Tag: preview reviews

Preview Reviews for the Week of 12/7: All Against All, Hexware, Know Your Station, and Radiant Pink

Preview Reviews for the Week of 12/7: All Against All, Hexware, Know Your Station, and Radiant Pink

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a four good books for you. The beginning of December is loaded with new series releases, and we were able to review these. There are three books from Image Comics, including All Against All #1, Hexware #1, and Radiant Pink #1. We also have a review of Know Your Station #1 from Boom! Studios.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on December 7, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for December are here.


All Against All #1
Image Comics
Written by Alex Paknadel
Art by Caspar Wijngaard
Letters by Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou
Cover Art by Wijngaard

Original Solicitation:

Writer ALEX PAKNADEL, artist CASPAR WIJNGAARD, and letterer HASSAN OTSMANE-ELHAOU present a primal vision of humanity gone terribly wrong.

In All Against All, it is the distant future. Earth is long gone, but a race of alien conquerors knows as “the Operators” have preserved its most savage animals in an artificial jungle environment they barely understand.

With no bodies of their own, the Operators move from world to world, harvesting bodies for the organic exosuits they use to wage their endless wars. Ignored and underestimated by his captors is the habitat’s sole human specimen, Helpless.

However, when their efforts to find and harvest an apex predator intensify, he gives them far more than they bargained for.

PCS Review:

I love this book. It is set in the far future, and that can be difficult to pull off, but Paknadel and Wijngaard do it masterfully. This book is filled with a danger that the plot makes evident from the get go, and Wijngaard imbues the feel of an unstable existence in every pen and brush stroke. Character and technologic designs are critically important to the establishment of the this alien cast and are wonderfully done. Hassan Otsamane-Elhaou is one of the best letterers out there, and his design and execution for this project are spectacular. Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 12/7: All Against All, Hexware, Know Your Station, and Radiant Pink”

Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/23/22:

Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/23/22:

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a two really good books for you. The first is Fear of a Red Planet #1 from AfterShock Comics, and the second is Once Upon a Time at the End of the World #1 which is from Boom! Studios.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on November 23, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for November are here.


Fear of a Red Planet #1
AfterShock Comics
Written by Mark Sable
Art by Andrea Olimpieri
Colors by Olimpieri
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover Art by Paul Azaceta

Original Solicitation:

Mars. Fifty years from now, humanity’s first Martian colony is no longer self-sustaining. Under the thumb of its corporate mining overlords, the surviving colonists slave away just to pay for resupply rockets from Earth, will little or no hope of returning home.

One woman has kept a fragile peace: the U.N.’s first and only interplanetary marshal. A lawwoman escaping a violent past on Earth, she prides herself on never having fired a shot on Mars. But when she’s tasked with solving the murder of the colony’s most hated man, her investigation threatens to tear the red planet apart.

Written by Mark Sable and illustrated by Andrea Olimpieri, FEAR OF A RED PLANET is a near-future western with the hard sci-fi of The Expanse and the hard-boiled gunslinging of Justified.

PCS Review: Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/23/22:”

Preview Review: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood

Preview Review: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood

We have an extra Preview Review this week. This is for the graphic novel It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth that is released today from Image Comics.

It is on our list of Special and One-Shot releases for November that you can find here.

This book is available at your LCS now.


It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth
Image Comics
Written by Zoe Thorogood
Art by Thorogood
Cover Art by Thorogood

ORIGINAL SOLICITATION

Cartoonist ZOE THOROGOOD records six months of her own life as it falls apart in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how. IT’S LONELY AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH is an intimate metanarrative that looks into the life of a selfish artist who must create for her own survival.

A poignant, slice-of-life-style story perfect for fans of Adrian Tomine’s The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist.

PCS REVIEW

Before I get into talking about this absolutley stunning book, I want to share a story. I went to Fan Expo Philadelphia this year and was excited that Zoe Thorogood was going to be there. Rain, the book that introduced her to me, was still coming out, and I wanted to let her know in-person how amazing I thought it was. I had briefly encountered Zoe a few weeks earlier at a different con, but I wanted to see her again and buy something from her, if she was selling. I think she is a fantastic artist.

So, at the Philly show, Zoe was on a panel talking about her art and her previous book The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott. I found her to be charming and interesting. She handled herself wonderfully on the panel. I wanted to make a point to go to her table during the show to buy Billie from her and let her know what a great job she was doing. I went past her table several times over the next couple of days but never seemed to connect with her. I regret that. But after reading this book, I am not surprised by the missed connection. This story isn’t all that interesting, but it happened, and recording reality in its purest form is what this book is all about. Continue reading “Preview Review: It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood”

Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/9/2022: Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #1, Specs #1, and Two Graves #1

Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/9/2022: Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #1, Specs #1, and Two Graves #1

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a three terrific books for you. The first is Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #1 from Ahoy Comics, and the second is Specs #1 which is from Boom! Studios. Finally, there is Two Graves #1 from Image Comics.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on November 9, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for October are here.


Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #1
Ahoy Comics
Written by Mark Russell
Art by Steve Pugh
Colors by Chris Chuckry
Letters by Rob Steen
Cover Art by Steve Pugh

Original Solicitation:

The long-awaited return of the “series that’s simultaneously infuriating and hysterically funny in its indictment of not just the 1%, but of the people-and the economic system-that enable them” (Comics Beat). The year is 2046, two years after Billionaire Island fell-taking the world’s economy with it. Only one man-er, dog-can save us now. But where is Business Dog?

PCS Review:

Reading a political socio-economic commentary by Mark Russell on election day just feels right. This next volume in the world of Billionaire Island is off to an excellent start. The brilliance of Russell’s writing is that while it is loaded with social commentary and satire, the story is usually compelling and interesting. That is certainly the case with this book.

The story picks up two years after the first volume ends and does an excellent job of laying out the environment while ramping up a new conflict. The character development and pacing of the book are well executed.

Steve Pugh does a fantastic job with the visual narrative. His character expressions are important to the success of the story, and they stand out so exquisitely because of the brilliant panel designs and page layouts. Chris Chukry’s bright color work blends perfectly into the tone of the book, and Rob Steen continues to be the unheralded star of Ahoy comics with his excellent lettering.

This is an entertaining book that makes you think and invites you to come back for issue #2. Also the homicidal golf cart steals the second half of the issue. Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 11/9/2022: Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #1, Specs #1, and Two Graves #1”

Preview Reviews for the Week of 10/05/2022: Dark Ride #1, Earthdivers #1, Kaya #1

Preview Reviews for the Week of 10/05/2022: Dark Ride #1, Earthdivers #1, Kaya #1

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a three terrific books for you. The first is Dark Ride #1 from Image Comics, and the second is Earthdivers #1 which is from IDW Publishing. Finally, there is Kaya #1 also from Image Comics.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on October 5, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for October are here.


Dark Ride #1
Image Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Andrei Bressan
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Pat Brosseau
Cover Art by Bressan & Lucas

Original Solicitation:

Devil Land has been the world’s premiere horror-themed amusement park for over 50 years, home to the scariest ride ever created – The Devil’s Due. But when lifelong fan Owen Seasons begins his first day on the job, he will discover the true horrors happening behind the scenes, the truth about the park’s reclusive creator Arthur Dante and that the job of his dreams might just be a living nightmare.

PCS Review:

I really enjoyed this book. The dark and twisted parallels to the “House of Mouse” that guide the premise to this book are apparent and engaging. Williamson is a fantastic writer and the narrative of this book gently slides the reader into a comfortably ensconced alcove of this world and gives them a bird’s eye view of the bizarre reality of it. The assumed protagonist is an interesting character and well…. I don’t want to give anything away but it is well done.

Andrei Bressan’s designs for this “amusement” park and the overall tone of the book are perfect. It is just normal enough to pass but the normality is fraying. Adriano Lucas meshes perfectly with terrific coloring work on this book. Pat Brosseau does an excellent job adding the sound to the display with both excellent lettering and sound effects.

Ultimately I feel like we have just made it to the top of the first hill on this roller coaster and the park is laid out before us in all its glory, as we prepare for the stomach churning first drop. Can’t wait for more.


Earthdivers #1
IDW Publishing
Written by Stephen Graham Jones
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Colors by Joana Lafuente
Cover Art by Gianfelice

Original Solicitation:

Stephen Graham Jones makes his ongoing comics debut with Earthdivers! The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as expected: rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of outcast Indigenous survivors who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the middle of the desert and figured out where the world took a sharp turn for the worst: America. Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own on a bloody, one-way mission back to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But taking down an icon is no easy task, and his actions could prove devastating for his friends in the future.

PCS Review:

Before anything, I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Davide Gianfelice. I absolutely love his art style and execution. This book is a perfect vehicle for him to shine. The visual narrative is expertly crafted, the set designs are wonderful.

The story from Stephen Graham Jones is definitely captivating. The premise of assassinating Columbus is certainly a popular concept in some circles, but the framing of that in this story gives it urgency. The character development in this first issue is well done. We are definitely interested in seeing this story play out.


Kaya #1
Image Comics
Written by Wes Craig
Art by Craig
Colors by Jason Wordie
Letters by Andworld Design
Cover Art by Craig & Moreno Dinisio

Original Solicitation:

A jam-packed series premiere with 31 gorgeous story pages, plus bonus material and a Jack Kirby-inspired variant cover by DEADLY CLASS co-creator WES CRAIG!

After the destruction of their village, a young girl with a magic arm and a fighting spirit is tasked with delivering her little brother to a faraway safe haven. There, he’s destined to discover the secret to overthrowing the all-powerful empire that destroyed their home.

From writer and artist WES CRAIG comes an astonishing new ongoing fantasy-adventure series about siblings surviving in a world of monsters and mutants.

PCS Review:

Yeah. This is good. Wes Craig is hitting on all cylinders with this book. The main characters are immediately appealing in both design and characterization. The setting is bleak and harsh and there is an instant sense of empathy for these two refugees tossed against and unforgiving landscape.

One of the difficulties of a executing a solid first issue is maintain the balance of giving just enough character and setting history while on the run and getting the current story going. Craig nails that. Everyone knows that I am sucker for Jason Wordie’s coloring, and boy, did he hit it out of the park with this one. Along with the expert letters from Andworld, this book is technically and spiritually on track for great success. We are eagerly looking forward to the second issue.

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/18/22: The Fox, I Hate This Place, and Shaolin Cowboy

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/18/22: The Fox, I Hate This Place, and Shaolin Cowboy

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a three terrific books for you. The first is a one-shot called The Fox: Family Values #1 from Archie Comics, and the second is I Hate This Place #1 which is from Image Comics. Finally, there is Shaolin Cowboy: Cruel To Be Kin #1 from Dark Horse Comics.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on May 18, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for May are here.


The Fox: Family Values #1
Archie Comics
Written by Dean Haspiel, Vito Delsante, & Alex Toth
Art by Haspiel, Richard Ortiz, & Toth
Colors by Matt Herms
Letters by Jack Morelli
Cover Art by Haspiel

Original Solicitation:

Archie Comics is setting the stage for the return of everyone’s favorite “Freak Magnet” Paul Patton, Jr. in The Fox: Family Values #1. Coming to comic shops and digital retailers May 18, 2022, the new one-shot comic will follow the adventures of the Pattons, The Fox, She-Fox, and their son Ghost Fox, as they try to be the best hero family of Foxes they can be! Featuring all-new stories by writer/artist Dean Haspiel, writer Vito Delsante, artist Richard Ortiz, and colorist Matt Herms with veteran letter Jack Morelli, The Fox: Family Values #1 will also include a reprint of a classic The Fox story by Alex Toth, providing new readers with a perfect introduction to this family of iconic characters.

PCS Review:

This book is chock full of goodness. There are three stories in this thirty-four page book. Each of them are fun morsels of comic excellence. The first story, written and drawn by Dean Haspiel, is in the same vein as his previous endeavors with The Fox. Haspiel takes some metaphysical swings in the storytelling and delivers a dynamic story filled with heart that leaves us wanting more from this incarnation of the character.

The second story written by Vito Delsante with art from Richard Ortiz goes back to the wedding of The Fox and fits in very nicely with familial themes of the first story. Delsante and Ortiz do an excellent job of crafting an action packed tale with an emotion filled ending. Solid storytelling by the whole team on this one. Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/18/22: The Fox, I Hate This Place, and Shaolin Cowboy”

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/11/22: Eight Billion Genies #1 and Grim #1

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/11/22: Eight Billion Genies #1 and Grim #1

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a two great books to review for you. The first is Eight Billion Genies #1 from Image Comics, and the second is Grim #1 which is from Boom! Studios.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on May 11, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for May are here.


Eight Billion Genies #1
Image Comics
Written by Charles Soule
Art by Ryan Browne
Letters by Chris Crank
Cover Art by Browne

Original Solicitation:

If you had one wish…what would you wish for? Now, what if everyone else had one wish too? That’s EIGHT BILLION GENIES, the new eight-issue series from CHARLES SOULE & RYAN BROWNE. At exactly the same moment, everyone on earth gets a genie and one wish. All hell breaks loose, in a very entertaining way…and that’s just the beginning. Buckle in for the wildest ride of the year!

PCS Review:

This book feels very much like a book that was made by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne, and that is a wonderful development. This issue is a excellent mix of a high concept global events that localizes the reader to a single location. Charles Soule has a wonderful habit of encouraging his readers to dream about the impossible, and then just as the bubbling wonderment begins to float them off, he slams down rules and consequences for touching the untouchable.

Ryan Browne is a perfect partner for Soule’s high concept scheming. His rendering of a world that experiences eight billion individual genies is brilliant. Besides the grand chaos that he brings to the page, Browne also creates endearing characters that help with the localization of the story. Crank is a great letterer and does excellent work in this book.

We are definitely interested in seeing how this world develops and what happens within the Lampwick Bar and Grill.


Grim #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Art by Flaviano
Colors by Rico Renzi
Letters by Tom Napolitano
Cover Art by Flaviano

Original Solicitation:

Jessica Harrow is dead. But her journey has only just begun!

PCS Review: Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/11/22: Eight Billion Genies #1 and Grim #1”

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/4/22: Archer & Armstrong, Metal Society, The Panic, & Twig

Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/4/22: Archer & Armstrong, Metal Society, The Panic, & Twig

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have a whopping four books to review for you. The first is Archer & Armstrong Forever #1 from Valiant Entertainment. We also have Metal Society #1, and Twig #1  from Image Comics, and the last is The Panic #1 which is a digital only from Comixology Originals.

You can find these books at your LCS or wherever you buy books on May 4, 2022.

Also the rest of the #NewNumberOnes for May are here.


Archer & Armstrong Forever #1
Valiant Entertainment
Written by Steve Foxe
Art by Marcio Fiorito
Colors by Alex Guimarães
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Art by Bernard Chang

Original Solicitation:

When Armstrong seemingly loses his immortality, Archer refuses to let his best buddy go gentle into that good night. But when you live for millennia, you rack up plenty of enemies who’ll be thrilled to find out you’re no longer indestructible. Archer & Armstrong’s globetrotting quest for (more) immortality begins here!

PCS Review:

As someone who is not super familiar with this Valiant property, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is engaging and dynamic with lots of action and plenty of story. There is some heavy lifting that needs to be done in a first issue for a property with a big history, and Steve Foxe did an excellent job of passing on information without letting it interfere with the story being told. Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the Week of 5/4/22: Archer & Armstrong, Metal Society, The Panic, & Twig”

Preview Reviews for Week of 4/6/2022: Alice Ever After #1 and G.I.L.T. #1

Preview Reviews for Week of 4/6/2022: Alice Ever After #1 and G.I.L.T. #1

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have two books to review for you. The first is Alice Ever After #1 from Boom! Studios, and the other is G.I.L.T. #1 from Ahoy Comics. Both of these comics are great debuts to interesting series. We are looking forward to issue number two from both of these stories.

You can find these books at your LCS on April 6, 2022.


Alice Ever After #1
Boom! Studios
Written by Dan Panosian
Art by Giorgio Spalletta & Panosian
Colors by Fabiana Mascolo
Letters by Jeff Eckleberry
Cover Art by Panosian

Original Solicitation:

Return to Wonderland in this twisted sequel by superstar artist and writer Dan Panosian perfect for fans of Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy and Luna.

Alice first visited Wonderland as a child. Now an adult, it’s her only escape from a cold, strange reality she finds herself living in.

But in order to return to her fantasy world, she’ll need something stronger than mushrooms that change her size, and is forced to resort to crime to feed her growing addiction.

Will Alice choose to escape from her uncaring family and childhood trauma in Wonderland, or find the courage to face her demons in the real world?

PCS Review: Continue reading “Preview Reviews for Week of 4/6/2022: Alice Ever After #1 and G.I.L.T. #1”

Preview Reviews for the Week of March 3, 2022: Chef’s Kiss, Loaded Bible, and Rogue Sun

Preview Reviews for the Week of March 3, 2022: Chef’s Kiss, Loaded Bible, and Rogue Sun

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.

This week we have three books to review for you. The first is an Original Graphic Novel, Chef’s Kiss from Oni Press. The next two are both from Image Comics and they are: Loaded Bible: Blood of My Blood #1 and Rogue Sun #1.

All three of these books are featured on our New Number Ones for March. Check out the rest of that list to see what is coming this month.

You can find these books at your LCS on March 2, 2022.


Chef’s Kiss
Oni Press
Written by Jarett Melendez
Art by Danica Brine
Colors by Hank Jones
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover Art by Kevin Wada

Original Solicitation:

Watch things start to really heat up in the kitchen in this sweet, queer, new adult graphic novel!

Now that college is over, English graduate Ben Cook is on the job hunt looking for something…anything…related to his passion for reading and writing. But interview after interview, hiring committee after hiring committee, Ben soon learns getting the dream job won’t be as easy as he thought. Proofreading? Journalism? Copywriting? Not enough experience. It turns out he doesn’t even have enough experience to be a garbage collector! But when Ben stumbles upon a “Now Hiring—No Experience Necessary” sign outside a restaurant, he jumps at the chance to land his first job. Plus, he can keep looking for a writing job in the meantime. He’s actually not so bad in the kitchen, but he will have to pass a series of cooking tests to prove he’s got the culinary skills to stay on full-time. But it’s only temporary…right?

When Ben begins developing a crush on Liam, one of the other super dreamy chefs at the restaurant, and when he starts ditching his old college friends and his old writing job plans, his career path starts to become much less clear.

PCS Review:

I absolutely love this book. I have been waiting a long time for this day to come. This is one of the best OGNs that I have ever read. The art is spectacular. The writing is witty and endearing. It is a triumph from start to finish.

The character development in the book is very good and critical to the success of the story. As I was reading this book, I knew that I loved it, but near the end there is an emotional crisis in the story that I was not prepared for. It shook me, and I am better for it.

Danica Brine just absolutely kills it on the art in this book. She, sublimely, leads you through very ordinary life events but before you know it you are engrossed and drawn further into the characters’ world. Hank Jones’s colors could not be better chosen or executed to fit the tone of this story.

Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou is a virtuoso letterer. As if this book couldn’t get any better, his lettering ties all the aspects of book together seamlessly.

I applaud Jarrett Melendez for the passion and effort that he put into this story as well as all of the creative team. Do not miss this book.


Loaded Bible: Blood of My Blood  #1
Image Comics
Written by Steve Orlando & Tim Seeley
Art by Giuseppe Carafo
Colors by Josh Rodriguez
Letters by Fabio Amelia & Maurizio Clausi
Cover Art by Mirka Andolfo & Arif Prianto

Original Solicitation:

Decades after the events of the original cult series, Jesus’ vampire-hunting clone is a bigger outlaw than ever, and now, he has to face a threat like no other. The church has cut a deal with the vampire nations to unite under their cloned savior – Dracula. A 6-part monthly miniseries starting on Ash Wednesday!

PCS Review:

I went into this book not knowing what to expect regarding the plot. I did expect some chaos considering that it is written by Tim Seeley and Steve Orlando. I was not disappointed in that regard. Despite not being familiar with the previous work with this character, this debut issue was captivating and easy to grasp. The story that is unfolding is intriguing and will have us looking forward to the rest of the series.

The art and lettering in this book are excellently done and balance chaotic gore and clear storytelling in an effective manner. We are definitely all in on this six-issue run.


Rogue Sun #1
Image Comics
Written by Ryan Parrott
Art by Abel
Colors by Chris O’Halloran
Letters by Becca Carey
Cover Art by Declan Shalvey & O’Halloran

Original Solicitation:

Yesterday: New Orleans’ greatest hero, ROGUE SUN, was murdered.

Today: rebellious teenager DYLAN SIEGEL discovers that Rogue Sun was his estranged father, Marcus — and that he’s inherited his father’s mantle. Tasked with protecting our world from the forces of the supernatural — and solving his father’s murder — Dylan will be forced to come to terms with the man he’s spent the majority of his life hating.

From acclaimed writer RYAN PARROTT and rising star artist ABEL comes A SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY that explores the complicated bond between father and son and cements itself squarely in a corner of the IMAGE COMICS’ SUPERHERO UNIVERSE!

PCS Review:

Ryan Parrott definitely has something here. The start of the new Rogue Sun character comes off with tons of potential. The characterization in this book is well done. The pacing and plot points are excellently crafted. We are intrigued.

The art by Abel is very good. The action sequences and facial acting in particular are noteworthy. Chris O’Halloran’s color work is fantastic. The slightly textured feel adds a gritty feel and the lighting is excellent. Becca Carey’s letters are really well done.

Overall this is a solid debut issue and we are looking forward to more with this character.