Ancestral Recall #1 Review

 

Writer: Jordan Clark

Artist: Atagun İlhan

Colorist: Pippa Bowland

Letterer: Rob Steen

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

Cover A: Atagun İlhan $4.99

Cover B: Khary Randolph $4.99 (1:3 unlock)

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Melvin Waring fears leaving his studio. June hands him her prescription and assures him that there will be no complications. She has even called ahead to let the Pharmacy know he is coming. Why should Melvin fret about leaving home? And does he have anything to worry about? Let's leap into Ancestral Recall #1 and see!

 

Story

Melvin dislikes going outside. His studio may be messy, but he controls the chaos. Outside his home lie things beyond his control. Like writer "Alex Rover" in Nim's Island, Melvin resents going outside. He wants everything brought to him. Ordinarily, his wife would make the trip. But this time, his wife is recovering from surgery. So, Melvin removes his sandals, puts on shoes and a jacket, and ventures outside. 

 

In Ancestral Recall #1, June holds Melvin's world together. His wife functions as his art dealer and agent. She filters out the extraneous details of life so he can capture the truth in his paintings. Outside his studio, and away from her, Melvin struggles to make decisions. Nor does he want to talk with other people.

 

Jordan Clark lets us look inside Melvin's mind to see the world through the artist's eyes. He prefers silent contemplation to conversation, at least from anyone other than his "Junebug." Yet, as Melvin goes through his days in Ancestral Recall #1, he receives help from an unwanted source.

 

Myran Byun is a budding photographer. She may be a mere sixteen-year-old, but she notices things others miss. In the digital age, when phones have made cameras obsolete for most people, Myran numbers among the few who still use film. Melvin may not feel comfortable around anyone aside from June. But when his wife goes missing, Melvin needs someone's help, regardless of whether he wants it or not.

 

Art

Atagun İlhan reveals a silhouette of Melvin beholding an empty canvas. As he stands among scattered pencils and paintbrushes, his wife enters the room. She breathes color into his sepia world. Atagun packs pages with panels. When Melvin ventures from his studio, his thoughts orbit his head like miniature suns. Things seem off inside the Pharmacy. But like the image in Myran’s photograph, Ancestral Recall #1 suggests that we direct our steps carefully. One wrong turn could transport us to another realm.

 

Pippa Bowland presents colorful characters amid gray or lightly colored surroundings. The sky above Melvin's neighborhood fills with a vivid sunset as Melvin walks home. A close-up of Melvin's eyes resembles a starry purple and magenta nebula, while a glimpse of the past occurs in Black and White. Melvin's upraised black hair and pointed white beard enhance his confusion. So, Myran's black and white panda puts its paws on his knees and gazes into his wide eyes.

 

Rob Steen introduces characters with bold print in blue boxes. While everyone else speaks black uppercase words into white dialogue balloons, symbols often replace Melvin’s words. And then there are the squiggles, which evoke Chloe's drawings in the Doctor Who story "Fear Her." Whether Melvin's sketches are responsible for recent disappearances remains to be seen. Thankfully, beige boxes translate Melvin's scribbled dialogue for readers. Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The past can empower us or drag us down. When Melvin’s wife goes missing, the artist draws on his ancestors’ abilities to find her. Aided by a Korean/Puerto Rican teen and her animatronic pet, Melvin takes on the strangers threatening his future in Ancestral Recall #1.

 

The issue also includes two prose stories. Bryon Ackerman probes the frailties of superheroes via internet message board posts in Worst Mom Ever. Then, Dave Giarrusso's story, Dockers, reminds us of the importance of education. Ed Catto and Chris Giarrusso enhance these short stories with fun illustrations.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Ancestral Recall #1. 

Outlaw Showdown #1 Announcement

 

I don't remember this being mentioned during the Oni Press panel. But it looks cool! The cover reminds me of growing up watching Westerns on my family's 13" TV. Watch out, Bret Maverick and Hoss Cartright! Trouble is riding into town!

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

  

The Wild West Just Got More Wild With New EC Special!

Prior to San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Oni Press and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. announced OUTLAW SHOWDOWN #1 – the first in a new series of unpredictable and unforgiving 56-page specials visiting EC’s trademark brand of hard-won vengeance upon storytelling genres from across the ages . . . from prehistoric survival to crime and punishment in epochs far beyond our own.

Debuting this October in our inaugural bonfire of bullets: As the sun settles high above this bone-dry stretch of mesa, wipe the blood from your boot heels and place your wagers as Oni Press and EC Comics raise their pistols to pump six cylinders of hot lead and cold hearts into OUTLAW SHOWDOWN #1 – EC’s first 56-page special celebrating revenge and retribution on the lawless frontiers of the Old West! Gunfighters, scoundrels, butchers, and bandits—they’ll all join us here to draw down on fate itself as coffin-bound creators John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.), Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets), David Lapham (Stray Bullets), Tony Moore (The Walking Dead), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), and more rain hellfire and fury from the holsters on their hip.

Read more at ScreenRant.

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this announcement with us.

Return to Skull Island #2 Preview

 

Cover A by The Knott

The islanders aren't happy with Charlie. The teenager had good intentions, but his decision to provoke a battle between Kong and the Kraken could sign their death warrants. After the exciting debut issue, let's see what happens next!

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND #2 (OF 4)
Format: Comic book
(W) Simon Furman
(A) Christopher Jones
Publisher: Titan Comics
FC, 32pp, $4.99, On Sale Aug 6, 2025

AN OFFICIAL CONTINUATION OF THE SKULL ISLAND ANIMATED SERIES!

SET IN THE LEGENDARY COMICS MONSTERVERSE!

KONG RETURNS! SPINNING OUT OF THE HIT NETFLIX SHOW!

Written by Transformers legend Simon Furman!

Kong has his first encounter with the newest and biggest threat to Skull Island – leaving a trail of suffering and destruction in its wake!

Meanwhile, the team struggles to evade the toxic tendrils that are tightening their grip on the island.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

Cover B by Christopher Jones

 

Cover C by Diego Yapur

Cover D by Diego Yapur

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

To refresh your memory of the debut issue, see my review of Return to Skull Island #1. 

Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 Review

 

Writer: Ethan Parker & Griffin Sheridan

Artist: Pablo Tunica

Letterer & Design: Nathan Widick

Editor: Jake Williams

Cover Artists: Pablo Tunica, Rod Reis & Caspar Wijngaard

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Once, people in the Pacific Northwest lived amid serene beauty. They enjoyed running water, electricity, readily available food, and comfortable homes. Then the kaiju came and took all that away.

 

Like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, the giants tore across the land and made it their own. The US government declared Seattle uninhabitable. Those who remained among the rubble dubbed it the Deadzone. How do the inhabitants survive without Amazon, Microsoft, and Seattle's creative music scene? Let’s grab our survival kits, leap into Godzilla: Escape The Deadzone #1, and see!

 

Story

Whether we worry about turning off the lights, making our mortgage payments, or surviving a war, stories get us through the dark times. In Ethan Parker and Griffin Sheridan’s tale, one locus point of civilization is the corner bar. People gather there to discuss the realities of life.

 

In these uncertain times, fantasy and reality intertwine. As they search for scraps of food, clothing, and whatever they need to survive, the locals see things they can’t explain. There are the monsters who came to Earth. Then, there are the people who become monsters.

 

While those at the outdoor cantina muse about the changes life brings, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 focuses on one man. He hides his appearance from others and perhaps even from himself. Yet, in becoming one with his new environment, he flourishes while others live in fear. He wouldn't see things that way. The man with a kaiju tail cherishes memories of his former life. Yet, whether man or monster, he inspires others. And so, they create stories about him.

 

Despite the narration, or perhaps because of it, a silence hangs over Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1. People share stories about this “monster man.” We never learn his name. Yet, as he helps others and seeks to tame the wilderness, we admire him. As he leaps into situations that would overwhelm others, he forges his future rather than letting others define it for him.

 

Art

Pablo Tunica contrasts Seattle's gleaming towers with those walking the streets. Then, he introduces a man working at his desk. Amid his cluttered workspace is a Polaroid of a smiling woman. A note reminds him not to work too long. Then he stands with his coworkers as an enormous eye looms like the sun outside the window walls.

 

After revealing the man’s former life, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 shows how civilization stumbles on. People cobble together whatever materials they can find. The protagonist dresses in a green jacket, a yellow hoodie, a baseball cap, and enormous work boots. His large hands, now as brown and tough as his tail, sprout yellow claws. When the kaiju attack with their amply jointed limbs, enormous maws, and eyes adorning their ridged spines, he is ready for them.

 

Nathan Widick fills Pablo Tunica's evocative panels with black uppercase narration in orange paper scraps. Characters speak into edgy white balloons with arrows as disjointed as their lives. Sound effects shake the ground. Screams and roars alert people of approaching kaiju. Distorted letters in bubbly balloons reveal how some people cope with tough times. After shouts turn balloons spiky, an arrowless balloon heralds a discovery that could change everything. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The kaiju do more than destroy buildings and infrastructure. As they bring their radically different bodies among us, they change what it means to be Human. In a world where he doesn’t belong, Godzilla: Escape the Deadzone #1 follows one man's relentless march toward whatever the future brings.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Tales Of Paranoia Preview

 

Fantagraphics has a long history of bringing great stories to readers. Whether it's reprinting previously uncollected Marvel stories and the entire Peanuts catalog, their four decade-long association with the Hernandez brothers on Love And Rockets, or publishing new comics like Roy #1 (out this week), Fantagraphics has a lot to offer readers. Here's all the info on an upcoming offering:

 

FANTAGRAPHICS PRESENTS THE FIRST NEW COMIC BY ROBERT CRUMB IN 23 YEARS!

The seminal cartoonist who single-handedly invented the alternative comics format of the one-person anthology in 1967 with ZAP returns at age 81, still raging at the world and himself, still drawing like a master, and still funny...for the most part! In his latest comics excursion, Crumb dives down internet and newspaper rabbit-holes, and comes up asking questions. Why don't we know the real background of deep state careerists? Is Crumb himself just as paranoid as everyone else tells him he is? Or is that just what THEY want you to think? Mixing memoir, essay, polemic, neurosis, and conspiracy across 12 short comics—including the final Dirty Laundry story, drawn by Crumb from a script written with Aline Kominsky-Crumb before her death in 2022 —Tales Of Paranoia shows there's still plenty of life in both the artist and the classic underground comics format.

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

Landing in stores this November, Tales Of Paranoia will usher in our celebration of Fantagraphics’ 50th anniversary!

That’s right, 2026 marks 50 years of publishing the word’s greatest cartoonists. We’ll be celebrating all year, with the artists who have trusted us, the comics that have inspired us, and the future that we can’t wait to introduce you too! In the meantime, we’ve got a new logo to mark the occasion:

 

Thanks to Fantagraphics for sharing this preview with us.

Check out other great books from Fantagraphics: 

My review of Lost Marvels Vol 1: Tower of Shadows

My review of Mickey Mouse and the Amazing Lost Ocean

 

 

 

 

Kamen Rider Kuuga VOL. 10 Preview

 

 

Each month, Titan Manga gives us a glimpse into the strong characters, vibrant art, and pulse-pounding action of the manga world. This series promises to be no exception from their fine tradition. Here's all the info from this power-punch of fun:

 

KAMEN RIDER KUUGA VOL. 10 

Author: Shotaro Ishinomori

Artist: Hitotsu Yokoshima

Publisher: Titan Manga

SC, 224 pages, B&W, $12.99

ISBN: 9781787741133

On sale August 5, 2025

 

Dive into this thrilling and dark tokusatsu manga, a tenth volume where legendary heroes face off against unstoppable monsters. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video — for fans of action-packed, superhero sagas.

 

The stakes have never been higher in Kamen Rider Kuuga Volume 10. As the fierce battles known as "gegeru" escalate, a new and terrifying class of monsters, the 'Go,' emerges, challenging Kuuga to a bloody deathmatch.

 

Godai, the fearless protector of humanity, now faces these nearly invincible foes with an unlikely ally — one who once caused untold devastation while on the side of the opposition. Meanwhile, Shoichi Tsugami, haunted by his own powerful abilities, finds himself manipulated from the shadows. Isolated from his friends and tormented by his newfound darkness, the powers of Agito, Shoichi teeters on the brink of losing control.

 

This volume dives deeper into the intense, action-packed world of Kamen Rider, combining brilliant artwork with high-stakes storytelling. Fans of superheroes, tokusatsu, and sci-fi manga will be captivated by the epic battles and emotional turmoil faced by Godai and Shoichi. The tension mounts as Godai must harness the legendary power of Kuuga to protect his friends and the city from the monstrous Gurongi.

 

Volume 10 is a must-read for those who crave the perfect blend of heroic action and dark, psychological twists, offering a fresh and exhilarating experience for longtime Kamen Rider fans and newcomers alike. Fans of the show with the same name that is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video can now become even more immersed in the action. With its gripping plot and stunning visuals, this instalment continues to build the legacy of the legendary Kamen Rider Kuuga!

 

Here's a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for the UK & Europe. 

 

Thanks to Titan Manga for sharing this preview with us.

 

The Avengers in the Veracity Trap Review

 

Story: Chip Kidd

Script: Chip Kidd with Michael Cho

Artist & Colorist: Michael Cho

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Abrams ComicArts

Price: $25.99

Release Date: August 5, 2025

 

When the Avengers pursue Loki, their journey takes them to Asgard. Loki commands a legion of monsters. But why has he drawn them from the far reaches of the galaxy? The Hulk advises less contemplation and more smashing. Iron Man agrees and uses his transistor power to attack the monsters. Can Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk breach his defenses? And where did Thor disappear to? Let’s leap into The Avengers in the Veracity Trap and see!

 

Story

After discovering a powerful new realm, Loki establishes a base in an ancient temple on Asgard. There, he builds a transportation device to this other dimension. After Thor breaches the temple, he tries to destroy the portal. But when Mjolnir vanishes, Thor must enter the glowing ball of energy to retrieve it. In Chip Kidd and Michael Cho’s story, Thor returns defeated. Although he carries his beloved hammer, he lacks the will to wield it. Instead of discovering Thanos and a Chitauri battle fleet in this other realm, Thor learned that everything he believed was a lie.

 

Like Kwaku Anansi, others regard Loki as a trickster god. What Loki calls stories, others regard as lies. So Loki builds his Veracity Vortex to trap his brother with a different kind of truth. Thor cannot perceive this truth with his senses or measure it with Shellhead’s scientific equipment. Instead, Thor grapples with the power of belief. In The Avengers in the Veracity Trap, Thor encounters a realm where people believe his world is irrelevant. The people there regard their world as the sole reality. And when they think of Thor and his friends, they view them as cultural artifacts like Santa Claus, best abandoned to meet the demands of adulthood.

 

The Avengers in the Veracity Trap is a fast-paced story that celebrates how comic books contribute to our culture. The book compares the process of creating and producing comics with their impact on us. While reminding us of the importance of ideas, Chip Kidd and Michael Cho’s story also reminds us that stories define us. We can allow others’ stories to limit us. Or we can harness our imaginations to live stories that no one else could ever have imagined.

 

Art

Michael Cho evokes the look of early Marvel comics with Jack Kirby-style monsters. The Avengers and Loki also adopt a historic appearance. While setting the story in the present day, we see Michael Cho drawing at a drafting table. Chip dresses in a timeless style as he studies Michael's latest page of Bristol paper. While the settings on Asgard remain rooted in the 1960s, the design and furnishings in Michael’s studio seem suited to any era. Yet when the creators separate, they communicate via cellphones in The Avengers in the Veracity Trap.

 

Michael Cho also evokes the four-color era as he presents his characters in double-page spreads, splash pages, and multi-panel pages. While generally following a linear flow, he occasionally arranges the story across pages. A rainbow flashes across characters as they lose or regain color as they travel between the Marvel Universe and our own. Yet the circles of color that surround the characters in the vortex remind us of the infinite worlds of the multiverse.

 

Joe Caramagna conjures uppercase black letters into white and ivory dialogue balloons. The words grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Every Marvel hero and villain receives a pinup-style splash page with a stylish, colorful introduction. (Except Ulik. Alas, poor Ulik!) Sound effects enhance battles, interdimensional travel, and a giant whose footsteps herald a metal-faced doctor (and a Thurian Age sorcerer). Thanks to Abrams ComicArts and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

People often see the world from their perspective and regard anything that disagrees with their views as a threat. When the Avengers encounter our universe, they discover a realm where they are fictional heroes, controlled by writers and artists. Each protagonist shines when they combine their abilities to escape The Avengers in the Veracity Trap.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of The Avengers in the Veracity Trap. 

WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #1 Preview

 

COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON

Did you miss out on the animated TV show that rocked 90s viewers for two moo-velous season? If so, this is your chance to join the herd of fans by picking up these new comic book adventures! Stampede to your shop and tell them to order you a copy! There's still time to lasso one before the final order cutoff date!

Here's all the info:

 

WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #1(of 4) 

WRITTEN BY MATT HOTSON

ART BY JUAN GEDEON

COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON

COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

COVER C BY JOE PALMER

FOIL VARIANT ($8.99) BY JOE PALMER

HANDBOOK VARIANT BY GAVIN SMITH

FOIL INTERLOCKING COVER (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON

VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY PATRICK SPAZIANTE

B&W VARIANT (1:50) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

BLANK SKETCH VARIANT AVAILABLE

YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD COW DOWN! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and global entertainment powerhouse the Nacelle Company are proud to reveal your first look inside WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of an all-new limited series inspired by the iconic animated series and Nacelle’s red-hot line of toy collectibles! Before Marshal Moo Montana and his posse of moo-mentous Western gunslingers mount their animated return in a brand-new streaming series debuting soon, Moo Mesa’s long-awaited return starts with a perfect, self-contained introduction from wrasslin’ writer Matt Hotson (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return) and outlaw artist Juan Gedeon (DC: The Jurassic League) – coming to comic shops everywhere on September 17th!

Before he takes the badge, ride into the lawless world of Moo Mesa as we meet Marshal Moo Montana in his earliest adventure! In a time gripped by fear and uncertainty, disorder pervades the desert, and the citizens of Cowtown have started to go missing—including Moo’s former mentor, the respected Sheriff Mary Quine. With shadows growing across the mesa, Moo must navigate old grudges, new alliances, and a conspiracy that reaches deep into the heart of the mesa’s past.

Bringing together the nostalgic charm of the beloved Saturday morning series with a pistol-slinging new vision, follow Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, Cowlorado Kid, Cowlamity Kate, and more into a saga of justice, mystery, and redemption in a world where honor wears a hat and rides a steed. This is Moo Mesa like you’ve never seen it before—deeper and more daring. Saddle up!

There are some phenomenal covers for this first issue you’ll want to graze on, too. WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #1 features a stable of cover artists like Juan Gedeon, Andrew Krahnke (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Silent Missions), Joe Palmer (Time Before Time), Gavin Smith (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Patrick Spaziante (Sonic the Hedgehog)! 

Make sure to head to your local shop on September 17th to grab WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #1 … before it rides off into the sunset for good!

Here's a look inside:

 

 

Here are more cover options:

COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

COVER C BY JOE PALMER

FOIL VARIANT ($8.99) BY JOE PALMER

HANDBOOK VARIANT BY GAVIN SMITH

FOIL INTERLOCKING COVER (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON

VARIANT COVER (1:20) BY PATRICK SPAZIANTE

B&W VARIANT (1:50) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

BLANK SKETCH VARIANT

ON SALE SEPTEMBER 17, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

IOC: 7/26/2025

FOC: 8/25/2025

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

About Oni Press



Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.

About Nacelle Company



Established in 2017, The Nacelle Company, founded by Brian Volk-Weiss, is an American diversified media company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to producing quality entertainment. Nacelle has evolved into a leader in the pop-culture space through its scripted and unscripted productions, consumer products, records, distribution, and podcasting divisions. Nacelle’s comedy division, Comedy Dynamics, is a worldwide leader in the stand-up comedy space, having produced and distributed specials for Ali Wong, Tom Segura, Iliza Shlesinger, Pete Davidson, Jim Gaffigan, Tiffany Haddish, Larry the Cable Guy, and more. Nacelle is currently producing the NacelleVerse, an interconnected universe of animated shows that include RoboForce, which is co-produced by Brian Volk-Weiss and Seven Bucks Productions’ Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Brian Gewirtz, as well as their Biker Mice from Mars animated series, which is co-produced by Brian Volk-Weiss and Matt Kravitsky from Nacelle, Maximum Effort’s Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey, and Kevin Hill. The company’s hits include Netflix’s Emmy-winning docuseries, Down To Earth with Zac Efron  and the NAACP Image award-nominated Kevin Hart’s Guide To Black History, as well as Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, The Toys That Made Us, Behind The Attraction on Disney+, Sony’s Mad About You, Icons Unearthed on Vice TV, CW’s Discontinued, and the History Channel’s Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek. The Nacelle Company develops, produces, and distributes content across multiple media platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, HBO, Discovery, BET+, A&E Networks, Peacock, Hulu, Vice, Viacom, History, and many more.