Tag Archives: sicko

Mini Reviews: Doom Patrol #2, Sicko #3, Legion of Super-Heroes #2

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Doom Patrol #2 cover

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

Doom Patrol #2 (DC) – Darcy Van Poelgeest and Niko Henrichon continue to put the World’s Strangest Heroes through the wringer in a frantic issue of Doom Patrol. But underneath the quirky hijinks, there’s an emotional texture that comes out in Van Poelgeest’s prose and Henrichon’s linework. I feel Larry Trainor’s pain and even more surprisingly Niles Caulder’s after reading this book. Also, the scene where the team fights over a Neil Diamond tape in their van on the way to a mission is a master class in character development. Overall: 8 Verdict: Buy

Sicko #3 (Ignition) – Three issues in, Sicko has settled into its, and Tini Howard and Amilcar Pinna have started fleshing out Valentine and her fellow Breton’s disease patients along with a potential love interest. Valentine’s current reality (Pun intended), but she actually has something to live for. Pinna’s art highlights her vibrancy compared to her fellow patients, many of whom don’t “pass” in the outside world. Sicko is a surreal conspiracy thriller, but also has important commentary on people with disabilities, healthcare systems, and other systems of control. I can’t wait to see what cool ideas Howard and Pinna throw at the proverbial dart board in future issues of Sicko, which has real Grant Morrison’s Invisibles energy. Overall: 9.2 Verdict: Buy

Legion of Superheroes #2 (DC) – Legion of Super-Heroes continues to be one of the best looking books on the stands with Hayden Sherman’s futuristic layouts and Tamra Bonvillain’s pops of color. Joshua Williamson also starts to weave together the various threads in this story of hope and heroism vs manipulation and authoritarianism. There is something primal about the villain too and his faux hero vibes. Matter Eating Lad continues to be my fave though. Overall: 8.2 Verdict: Buy

Sicko #2 lays all of the cards on the table as to what’s going on

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Val turns the tables and hits the road with Jono in tow… as her hostage. A trip through a reality-altering roadside attraction causes them both to lay their cards on the table and Jono reveals the history of the organization that’s after her, but is he telling the truth? And is he really Val’s hostage, or is this part of a larger plan? A violent confrontation pushes Val to her limits!

Story: Tini Howard
Art: Amilcar Pinna
Color: Amanda Grazini
Letterer: Ariana Maher

Get your copy now!

Zeus Comics

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Mini Reviews: Swamp Thing 1989 #4, Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1, Sicko #1, Gambit Wanted #1

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Swamp Thing 1989 #4

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

Swamp Thing 1989 #4 (DC) – Rick Veitch wraps up his Swamp Thing run the way he originally intended with art from Tom Mandrake and Trish Mulvihill in Swamp Thing 1989 #4. There’s one last battle between Swamp Thing and Anton Arcane, the birth of his and Abby’s child (A son in this version), and a literal, but well set-up Deus ex machine to give the Hollands a happy ending. There’s a zen quality to Veitch and Mandrake’s work as Swamp Thing has seen and done everything and just wants to be with his wife and kid. He portrays calm compared to the chaos of Arcane and his ever shifting body. Superhero comics rarely have endings, but now Alan Moore and Rick Veitch’s Swamp Thing has a near-perfect one that actually fits in current DC continuity too. (PS It’s such a treat to have Mandrake draw Spectre in all his godlike and actually useful glory.) Overall: 9.6 Verdict: Buy

Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1 (Dark Horse) – Giant Robot Hellboy Returns has diminishing returns from its predecessor despite high energy, craggy linework from Duncan Fegredo and some trippy violets from colorist extraordinaire Dave Stewart. But Mike Mignola’s script is filled with technobabble. The comic feels like the boring part of an old school Toho movie when the badly dubbed scientists yammer, and you wish giant monster and robot would duke it out. The worst part of GRH Returns #1 is that it just tapers off at the end instead of having a good cliffhanger. Overall: 6.1 Verdict: Pass

Sicko #1 (Ignition) – Tini Howard and Amilcar Pinna’s Sicko is a cathartic read for anyone who has been treated like shit or not believed by the health care system. Protagonist Valentine is dying, and she and her doctors don’t know why, but they wear hazmat suits around her. There’s also some shifty healthcare conglomerate/alternative medicine going on and creating conflict in the background. Howard’s nonlinear narrative creates context for Valentine’s plight while still being a propulsive biohazard thriller. Pinna and colorist Amanda Grazini go full trippy when Valentine uses her “abilities” on the run contrasting with the sterile hospital rooms. This issue has Breaking Bad pilot energy, but swap the blue meth for prescription pills. I’m definitely along for the ride. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy

Gambit Wanted #1 (Marvel) – Once I got over the shock of Storm being a child for some reason, I ended enjoying this flashback Gambit comic from Chris Claremont, Robert Gill, and Bryan Valenza. Claremont’s writing is wordy as ever, but his captions provide insight into Gambit’s psyche while still leaving room for action. The highlight of the issue is an extended Gambit/Bullseye fight with breathtaking choreography from Gill and deep purples from Valenza. I don’t know the reasons behind the hit on Gambit, but Gambit Wanted #1 portrays the thief turned hero at a turning point in his career. I also look forward to more cool fight scenes. Overall: 7.7 Verdict: Buy

Sicko #1 delivers an interesting concept that has some potential depth

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Valentine Virago has always struggled with her health. Her rare autoimmune disorder has defied all treatment, and as she grew older, it defied even classification. You see, Valentine can take her immune system and weaponize it. What would just be a normal sneeze to the rest of us, she can turn into a projectile of bloody miasma. Just as a start.

Fed up with being a test subject, poked and prodded by pushy doctors, Valentine has gone on the lam in search of the freedom to be herself. Unfortunately, interested parties want her back in their care, and they are sending goons in hazmat suits. Led by Jono, her one-time nurse and potential love interest, they’re offering her a spot in a private medical facility run by Jono’s parents. Val isn’t one for institutions, however, and what some may see as a safe haven, she sees as a prison— and who wants to be trapped in a prison, when you’re already trapped in your own body?

Story: Tini Howard
Art: Amilcar Pinna
Color: Amanda Grazini
Letterer: Ariana Maher

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

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

SDCC 2026: Ignition Press Celebrates its First Year with Seven new Series

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Ignition Press

Ignition Press is kicking off its first anniversary of publishing creator-driven comics this week leading up to and culminating at the biggest industry event of the year, Comic-Con International 2026 in San Diego (SDCC).

Ignition Press began publishing original series in July 2025 with its public debut at SDCC. At the Ignition Press Room—a standalone, open to the public, and free pop-up—the publisher introduced fans to seven debut series: Murder Podcast, Voyeur, Deluge, Roots of Madness, The Beauty, NO Place, and Arcadia.

On the eve of its one-year anniversary, Ignition Press has revealed a revised summer release schedule with seven new series launching over seven weeks beginning July 1st through August 12th. Additionally, Ignition Press will celebrate all its previously released or continuing series with new promotions and activations. The anniversary celebration will crescendo at SDCC 2026, where exclusives for all seven new series will be available for purchase before the celebration continues in comic shops through mid-August. Ignition Press will reveal additional details about its SDCC plans as part of its returning Ignition Sequence: SDCC 2026 marketing initiative.

The seven launching series commemorating Ignition Press’s first anniversary are:

  • The Dogsitter #1—a brand new rom-com treat for dog lovers from the Ares & Aphrodite team of Jamie S. Rich and Megan Levens with Nick Filardi and AndWorld Design;
  • Dispatched #1—an express delivery of an action thriller from B. Clay Moore and Daniel Gete with Lee Loughridge and AndWorld Design;
  • Minotaur #1—a groundbreaking sci-fi ongoing series for the AI Age by Si Spurrier and Mike Dowling with Sofie Dodgson and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou;
  • Sicko #1—a horrifying medical thriller where an autoimmune disorder becomes a weapon from Tini Howard and Amilcar Pinna with Amanda Grazini and Ariana Maher;
  • The Patron #1—a fine art murder mystery that is truly horrifying by Christian Ward and John J. Pearson with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou;
  • Airwalker—the first original graphic novel for the publisher, a brand new superhero for a modern age directly from the mind of the late, great Stan Lee with Jeremy Haun and Danny Luckert with AndWorld Design;
  • And finally, Cult-de-Sac #1—a homeowner’s nightmare where the HOA is more than just odd from Cullen Bunn and Fico Ossio with Ulises Arreola and AndWorld Design.

Ignition Press’s updated summer release schedule includes the following titles:

July 1st: The Dogsitter #1, Showdown #2, The Other/Half #3, and Ripcord #4 ;
July 8th: Dispatched #1, Innards #2, Tyler Rake: An Extraction Story #3, and Just Brutal #4;
July 15th: Minotaur #1, Arcadia #6, and Murder Podcast #8;
July 22nd: Sicko #1, Bad Thoughts #2, Everyone Loves A Jewel Thief #3, Bloodland #5, and The Beauty #7;
July 29th: The Patron #1;
August 5th: Airwalker OGN (available August 4th in bookstores), The Other/Half #4, and Ripcord #5;
August 12th: Cult-de-Sac #1, The Dogsitter #2, Innard #3, Showdown #3, Tyler Rake: An Extraction Story #4, Just Brutal #5, and Murder Podcast Vol. 1 TP (available August 11th in bookstores).