Graphic Novel Review: CRUEL UNIVERSE, VOLUME ONE

CRUEL UNIVERSE, VOLUME ONE by various creators (Oni Press/EC Comics, July 1 2025) Paperback, 176 pages. ISBN # 978163157855

This is exactly how I remember the old EC science-fiction titles (the few that I’ve read), except for the quality of some (not all) of the art.

While this was satisfactory, it’s not quite the same degree of exceptional found in the art of the EC originals. The cover of CRUEL UNIVERSE is how I remember them. However, I’m not complaining. The stories reminded me exactly of old EC, with those cutting edge messages under the surface. 

    

 So far, both this science-fiction title and the earlier horror anthogly from the resurrected EC have been impressive. Here’s hoping they are successful enough to attempt this with crime, war stories and other genres. Below are my favorite stories from each issue (which I read in the original monthly releases).

    Since I previously reviewed each issue and featured the standard cover, I'm going to share some of my favorite variant covers here.

ISSUE #1 contained 2 favorites:

 1) In “The Champion” by Matt Kindt and Kano interplanetary humans and aliens of all types are kidnapped, imprisoned, and conscripted into gladiator fights for entertainment. The twist ending reminds not to make hasty assumptions about the main character/narrator.

   2) “Priceless” by Ben H. Winter and Artyom Topilin details how a wealthy but aging invalid employs an “experiencer” to perform certain activities that he wished he could engage in. Those visualizations and emotions are then extracted from the experiencer’s memories and transferred to the invalid. He finally receives an experience that he considers priceless.

   

Issue #2

     There’s plenty of meaning in the title of “And The Profit Said . . .” by Chris Condon and Javier Fernandez. A janitor at a biomedical corporation has an incurable tumor. His employer offers to provide him free brain surgery and provide some enhancements that give him precognitive visions. After a short time of happiness, things go the other direction. It’s a twisty, turnabout ending that is so satisfying. 

Issue #3

   There are two stories this issue that seem to be in competition for my ranking as “favorite”. So, I’m calling this a tie. 

“Automated” by J. Holtham and Kano is a nice dig at Elon Musk and all smart-ass tech “geniuses”. Mr. Shaw invents the self-driving electric car with artificial intelligence that learns how to drive from Shaw himself, including what he likes. He’s not the nicest of persons - - so the a.i. becomes just like him, eventually rebels against all car owners and drives society into an apocalypse. Shaw tries to reverse course, and I sure wish that Mr. Musk achieves similar results before he’s done.

“The Deleted Man” by Ben H. Winters and Carson Thorn is about a con man who needs to erase his online history in order to start anew, fake a resume, and get new employment. So he uses an agency called Lifescrub and his web record and presence disappear. Everything is great until other things begin to disappear. As I read the story, I imagined this happening to a current famous con man. So delicious, if only!

Issue #4

  “Doomsday Particle” by Matt Kindt and Alison Sampson revolves around a unique discovery of three particles around which the universe grew - - “God Particles” or “The Trinity”. The two male scientists get all the glory and Nobel Prize recognition while the female scientist is forgotten - - until the other two can’t get things to work and she has to step in. But, they don’t take her advice, and . . . well, you’ll see. 

     

Issue #5

My favorite this issue is “Billionaire Trust” by Corinna Bechko and Daniel Irizarri. When a wealthy industrialist suffers a massive heart attack that leaves him in a severely weakened state and aging rapidly he agrees to be frozen. When his body is thawed out years later, he gets a tour of the current ruined world, for which the residents hold him responsible.

SUMMARY: As I continue to read the EC reboots from Oni Press, I start to see more and more stories, art and layout that remind me of the former EC house style. Even though they employed various writers and artists there was a certain look to an EC book, whether it was the text boxes, fonts, panel size and placement etc that provided a certain comfort level (if such a thing is possible for horror/fantasy/sci-fi comics). So, it’s time to give some credit/recognition to the book editors - - Sierra Hahn and Matt Dryer. Thanks! You’re making a lot of EC fans happy.