Tag Archives: die: loaded

Mini Reviews: Hello Kitty: Hello World #1, Die Loaded #8

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Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #1

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

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #1 (IDW Publishing) – Hello Kitty has its cake (Or in this story, cinnamon roll) and can eat it too with adorable characters and engaging narrative with a genre shifting cliffhanger. Mariko Tamaki has a grasp on what makes every Sanrio character uniquely adorable and uses Hello Kitty’s podcast to introduce us to this world. (This job works for her protagonist vibe.) Cody Lemieux’s layouts have a snapshot vibe like the camera Hello Kitty uses to get pics of her friends, and I especially enjoyed his lush double page spread of the cast’s various homes. The cuteness still works even as the genre shifts from slice of life to true crime, but Tamaki and Lemieux keep things all ages instead of going for deconstruction and cynicism. If you own at least one Sanrio item, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Overall: 8.0 Verdict: Buy

Die Loaded #8 (Image Comics) – Die Loaded goes swashbuckling adventure of a sort in issue 8. Kieron Gillen keeps a firm handle on Sophie mothering and improvising her way through undead children, gods, and various bullshit before latching onto a story that she knows the inner workings of. This is while in the background, the political and epic worldbuilding bit of Die starts to take off again. Stephanie Hans’ art continues to be glorious, especially her and letterer Clayton Cowles’ work with the different gods. The characters of Die still sound ordinary, but she gives them an ethereal sheen. Die Loaded #8 is a pivotal book in the series with a memorable double page spread, but continues its strong characterization. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Witchblade passes the Gauntlet around with Team-Up Variants this September

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Image Comics and Top Cow have revealed a line-wide Witchblade Team-Up variant covers in celebration of the milestone Witchblade (2024) #25 issue’s premiere this September. Some of the biggest names in comics will put their artistic spin on Witchblade as its iconic characters make an appearance across the covers of some of Image’s most popular ongoing series.

Witchblade is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015 and December 2017 to January 2020. The series was created by Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, Brian Haberlin, and Michael Turner. The comic series was made into a TNT television series in 2001 and was directed by Ralph Hemecher and starred Yancy Butler as Sara Pezzini. Later, Top Cow and Japanese animation studio Gonzo produced an anime adaptation of Witchblade, which debuted in 2006.

Marguerite Bennett and Guiseppe Cafaro’s current run on Witchblade (2024) features a reimagined origin, with contemporary takes on familiar characters, as well as fresh story arcs to hook new fans and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the ’90s Image Revolution. New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life is forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power? …Or will she be consumed by it?

Witchblade will appear on the covers of:

Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 2:

  • Royals #6 Cover G Witchblade Team-Up by Jacob Perez – UPC: 70985304634900671
  • Tales of Wonder #1 Cover H Witchblade Team-Up by Steve Skroce & Neeraj Menon – UPC: 70985304861900181

Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 9:

  • Blood & Thunder #17 Cover E Witchblade Team-Up by Ej Su & Dee Cunniffe – UPC: 70985304317101751
  • Death Vigil (2026) #2 Cover B Witchblade Team-Up by Stjepan Sejic – UPC: 70985304830500221
  • Geiger #25 Cover F Witchblade Team-Up by Gary Frank & Brad Anderson – UPC: 70985303965502561
  • Starhenge Book Two: A Kiss for Atticus #3 Cover G Witchblade Team-Up by Liam Sharp – UPC: 70985304788900361
  • Witchblade (2024) #25 Cover C Connecting Witchblade Team-Up by Pat Boutin & Steve Firchow – UPC: 70985304035402531

Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 16:

  • The Darkness (2025) #8 Cover C Connecting Witchblade Team-Up by Pat Boutin & Steve Firchow – UPC: 70985304537300831
  • Die: Loaded #9 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Caspar Wijngaard – UPC: 70985304496300931
  • Exquisite Corpses: Fox Mask Killer #1 Cover I Witchblade Team-Up by Michael Walsh – UPC: 70985304858900191
  • Kaya #37 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Wes Craig – UPC: 70985303591603731
  • Monstress #64 Cover B Witchblade Team-Up by Sana Takeda – UPC: 70985302020206421
  • Regicide #2 Cover E Witchblade Team-Up by Akila Gabriel – UPC: 70985304831200251
  • Something Epic #15 Cover D Witchblade Team-Up by Szymon Kudrański – UPC: 70985303738501541

Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 23:

  • Badrock #3 Cover E Witchblade Team-Up by Rob Liefeld – UPC: 70985304712400351
  • Bug Wars: The Coming of The Wardoom #2 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by  Justin Mason – UPC: 70985304828200231
  • Invincible Universe: Capes #11 Cover F Witchblade Team-Up by Mark Englert – UPC: 70985304498701161
  • Crimes Against Nature #1 Cover E Witchblade Team-Up by Gavin Smith – UPC: 70985304857200151
  • The Department of Truth #39 Cover D Witchblade Team-Up by Letizia Cadonici – UPC: 70985303032403941
  • D’Orc #8 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Brett Bean – UPC: 70985304572400831
  • The Eye Collector #4 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by GMB Chomichuk – UPC: 70985304709400431
  • Feral #26 Cover D Witchblade Team-Up by Trish Forstner & Tim Seeley – UPC: 70985303949502641
  • Ghost Pepper #15 Cover F Witchblade Team-Up by Ludo Lullabi – UPC: 70985304394201561
  • M1: Monster Racing League #4 Cover B Witchblade Team-Up by Jae Lee – UPC: 70985304702500421
  • Radiant Black #44 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Marcelo Costa – UPC: 70985303068304461
  • Yumi: 00EX #2 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Chris Bachalo – UPC: 70985304832900231

Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 30:

  • Final Boss #10 Cover D Witchblade Team-Up by Tyler Kirkham – UPC: 70985304494901041
  • Hammerfist #2 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Brett Parson – UPC: 70985304826800231
  • Hyde Street #13 Cover E Witchblade Team-Up by Ivan Reis & Danny Miki – UPC: 70985304127601331
  • Spawn #379 Cover C Witchblade Team-Up by Brett Booth – UPC: 70985300214737931

Mini Reviews: Die Loaded #7

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Die Loaded #7

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

Die Loaded #7 (Image) – Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans use TTRPG, fantasy, and even fandom tropes to explore to deep human feelings about things like motherhood after IVF and living with dementia in Die Loaded #7. After the chaos of the previous arc, Sophie and Tommy have started taking over the role of team “parents” and more importantly voices of reason. Throughout the issue, they navigate ethical struggles and hard choices connected to their past lives in the “real world”.

Hans brings a grave line and dark palette to these glimpses in contrast with the more stylized horror fantasy vibes of most of the series. However, Die Loaded #7 isn’t all doom and gloom ; I got a chuckle from Die’s denizens cosplaying as human IT workers/Linux evangelists.

Overall: 8.7 Verdict: Buy

Preview: DIE: Loaded #7

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DIE: Loaded #7

(W) Kieron Gillen (A) Stephanie Hans

A missing party member. No way to get home. What to do? It’s time to get good. But when our cast is falling apart, can they even remember to take the first step? A new dramatic arc for this hit book.

DIE: Loaded #7

Preview: DIE: Loaded Vol. 1 – Zero Sessions

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DIE: Loaded Vol. 1 – Zero Sessions

(W) Kieron Gillen (A) Stephanie Hans

What if the fantasy game you played as a teenager became real—and refused to let you go? The cult-favorite, “goth Jumanji” series returns for an epic new story of a dark fantasy adventure game gone horrifically right or wonderfully wrong.

A year after their return from the hellish game world, the players gather for Chuck’s wake. They’ve finished with the game. The game isn’t finished with them. The three-time Hugo Award-nominated series is back. Get ready to roll initiative. Who’s going to DIE this time?

Collects DIE: LOADED issues #1-6.

DIE: Loaded Vol. 1 – Zero Sessions

Die: Loaded Kicks Off a New Story Arc this July

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Bestselling creative duo Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans will usher in an all-new story arc for Die: Loaded. Die: Loaded #7 will kick off a dramatic new chapter and hit shelves from Image Comics this July.

A missing party member. No way to get home. What to do? It’s time to get good. But when our cast is falling apart, can they even remember to take the first step?

Over the course of its original run, Die topped Image Comics’ sales charts, with multiple distributor-level sellouts and strong reorder activity fueling its rise. Often described as “goth Jumanji,” the series has gained a cult following since its 2019 debut and helped spark a wave of RPG-inspired storytelling.

Die: Loaded #7 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 8:

  • Cover A by Hans
  • Cover B by Aleksi Briclot
Die: Loaded #7

Mini Reviews: The Fury of Firestorm #1, Sirens: Love Hurts #3, Die Loaded #6

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Sirens: Love Hurts #3

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

The Fury of Firestorm #1 (DC) – I don’t really know a lot about Firestorm beyond his/their appearances in the CW superhero shows, but Jeff Lemire is a solid writer and DC is kind of on a roll right now so I gave Fury of Firestorm #1 a shot. And I’m glad I did! Lemire, Rafael De LaTorre, and Marcelo Maiolo tap into Firestorm’s almost godlike power set to show the horrific nature of what would happen if he ever broke bad. Structured like the Hebrew Bible’s Genesis 1, the opening scene shows Firestorm devastating a small town in Colorado, and the rest of the comic picks up the pieces and establishes the herculean task that Ronnie Raymond’s girlfriend Firehawk face in stopping him. Fury of Firestorm also has two distinct visual styles: an almost brush and ink chilling rural horror style and a nostalgic early Bronze Age superhero style with Maiolo’s palette carrying the tone shift. I’m here for this almost True Detective take on superheroes that isn’t ashamed of the bright and shiny part of superheroes, which is par for the course for Jeff Lemire, who’s written both Gideon Falls and JSA. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

Sirens: Love Hurts #3 (DC/Black Label) – Tini Howard, Babs Tarr, and Miquel Muerto chronicle a key turning point in the Gotham City Sirens’ relationship as Dinah Lance truly becomes friends with Selina, Harley, and Poison Ivy. There’s still zodiac-themed femicide galore, but they seem like actual friends (Sometimes with benefits) and not just unlikely teammates. Howard and Tarr showcase this growth during a gorgeously messy New Year’s Eve/bachelorette party scene with some fierce fits and even bigger pitfalls. This comic really has it all: a dark mystery, fun friendship/romance vibes, and Babs Tarr continuing to fire on all cylinders visual. Overall: 9.1 Verdict: Buy

Die Loaded #6 (Image) – Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans wrap up Die Loaded’s first arc by assembling the full party and then blowing shit up. There’s a Tolkien riff, but it’s pure plot. Instead the emotional crux of the issue is a couple heart-to-hearts between Chuck and Angela’s kids and especially Sophie and Matt’s dead. Die Loaded loses the fantasy trappings and goes full exploration of family dynamics and grief in some of Gillen’s most vulnerable writing. It’s beautiful, but the series needs to continue. I love Die Loaded’s diverse and chaotic cast and look forward to seeing how they react as the “game” actually begins. Overall: 8.5 Verdict: Buy

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

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