Sanda Vol 2 Review

 

Creator: Paru Itagaki

Letterer: Bensidi Ayoub

Translation: Motoko Tamamuro & Jonathan Clements

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: David Colderley

Publisher: Titan Manga

Price: $12.99

Release Date: November 18, 2025

 

Even though no one believes in Santa Claus anymore, Shiori Fuyumura couldn’t wait for Christmas Day to come. She and Ichie Ono planned to exchange gifts and spend the day together. But when Ono goes missing, Fuyumura studies Santa Claus lore. She concludes that her classmate, Kazushige Sanda, carries the family curse.

 

When Fuyumura ritually stabs Sanda on December 25, she wonders if she’s just killed him. Then, as she watches, Sanda destroys the classroom while transforming into Santa Claus. Can he help Fuyumura find Ono? And why does Sanda’s roommate, Hitoshi Amaya, believe Santa Claus can help rebuild Japan’s struggling economy? Let’s leap into Sanda Vol 2, and see!

 

Story

Sanda has romantic feelings for Fuyumura. But transforming into an adult changes him. Suddenly, Sanda feels awkward around his former love interest. As Santa Claus, he wants to protect Fuyumura and make her happy, not kiss the girl.

 

When Hitoshi Amaya sees Sanda transform, he realizes that his roommate is secretly Santa Claus. Despite the declining birthrates, Amaya believes that Santa Claus can help families prosper and celebrate the joys of childhood, rather than repressing traditional society and relationships. Unlike Amaya, who wants his family's cake business to thrive, Hifumi Oshibu's aims are less noble. The ninety-two-year-old principal of Daikoku Welfare Academy worships children and wants to preserve their youthful appearance as long as possible.

 

In Sanda Vol 2, Ono returns. But when she sees Fuyumura with Sanda and Amaya, she flees. Soon afterward, Principal Oshibu conducts a funeral for Ono. Sanda, Fuyumura, and Amaya wonder at his motives. The faculty claimed Ono had died, but no one found her body. But the elaborate service is a ruse designed to draw Santa Claus out.

 

After introducing us to this future Japan, Paru Itagaki fleshes out his world in Sanda Vol 2. The story focuses on physical love. The declining birthrates have affected society's mores and laws. Science has made adolescence even more complicated for children. But if Sanda's life wasn't traumatic enough, life throws him another curveball when Niko Kazao grows interested in him. The fourteen-year-old boy never had feelings for her before. But when she envisions a future with him, it creates even more problems for a boy who transforms into a man when he wears red.   

 

Art

Fuyumura is tall and thin. She rarely smiles, and her dark hair clings to her face in a lover's embrace. Yet a strand rises above her head in an arc, evoking the Grinch. Sanda is a young blond lad with big eyes and a wide smile. When he wears red, or danger threatens nearby children, he transforms like the Incredible Hulk.

 

Santa Claus often looks grim in his short, bristly beard. Yet the man who evokes the ancient Greek ideal of a god can erupt into ferocious laughter. Amaya’s nickname is Pretty Boy due to his feminine features and perfect hair. Sanda Vol 2 also introduces Saburo Yagiuda, the St Nick Pursuit Unit Chief. Unlike Principal Oshibu, his dashing looks are fading. But then, he doesn’t benefit from so many preservative surgeries.

 

Daikoku Welfare Academy is in a former shopping mall. Students eat in the food court, while Saburo eats his noodles outside on a low stool. A board on plastic crates serves as his table. Principal Oshibu converts the gymnasium into a flower-strewn gala. The students and musicians dress in red suits. Then the children resume uniforms of pants, long-sleeve shirts, ties, and boots to mask their sexual differences. 

 

Bensidi Ayoub places dialogue in balloons of varying sizes and shapes. Dialogue enlarges and emboldens as situations grow fraught, while thoughts shine inside burning suns. A piece of toned art, bearing the title, introduces each episode as Sanda and Fuyumura struggle with developments in their personal lives. Thanks to Titan Manga for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the birthrates fall, Japan takes radical measures to preserve its most important resource. Yet while safeguarding their children, the government also robs teens of things that bring joy and meaning to their lives. Children become psychopaths, leaders prey on children, and the guardians of society go undercover to stamp out anything they can't control in Sanda Vol 2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Sanda Vol 2.

 

To catch up, see my review of Sanda Vol 1. 

Blood Axe by Menno Meyjes Spotlight

 

 

I used to read a hundred or so novels every year. Sadly, my novel reading has suffered since I started reviewing comics. But this recent novel from the co-writer of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade looks like fun. After visited England five times between 2011 and 2017, and watching decades of British TV, I can readily envision Alistair's world. 

Unlike Alistair Deacon in As Time Goes By ("Hey hey"), and Alistair Gordon Leth-Bridge Stewart ("You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that isn't immune to bullets"), Alistair suffers from ADHD. So he relates his mythological adventure from a first-person POV, like Percy Jackson in Rick Riordan's novels. But the pace seems a little slower, and the style more literary, in the introductory chapters of Meyjes' novel.

Here's all the info on Blood Axe:

  

Alistair is a Norse-mythology obsessed, neurotic, well-read and deeply unpopular teenage boy. He lives in Staines with his bulimic older sister Belle and their depressive single mother, an Amazon worker and weekend protester of the third runway at Heathrow. Alistair is in therapy. And he does not fit in with his classmates, ‘normal’ teenagers who bully him for being different. But when he is struggling, Alistair does not pray to God – Alistair prays to the Norse Ull, and in trying to summon him, he accidentally conjures up the formidable Eric Bloodaxe. 

Erik idiosyncratically adjusts to contemporary living while Alistair and Belle attempt to conceal his identity from their mother. When Erik abruptly leaves Alistair’s house, Alistair tries to follow him by climbing through the rabbit hole in the base of the oak tree where he prays to Ull. Transported to the tenth century, Alistair meets Erik’s wife - the fearsome sorceress Gunhild and Alistair’s Norse adventures begin...

As we accompany Alistair to and from the tenth century – a world far removed from his suburban house, where Bake Off blares in the background – we also travel with him through the ups and downs of adolescence and his blossoming relationship with Madelon, a Dutch girl from history class. 

 

 

Menno Meyjes is the screenplay writer of The Colour Purple, which was Bafta- and Academy Award-nominated. He is also the winner of a Goya Award and gained global recognition for co-writing Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. Meyjes directed the highly controversial Max with John Cusack, released in 2022. Blood Axe is his first novel.

 

Read a free preview of Blood Axe at Amazon.co.uk. 

Thanks to Grace Pilkington for sharing this press release with us.

Gran Familia Vol 2 Preview

 

 

Leo, Zach, and Rose run Goodfellas Bistro in Manhattan. But the klutzy manager, chef, and waitress are far more than they seem. After their adventures in the first volume, what dangers and revelations await them next?

Here's all the info from Titan Manga:

 

GRAN FAMILIA VOL. 2

Author/Artist: Kenji Hamada

Publisher: Titan Manga

SC, 192pp, B&W, $12.99

ISBN: 9781787747142

On sale: December 30, 2025

 

Dive deeper into the world of Gran Familia, where power struggles and shifting alliances escalate in a deadly turf war. Perfect for fans of supernatural crime thrillers and intense family drama.

 

In Gran Familia Volume 2, the battle for supremacy intensifies as new threats emerge within the world of vampires, werewolves, and other demi-humans. With the fragile peace shattered, Leo, the young heir to the Grand Familia clan, finds himself caught in a turbulent struggle that threatens not only his family but the very survival of both humans and demi-humans alike.

 

The stakes are raised when a rival faction steps up its efforts to overthrow the Grand Familia's control of the criminal underworld. Leo, torn between his ideals of peaceful coexistence and the harsh reality of the power dynamics at play, must make difficult choices that challenge his loyalty to his family and his vision for the future.

 

As the conflict escalates, alliances shift, old rivalries resurface, and Leo discovers deeper, more dangerous secrets about his family’s past. The line between friend and foe becomes increasingly blurred, and Leo must confront the brutal consequences of his actions, which could lead to a full-scale war that would consume both worlds.

 

In this second volume of five, Gran Familia takes the tension and drama of the first volume to new heights, blending intense supernatural battles, family betrayals, and complex moral dilemmas. The world-building expands, revealing more of the intricate web of power, and Leo's journey becomes even more complicated as he faces the brutal realities of his position. Fans of supernatural crime thrillers and dark fantasy won't want to miss this heart-pounding continuation of an epic saga.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-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. 

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa #4 Cover Preview

COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON

 

When the Great Comet created the Grand Cownyon, it also tore apart families. Sheriff Marey Quine was a simple animal, enjoying a life without crime and the need to keep the peace. But the Great Comet didn't change her son. Now, as Marshall Moo Montana searches beneath Cowtown for his former mentor, he knows why Dark Horse abducted the townspeople. What horrors will Dark Horse unleash next by experimenting with shards of the Great Comet? And will Moo find the sage mare who taught him to respect the Code of the West?

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

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

WRITTEN BY MATT HOTSON ART BY JUAN GEDEON COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE COVER C (HANDBOOK) BY AJ JOTHIKUMAR FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE Whoa, Nellie! It’s time to call in the “calf-valry” as the Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa ride into their rip-roarin’ finale—and finally uncover the true identity of the mystery villain Dark Horse! A horse is a horse, of course . . . unless that horse is the mysterious outlaw known only as Dark Horse, the steampunk-fueled menace bent on mutating the innocent townsfolk of Cowtown! Now, in their very first team-up, Marshal Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, and the Cowlorado Kid have saddled up to bring this rogue to justice. But hold your horses—this equestrian enemy may not be what he seems! Rising star writer Matt Hotson (Power Rangers: The Return) and artistic maverick Juan Gedeon (DC: The Jurassic League) lay down the law in the finale to the year’s “most-wanted” miniseries!     Here are more cover options:     COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE     FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON COVER C (HANDBOOK) BY AJ JOTHIKUMAR B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE ON SALE DECEMBER 31, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

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

All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5 Review

 

Writer: Stephanie Phillips

Artist: Von Randal

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: David Marquez & Marte Gracia; Meghan Hetrick; Guihiru; Francesco Manna & Mattia Iacono; Salvador Larroca & Edgar Delgado

Logo Designer: Stacie Zucker

Production Designer: Kat Walkington

Editors: Emerald Bensadoun, Martin Biro, Jordan D White & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 10, 2025

 

Gwen Stacy is angry that swapping her symbiote for her former spider-powers led to Wes’ death. She’s upset that the symbiote sent Cindy Moon to the hospital. Gwen raged at her father when he tried to keep her from apprehending the symbiote. And she’s beyond vexed that the symbiote took over Fabian.

 

Gwen recognizes that, all too often, she’s relied on her anger like Linus clings to his blanket. She’s tired of acting first and thinking later (if it’s still necessary). But when her former symbiote takes over the inmates at Ryker's Island and makes the Army want to bomb the prison, should Gwen rethink her approach to problem-solving? Or, with so many lives on the line, is this the perfect time to forge a better way forward? Let’s thwip into All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5 and see!

 

Story

Carlos LaMuerto thought he could overturn the legal system and run New York City his way. Mayor Cage reacted by throwing him in Ryker’s Island and tossing away the key. Gwen’s former symbiote homed in on Fabian’s resentment over his father’s plight and empowered the new Black Tarantula to free his father. But the "alien goo" from outer space has grown in strength after Gwen wielded the powers of the Cosmic Cube. While it controls Fabian, the symbiote also infects the other angry prisoners in Ryker’s.

 

As her symbiote created this problem, Gwen feels responsible for resolving the crisis. But the symbiote knows how to combat her when she’s angry. So, when Spider-Man and Silk thwip by to help her, Gwen says, “I have a plan,” in All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5. When Spider-Man, Silk, and Agent Anti-Venom dismiss it as “barely a concept,” Gwen isn’t happy. 

 

 

 

Like Gwen and the inmates in Ryker’s Island, “Mr Military Man” is also unhappy. Agent Anti-Venom talked him into waiting to bomb the prison. But the clock is ticking, and he doesn't know these costumed "freaks." So, he's angry at himself for compromising his plan to protect the people of New York.

 

In Stephanie Phillips’ story, Gwen wants to be more proactive. She's tired of other people trying to run her life. Just as she made up flyers to form her own band, and then interviewed Cindy Moon before auditioning her, Gwen Stacy learns to be more like Hannibal Smith in All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5.

 

 

 

Art

A white glow surrounds scenes as Von Randal imbues Gwen’s idea with a Mission Impossible vibe. But the Spider-society and Anti-Venom’s current situation proves more frantic. After webbing the attacking symbiotes, Von Randal devotes one page to the teammates' initial distrust of her idea, and the next to Gwen sticking by it. Then the camera switches to Mr Military Man, as he confers with a subordinate. He gazes at a tablet and frowns.

 

Matt Milla injects backgrounds with an ever-changing palette of bright and energetic colors. The black fabric of the spider-suits shimmer amid their fast-paced thwipping. The black, gray, and green symbiotes with Rorschach-like faces evoke KISS fans from outer space learning of the band's retirement. The symbiotes' green tongues and glowing symbols form a link with the soldiers arrayed to exterminate them. Yet later, a figure adorned in black, pink, and purple offers Gwen hope for tomorrow in All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5.

 

 

 

Ariana Maher thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and boxes. Gwen’s thoughts appear as red letters in turquoise-outlined boxes. A thick line of turquoise underlines the words that locate us in time and space. The text grows bold and swells for intonation, while a scream threatens to burst a balloon. Sound effects fill the air as symbiotes shriek, and heroes “send the cure” to Ryker’s Island. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

The Cosmic Cube imbued Gwen Stacy with godlike powers. But it also destroyed her world. As she remakes her life on Earth-616, Gwen wants to make sure she’s in charge. So, Gwen addresses her father’s concern that donning her costume saps her joy by daring to believe she can change in All-New Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #5.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly Announcement

 

Titan Comics released their first Dead By Daylight series awhile back, and what a rock-and-roll thriller it was! Four teens with rough upbringings sought healing through hurting others. Sadly, they found meaning in mayhem. The series probed our responsibility to the young, and reminded us that some people feel so out-of-touch with society that they opt to go out in a blaze of violence. What does Titan Comics have in store for their new Dead By Daylight series? And what will it say about how we live our lives?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:  

TITAN COMICS ANNOUNCE NEW DEAD BY DAYLIGHT™  COMICS – BASED ON THE HIT HORROR VIDEO GAME!

 

Publisher teams up with developer Behaviour Interactive

 to create new comics based on the smash-hit survival horror video game!

 

Titan Comics are thrilled to announce it will team-up again with renowned video game developers, Behaviour Interactive for a brand-new comic book series based on the hugely popular horror video game franchise.

 

Written by Derek Fridolfs (Batman: Arkham City), with art by Dean Kotz (Black Hammer, The Savage Sword of Conan) and colors by Allison Hu (Corvus) Titan’s new comic series will explore the origins of one of Dead by Daylight's original killers, The Hillbilly, and follows a rookie cop uncovering the face of pure evil…

 

Arriving in comic shops and digital devices in April 2026, the launch trailer showcases Kotz and Hu’s stunning artwork, as well as reveal one cover from Issue #1, by renowned artist Alex Horley (Conan the Barbarian, World of Warcraft). Be sure to keep your eyes open for more variant cover reveals in the coming months!

 

"It's been so exciting to work on The Hillbilly,” said Titan Comics editor Phoebe Hedges. “Dead by Daylight is a rich tapestry of stories and this is something we've worked hard to reflect in the comic series. I'm so proud of what the team have created, and can safely say you'll never know what to predict with a new Dead by Daylight comic."

 

Titan Comics’ new Dead by Daylight: The Hillbilly series follows the acclaimed first volume - collected as Dead by Daylight Volume 1: The Legion - the first ever graphic novel spin off from the critically acclaimed video game. Fans can order Volume 1 at their local comic book shop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Forbidden Planet for UK/Europe.  

 

Look out for details coming soon. To keep up with the latest news and developments, join Titan Comics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or TikTok. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this announcement with us.

 

To catch up, see my preview of Dead by Daylight: The Legion. 

Skin Police 2 #4 Cover Preview

 

 

DIC agent Gordon Eckis has finally met with his double. Noxxon looks a little different from him. Yet he was genetically-engineered from Gordon's unique DNA. Now, the Skin Police's lead agent knows why duplicates have infiltrated all levels of society. He knows why they "pop" at a certain age, and kill others in a murderous rampage. What will Gordon do with this information? And how will Noxxon use the popped duplicates he's been safeguarding to change the way the government treats clones?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

SKIN POLICE 2 #4 (of 4)

WRITTEN BY JORDAN THOMAS ART BY DANIEL GETE COVER A BY DANIEL GETE COVER B BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ Comics’ newest sci-fi sensation reaches its world-shattering finale in an unforgettable tale of intrigue, deceit, and awakening! After months spent in a coma, Duplicate Identification and Capture Division (aka Skin Police) agent Faye Vandal has finally awakened. But what memories have resurfaced—and who will kill to keep them buried? The mind-bending sci-fi thriller of the year explodes in a finale packed with betrayal, revelation, and blood (lots and lots of blood)—delivered by superstar-in-the-making Jordan Thomas (Mugshots) and artistic virtuoso Daniel Gete (Biker Mice from Mars). The future ends here!   Here are more cover options:     COVER B BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ     FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ   ON SALE DECEMBER 31, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC     Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.

EC Tortured Hearts #1 Preview

 

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER 

 

Every month, Oni Press brings you great anthologies like EC Comics' sci-fi series Cruel Universe. EC Comics also brings us spine-tingling terror like Catacomb Of Torment. Now, they're alerting us to the dangers of dating, love, and that most crimson of holidays: Valentine's Day! Should you wait to book that special dinner date? Or should you beg your contractors to install a safe room immediately?

Here's all the info from Oni Press and EC Comics:

 

EC TORTURED HEARTS #1 (ONE-SHOT)

WRITTEN BY JORDIE BELLAIRE, TINI HOWARD & BLAKE HOWARD, ANN NOCENTI, AMY ROY

ART BY SEBASTIÁN CABROL, FABIANA MASCOLO, DAN McDAID, ARJUNA SUSINI

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

ON SALE FEBRUARY 11th, 2026 | $8.99 | 56 PAGES | FC

IOC: 12/27/2025

FOC: 1/19/2026

 

LOVE HURTS! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., are wrenching romance comics out of the grave in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – a 56-page tome of terror forged in the unrelenting tradition of EC Comics! In advance of the giant-sized special’s February 11th release date, take a lovelorn first look at "A Pocket Full of Nails" by legendary comic writer and editor Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, The Seeds) and ardent artist Dan McDaid (Dega) with colors from the mighty Michelle Madsen (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

“Deep down in the EC catacomb, we've been toiling away to bring forth compelling tales of torment and technological terror,” says editor Allyson Gronowitz. "Now, we're excited to present our latest concoction of misery... a one-shot anthology dedicated solely to the particular pains and perils of romance! In this terrifying tale, esteemed writer Ann Nocenti explores the dangers of obsession, and the skin-crawling horror of the dark side of devotion... stunningly brought to life on the page by Dan McDaid and Michelle Madsen!”

“This tale is inspired by a true story about a guy who stalked female comic creators back in the days before stalker laws,” explains Ann Nocenti. “it was up to us to defend ourselves! One visual riff in the story was a scattering of loose nails, and Dan masterfully wove the spiky motif throughout the story to terrifying effect... dare I say he nailed it? Telling EC tales for Oni Press is a blast. My modus operandi is to think about what I'm afraid of, and with so much to fear in the world, the possibilities are endless. It's a pleasure to work with editors Allyson Gronowitz and Jung Hu Lee, who always offer tweaks to make the stories just a bit bloody better.”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here's one for all of you lovesick lunatics, rancid romantics, and forlorn fatalities as Oni Press proudly presents a giant-sized Valentine’s bouquet full of soft whispers and death rattles from hot-blooded writers Jordie Bellaire (Redlands), Tini Howard (Excalibur) & Blake Howard (Vampire: The Masquerade), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), and Amy Roy (EC's Epitaphs from the Abyss), alongside candy-coated artists Sebastián Cabrol (Hulk: Maestro), Fabiana Mascolo (Cyberpunk 2077), Dan McDaid (EC's Outlaw Showdown), Arjuna Susini (Lamentation), and many more!

Plus, as an extra-added bonus: Another newly restored and authentically remastered classic from the EC vaults by legendary fiends William M. Gaines, Al Feldstein, and Reed Crandall!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO

 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER

 

 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

 

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

Eat your heart out – but make sure to save some for the rest of us! This Valentine’s Day, EC Comics is gifting you a box of poison chocolates and cyanide-laced champagne in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – featuring a slate of salacious covers that will make your eyes linger a second too long from Dustin Weaver (Avengers), Miguel Mercado (X-Men), Tom Fowler (Refrigerator Full of Heads), Shawn McManus (Fables), and Patricia Martín (EC’s Blood Type)! Warm your heart to the boiling point – only in comic shops on February 11th! 

 

 

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