Magic: The Gathering: Untold Stories–Elspeth #3
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Owen Gieni
Colorist: Hilary Jenkins
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover artist: Owen Gieni
Defy the gods. Defy fate. Defy death.
Support for Elspeth grows in the Underworld, and the reluctant hero faces an Agent of Fate—the Nyxborn Calix.
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
Spider-Man Noir #5 (Marvel) – Erik Larsen, Andrea Broccardo, and Rachelle Rosenberg mix a little bit of Clone saga and a Spider-Man “No More” with a lot of Nazi punching and the pulpy action that is Spider-Man Noir’s signature in the final issue of this miniseries. This could very well be the *last* Spider-Man Noir story as Larsen and Broccardo show the cost that Peter Parker’s alter ego has taken on both his relationships and life in general as he’s caught in the crossfire between Nazis and old school American gangsters. I love the level of maturity that Erik Larsen writes Peter and Gwen’s relationship with as she struggles with the father who she worshiped and idolized being a Nazi. Maybe, Peter Parker will live a relatively quiet life as a 1930s P.I., but a final panel leaves the door open for more masked man adventures. Overall: 8 Verdict: Buy
Die Loaded #4 (Image) – Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans introduce a new party member in Die Loaded #4. It’s Chuck’s son, Callum, who is a Fool like his father and probably a bigger one with access to the right wing landscapes of online gaming and anime porn as Sophie resignedly observes. Sophie must balance trying to put Callum in his place and getting the quest started and realizing that one day her son, Stuart, will be a teenager and hopefully won’t be like this misogynist. It’s really fun watching Sophie grow into the role of Godbinder and interface with the world of Die while Gillen and Hans take potshots at Chosen One tropes and Gen Z. There’s a frosted glass flashback that particularly shows her growth as a leader as the new quest begins. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy
Bleeding Hearts #1 (DC/Vertigo) – Vertigo is back with a bang thanks to the reunion of 20th Century Men‘s Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian on the tale of sensitive, ethical zombie Poke in a world that is very much the opposite. Usually, mindless cannon fodder, Camp and Morian humanize the living dead while not giving them the Warm Bodies relationship and much of this issue is dedicated to world-building and a worm’s eye view of zombie society, how their names are constructed, and different cliques and relationships. Fititng the tone of the story, Morian and colorist Matt Hollingsworth’s visuals are gruesome, yet lovable like its protagonist Poke, who is easy to latch onto in a very deep, tortured everyzombie way. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy
The Crown: A Tale of Hell #1 (Dark Horse) – Brother writers Mike and Todd Mignola and artist Warwick Johnson-Cadwell craft a tale of sibling rivalry and literally hellish political wrangling centuries before Hellboy’s birth. It’s a rare peek at the twisted destiny Hellboy was born into and rejected to become a hero. I love how Johnson-Cadwell draws his figures like chess pieces on a board while still imbuing them with a physicality that drives home their arguments about who is worthy to wear the titular crown. However, The Crown #1 isn’t all bitching and moaning, but has some juicy twists towards the end. Let’s say Hellboy had more siblings than two. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy
Star Wars: Jar Jar #1 (Marvel) – Jar Jar Binks (and Beq) actor Ahmed Best, Marc Guggenheim and artists Kieran McKeown, Laura Braga, and Mike Atiyeh complete the Jar Jar redemption in this engaging and socially relevant one-shot. Best and Guggenheim use the metaphor of the mining planet Urubai and the caste of the Unseen to draw attention to the plight of exploited workers like cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s all filtered through a pulpy lens, but it’s in the same vein as the Andor television show or the Rebel Alliance being a stand-in for South Vietnam’s National Liberation Front. There’s definitely some silly moments, and Ahmed Best and Marc Guggenheim have Jar Jar’s speaking patterns down to a tee, but it’s offset by showcasing him as a complex figure whose innocence was preyed upon by powerful interests. It’s cool to see Jar Jar, Beq, and Mira Bridger push back against the moment in Episode II that made Jar Jar such a despised character. Also, a cameo from badass bounty hunter Aura Sing doesn’t hurt either. Even if your opinions about Jar Jar Binks have stayed static since 1999, this is the comic to change your mind. Overall: 9.7 Verdict: Buy
John le Carre’s: The Circus–Losing Control #2
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: Ibrahim Moustafa
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover artist: Ibrahim Moustafa
London, 2025. Control is missing. And with an imminent and critical mission in Vienna, potential enemies within the Circus, and nothing to work from but an unsent text to her saying “DON’T,” Control’s assistant Maggie can’t trust anyone with the knowledge of his absence. Using every connection and tool she has at her disposal, Maggie works quickly to spin a web of deceit—but in protecting the secret of Control’s absence, she runs into danger herself.
Devil On My Shoulder #3
Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Cover artist: Piotr Kowalski
She was tortured and abused for forty days by five boys. Two of those boys are now dead at her hand and the next is lined up to get their retribution. But how can Tee get into his fortress home? Or past his monstrous bodyguard? And where is the Fifth Boy? We learn more about the dangerous past of Father Guerrero as Tee’s bloody revenge continues.
A new dark horror four issue series from the creators of Where Monsters Lie Kyle Starks (Those Not Afraid) and Piotr Kowalski (Let This One Be a Devil) that’s perfect for fans of The Crow, Revenge Horror and violent, well-deserved retribution.
The Crown: A Tale of Hell #1
Writer: Mike Mignola · Todd Mignola
Artist: Warwick Johnson-Cadwell
Letterer: Clem Robins
Cover artist: Warwick Johnson-Cadwell
Mike Mignola is joined by his brother Todd Mignola (“Hellboy: The Exorcist of Vorsk”) and artist Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (Our Encounters with Evil) in this new Hellboy prequel series.
Hellboy’s brothers fight for control of Pandemonium in this demonic family reunion. But it isn’t just the siblings who get involved in the power struggle, as their mother returns from her prison for the first time in a hundred years and has plans of her own.
A legendary hero is caught between two worlds. By day, he soars as a symbol of hope, but the moment he falls asleep, he enters a universe devoid of heroes and he leads a mundane life. As the pressure of his dual universes mount, his heroic self begins to crack, pushing him toward a mental breakdown.
In a world that measures the loss of human life that occurs when he takes one night off, the weight of his responsibilities becomes too much. Ultimately, he’s left with a choice: embrace his extraordinary abilities or seek solace in the ordinary.
Will he stand tall in a world that needs him, or find peace in a simpler existence?
Story: Matt Kindt
Art: David Lapham
Color: Matt Kindt
Color Assists: Sophia Hilmes
Letterer: Josh Reed
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.
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Synthetics Volume One #4
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Tony Parker
Colorist: Carrie Strachen
Letterer: Steve Dutro
Cover artist: Tony Parker
In this riveting sci-fi series, the Earth is dying, and humanity has less than twenty years left! Dr. Hernando Montoya, owner of the labs at Vita Nova, is trying to avoid extinction and save Earth by creating the world’s first synthetic human life. “We are now crossing the Rubicon in the quest to create synthetic humans . . . and officially felons in the eyes of the law,” Montoya admits. Will he be able to save life on this planet?
Avatar: The Gap Year–Tipping Point #4
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Salvatore Porcaro
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover artist: Salvatore Porcaro
A beyond-the-screen adventure filling in the gap year at the outset of the hit film Avatar: The Way of Water!
Jake and his Na’vi warriors took the fight to the RDA and attacked one of their construction sites building train rails for transportation of weapons and soldiers. One of the warriors of the fight showed Lo’ak, Neteyam, and others to the place of their victory only to discover construction was already continuing as if nothing had happened. How can the People defeat a foe who so casually shakes off what should have been a great victory?
Knight City #1
Writer: Matt Kindt
Artist: David Lapham
Letterer: Joshua Reed
Cover artist: David Lapham
A brand-new action-adventure series by BRZRKR’s Matt Kindt and Stray Bullets’ David Lapham that’s Fight Club meets Superman.
A legendary hero is caught between two worlds. By day, he soars as a symbol of hope, but the moment he falls asleep, he enters a universe devoid of heroes and he leads a mundane life. As the pressure of his dual universes mount, his heroic self begins to crack, pushing him toward a mental breakdown.
In a world that measures the loss of human life that occurs when he takes one night off, the weight of his responsibilities becomes too much. Ultimately, he’s left with a choice: embrace his extraordinary abilities or seek solace in the ordinary.
Will he stand tall in a world that needs him, or find peace in a simpler existence?
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
Wiccan: Witches’ Road #2 (Marvel) – With Hulkling immobilized or a puppet, Wyatt Kennedy and Andy Pereira don’t have his chemistry with Wiccan to draw on so this second chapter suffers in comparision with the first one. We get Wiccan finally setting off the Witches’ Road on a fetch quest for Baba Yaga with a sarcastic talking fox named Nameless for a companion. I love their interactions, but at this point, Billy Kaplan’s journey isn’t super compelling. His first stop is connected to Roxxon, but the corporate satire elements don’t really mesh with the magical ones. By the final page, Kennedy has bet big time on the Demiurge to be the story engine for this comic so your enjoyment of Wiccan : Witches’ Road depends on how cool you are with that concept. Gotta love a stakes-raising cliffhanger though. Overall: 6.9 Verdict: Read
Touched by a Demon #1 (Dark Horse) – Touched by a Demon #1 is a delightful mixture of pitch black comedy and pure emotion all wrapped in a cute visual package courtesy of cartoonist Kristen Gudsnuk. An earl of Hell named Bifrons and his assistant Zuzu set up a life coaching program so Bifrons can find redemption after he’s spurned by Lucifer and other demons like Mammon. They have exactly 1 customer and give some advice that might work in a theoretical/vent-type of way, but not in practice. Gudsnuk peppers Touched by a Demon with all kinds of funny background gags like hellish athleisure brands as well as witty one-liners, but she uses a lot of the page space in this first issue to get to the core of Cifron’s feelings along with his first client, Wendy. They’re both in bad, no-win situations that escalate as the comic progresses and really sinks its claws (Or pitchforks.) in you. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy
The Power Fantasy #15 (Image) – Shit truly and utterly hits the fan in The Power Fantasy #15. Eliza is slowly starting to realize that her visions maybe aren’t from God so the other Superpowers have to band together to figure out a way to neutralize her. Kieron Gillen deftly walks the plot tight rope and even leaves room for something interesting world building like the Vatican’s new location being in Ethiopia as well as some emotional moments between the newly broken-up Isabella and Masumi. (Caspar Wijingaard‘s art is a vision for Masumi’s paintings.) And speaking of Wijingaard, his linework and especially color palette is pure apocalyptic fury. He crafts red skies that make Crisis on Infinite Earths look like child’s play just like the events of this issue. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy
Exquisite Corpses #9 (Image) – Tyler Boss, James Tynion, Valentine De Landro, and Michael Walsh give the folks of Oak Valley a fighting chance in Exquisite Corpses #9. A queer black nail polish-sporting baddie and a crazy conspiracy theorist teaming up to save the day is a foreshadowing of the US in the future, and I love Xavi’s growth as an unlikely hero especially their fight with the bunny-masked hero. However, victory is still far away. Like almost every issue of Exquisite Corpses, the story is sprawling and split between a massive cast, but it’s nice to see the good guys get a bit of a W for once. Also, Jordie Bellaire‘s flat black and reds continue to accentuate the violence and menace through her color palette. Overall: 7.6 Verdict: Read
Wonder Woman #29 (DC) – In Stephanie Williams and Jeff Spokes‘ inaugural issue of Wonder Woman, they show that the titular character is more than just Diana Prince. In fact, this is more of an ensemble book with different iterations of Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl babysitting Diana’s daughter Lizzie Prince. Before setting up the conflict, Williams gives us a flavor of Donna Troy, Yara Flor, Cassie Sandsmark, and Queen Nubia and their different personalities that especially shines in the way they fight and spar. There’s a real “it takes a village” family dynamic in this book, which makes its initial baddie that much more compelling. Also, Spokes’ fight choreography is gorgeous just like the powerful women he draws. (There are no men in this comic.) Overall: 8.3 Verdict: Buy
