Space Relic Hunters HC Review

 

Space Relic Hunters HC Review

Writer: Sylvain Runberg

Artist & Colorist: Grun

Letterer: Chris Northrop

Translator: Dan Christensen

Editor: Mike Kennedy

Publisher: Magnetic Press

Book Length: 124 Pages

Kindle ebook: $16.99 

Hardcover Price: $24.99

Release Date: March 18, 2026

 

It's another migraine-inducing day when a Human female cozies up to the bar and starts being all friendly like. Most of Hegin’s patrons have packed his astrobar to see the Angels of the Moshpit perform. While he chats with the woman, the bartender grows suspicious when she asks for a private tour of his cellar. Then a fight breaks out as a diminutive masked spacer takes issue with the rockers calling themselves musicians. Why is the woman interested in Hegin’s wine cellar? And how will it propel the attractive woman and the masked dwarf on an intergalactic adventure? Let’s leap into Space Relic Hunters HC and see!

 

Story

Xia and Little Mercury are a formidable team. Extracting the secreted relic in Hegin’s astrobar doesn’t go without a hitch. Still, they get paid 3 million for delivering the goods. Thoughts of taking a holiday tantalize the partners. Then, an offer of 60 million arrives. And when they meet with Sir Ouranos, he’ll wire 30 to their nanonet accounts, even if they decide not to take his case.

 

In Space Relic Hunters HC, Charon, Aresia, Jupiter, and Venus have arisen. While the gods rule the cosmos from their flagship, the Pantheon's space fleet enforces their will. Xia and Little Mercury meet their client at a former atheist conclave, one of the first sites the Divine Order targeted upon their arrival. But considering the Pantheon's forces slaughtered the members of 1,863 religions, the Xomaefeb are a footnote in history.

 

Despite all they’ve accomplished, the four gods remain concerned about their place in the heavens. So, in Sylain Runberg's story, the Pantheon orders General Merti Ziscarod to exterminate all remnants of other religions. They also want her to shut down the traffic in illegal relics that sustain the heretical faiths. So, when Xia and Little Mercury team up with an Ex-Pantheon Centurion on their latest mission, General Ziscarod views them as a symbol of the gods’ displeasure in Space Relic Hunters HC.

 

Art

Representatives of numerous alien species crowd into Hegin’s astrobar. A lead singer with tentacles for hair leaps off the stage, wielding her guitar like a weapon. She presses through the crowd as a short figure covered in a World War II-style helmet and gas mask offers her a salute. Ponytailed Xia swaggers with her leather jacket, workout bra, slacks, and a blaster adorning her hip. She clutches a holo projector as she descends into a circular chamber lined with bottles. But when flat-headed Hegin appears, wearing an apron and carrying a rifle, Xia pauses amid her exploration.

 

While Grun populates the cosmos with planets, asteroids, spaceships, and stations, the characters visit buildings showcasing grand architecture. Beasts swell to towering sizes, while intelligent species proliferate beyond the bipedal form. Blue-haired General Ziscarod addresses the gods of Olympus via blue holograms. A varied palette of soft, muted colors imbues the detailed penciling with a classic space opera appeal.

 

Small black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Giant letters convey a crowd’s chanting while anticipating a cosmic orgasm. Sound effects enhance gunfire and explosions as Xia, Little Mercury, and Ex-Pantheon Centurion Vitellus become the galaxy's Most Wanted in Space Relic Hunters HC. Thanks to Magnetic Press for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

You can outlaw religions, but you can't force people to abandon their beliefs. While Xia and Little Mercury dismiss others' religions, they hold fast to their creeds. But when a former soldier abandons his faith, the trio's actions threaten the religion that unites the civilized universe in Space Relic Hunters HC.

 

Rating 9/10

 

Order Space Relic Hunters HC through your local comic shop or via Amazon. 

Parapsychologist GN Review

 

Parapsychologist GN Review

Writers: Mark Schey & Taki Soma

Artist & Colorist: Cat Farris

Letterer: Chris Northrop

Editor: Mary E Brickthrower

Publisher: Comixology

Price: $6.99

Release Date: March 31, 2026

 

Dr Ron Richards spends his days talking to patients. An essential component of his treatment is listening. But Ron's superpower is his ability to empathize with them.

 

As his patients pour out their struggles to him, Ron attempts to help them through what they’re going through. How will his new receptionist help him treat people who feel like monsters, feel most at home in the water, or cannot control their physical transformations? And how does Ron's family support or complicate his ability to help his patients equally, regardless of species? Let’s leap into Parapsychologist GN and see!

 

Story

When Harper Davis walks into his office, Dr Ron Richards tries to keep things strictly professional. But he can't. Ron misses his last receptionist. And he's informal by nature. Still, that doesn't mean he won't abide by his industry's rules and guidelines. So when the hypochondriac werewolf who lingers around his office notices a departing patient with a sinister connection, Ron refuses to investigate.

 

Despite his desire to be relaxed and open with people, the rules of his profession make Ron conscious of his inadequacies. So, in Parapsychologist GN, Ron takes time out of his busy schedule to visit his therapist. While he phones in his family time, sharing his inner struggle with his therapist in the woods helps Ron get through each day.

 

While Mark Schey and Taki Soma’s story follows Ron, it also looks in on Harper and a classmate at the university where she prepares to follow in Ron's footsteps. Harper senses his struggles and yearns to help him. As with his family, Ron instinctively pushes her away. But as he realizes his family is hurting, and he is failing his patients, Ron begins to understand he cannot carry his burdens alone. The challenge in Parapsychologist GN is: can Ron loosen up to be the cool boss he aspires to be while also learning how to be a better husband and father?

 

Art

Ron and his family live in a comfortable two-story suburban house with an attic. A sign outside welcomes them to a separate entrance to see Dr. Ron Richards Phd. As they enter the comfortable waiting room, they meet Harper sitting at her desk. They’ll likely see a fretting werewolf lingering in his sweatshirt and ball cap. Then they enter his office, where Ron sits in his Queen Anne chair as they pour out their troubles on a comfortable couch.

 

Cat Farris' low-key penciling and pastel colors imbue Parapsychologist GN with a lighthearted cartoony vibe. Ron goes through his days with his long hair, T-shirt, jacket, and sneakers. In addition to the werewolf, he also sees ghosts, a poltergeist, and even someone who should be in Scotland. But as he sits at the dinner table each evening, Ron barely notices his wife and children. While studying his patient files, his son shares Ron's fashion sense as he removes his hearing aid to study his phone. And as his wife and daughter dress more formally, they display their need for his involvement in their lives in different ways.

 

Chris Northrop fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters that grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices. Colored boxes locate readers in time and space. When Ron treks into the forest, large black letters fill the air as he calls out to his therapist. And when a patient composed of floating circles visits his office, doors bang open, drapes swing shut of their own accord, and the air whooshes as it floats into Ron’s office. Thanks to Comixology and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

No one is an island, and life is a journey. As Dr Ron Richards strives to help people each day, he begins to realize that his life is falling apart. But when the man who follows all the rules and is supposed to have all the answers, lowers his defenses, he discovers people willing to help him, and a family anxious for his involvement, in Parapsychologist GN.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Parapsychologist GN. 

Parapsychologist GN Preview

 

Dr Ron Richards spends his days talking to patients. An essential component of his treatment is listening. But Ron's superpower is his ability to empathize with them. 

As his patients pour out their struggles to him, Ron attempts to help them through what they’re going through. How will his new receptionist, Harper Davis, help him treat people who feel like monsters, feel most at home in the water, or cannot control their physical transformations? And how do Ron's family support or complicate his ability to help his patients equally, regardless of species?  

Here's all the info from Comixology:

 

Parapsychologist GN 

Creators/Writers: Mark Schey & Taki Soma

Artist & Colorist: Cat Farris

Letterer: Chris Northrop

Editor: Mary E Brickthrower

Publisher: Comixology Originals

Price: $6.99

Release Date: March 31, 2026

 

Comixology Originals Presents Parapsychologist,

A Comedic Family Drama and Paranormal Mystery About a Therapist with an Unusual Clientele

Co-Created by Taki Soma and Mark Schey With Art by Cat Farris

 

The Original Graphic Novel Arrives March 31, 2026

 

Hot on the heels of her series Alienated, HUGO award-nominated cartoonist Taki Soma (Sleeping While Standing) and co-writer Mark Schey present the original graphic novel Parapsychologist. Parapsychologist, is a comedic family drama and mystery that follows a therapist whose patients are paranormal beings with human-like issues. Featuring art and colors by Cat Farris (The Ghoul Next Door), letters by Chris Northrop, and edits by Mary E. Brickthrower, Parapsychologist debuts digitally on March 31, 2026, from Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line.

 

“I take psychotherapy very seriously, having been a patient on and off for decades,” says Taki Soma. “So, while Parapsychologist is fiction and a comedy, I want to break the taboo a little, to make people feel understood, and less alone in their pain because I’ve been there: trauma, sadness, tragedy, loneliness." Soma continues, "I hope Parapsychologist gives readers a laugh and maybe a little feeling of recognition along the way.”

 

In Parapsychologist Dr. Ron Richards is a therapist with a degree in psychology who has unintentionally found a specialty treating . . . gulp, paranormal beings. From poltergeists with agoraphobia, werewolves struggling with their toxic masculinity, to a ghost stuck in limbo due to unfinished business—Ron treats them all, while navigating the chaos of his own family life. So, when a former patient arrives intent on destroying him, his practice, and his family, Dr. Richards and his new receptionist must work together to outsmart the evil.

 

“Taki and I wanted to create a story that felt deeply personal yet uniquely entertaining,” says Mark Schey. “When we set out to begin this tale about mental health disguised as a comedic paranormal story, we also happened to enter what would become some of the hardest years of our lives. There’s nothing quite like putting your sense of humor on display during one of the most difficult moments of your life. We were barely holding it together, but we pushed through and found the process therapeutic." Schey continues, "We are hopeful people will connect with the story and are grateful to everyone who gives it a chance.”

 

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

To preorder, see the Parapsychology GN on Amazon.  

 

 

About the Team:

Taki Soma is a HUGO award-nominated cartoonist. Soma has worked on creator-owned projects such as Alienated, United States of Murder, Inc., Bitch Planet, Dick Tracy, Iron Man, an auto-biographical graphic novel titled Sleeping While Standing - listed as one of the best graphic novels of 2022 by the American Library Association. Soma has worked with publishers such as DC, Image, IDW, Marvel, Dark Horse, Jinxworld, Avery Hill, Comixology Originals, and more. Soma lives in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by furry critters and a husband who shares the same passion in comics.

 

Mark Schey is a writer whose comics work includes editing Alienated and co-creating the bestselling sci-fi anthology "Black Box Chronicles" from Magnetic Press. Recent work includes the 2025 reboot of Deadline UK, continuing his focus on ambitious, character-driven speculative storytelling.

 

Cat Farris is a native Portlander and artist. She has made art for various comics publishers, including Oni Press, Dark Horse Comics, IDW, and HarperAlley.  Her most recent books are The Ghoul Next Door and Up to No Ghoul, written by Cullen Bunn and published by HarperAlley.

 

About Comixology Originals:

Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Kindle Unlimited and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime members can enjoy a selection of eBooks, audiobooks, comics, and manga included with their Prime membership. With a monthly Kindle Unlimited membership, customers get access to an extensive library of digital books, featuring beloved authors and genres, including binge-worthy series, best sellers, audiobooks, comics and manga, magazines, and trending titles—all at your fingertips at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a free trial at amazon.com/comixologyunlimited.

 

 

Shin Zero: Book One Review

 

Writer: Mathieu Bablet

Artist & Cover Artist: Guillaume Singelin

English Letterer: Chris Northrop

Translator: Dan Christensen

Editor: Mike Kennedy

Publisher: Magnetic Press

Price: $19.99

Release Date: March 4, 2026

 

We all make our own way in life, even if our parents don't agree with our choices. After graduating from high school, Warren is looking forward to attending university. Then his best friend tells him that she has a different plan. Eloise has applied to Sentai Corp and looks forward to a life of excitement and adventure.

 

Warren has worked hard to earn a scholarship. How will he find university life without Eloise? Or will Warren decide to help Eloise defend the public against the dangers threatening his community? Let's leap into Shin Zero: Book One and see!

 

Story

Warren is happy to leave High School behind. But saying goodbye to Eloise is something different. So even though his mom urges him not to work so he can focus full-time on university, Warren follows Eloise into the Sentai program. His mother wishes Warren would spend more time with his family. But Eloise can’t wait to leave hers behind and move to the city. So, when another Sentai tells Warren about rooms for rent, he and Eloise move into the apartment with Satoshi, his cousin Sofia, and their friend Nikki.

 

Like all the applicants accepted by Sentai Corp, Warren and Eloise work as independent contractors. They check the job listings and accept a security position based on the required skills and threat levels. Naturally, they hope the employer will give them a five-star review. Warren doesn't mind the low pay, provided he doesn't have to fight anyone. But Satoshi yearns to do something more important for his country.

 

In Shin Zero: Book One, Warren and Eloise enjoy a peaceful world. But it wasn't always this way. Kaiju climbed from the sea to terrorize civilization for seventy years. Humanity organized the Sentai program to combat these giant monsters. Like Nikki’s grandmother, the Sentai who first fought the giant beasts are still around. But the giant robots, piloted by the mecha pilots whom Satoshi idolizes, are not.

 

Satoshi worries that the giant robots and the skilled Sentai pilots will be needed when the kaiju eventually return. In Mathieu Bablet’s story, the young Sentai needs the kaiju to return. Barring that, he needs to understand why they vanished. Otherwise, Satoshi is just a relic of the past, like Warren's father, who no longer fits in his old Sentai costume and works for minimum wage.

 

Art

A crowd surrounds the central A-frame of a building complex. The solar panels and building supports suggest Vs and triangles. Eloise and Warren sort through their lockers stuffed with shoes, papers, photos, and books, and pack up what they want to keep. After passing through the empty cafeteria and pool room, Warren uncaps a marker and disfigures photos of the top achievers in Shin Zero: Book One.

 

Both graduates like their hair unruly. On the bus ride home, Eloise binds her hair into a bun and puts on glasses. While his younger brother plays with action figures and kaiju toys, Warren grabs a cereal box adorned with a monster name and image. But in a city filled with skyscrapers, weary Sentai gather for moral support while children purchase drinks named after monsters. Guillaume Gingelin makes the Sentai stand out by coloring their costumes. Color also slips into his detailed black-and-white art when characters dream of a potential future or commemorate the heroes of the past.

 

One of the original Sentai narrates her experiences about sharing the world with the kaiju amid brown ink. While Warren and Eloise learn about their flatmates, Chris Northrop fills dialogue balloons with uppercase words. Increased volume and emotion distort the balloon shapes, especially when Satoshi urges people to investigate why the kaiju disappeared. When he discovers a way to transform their lives, colored boxes identify each Sentai’s texts in Shin Zero: Book One. Thanks to Oni Press, Magnetic Press, and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Once, they were heroes who protected civilization against giant monsters. Now, their children and grandchildren don their costumes and work as glorified security guards. Many young people try out the Sentai lifestyle. But few make it into a career. Warren can have any future he wants. But the person he wants to share it with is slipping away from him. And in Shin Zero: Book One, Warren will do anything to win her over.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more info, see my Shin Zero: Book One Spotlight. 

Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC Review

 

Writer & Artist: Michaël Sanalavaille

Translator: Dan Chrstensen

Editor: Mike Kennedy

Production Assistant & Letterer: Chris Northrop

Publisher: Magnetic Press

Price: $19.99

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

In a house along the cliffs, a man turns on his TV. He watches a match from Mustang Beach, where the Mud Brothers are challenging the League Two hopefuls, the Black Falcons. What game is he watching? And why is he interested in this violent team sport? Let’s leap into Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC and see!

 

Story

Helena enjoys life on her father's farm. Her friends may be finding jobs or attending University, but Helena is content. Life on the farm suits her. When her father finds a calf has fallen along the cliffs, Helena doesn't hesitate. She secures a rope along the top of the cliffs and leaps down to the ledge where the calf lies injured. After he winches them back up, she and her father transport the calf to Jo's, where the veterinarian attends to its needs.

 

But trouble brews on the horizon in Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC. Her father wants her to commit to her future, while Helena prefers to take life one day at a time. When he keeps pushing her, the kind, amiable girl grows increasingly vehement. She won't let him dictate her life, even if all he wants is for her to explore what the world has to offer.

 

In Michaël Sanalavaille’s story, Helena has reached the optimal age to discover what she’s best suited for. Still, she finds the thought of leaving home scary. Helena doesn't need her father to provide for her or approve of her actions. So, Helena avoids him. She hangs out with her friends Neil, Dennis, Toby, and Manille. Helena takes comfort in their camaraderie and familiar activities such as camping and swimming.

 

While embracing pursuits that have always given her joy, Helena discovers a new pastime. Although Helena enjoys ball games, she has never heard of Sioule. But when Helena discovers she has a natural aptitude for this violent game, her growing circle of friends educates her in the sport. As they help her hone her abilities, Helena wonders how far this game with no rules can take her in Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC.

 

Art

The bluffs bordering Helena's family farm evoke the chalk cliffs of England. While her father watches a flatscreen TV in a darkened room, a crowd sits in grandstands lining a coastal road. Beyond the seawall, athletes crouch, stand, and charge through the water. Adorned with helmets and pads, they strive to land a ball within a circle of floats surrounding a pole guarded by players of the opposing team.

 

Michaël Sanalavaille shades his Black & White art to give it depth and reality in Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC. In this alternate world, Fauste evokes Lassie while racing to find Helena. The dog finds Helena clad in overalls. Her eyes sparkle as a smile stretches across her face. Helena carries her axe in one hand and a fallen log over her shoulder as she walks to her truck.

 

As in a manga, black uppercase letters fill dialogue balloons of varying shapes in this fast-paced debut volume. Words enlarge as scooters, motorcycles, and trucks with rollbars and cabin lights roar past windswept villages. Sound effects fill panels as Helena’s friends demonstrate uniqueness, charm, and vitality. Direction lines enhance the intense sport that Helena discovers a passion for. Thanks to Magnetic Press, Oni Press, and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Helena’s father wants the best for her. As often occurs when keeping secrets, he turns Helena against him while shielding her from his interests. But whether he likes it or not, Helena's friends help her explore her options, and take the path her father has shielded her from in Banana Sioule Vol 1: Helena SC.

 

Rating 9.6/10 

 

Ogrest Vol 2 SC Review

 

Creator: Tot

Writer & Artist: Mig

Halftones: Mig, Aurélia & Francesca De Blasi

Production Assistance & Lettering: Chris Northrop

Designer: Camille Pradère & Ludovic Villain

Proofreader: Fanny Laigle

Translator: Dan Chrstensen

Editor: Élise Storm

Publisher: Magnetic Press

Price: $19.99

Release Date: December 10, 2025

 

Otomai may have created Ogrest, but that doesn't mean he can control him. While Dathura delights in Ogrest's enthusiasm for life, the alchemist teaches him about his world. Sadly, the little ogre prefers to play and regales Dathura with the story of his birth. Ogrest’s rambunctiousness can injure Dathura, forcing Otomai to sew up the living doll. But when treasure seekers invade their peaceful island home, looking for the missing dofus that balance their world, Otomai loses control of his creation.

 

While Otomai struggles to keep his life from falling apart, Lupa and the Brotherhood travel the world to find the Chosen Ones. And unlike Ogrest, they don’t care how many people they hurt along the way. Can Otomai, Ogrest, and Dathura weather the storms headed their way? Or will danger and death rock their island home? Let's grab a dofus, leap into Ogrest Vol 2 SC, and see!

 

Story

As Otomai instructed Ogrest, Sadida created ten living dolls. While her fellow dolls loved Dathura, Lacrima grew jealous. Then Dathura convinced the dragon Aguabrial to spawn the Turquoise Dofus, while Lacrima couldn’t convince her dragon to give her an egg.

 

While disappointment haunts Lacrima's life, Dathura has enjoyed a happy life with Otomai. The living doll may have lost her memories, but she enjoys creating small living creatures like the alchemist. They seem like pets compared with Ogrest, but they brighten her world. But as Ogrest Vol 2 SC opens, Dathura has disappeared. And Ogrest is no longer a child. A clash with treasure seekers wielding one of the fake dofus Otomai created spurred rapid growth. So, the adult ogre with the mind of a child leaves home to find the living doll he adores.

 

While delving into Lacrima and Dathura’s history, Mig’s story also follows Lupa’s quest. Kali enjoyed being the center of attention and wielding the destructive power of her tattoos. Now, another member of their party can use the oracle to find Chosen Ones. Like Ogrest, Poo delights in every discovery. But their fates prove far different when Poo leads Lupa and the Brotherhood to Otomai's island.

 

Art

Ogrest’s long ears now only reach his chest, instead of falling to his waist. But that's only because he hunches as he walks. An extra-large tooth rises outside his lips from his prominent jaw. Ogrest seems too large for Otomai's treehouse. Yet he is still a child when he dreams of roots surrounding him and reclaiming Dathura.

 

Sadida wears a tribal mask. Flower petals surround a dandelion-like ball until he sends the florets flying on the wind. While crafting his dolls, Sadida tears off his petals and adorns each one with ears or wings. The god’s earliest efforts resemble the stuffed animals Ogrest once slept with. By the time Sadida crafts Lacrima and Dathura, he has progressed to the Human shape. Both sisters have a teardrop adorning one cheek. But as Lacrima wanders her grand home rising like an ornate lighthouse from a hollow tree trunk, and remembers her early years with her sister, her creased features give Lacrima a withered appearance.

 

Instead of crosshatching or computer-generated dots, Mig, Aurélia, and Francesca De Blasi adorn Ogrest Vol 2 SC with halftones. These enhance Mig’s whimsical art, lending reality and depth to this world of sailing vessels and airships. After Lupa and the Brotherhood visit villages and towns, they come to a walled city. Vendors welcome visitors to their stalls, and preachers and priests proclaim their beliefs in the market. A tavern owner ushers patrons to his cellar, where a circular platform rises amid wooden casks.

 

Ogrest, Kali, and all the characters speak black uppercase words into balloons in this Black and White comic. The words grow bold with intonation and enlarge with volume. Chris Northrop’s balloons grow spiky when characters display emotions, while icicles drip from Frigost’s dialogue. Paragraphs below the panels accompany Trumbo's misadventures. Sound effects include Lady Echo demonstrating why she leads the Brotherhood, and Ogrest’s fright and confusion when Dathura goes missing in Ogrest Vol 2 SC. Thanks to Magnetic Press, Oni Press, and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Before the transformation that spurred Ogrest’s rapid growth, Dathura wondered if the ogre should attend school. But Otomai wanted to keep Ogrest close and tutor him a little longer. When Otomai collapses from worry and exhaustion, the alchemist can no longer protect his creation from those who might take advantage of him in Ogrest Vol 2 SC.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For how this series began, see my review of Ogrest Vol 1 SC.