Craniacs #2 Review

 

Creators: Ira Friedman & Joe Simko

Writer: Sholly Fisch

Artist: Joe Simko

Colorist: Valentina Bianconi

Letterer: Dave Lentz

Cover Artists: Joe Simko, Kit Wallis & Mark Ellerby

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 12, 2025

 

Rocky loves drumming and smashing. Phoebe is an artist and activist. But after winning yet another game of chess by smashing the gameboard, Rocky is bored. So, he accompanies his friend Phoebe to the sight of her next mural.

 

Bo loves competing. His sister Darby, is a thrill seeker. After celebrating Shatterday at Napoleon Bone-Apart Skullastic Middle School, Darby dares Bo to approach the border. What happens when the son and daughter of Futurra’s president venture over the border and get lost? Will the young Retrovian Rocky smash the Futurran foreigners? Or might Phoebe feature them in her upcoming mural? Let’s grab our trading cards, leap into Craniacs #2, and see!

 

Story

When Rocky and Phoebe meet Bo and Darby, everyone hides. But as curiosity overcomes fear, they explore their differences. The kids discover they have similar interests, even if their societies express them in different ways. After a day of playing together, Darby concocts a plan. Rocky will guide her through Retrovia, and Bo will escort Phoebe to Futurra.

 

In Craniacs #2, Darby and Phoebe wear disguises to blend into these different societies. Phoebe discovers that, aside from the technological differences of Futurra, the kids there still enjoy art. Rocky shares his passion for music with Darby. The thrill seeker likes rock music, but the Retrovian concert energizes her like never before. As they discover the differences in their societies, the kids make new friends. And it’s not long before children in each society see Darby and Rocky, and Bo and Phoebe, having fun together, despite Retrovia and Futurra’s proscriptions against intermingling.

 

While Bo and Rocky think of themselves as leaders, Darby instigates the first border incursion. Letting the boys remain in their worlds, she convinces Phoebe to cross the border in disguise. As the girls provide the impetus for exploring other cultures in Sholly Fisch's story, they also inspire other kids to intermingle.

 

While the kids enjoy playing together and exploring each other’s worlds, Rocky’s mother and Bo and Darby’s father eventually notice that their children aren’t following their usual pursuits. Riley and Alex are the leaders of their respective cultures. In Craniacs #2, the Retrovians’ Grand Chieftain and Futurran President Alex wonder what their kids are getting up to.

 

Art

Although the Craniacs’ skin wraps tightly over their skulls, the characters have no trouble expressing their emotions as they discover Retrovians and Futurrans can have fun together. Rocky sports purple skin and carries a club or drumsticks. Phoebe is a blonde with a pink streak in her upturned hair, while a red horizontal stripe crosses her eyes. A blue-and-red racing stripe runs diagonally across Bo's features. Darby wears rollerskates and a helmet.

 

Valentina Bianconi lavishes a beautiful palette of vivid colors on Craniacs #2, while Joe Simko places his engaging characters in eye-catching settings. Vehicles fly through the sky in Futurra, where President Alex strides through the city as a giant hologram. Compared with the Jetsons or the Back to the Future 2 world of Futurra, Retrovia evokes the Disneyland Jungle Cruise. And after rocking out at an open-air concert, no trip to Retrovia would be complete without enjoying a Tiki Tonic in The Shrunken Skull. Operated by a Retrovian boy, the lounge rivals Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room with its enchanting ambiance.

 

Dave Lentz fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black and colored uppercase letters. The letters turn gray and lowercase for lowered voices, while smaller uppercase letters indicate distant voices. Heightened emotions prompt words to swell and change color, deforming balloons in the process. But despite the hovering skull signs that warn citizens of the dangers of crossing the border, sound effects accompany the joys of exploring other cultures in Craniacs #2. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy. 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

The Retrovians teach their children the joys of nature. The Futurrans share their love of technology with their children. Each culture teaches its children to hate and fear the other. Yet the ancient site that marks the forcible merger of their worlds could help the two societies to form a more amicable bond in Craniacs #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10