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Preview: Sirens: Love Hurts #3

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Sirens: Love Hurts #3

(w) Tini Howard (a) Babs Tarr

The holidays are here, but not every Siren’s feeling the cheer! Sure, Harley and Ivy’s friendship warms to a romance, but Catwoman and millionaire Bruce Wayne go ice cold when Bruce attempts to define the relationship— wasn’t he supposed to be a playboy? And then there’s the matter of Black Canary’s bachelorette party, where the Sirens and the police commissioner’s daughter, Barbara Gordon, are all on the guest list. Tensions ride high…and Gotham’s most elusive serial killer, Horoscope, is happy to cut right through them. Literally.

Sirens: Love Hurts #3

Mini Reviews: Alias: Red Band #1, Die Loaded #5, Bleeding Hearts #2, Sirens: Love Hurts #2

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Bleeding Hearts #2

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

Alias: Red Band #1 (Marvel) – Sam Humphries and Gerardo Borges‘ Alias: Red Band #1 is like the warm embrace of an old friend. It all starts with the visuals as Borges channels Michael Gaydos in his faded out, noir approach with the assistance of colorist Arthur Hesli. His double page layouts where conversations become fights that look like the newspaper columns of the paparazzi photographer that has it out for “the mayor’s wife” aka Jessica Jones. Alias definitely lives up to its “red band” billing with a grisly murder almost on page one, but the conflict is through debates between following the law and doing what’s right and trusting your gut not fisticuffs. A particularly heated argument between Luke Cage and Jessica particularly shows the powerless of power. Alias: Red Band #1 definitely doesn’t have any new tricks, but it brings the aesthetic of Alias to the current Marvel Universe where Jessica, Luke, and engaging third lead Typhoid Mary are worlds away from who they were in 2001. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy

Die Loaded #5 (Image) – Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans expand the world of Die in this consequential, reveal-filled installment of the series. Sophie is still the POV character, but Chuck’s gaming-obsessed daughter Violet takes center stage as the new Master. Die Loaded #5 heads back into the trauma side of Die with Violet dealing with her father’s death through a gorgeous, yet dark island fantasy world. Also, Sophie continues to improve at Die’s mechanics with a side of her maternality as she tries to collect the party and go home. But this is hindered by the aforementioned complex trauma and bleed of Violet, who quickly becomes one of Die Loaded‘s most compelling characters. Throw in a mystery reveal, an Ursula K. LeGuin riff on par with the Tolkien one in Die, and some splendid colors, character designs, and high energy layouts from Hans, and I’m even more hooked on this series. Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy

Bleeding Hearts #2 (Vertigo) – Mmm, I love how Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian structure the sophomore issue of Bleeding Hearts. Our lovable zombie protagonist Poke appears in the beginning and the end and has a key moment. However, Bleeding Hearts #2 zeroes in on the potential victims from the end of the previous issue: a mother and her precious daughter named Rabbit. It lays out the difficulty of surviving in this zombified world with unrelenting narration from the mom, who focuses all her energy to giving Rabbit as normal a childhood as possible, including a stuffed animal. However, there are some super disturbing scenes, and Morian captures the trauma seared in Rabbit’s eyes. There’s an old school Frank Miller/John Romita Jr. quality to his figure work that lends the visuals darkness, but also unwavering humanity. By the time Bleeding Hearts #2 wrapped up, I cared deeply about three individuals in this comic and hope against hope for a bond of survival between them. Kudos to Camp and Stipan Morian doing something a little different and switching POVs to give a fuller picture of what this series could be. For old school Vertigo heads, this has Invisibles “Best Man Fall” energy, but with a happier ending. Overall: 9.3 Verdict: Buy

Sirens: Love Hurts #2 (DC/Black Label) – Sirens: Love Hurts continues to be one of the most fun current comics as Black Canary, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy encounter a red herring and uncover more evidence about Gotham’s newest killer of women. Tini Howard‘s script is laugh out loud funny (I’m not over “dick dizzy”), and Babs Tarr brings some fierce fits and even fiercer facial expression accentuated by Miquel Muerto’s dynamic color palette. I love seeing how comfortable Dinah is with her new villain/anti-hero friends especially compared with the boredom of pre-wedding activities. (I could read a whole comic where Dick Grayson plays a wedding planner though.) Astrology ends up playing a key role in the plot, but let’s say Sirens: Love Hurts brings more of a girl’s girl approach to the zodiac killer than David Fincher and company. Overall: 9.1 Verdict: Buy

Preview: Sirens: Love Hurts #2

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Sirens: Love Hurts #2

(W) Tini Howard (A) Babs Tarr

THE KILLER REVEALED! Things heat up in Gotham City as Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and their reluctant new partner in crime — solving , that is — Black Canary hunt down leads in their serial killer case. Catwoman ropes Batman into some steamy surveillance work, Harley and Ivy pour out the wine as they pore over evidence, and Canary… well, the only thing keeping her sane amidst wedding dress shopping and her too-fancy engagement party is getting her knuckles a little bruised and bloody during suspect interrogations. But as the bodies pile up and Halloween looms large over Gotham, the Sirens realize working together across enemy lines proves harder than your average Justice League team-up. When the killer suddenly turns the sharp point of their knife from the city ‘ s most vulnerable women to the Sirens themselves, will the threat unite them at long last? Or tear their alliance apart for good?

Sirens: Love Hurts #2

Preview: The Bat-Man: Second Knight #3

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The Bat-Man: Second Knight #3

(W) Dan Jurgens (A) Mike Perkins

A cloud of fear has settled over the city, and the Scarecrow has the people of Gotham right where he wants them. Jim Gordon will take the fight right to Scarecrow’s seat of power… City Hall! But will Gordon have to challenge him on his own? Where’s the Bat-Man? The Dark Knight has found himself staring down a power unlike any he’s ever seen: a man of unlimited strength. A superman. And he has a lot of questions for the Caped Crusader. Will these two find common ground in time to thwart the Scarecrow and Hangman’s endgame?

The Bat-Man: Second Knight #3

Sirens: Love Hurts #1 is a grown person’s superhero comic that nails the complex dynamics of relationships in 2026

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Sirens: Love Hurts #1

Sirens: Love Hurts #1 is the triumphant return of Babs Tarr to drawing interior comics art as well as a perfect use of the Black Label imprint to tell a more mature as in complex relationship dynamics and not gratuitous violence, language, and sex, although Harley Quinn does call Bruce Wayne a “fuckboy” in a memorable panel. (He’s not, though.) Tarr, writer Tini Howard, breakdown artist Xanthe Bouma, colorist Miquel Muerto, and seriously snazzy letterer Becca Carey bring anti-heroes/villains Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman together with do-gooder/rockstar/billionaire fiancée Black Canary to solve the murders of women in Gotham that the police have neglected.

Sirens: Love Hurts #1 is truly a girl’s girl comic. From the immaculate fits designed by Babs Tarr to the fact that this story features both a brunch and a night out, Sirens exudes fun despite its dark subject material. These are four very different women with a wide range of moral compasses and approaches to fighting crime, relationships, and just life in general, and the story flows from this rather than just “Oh, I guess it’s been a lot of talking, let’s have an action sequence.” There’s also a true sense of symmetry in Sirens’ storytelling, one the whole creative team contributes to, like a five-panel page with a four-panel grid, where each cast member lays out their boundaries for their working relationship. The expressiveness of Tarr’s character portraits, combined with Howard’s witty dialogue and Muerto’s flat background colors, establishes the dynamic before they go their separate heist/superhero ways.

This symmetry threads its way throughout Sirens #1, keeping narrative momentum while indulging in plenty of chaos. (Seriously, I’m obsessed with Tini Howard and Babs Tarr’s take on Harley Quinn in this book and need Ashnikko to dress up as her at one of her gigs.) After finding the murder victim Julie in a state that is more true crime horror than superhero, each Siren does their own research in a way that’s true to their character whether (In a relatable moment for yours truly.) it’s Poison Ivy using her university/grad school credentials, Harley Quinn finding Julie’s therapist file and address, Catwoman flirting with Batman, and Black Canary juggling life as a rock star and crime fighter back stage at the Light. These solo moments apart contribute to the moments of banter and fun when the team unites towards the back end of the comic and debuts yet another glorious set of outfits/costumes from Tarr. (Her reimagining of the Uma Thurman Poison Ivy costume in Batman and Robin as a disguise is truly iconic.)

Sirens : Love Hurts #1 is a grown person’s superhero comic that nails the complex dynamics of relationships in 2026. (Seriously, the poly dynamic between Harley and Ivy has never been this well-done or hilarious.) I love that there are multiple discussions of boundaries in different aspects of the story whether that’s in relation to the law of Gotham City or whatever Harley/Ivy, Dinah/Oliver, and Bruce/Selina and various other wild cards are. However, above all, this is a be hot, do crime, and fight injustice towards women comic with style for days thanks to the visuals of Babs Tarr and Miquel Muerto.

Story: Tini Howard Art: Babs Tarr Breakdowns: Xanthe Bouma
Colors: Miquel Muerto Letters: Becca Carey
Story: 9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Sirens: Love Hurts #1

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Sirens: Love Hurts #1

(W) Tini Howard (A) Babs Tarr

HARLEY, IVY, CATWOMAN, AND BLACK CANARY BROUGHT TO YOU BY FAN-FAVORITE CREATORS TINI HOWARD AND BABS TARR! Introducing Gotham’s most eligible bachelorettes… for at least a little while longer! First, there’s Catwoman, who’s been playing cat and mouse with her two favorite boy toys — Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Next up? Harley Quinn, who’s recently single and now committed only to her hot girl era. Of course, there’s also Poison Ivy, who just wants to enjoy her solitude…as long as her best friend Harley’s there to enjoy it with her. And then there’s the new girl, Black Canary, who’s engaged to the love of her life, Green Arrow — but the closer they get to the wedding day, the more it feels like they might not be so written in the stars after all.

But these four fabulous women aren’t meeting to discuss any of that. At least, not willingly. There’s a killer on the loose in Gotham City — a killer of women. And when Black Canary realizes stopping the murders requires more criminal company than she’s used to keeping, she finds herself reluctantly teaming up with the infamous Gotham City Sirens for the hunt. Easier said than done when the four of them can barely make it through one lousy brunch… Fan-favorite writer Tini Howard (Catwoman , Harley Quinn) teams with superstar artist Babs Tarr (Batgirl) to bring you the sexiest and most scintillating DC Black Label series yet!

Sirens: Love Hurts #1

Rick Veitch, Michael Zulli, and Vince Locke’s Swamp Thing 1989 #1 comes to comic shelves this April

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DC has announced that Swamp Thing 1989 #1, the long-awaited, fully restored, lost issue that begins the conclusion of Rick Veitch’s acclaimed late-1980s run on Swamp Thing will be released in April 2026. After more than three decades, Veitch’s ambitious final epic will be released under the DC Black Label across four issues, published monthly through July.

Written by Rick Veitch, with art by original penciler Michael Zulli and inked by Vince Locke, Swamp Thing 1989 #1 completes the comic Veitch and Zulli intended to deliver as Swamp Thing #88. In this issue, Swamp Thing is cast back through time and encounters a humble carpenter whose presence will alter the creature’s destiny and send ripples through the DC Universe. The issue also sets the stage for the long-anticipated origin of Etrigan the Demon and catapults Swamp Thing on his mythic journey back to the Big Bang and beyond.

The main cover by Rick Veitch reflects the quiet tension and symbolic weight of the story’s historical setting. Variant and foil covers by Michael Zulli present painterly imagery of Swamp Thing that captures the emotional and mythic intensity surrounding this pivotal moment in Swamp Thing’s saga.

The issue will be released with its original trade dress, period-accurate numbering on the cover, facsimile-style paper stock, and vintage ads, Swamp Thing 1989 #1 begins the journey to Veitch’s final Swamp Thing saga, running as it would have been published in 1989.

DC Black Label is completing the work exactly as it was intended. The long-lost Swamp Thing #88, now called Swamp Thing 1989 #1, features art by the late Michael Zulli, who returned to work on the issue before his passing in 2024, completing the painting featured as the variant cover. Working closely with Zulli’s wife, Karen Zulli, DC selected Vince Locke, Zulli’s longtime inker, to complete the issue over his original pencils while preserving the integrity of Zulli’s original vision.

Veteran Swamp Thing series artist Tom Mandrake will illustrate the brand-new Swamp Thing 1989 #2-4, which would have been Swamp Thing #89–91, bringing Veitch’s never-published storyline to its intended conclusion. For Swamp Thing 1989 #2-4, colorist Trish Mulvihill honors the palette and spirit of legendary series colorist Tatjana Wood while letterer Todd Klein brings the same reverence to the work of original Swamp Thing series letterer John Costanza.

Swamp Thing 1989 #1 is a 32-page comic book priced at $4.99 US, with a card-stock variant available for $5.99 US and a foil variant for $7.99 US. The new series begins on April29, 2026.

Preview: Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2

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Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2

(W) Gabriel Hardman (A) Romulo Fajardo Jr.

BATMAN VS. GREEN ARROW IN THE FROZEN WASTES OF GREENLAND! As both Green Arrow and the Question infiltrate the Arcadia Project, they’ve discovered something rotten at the heart of this so-called climate sanctuary… but when they bring their intel to Batman, will they be trusted? Or has Bruce Wayne become a true believer in Arcadia’s mission?

Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2

Preview: The Bat-Man: Second Knight #2

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The Bat-Man: Second Knight #2

(W) Dan Jurgens (A) Mike Perkins

The Scarecrow emerges in Gotham City, and fear consumes the streets! And now that he has the murderous Hangman to do his bidding, the stage is set for Scarecrow’s next grand act. With terror and psychosis at a fever pitch across Gotham, the Bat-Man struggles to tame the city without destroying his personal life as Bruce Wayne… leading him to make a fateful decision about his relationship with Julie Madison…

The Bat-Man: Second Knight #2
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