Author Archives: Brant Lewis

The Lucky Devils #1 Exposes the Hell of the Work Force

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The Lucky Devils #1

Cam works as an underpaid adjunct philosophy professor, and Starr works as an overworked nurse, and the world seems to be against both of them. Yet their daily problems and hurdles are not random, but because of Collar and Rake, two devils whose sole job is to make their lives a living hell and hope they can climb the infernal corporate ladder. Sensing the system is broken, the two devils cross a significant boundary and recruit their assigned humans to assist them with flipping hell on its head. Charles Soule and Ryan Browne offer a comedic take on good, evil, and what we might do to rise above the ranks of life in The Lucky Devils # 1.

As a teenager, I fell in love with C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, with which The Lucky Devils #1 shares some DNA. Approaching the notions of morality from more of a philosophical bent than a purely religious angle, Soule and Browne do an excellent job of introducing the cast and the world and its rules. I feel a kinship not only with Cam and Starr but also with Collar and Rake due to being a late twenty-something working and trying not to drown and give in to temptation, hoping the future will work out. The notion of the devil on your shoulder is not a wholly original concept, but their approach of using their humans to break the system makes it fresh and enjoyable.

Regarding morality, Rake and Collar make their humans the most influential people on Earth not through sinful actions but by working together, creating a cog in the typical hell workflow of promotions and success. Their rebellion lies not in the disgust of the corruption of humans but in the idea of them not being able to advance in their jobs based on how good of people Cam and Starr are. As a result, the four characters are essentially in a forced alliance since they cannot truly escape anything on their own. Approaching the corporate rat race through this hellish lens highlights the depths we might go to to find another route or path forward.

Browne’s art and colors drive home the frustration and monotony of trying to survive as an adult. Whether on Earth or in hell, the mundanity will kill you slowly and surely. I also appreciate Browne emphasizing the humor of the narrative while never dropping the severe stakes. Along with letterer Christopher Crank, the visuals expertly thread life’s naturalism, the darker and grosser aspects of hell, and the hardships they experience.

As a fan of their previous collaborations, Soule and Browne delivered another hit with The Lucky Devils #1. It’s a hell of a good time and devilishly delightful. 

Story: Charles Soule: Art/Color: Ryan Browne
Letterer: VC’s Christopher Crank
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

The Ashcan Edition Episode 10: Hitting the Right Notes With Keeping Time’s Kody Okamoto

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The Ashcan Edition‘s host Brant Lewis talks with cartoonist Kody Okamoto about their queer slice of life music webcomic Keeping Time. You don’t want to miss out on this conversation about sad boys, slow slow burn romance, and how sometimes the only way to move forward is by looking back.

You can read Keeping Time on https://www.keepingtimecomic.com. You can also follow Kody on social media @kodyisover. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ultimates #8 Shows You Can’t Change the Past But You Can Change the Future

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“This goes on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on (and on)
And on” Nine Inch Nails- “Beside You in Time”

The Ultimates #8

The Ultimates have been figuring out their next move after the Hulk critically injuring Iron Lad. Picking up a strange signal in time, Doom sends the team out to the middle of nowhere to see if it could be from the Council and, even worse, the Maker returning. However, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the protectors of a lost future, have traveled to the past to recruit a lost member. America Chavez, the cosmic powerhouse of the Ultimates, must make a choice that will define the present and what might come after that. Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri reveal what happened to America Chavez and a potential future unaffected by the Maker in The Ultimates #8.

Expanding the cosmic history of Earth 6160, Camp further demonstrates the notion of a world unfairly forced to take a different path and ripped away from not only our clutches but from its descendants by introducing the Guardians of the Galaxy from the 61st century and America’s connection to them. Taking a page from the original Guardians, this team interaction presents the more significant impact of the Maker’s tinkering by having their future erased and perverted. Especially with the future achieving peace and moving to a utopia, the cruel grasp of the Maker makes this change even worse. The crisis of the Ultimate universe does not strictly bind itself to the present on Earth but beyond space and time throughout the galaxy. 

The theme of saving the future, even if it seems impossible, comes up again when it reveals how America lost her memories of her past life in the future. Stranded in the present, she chooses to stay and fight with the Ultimates since that life is no longer hers. She has found a new purpose and camaraderie with the Ultimates and aims to continue the goal of saving everything with them. Even if that was her future and her life with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel, she has made peace with her past and found a new purpose. The feeling that your life, especially a better one, is ripped away from you can cause many reactions, such as fear, despair, or hopelessness. Yet that emotion can be softened or more manageable when you are not alone. 

The idea of fate and destiny reappears when Star-Lord confronts Doom about how different he is from the Doom he knew. Doom constantly stands on the razor’s edge, believing he is the monster Maker created compared to who he wants to be. Are we doomed to follow the cycle that everyone expects to be in and be damned, or can we ever be free? While it would be easy for us to accept our lives and believe that we cannot do anything necessary to make a change, it would be better to take action instead of nothing. 

Frigeri’s art, paired with colorist Frederico Blee and letterer VC’s Travis Lanham, creates a visually engaging issue. I love the designs of the new Guardians of the Galaxy members and the sci-fi future we get glimpses of. They all make the world feel engaging and lived in. Also, their depiction of the future contrasts with the idealized world compared to their current timeline.

As I write this year, 2025 has arrived, and another year has passed. Often, you can feel overwhelmed by the future and how impossible it appears to change it, but once you stop fighting, that is when you lose. You cannot change the past but you can do the work to alter the future. 2024 has ended, and we have a whole new year to work towards.

Story: Deniz Camp: Art: Juan Frigeri
Color: Frederico Blee Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Story: 9.8 Art: 9.8 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

The Ashcan Edition Episode Nine: Elemental Grooviness with Metamorpho’s Writer Al Ewing

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The Ashcan Edition‘s host Brant Lewis chats with acclaimed writer Al Ewing about his upcoming DC Comics series Metamorpho. So get into the Metamorpho holiday spirit by listening to Al discuss what interests him about Rex and his world, how Steve Lieber draws the perfect fab freak, and what you can do to spread some yvoorg and elemental cheer.

Metamorpho: The Element Man #1 will be released on December 25 by writer Al Ewing, artist Steve Lieber, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Ferran Delgado. You can follow Al on social media @al-ewing or by subscribing to his newsletter https://al-ewing-writes-comics.ghost.io/. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ashcan Edition Episode 8: Escaping from Apokolips with Barda’s Writer-Artist Ngozi Ukazu

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For episode 7 of The Ashcan Edition, host Brant Lewis interviews award-winning writer-artist Ngozi Ukazu about her recent work in the Fourth World of DC comics with the graphic novel Barda and her recently announced follow-up Orion. So get ready to learn more about what interests her about Jack Kirby’s work, why more people need to get on the Orion fan train, and how love can save the day.

You can follow Ngozi on social media @ngoziu. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ashcan Edition Episode Seven: Getting to the Source with New Gods Writer Ram V

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For episode 7 of The Ashcan Edition, host Brant Lewis talks with Ram V about his upcoming New Gods series for DC comics releasing on December 18. Ram discusses his plans on tackling an iconic mythology, keeping Kirby’s spirit alive, and how Darkseid’s death will not only impact the Fourth World but the larger DC universe as a whole.

You can follow Ram V on social media @therightram. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ashcan Edition Episode 6: Solving Gotham City Mysteries with Dan Watters

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Before the release of his upcoming series Batman: Dark Patterns, Brant Lewis interviews writer Dan Watters on The Ashcan Edition. They talk about what makes Batman a compelling and fascinating character, why the weird pulp roots of the character still remain, and how Hayden Sherman is the only artist for this series.

You can follow Dan Watters on social media @danpgwatters or through his newsletter The Dead Air Channel. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Twitter @Brant__Lewis and on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ashcan Edition Episode 5: Batgirl Returns with Tate Brombal

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On the fifth episode of The Ashcan Edition, Brant Lewis talks with Batgirl writer Tate Brombal about Cassandra Cain’s return to headlining a solo series in nearly two decades. They discuss Tate’s history with Cassandra Cain and Lady Shiva, what Cass’s role is in the DC Universe, and how her solo series can set up some exciting corners of the DC Universe.

You can follow Tate Brombal on social media @tatebrombal. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Twitter @Brant__Lewis and on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Ashcan Edition Episode 4: A Little Bit of Everything with Aditya Bidikar

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On the fourth episode of The Ashcan Edition, Brant Lewis interviews prolific comics letterer and writer Aditya Bidikar. In the conversation they discuss the art of lettering, the importance of work-life balance, and his upcoming work as a member of Tiny Onion’s Artists in Residence Program.

You can follow Aditya Bidikar on social media @adityab or on his website. You can also follow Brant Lewis on Twitter @Brant__Lewis and on Bluesky @brantlewis.

Music is Win This Battle Win This War by Everet Almond.

The Power Fantasy #3 Reveals What Happens When an Angel Falls to Earth

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The Power Fantasy #3

“Last night I had the strangest dream

I ever dreamed before

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war” 

Right when the United States tested the atomic bomb, Santa Valentina was born to the world. The beginning of potential death and destruction signaled an angelic being arriving on Earth. Wanting to protect the music of the future, Valentina did what she believed would bring and maintain peace on Earth. She desired an end to all wars that would backfire horrifically and scar the Earth. With the fragile alliance of Atomics constantly tested, Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard peel back more layers of history and Valentina’s life in The Power Fantasy #3.

“I dreamed I saw a mighty room

The room was filled with men

And the paper they were signing said

They’d never fight again”

Going back millennia, angels were presented as having a terrifying presence that humans could not comprehend until recently when the notion of an angel refers to a human with wings. Gillen and Wijngaard refer to the older interpretation where Valentina appears human until she reveals her angelic presence to a select few. Although we never get confirmation of divine beings or even what the afterlife is, the presence of both her and Eliza refers to some potential heaven and hell. But they are not presented as opposites, i.e. purely good and evil, but along a similar spectrum or quadrant. Gillen is not interested in strictly binary alignments where, despite being considered “good,” Valentina’s actions still create destruction.

“And when the papers all were signed

And a million copies made

They all joined hands and bowed their heads

And grateful prayers were prayed”

A vital moment of the issue lies in Jackie laying out the difference between Valentina and Lux: “I think you’re good. You’re moral. He’s ethical. That doesn’t mean you’re on the same side.” Although a bit on the nose, Valentina and Lux have been playing on the same team to keep Earth intact for different reasons. Lux firmly believes in the ethical notion of the planet’s survival, while she thinks she has a divine and moral duty to protect humanity. The series’ struggle lies in what the Atomics believe would be the best course of action for the planet. Valentina destroying all of the nukes might be moral but it would result in the mass deaths of innocent lives by the United States trying to kill her in 1969. Despite being blamed for their actions, she still desires to protect humanity and its future.

“And the people in the streets below

Were dancing round and round

And guns and swords and uniforms

Were scattered on the ground”

The concept of “the music of the future” is referenced a lot throughout the issue. Not surprisingly, like his past work, Gillen’s engagement and fascination with music and the concepts surrounding it play a significant role in this story. This notion refers to a pamphlet written by Richard Wagner, but also in a more metaphorical sense, protecting the world for the future to arrive and for humanity to grow, learn, and move on from the past. The record that inspires Valentina with its music is “Telstar” by The Tornadoes, which refers to the satellite of the same name launched into space in 1962. Indeed, sounding alien and from a future generation compared to similar music of that period signals a change in the direction of where music and the world might go. An angel originally from the heavens being inspired by a sci-fi rock song aside from the standard heavenly harp. 

“Last night I had the strangest dream

I ever dreamed before

I dreamed the world had all agreed

To put an end to war”- Ed McCurdy “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream”

I am still amazed by Wigngaard’s art and colors as he travels through various periods in this issue. Each moment has a distinct visual look and style that calls to mind and makes them almost snapshots reminiscent of the memories that Valentina holds onto. Clayton Cowles’s impeccable lettering conveys the necessary emotions and tones that occur in the issue. Overall, The Power Fantasy #3 provides essential insight into the character of Valentina while further developing the immersive and fascinating world-building.

Story: Kieron Gillen Art/Colors: Caspar Wijngaard Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.5 Art: 9 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase – Zeus Comics – Kindle

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