#93-#95 = GEIGER #7 - #10 by Geoff Johns with art by Paul Pelletier (#7-#9) and Gary Frank (#9-#10) (Image Comics, October 2024-January 2025) This title continues to be a great blend of science fiction/action-adventure entertainment with consistently good art.
The main character of Tariq Geiger reminds me of The Punisher in many ways: lost his family, blames the participants in a nuclear war, slowly dying from radiation that also grants his powers, and taking it out on anyone he deems remotely responsible for his situation or just evil by nature.
He adds a three-eyed zebra to his entourage, joining the dim-witted former Nuclear Knight Nate and Geiger’s two-headed dog Barney. In this story arc Geiger continues to hunt for a cure to his radioactive condition and heads to Lewistown where there may be someone who can help him. The various warlords of Vegas, all modeled after various B-movie tropes (gangsters, pirates, knights, jungle heroes, Romans, gruesome butlers, etc) unite with the New King of Camelot to continue to hunt for Geiger and bring him down.
Geiger rescues a band of school children from Nightcrawlers (giant mutated ants) and escorts them back to their home, Grover’s Corner, an isolated community with very Puritan and anti-literature/book ways. Geiger has dreams of family life pre-apocalypse that morph into nightmares that awaken him. He’s getting sicker and utilizing his powers seems to weaken him.
He goes into a rage after a new encounter with the Nuclear Knights and doesn’t seem to recognize Nate, almost killing him. Nate begins to doubt that Geiger would kill only bad people and begins to fear for his life.
On the last leg of their journey to Lewistown, they meet up with Junkyard Joe and a fight occurs. A truce of sorts is declared and they go their separate ways. As the issue ends they are met at the fortified gates of Lewistown by what appears to be a female version of Geiger.
In reading some of the Ghost Machine titles I noticed a consistent look to these books, and always premium quality visuals. I attributed that to Brad Anderson’s color work on most of these titles. However, during this run there was a change in artists as well as colorists and you wouldn’t notice unless you were reading the credits (which I always do). So call it a “house style” . . . and I like it. I also appreciate the heavier cardstock covers as well as the extras in the back of the books (character profiles, timelines, etc) . . all without raising the price from $3.99 (at least so far in my readings). FOUR STARS, overall - but not every single issue.
#96 = REDCOAT #15 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, November 2025) Love that cover with Redcoat addressing the viewer. More fun on the backside. This issue is a prelude to the next story arc.
In 1909 Simon Pure hangs his Redcoat in the closet, changes his name to Simon Plum, works as a tailor, and loves his wife and two kids.
Then, an old friend comes knocking at the door - - a grown up Albert Einstein. But it’s not much of a social call. Einstein came to tell Simon that their old adversary has returned, more dangerous than ever.
A fun departure from the intensity of prior issues. Although, I suspect it’s about to get intense again. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#97-#98 = BUG WARS: THE SPYDER WYTCH SPECIAL by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar with art by Baldemar Rivas, Mahmud Asrar, and David Messina (Image Comics, January 2026)
Three stories here, all tales from the Yard. The absence of the Slaymaker family was felt. I found it harder to get that excited by what is happening here without them, especially Slade. This takes place three months after the Battle of the Mowed Lands.
The first story, and the longest, is about the Spyder Witch Wysta (exiled for the crime of passion) accepting an assignment to climb the great hardwood tree and enter the lair of the fire spiders. She meets a powerful and kindred spirit there who controls the fire spiders and wants to enlist Wysta to destroy the Wyrdweb. That is something they do not see eye-to-eye on.
Aaron wrote this and injects a lot of drama into the story. But the art by Rivas is inferior enough to Asrar’s work to make me realize how much Asrar contributes to this title. I could not get excited by this story, mainly due to the art.
The second story is written by Asrar and is a flashback before the main BUG WARS title when Wysta was still part of the Wyrdweb. She rescues a spidering from death by a band of mytes. But weakness is not tolerated by the coven, and Wysta has to witness a grim outcome and lesson: “Life is stubborn. Death is abundant. I should have stayed away.”
I hate to keep repeating myself but the art by Messina did not maintain my interest.
The final story by Aaron and Asrar (hurray) is a spotlight on another character of the Wyrdweb - - Mystress Xyreena. She makes the mistake of leading a band into the Slaymaker household, which is protected by the fierce Roach Knights.
THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#99-#104 = GEIGER #11-#16 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank with Eamon Winkle on Issue #16 (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, February 2025-July 2025) So far, this has been the absolute best story arc in a series that has maintained a consistently premium quality in story and art.
Tariq Geiger has been losing control of his nuclear power and has a heart attack in Issue #10. Junkyard Joe jolted him back to life so they could complete the journey to Lewistown, Montana.
They meet a similarly irradiated Ash Arden (the Glowing Woman) who knows what drugs to adminster to him to recover, and then begins to train him on how to control his powers - even without the boron rods. They share a commonality in that it was the same Russian scientist who helped them cope with their debilitating ailment.
Geiger is somewhat unwilling and his negative side shows while Arden appears to be the more understanding and beneficial version of their shared abilities and responsibilities. But all is not as it seems. Arden has her own plans and they are, to put it mildly, “explosive.”
Before it ends Geiger and Arden fight each other. A figure from their past is brought to the surface, as well as a prominent player from Junkyard Joe’s past. The U.S. Army storms the Lewistown compound. Issue #16 brings it all to a fiery conclusion in a chapter that requires many full panel and double page spreads of glorious art by fill-in Eamon Winkle. FOUR STARS.
P.S. If you want to read this storyline, I believe it is contained within the GEIGER, VOLUME FOUR trade paperback. Might be tricky to try and find these issues now.
P.S.S. So far, I’ve immersed myself in the storylines of REDCOAT, ROOK: EXODUS and GEIGER. GEIGER is the current favorite. HYDE STREET still awaits my attention.
#105-#106 = GEIGER #17-#18 by Geoff Johns with art by Eduardo Pansica, and Gary Frank (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, August-November 2025) Last issue Geiger absorbed an enormous amount of radiation from a nuclear warhead. Following a battle between the U.S. Army and several troops of Las Vegas warlords, the force of the explosion created a massive crater and Geiger’s body was propelled miles away.
He awakens inside Coldwater Prison run by former inmates who viciously interrogate Geiger, believing him to be an agent of the pirate/warlord Goldbeard. In addition, Geiger’s boron rods are missing, but his powers seem to be gone. Before this two-issue arc ends he’s back in business thanks to a decisive error by the warden.
This short story arc embodies everything I appreciate about this title. More than a few drops of irony are present. Almost every page drips with ironic cause and effect. The illustrations are killer.
Across these two issues, there were two different pencilers, two different inkers, and two different colorists. Yet the transition is not readily apparent. Consistency rules. More evidence of a suspected house style for Ghost Machine titles - - and it looks great.
There’s much more here but I’ve said enough. Great, short storyline. FIVE STARS.
#107 = GEIGER #19 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, December 2025)
This one-shot story shines a spotlight on the Glowing Woman, Ashley Arden, now on her own and wandering the lawless landscape. When she interrupts a delivery by human traffickers of children, she’s reminded of her 13-year old self fending off human traffickers and other predators. She makes a vow to track back to the source and end things.
The trail takes her back to a compound, where she frees all the children, teaches them how to use guns, and takes her army to the St. Louis slave auction to punish both buyers and sellers.
It’s a vicious, bloody issue with a real bluntness to the proceedings. After it ends, Arden wonders: “And what about my soul? . . . I gave children guns. . . I don’t know if that makes me a savior . . . or just another monster.”
In the epilogue a character from The Un-Named Universe is on the trail of Geiger. He’s a person who will do anything for the right price. FOUR STARS.
#108 = GEIGER #20 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank (Image Comics/Ghost Machine January 2026)
Geiger, reflecting on an early incident in his past: “I killed until the killing went numb . . . Because when you lose everything . . . you’ll do anything not to feel it.”
Geiger is on his own now, with just Barney the two-headed dog as companion. Suddenly, The Northerner materializes in front of him, transported from 1864. After he gets his bearings, his first question to Geiger is :Who won the Civil War?”
He is relieved to find that the North won, but perplexed to learn that The Unknown War wiped everything out. The Northerner persuades Geiger that he has the ability to change past events and their journey begins to Detroit.
A new ability of The Northerner is revealed. He wears a watch linked to the Department of Historical Preservation. The Dept. uses it for “drops” to The Northerner - weapons, supplies, and when they need it most at the end of this issue - - a Tank.
Meanwhile, Nuclear Knight Nate, his Zebra pet, Junkyard Joe, and Professor Molotov begin their hunt to find and reunite with Geiger and Barney. FOUR STARS.
#109 = GEIGER #21 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, February 2026) After a German tank from WWII drops, Geiger and The Northern share stories of history from their alternate worlds. Geiger’s follows our History - with the North winning the Civil War and the Nazis defeated. In the alternate timeline, the South won the Civil War and Germany and Japan won, dividing the territories and history altering so that in 1964 Russia was the only superpower left.
Geiger makes a valid point to The Northerner: So if you helped the North win, you helped the bombs (of the Unknown War) happen. You sure you’re not the villain in your story?”
Inside the tank is a special seat meant for The Northerner and one for Geiger, with their names inscribed across the back. Two more seats bear the names of Simon Pure/Redcoat and a mysterious Ms. Hollow.
Mr. North pilots the tank towards Detroit and where the HQ of The Department of Historical Preservation used to be. He begins to wonder if the tank is a time machine and there are cryptic clues inside revealing what they should do. Their journey is interrupted by an attack from the St. Louis Strays - - the kids that Ashley Arden rescued in Issue #19.
This title just gets wilder and more exciting. I’m hooked. I haven’t felt this excitement for an ongoing series since I discovered Marvel Comics during elementary school days. FOUR STARS.
#110 = WHITE SKY #1 by William Harms and JP Mavinga (Image Comics, February 2026)
The really short review:
PROMISING, BUT PROBABLY FAMILIAR TO MANY . . .While I enjoyed the story and found the art to be inventive and expressive, the debut issue failed to hook me - so I’m not moving forward with this title. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
The longer review:
The popularity - - - WE HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE This book is getting a lot of attention. But don’t start sweating from FOMO just yet. Part of the reason may be that there was a limited print run to begin with, comic shops did not order heavy on this debut, and speculators bought way too many copies of the first issue, driving up sales #s while also asking astronomical prices for Issue #1 on eBay. I repeat: We Have Seen This Before.
If there weren’t so many critical reviews on comics websites praising this title, there probably wouldn’t be the demand/interest that there is now. So combine those two: favorable reviews and limited availability (thanks to greedy speculators) and we are where we are now. But, take heart - a second printing is in the works.
The story - - - WE HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE A father and husband daughter try to navigate a post-apocalypse world with only white skies due to the threat of aliens? living dead? ghosts? who lower the temperature causing rain to turn to snow and all wear cloaks that hide their features. (Ok, it’s ghosts - - but you wouldn’t know it from the story unless you read the author’s text page in the back). Not only do they have to watch out for the ghosts, but there are plenty of marauding scavengers wandering around who will kill you just on principle.
Will this remind you of THE WALKING DEAD, THE LAST OF US, etc. etc. Yes. I repeat: We Have Seen This Before. The one saving grace is the different and intriguing art. Of course, it’s only one issue - - maybe the writer will add something to set this apart from all the other similar stories. There is a heart-warming relationship between father and daughter - so there’s that.
For me, I’ve read, watched and listened to so many post-apocalypse survival stories that there’s not enough here to make me think about adding one one to my check-off list. You may have a different viewpoint.
While the story does a fine job of introducing the threat, it keeps thing so vague for 22 pages that more explanation would have been appreciated. I suspect that is going to be detailed in upcoming issues, but I’m only going to give creators one chance to hook me with this kind of story, and it needs to happen in the first issue or chapter. I HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
