Tag Archives: hello kitty and friends: hello world

Mini Reviews: Umbrella Academy Plan B #5, Archie #2, Alien vs X-Men #2, Hello Kitty #3, Big Shakedown #2, Satanic Panic #1

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A comic book cover featuring two characters. One is wearing a tuxedo and looking surprised, while the other, wearing a crown and a hoodie, smiles and holds a plate of burgers.

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

Umbrella Academy Plan B #5 (Dark Horse) – At this point, Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba are throwing a flurry of story darts on the board, and some of them actually stick in Umbrella Academy Plan B #5. This book succeeds in the quiet moments like Vanya being tempted by the white violin again, or Allison using her Rumor abilities to empower her daughter. The stuff with multiple dimensions, aliens, and a bloated ensemble cast doesn’t work so much, but it’s par for the Umbrella Academy course. Ba and Dave Stewart get to indulge in some hazy cosmic jive thanks to the Sparrow Academy’s spaceship being stolen, and the ensuing showdown should be interesting. Maybe, this is a series that will read better in collected form without the long gaps between issues. Overall: 7.4 Verdict: Read

Archie #2 (Oni Press) – Ben H. Winters, Fabio Moon, and Jason Wordie execute a nigh-perfect slice of life story, moral and all in Archie #2 from an opening triptych layout from Moon to a last sweet moment of possible redemption. Honestly, Archie stories are at their finest when he’s utterly hapless and not an apex of perfection, and that is exactly what Archie #2. Also, Winters and Moon nudge the fourth wall just slightly hinting at a future where these eternal teens are not so eternal. In addition to the main story, we get a delightfully weird/noir-ish Jughead strip, a look at the various domiciles of Riverdale, a gorgeous Veronica pinup, and even a maze activity. The Archie/Oni partnership continues to go swimmingly. Overall: 9.0 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs X-Men #2 (Marvel) – Now this is what you call a crossover! Kieron Gillen and Gerardo Borges go beyond xenomorphs vs mutants and throw in a whole bag of tricks featuring time travel, face huggers, power absorption, and much more. Several scenes include a strict grid layout and smart plans from leaders like Beast and Professor X, but of course, it all goes splat. The Brood backup from Chris Claremont and David Messina is just plain weird, but we get a peek into the mental world of the xenomorphs. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #3 (IDW) – Even more items go missing in the third issue of Hello Kitty from Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux. I love that this comic’s layouts look like a scrap book or the snapshots that its protagonist takes. Also, Tuxedo Sam’s anxiety is relatable, and I love how dapper he is. This issue feels a bit like padding, but it’s still cute and charming. Overall: 7.8 Verdict: Buy

Big Shakedown #2 (Dark Horse) – Big Shakedown gets seedier and seedier in its 2nd installment as Ester chases a lead with the pornographers, and Tim Seeley, Jordan Blum, and Scott Koblish give us more glimpses at her tragic past. Ester is a messy character, and she acts through sex and violence. The latter especially gets brought to life through the power of Koblish’s pencils as she pummels her way through the Beverly Hills sinkholes. But The Big Shakedown #2 isn’t all action digging into Ester’s psyche and ethics and giving us someone to connect with as well as a completing mystery. Overall: 7.9 Verdict: Buy

Satanic Panic #1 (Mad Cave) – Satanic Panic was just the gruesome comic book treat I needed for Halloweek. Matt Miner, Clay McCormack, and Oliver Mertz tell a story of othered outcasts fighting piece of shit jocks, but with several devilish twist and turns. Protagonist Naz is a total badass, and I want to be them when I grow up. Satanic Panic has creepy 80s B-movie vibes, but with better politics. It doesn’t skimp on the blood, gore, and punk rock though. Overall: 8.6 Verdict: Buy

Preview: Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #3

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Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #3

(W) Mariko Tamaki (A) Cody Lemieux

As everyone’s favorite things go missing, all eyes are on the chaos-loving Kuromi™ – but Hello Kitty® has a hunch. Analyzing the photos she has taken throughout this very series, Hello Kitty pieces together that Kuromi couldn’t be at fault, making her into a fast ally.

When another iconic accessory disappears, Hello Kitty, My Melody™, and Kuromi set a trap to figure out once and for all who is behind this. However, their scheme just might put the world’s most famous bow on the line.

Join comics legend and multiple Eisner Award–winning author Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Detective Comics) and rising artist Cody Lemieux for the groundbreaking comics launch of the world’s sweetheart!

IDW reveals a Hello Kitty Mystery Box Featuring Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! and more!

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The only thing more adorable than a Hello Kitty collection of comics is a supercute mystery box filled with exclusive collectibles! IDW Publishing and Sanrio have announced the June 2027 release of Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! — the 96-page trade release collects issues #1–4 of the critically adored series from Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and animated artist Cody Lemieux.

 But there’s more…IDW is bringing one of the hottest collectible trends to the book market with a first-of-its-kind Hello Kitty and Friends​blind-box graphic novel experience! Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! Supercute Mystery Box is a blind box including the complete Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! trade collecting issues #1-4, plus a mystery collectible figure, exclusive stickers, and other surprise goodies packaged in a collectible box featuring one of three characters: Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll. And the chase is on! Every unboxing brings a new surprise as fans hunt to complete the supercute trio. Which friend will you find? Can you collect all three?

Fans are invited to READ IT. UNBOX IT. COLLECT IT. The blind-box phenomenon has taken the collectible world by storm. Now, Hello Kitty and Friends bring the excitement of opening, discovering, and collecting, directly to the graphic novel shelf. This special edition is a one-time print run with no reprints planned, making the initial order the only opportunity for retailers to get in on the fun — when they’re gone, they’re gone.
​
Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! Supercute Mystery Box​ specifics:

  • Three different collectible boxes featuring: Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Cinnamoroll
  • Each box will contain:
  • One trade collection
    • Four character-centric trading cards
    • One keychain figurine
    • One sticker sheet

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World!​​ will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover (ISBN: 979-8-88724-571-3) for a list price of $9.99; Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! Supercute Mystery Box will be available at retailers in three different collectible boxes (ISBN: 979-8-88724-664-2) each priced at $29.99; and a hardcover DTC version of the trade available exclusively on the IDW Publishing website for $24.99. All versions will be available on June 16, 2027.

A colorful packaging box labeled 'Hello Kitty and Friends Hello World Supercute Mystery Box' beside various contents including a keychain, trading cards, a book, and a sticker sheet featuring Hello Kitty and friends.
A Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Mystery Box featuring a colorful design. The box includes a keychain, trading cards, a sticker sheet, and a booklet, all themed around Hello Kitty and friends.
Hello Kitty and Friends Supercute Mystery Box packaging featuring a colorful design with mountains and characters, including a keychain, trading cards, and a sticker sheet.
An illustration featuring Hello Kitty with a magnifying glass, accompanied by various colorful characters and settings, including a playful map with attractions like a carnival, castles, and a beach. The title reads 'Hello Kitty and Friends Hello World'.

Mini Reviews: Badrock #3, Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1, Adventure Time Halloween Special, lien vs X-Men #1, Hello Kitty #2

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Cover of 'Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World' comic featuring Hello Kitty with a magnifying glass, My Melody, and Kuromi holding a bag, with colorful background and playful elements.

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

Badrock #3 (Image) – Badrock went from being heartfelt, nostalgic, and a little badass to dumb in a hurry. Rob Liefeld, Seth Damoose, and Pedro Estouco serve up reheated Cold War leftovers in a half-assed dystopian world in Badrock #3. I’m also surprised Disney hasn’t sent their lawyers to take out the blatant Deadpool ripoff aka Vandel. But, hey, the action is still pretty cool, and Damoose set up a nice tech vs brawn battle when Badrock and the generically Asian superhuman Chynamo (Wtf is that name?) throw down. Overall: 5.7 Verdict: Pass

Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1 (Dark Horse) – This is my first entry into Eric Powell’s Hillbilly stories, and it didn’t disappoint. He re-tells the tragic backstory of Rondell the Witch Killer and sets him off on a new adventure trying to get a magic hat from a particularly spry witch for the titular Twelve-Toe Maggie. There’s a folk poetry to Powell’s writing style, and I love all the digressions and talk of biscuits and molasses. This is basically Appalachian Hellboy/Witcher, and I’m here for it and want to go back and read the previous volumes. Finally, Eric Powell’s art style finds the right balance between pretty and ugly, and I love his design for Leon the wood booger. (I think he might be Mothman.) Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Adventure Time Halloween Special (Oni Press) – Finn and Jake come face to face with the grey areas between heroes and monsters in the dungeon crawling spectacular Adventure Time Halloween Special from Jeremy Malloul, Adam Seats, and Rebecca Nalty. Jake’s desire to fill up his adventurer punch card backfires, and he and Finn end up as minions in a dungeon with Seats twisting them into stranger shapes as the story progresses. However, walking in the monsters’ shoes basically upends their entire worldview. I love Adam Seats and Nalty zine-style art work and all the RPG references. It’s a fun bizarro version of Adventure Time, and Skeleton Princess is my new fave. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs X-Men #1 (Marvel) – The xenomorphs cut through Marvel’s merry mutants with glee and green gore in Kieron Gillen and Gerardo Borges’ Alien vs X-Men #1. I love the blending of the Astonishing X-Men and Utopia eras, and Gillen and Borges’ take no prisoners approach to character deaths. There’s some crazy body horror stuff going on too. In the Chris Claremont/Dave Messina backup story, Kate Pryde becomes besties with the Brood Queen. This story is a little overwritten, but I’m here for the evil, villainous sapphic vibes between Kitty and Magik. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #2 (IDW Publishing) – Hello Kitty #2 is a super cute celebration of community and also a darn good mystery. Seriously, Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux pull out all the classic mystery stops, including red herrings and one heck of a cliffhanger. They also go deep into the Sanrio bench in this issue while focusing on My Melody’s daily life. (She’s totally me when I’m planning for events at work even though I have more of Kuromi’s sense of style.) This comic is truly my monthly oasis from all the bad things in the world. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy

Preview: Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #2

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Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #2

(W) Mariko Tamaki (A) Cody Lemieux

The unthinkable has happened in Hello Kitty’s world: A bow is missing!

Everything was supposed to be perfect! Hello Kitty had fun with her friends, cooked a gorgeous dinner, and was ready to present the most amazing present to downtrodden Cinnamoroll… until My Melody burst in the door sobbing. Her iconic bow is missing, and now, more and more accessories have begun to disappear, leaving the residents of the town in a tizzy!

Now it’s up to Hello Kitty to follow the clues and find out what is happening with her friends before everyone loses their most favorite things.

Join comics legend and multiple Eisner Award–winning author Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Detective Comics) and rising artist Cody Lemieux for the groundbreaking comics launch of the world’s sweetheart!

A colorful comic book cover featuring Hello Kitty and friends, including a character holding a magnifying glass and another character looking mischievous, against a vibrant background with artwork elements like a pencil and paper.
Cover of 'Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World' featuring Hello Kitty, My Melody, and several other characters in vibrant colors and playful designs.
Hello Kitty hosts a podcast episode featuring Melody, discussing a mysterious week in town.
A colorful comic strip featuring cute cartoon characters, including a bunny in a pink outfit and a black bird, interacting in a cheerful neighborhood setting with a house and trees.
A colorful illustration of Kiki, Lala, and a pink bunny character sitting on a picnic blanket discussing party plans in a cheerful outdoor setting.
A colorful cartoon scene featuring two characters discussing snacks for stargazing. One character suggests making little sandwiches while the other agrees and adds that they can use a star-shaped cookie cutter. Various playful snacks like cupcakes and cookies are illustrated in the background.
Two cartoon characters discussing preparations for a party, with one character holding a basket.

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

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #1 is a surprisingly solid start

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She’s here! Hello, world—it’s Hello Kitty! Welcome one and all to Hello Kitty and her friends’ first major swing into the comic book world. Everything is going well in Hello Kitty’s life: Her friends are happy, her radio show is popular, and she even has the perfect gift to give! But all of that comes to a screeching halt when My Melody bursts in to reveal that her bow has gone missing! Suddenly, the iconic symbols of our favorite characters all start disappearing, and it’s up to Hello Kitty to solve the case! But that’s not all—as friends start to suspect each other, our super detective must solve the mystery and keep everyone together! It’s a mess only Hello Kitty can solve!

Story: Mariko Tamaki
Art: Cody Lemieux
Letterer: Becca Carey

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.

Zeus Comics
Kindle

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Preview: Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #1

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Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #1

(W) Mariko Tamaki (A) Cody Lemieux

She’s here! Hello, world—it’s Hello Kitty! Welcome one and all to Hello Kitty and her friends’ first major swing into the comic book world.

Everything is going well in Hello Kitty’s life: Her friends are happy, her radio show is popular, and she even has the perfect gift to give! But all of that comes to a screeching halt when My Melody bursts in to reveal that her bow has gone missing!

Suddenly, the iconic symbols of our favorite characters all start disappearing, and it’s up to Hello Kitty to solve the case! But that’s not all—as friends start to suspect each other, our super detective must solve the mystery and keep everyone together! It’s a mess only Hello Kitty can solve!

Join comic legend and multiple Eisner Award–winning author Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer, Detective Comics) and rising artist Cody Lemieux for the groundbreaking comics launch of the world’s sweetheart!

Cover A comes polybagged with one of three exclusive collectible sticker sheets, unseal the surprise and start the chase to track down all three and complete the full set!

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World! #1