anthony cooley Comic Reviews

Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 is a dark and compelling start that mixes conspiracy, horror, and character-driven tension extremely well. The mystery is engaging, the art is unsettling in all the right ways, and the final pages leave you wanting to know what happens next.

The Punisher Showdowns: Wolverine #1 is a bloody, fun, and fast-paced team-up that gives both Frank Castle and Logan plenty to do. The action is strong, the banter is entertaining, and the creative team delivers a one-shot that feels like a great throwback while still keeping the threat fresh.

Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago #2 continues to build on everything that made the first issue so compelling. The action is intense, the world feels dangerous, and the conflict between Snake and Maya gives the series real emotional stakes. The creative team is doing an excellent job expanding Snake Plissken’s world while still keeping the character’s cynical attitude intact.

12-Foot Skeleton #1 is a great example of a creative team taking a simple hook and exposing the emotional, still-beating heart in its chest. It is funny, creepy, visually distinctive, and full of Halloween atmosphere without feeling like a throwaway seasonal novelty.

This is a great first issue: tense, twisted, and visually unique. The sports betting angle really adds a relatable feeling of realistic dread that complements the supernatural elements perfectly, turning every point spread and whispered instruction into another loop in a tightening knot. Tommy’s fear feels real, and the final pages leave the audience with a smile that lasts until they realize they need to wait a month to keep reading!

The first issue moves fast, but it still finds room to establish the central mystery and leave Snake facing a threat with real personal stakes. Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago #1 is a strong continuation of the franchise: bleak, violent, and driven by a Snake Plissken who remains compelling precisely because he would rather keep moving than become anyone’s hero.

Ghost of a Ghost #1 succeeds because its weirdness is intentional, accessible, and not a barrier to entry. The story offers enough mystery to pull readers in, while its distinct visual identity keeps the pages turning. It is an energetic and stylish first chapter that expands the Hellboy universe in a fresh direction without losing its fondness for the strange.

Kirkman and Casey deliver an intriguing start to the Terminal Universe (my unofficial name for it). It’s a great setup issue that introduces some really cool characters who feel more like people than plot devices. Kubert and McCaig are electric and really give this book some juice! There are plenty of twists and turns and shocks and even a bit of heartbreak, creating a wild ride that is worth the price of admission and will leave you counting the days for the next installment. But some issues with pacing coupled with, what I assume to be, intentional ambiguity, makes it difficult to call the book perfect.

This is obviously a passion project by a creative team that loves these characters and poured their hearts onto the page. This made me feel things a comic hasn’t made me feel in decades. It feels effortless as if the characters wrote themselves.