Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1 Review
Writer, Artist, Colorist & Letterer: Roman Dirge
Cover Artists: Roman Dirge & Kit Wallis
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 15, 2026
Death couldn't stop Lenore's huge spirit from returning to
the little girl. She lives in her family's house with her friends Pooty and
Ragamuffin. Along with the demon from Heck and the vampire reincarnated as a
doll, the former Egyptian Pharaoh Taxidermy occasionally visits the undead
girl.
Recently, another friend has resurfaced. He was enhancing
his culinary skills by training with the muffin chefs in Europe. But when he
got Pooty's call, Muffin Monster dropped everything to return to Nevermore. How
will Lenore's life change now that the Muffin Monster has returned? And what
happens when Lenore goes into cat withdrawals? Let’s leap into Lenore: Muffin
Else Matters #1 and see!
Story
Lenore, Pooty, and Ragamuffin may have exceeded the average
Human lifespan. Still, they're easily bored. So when their Xbox breaks, Pooty
explores a new interest. But after enjoying the high life as a celebrated
gladiator in ancient Rome, Pooty raids the Funsies budget whenever he sees
something he wants. While Ragamuffin takes him to task for his selfishness, Pooty’s
weakness pales in significance when Lenore gets the zoomies.
Ragamuffin may be a vampire trapped in a stuffed toy. Still,
he cares for Lenore and puts up with Pooty’s antics. He often plays the
sidekick in Lenore’s adventures. Both Pooty and Lenore may look the other way
when Ragamuffin suffers misfortune. But in Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1,
Ragamuffin drives the story. He knows Lenore’s history better than Pooty and
how to act when Lenore starts meowing, scratching, licking, and coughing up
furballs. Pooty thinks the solution to Lenore’s dilemma is easy. But as they
struggle to help their friend recover, the demon realizes how much he and
Lenore need Ragamuffin to keep them grounded.
As a child, Lenore loved her family. But so long after they
abandoned her, all she knows about them is the absence in her life that they should
be filling. Roman Dirge’s story delves into Lenore’s past and explains the
reason behind one of her struggles. It may not explain every mystery in
Lenore's past, or why her family rejected her when she returned to life. But as
Ragamuffin's authority on the occult says, sometimes, the past should remain a
mystery in Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1.
Art
Ragamuffin crosses his arms over his chest as he
remonstrates with Pooty. The demon flings his arms in the air and points at his
purchases. But mostly, he rests his hands on the purple marble-framed game
table. When Pooty realizes how he has failed them, his head droops. The demon
looks up when Lenore soars over the table. She crawls down the hall and leaps
over furniture. Then she bounds onto a window seat. Frowning at the bird
perched on a wooden railing outside, Lenore scratches at the window.
Roman Dirge applies a lavish palette of vibrant colors to
Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1. A diagonal checkerboard of purple, lavender,
and beige wallpaper rises above the wainscotting that tops the maroon and coral
stripes. Purple dominates the elegant rooms of her family's mansion. Red, pink,
and blue also glow in the light shining through the gold-framed windows and the
yellow lamps. At night, the former vampire lies in his bedroom on a red
bedspread. When he ventures into the house at night, a green cast fills the
walls, furniture, and people illuminated by his flashlight. And a glimpse of a green,
blue, and yellow realm evokes Lenore’s meeting with Cthulhu.
Large uppercase black letters fill white dialogue balloons
and colored paper scraps. Like the dark panel borders, the balloon and box
shapes suggest hand lettering. Ragamuffin speaks into yellow balloons while
braving the darkness with the yellow beam of his flashlight. An occult
authority’s off-panel dialogue fills green balloons. White sound effects fill
the darkness and accompany broken white lines, revealing how Lenore's
affliction drives her actions. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review
copy.
Final Thoughts
Confronted with Lenore's dilemma, Ragamuffin reveals an
unexplored episode of Lenore's history and how one friend sought justice for the
undead girl. As Pooty helps him seek a remedy to Lenore's affliction, another
friend comes to their aid. Whether dead or alive, friends stick together, and
love never dies in Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my preview of Lenore: Muffin Else Matters #1.
For what happened last time, see my review of Lenore: Blood & Money #1.
For how this series began, see my review of Lenore: Curse of the Beebee Yaga #1.
