#71 = ASSORTED CRISIS EVENTS #7 by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki (Image Comics, December 2025) Whenever I get around to reviewing everything I’ve read in 2025 and making a Favorites List, this will probably be at or near the top of Best Series. While I’m thinking about this - - probably Best Creative Team as well. Camp and Zawadzki work so well together and seem to be on the same wavelength.
Issue #7 presents another one-shot story about time loops and alternate realities invading our life space. Every issue is different, highly inventive and presenting unique variations on time gone haywire. Often, Camp will mix a little observation on human foibles as well as underlying social commentary.
Narrator Tom Doublay has to contend with dead versions of his body, often mutilated and missing limbs, turning up in his home. He’s running out of places to bury the bodies. “One dead Tom is a tragedy . . . one hundred and nineteen dead Toms is a disposal issue.”
When these dead Doublays start showing up at his work and the retail establishments he frequents he decides to become a nomad, living out of a borrowed ice cream truck.
It’s an overwhelming situation with no discernible solution. FOUR STARS.
#72 = ASSORTED CRISIS EVENTS #8 by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki (Image Comics, January 2026) If you’re reading this title you may have noticed the price increase from $3.99 to $4.99, beginning with Issue #6. With this issue, the paper is non-glossy and thinner, but at least not to the level of the old newsprint used in the 20th century. However, considering the storyline this time it may be a calculated use to help enhance the flavor of this tale.
Issue #8 is all about the rise and fall of a comics writer/artist - - at least that is one interpretation of it, and how I view it. Please know that artistic license is incorporated here in this story of multiple meanings (depending on how the reader perceives it).
That said, this is also the most creative issue so far - - a real mind-bender of a story. Is the main character the writer/artist or is it the narrator, the alcoholic homeless man that he becomes? Or is the homeless man the creation of the writer/artist? The homeless man breaks the Fourth Wall (as is often done in this series). You can read this both ways for a different outcome/meaning.
The homeless man walks between the gutters/panels of the story, leaves comments, and can sometimes be seen looking into the panels from outside.
At one point in the story, the narrator asks readers to stop and enjoy a potential happy ending, begging them not to turn the page. (I can’t see anybody following those instructions, including me). I won’t spoil the experience further for those of you who will read this.
This is one of those stories that will result in love or hate. I expect some reader will give this no more than 1-2 stars. For me, it is so imaginative and cleverly illustrated that it deserves FIVE STARS.
#73 = REDCOAT #1 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, April 2024)
I read this first issue when it was originally released, and then stock-piled the other issues for an all-at-one-time read for best appreciation. At the time of my initial review, I thought this might become my favorite of the Ghost Machine titles. Time to find out.
What really impressed me upon a second reading is the art. Working together with Andrew Currie on inks, the details really pop without being cluttered. And the amazing colorations by Brad Anderson take this to another level. Hitch has produced some incredible work over the years, and this is at the same level.
Here are some other things I spotlighted in my previous review that still hold up after the second reading.
THE CHARACTER. As a British redcoat in 1776, he’s on the wrong side but could likely become a true anti-hero who may change allegiances as the story moves on. And, it doesn’t feel like he became a soldier because he supports Britain’s cause, but more like he wanted the paycheck. Plus, he’s an unusual main character - - an immortal who didn’t ask to be - he was caught in a force that was intended to give Benjamin Franklin super-powers. He’s always on the run and often hiding, from Revolutionary forces, creditors, unhappy lovers, or those who want revenge for a relative he has killed. Simon Pure (an ironic name, to be sure) can be killed, but will be resurrected - usually in a different time period that he cannot control. He’s a scoundrel, a bumbler, and seems clueless as to how to use his abilities to his benefit. He just seems to go with the flow. Definitely not heroic, and that’s a difference that I can appreciate. Also, I love how he often breaks the Fourth Wall and speaks directly to the reader.
TIME TRAVEL: You can tell right from this first issue that Johns will be putting a definite spin on historical figures. Here, the Founding Fathers were part of a cabal that used rituals to grant them super-powers. John Hancock exterminates a group of British Soldiers with magical fireflies. I can’t wait to see what other historical figures Redcoat will meet and what time periods he will end up in.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE UNNAMED UNIVERSE: Those time travel abilities will make it possible to visit other moments in John’s carefully mapped out universe.
Overall this is a neat debut issue. FOUR STARS.
#74 = REDCOAT #2 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, May 2024)
Re-cap: “The year is 1892. After being murdered in a bar brawl, a newly resurrected Simon Pure is dug out of his grave by a 13-year-old Albert Einstein. Before Einstein can explain his intentions, the hooded cult that accidentally gave Simon his immortality in 1776 surrounds them.”
They escape, but during the battle Simon was struck by an axe/hatchet with strange inscriptions. When the pain of the wound becomes too severe, a strange blue glow engulfs Simon’s surroundings and propels him backwards with great force. Einstein, who is trying to decipher the origin/meaning of the axe, tells Simon it is only going to get worse. Einstein’s sister had a dream in which Simon was a wizard capable of preventing a world catastrophe. This caused him to travel cross the ocean to team up with Simon.
They travel to the mansion of Benedict Arnold (now a.k.a. Benedict Armistice), another immortal like Simon. Arnold is familiar with the axe that spilled Simon’s blood and warns him that he has just three days to live.
More characters. An interesting version of Einstein, complete with dialect, and a mystery brewing. Why is the cult still chasing Simon after over 100 years? THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#75 = REDCOAT #3 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, June 2024)
The story of the mystical axe that wounded Simon has a history dating back to George Washington and the cherry tree legend. Washington used it in war and ritual and it became a deadly totem of mystic force - - The Axe of Lies, having the power to cut through even the greatest truth.
When Benedict Arnold leaves Simon and Einstein alone in his chambers, they discover a hidden passageway leading to a room of strange artifacts including book with a Masonic symbol. Simon wants Einstein to decipher its message and magic spells, hoping to find a cure for his wound.
The cult catches up to them and during yet another battle, Einstein uses a spell improperly that destroys a section of Arnold’s estate. The cult capture Simon and prepare him for a ritual - - but to what outcome? THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
#76-#79 = REDCOAT #4-#7 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch (Image Comics/Ghost Machine, July-October 2024)
Each issue when Redcoat first appears his narration is the same: “My name is Simon . . . Simon Pure . . . Though I’m anything but, as you’ll come to know.”
In the remaining issues of the first story arc, Einstein is trying to decipher the backwards Latin in the Book of Spells to find a remedy to keep Simon from dying three days after being wounded by a mystical axe that belonged to George Washington.
A side effect is that in critical moments a blue glow will engulf Simon and release a propulsive force, which continues to increase in intensity.
The axe is one of the few weapons that can kill an immortal. Another way is that death will occur if any of these continental immortals go offshore from America.
The mystery behind why the hooded cult is still pursuing Simon is unveiled. A Grand Architect is behind the plans. On the third day, a ritual will be performed that will unleash the fire building inside of Simon and burn America to cinders.
The story is told of how Einstein stowed away inside a passenger ship in order to to arrive in America and help Simon save everyone, as seen in a dream by his mystic sister.
Benedict Arnold says that George Washington remains alive and is the man behind the hood and robes of the Grand Architect, but should he be believed?
The final attempt at the summoning ritual succeeds and the power surging from Simon is transferred to the Grand Architect (who is not George Washington, but I won’t tell who). The fiery hell-like power is too much to contain and consumes the Grand Architect. Worried for his young companion, Simon makes a valiant effort to rescue Einstein, who ends up returning the favor shortly after.
Issue #7 is an epilogue, which takes place years later in 1955 where an ageless Simon has a heart-warming conversation with the hospitalized Einstein in the moments before his death.
The stunning visuals of Bryan Hitch have made this a pleasure to view, along with fantastic color work from Brad Anderson.
So far, the debut issue of this series has been the best, the most promising. Four Stars. However, the story seemed to meander and repeat itself somewhat, so I couldn’t honesty keep grading it Four Stars, and downgraded Issues 2 & 3 to Three And One Half Stars. Things did pick up more as this story eventually put all the cards on the table. I’d give Issues 4,5,6 Three And Three Quarter Stars. The epilogue Issue #7 deserves Four Stars.
Consistently high quality. This is worthwhile reading and recommended.
#80 = BUG WARS #1 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, February 2025)
Another series that I read one or two issues of and then stockpiled for a longer reading later. That time is now. Here’s what I originally said about Issue #1:
A family drama that is done very well. Two brothers at odds. A single mom trying to re-group and hold onto the remaining family. A murder mystery involving their father. An elaborate micro-world with interesting non-human characters, even more interesting because it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There’s a lot of depth to Aaron’s world-building with various species of warrior ants and barbaric “mytes” (the Beetle Clans). Still to come - - the mysterious Systers of the Spyder (the Web Wytches). Some truly dynamic and creative artwork by Asrar. BUG WARS #1 is a debut issue that hits all the marks for me.
Am I going to tell you any more about Bug Wars in this review and do all the heavy-lifting for you? Nah, I’m just going to say it’s great and you should check it out. FOUR AND ONE-HALF STARS.
P.S. . . . Sure, I’ll tell a little bit more as I keep reading. Stay tuned.
#81 = BUG WARS #2 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, March 2025)
If you dig fantasy and elaborate world-building with small doses of humor, mystery, and horror - - then pick up this title. Mahmud Asrar does a fantastic job of visualizing Jason Aaron’s imaginative settings. The text material in the back provides a wealth of information on the various minuscule-sized races inhabiting a simple backyard in West Bottom, Alabama. The amount of detail in this book is impressive.
It’s a miniature-world of bug warriors and ant armies, spider-witches and barbarians riding beetles. Main character Slade Slaymaker, along with his mother and older brother, move back into the former Slaymaker house where his father was apparently eaten alive by insects. Slade finds a weird amulet that shrinks him to the same size of the insects in his yard.
In Issue #2, Slade is captured and along with other prisoners is thrust into the Bludhole, a gladiator arena in Swarm City. The People Of The Beetle are celebrating a temporary truce with the Queen of the Ants - but celebrate their peace with a festival of bloodshed and a swarm of super-large blood-sucking mosquitoes. The amulet also gives Slade extra-muscular powers - but somehow a piece of it broke off and he can’t rely on it. FOUR STARS.
#82 = BUG WARS #3 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, April 2025) Text on the back of cover page:
“Tiny bug people. In the backyard . . . Want to murder Slade Slaymaker’s brother . . . . . Because he mows the grass. . . . But Slade has more pressing concerns at the moment, trapped inside the mosquito-infested Bludhole, arena of the barbarian Beetle Clans, with a magic amulet that’s on the fritz . . . .
In the arena, Slade fights for his life against the blood-thirsty dog-sized mosquitoes and is joined by a trio of other prisoners, who don’t all survive. Slade manages to figure out how to activate his amulet and saves the day.
He then turns his attention to the barbarians of the Bludhole but is outnumbered. The mysterious spider witch Wysta intervenes, exposing Slade’s amulet for all to see. They recognize it, and proclaim Slade as “the Son of the Jim” thereby elevating him to godlike status.
However, Wysta gets direction from the head witches to obtain the amulet so she drugs Slade and escapes with him. Meanwhile the Ant Imperium also learns of the amulet and decides to go after it also.
Story and art continue to impress in this deft blend of fantasy, horror with ample amounts of world-building and a dash of humor. FOUR STARS.
#83 = BUG WARS #4 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, May 2025) Text on the back of cover page:
“A truce has been declared among the Mytes, so the sects may come together in war against their common foe, the Dark Stomper called the Annihirazer, or He Who Lays Waste to the Grass”. (a.k.a. Syd Slaymaker and the lawnmower).
“Meanwhile, Slade Slaymaker has been kidnapped by Wysta, the mysterious Spyder Witch, who has orders to bring the boy and his mystical amulet to face the wise and vicious spiders of Wrydweb.”
“But first they must cross the Yard . . .”
So begins the perilous journey in which both Slade and Wysta learn enough about each other and their challenges to form a bond of sorts.
Drama. Action. Mystery. The fantastic world-building and amazing art continue. FOUR STARS.
#84 = BUG WARS #5 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, June 2025) A shrunken to bug-sized Slade Slaymaker and Wysta survive the Yard and arrive at the Wyrdweb, lair of the Spyder Wytches, hidden inside some hanging potted ferns on then porch of his house. The world beneath the blades of grass in the Slaymaker backyard is simply amazing.
Now, there’s a truce between all the bug warriors (Mytes) as they prepare to wage war against Slade’s human-sized brother, Syd.
Syd makes his way to the spider city of the Weavers and hopes to negotiate their help in protecting his brother. An unexpected but familiar face intervenes before the spiders can entrap Slade in webbing. From this, Slade emerges as the Worldstomper, Lord of the Wardoom and prepares to take on the Yard. FOUR STARS.
#85 = BUG WARS #6 of 6 by Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar (Image Comics, August 2025) NOTE: My reviews of Bug Wars contain many spoilers, as I struggled to describe this book without them and failed. If you’ve already decided to pick this title up, then please don’t read any further.
It’s all-out mayhem as sects of Mytes take the field as a united force to slay their common foe - - Syd Slaymaker as The Battle Of The Mowed Lands begins.
Meanwhile Slade is tempted to accept an offer from the Spyders to stay in their city and train with an avatar of his father, but it means he will have to abandon his brother. He rejects the offer and his father helps him escape back to the yard but not before Slade gets beetle-forged armor with a chest plate of enchantment shield against spells.
Syd is engulfed by swarms of bugs that inflict major damage on him as well as dismantle the lawn mower. Slade is a one-man army and the battle is vicious and bloody as depicted by Asrar.
Slade returns to human size and is reunited with his family as the first story arc ends in dramatic fashion. FOUR STARS.
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