For the two weeks ending on Sunday, September 28
#591 = NO MAN’S LAND #1 story and art by Szymon Kudranski (Image Comics/One Man Art Comics, September 2025) Kudranski is one of those lesser-known comics creators who ought to enjoy a larger audience. His art is incredibly photo-realistic and highly detailed. His story-telling abilities are equal.
The debut issue of NO MAN’S LAND is a testimonial to those skills. This is the beginning of a murder investigation that is extremely sensitive in that it occurs in the Cold War Era of the 1960’s along an Alaskan border between the United States and Canada. The portrayal of the main character is really in depth, and there are intricate side plots that reveal even more.
It’s a crime/mystery that I suspect will include a bigger supernatural element. A young woman’s body is discovered exactly in-between the two territories in the chilly frozen area of the Diomede Islands. Her guts have been removed and placed alongside her body, making it doubtful that this was an animal attack (since they would have eaten them).
The main character, Kevin Collins, is about to retire after serving twenty years in the FBI when his superior officer hands him the assignment to travel to Alaska to investigate. The suspicion is that the Russians have also sent their own investigator. Collins is not permitted to cross into Russian territory. He’s a dedicated employee who learns that his wife is ready to divorce him for neglect.
The dialogue and exchanges are authentic and reveal the concerns and challenges of the times. Kudranski opens and closes his story with a commentary in the captions that reminds me of the way the old 1960’s OUTER LIMITS science-fiction television show did for every episode. FOUR STARS.
#592-#594 = SHUDDER #23 (Warrant Publishing Company, August 2025) It was the Warren Publications of the 1960’s that helped pave my way into a life-long interest in horror, and not just in comics. Famous Monsters Of Filmland, Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella black-and-white magazines really held my attention.
For the last ten years, beginning with THE CREEPS and proceeding to SHUDDER and VAMPIRESS CARMILLA, Warrant has done a good job of duplicating both the look and feel of those magazines.
However, none of the random issues I’ve purchased since then have been able to bring back that high level of interest. It’s not so much the art, which is consistently good. It’s the stories that kind of leave me feeling indifferent.
It may be that the story-telling hasn’t changed that much, it’s my familiarity with the material. When I was a youngster in the 1960’s I hadn’t read much horror so it seemed so much fresher back then.
However, there is a benefit here. Reading SHUDDER makes me realize how much better the various EC revival books from Oni and the HELLO DARKNESS anthology from Boom! are in comparison to this. I really appreciate those titles.
There are six stories in this issue; and I’m sorry to say that I find them all average. Not bad, just not worth seeking out if you’re trying to economize your comics purchases (which many of us are).
The best of the bunch here is “The Old Plantation Cemetery” by Don Glut and Rodel Noora, which takes place in the Deep South three years after the Civil War and involves a cruel plantation owner, the widow of his brother, and a slave with some voodoo skills. THREE STARS OVERALL.
#595 = IMAGE FIRSTS: ICE CREAM MAN #1 by W. Maxwell Price and martin Morazzo (Image Comics, May 2024) I was curious about this title, and the Image Firsts imprint, with a $1.00 cover price, provides a great way to investigate at low risk.
I’d heard a lot about this title, with most of it good. What I found was a weird, quirky debut that I found appealing and entertaining. It’s a horror/dark comedy anthology with a full story each issue. The only constant seems to be the strange and sinister but always polite and friendly (when he’s working the truck) Ice Cream Man. He seems to be looking out for his young customers (but is he really concerned for them or just biding his time?)
Issue #1 revolves around a young boy and his deadly venomous pet spider who suddenly becomes homeless and a werewolf prowling on those who venture too far into the woods. There’s a detective duo (who I suspect may be regular characters) investigating both the missing parents who just happen to meet both boy and werewolf.
The art is equally off-beat, suiting the storyline perfectly. There are plenty of characters whose close-ups reveal faces that just seem a little off, as if they are all concealing something. None more so than the Ice Cream Man.
Note to self: check out the first trade paperback for a deeper dive. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#596 = VIKING MOON #1 by Joe Pruett and Marcelo Frusin (Image Comics, September 2025) Vikings and Werewolves - - that’s a combination that gets my attention. I read the pre-order summary of this and passed on it. But the cover on CBH’s new release shelves caught my attention, and after a quick glimpse at the art I picked this up. I’ll also be picking up future issues.
This is historical fiction, with a twist. The first European visitors to attempt a settlement on North America via Newfoundland, Canada were the Vikings around 1004 A.D. After two attempts and some struggles & setbacks they abandoned the idea.
The story covers the fictional third attempt, by Viking chieftain Ulf. They seem to be outnumbered when one of their ranks strikes first at the indigenous tribes, who the Vikings dub the Skraelings (“Screaming People”). They are almost massacred when the more threatening and huge wolf creatures join the fray. New trouble.
It’s not a complicated story, and this looks to be an action-packed series. The art is eye candy. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#597 = THE PHANTOM #1 by Ray Fawkes and Russell Olson (Mad Cave Studios, September 2025) Before I discovered Hawkman in 1963 and later Spider-Man - - I was enthralled with the pulp-like action heroes who I looked forward to reading in the Sunday papers, right after my dad brought us home from church.
Back then, the Sunday newspaper comics section was a big deal, in fact it was two sections. Along with Peanuts, Dennis The Menace and others there were action strips like Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon, Prince Valiant, and The Phantom (who was my favorite).
Later, I collected a bunch of THE PHANTOM comics from Gold Key. This new iteration of The Phantom from Fawkes and Olson reminded me of those comics - so I conclude that this does a good job of capturing the feel of those classic Phantom tales while keeping it fresh and updated.
Like Tarzan, The Phantom is the protector of an African jungle. Not afraid to employ guns or weapons, the Phantom relies on his physical fighting skills instead of super-powers and has established a legend of immortality among the local villagers.
The Phantom is a legacy (like the Black Panther) that has been passed down from generation to generation, beginning in the early pirate days.
In this debut issue, a plane crashes in the jungle carrying a load of heroin. Soon, the drug lord and his gang arrive to recover the drugs and take over the village. The only thing standing in their way is The Ghost Who Walks, The Phantom.
Olson’s art is fundamental but appealing, reminding me of Chris Samnee’s work. Samnee gets the edge for more skillfully depicting action scenes compared to Olson.
A nice beginning to Mad Cave’s resurrection of yet another of the King Features Syndicates licensed properties. This won’t appeal to everybody, but fans of the un-super-powered action heroes will appreciate this. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
#598 = SKINBREAKER #1 of 8 by Robert Kirkman and David Finch (Image Comics, September 2025) A barbarian comic with a distinct difference: the barbarians are alien humanoids on a strange planet. The tribe chieftain (Enor) is elderly and ailing, but is still expected to slay a giant monster to provide food for his village. He accomplishes this with the aid of Anok, who he treats like a son and teaches him leadership ways.
However, Enor’s ability to lead is constantly questioned, especially by the arrogant and brutal Thul, and a challenge is expected as the chief’s time draws to a close. The challenge occurs (but not as anticipated) during the annual skin-breaker ritual. The skin-breaker is a special sword with a notch that catches sunlight in such a way to create a spotlight. When shined down upon young boys in the ritual, it is intended to usher then into manhood. Boy are born with a dull gray and cracked outer shell that the light manages to dissolve when they are ready to move on.
This is familiar territory to anyone familiar with barbarian fare in comics, print or cinema - a spin on Aztec/Mayan rituals. It’s a simple story, and not without merit, but not fully capturing my attention (because I’ve seen it before).
Before Kirkman fans get alarmed that I called his story-telling “simple” - - you can learn the same from his own words in the back of the book: “SKINBREAKER is a story I’ve wanted to tell for a long time. A simple story, but one packed with emotional punch that features a vast new world to explore. A visceral, primitive story in a lot of ways. . . .”
Yeah. He said it. However, Kirkman has a deserved reputation for creativity and I expect some twists and surprises as this moves foward. Why am I moving forward? Two words: DAVID FINCH.
OMG, his art in this book is absolutely stunning. A lush, dense jungle world that is intricately detailed. Just pick this up, skim the pages, and then proceed to the checkout counter. Yeah, the art is so great that I don’t care if the story remains simple. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#599 = TWILIGHT ZONE #1 (IDW Publishing/IDW Dark, September 2025) “Blanks” by Dan Watters and Morgan Beem.
Yep, another horror anthology comic. But this one will feature single stand-alone stories each issue, in homage to the classic TWILIGHT ZONE television series that ran on CBS in the 1960’s. Also, all stories will be showcased in black-and-white, just like the t.v. show and helping to enhance the nostalgic feel to this title.
Billionaire Edward Kane is on a quest to uncover the secret of immortality, as he is suffering from terminal stomach cancer. His journey takes him to a luxury resort to undergo “patient zero” treatment with a benevolent virus that is designed to “make cells forget their decay and rejuvenate them.”
Naturally, this has consequences. For Edward Kane’s “crusade into the unknown has brought him right to the outer fringes of . . . THE TWILIGHT ZONE.” FOUR STARS.
