MY WEEK IN COMICS - - - DECEMBER 07-21, 2025

#710 =  VOYEUR #2 by Leah Williams and David Baldeon (Ignition Press, October 2025)  This would make a great crime/romance movie on one of the streaming channels.

Back Cover Synopsis: The Koi Kingfisher resort in Southeast Asia is a great place to steal away from the pressures of regular life.

     It’s also a great place to steal.

     When gallery owner Madeline arrives on the island the last thing she is expecting to do is meet an international art thief posing as a security guard - - but that’s what she finds when she tracks down the man who has been spying on her through the resort’s closed-circuit cameras. She’s the only one who knows Rook is not who he seems, but he also sees her differently than everyone else. Sparks soon fly, and a sexy adventure begins.”

Issue #1 spotlighted Rook. This issue turns the lens towards Madeline, whose business may not be entirely legitimate. She’s exposed Rook’s art theft maneuvers and expects part of the take for her silence. She’s cleary manipulating and teasing him, as she seems to be bisexual (while vacationing, she plans to scatter the ashes of her former lover).

David Balderon uses a lot of short, horizontal panels to illustrate the story. There are many very effective pages where Madeline is the stationary centerpiece and only the scenery around her changes. (As in preparing for travel, taking a taxi to the airport, then waiting to board the plane, and then in flight). 

   I thought VOYEUR might be the weakest title in a particularly strong opening line-up for Ignition Press; but this one has it’s claws in me as well. FOUR STARS.

#711-715 =  FABLES, VOLUME ONE: LEGENDS IN EXILE by Bill Willingham and Lan Medina (10th Anniversary Edition, Vertigo Comics, 2012)

The premise of this series is highly imaginative and lends itself to a myriad of story-telling possibilities. 

FABLES is an epic worthy of comparison to THE LORD OF THE RINGS. What if the characters from fairy tales, legends, and mythology were real and living in a place hidden from the rest of civilization? And, what if they were being forced to leave because of an invading force (the Adversary) that is spreading darkness across their realm? 

So those who are able to maintain a human guise create an underground community, Fabletown, within New York City. Those non-human characters and animal characters move to The Farm in Upstate New York.

King Cole is the figurehead ruler of Fabletown, while all the work of management is being done by Snow White. The Big Bad Wolf, Bigby Wolf, is the sheriff/law enforcement. The first story arc is a police procedural/murder mystery with Bigby investigating the disappearance of Rose Red (Snow White's sister). The evidence is a trashed and bloody apartment, where the blood residue has been identified as belonging to her. 

There are adult situations throughout Volume One, and none of these characters behave in typical fairy-tale whimsical fashion. They all face real-world challenges, conflicts, sex and violence. The art style is a perfect blend of whimsy and realism, very appealing and providing a level of comfort.

Snow White is independent and assertive, and resents references to her prior life with the Seven Dwarves. Rose Red is more of the carefree, rebellious little sister. Bigby is a chain-smoking workaholic who has to control the ferocious wolf inside him. Jack (of Beanstalk fame) is a rogue.

Beauty and the Beast are in need of marriage counseling. Beast appears human, but his horns and fangs begin to show anytime they argue, putting his ability to blend in alongside everyday New Yorkers at risk. Prince Charming is faux royalty, a womanizer and a con man. The other womanizer who likes to murder after marriage is Bluebeard, who has his sights set on Cinderella. He had a brief engagement to Rose Red, which makes him one of several suspects in the alleged murder.

Pinocchio, who was turned into a real boy by the Blue Fairy, is miserable. As he puts it: "But who knew I'd have to stay a boy forever? That ditzy bitch interpreted my wish too literally . . . I'm over three centuries old and I still haven't gone through puberty . . . I want to grow up, I want my balls to drop, and I want to get laid."

The final chapter is a classic "parlor room" scene, where Bigby uses the occasion of the annual Remembrance Ball to gather all the suspects in the same room and reveal who the murderer is. 

A great beginning. I'm excited to see what other directions the story goes in future volumes. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#716-#720 =  FABLES, VOLUME TWO: ANIMAL FARM by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham (DC Comics/Vertigo Comics, 2003 - Twelfth Printing)

The second story arc in the Fables series is not as light-hearted as the first volume. This tale of the non-human and animals living on The Farm staging a revolt against Fabletown is violent, even brutal in places, and puts characters in enough peril to cause me to worry for them. 

Just when I think Willingham may not want to break the mood/atmosphere of this series and kill some characters - - he goes ahead and does just that. (At least they weren't the ones I was worried about). That serves as a notice that just because this is a series about some beloved characters from fairy tales, fantasy, and mythology - - it doesn't mean that any type of story is off limits. 

Snow White and sister Red Rose leave Fabletown and head upstate to The Farm for an inspection/review that also serves as an opportunity for the often-at-odds sisters to bond together.

That doesn't work out too well, as Rose ends up sympathizing with the insurrectionist movement.

The Farm was set up as a sanctuary for those Fables who are unable to disguise their appearance either due to size, deformities, or just plain being talking animals. I loved the introduction of some familiar characters from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. After remaining hidden from the view of the regular word and years and years of isolation, the inhabitants of The Farm revolt, led by the ruthless Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs. 

Snow White stumbles across the plan and then finds herself a captive. The story details how she escapes and manages to stage a counter-attack. Great character development and some interesting secondary characters get the spotlight as well. 

Mark Buckingham takes over on art chores with this second story arc, and has a long run with the series. His art is similar to Lan Medina's work on the prior volume, and adds more expressiveness and even more detailed backgrounds to the same blend of whimsical and realistic. FOUR STARS.

#721-#724 =  CRYPTOLOGY #6 magazine (TwoMorrows Publishing, December 2025)  For their sixth issue, CRYPTLOLOGY produces a theme issue focusing on zombies in comics and film. It’s the absolute best issue of this magazine so far.  If you’re a fan of horror comics, horror films and love to know the background and history of some famous, infamous, as well as lesser-known works you should be reading this magazine.

   This is a professional production on glossy paper. Every article is heavily researched and goes beyond the superficial details to get to the heart of the matter.  The contributing writers are extremely knowledgeable and have a love for the genre that shows through. Writer/Editor Peter always writes an engaging article, and his collection of horror comics from the 1950’s (pre-code era) must be massive.

   The highlight this issue is an extensive article on the zombie art of the late great Bernie Wrightson, with plenty of examples. There are ten extensive articles on zombies in film and radio; and six stories regarding excessive horror comics and zombies in comics. FIVE STARS.

Home Alone - SNL

An over-the-top parody of the HOME ALONE movie.

Trump Christmas Address Cold Open - SNL

Romeo Void - Never Say Never

Flashback, 1981:  ROMEO VOID

Toy Dolls - Nellie the Elephant (We're Mad, Sunderland, UK, 1984)

Flashback, 1984:  TOY DOLLS

Denis Leary - Asshole (Uncensored Version)

Flashback, 1993:  DENIS LEARY

"Enough" - Jeff Tweedy (LIVE on The Late Show)

JEFF TWEEDY 4 of 4

Jeff Tweedy "Lou Reed Was My Babysitter" Official Video (Twilight Override)

JEFF TWEEDY 3 of 4

Jeff Tweedy "Out In The Dark" (Official Twilight Override Music Video)

JEFF TWEEDY 2 of 4

Jeff Tweedy "One Tiny Flower" (Official Twilight Override Music Video)

Music of 2025, #88:  JEFF TWEEDY

Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel

Trump's Angry & Unhinged Primetime Speech; CNN's Long Fact Check; Trump ...

Sin City - AC/DC | The Midnight Special

Flashback, 1978: AC/DC

Stranger Things | Official Final Trailer | Netflix

STRANGER THINGS Season One on Netflix:  I finally got around to

watching this, and I'm hooked. Will probably binge watch over the next

month or so and carry through right to the just-debuted last and final Season

Five.  FOUR STARS.

SYNOPSIS:

99 out of a hundred times, the missing kid is with a parent or relative. What about the other time?

A love letter to the supernatural classics of the 80's, Stranger Things is the story of a young boy who vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Faith Healer [1973]

Flashback, 1973:  THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND

Dr Feelgood - Live At Southend Kursaal (15 minutes of magic in the 4 songs)

Flashback, 1975:  DR. FEELGOOD

Book Review: FIEND by Alma Katsu

FIEND by Alma Katsu (G. Putnam Sons, September 16, 2025) Hardcover, 243 pages. ISBN # 9780593714348  

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

Historical horror maven Alma Katsu turns her talents to the modern world for the first time, in this terrifying tale about an all-powerful family with an ancient evil under its thumb.

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they’ve always been lucky. Their rivals suffer strokes. Inconvenient buildings catch on fire. Earthquakes swallow up manufacturing plants, destroying harmful evidence. Things always seem to work out for the Berishas. They’re blessed.

At least that is what Zef, the patriarch, has always told his three children. And each of them knows their place in the family—Dardan, as the only male heir, must prepare to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets, Maris’s most powerful contribution, much to her dismay, will be to marry strategically, and Nora’s job, as the youngest, is to just stay out of the way. But when things stop going as planned, and the family blessing starts looking more like a curse, the Berishas begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret scheme. They didn’t get to be one of the richest families in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it might be their own.

 

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . 

I found this story so mesmerizing that I finished reading in less than two days. Any time I had a spare moment, I would read a chapter or more. FIEND is fascinating, disturbing, and very topical (just substitute your least favored family in high power in the real world). 

While the hit HBO series SUCESSION detailed the power struggle within the wealthy and dysfunctional family running a media empire, FIEND takes it one step further. Author Grady Hendrix's blurb on the cover says it best: "If you liked SUCESSION but think it would have been a lot more fun with a thousand-year old demon, then FIEND has got you covered."

I've heard enough about author Alma Katsu to have bookmarked several of her novels as ones to investigate further. It's funny that based on her reputation for historical fiction with a horror element that the first book I choose to read by her takes place in modern times. This was a complete impulse read that I snatched off the library shelves (but not snatch for real - I checked it out with my library card).

The Berisha family at the center of this story is absolutely fascinating, wealthy from their import-export business, privileged and entitled, and very dysfunctional. Their business practices are always under scrutiny but they seem to be "blessed" and always manage to avoid paying for the consequences. In short, they are all mean people.

But there's a price to pay for their prominent position and other Albanian immigrants say they have been cursed due to a long-ago tragedy that they were responsible for. The family patriarch, Zef, will eventually pass on the mantle to one of his three children - - and they all have their own ideas about the future direction of the company and what their role might be.

Darden is the only male heir, destined to take over but weak and unsure of himself. Maris is the middle daughter, smartest of the group, but never given enough credit because of her gender. Nora, the youngest, is the most rebellious and careless - - too busy taking drugs, alcohol and partying. But that doesn't mean none of them aren't scheming. 

It's not easy to like any of these characters, but Katsu does an admirable job of conveying their point of view. Darden was the easiest to empathize with, but I would not want to be his friend. Maris seemed to be the most deserving of the three to become the new leader, but I didn't want her to get there because of the underlying threat.

That threat is a supernatural one, and enough of a ruthless presence that father Zef would live in a separate residence, and aside from business meetings would only see his family members for a group dinner on Sundays. 

Katsu foreshadows the demonic presence in early chapters and through flashback scenes. The horrific scenes/incidents are detailed after-the-fact so there is no in-your-face action passages. This serves to build a sense of dread that only grows larger as the book progresses. By revealing less specific details of the demon other than some superficial elements - our imaginations take over and the danger becomes even more horrific and powerful.

Deep Purple - Burn (Live 1975)

Flashback, 1975:  DEEP PURPLE

Miles Kane - "I Pray" [Official Music Video]

MILES KANE 5 of 5

Miles Kane - "Without You" [Official Music Video]

MILES KANE 4 of 5

Miles Kane - "Sunlight In The Shadows" [Official Music Video]

MILES KANE 3 of 5

Miles Kane - "Electric Flower" [Official Music Video]

MILES KANE 2 of 5

Miles Kane - "Love Is Cruel" [Official Music Video]

Music of 2025, #87:  MILES KANE

Book Review: THE BEAST YOU ARE by Paul Tremblay

THE BEAST YOU ARE by Paul Tremblay (William Morrow, July 2023) Hardcover, 352 pages. ISBN #9780063069961.

Tremblay's second collection of short stories is a mixed bag. I found a third of these stories to be less than satisfactory. However, the three stories that earned a four-star rating are so strong that I would not hesitate to endorse this book.

My favorite story is "The Last Conversation", followed closely by "I Know You're There". Both deal with grief and are very powerful. The final story, an original to this collection, "The Beast You Are" is an epic fantasy with animal characters that kept me turning pages. 

Anyone who has read Tremblay before is aware that he is a master at ambiguity, and this collection bears this out. However, some of the stories are so vague that you wonder what the point was. Others feel like scenes extracted from a longer work. Still, I appreciate his willingness to experiment and challenge readers - - and that's why I'll keep checking out his work. 

If you're new to Tremblay, I would recommend GROWING THINGS AND OTHER STORIES over this collection. Overall rating for this collection:  THREE STARS.

If you'd care to read more specifics on each of these stories, I've included my notes during reading . . . 

NOTES
ICE COLD LEMONADE 25 CENTS/HAUNTED HOUSE TOUR: 1 PER PERSON A man recalls how during his youth he received a haunted house tour by a classmate who lived there. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

MEAN TIME A two-page story of an odd man who used sidewalk chalk to mark his travels so he could re-trace his steps and not get lost. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.

I KNOW YOU'RE THERE A ghost story about grief, and the first story to have an impact on me. Thoughtful, empathetic, and thought-provoking. Tremblay's knack for ambiguity is present in this one. Per Tremblay: "Grief is the ghost of who we were and who we loved." FOUR STARS.

THE POSTAL ZONE: THE POSSESSION EDITION A reference to his A HEADFUL OF GHOSTS novel, via questions and answers in the letter column of Fangoria magazine. TWO AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.

RED EYES Kind of an alternate ending to A HEADFUL OF GHOSTS, although Tremblay states in the Notes that was not his intent. Not a believable or satisfactory ending, by the way. You may agree if you've read that novel. Tremblay's stated reason for writing this short, short story doesn't really come across to me. THREE STARS.

I'm five stories into this collection, and I'm not really feeling the excitement I usually feel when reading Tremblay. So far, GROWING THINGS is a superior collection to this. But, it's still early. Keep watching this space.

THE BLOG AT THE END OF THE WORLD Now this is more like it. An enjoyable read, although this seems more like a scene or excerpt from a longer novel. Like a bonafide story with conflict/action/resolution, this lacks a resolution. Extra points for creativity and presentation, as well as being ahead of the times in 2008 when Tremblay wrote this. It deals with a pandemic of spontaneous aneurysms that creates a panic (people wear masks, etc). In the notes Tremblay states that the story was "more about online existence and the proliferation of misinformation." The story is told through blog entries and replies, with arguments between readers. It's presented the same way you would review a blog, with the most current entries up front. Scroll down to read what was written last week, last month, etc. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS. (Would have been higher with an actual resolution.)

THEM: A PITCH This three-pager is the narrator pitching a script for a one-shot comic book to the publisher. It's an apocalyptic story inspired by the giant ants from the 1950's THEM film. I liked the pitch, and the story idea and description was cool. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.

HOUSE OF WINDOWS Another inventive idea that could have been explored further - although this one has a resolution (that some may not like). A house with only windows (no doors) pops up overnight. The public reacts as expected (rubber neckers) as it seems to get larger and encroach on more space. THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.

THE LAST CONVERSATION At 45 pages, this is the second-longest story in the collection - - and it's a gem. This one got to me. It's a story of recovery and rehabilitation in pandemic times. A former lab partner and life partner guides her husband through learning how to walk, complete physical chores, and recover memory. Told in short chapters, alternating tense between second-person and third-person narration. I figured out the circumstances before the ending, but it did nothing to diminish the impact of this story. I'm not a fan of second-person narration, but Trembaly made the right call here. Worth reading again. FOUR STARS.

MOSTLY SIZE A three-pager. While waiting for a kaiju monster to crush his home and stomp on the bed which he is hiding under - a 10-year old boy writes a poem. In Tremblay's defense, this was written in a four-hour write-and-edit challenge as a benefit for a UK charity. TWO AND ONE-HALF STARS.

THE LARGE MAN A wild blend of supernatural noir and Orwellian fiction. The setting is a dystopian country that seems a mix of old Victorian times and more futuristic tech-savvy resources. A government data-cruncher is asked to solve a series of murders of prominent administrative family members. There are creepy sequences and a twist ending. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

THE DEAD THING Mom is dead. Dad's always drunk. A young girl in middle school has to fend for herself and her younger brother, who is mentally challenged. He brings home some thing in a box that smells bad and he won't show it to her. Twist ending, with ambiguity. Does Tremblay really reveal what's in there? Narrated by the girl in stream of consciousness, rambling sentences. This just didn't work for me. I found it annoying and couldn't wait to finish it (out of obligation). Thankfully, only 16 pages. If it was any longer, it would be a DNF. TWO STARS.



HOWARD STURGIS AND THE LETTERS AND THE VAN AND WHAT HE FOUND WHEN HE WENT BACK TO HIS HOUSE Howard Sturgis is a retired loner, who teaches math part-time to help support himself. The letters are from Circe Corp thanking him for sending them a parcel with a "substance", from which they developed some ground-breaking auto technology. He has no memory of doing so, and doesn't answer the letters until he gets one that asks for marketing advice. His reply is followed up by an invitation to make a presentation and receive an award. He fears he is being pranked and write a letter declining the invite, but the Circe Corp is persistent.
Another story that failed to interest me. Tremblay is taking vague outcomes to the next level and I'm losing patience. It's ok to lead the reader down a path and leave it to them to decide the final outcome; but at least suggest some choices. Dumb title, dumb story. TWO STARS.

THE PARTY Another incomplete story, feels like the beginning of something longer that Tremblay never got back to. This was written for a tribute anthology to Shirley Jackson, and it has that Jackson vibe. The characters and situations are what saved it for me, and made it enjoyable instead of annoying. There's only a sliver of a horror/sinister element that could have been developed further. It's about a party, just like the title puts it. THREE AND ONE-QUARTER STARS.

THE BEAST YOU ARE Finally, the cream of the crop. Tremblay wrote this long (161) page story told in verse just for this collection, and it's fascinating. An anthropomorphic animal novella that recalls epic fantasy. At times, I completely forgot that the characters were animals . That's how closely their behavior and actions mirrored humans. Tremblay manages to mix in quite a bit of social commentary throughout related to politics, the environment, family relationships, fanatical cult movements, big business, etc. Three young animals (a turtle, dog, and cat) are chosen by lottery to be sacrificed to a monstrous creature that visits the town every 30 years. While only one of the three is chosen to be taken away and eaten by the monster, the two survivors are forever marred by the experience, become friends, and follow completely different paths. To tell more would spoil it. Of course, Trembaly leaves the ending open enough for readers to draw their own conclusions. FOUR STARS.

Baxter Dury - Mockingjay (Official Visuliser)

Baxter Dury 3 of 3

Baxter Dury - Schadenfreude (Official Video)

Baxter Dury 2 of 3

Baxter Dury - Allbarone (Official Video)

Music of 2025, #86:  BAXTER DURY

CAUGHT STEALING – Official Trailer (HD)

CAUGHT STEALING on Netflix: I read the novel this is based on many

years ago. I remember it being violent but maybe not as brutal as the movie.

This one won't appeal to everyone, but it's a good crime thriller with 

some nasty twists that ends up satisfactory if you wait for the ending.

FOUR STARS.

A Man on the Inside | Season 2 Official Trailer | Netflix

MAN ON THE INSIDE, SEASON TWO on Netflix:  The storyline is

more complicated than Season One, and better for it. A great cast. Ted

Danson is really good in this role, and the supporting cast of characters

also get a chance to shine. Funny. Warm. Engaging. The characters are 

explored in depth, and the relationships/situations are fascinating. FOUR

STARS.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | Official Trailer | Netflix

WAKE UP DEAD MAN on Netflix: The best Knives Out movie in the series 

so far, in my opinion.  Dark humor. Makes fun of the Catholic Church. Clever

script, with plenty of twists and a genuine mystery. Great dialogue in 

many scenes. Incredible cast.  Definitely going to watch this one again.

FIVE STARS.

Sweet - "The Six Teens" Musikladen, 11.11.1974 (OFFICIAL)

Oops . . . . SWEET #3

Sweet - "The Man With The Golden Arm", Musikladen 11.11.1974 (OFFICIAL)

SWEET 2 of 2

Sweet - Sweet F.A. - Musikladen 20.02.1974 OFFICIAL

Flashback, 1974:  SWEET

MY WEEK IN COMICS - - - December 07, 2025

    

#697-#698 =  THANKSGIVING over-sized one-shot by Mark Russell and Mauricet (Ahoy Comics, November 2025)

Synopsis: 

An intense, timely one-shot from Mark Russell (X-Factor, SECOND COMING) and Mauricet (HOWL). Thanksgiving — a day when American families come together, until the strain inevitably tears them apart. But for one family, the cruel and deadly secret of the Turkeyneck Killer binds them together in the saddest, most shameful way possible.

   This complete story is both timely and topical. If you are a fan of the creator-owned work of Mark Russell, then you know what a good satirist he can be, always observant and pointing out human foibles. His points are even sharper here, and border on cynicism. There’s a reason why some family members dread the annual Thanksgiving get together - and Russell has assembled a dysfunctional family with plenty of individual flaws. 

There’s also a reason beyond the age of this group that there are no children present. That would only serve to blunt the message. Keep the kids out of this one. THANKSGIVING is one of the best complete-in-one-issue stories I’ve read this year, and definitely rises to my Top Five of 2025.

  In the opening pages, Russell sets us up: “Holidays tend to be our milestones in life, the way we count years. . . . Rituals to convince us that nothing’s changed . . . Is it the comforting lie of ritual that makes us family? . . . or does it simply keep us - - from ever truly knowing the other people at the table?”

   So, six adults gather round the family table while outside the police are on the lookout for the latest murder by the Thanksgiving Slasher a.k.a. The Turkeyneck Killer. There are some twists and turns in the story, beginning with Grandpa announcing after dinner the start of the annual tradition - - family confessions. Things get wild when Uncle Stan makes an unusual double-sided offer to family members.

Mauricet’s art is perfectly suited to this story, embellishing the innocence of a family get-together with the whimsy, the humor, and the horror.

 

  As narrator Jo (recent college grad, with a mountain of debt) reflects: “Talk to people about right and wrong and they look at you like you’re asking them to go avenge a ghost from the Thirteenth Century . . . . . The belief system of most people is that nothing too terrible could be happening if they still have a decent selection of dipping sauces.”

Worthy of multiple reads. FIVE STARS.

#699 =  TWILIGHT ZONE #2 written, illustrated and lettered by Tom Scioli (IDW Publishing/IDW Dark, November 2025) “A World Of Your Wildest Dreams” 

    So far, this title has been doing a bang-up job of recreating the feel of those old black-and-white episodes of The Twilight Zone television series.  In Scioli’s story, a deep space exploratory expedition lands on a planet with an atmosphere close to Earth’s. 

   It appears to be uninhabited and barren, but unusual vegetation and animal life forms begin to appear. Oddly, they seem to be directly related to the thoughts or memories of various ship members. It’s not long before even stranger aliens appear and confrontations break out before some of the crew is captured and hauled away to stand before a judge. Strangely, their behavior seems to mirror the opinions of a crew member regarding the judicial system.

      It turns out that the planet is a resort of sorts where the resident aliens adapt to the mindset of visitors and offer an adventure of therapy, rest and healing for as long as the guests desire. Considering that the recent visitors are from Earth, their priorities and trauma point out some basic flaws (as highlighted by the aliens).  

     Scioli makes some good points here, a side benefit to an already entertaining story. His art is intriguing and tight, often jammed into six to nine horizontal panels per page. There is plenty of dialogue and interesting exchanges between humans and aliens.

    The story wraps up when one crew members decides to leave, and is allowed to return to Earth - - wherein another twist in the story awaits that seems quite appropriate. FOUR STARS.

#700-#705 =  ROOK: EXODUS #1-#6 by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, April-October 2024)

    

This is the kind of science-fiction adventure that comics and movies seem the best formats for. Johns builds a fantastic world with tons of potential for future storylines. Fabok’s interpretation of that world and how he depicts it is simply marvelous. 

Combined with the great coloring of Brad Anderson, this is a book to marvel at the visuals. My only beef (and a small one) is that many of the action/fight panels are a little cluttered and hard to decipher. Also, the special effects words used by the letterer are usually unnecessary and contribute to the clutter. 

        In an unspecified future, opportunities on Earth were diminishing - so several farmers accepted an offer from Better World corporation to move to a brand new planet (named Exodus - - Johns seems to love irony) and develop the natural resources there. Many farmers become Wardens, who use special helmets tapped into a neural network that gives them control over select animal species.

     Then the world engine that powers Exodus breaks down and the majority of the population leaves, with a promise from Better World to return and pick up the various Wardens who remain. After months of waiting Rook is trying to scavenge various parts to build a ship and exit the planet.

     Rook’s helmet gives him control over birds. His best friend, Swine, control pigs. Ursa controls bears (who have mutated to larger forms), is very aggressive and is determined to establish himself as chief Warden. He brutally attacks Swine and Rook in the first issue.

    The first story arc deals with Ursa’s attempts to kill various wardens and take their helmets for use by his own minions. There are Wardens with control helmets for almost every form of animal life on Earth and the costume designs are very clever.

The animals were lab-manufactured on Earth by Better World and have mutated to giant forms of their species. The bears, turtles, and boars are even huger, big enough to be used as transport for the Wardens. 

Ursa wants to capture the massive communications center that reveals the locations of each warden. The compound is heavily guarded and the first story arc deals with Ursa’s efforts and the resistance of mostly Rook and Dire Wolf against him. 

    This is an action-packed story, but Johns manages to reveal enough of Rook’s character and mindset to make us care. I look forward to seeing how he fleshes out the characters of other Wardens in future issues.

    A great beginning to an epic series. FOUR STARS.

#706 =  DEATH DOG #1 of 2 by Bryce Ingman and Alan Robinson (Ahoy Comics, November 2025) “Black Ops Friday.”

I love a good dog story, and based on the debut issue this could turn out to be one. If you also love dog tales like Lassie, Marley And Me, The Art Of Racing In The Rain, etc . . . then check this out. Others may have mixed feelings. 

   In a near future, dogs are extinct. Using their brain patterns, scientists at Cupid Canine made robot dogs that look and behave just like real dogs. They also have the ability to speak up to 100 words.

    However, that wasn’t enough to keep the company solvent. So Cupid Canine made some behavioral updates and put them into new militarized dogs to sell as security to various governments, companies and organizations - - the “Death Dogs”.

 

   Two of the scientists became very attached to one of the former dogs, Lucky, who had a flaw: she couldn’t pronounce as many words and used one excessively - - “potato.” When the order came through to turn off Lucky, they installed her data chip into one of the Death Dogs.

   Flash forward a year later, and the former Lucky is not performing to standards as a security dog. When she fails to bite the hand off of a young shoplifter and licks him instead, she bolts from the scene. Later she follows him (never identified by name) and ends up rescuing him from a thug who is a body scalper and wants to monetize parts of his body. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#707 =  VIKING MOON #2 of 5 by Joe Pruett and Marcelo Frusin (Image Comics, November 2025) The art and colors by Frusin are simply killer!  A beautiful book to view.

    Viking leader Ulf is the only survivor of the attack by werewolves, just barely. Daughter Yrsa encounters a native in the woods who remarkably speaks the Viking language (learned from the first explorers) who warns her to return to the ship and leave.

   Ulf makes it back to the beach encampment and shuffles his tribe off to the abandoned former Viking settlement that his now-deceased exploration party had discovered. 

   When they manage to reach their destination without further skirmishes, an unexpected stranger (with an army of archers) delivers a surprise message.

   Good action scenes. Suspense and drama. Werewolves versus Vikings - - what a combo!  THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#708 =  DELUGE #2 by Cullen Bunn and Marika Cresta (Ignition Press, November 2025)  The river running beside Sieverville Correctional Prison For Women is now so high that it threatens to flood the jail.

     The local authorities were ill-prepared for the storm, and only have a small boat to transport the prisoners to safety, requiring them to leave in small groups of five persons. However, there is something in the knee and hip-deep water levels that cover the prison floors, something monstrous and serpentine, that is making it difficult to reach the boat.

    Many woman prisoners have revealing flashbacks to the incidents that led to their incarceration and the eldest of them, Mama Bear, has plans to use the flood as cover to leave prison life forever.

     Lots of gory scenes, as the river monsters don’t distinguish between guards and prisoners.  Good, suspenseful B-movie drama in a comics format. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

#709 =  DARK SOULS: MOTHER OF MOURNING #1 by George Mann and Maan House (Titan Comics, January 2026) I usually avoid comics based on video games, but the cool art style employed here (almost a painted look) by Maan House grabbed my attention. It’s definitely worth the price of admission, although I won’t be following this title.

     A medieval fantasy world growing darker. The holy fortress of the Grand Order of the Knights of Mourning has seen better days, and the ranks are thinned due to knights leaving on a mission and never returning. The holy relic-corpse of the Mother of Lillies resides in a temple in the fortress. Her soul was stolen and now she sleeps in eternal stillness.

     One of the knights is given the mission to retrieve her stolen soul from the dangerous Mausoleum of Gaith. A talking raven befriends the group and guides them.

    This one cuts to the chase, only using a double-page spread to illustrate all the challenges and fights they encountered on the way. The issue ends with their arrival at the Mausoleum.

    Nothing wrong with the story-telling here. It just seems too familiar and ho-hum to me. Guess I wasn’t as ready to read this kind of fare as I thought I might be. THREE STARS.