Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #2
(W) Ram V. (A) Mike Perkins
Daniel Burroughs, a young American CIA trainee, is acclimating to his new London lifestyle … but it’s not easy to get used to his strange new coworkers at Black Tower. His boss is getting buddy-buddy with the Russians, his colleague is a witch who’s sleeping with a demon, and there’s an assassin circling their sorcerous spy agency … one who can slip in and out of his targets’ dreams!
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
Concrete: Stars Over Sand #3 (Dark Horse) – Concrete: Stars Over Sand starts to ramp up as pieces of memories start to form in its amnesiac protagonist’s head. Paul Chadwick’s visuals depict the pure beauty and savagery of nature, and I love the details he spotlights for the different flora and fauna. This issue explores the monstrousness and humanity at the heart of Concrete and sets up a doozy of a penultimate issue. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy
Badrock #2 (Image) – Badrock continues to punch above its weight as the titular character comes to grips with losing his power. Rob Liefeld’s captions capture the sadness Thomas feels when he’s powerless and then the triumph when he regains them temporarily. Artist Seth Damoose also gets to channel the Extreme Studios 90s with a massive double page pinup. However, the real emotional crux of this story is the relationship between Badrock and his mom. This is what made Badrock #2 sink its hooks into me along with big, explosive turn your brain off action. Overall: 8.3 Verdict: Buy
Witchblade/Vampirella #1 (Image) – Two 90s “Bad Girl” icons collide and wrestle with their cravings for revenge, violence, and of course, blood in Witchblade/Vampirella #1. Marguerite Bennett and Laura Braga focus on friendship and visceral ass kicking in this one-shot with several double page spreads full of kicking, biting, and the power of the Witchblade. I love how Vampirella acts as a kind of devilish guardian angel for Sara Pezzini while female friendship triumphs over the male gaze. Braga’s design for the vampiric Witchblade is very cool though. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1 (DC/Vertigo) – The occult, spycraft, and supernatural creatures all collide in the multi-layered first issue of Ram V and Mike Perkins’ Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1. An American going to England to find magic is relatable to me, but not the chases and conspiracies. There’s quite a bit of exposition in Black Tower #1, but it’s tempered by the aforementioned chases and one bloody fight scene. V stays out of Perkins’ way and keeps the set pieces quiet before bringing his snarky, yet thoughtful dialogue to bear. I’m definitely lost in a maze after reading this first issue, but definitely want to see where the rabbit hole leads. Overall: 8 Verdict: Buy
Twenty-three-year-old Darren Burroughs out of Audubon, PA, is a “gifted” rookie sent under the guise of a diplomatic aide to train with Division Nine—an obscure, outdated, and easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that specializes in dealing with paranormal incidents. In the right sort of spy circles, they’re known by a different, more feared name…“Black Tower.” It’s 2026, and in the age of cyber warfare and drone strikes, someone is plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward that has kept invading forces out of Britain. Magic and espionage collide as the Black Tower’s band of misfits, led by the enigmatic Alistair Romeo, delves into a maelstrom of spells and silencers, working against time and in the shadows to fight the esoteric battles bubbling under the surface of our visible wars.
Story: Ram V
Art: Mike Perkins
Color: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Andworld Design
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Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1
(W) Ram V. (A) Mike Perkins
OCCULT WARFARE IS A FANTASY… OR IS THAT WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK?
Twenty-three-year-old Darren Burroughs out of Audubon, PA, is a gifted rookie sent under the guise of a diplomatic aide to train with Division Nine — an obscure, outdated, and easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that specializes in dealing with paranormal incidents. In the right sort of spy circles, they’re known by a different, more feared name… Black Tower.
It’s 2026, and in the age of cyber warfare and drone strikes, someone is plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward that has kept invading forces out of Britain. Magic and espionage collide as the Black Tower’s band of misfits, led by the enigmatic Alistair Romeo, delves into a maelstrom of spells and silencers, working against time and in the shadows to fight the esoteric battles bubbling under the surface of our visible wars.
Eisner Award winner Ram V (Detective Comics, The Swamp Thing) and acclaimed artist Mike Perkins (The Swamp Thing, The Bat-Man: First Knight) team up once again to bring you a contemporary spy thriller with the distinct flavor of Vertigo magic… from His Majesty with love.
On August 26, Ram V and Mike Perkins reunite for Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1, the start of an all-new six-issue recurring DC Vertigo comic book series. Wizard spies in the UK navigate a global cold war over sorcery, revealing a hidden world of occult power! And in the shadows between diplomacy and the arcane, the real war begins.
Twenty-three-year-old Darren Burroughs out of Audubon, Pennsylvania, is a “gifted” rookie sent under the guise of a diplomatic aide to train with Division Nine—an obscure, outdated, and easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that specializes in dealing with paranormal incidents. In the right sort of spy circles, they’re known by a different, more feared name…Black Tower.
It’s 2026, and in the age of cyber warfare and drone strikes, someone is plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward that has kept invading forces out of Britain. Magic and espionage collide as the Black Tower’s band of misfits, led by the enigmatic Alistair Romeo, delves into a maelstrom of spells and silencers, working against time and in the shadows to fight the esoteric battles bubbling under the surface of our visible wars.
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1 is written by Ram V with art and main cover by Mike Perkins, colors by Mike Spicer, and lettering by AndWorld Design. Variant covers are by Evan Cagle, Mark Buckingham, and ACO. The 40-page debut issue is priced at $3.99 US, with card stock variants available for $4.99.
Vertigo is back! After the announcement of its return last year, the first titles of DC’s relaunched Vertigo line have started to hit shelves. During ComicsPRO 2026, DC gave an update on the rollout.
Following the successful launch of Bleeding Hearts, End of Life, and The Nice House by the Sea—with The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery launching February 25—DC shared updates on the forthcoming slate of DC Vertigo titles arriving throughout 2026.
Beginning this summer, Vertigo will publish 100 Bullets: The US of ANGER and Fanatic, followed in the fall by Necretatious and Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy.
Winter 2026 will see the arrival of The Crying Doll and A Walking Shadow, rounding out the imprint’s first full year of its return.
As revealed during New York Comic Con 2025:
(Updated with more details and art) After a bit of a tease and false start, Vertigo has gotten a proper launch from DC and full slate announced at New York Comic Con 2025.
Ten titles in total were announced with an interesting mix of concepts and creative teams. They remain creator-owned, an aspect that has helped define the Vertigo brand.
The new DC Vertigo slate begins rolling out in February 2026, with The Nice House by the Sea #7 leading the charge on February 4. Bleeding Hearts #1 will publish on February 11, End of Life #1 on February 18 and The Peril of the Brutal Dark #1 will launch on February 25, with the rest of the new DC Vertigo imprint releasing throughout 2026.
A preview comic was released during the convention dubbed “A New Beginning.” In 2024 during New York Comic Con, DC announced the return of Vertigo. Vertigo is the beloved imprint that was shuttered in favor of DC’s Black Label. Vertigo launched in 1993 to publish more adult and graphic content that couldn’t be printed under the
Comics Code Authority. It allowed more freedom than the DC line would allow. The line saw such titles as Sandman, American Vampire, Astro City, Daytripper, 100 Bullets, DMZ, Human Target, iZombie, Northlanders, Y: The Last Man, Sweet Tooth, and so much more by some of the best in the business. It relaunched in 2018 for a short return before being shuttered again.
We’ll have more information and art when it’s officially released.
