Redcoat #11 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Inhyuk Lee

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Simon's abusive father told his foster son he would never be good enough. When Simon embarked on a career as a British Redcoat, he sought to make a new life for himself by bringing the rebellious colonists back under England’s control. Simon shot George Washington in the head at the Battle Of Trenton on Christmas Day in 1776. Then, he watched the leader of the American Rebellion shrug off the wound and use magic to defeat Simon's army.

 

The Founding Fathers’ ceremony made Simon Pure immortal. But it also robbed him of a loving family, a successful career, or even a full belly. Worse, while the Founding Fathers promoted traditional religions like Christianity, they conducted secret occult ceremonies in churches to forge the United States. So, Simon has no reason to fight to preserve this sham of a country. But can Simon remain neutral amid the slaughter of a generation? Let's leap into Redcoat #11 and find out!

 

Story

Zeke can’t believe his luck. The Corporal has been entrusted with a crucial mission and awarded a promotion. The Sergeant must deliver a package to a Confederate General within two days. But in his elation, Zeke allows someone to trick him. So, in Redcoat #11, Zeke pursues the thief who stole his satchel. It holds the keys to his future and the cause he pledged his life to protect.

 

While Zeke legs it to protect his legacy, Simon's past prevents him from pursuing a better future. Still, after ninety years of crisscrossing the United States, Simon knows the lay of the land. Military leaders on both sides of the war need reliable couriers. Simon slips to and from battlefields faster than Paul Revere. Then, while other healthy Americans fight for their families, government, and beliefs, Simon chats up women in bars.

 

Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story introduces a mysterious secessionist. The Cobbler wants the South to win the American Civil War. Redcoat #11 also brings back the Northerner, who will observe Simon in 1909. At least, that’s how history should run. But the Northerner carries an object with him. Like an amulet or talisman, the Northerner hopes it will signal when he has achieved his objective.

 

Art

A tattered Confederate flag flutters over Columbus, Georgia in 1864. A scruffy, overweight man carries a satchel bearing an elaborate seal. African American women and children toil in a textile factory. After an impertinent display, two soldiers pursue a thief past wooden buildings and wagons. A brilliant light briefly obliterates a tree-filled hill. Then, symbols glow above a still body in Redcoat #11.

 

As Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch introduced Zeke amid his Confederate brethren with a two-page display, they introduce Simon amid a similar scene of grandeur. Simon’s redcoat outshines the American flag, muzzle flashes, and exploding ordinance. Amid the gray-clad cavalry charging infantry soldiers in dark blue uniforms, Simon’s coat seems equal to the Confederate flag in brilliance. Compared with the grays, browns, greens, and beiges of the textile factory, Simon’s redcoat, the women’s attire, and yellow candle sconces illuminate a similarly subdued bar. Brad Anderson paints the night green as Simon leaves Lincoln’s Tavern. Then memories flow on a blue tide as buildings burn, people fight, and Simon clutches a fading friend in his arms.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and beige scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #11. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and never shrink. Violent emotion makes balloons pointy, while sickness turns them splotchy. The giant orange letters H and A fill a pointy balloon, but not with laughter. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Simon Pure has lived for over a century. He wears his red coat as a reminder of his past and avoids choosing sides in any conflict. Now, as he works as an independent courier amid the American Civil War, a strange wave of pain and memories flood his consciousness. Simon hasn’t died. But if he wants to keep living, Simon must choose between two mysterious employers in Redcoat #11.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

Redcoat #10 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Ryan Sook; Lesley “Leirix” Li

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 12, 2025

 

Simon Pure has the luck of the Irish. A night in a saloon netted him a bag of cash. But then, like Ryder in Aint No Grave TP, Simon's competitors objected to the aces up his sleeve. Pursued by gun-toting gamblers in St Joseph, Missouri, Simon leaps aboard a passing train. As the train rumbles across a bridge, Simon believes he has gotten away with the goods. Instead, an accident befalls him, tossing Simon into the Missouri River. Has a dropped coin doomed him like Captain Jack Sparrow? Let's grab the bills escaping Simon's sack, leap into Redcoat #10, and find out!

 

Story

The accident and the impact from the water deliver a mortal one-two knockout. Thanks to the Founding Fathers' magic and strong currents, Simon awakens the next day on the shores of Memphis. Karma dictates that Simon loses his ill-gotten gains. So, after begging for a coin from a passing stranger, Simon enters another contest. This time, he can’t win by cheating.

 

Simon meets the famous Annie Oakley in Redcoat #10. His contest with the sharpshooter in 1890 gives Simon a chance to shine. Still, Simon refuses to believe that he possesses exceptional skills. Believing in his capabilities, much less that he has a gift, means Simon must also accept that more than random chance rules his life. But then, Simon received immortality by stumbling into a ceremony designed to help Benjamin Franklin escape death.

 

In Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch's story, disbelieving in himself lets Simon off the hook. Why strive for success when it's easier to embrace failure? As Simon’s parents rejected him, and the Church consigned him to an abusive foster father, Simon accepted what his father drilled into him during his childhood. Simon fled the Battle Of Trenton in 1776. Over a hundred years later, Simon still rejects any notion that he could belong anywhere, let alone with people who might value his skills, abilities, and (perhaps even) gifts.

 

Art

As Simon christens his journey with Einstein by stealing aboard a train in 1892, so Simon leaps aboard a steam locomotive two years earlier in Redcoat #10. Greenbacks flutter from his bag, and a pig regards him with curious eyes. If the Founding Fathers were to observe Simon's misadventures, no doubt the phrase "casting their pearls before swine" would come to mind. As for the pursuing gunmen clad in their dark suits, coats, and hats, their appearance and revolvers recall that Jesse James died in St Joseph, Missouri, eight years before Simon's visit.

 

The tall buildings, crowded streets, and lines strung between poles suggest Simon washed up in Memphis, Tennessee, rather than Memphis, Missouri. Simon's red, white, and blue attire outshines the crowd in the dirt street. Brad Anderson’s colors make Annie Oakley glow compared to her portrait on the wagon. When Annie’s assistant hurls cards into the air, it evokes how Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch fill the first page with money and four Aces of Clubs.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and beige scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #10. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and rarely shrink. While many of the parchment scraps evoke the states of the union, the off-camera question in a rectangular box expresses concern Simon often hides. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

After ruminating on the role chance plays in his life, an accident helps Simon Pure meet Annie Oakley. Redcoat #10 reminds us how Simon's childhood shaped him and helps us better understand why, two years later, he will try so hard to keep his distance from thirteen-year-old Albert Einstein.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Redcoat #9 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Mark Buckingham & John Kalisz; Steve Lieber & Wes Dzioba

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 28, 2025

 

Johnny Appleseed may be younger than Simon Pure, but a wise head rests on his shoulders. Unlike Simon, magic doesn't flow through Johnny's veins. Still, Johnny senses the everyday magic that connects people and nature. He travels across the United States, spreading the bountiful nature of apples that supplement the diets of struggling farmers and townspeople.

 

What does Johnny Appleseed think of Simon Pure? And what will happen when they meet in 1816? Let’s grab a handful of magic seeds, leap into Redcoat #9, and find out!

 

Story

By June of 1816, Simon and Johnny are old friends. Fourteen years ago, they decided they liked each other so much that they agreed to an annual meetup. The men spend these day-long reunions catching up, trading stories, and drinking Johnny’s legendary apple cider. But this time, Johnny requests help putting a nearby community to rights.

 

While the rapid expansion of settlers helped people like Daniel Heavyside turn their hands to new skills, there was no shortage of bad actors. Silas Caldwell may be as inherently rotten as the Bender family Simon will later meet. Simon wants to catch the miscreant who hurt so many people. Johnny focuses on helping the survivors. But in Redcoat #9, Johnny is taken aback when Simon rebuffs a boy.

 

Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch paint Simon in 1892 as someone who runs up credit everywhere he goes. Perhaps earlier in his life, Simon focuses on being more self-sufficient. In any case, Simon's insatiable hunger and thirst for alcohol proved just as compelling in 1816. Simon drinks all of Johnny's apple cider and asks for more. Instead, Johnny suggests Simon use his inherent magic to track down Silas. As in his later adventures with Albert Einstein, Simon doesn't understand his abilities and relies on others' advice to resolve a problem he created.

 

Art

Simon checks his pocket watch as he waits for Johnny to arrive. But his friend sneaks up behind him and tosses a handful of seeds. As in Benedict Arnold's secret sanctum, the tree's explosive growth carries Simon into the sky as effectively as Groot secures Quarnyx batteries for Rocket. From his lofty perch, Simon notices more apples than butterflies. And instead of a Lonely Mountain, Simon spies a trail of brown smoke rising into the sky.

 

A double-page spread reveals Simon's spectacular failure to channel the energy from the Founding Fathers' ceremony. Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch fill the remaining pages in Redcoat #9 with action scenes, glimpses of life in a struggling 19^th-century town, and Johnny and Simon's camaraderie.

 

Brad Anderson lavishes a loaded palette on daytime scenes. Yellow, orange, and bluish-green dominate the evening. Fire proves a theme in this story set two years after The Burning of Washington by British Redcoats. A roaring campfire devours the wood as readily as Simon's deflections burn away Johnny's easy-going nature. Yet after a torchlit romp through the woods, the friends cavort with jugs in their hands like Jack Sparrow on a deserted island. 

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #9. Words grow bold for inflection. Raised voices enlarge letters and deform balloons. Lowered voices occasionally shrink the dialogue. Orange laughter dispels the darkness in this story about friendship and helping others. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Like Johnny Appleseed’s magical seeds, stories shape our cultural consciousness. While the issue provides deeper insight into Simon’s past, the shadow of a great American storyteller hangs Redcoat #9. Perhaps one of his major literary works laid a foundation stone for the series. The writer’s life and stories certainly influence Simon's relationship with Johnny. One of the early American author's famous characters also makes an intriguing comparison with our anything-but-pure, apple cider-loving antihero.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

 

Redcoat #8 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Brad Walker & Brad Anderson; Yanick Paquette & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 25, 2024

 

As Simon Pure travels through Kansas, returning to his familiar New England, the former Redcoat knocks on the front door of a family home. Kate Bender welcomes him inside and offers him a room for the night. Her family is setting the table for dinner, and they invite Simon to join them. But is the Benders’ hospitality as pure as it seems? Or is it anything but? Let’s grab our enchanted hatchets, leap into Redcoat #8, and find out!

 

Story

To 19^th-century immigrants, America glowed like a beacon of opportunity. As settlers pushed back the frontier, labor shortages let opportunists turn their hands to new skills. Daniel Heavyside has worked as a Cattle Inspector and Homestead Surveyor. Kate seems impressed by Daniel’s accomplishments when he visits her home. But is she the prize Daniel imagines?

 

Like Daniel, Simon Pure has many talents. While it looks forward to 1909, Redcoat #8 occurs in 1873 and predates Simon’s meeting with Albert Einstein. Nearly a century has passed since George Washington shrugged off Simon's killing blow, and the fleeing Redcoat gained immortality at a Founding Fathers’ ceremony. After assisting a friend, Simon returns to more familiar stomping grounds. Edward O'Reilly first chronicled the adventures of Simon's friend in 1917, although Pecos Bill, the Texan who created the Gulf Of Mexico, was born three-quarters of a century earlier. Kate seems as impressed with Simon as with Daniel. But is her admiration for her guests genuine?

 

This horrific story harkens to when less regulation and oversight allowed crimes to pass unnoticed. Like the Kent family chronicles of John Jakes, Redcoat #8 reveals the less-than-rosy history of American expansion and settlement. Yet, even in an age when communications and governmental oversight should protect people like Daniel and Simon from predators masquerading as angels of mercy, evil still finds ways to attack the innocent.

 

After witnessing Simon Pure’s final reunion with Albert Einstein in 1955, it's hard to see the adventuring antihero as anything worse than a misguided innocent. Simon has lived more than a century by this point. But, as Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch make clear, Simon's childhood still haunts him and prevents him from becoming a renaissance man like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day.

 

Art

A silhouette of a cowboy rides into a rain-streaked gray evening. Blues and grays dominate the foul weather outside. Oil lanterns and a roaring hearth reveal subdued colors and shadows in the Bender home. Blood quickly blackens when the Benders violate their guests' trust. Brad Anderson fills the living quarters with muted yellows, pinks, greens, and browns. Still, Simon's red-and-blue coat dominates the interior of this last, unhomely house.

 

Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch show the rain streaming off Daniel’s hat and bouncing off his shoulders. A detailed beard frames Daniel's smile as he assures his horse there is nothing to fear. Mrs Bender and her daughter return Daniel’s smile. But when the family reveals their intentions to their guests, their joy shows on their faces. Axes serve as reminders of Simon's adventures with Albert Einstein and Benedict Arnold and provide a link with George Washington's treacherous life. Pocket watches suggest that, unlike Simon, the Benders' illicit exploits cannot last forever.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #8. Words embolden and swell for inflection and raised voices and shrink for lowered or distant voices. Red and yellow laughter spills across panels, while Mrs. Bender's German accent hints at another reason for Simon's reticence to team with Albert Einstein when they meet nineteen years later. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Past meets present in 1873 when Simon's discovery at the Benders' house reminds him of his troubled youth. Redcoat #8 is a violent and horrific reminder of what can happen when parents don’t take their responsibilities to their children and society seriously.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Redcoat #3 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 26, 2024

 

Simon Pure wants to know why he will die in three days. Albert Einstein wants to hear more about the Axe Of Lies. But Benedict (Arnold) Armistice rants about George Washington instead of answering their questions. Can Simon escape an overdue grave and prevent the destruction of the United States? Let’s grab our enchanted hatchets, leap into Redcoat #3, and find out!

 

Story

The founding fathers signed the Declaration Of Independence over a hundred years ago. Benedict (Arnold) Armistice has seen all that those years have brought. He has profited from them by making wise investments and choosing rich and powerful friends. Yet, like an itch that won't go away, it irks him that people remember George Washington so fondly. The man Benedict knew was a self-important fanatic who shed innocent blood. Washington transformed a childhood gift into a deadly totem of mystic force that can kill an immortal like Simon Pure.

 

Simon never sought to be someone of importance like Benedict or George Washington. After fleeing the Battle Of Trenton, Simon parlayed his skills as a mercenary into a happy-go-lucky life. His profession and the magic that made him immortal come with a cost. Years and even decades later, people seek out the man who killed their friend or loved one. But the cultists Simon thought long gone, who he aggrieved when he stumbled into a ceremony designed to extend Benjamin Franklin’s life, have reappeared. The same day that they attacked, Albert Einstein befriended him.

 

In Redcoat #3, Benedict explains why he believes Simon will die in three days. Simon’s death seems inevitable as explosive energy from the occult ceremony departs. More perplexing is the vision of death and destruction he glimpsed in Benedict's office. Albert Einstein's sister Maja also foresaw this. Her ability to predict the future prompted the thirteen-year-old boy to stow away on a steamship and travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Benedict claims he wants a life of ease and comfort. Albert believes he's hiding something. Benedict and Simon may cringe at Albert's murdered English, but the boy's studies have given him knowledge and wisdom. Albert channels that more effectively than the cultists wield their powerful totems in Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch's story.

 

Art

Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch bring history to life as George Washington's father reprimands him for chopping down the cherry tree. While Benedict (Arnold) Armistice affects joviality, closeups suggest a haunted man. Albert Einstein's hair reaches for the ceiling as he gestures at Simon, who grits his teeth and clutches his side. Then Benedict straightens his bowtie as Juliet Morgan, the daughter of John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan sweeps into the library. The young woman sports an elegant dress and dazzling jewels.

 

Brad Anderson lavishes a loaded palette on Red Coat #3. The roaring fire casts yellow light into Benedict's wood-paneled office while George Washington charges through the blue haze of battle. A yellow sconce aids a skylight, illuminating a darkened room filled with occult treasures, relics of American history, and reassembled paleontological finds. After blue energy provokes a storm of green, a high-speed chase fills a double-page spread with yellow, orange, and rust, giving readers a foretaste of the prophesied apocalypse.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #3. Words embolden and swell for inflection and raised voices and shrink for lowered or distant voices. No sound effects enliven this turbulent evening, but orange laughter erupts as a villain nears the completion of his plans. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Simon Pure and Benedict (Arnold) Armistice couldn't be more different. Neither likes nor admires the other. Yet they once joined forces for a terrible purpose: to wipe out the founding fathers of the United States. Can the two immortals reunite to save Simon's life in Redcoat #3? Or will the frenemies provoke an apocalypse?

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Redcoat #2 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 15, 2024

 

Simon Pure wants to escape his grave. Albert Einstein hopes to prevent a catastrophe. What do the cultists that attack them in the cemetery want? Let’s grab our shovels, leap into Redcoat #2, and find out!

 

Story

Simon Pure once fought for the British. Now, he lives in Boston. Over a century has passed since the locals dumped tea into the sea, forwent their biscuits, and called it a party. The colonies have become the United States of America. And Simon Pure has died and been reborn many times.

 

Albert helps Simon fight off the cultists. Then, the teen chases after the man he calls "The Wizard." Albert tells Simon how he fled his home in Munich to prevent the destruction of the United States. Simon dismisses the boy's fears, intent on getting a meal and repairing his century-old uniform. Then pain seers him. The magic that always revives him now knocks him and Albert off his feet.

 

Okay. The boy stowed away on a steamship and crossed the Atlantic to see him. Maybe Simon should hear what he has to say.

 

Reading books on science prompted Albert to call out spiritualists, magicians, and fortune tellers in his native Germany. But then, his younger sister Maja started having visions, and what she saw came true. In Redcoat #2, Albert says Simon is a central figure in Maja's dream of the United States on fire. Simon knows magic is real. The colonists used magic to defeat the British in the Revolutionary War. Simon stumbled upon a ritual in 1776 that granted him immortality.

 

Simon isn’t sure how much credence to give Maja’s vision in Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story. Nor does he know how he could prevent such a catastrophe. But something has gone wrong with his magic, so Simon heads off toward another man who's lived a longer-than-normal life. If Benedict Arnold can fix his malfunctioning magic, perhaps he can also prevent that whole End Of The World thing.

 

In Redcoat #2, magic granted two men who betrayed their countries immortality. The cultists who tried to extend Ben Franklin’s years believed Simon wasn’t worthy of their gift. But why should they, or their descendants, try to kill Simon in 1892? Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story weaves intriguing mysteries into a compelling historical fantasy. Simon may have retained his youth and vitality for two lifetimes. Still, I don’t want him to die.

 

 

 

Art

Cultists clad in gray robes and red hoods surround Simon and teenage Albert. Flashbacks show Simon fumbling in combat. Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch contrast these with Simon singlehandedly shooting a cultist before another cultist strikes him with an axe. Albert picks up the axe inscribed with symbols as the cultists flee and chases Simon across the cemetery.

 

Brad Anderson shows a blue glow where the inscribed axe struck Simon. Then, the blue immortal energy fills the air, flinging laundry off clotheslines and Simon and Albert to the ground. From the backstreets of Boston to the carriage of a steam train, Anderson gives Currie and Hitch's art lifelike appeal in Redcoat #2. His loaded palette reveals highlights, and he uses darker shades of colors to portray shadows. Scenes set in New York City glitter with all the splendor of Mark Twain's Gilded Age. The travelers visit a ball filled with elegantly dressed guests and dine before a roaring fire in an immense library.

 

Rob Leigh bespells white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters in Redcoat #2. Leigh prints their italicized cousins on scraps of parchment. Young Albert may not have mastered English to Simon’s satisfaction, but the boy’s enlarged cries resemble those of his “wizard” friend. While no sound effects enliven the action, the yellow laughter that spills across the ballroom suggests that, like Simon, Benedict Albert doesn’t take life too seriously.

 

Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Simon's immortality malfunctions in Redcoat #2, he and Albert Einstein race across New England to prevent the magic inside him from sparking a holocaust that consumes the United States.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Ghost Machine #1 Review

 

Creators: Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi & Maytal Zchut

Inker: Danny Miki

Colorists: Brad Anderson & Bjarne Hansen

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Francis Manapul; Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson; Peter Snejbjerg; Ivan Reis & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis & Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 24, 2024

 

A radioactive man traverses an apocalyptic wasteland. Wardens in an abandoned terraformed world wear helmets to control animals. Novelty store items wield unexpected power. A family travels back through the centuries to live among us amid a contest between Heaven and Hell. What do all these stories have in common? Let’s leap into Ghost Machine #1 and find out!

 

Stories

Geiger

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank; Colors by Brad Anderson

Geiger wanders post-apocalyptic America. He burns with radiation. Beside him trots a two-headed wolf. Many come to him for help. One, the nuclear knight, begs to assist him. But all that interests Geiger is another immortal named Redcoat.

 

Redcoat

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch; Colors by Brad Anderson

Redcoat was born in 1749. Colonists killed him in 1776. He awoke on the battlefield and has since fought in many wars. He’s met many historical figures, including Einstein and Annie Oakley. Every time Redcoat dies, his mind returns to a painful childhood memory. Then Redcoat awakens to fight another day.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Geiger and Redcoat introduce several antiheroes who fight wars across time. As these stories interweave, so are the acts of these immortal warriors. A chart provides the timeline for each soldier's origin across a tapestry called The Unnamed, while biographies reveal insights into their histories and characters.

 

Rook: Exodus

Creators: Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok; Colors by Brad Anderson

Rook failed at farming. Now he’s a Warden. His helmet helps him command crows, ravens, and rooks. With Swine’s help, Rook searches for parts to repair a rocket and leave the planet. Swine isn’t sure he wants to leave Exodus with Rook. Dire Wolf argues they should build a new community among those who have not abandoned the terraformed world. Yet someone else hunts the three wardens long after the corporation that settled the planet fled. As with the Unnamed characters, short biographies provide insights into their histories and characters.

 

 

The Rocketfellers

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Francis Manapul

A 25^th-century family travels back to 2024. Neither his father, wife, or children are inclined to sacrifice their likes and interests. Still, Roland’s determined to forge them into a loving, supportive family. While doing this for personal reasons, Roland worries that Vertex will discover them.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, The Rocketfellers participate in the Time Zone Protection program. Perhaps the family protects our future. In any case, Roland must help them disregard traditions and perspectives that originate in their society and adapt to our less-advanced ways.

 

Hornsby & Halo

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerb; Colors by Bjarne Hansen

Zachary Halo and Rose Hornsby live in Warwick, New York. Zach is the child of angels who now lives with demons. Rose is a demon maturing among angels. While Rose's parents are loving, Zach struggles to please his adoptive mother and father. As the eleven-year-olds compete against each other, they reveal supernatural abilities.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Heaven and Hell wonder whether nature or nurture will triumph. How the contest relates to peace between both realms is yet to become apparent. And how will mortals react when they notice Zachary and Rose’s superhuman abilities?

 

The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo shelter under the Family Odysseys umbrella. Fact sheets provide the lowdown on each character. Even Rex--the Rocketfellers' family dog--gets a paragraph!

 

Hyde Street

Creators: Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee & Ivan Reis

Inks: Danny Miki

Colors: Brad Anderson

A boy blows a whistle to punish a rude man. A woman who has tried everything makes another attempt to lose weight. The items look like mass-produced gimmicks. How do these powerful objects influence the user, and what happens when wielded for evil purposes? Could using these artifacts hasten the apocalypse?

 

Ghost Machine #1 introduces all these stories arriving in comic shops in the upcoming months. Among this tempting array of appetizers, The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo best resemble entrees. But all these appealing starters will tempt the palettes of readers hungering to discover a promising new storytelling universe.

 

Art

An elder sits on a rock, telling stories of Geiger, the Nuclear Knight, and Redcoat to children gathered around a campfire. They clutch cloaks or blankets over their antiradiation suits and gaze at each other through the visors of their helmets. Geiger doesn’t need a radiation suit. He strides through the wasteland, carrying two sticks across his back like ninja swords. He glows with green fire when angered.

 

American colonists surround Redcoat on a hill. Their rifles encircle his head. Redcoat smiles congenially, offering to change sides. Yet he awakens moments later amid the Revolutionary War as scavengers try to pinch his boots. A lifetime later, Redcoat awakens when people try to bury him. The Unnamed features appealing realism with vibrant colors.

 

Rook: Exodus catches Rook and Swine on the run. The Wardens charge through trees and fall off a cliff, pursued by a beast they cannot control. Water streams down their features and flies into their faces as they struggle through a stream. Grays and browns saturate this failed terraformed project. Yet Rook and Swine shine, thanks to nuanced coloring and detailed penciling.

 

Lavish penciling inscribes The Rocketfellers into our hearts in Ghost Machine #1. The limited color palettes shift by scene, while other panels offer full-spectrum coloring. Many images evoke paintings. Grandma appears via hologram. The art conveys rapid movement as the family leaves their clapboard home, boards their VW bus, and races to escape pursuit. A 25th-century blaster—stored in the dash—provides their only protection.

 

 

 

The soft tones of the limited palette imbue Hornsby & Halo with All Ages appeal. The art suits these young heroes as they compete against each other on the baseball diamond. While outshining their peers, they endure parents who view the world from a different paradigm.

 

Three sections comprise Hyde Street in Ghost Machine #1. Pages advertising novelty items evoke Bronze Age Comic advertisements for items children could purchase via mail. These give way to paintings of realistic art in which characters exude warmth and settings radiate vitality. Moments of action strike powerfully while danger menaces throughout.

 

Rob Leigh populates Ghost Machine #1 with a wide range of lettering. Sizes ranged from large to small, and styles from simple block font to italicized. Vibrant sound effects enliven every story, and Easter Eggs hint at linkages to others.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy of this sixty-six-page issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Popular and promising creators introduce a lavish sampler of exciting stories in Ghost Machine #1. The oversized one-shot fires a salvo across the bows of local comic shops, warning readers to take heed and other storytelling universes to remain on High Alert.

 

Rating 10/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Red Sonja #5 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Gronbekk

Artist: Walter Geovani

Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Bjorn Barends, Joseph Michael Linsner, Bryan Hitch, Jenny Frison, Frank Thorne & Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 15, 2023

 

 

Kulan Gath remembers his mortal life. As he gazes down from the astral plane, he watches Red Sonja ride through a snowstorm. What does the dead wizard plan for this warrior maiden who carries the late Lady Alaberta's black diamond? Let’s leap into Red Sonja #5 and find out!

 

Story

Kulan Gath shares his disdain for civilization with Conan and Red Sonja’s creator. Yet Robert E. Howard never sanctioned poisoning someone, let alone a trusted friend and mentor. Kulan Gath once pursued his quest for power without regard for loyalty or mercy. Now, as his spirit watches people fight and die on the mortal plane, he remembers what it felt like to be alive and kill those around him.

 

In Red Sonja #5, Thord Varg conquered Velanger to capture her black diamond. By bringing it to the High Priest's city of Vestfold, perhaps Red Sonja can stop his reign of terror. Yet she halts her flight to free refugees. Like an uncaring disease, slavers capture the frightened and homeless. But in Red Sonja, they find more than they bargained for.

 

Torunn Gronbekk meditates on loyalty versus reason, power versus compassion, and achievement versus satisfaction in Red Sonja #5. As priests use sex, violence, and human sacrifice to worship their gods, Torunn reveals a clue to Thord Varg’s power. The High Priest believes he slaughtered innocents to safeguard Vestfold's future. Yet is he wiser than the She-Devil, who doesn't overthink things and grasps whatever opportunities she finds? Unlike Thord Varg, she knows power comes with a price. She paid it to avenge her family's deaths. Now, she uses any power she possesses to help others.

 

Oh, and Red Sonja likes her horse. She talks to it as she would a person. That says a lot about her, too.

 

 

 

Art

Kulan Gath walks through a garden surrounded by planets and stars. Via a reflecting pool, he watches Red Sonja ride through a snowstorm. As she passes burning homes and buildings, she spies a caravan. Red Sonja rides toward the refugees shackled to a horse-drawn wagon. Pairs of red eyes glow in the darkness beneath the wagon’s fabric-strewn wooden hoops.

 

Walter Geovani imbues Sonja’s horse Erder with personality. Walter’s storybook art packs panels with more power than many double-page spreads. Little touches enhance his visual feast. Consider the similarity between the coils of Sonja's hair and the many-headed hydra. Observe how he mirrors a severed hydra neck with a slaver’s bloody stump. A circular staircase evokes the coils of a serpent, reminding us of the power that tempts priests and wizards in Red Sonja #5.

 

Omi Remalante Jr. imbues Kulan Gath’s remembrance with a faded quality, illuminated by torchlight. He surrounds the dead wizard with lustrous colors, comparing the ethereal beauty of his new life with the gray, burning lands Sonja rides through. Yet richness creeps into Hyborean lands as the morning light invades the storm. While bold and vibrant colors fill panels, Omi backlights scenes to suggest Red Sonja's indomitable nature. Amid all the bloodletting, blood dances in darkness, reminding readers of the source of Thord Varg’s power. 

 

 

 

Simon Bowland writes Torunn Gronbekk’s compelling narrative using uppercase black letters on parchment. Simon grants white dialogue balloons to human characters, while those inhabited by a possessing spirit speak with white letters in black balloons. No sound effects invade the pages of Red Sonja #5. Yet Simon ends Torunn’s tale on a chilling note, as bloodthirsty believers demand the death of any who impedes their cause.   

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While Red Sonja rescues the powerless and bestows mercy on monsters, a fallen foe influences events from beyond the grave, raining destruction upon the Hyborian world in Red Sonja #5.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art and view other covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.