unbreakable body and also throws in some fun imagery like Tyler being a TV screen monster. The layouts that he uses also look like different body organs with the black gutters like veins or arteries flowing through the meat of this story. Using horror imagery as a metaphor for body dysmorphia is a no-brainer, and I like that not everyone comes out of the story 100% on the body positivity train. (Let’s just say there’s a GLP-1 reference in here.)

Along with Mimi Green #4’s pure viscerality, it has some fascinating intertextuality. Brain pathways that lay dormant since elementary Sunday school fired when Mimi walks through a door with “Ruth 1:20” on it, and Goldsmith and Josh Cornillon reveal that the Naomi/Mara duality is straight from the Hebrew Bible where the woman Naomi changed her name to Mara, or “bitter”, because she lost her husband and two sons in a famine and had no one to care for her except her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth. In the comic, Mara is a therapist figure that lays bare the harshest truths about Mimi including her previous name Naomi before she lost weight and changed her entire image to become a “hot” (In both senses.) public figure. Of course, Mimi wants herself and the world around her to forget about this previous part of her life, but it holds the key to her self-actualization and freeing her from the fucked up reality of the Answers wellness center. Goldsmith uses one of the first great stories of female friendship to liberate his protagonist and continue to the echo truth that’s okay to sit in grief for the person you used to be while being open to new connections and (in this case literally) devouring your past life.

Did You Hear About Mimi Green? uses extreme, trippy visuals to take us on a journey of self-discovery and maybe becoming less of an asshole along the way. I enjoyed seeing deuteragonist Ashley come into her throughout the series culminating in her becoming a blue-tinged badass and saving Natalie from Tyler although let’s just say that her actual ending is very L.A. Mimi eating the corpse of her old self/therapist is disgusting on a surface level, but it’s a call to be authentically kinder and gentler to our past, present, and future selves. Plus I’ll take a horror comic over a self-help book and definitely a wellness retreat any day, especially one that doesn’t have easy answers about tough body stuff.

Story: Connor Goldsmith Art: Josh Cornillon Letters: Ariana Maher
Story: 8.4 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.7 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Mini Reviews: Doom Patrol #2, Sicko #3, Legion of Super-Heroes #2

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Doom Patrol #2 cover

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

Doom Patrol #2 (DC) – Darcy Van Poelgeest and Niko Henrichon continue to put the World’s Strangest Heroes through the wringer in a frantic issue of Doom Patrol. But underneath the quirky hijinks, there’s an emotional texture that comes out in Van Poelgeest’s prose and Henrichon’s linework. I feel Larry Trainor’s pain and even more surprisingly Niles Caulder’s after reading this book. Also, the scene where the team fights over a Neil Diamond tape in their van on the way to a mission is a master class in character development. Overall: 8 Verdict: Buy

Sicko #3 (Ignition) – Three issues in, Sicko has settled into its, and Tini Howard and Amilcar Pinna have started fleshing out Valentine and her fellow Breton’s disease patients along with a potential love interest. Valentine’s current reality (Pun intended), but she actually has something to live for. Pinna’s art highlights her vibrancy compared to her fellow patients, many of whom don’t “pass” in the outside world. Sicko is a surreal conspiracy thriller, but also has important commentary on people with disabilities, healthcare systems, and other systems of control. I can’t wait to see what cool ideas Howard and Pinna throw at the proverbial dart board in future issues of Sicko, which has real Grant Morrison’s Invisibles energy. Overall: 9.2 Verdict: Buy

Legion of Superheroes #2 (DC) – Legion of Super-Heroes continues to be one of the best looking books on the stands with Hayden Sherman’s futuristic layouts and Tamra Bonvillain’s pops of color. Joshua Williamson also starts to weave together the various threads in this story of hope and heroism vs manipulation and authoritarianism. There is something primal about the villain too and his faux hero vibes. Matter Eating Lad continues to be my fave though. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Regicide #3 gets its freak on and doesn’t just give another generic fantasy village

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A dark and striking comic book cover depicting a cloaked figure with a mask seated behind two bald, posed figures, near a fire; the background features a patterned wall.

Mihas and Doru’s perilous quest to assassinate the tyrannical ruler of Transylvania continues in Regicide #3 by Patrick Kindlon, Ludovic Lalliat, and Rio Oka. Most of the action takes place in the city of Orasul Supuhere, or Obedience City, which is more BDSM club or a scene from Hellraiser than a nice place to have a beer, some food, and a place to rest. The burly peasant Mihas and the masked Doru immediately stand out and don’t have the best time as violence ensues. This isn’t the best issue of Regicide, but I love that Kindlon and Lalliat get their freak on and don’t just give us another generic fantasy village.

The comic especially shines in its character design and fight choreography. Patrick Kindlon and Ludovic Lalliat play the situation in Obedient City fairly deadpan, with the cropped harness-sporting Wellthen immediately offering our protagonists hospitality. It’s nothing that the farmer Mihas is used to, and there’s humor in his awkward facial expressions as he’s surrounded by folks wearing leather, latex, and less. But what is initially a public display of kink turns into paralleling the very forces that Mihas is commissioned to take out: tyranny and control. The people of Obedient City have been gaslit into being beaten bloody without their consent while thinking it’s consensual. Kindlon uses the keyword “compulsory” to show that these people have been conscripted into the BDSM lifestyle and didn’t choose it willingly. This plot point gels pretty well with the two full-page flashback sequences of the founding of Obedient City where Ludoviv Lalliat’s art doesn’t match Patrick Kindlon’s propaganda-infused words.

One of my favorite things about Regicide, other than Lalliat’s unique visuals, is how he and Kindlon infuse elements of Romanian, Eastern European, and general Medieval European culture into a violent, anti-authoritarian fantasy quest story. I’m unfamiliar with a lot of the references, but the antagonists in Regicide #3 are totally based on the Flagellants, a Christian sect that thought they could gain salvation by being beaten and tortured. The comic ups the ante by building an entire city around their beliefs in a similar way to how an extreme, theocratic sect of Anabaptists took over Munster, Germany in the 16th century. Common sense versus fanaticism is a relatable conflict, and Ludovic Lalliat revels in the battle royale between Mihas and Odeta, which involves lots of whips and chains and a little bit of levitation. This is because my other favorite thing about Regicide is when Mihas is a badass and kicks ass regular guy style with Lalliat using varied angles to show his physical prowess.

In addition to the main quest narrative, Regicide has a short backup from Kindlon and Matt Battaglia setting up a battle between monks and demons. This installment builds the tension as supernatural forces mass outside the gates of the city. Battaglia’s use of color and light (Or lack of light.) creates a feeling of darkness overwhelming what little good is left the world. “The Monastery” continues to complement the themes of Regicide‘s lead story as it tells a more conventional historical fiction tale with just a smidgen of the supernatural.

In Regicide #3, Patrick Kindlon, Ludovic Lalliat, Rio Oka, and Matt Battaglia continue to put their own spin on the horror and fantasy genres as regular Joes and freak shows collide in a sexy, yet unsettling rest stop on their way to join assassination nation.

Story: Patrick Kindlon Art: Ludovic Lalliat with Rio Oka, Matt Battaglia
Story: 7.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special attempts to celebrate the character, and two of their main civilian identities: Brian Braddock and Betsy Braddock

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Comic book cover for Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special, featuring a stylized illustration of a woman with flowing hair surrounded by floral designs.

Captain Britain is one of Marvel’s most underrated heroes. He, she, or they is an exploration of British identity through the lens of the occult, Arthurian legends, various signs and symbols, the multiverse, and yes, superheroes. Depending on the creative team, these stories can be memorable or just palette swapped Captain America. Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special attempts to celebrate the character, and two of their main civilian identities: Brian Braddock and Betsy Braddock. It succeeds as a showcase of visually powerful comics art, but for the most part, the scripts are retreads of Captain Britain lore or lack ending in the case of the final story in the book. However, Chris Claremont comes to life writing one of his earliest co-creations, and Alan Davis continues to be one of the great comics storytellers. Sadly, the modern day story from Dan Abnett and Kelsey Ramsay is this book’s weak link.

The Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special kicks things off in a majorly old school way in “Braddock Business” courtesy of Cap’s co-creator Chris Claremont, artist Paul Davidson, and colorist Carlos Lopez. Set between the panels of a classic Captain Britain issue, the story pits Brian Braddock, and for the first time ever, his sister Betsy Braddock against the villainous Dr. Synne. This is mostly a beat ’em up story with Davidson evoking the power and glory of Alan Davis’ work while Lopez puts a digital sheen on the 1970s flat color palette. Synne is definitely one-dimensional, but this story succeeds by leaning on a Claremont trademark: focus on character’s interpersonal relationships. Betsy learns that Brian is Captain Britain, and that she has special abilities too leading to equal parts empowerment and anxiety on her part. She gets a classic Chris Claremont powerful woman moment too.

However, “Braddock Business” ends up commenting on the dark side of violence and revenge as Brian ends up in a physical confrontation with Dr. Synne that is more 1986 than 1976. Alan Moore is probably the most famous Captain Britain (Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant did edit the mag though.) writer and cut his teeth writing his stories before he deconstructed the superhero genre in Miracleman and Watchmen. So, Brian basically blacking out, and the fight against Synne having a more open-ended, less triumphant conclusion is in line with that kind of story. It’s cool to have superpowers, but there are also costs and responsibilities. Not everything is sunshine and roses, but Betsy and Brian still have a great sibling bond. Jamie, not so much ; he’s probably scamming folks on Kalshi right now.

“Chains of Command” fittingly pokes fun at the bureaucracy of the Captain Britain Corps and the labyrinthine web that is Merlyn, Saturnyne, and all the various players in their corner of the Marvel Universe. It’s also a showcase for Alan Davis ‘ considerable talents warping and wefting comics pages together that is matched by the bright, old school colors of Matt Hollingsworth. In the story, Brian Braddock is all action, especially when he fights his classic enemy The Fury while Archibald Payne just sits and pontificates with his big scepter. (He’s definitely compensating or something.) A lot of the story summarizes different elements of the convoluted Captain Britain Corps lore, but Davis’ sarcastic wit and powerful pencil get enough time to shine. If he was the artist or writer/artist on a Captain Britain mini or ongoing series, I would immediately put it on my hold list, especially with Hollingsworth’s colors accentuating the scenes with mystical energy.

The Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special concludes with a story set in the present day starring the current Captain Britain, Betsy Braddock, from Dan Abnett, Kelsey Ramsay, and Brittany Peer. Unfortunately, “Another Day, An Otherworld” is the weak link is this otherwise above average collection of Captain Britain stories. The first two stories explored the themes of family and multiverse, and this one explores the cyclical nature of the omniverse and the Captain Britain Corps. However, it has no conclusion just a half-hearted mention that Opal Saturnyne is going to continue to be devious and scheme and then an advertising for an upcoming comic where we can read more about Betsy Braddock’s adventures. This is definitely a comic where the visuals supersede the text. Ramsay has a scratchy art style with heavy black inks that grounds the magical world of Captain Britain into something human, vulnerable, and even monstrous. She and Peer make sparks fly as Captain Britain fights her opponent, but the story is just a stalemate. As a reader of Excalibur and Betsy Braddock, “Another Day, An Otherworld” touched on some of the lore I knew from those books, but doesn’t continue Betsy’s story in any kind of meaningful way or mention her queerness.

Captain Britain 50th Anniversary Special may spark some feelings in folks who have read Captain Britain stories before whether that’s the early Chris Claremont/Herb Trimpe stuff or the Krakoa-era Tini Howard comics, but it won’t create any new fans of the Union Jack clad defenders of the multiverse. Any new Alan Davis interior art is always a blessing though.

Story: Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Dan Abnett
Art: Paul Davidson, Alan Davis, Kelsey Ramsay
Colors: Carlos Lopez, Matt Hollingsworth, Brittany Peer
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 6.7 Art: 8.2 Overall: 7.4 Recommendation: Read

Marvel Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Mini Reviews: Sabrina the Teenage #1, Midnight X-Men #1, Tales of Wonder #2, Concrete: Stars Over Sand #4, Dinner Date #1

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Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1

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

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 (Oni Press) – Corinna Bechko and Kano’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 seamlessly mixes teen drama and horror with a pop of color. Kano’s cartooning is agile, especially when Sabrina is freaking out about her powers and new imp-ish energy. Also, Bechko sets up a magic system for the series, but doesn’t forget the part. As an added bonus, cartoonist extraordinaire Nick Cagnetti illustrates a four page backup about the witch/familiar relationship. This new Sabrina series hits right in the middle between the supermarket digests and Chilling Adventures, which is perfect for an ongoing series. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Midnight X-Men #1 (Marvel) – Vampires and X-Men are two of my favorite things so Midnight X-Men #1 was an easy sell to me. And it lives up to the hype as Jonathan Hickman, Matteo Della Fonte, and Arthur Helsi build a vicious, theocratic world with the faintest sliver of heroism. One thing I’ve enjoyed about Hickman’s writing over the years is that he has mastered the build up to an “Oh shit” water cooler moment in key issues of his runs. He pulls another one off in Midnight X-Men #1, and Della Fonte’s design add even more gravity to the sequence. And this is in addition to Stryker and Nightcrawler’s religious debates, some weird science, and one hell of a romance. As a former X-Men fan fic reader, I love a doomed ship, and Jonathan Hickman basically centers the hook of this new comic around one. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Tales of Wonder #2 (Image) – This book is worth reading just for the nine panel grid of sequence of thinly veiled Stan Lee and Jack Kirby analogues beating the crap out of each other. But for all the meta-ness in Steve Skroce’s script, this is mostly big, loud superheroics drawn in loving detail and flashily colored by Ian Herring. Sometimes you want to pontificate on how Lee was an asshole, but sometimes you want to see a jacked patriot, bear, sexy witch, and vomiting fly thing kick butt. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy

Concrete: Stars Over Sand #4 (Dark Horse) – Paul Chadwick showcases his range as a cartoonist in Concrete #4 offering visceral thrills and reflective moments. Maureen escaping from the broken helicopter is an action film in miniature and is pure adrenaline while Larry tries to break through to a semi-amnesiac Concrete. The issue predominantly focuses on Concrete’s cognitive state after he was struck by lightning, and the unvarnished truth is that it’s not good. There’s a mournfulness to Chadwick’s writing that matches his hero’s confusion. But there are sparks of light and humor like when Concrete joke about, well, concrete lands at his keynote speech at a concrete conference. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Dinner Date #1 (Ignition) – Vampires, online dating, the gig economy, and the “good for her” subgenre all collide in Dinner Date #1. Joanna Starer crafts two whip-smart, yet messy and likable protagonists in Izzy and Syd while Khary Randolph and Emilio Lopez bring the immersive NYC after dark visuals. Dinner Date draws on the sad and bleak reality of being a woman in 2026, but add blood, fangs, and delicious sense of humor. I enjoy how Starer and Randolph start the story as a straight up sapphic romance before giving it a genre twist. This is the kind of comic I need in spooky season. Overall: 9 Verdict: Buy

The Demon #1 is a dark, quirky horror fantasy that explores relevant themes of addiction and power

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Comic book cover featuring 'The Demon' title in bold yellow letters, surrounded by various monstrous creatures in dynamic poses against a dark background.

Contrary to its title, The Demon #1 is more the Jason Blood show than the Etrigan although there are loads and loads of other demons populating the nooks and crannies of Hell and Hell on Earth aka Gotham City. James Harren makes Blood a semi-amnesiac, unhoused wanderer who uses his special They Live-esque mask to see supernatural treats and protect the innocent folks of Gotham from them while struggling with wanting to unleash Etrigan. The comic starts with Jason Blood beating up a big, fat demon with a magic pine cone attached to an iron rod, but the stakes gradually get more post-apocalyptic and Arthurian. And Harren and colorist Dave Stewart of Hellboy, Umbrella Academy, Shaolin Cowboy, and loads of other great comics fame are game to up the grotesquerie and sprinkle in bits of whimsy as the book progresses.

James Harren is a cartoonist’s artist, and The Demon lets him go down all kinds of interesting avenues, including 1980s dark fantasy, a more urban take on talking/clothed animals a la Mouse Guard or Wind in the Willows, the humor and pitch black comedy of early Hellblazer comics, and touches of high fantasy and classic depictions of Gotham City in Batman: The Animated Series. If I had to describe the tone of The Demon, it’s a fusion of those late 1980s DC “mature reader” books that became Vertigo like Swamp Thing, Sandman, and of course, Hellblazer, updated for the doom scrolling era and with character designs inspired by Etrigan’s creator, Jack Kirby. We’ve got parallels between Jason Blood’s addiction to Etrigan’s power, Morgaine Le Fey’s addiction to Merlin’s power, and our own addiction to our cellphones via creepy spider smartphone demons that even frighten the council of Hell. Modern anxieties hit different with a side of demons, fairies, and talking mice.

The center of The Demon #1 is the interplay between Jason Blood and The Demon, who is actually quite wise and provides context to the story. He also represents the tempting nature of power, which is the other key them in the story as Morgaine Le Fey wants to drain the infant wizard Merlin and rule a world free of humanity and its stink. In a key page, James Harren depicts a demon-infested Earth almost like Apokolips, which is honestly what our current reality feels like a lot of the time. It’s more dealing with Glorious Godfrey’s prattle than dodging Omega sanctions though. There is conflict between Le Fey and her council who want to hold onto the current status quo instead of completely nuking everything from orbit instead of going all shock, awe, and blasts from Stewart’s color palette. I love when bad guys agree with other bad guys, and the mentions of smart phones, pharmaceuticals, and childhood development sets up more supernatural tinged pokes and prod’s at society’s ills.

In previous Demon stories, I feel like Jason Blood is always overshadowed by Etrigan. Sure, I dressed up as Blood for Halloween my senior year of college, but that was mostly because I was too lazy to put together a Riddler costume. He had his moments back in Paul Cornell’s Demon Knights, but he’s always the lukewarm appetizer before the charismatic, rhythmic feast that is Etrigan. But Harren turns the tables and makes Blood a gruff, likable hero, who is just trying to help out and keep the creepy demons away. In fact, his interactions with the gnomes, Elves, and talking animals is quite adorable, especially when he has them making magical circles. Finally, I love the chaotic design that Harren creates for Jason Blood with his weird shaped hair and baggy, yet strong frame that can definitely take a punch or two from a hellspawn, but eventually should probably just bite the bullet and summon Etrigan.

The Demon #1 is a dark, quirky horror fantasy that explores relevant themes of addiction and power through the lens of supernatural beings. James Harren draws some gnarly demons, and his writing can be poetic and memorable. The line “Nobody even asks why they and their kids are in a sexual relationship with something akin to a pocket mirror, a gun, a casino, and heroin” is seared into my brain every time I pick up my iPhone. I love that Harren continues the time-honored Miltonian tradition of giving devils the best lines.

Story/Art: James Harren
Colors: Dave Stewart Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Mini Reviews: Badrock #3, Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1, Adventure Time Halloween Special, lien vs X-Men #1, Hello Kitty #2

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Cover of 'Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World' comic featuring Hello Kitty with a magnifying glass, My Melody, and Kuromi holding a bag, with colorful background and playful elements.

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

Badrock #3 (Image) – Badrock went from being heartfelt, nostalgic, and a little badass to dumb in a hurry. Rob Liefeld, Seth Damoose, and Pedro Estouco serve up reheated Cold War leftovers in a half-assed dystopian world in Badrock #3. I’m also surprised Disney hasn’t sent their lawyers to take out the blatant Deadpool ripoff aka Vandel. But, hey, the action is still pretty cool, and Damoose set up a nice tech vs brawn battle when Badrock and the generically Asian superhuman Chynamo (Wtf is that name?) throw down. Overall: 5.7 Verdict: Pass

Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1 (Dark Horse) – This is my first entry into Eric Powell’s Hillbilly stories, and it didn’t disappoint. He re-tells the tragic backstory of Rondell the Witch Killer and sets him off on a new adventure trying to get a magic hat from a particularly spry witch for the titular Twelve-Toe Maggie. There’s a folk poetry to Powell’s writing style, and I love all the digressions and talk of biscuits and molasses. This is basically Appalachian Hellboy/Witcher, and I’m here for it and want to go back and read the previous volumes. Finally, Eric Powell’s art style finds the right balance between pretty and ugly, and I love his design for Leon the wood booger. (I think he might be Mothman.) Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Adventure Time Halloween Special (Oni Press) – Finn and Jake come face to face with the grey areas between heroes and monsters in the dungeon crawling spectacular Adventure Time Halloween Special from Jeremy Malloul, Adam Seats, and Rebecca Nalty. Jake’s desire to fill up his adventurer punch card backfires, and he and Finn end up as minions in a dungeon with Seats twisting them into stranger shapes as the story progresses. However, walking in the monsters’ shoes basically upends their entire worldview. I love Adam Seats and Nalty zine-style art work and all the RPG references. It’s a fun bizarro version of Adventure Time, and Skeleton Princess is my new fave. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs X-Men #1 (Marvel) – The xenomorphs cut through Marvel’s merry mutants with glee and green gore in Kieron Gillen and Gerardo Borges’ Alien vs X-Men #1. I love the blending of the Astonishing X-Men and Utopia eras, and Gillen and Borges’ take no prisoners approach to character deaths. There’s some crazy body horror stuff going on too. In the Chris Claremont/Dave Messina backup story, Kate Pryde becomes besties with the Brood Queen. This story is a little overwritten, but I’m here for the evil, villainous sapphic vibes between Kitty and Magik. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #2 (IDW Publishing) – Hello Kitty #2 is a super cute celebration of community and also a darn good mystery. Seriously, Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux pull out all the classic mystery stops, including red herrings and one heck of a cliffhanger. They also go deep into the Sanrio bench in this issue while focusing on My Melody’s daily life. (She’s totally me when I’m planning for events at work even though I have more of Kuromi’s sense of style.) This comic is truly my monthly oasis from all the bad things in the world. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy

Amazing Spider-Man #1000 is a celebration of all the writers, artists, and memorable moments that made Spider-Man a pop culture icon

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Cover of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' #100 featuring Spider-Man with a collage of faces on his mask.

Amazing Spider-Man is the first Marvel comic to actually hit four digit issues, and issue 1000 is a celebration of all the writers, artists, and memorable moments that made Spider-Man a pop culture icon. It hits most of the major relationships and milestones in Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s life and explores the tragedy that created him as well as the more fun kicking supervillain butt and flirting with Mary Jane type moments. However, the 100+ page comic gets off to a bit of a rough start.

Amazing Spider-Man #1000 begins with the requisite full length, present day story for folks who are actually following the ongoing series and not just checking in for the anniversary like yours truly. Joe Kelly, Pepe Larraz, and Federico Blee craft a story centered around Aunt May having a stroke and fighting for her life with her nephew Peter Parker/Spider-Man by her side as well as her long lost son, Cormac Crane. In the most predictable “twist” ever, Crane is the villainous Ravage (No relation that we know of to the 2099 or Hulk baddie.) and wants to take all of May and Peter’s memories so he can have the “life” he wish he’d had growing up. (I also too want to be filled with guilt when I experienced my uncle being murdered, and I had a chance to stop it.) This memory “exhuming” is a handy plot device to go down memory lane and revisit the important moments in Spider-Man’s heroic journey and especially in his relationship with Aunt May. The ordinary moments between Peter and May warmed my heart like when she brings him an “apologystrami” sandwich.

Kelly and Larraz’s reverence for the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita comics comes through in their approach to the flashbacks in their Amazing Spider-Man #1000, especially Pepe Larraz’s cinematic compositions with layouts that look like Spider-Man’s mask or a smooth sequence where Spidey saves a train on a bridge a la Spider-Man 2. It’s why we love this character, but it’s paired with some ugly, soap opera (Derogatorily, not in a Chris Claremont way) plotting that definitely didn’t make me want to pick up issue 1001 although Larraz is a perfect fit for the character. There is no depth to Crane beyond him being a pure evil guilt trip with an omniscient knowledge of Spider-Man’s life. Even his visuals look like a Fortnite skin. I look forward to a six issue arc and then never hearing about him again. (Remember Teresa Parker?)

After an insightful Q&A with Tom Holland (I really resonated with his love for Ultimate Spider-Man.) and Destin Daniel Cretton (He’s a fellow Boomerang stan!), the second story in Amazing Spider-Man #1000 marks the Marvel Comics debut of Fargo/Legion/Alien Earth creator Noah Hawley with art from Patrick Gleason, Marco Menyz, and Erick Arciniega. Predominantly set in the memory care unit of a retirement home in Queens, New York, “Still Standing” is a poetic final Peter Parker adventure as he finds closure and eventually gets to see the legacy of Spider-Man realized through his grandson. The story starts unobtrusively enough until Peter’s first, long lost love Gwen Stacy waltzes back in his life, and feelings and regrets well up. Of course, there’s more to this reunion than meets the eye, and the whole memory loss aspect really makes it a tearjerker. (My grandma is going through a similar situation right now.)

“Still Standing” centers around conversations and past memories so Gleason’s character acting and Menyz and Arciniega’s wistful color palette with touches of red and blue help unpack these elements. Peter, his son Miles, and his grandson Spider-Man are at different stages in their lives and have distinct gaits and bearings. It’s very jarring to see Peter go from sitting in his easy chair to hanging from the ceiling, but having the proportionate strength and speed of a spider doesn’t go away even if his mind unfortunately isn’t doing too well. The interactions between Peter and Gwen are very charged as she brings light and love to his twilight years. I won’t spoil how Hawley and Patrick Gleason get from Point A to Point B, but I felt a touch of sadness and an even stronger sense of closure after reading this story. If this was the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man, this is the kind of story perfect for wrapping up the decades-long saga.

Amazing Spider-Man #1000’s intergenerational throughline continues in its third story “Requiem for a Goblin” by J.M. DeMatteis, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado. This story is about the funeral of Harry Osborn, who became the New Goblin, but then made a heroic sacrifice back in 1993’s Spectacular Spider-Man #200. DeMatteis and Ramos dig into the friendship between Peter Parker and Osborn as well as their superheroic or villainous alter egos. Most of it takes place in Peter’s head while he tries to come to grips with the loss of his friend, and whether villainy was something he chose or something thrust on him by his abusive and evil father and grandfather. True to form, J.M. DeMatteis’ writing is dark and psychological while Humberto Ramos and Olazaba’s line work is more upbeat and takes you back to the more laidback days of the late 1990s/early 2000s. Their character designs coupled with Delgado’s palette have so much personality and energy, and it makes me miss the days when superheroes had robust civilian supporting cast. “Requiem for a Goblin” is the perfect, reflective story for fans of media like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Ultimate Spider-Man where the Peter Parker/Norman Osborn/Harry Osborn father/son dynamic is important.

In “Tears of the Spider-Queen”, two comics auteurs Frank Miller and Peach Momoko join forces to spin a yarn (Pun very much intended.) of an early career Spider-Man coming to blows with Miller creation, the Hand. Body horror, superheroes, and ninjas collide as Spidey tracks down a young girl named Allison, who has been given the title of Spider-Queen by The Hand and transformed into something monstrous. Momoko’s manga-tinged visuals and powerful color palette goes hand in hand with the ratatat of Frank Miller’s Spillane-esque captions. Even now, you feel like he could turn in another run on Daredevil or a killer collaboration like Elektra Assassin or Martha Washington. His words accentuate the primal nature of Peach Momoko’s art, especially when Allison transforms from girl to spider. She’s a counterbalance to Spider-Man, but also someone for him to mentor and rescue. I hope we get to see more of her, but I’ll take this spine chilling story by two of my all-time favorite comics artists for now.

After this, Amazing Spider-Man #1000 goes a little lighter with a wrestling/Uncle Ben-centric story from *naturally* Triple H, Rob Fee, Ed McGuinness, Mark Farmer, and Matthew Wilson. Most of this sweet, sentimental story is a young Peter Parker geeking out about going to a wrestling match with his uncle. His enthusiasm is infectious and a good match for the big limbs and high energy of McGuinness and Farmer’s art that culminates in a double page spread featuring Crusher Hogan and D-Man duking it out. However, the best part of this story is reading Uncle Ben’s body language and understanding that the wrestling match was a financial sacrifice for him, but he’d do anything to make his nephew happy. It’s interesting that Spidey gets back to his working class hero roots in a story by probably the most corporate co-writer in this comic.

After the wrassling and splash pages, we get some snappy patter and well-paced action sequences in “The Gesture” courtesy of Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen (Inking himself!), and Marte Gracia. Spider-Man gets an Avengers alert on almost never used, often lost Priority Identicard, but first, he has take out some Z-list supervillains in Times Square. The insecurity, the well-timed comedy, and of course, the explosive action is all here and a reminder of why Bendis and Immonen (And Bagley before him, and Pichelli after him) were so great on Ultimate Spider-Man. Spidey’s roast of White Rabbit, Firebrand, and Basilisk is the perfect combination of his annual run-ins with the Shocker and when he verbally decimated the Kingpin. Brian Bendis’ love of deep Spider-Man lore comes out in this issue, and it has a heartwarming finale showing just how important he is to his friends and family with the help of Captain America. The heart and humor in this story definitely made me want to dust off my Ultimate Spidey omnibi!

The penultimate story in Amazing Spider-Man #1000 features a script from living legend Larry Lieber with art from Giuseppe Camuncoli, Klaus Janson, and Rachelle Rosenberg. It’s a straight up Spider-Man goes back to the Old West with a prominent appearance from Lieber co-creation The Rawhide Kid. This comic feels like going back in time over 60 years ago when John Wayne ruled the box office instead of, well, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Camuncoli and Janson give the visuals an old school vibe that is aided by Rosenberg’s use of primarily flat colors. This feels like finding a long lost Western/superhero mash up comic and is just plain fun although both Spidey and the Rawhide Kid find common ground in shared tragedy.

Amazing Spider-Man #1000 saves the best for last in a retelling of Amazing Fantasy #15 from the POV of the policemen chasing the Burglar, who Spider-Man lets get away and then kills Uncle Ben. Dan Slott, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente drop us straight into a pulse pounding cops and robbers chase and shootout with speed lines, quick nimble paneling, and rapid fire dialogue. It’s a movie we’ve seen dozens of times, but edited and shot differently. Except for the tiniest of silhouettes, Spider-Man and Peter Parker are always off panel: they’re incidental characters in Arthur’s all-consuming quest to catch the Five Boroughs Burglar. This rule only applies to the flashback sequence, and as Slott and Martin progress into the present day, the Spider-Man iconography takes over the page. This represents closure and finality as Amazing Spider-Man #1000 closes a loop that began 60+ years ago in Amazing Fantasy #15. It’s a nigh-perfect way to conclude the comic.

A dud of an opening story aside, Amazing Spider-Man #1000 is an emotional and visually stunning journey through the triumph and tragedy of an American icon. Although each story has vastly different art and writing styles, creators as disparate as Noah Hawley and Triple H, Larry Lieber and Peach Momoko find common ground in shared themes of family, finding closure, and finding heroism after experiencing the darkest moment in one’s life. I don’t know if the current Amazing Spider-Man stories will be any good, but there’s an epic back catalog to dive back (Let’s say I probably have about 500 issues of ASM to catch up on.) that’s accessible thanks to Marvel Unlimited. Plus you could always re-read this book, especially the Hawley/Patrick Gleason story if you need a good cry.

Story: Joe Kelly, Noah Hawley, J.M. DeMatteis, Frank Miller, Triple H, Rob Fee,
Brian Michael Bendis, Larry Lieber, Dan Slott
Art: Pepe Larraz, Patrick Gleason, Humberto Ramos & Victor Olazaba, Peach Momoko,
Ed McGuinness & Mark Farmer, Stuart Immonen, Giuseppe Camuncoli & Klaus Janson, Marcos Martin
Colors: Klaus Janson, Marcos Martin
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Story: 8.1 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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