Tag Archives: Comics

Filthy Lambs! #1 delivers a nice dysfunctional twist on dark pacts

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Filthy Lambs! #1 cover

In the basement of Grimaldi Manor, the family patriarch says a prayer and stabs himself in the throat. Blood falls. The demon watches. A woman tries to scream. Upstairs, three generations of the Grimaldi family and a snapping turtle fill the house with unfulfilled promise and joyful childhood shrieks. These are tremendous, terrible times for the lineage! The Grimaldis hold a contract with Their Lord Below for ten more years of prodigious wealth and glory. But old contracts can sour. Monsters can misbehave. And a filthy little lamb can still have teeth. Filthy Lambs! #1 builds things nicely until all hell breaks loose and defies your expectations.

Written by Pallie Paul Allor, Filthy Lambs! #1 sets up a concept we’ve seen many times before. A group has made a pact with a dark force and in return they get wealth and power. But, Allor has a lot of fun with that simple concept by focusing on a group of characters who are all kind of assholes. That emphasis on bad people doing bad sets up for the twist to the comic and really enhances what’s to come.

But more importantly, Filthy Lambs! #1 defies where you think it’s going to go. It breaks the conventional direction and flips the script. And, with such terrible people front and center, the comic also allows the reader to not just enjoy the chaos to come but cheer it on. Allor does it so well, there’s deaths that don’t even hit the reader. There’s little as far as redeeming that has been shown so when the blood starts flowing and bodies start piling up, no matter who it is, the reader doesn’t mind.

But, there’s an underlying theme and concept of Filthy Lambs! #1 that captures the moment. Here, we have a group of individuals who have done terrible things to gain power. They have little care for others and show little care for each other. Those rich, broken individuals, are presented with payment for their deeds, reciprocation that tumbles their ivory tower.

The art by Chris Evenhuis is solid and captures the concept and characters quite well. There’s a punchable quality to everyone and with color by Sjan Weijers and letters by Allor, the comic’s visuals really builds on the negative that Allor focuses on in setting up these characters. But, where the comic really excels is when the shit hits the fan and chaos ensues. It takes a horrific moment and turns it into an almost comical experience as the blood splatters. It’s over the top but done so in a way that doesn’t distract.

Filthy Lambs! #1 is terrible things happening to terrible people. With that terrible happenings focused on rich individuals with little care for others, it’s something that captures the frustration from so many today. It gives us the guillotine so many of us are cheering for and want to see. The debut issue teases what could be a cathartic body count readers can cheer for.

Story: Pallie Paul Allor Art: Chris Evenhuis
Color: Sjan Weijers Letters: Pallie Paul Allor
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Avengers: Armageddon #5 sets the stage for what comes next for the Marvel Universe

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Avengers: Armageddon #5

The point of no return! After the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Armageddon #4, the world is torn asunder. Humanity turns against super heroes. And for David Colton, what is the price of all that great power? Avengers: Armageddon #5 wraps up the event and shakes up the Marvel Universe’s status-quo.

With events, they often deliver a summer popcorn story but leave little lasting impact beyond the launch of new series’. Recent Marvel events might have changed up some small details or resulted in a new focus, but they rarely have really driven massive change to the entire Marvel Universe. Avengers: Armageddon has done that, not just with the introduction of Miracleman but also how the world looks at its superheroes and the superheroes see themselves and their future.

Written by Chip Zdarsky, Avengers: Armageddon #5 reflects on the fallout of the fourth issue. A nuclear explosion has gone off resulting in the death of many and a world who has had enough of the destruction due to the action of superheroes. Though they may have saved the world, enough is enough with the fallout. It again addresses the elephant in the room, with so many abilities and such brilliance, why haven’t they focused on truly improving the world instead of just fighting? Avengers: Armageddon has given us the groundwork and a riff on the Superhuman Registration Act on a global scale.

It’s very much an end chapter, an almost epilogue, that sets up the new status-quo and the thoughts of various characters. We see reactions from the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man while finding out the status of Captain Marvel. There’s also a key discussion between Wolverine and Colton about what’s next. Each is clear what’s on their mind and where things may go. Spider-Man sees the superheroes’ purpose while Colton wants to atone. Tony wants to answer the challenge of why don’t superheroes do more good while presented with an opportunity to do bad and rejecting it. S.H.I.E.L.D. is back with a new mission and focus. And while all of that makes things clear as to where things are going, Zdarsky still throws out a teaser with the “return” of two character who must “save the Earth.” From what? We don’t know.

The art is handle by the trio of Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, and Ario Anindito. They’re joined by Jesus Aburtov on color and Cory Petit handling the lettering. The comic looks fantastic. The art captures the guilt, sadness, and shock of events. Spider-Man, even with his mask, feels lost and sputtering for answers and a direction along with the guilt of not being there. The meeting between Colton and Wolverine is not just intense but you feel the weight of it all on Colton who feels broken from recent events along with the massive guilt of what he’s done. Wolverine, while threatening, gives off the wise grizzled teacher vibe he’s run with. Carol, who took the brunt of the blast and survived, feels weaken just in how she’s presented in the panels. Overall, it’s a somber issue whose art amplifies it all.

It’s not too hard to figure out how this new status-quo will play out. There’ll be a massive threat and the superheroes will need to band together to save humanity after the Earth’s nations fail to do so. There’ll be a renewed call for the need of superheroes though there will likely be a finer balance from the Carte Blanche of the past to the restriction Avengers: Armageddon sets up. Still, Avengers: Armageddon #5 and the event as a whole will have lasting repercussions for an unknown amount of time and gives us an intriguing direction for the Marvel Universe and its heroes.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar, Ario Anindito
Color: Jesus Aburtov Letters: Cory Petit
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

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

Crowdfunding The Estranged #1, Body Bags Omnibus

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Welcome to our revamped “Crowdfunding Corner” rounding up some of the latest crowdfunding news. We’re going beyond just announcement projects, we’ll be tracking to make sure these projects get delivered as well as what we think the “risk” of backing them are.

We’ll be updating the format as we get a better handle of the needs of this sort of coverage, so stay tuned and check out the first round of projects!

The Estranged: Issue One

Comic book cover of 'The Estranged' featuring two women hugging, with flames and sparks in the background.

Publisher: N/A
Creative Team: Jason McNamara, Matthieu Pereira, Dave Kemp, Konner Knudsen
Launch Date: Funding now – Ends November 11 2026 12:38 PM EST
Risk: Low – There’s previous campaigns and they’re marked as fulfilled with no complaints in the comments

Some towns never forget, some wounds never heal, and nothing is more horrific than a broken heart…

Now live on Kickstarter, acclaimed writer Jason McNamara (Phantom Limbs) returns with THE ESTRANGED, the all-new five-issue supernatural horror series illustrated by Matthieu Pereira (The Warden), with colors by Dave Kemp (Thor) and editing by Konner Knudsen. 

Heather and Albion were best friends on the cusp of becoming more when a vicious killer began to stalk Braddock, Texas. Heather narrowly survived an attack, only to find herself accused of being the killer herself by fearful townsfolk. Under suspicion and ostracized, she was forced to leave Braddock and a heartbroken Albion behind.

Now, 13 years later, Heather has returned to Braddock to rebuild her life. As she and Albion attempt to reconnect, a dark presence in town has also reawakened. As locals begin to go missing, suspicion falls on Heather again. Can she find her way to the truth before she and Albion are torn apart forever?

Drawing from the atmospheric dread of Salem’s Lot and Twin Peaks, The Estrangedmakes its small-town setting a character of its own, exploring identity, the cruelty of public perception, and the devastating ripple effects one person’s pain can have on an entire community.

BODY BAGS: Omnibus – Oversized Slipcase Hardcover

A comic book cover featuring a muscular character wielding a sword covered in blood, alongside a female character holding a weapon. The background is colorful with the title 'BODY BAGS #1' prominently displayed.

Publisher: 12-Gauge Comics
Creative Team: Jason Pearson
Launch Date: Funding now – Ends November 19 2026 9:35 PM EST
Risk: Low – The project will be delivered but there’s a chance it won’t make its expected release date

12-Gauge Comics has launched a new Kickstarter Campaign for the BODY BAGS: Omnibus, the definitive collection of Jason Pearson’s massively influential treasury of published comics, revolving around the Body Bags mercenary duo of Mack Delgado, AKA Clownface, and his teenage daughter, Panda, as they collide with a deranged rogues gallery in the streets of Terminus, Georgia. Published from 1996 to 2008, the BODY BAGS saga spans the foundational four-issue miniseries, two one shots, and multiple short stories. Pearson passed away from natural causes in 2022, leaving behind a mourning family of creators he helped shape with his transcendental work.

All profits from the campaign benefit Pearson’s family. 

12-Gauge Comics is also proud to reveal a set of variant covers for “Fauxsimile” editions of BODY BAGS: Father’s Day #1, printed with card stock covers and hearty newsprint interiors. These cover artists are comprised of veteran comics trailblazers deeply inspired by Pearson and Body Bags: 

• Chris Brunner & Rico Renzi (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, The Ride, Spider-Gwen, Loose Ends)
• Tomm Coker (Undying Love, Daredevil Noir, The Black Monday Murders)
• Michael Golden (The Micronauts, Batman, The ‘Nam, co-creator of Rogue)
• Andrew Robinson (The Fifth Beatle, Harley Quinn, Superman Rebirth, Dusty Star)
• Matteo Scalera (Secret Avengers, Indestructible Hulk, Batman, Deadpool)
• Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, The Ride, Matador)

BODY BAGS: Omnibus collects the entirety of the published Body Bags library, including: 
The original Body Bags 4-issue miniseries, “Father’s Day” (1996)
The short story “’World Destroyer” (1998) 
The short story “Well, It’s About Time!” (2000) 
The short story “Hit Da’ Switches” (2006)
The standalone issue “’One Shot” (2008)
The short story “Where There’s Smoke There’s BEEP” (2015)
The short story “Star Trek vs. Star Wars” (2015)
The short story “Pissed Off” (2015)
The short story “’Inner Child, Inner Hell” (2015)

The omnibus will collect these stories in a handsome hardcover with a slipcase initially designed by Pearson and completed by acclaimed designer Sasha E Head. The page count currently clocks in at 275+ pages; 25 more pages will be added if the project achieves stretch goals.

Preview: Terrorbytes Halloween Annual #1

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Terrorbytes Halloween Annual #1

(W) Mark London, Jennifer Liao, D. L. White (A) Mac Rey, Gabriele Falzone, Aguste Calcagno

Halloween arrives with a fresh dose of futuristic horror in this terrifying special issue of TERRORBYTES! Featuring two all-new tales from the winners of Mad Cave’s 2025 Talent Search—along with a chilling bonus story by Mark London—this oversized one-shot delivers unforgettable nightmares where technology, humanity, and fear collide. Three visions of tomorrow prove the scariest monsters aren’t hiding in the dark… they’re already here.

Comic book cover for 'Terrorbytes Halloween Annual' featuring a graphic illustration of a figure with a distressed expression being silenced by a robotic hand.
A woman with curly hair exits a security scanner at an airport or facility, holding a handbag and looking concerned. Below, three robots are depicted carrying various items, showcasing their different functions. The first robot holds packages, the second holds a bag, and the third wears a badge.
A comic panel featuring a teenager with curly hair standing near a vending machine, while a group of students gathers in the background. Another panel shows the same teenager looking surprised, gesturing towards a screen displaying a robot. The bottom section depicts a robot with a champagne bottle and glass, interacting with students who are watching the screen.
A group of diverse characters in casual attire reacts in surprise to a vending machine and a robot. The robot displays a video of a man while juggling oranges. The scene depicts various emotions among the characters, including confusion and surprise.
An illustrated comic page featuring a group of people in blue uniforms interacting in a modern facility. The top panel shows several characters walking together, while the bottom panels depict two characters engaged in conversation and excitement, with a robot in the background.
A fragmented comic panel depicting a dystopian setting with a character, wearing goggles, interacting with a device while a dog is present. Other panels show a ruined building and another character in the background.
A rainy urban environment featuring futuristic buildings with intricate designs. A figure with an umbrella walks in the foreground, while several people are seen in the background. In the lower panels, a man in a suit interacts with technology, looking at a screen displaying geometric patterns and holding a can labeled 'Processed with Dignity'.
A futuristic corridor with robotic arms and yellow-lit containers. A man in a coat walks through the space, observing the surroundings. The panels depict his interactions with the environment and show various figures in the containers.
A man in a trench coat stands facing a large, futuristic device, with its blue interface glowing. He holds a smaller device in one hand, while the background shows scattered debris and colorful elements.

Preview: The Last Starfighter: Beta #1

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The Last Starfighter: Beta #1

(W) Deric Hughes, Ben Raab (A) David Cutler

THE BELOVED DUPLICATE GETS HIS DUE!

When the Ko-Dan Armada sent an assassin to kill small-town boy Alex Rogan, it was Alex’s simuloid duplicate Beta who saved the day, sacrificing himself to convince the Ko-Dan that Alex was dead. The move bought the Last Starfighter valuable time—enough to sabotage the Ko-Dan mothership and save the planet Rylos.

That’s been the story for forty years. Now, the original film writer Jonathan Betuel joins a star-studded creative team to reveal Beta’s true fate! Beta survived the Ko-Dan assault, but he’s not the only alien entity left on Earth. And with Alex far away, Beta’s stranded and alone. Can an organic robot with no orders to execute find his own purpose on an alien planet? Not if the Zando-Zan have anything to say about it! A hilarious and heartwarming one-shot from writers Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes (Syfy’s WAREHOUSE 13, The CW’s ARROW, NBC’s QUANTUM LEAP & more) and artist David Cutler (Marvel’s Voices, Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird), and a can’t-miss installment in The Last Starfighter mythos!

Comic book cover for 'The Last Starfighter #1 Beta' featuring a character with a dramatic expression reaching out, and several other characters in a tense scene behind him.
Cover art for 'The Last Starfighter #1: Beta', featuring a worried character under a bright lamp with a mysterious figure in the background.
A comic panel depicting a red truck speeding away from an explosion, with dialogue suggesting urgency and confrontation. Inset panel shows a character holding a weapon, and another panel reveals a grotesque figure engulfed in flames.
A comic book panel depicting a hooded figure standing in front of an explosion and a burning car. A man in a suit is talking on a radio with a concerned expression, referencing radar blips and phantoms.
Panel from a comic book depicting two men discussing a crashed pickup truck in front of a burning vehicle. One man, dressed in a suit, is holding a gun and looks serious, while the other is off-screen. The scene suggests an investigation into extraterrestrial activity.
A comic panel depicting a woman joyfully driving a car while singing, with musical notes above her. In the following panel, a figure is seen walking on the road, and the last panel shows a collision with a creature, emphasizing action with onomatopoeic text like 'SPLAT' and 'KRAKK'.

Preview: Flash Gordon Quarterly #9

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Flash Gordon Quarterly #9

(W) Sarah Gailey, Sam Romesburg, John Lucas (A) Jan Bazaldua, Sam Freeman, John Lucas

Hugo Award-winning writer Sarah Gailey and former Marvel Stormbreaker artist Jan Bazaldua lead the charge on the most action-packed anthology yet! Flash Gordon finds himself right at home on Planet Yonder!

Ming the Merciless is on the run, but his trail’s gone cold. The King of Planet Yonder can tell Flash exactly where to find his archnemesis…but he’ll have to prove his worth first. Watch the hero wrangle his way out of his wildest adventure yet!

Next, the writers and artist behind Mad Cave Studios’ HOUND join forces again for Lone Barin and Cub, a fantastical tale of romance and revenge starring the King of Arboria!

Then, writer and artist John Lucas shows us a world without Flash Gordon. What other heroes might arise? What villains? No More Mings delivers a tale both classic and relevant!

Cover of Flash Gordon Quarterly #9 featuring Flash Gordon riding a creature with claws in a bustling arena filled with spectators.
A superhero character in a dynamic pose, holding a rope, with a serious expression. The background features textures and colors that create a dramatic atmosphere. The title 'A Boon Worth Riding For' is prominently displayed at the bottom.
A comic book panel depicting a tense confrontation between two characters. One character, blindfolded, stands with his hands bound, while another character threatens him with a gun. Dialogue bubbles convey their conversation, hinting at a struggle and the urgency of the situation.
A colorful comic panel featuring a pirate-themed character, Admiral Howdy, dressed in a black hat and a long coat, dramatically performing on a platform with a whip in hand. He is surrounded by a cheering audience, with bright spotlights illuminating the scene.
A comic book page from 'Lone Barn and Cub', featuring dark and moody illustrations, with text boxes providing narrative elements. The scene depicts a mysterious and somber atmosphere, with characters and elements that suggest a fantasy or adventure theme.
A comic panel featuring a dialogue exchange between two characters. One character, dressed in dark clothing with a hood, has a pale, skull-like appearance and is holding something in their hand. The other character, a young, blue-haired figure with distinctive facial markings, appears to be pleading. The background shows a chaotic and dark environment, indicating a scene of conflict.
A colorful comic panel featuring characters from Flash Gordon. Ming the Merciless stands menacingly on a throne while Flash Gordon is restrained by guards. Surrounding them are various alien characters, including a female with green skin who displays discontent. The scene depicts tension and imminent danger, with one character preparing to use a weapon as others express their wishes.

The Heir, coming January 2027 from Mad Cave Studios from Amber Benson and Christopher Golden

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Acclaimed Slayers: A Buffyverse Story audio drama co-writers and co-directors Amber Benson and Christopher Golden are returning to the realm of horror for original Irish folk comic book series The Heir, coming from Mad Cave Studios. The upcoming five-issue limited series will be illustrated by Irish artist Gavin Fullerton and feature colors by Juancho!, and letters by Becca Carey. Fans of Hokum, Ready or Not, The Haunting of Hill House, and Irish folklore will love this dark supernatural tale following a young woman’s Gothic-tinged descent into madness in a mysterious Irish estate full of family secrets, where she’ll have to fight against ominous forces for the one she loves.

In The Heir, Dani’s first trip to Ireland with her fiancé, Conor, was supposed to revolve around them announcing their engagement to his family. Instead, it’s the funeral of his grandfather, immersing Dani in a labyrinth of family secrets, child abduction, dark history, and ancient Irish folklore. Spiraling into murder, curses, and monstrosity, The Heir thrusts Dani into a race against time to save the one she loves the most, no matter the cost.

The first issue will feature variant covers by an all-star lineup of artists including Jamie McKelvie, Mike Mignola, Rebekah Isaacs with colors by Marissa Louise, and Chuma Hill, to be revealed soon.
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The first issue of The Heir will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 13, 2027 (FOC November 30, 2026).

Cover art for 'The Heir,' featuring a hooded figure with antlers holding a glowing symbol, set against a twilight background with a silhouette of a mansion.
A comic page featuring dramatic dialogue between a father and son, with the son expressing defiance and the father exhibiting anger. The scene includes dark backgrounds and a tense atmosphere, showcasing a family conflict. Comic panels depict the characters' emotions and interactions with speech bubbles.
A comic panel featuring a conversation between a woman named Moira and a man in a suit, with Moira offering tea and the man responding dismissively. The setting includes a dimly lit room with furniture and a door.
A dark room with curtains drawn, featuring a frightening shadow figure with glowing red eyes. An older man looks terrified, clutching his chest, as he realizes something ominous is happening. The next panel shows his hand striking a pill bottle, causing it to fall and spill its contents onto the floor.
A dark, suspenseful comic panel featuring a shadowy figure with red eyes and a distressed character at a desk surrounded by scattered papers.
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