Red Hulk #1 - Marvel Comics

RED HULK No. 1, April 2025

Announced by “Marvel Worldwide” in November 2024 as a new ongoing series which also has ties with the publisher’s 'One World Under Doom’ comic book event, Benjamin Percy’s tense, highly claustrophobic script for Issue One of “Red Hulk” arguably makes it easy to see why this twenty-five page periodical was the twenty-seventh best-selling title in February 2025. Admittedly, the actual, crimson-coloured behemoth himself doesn’t really make much of an appearance in this particular publication. But such is the American author’s mesmerising handling of an incarcerated Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross that few bibliophiles will surely mind; “And I know its chip technology is the key to this prison. And to my power inhibitor.”

Indeed, the entire point behind “Think Tank” is to show the audience that the decorated U.S. Air Force officer can still outmanoeuvre his opponents using his coldly-calculating brain, rather than just utilising his considerable super-strength and brawn. Such a plot twist genuinely creates a thoroughly riveting read, especially once it becomes clear that the three-star general is in league with a number of other notable fellow prisoners, such as Deathlok and Machine Man.

Similarly as convincing is the premise behind Ross’ captivity, and just why a top-tier villain like Doctor Doom would be interested in holding him “in a cell deep below the ground.” Latveria’s armoured monarch has always been obsessed with undermining the world’s status quo so as to give his small country within Eastern Europe a chance of global domination, so building a prison complex which houses some of the planet’s most “brilliant military, criminal and political minds” makes perfect sense – as well as a compelling adventure once the inmates band together to outwit the Fantastic Four’s arch-nemesis.

Nicely complimenting Percy’s prodigious penmanship are Geoff Shaw’s proficient pencils, which do a very good job of showing Thunderbolt as a somewhat vulnerable, aging man, rather than an unstoppable wrecking machine. Furthermore, the illustrator somehow manages to imbue Thaddeus’ escape attempt with all the meticulous patience and timing an onlooker would expect from such a tactical genius, who knows full well that every ill-timed movement or wasted second could be the difference between life and death.

The regular cover art of "RED HULK" #1 by Geoff Shaw & Marte Gracia

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #5 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 5, January 2024

Containing a truly sugar-sweet finale in which the titular character not only eventually saves the soul of poor Khalil Nasser, but also somehow manages to get the lonely orphan’s dead brother resurrected, David Pepose’s narrative for Issue Five of “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” certainly seems to do a good job in tying up all the mini-series’ numerous past plot-threads. However, the fact that this “thrilling conclusion” only comes to a successful end due to the young boy dying – something which the Fist of Khonsu has desperately been trying to prevent since this adventure began – may well have bewildered or disconcerted the vast majority of its audience. Indeed, considering that the adolescent’s body actually contains the essence of the Mighty Osiris, the all-powerful ruler of the City of the Dead, many a fan of the Lunar Legionnaire was probably expecting Marc Spector’s character to somehow work out a much less grim way to release the Egyptian deity from its ‘physical prison’.

Furthermore, it’s arguably difficult to imagine that a fair few readers weren’t bitterly disappointed by the all-too short-lived nature of “Jackal Knight’s ultimate ascendance” causing the real world to suffer a supernatural incursion of the Marvel Universe’s most notorious dead super-villains. This tantalisingly peek into the ‘real world’ affairs of Tigra and Hunter’s Moon sadly only lasts a handful of phantom-filled panels. Yet could have so easily been expanded into one the New York City-based publisher’s famous, multi-book Summer events, such as “Blood Hunt” - with the likes of Death Adder, Jack O’Lantern, (the original) Kraven the Hunter and the Nazi vampire Baron Blood all rematerializing as green-hued ghostly apparitions to terrorise the population; “Does the Avengers Handbook say anything about zombie invasions.?”

Setting such quibbles aside though, the American author’s storyline for this twenty-page periodical should still be regarded as something of a success. Artist Marcelo Ferreira’s splash page of Moon Knight’s other persona emerging to battle alongside the Scarlet Scarab in a last stand against overwhelming odds is debatably worth this periodical’s cover price alone. Whilst Spector’s decision to defeat his brother’s vain belief that the masked vigilante has had an easier life as a mercenary than him is satisfying resolved, when Marc takes his delinquent sibling on an emotional, roller-coaster ride through the crime-fighter’s tragic history.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, and Inker: Jay Leisten

Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 - DC Comics

UNSTOPPABLE DOOM PATROL No. 7, December 2023

Disconcertingly living up to its pre-solicitation promise of “a happy ending is not guaranteed”, Dennis Culver’s conclusion to his “Unstoppable Doom Patrol” mini-series also packs plenty of punch with which to keep its audience thoroughly engrossed in the action. Indeed, due to the sheer grandeur and pulse-pounding pace of this publication’s frantic fisticuffs, many a bibliophile was probably left wishing that the “prolific comic book writer based in Los Angeles” was given at least one more issue within which to depict Degenerate’s single-handed battle against the ever disagreeable Peacemaker and the anti-hero’s United States Army giant robots; “Damn you! You’ll pay for that! It’s on!”

Intriguingly however, not all of this twenty-two page periodical’s plot solely relies upon its super-sized cast trading blows with a menagerie of villains and deadly psychic manifestations. But instead contains plenty of thought-provoking verbal arguments too, such as when the likes of Crazy Jane and the Negative Man anxiously attempt to persuade their ‘opponents’ to join them against a much larger threat to the world’s existence which neither group ever imagined possible.

Equally as well delivered as this comic’s penmanship is also its visuals, with Chris Burnham and colorist Brian Reber absolutely knocking the layouts right out of the park. Of particular note has to be the growing sense of desperation and physical fatigue felt by the titular characters during their protracted conflict. In fact, by the time Willoughby Kipling has finally festooned Robot Man’s armoured shell with all manner of protective runes and incantations, the leader of the Grave Minders genuinely extrudes so much sheer, total exhaustion that his haggard look may well cause the odd reader to actually breathe a bit harder themselves in sympathy.

Debatably this book’s biggest hook though, frustratingly comes at its very end, when the thoroughly detestable General Immortus-turned-Candlemaker suddenly lands upon Danny the Street in the space between universes, and encounters the macabre-looking Batwoman Who Laughs. This meeting comes completely out of the blue, and should have any fan of Doctor Niles Caulder’s Doom Patrol absolutely frothing at the mouth for this book to be awarded a second volume at some point very soon in the future…

Writer: Dennis Culver, Artist: Chris Burnham, and Colorist: Brian Reber

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #4 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 4, December 2023

Disconcertingly depicting Marc Spector (once again) relieving his origin in becoming the Fist of Khonshu and battling the ghost of Raoul Bushman, many a bibliophile probably felt this fourth instalment to David Pepose’s “Moon Knight: City Of The Dead” mini-series was a bit of a filler issue. In fact, it’s hard to shake the impression that the American author couldn’t have simply reached this particular comic’s cataclysmic conclusion with just a mere handful of pages or less, rather than use the cowled crime-fighter’s mental doubts and emotional insecurities to pad out an entire twenty-page periodical; “You may think of yourself as a monster… But you should know… I forgave you a long time ago.”

To make matters even more bemusing though, this book’s secondary plot-thread features Layla El-Faouly rather unimaginatively just flying across the mythical Egyptian metropolis, determined to reach the Gates of Osiris before her poor young ward expires. Admittedly, this headlong dash through toppling tower blocks and the shifting sands makes for a pulse-pounding experience. But its pacing is so intrinsically linked to that of the titular character’s haunted recollections of murder, collateral damage and death that the chase sequence arguably feels like it's only been penned to help break up the monotony of Spector’s sedentary storyline.

Indeed, it will debatably have come as no surprise to any within this publication’s audience, that Moon Knight somehow manages to recover his wits and successfully slice his way out of the gigantic Ammut the Devourer’s bloated belly at precisely the same moment a badly battered Scarlet Scarab finally falls to the ground just a few feet away from her goal. This ending is sadly ‘telegraphed’ straight from the comic’s opening, and resultantly there’s rarely a moment where either super-hero genuinely feels as if they’re in peril – even when Marc imagines receiving a loaded hand-gun from his god and makes a suicidal move to end his own life.

Much more enthralling than this book’s narrative is probably therefore its artwork with returning illustrator Marcelo Ferreira doing a first-rate job in providing many of ghouls and demons the mentally-scarred vigilante encounters with plenty of gruesomeness. In addition, there’s a real sense of speed to El-Faouly racing across the sky, and hefty impact to all the tall buildings crashing into one another as she passes them by.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira, and Inker: Jay Leisten

DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #5 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V No. 5, February 2025

There can surely be little doubt that Matthew Rosenberg’s revelation towards the end of this twenty-four page publication’s plot had its readers genuinely gasping in revulsion at “the horrifying secret” behind how the vampires were still defeating the human resistance. In fact, many a bibliophile will probably find themselves unable to move along from Green Arrow’s discovery and its “shocking connection to the Speed Force” without at least re-visiting the disturbing scene a couple more times; “They’re doing something with all that food they grow. If they’re not feeding a large group of people. What are they feeding.?”

Impressively though, this eye-opener isn’t the only surprise Issue Five of “DC Vs Vampires: World War V” has in store for its audience, with the comic’s American author clearly still having a few more trump cards tucked up his sleeves. Foremost of these disclosures is probably Big Barda’s sudden emergence from out of a dark, winter night’s sky to absolutely clobber the blood-drinking fiends intent on murdering her husband (and potentially harm their infant baby). To say Jack Kirby’s creation completely annihilates the likes of a heavily-fanged Power Girl and Raven is a massive understatement, and genuinely helps imbue this comic with some truly palpable energy at a time when its other simultaneous story-threads are undeniably dialogue-driven.

Likewise John Constantine’s ill-advised visit upon the convalescing vampire queen, Barbara Gordon, doesn’t pan out quite as some onlookers might have expected – albeit the Hellblazer is seemingly a little too cocksure for his own good when it comes to antagonising Gorilla Grodd. In fact, the anti-hero’s decision to visit the dark heart of the Nosferatu Empire appears suicidally insane straight from the start, largely due to him not actually having anything tangible with which to bargain for his life.

Prodigiously pencilling all these sense-shattering shenanigans is Otto Schmidt, who really imbues Big Barda with all the momentous muscle a member of the New Gods is expected to wield. Furthermore, the Siberian-born artist does an incredible job of capturing Batgirl’s myriad of emotions using just her eyes and mouth - a talent which is particularly impressive considering that the undead creature’s entire body is covered with unsightly burns and blemishes, so it must have been extra hard providing the figure with even the smallest of facial expressions.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V" #5 by Otto Schmidt

Moon Knight: City Of The Dead #3 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT: CITY OF THE DEAD No. 3, November 2023

Whilst few fans of Marc Spector’s cowl-wearing alter-ego will surely disagree with "Marvel Worldwide" that “the First of Khonsu brings the fireworks in this action-packed new chapter”, it is similarly difficult to believe many followed the comic’s word-heavy storytelling without needing to reread certain panels, pages and even entire set-pieces. Furthermore, the executive decision to have Sean Damien Hill ‘step in’ as penciler doesn’t debatably do the publication any favours either, with the Alexandria-born illustrator’s style seemingly struggling to convey much of eye-catching spectacle needed for a story set in the Egyptian City of the Dead.

Indeed, despite the American artist doing a stellar job of imbuing Moon Knight’s dastardly brother with all the dynamic villainy a bibliophile might expect from a despot bitterly twisted by his ghastly demise in the real world – including being able to instantaneously summon a veritable army of green-hued ghostly minions, the “character designer” frustratingly draws Ammut the Devourer as simply an unimpressive-looking crocodile with a mane of dark green hair. This lack of deity-like detail for the giant Sphinx arguably fails to sell much of the demon-beast’s menace, especially when the creature’s surprisingly thin, somewhat floundering figure is repeatedly sketched up against a boring, disappointingly bare background.

Perhaps what makes this mini-series’ instalment most disheartening though is David Pepose’s decision to populate every situation with numerous thought-boxes containing Spector’s plans, feelings and the history of whoever the costumed crime-fighter is currently confronting. Ordinarily, this technique would probably have landed rather well. But because the smart-mouthed vigilante, as well as the rest of the cast, are also all persistently talking and hurling wisecracks, it soon becomes frustratingly unclear as to which balloon or bubble the audience needs to read so as to follow the correct flow of the action; “Because if there’s one thing I’m good at… It’s coming up with bad ideas.”

Despite all these criticisms and complaints however, there is still plenty to enjoy with the former “Newsrama” editor’s penmanship. The way Spector and his beloved Layla El-Faouly outwit the Jackal Night’s numerous henchmen is quite convincing, as is the revelation that everything is going sour within the City of the Dead because Osiris has decided to once again pay a visit to the Land of the Living. Indeed, even the schizophrenic entrepreneur’s sacrifice at the end of the comic makes perfect sense as a last gamble to ensure his mission is an overall a success. Yet sadly, much of the book’s impact is ultimately lost through the aforementioned gripes and groans.

Writer: David Pepose, Penciler: Sean Damien Hill, and Inker: Jay Leisten

Dune: House Corrino #8 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE CORRINO No. 8, November 2024

Considering the sheer speed with which events are concluded inside this final issue of “Dune: House Corrino”, many a fan of Frank Herbert’s “feudal interstellar society” must have felt its Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon probably regretted the decision to cram this comic book adaptation into just eight instalments. Indeed, by the time the thirty-three page periodical draws to an end after a cataclysmic carousel of captures, treacherous murders and nuclear-powered stand-offs, a good percentage of the audience will have already forgotten poor C’Tair Pilru’s noble sacrifice during this publication’s blood-drenched opening; “You served Ix valiantly… I only pray that the Guild heard you.”

Perhaps this tome’s biggest achievement however, is not in how tightly its collaborative writing team close their fists around all the numerous plot threads they previously had dangling throughout this mini-series. But that they still somehow manage to also include an impressive surprise concerning Piter De Vries, following the dastardly Mentat’s ill-fated brush with the formidable Bene Gesserit, Gaius Helen Mohiam. Those bibliophiles familiar with Baron Vladimir Harkonnen’s servant, will know well the part he has to play in this science fiction franchise’s future narrative. So for the likes of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to unexpectedly pull the rug out from under their feet is tremendously well done.

Likewise, the way the authors manage to imbue the Padishah Emperor will much of the impotence later seen in the “Analog” magazine serials is impressive. Shaddam IV has appeared throughout this title as a vindictive power-seeker, who despite being “the hereditary ruler of the Imperium” continues to crave more control over his subject’s affairs and wealth. In this comic, all that momentum is skilfully stripped away from him with a single misstep, and arguably leaves the conceited ruler semi-broken, as well as in the debt of the truly all-powerful Spacing Guild.

Sadly, what doesn’t really ring true for this book are some of the pencilled panels by Andrea Scalmazzi, whose rather wooden, stiff-looking figures occasionally detract from what should be a mesmerising battle scene or incredibly tense moment of high drama. This lack of dynamic drawing is particularly noticeable when the Emperor angrily confronts the Spacing Guild over their refusal to allow him to attack the Harkonnen Headquarters on Carthag, and wipe it from the face of Arrakis. Apart from Shaddam IV’s face contorting with visible anger, there’s no atmosphere to the deadly confrontation, and in fact the penciller repeatedly pulls any onlooker away from the grim stand-off by simply sketching exterior shots of the spaceships within which the main players reside.

Written by: Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, and Illustrated by Andrea Scalmazzi