#600-#604 = EXQUISITE CORPSES, VOLUME ONE by James Tynion IV and Michael Walsh with assists from Marianna Ignazzi, Pornsak Pichetshote, and Valentine De Landro (Image Comics, September 2025)
The premise that everything revolves around is absolutely diabolical. I was expecting a quick read, a slasher horror book from a writer I admire - - - and the return for my time/investment was so much more.
A generational group of elite, entitled wealthy from the original 13 colonies meet every five years to determine who will sit at the head of power. The method: a gladiator-like game of death between hand-picked murderers of various stripes and peculiarities until only one representative remains standing. The site: a small town in Maine that can easily be sealed off, the ruling powers and law enforcement bought off, and the unsuspecting residents unaware that they are in the middle of a blood bath and are likely to become innocent victims.
Volume One collects the first three installments of EXQUISITE CORPSES (five issues released so far), including the double-sized debut story. We meet the contestants, their elite bosses, and several of the residents who will become embroiled in the proceedings. There are power struggles within the wealthy game-masters, including several grudges and counter-maneuvers.
I found the various assailants to be quirky and clever, and we meet a few of them in this volume. However, I remain unsympathetic to them as well as their bosses - so I'm not vested in who lives or dies among them. What saves the book for me are the interesting residents who are stuck in this, especially the innocent EMT tech who encounters one of the killers.
Only 12 of the 13 colonies are represented by a killer, as the elite who won the last Battle Royale (Pennsylvania) has to sit out the present contest. Curiously, the current meeting (always held on Halloween) does not occur in any of the original 13 colonies, but is set in Maine. Maybe the elite wish to spare residents of their corresponding states.
Before Volume One ends, several of the combatants have been eliminated (along with some residents). There is a large cast of characters, and those who have been spotlighted so far are detailed enough to become interesting. I expect as the story moves forward, this is going to become even wilder. FOUR STARS.
#605-#609 = PAST TIME #1-#5 of 5 by Joe Harris and Russell Olson (Mad Cave Studios, 2025)
This series does a good job of recreating early baseball history. The atmosphere created by Harris feels authentic and captures how baseball grew during the barnstorming days of the 1920's with grade-B teams and helped usher in the concept of night-time baseball. Artist Olson also paid attention to detail in settings, costumes, etc. and it helps enhance the effect.
PAST TIME also mixes in a supernatural element and manages to flavor the story without pulling readers out of the baseball excitement.
It seems not quite accurate to label this historical fiction because of the horror themes. How about "historical horror fiction"? The horror element is under-played, just a hint of it in the opening issue, and then finally comes to the forefront by the mid-point of Issue #3. I enjoyed the suspense of it, although I thought the story could be more upfront rather than dropping hints about the potential all-star ballplayer's source of hitting power. The Goodreads synopsis (if you look there) takes some of that mystery away, but I'm not going to repeat that for the sake of new readers.
You don't see many sports-themed comics that are this good, so if you're interested in that I suggest you check out this title, now in trade paperback as well. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#610-#614 = COBRA COMMANDER #1-#5 of 5 by Joshua Williamson and Andrea Milana (Image Comics/Skybound, January-May 2024) Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . . .
For Fans of Darth Vader by Kieron Gillen and Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing, COBRA COMMANDER is an espionage horror series uncovering a world power’s truly terrifying rise to power and the one man who will sacrifice anyone and anything to get it.
The Cobra Threat Begins HERE.
In a world where the Cobra organization hasn’t formed, one man’s sinister plans to utilize the mysterious alien substance known as Energon sends shockwaves across the globe. Who is Cobra Commander? Where does he come from? And what horrors is he planning to unleash that will rock the world – and maybe the universe – to its core?
Red-Hot writer Joshua Williamson (Superman, DUKE) and artist Andrea Milana (IMPACT WINTER: ROOK) kick off the second of four action-packed miniseries that will introduce the best and worst humanity has to offer in the Energon Universe.
Joshua Williamson makes a few changes to the character of Cobra Commander to update GI Joe’s major villain for modern audiences, and provides an origin story of sorts to fill in some key history.
This is more brutal and bloody (but not overly so) than I remember the Marvel G.I. Joe comics that I used to read to and with my son. New allies (or reluctant followers), a new power source, new motivation - - all leading up to a future team-up with Destro and their first confrontation with the G.I. Joe Special Forces. Oh yeah, and the Transformers will play a key role.
This was enjoyable but not something I crave more of. I’m feeling kind of indifferent to the whole Energon universe, having sampled a few of the titles. Also, it doesn’t help that I’m not and have never been a Transformer enthusiast.
That comparison to Gillen’s Dark Vader and Ewing’s Hulk seems a little over-the-top to me. I can’t see fans of those titles gravitating towards this one. THREE STARS.
#615-#621 = JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. GODZILLA VS. KONG #1-7 of 7 by Brian Buccelato and Christian Duce (DC Comics) Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
The DC heroes and the Legendary Monsterverse go to battle in an earth-shattering crossover event.
The DC Universe is about to get shaken-up when the Legion of Doom unlocks a portal to another dimension, unleashing the fiercest Monsters in the Multiverse. Godzilla, the King of the Monsters has emerged from the deep seas of Metropolis, interrupting Superman’s proposal to Lois Lane. King Kong is taking on the world’s greatest heroes in his home turf, Skull Island. Can the Justice League send these creatures back to their own dimension before it’s too late?
The title itself tells you everything you need to know about this book. If you're looking for pure entertainment, fast-paced action adventure with superheroes and monsters - - here you go.
I had fun reading this, which was the point of my picking it up. I just wanted to be entertained and I was. This occurs outside of regular DC continuity, but who cares.
The art is epic, and totally suits the subject matter. I could complain about this being longer than necessary to tell the story (seven issues) but I never felt that the story was dragging. THREE STARS.
#622 = HORROR COMICS BLACK & WHITE HELLOWEEN ONE-SHOT with art by Brian Denham, David Hutchison, Andrew Magnum, Gabriel Magnum (Antarctic Press, September 2025)
It’s quite an accomplishment for a small indie comics publisher to endure for 40 years. So, I wanted to acknowledge that by ordering some titles, and I picked a horror comic for my first try. (I rarely read any of their titles).
I guess I should have examined the details on the Last Call listings when I pre-ordered this. I assumed it was a one-shot horror anthology. It’s just an art book with one-page illustrations by four different artists. None of these really grabbed me, but Brian Denham appears to have the edge on talent and creativity. He gets the most space in the book.
I paid $6.66 for 20 pages of art. That smarts. THREE STARS.
#623-#624 = SAVAGER #1 by Dirk Blackman and Shannon Eric Denton with art by Kewber Baal (Panick Entertainment, October 2025)
I like to give new publishers a tryout, and after checking the limited offerings from Panick I picked this one.
The art and colors are interesting and the debut issue is action-packed. However, you don’t learn much about the main character and there’s an apparent lack of back-story. The synopsis on the credits page does a better job of filling in some details:
One hundred years after a brutal invasion, Earth is a graveyard - - its organic life devoured by tentacled, cosmic parasites. The planet’s surface surface crawls with grotesque remnants inhabiting the twisted husks of once-living creatures, battling for dominance in a hellish new order. Among them roams RILEY PHILLIPS - - the SAVAGER - - a former warrior now fused with the very parasite he despises. Consumed by vengeance and tormented by the creature within, he wanders the ruins of Earth in search of retribution.
But when he stumbles upon evidence that other human life may still exist, the Savager must confront the monster inside and reckon with his haunted past. Their survival may depend on it - - as he becomes their final line of defense against a second, permanent extinction.
The first issue raises a lot of questions: is the Savager over a hundred years old? Also, as it seems the parasites have taken over all humans, how is he the only one to have a partnership of sorts with the alien? What’s that haunted past that is referred to?
This is scheduled as a four-issue series. I’ve already pre-ordered the second issue, which I’ll use to make a determination whether to stay with this. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.
No comments:
Post a Comment