Battleworld #1 Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Marcus To

Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artists: Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr; Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg; Mark Bagley & Nolan Woodard; Iban Coello & Rachelle Rosenberg; James Kerigan; Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg; Rod Reis

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

Some readers may think that Hank Pym lives in a Victorian house in San Francisco. But Hank resides in a subatomic house and laboratory in New York. When his insect friends get more antsy than usual, Hank returns to Human size to discover that someone has combined people, buildings, and vehicles from different places and eras in New York.

 

Then Hank Pym hears a voice proclaim, "You hail from different timelines, but soon there will only be one." Who has subverted Hank's reality? And can Ant-Man survive in a world where Martian Tripods and Tyrannosaurus Rexes menace the puny Humans? Let’s armor up, leap into Battleworld #1, and see!

 

Story

The mysterious voice doesn't just explain what's happened to Hank's world. It also tells him that he must fight to justify his survival. Hank soon meets people he recognizes, but they are all changed. Spider-Man is a rookie wallcrawler. Carol Danvers goes by another title than Captain Marvel. Luke Cage is a streetwise '70s strongman. And then there's a younger version of his wife. Only Janet van Dyne mourns him in her reality.

 

While many other heroes feature in Battleworld #1, Hank Pym is our guide to this patchwork world. He also becomes a leader, as he draws upon his relationships with his colleagues. While some don't know each other or have never faced a Battleworld, Hank can share his experiences with them. But he knows how to reach them when they must decide between standing together or dividing and conquering.

 

 

 

Christos Gage pays homage to beloved creators, stories, and eras in Battleworld #1. The Spider-Scribe also sprinkles his story with humor, particularly when a character says something that will resonate with readers of Joe Kelly’s recent Amazing Spider-Man stories. The characters Hank Pym meets give him the capability to mentor young heroes and reform villains. His greatest challenge may be the person who ostensibly brought them all together. Hank Pym failed him in a significant way. Yet as this person attempts to set the universe right, he could do something for Hank that Hank couldn’t do for him.

 

 

 

Art

While Marcus To sews together glimpses of different eras and realities, he shows characters surrounding a patchwork planet on a two-page spread. Three panels establish the epic scope of this story, showing a zeppelin cruising over skyscrapers, a Martian Tripod raining down destruction, and a city threatened by glaciers and an active volcano.

 

Hank Pym greets other characters wearing a lab coat over his uniform in Battleworld #1. Luke Cage bears his chest and uses a ship's anchor chain to hold up his pants. Carol Danvers flies in bearing a lightning bolt on her chest, while Hank rests a hand on Spider-Man’s shoulder when the young webslinger rubs his head. But Hank turns away and cups his chin with his hand, when Janet rushes forward to embrace him.

 

 

 

While Rachelle Rosenberg lavishes a loaded palette on Battleworld #1, a streak of white energy threatens to knock Carol Danvers off the gameboard. Yellow links Luke, Janet, and Carol with a woman who could say “Flame on.” Pink and lavender link immense adversaries with one of the biggest threats in the Marvel Universe. Green binds a woman who seeks to preserve our world with someone who survived a world-ending event, and a villain who destroyed Janet’s. Despite conflicting views on heroism, red and blue bind two young protagonists together. Yet as super teams surround a figure glowing pink, an orange and yellow background suggests what creates great heroes.

 

 

 

Travis Lanham fills white balloons and boxes with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and rarely shrink. Swelling words threaten to burst balloons, while giant instructions appear in puffy clouds. Red borders emphasize narrative boxes and showcase emotion and revelation in balloons. Sound effects accompany Omega-level threats and one protagonist who shoots first and asks questions later. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Eventually, everything ends. People die. Civilizations rise and fall. That's life. Cyttorak’s scion Cyra forced Peter Parker to face this depressing reality. The person issuing a challenge to contestants wants to circumvent this process of death and renewal. Yet while he seeks to construct a "master race," surprises await the contestants and the reader in Battleworld #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash ‘Em Up #1 Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Alan Robinson

Colorist: Carlos Lopez

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Ron Lim & Israel Silva; Mark Bagley & Richard Isanove

Production Design: Carlos Lao

Digital Comics Specialist: Annie Cheng

Print Layout Production: Meghan O’Leary

Sr Manager Digital: Tim Smith 3

Editors: Drew Baumgartner, Cy Pedro Beltran, Mark Basso, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $5.99

Release Date: March 19, 2025

 

When Deadpool enters Madri-Gen, guards greet the merc with a mouth at gunpoint. Deadpool apologizes for shattering their plate glass window. But he has a job to do. Deadpool won’t let locked doors or men in uniforms stand in his way of securing a paycheck.

 

Unfortunately for Wade, more than guards impede his march toward a five-star review. Wolverine also wants to steal the company's hot new product. As in Deadpool & Wolverine WWIII, Wade and Logan pursue the same target. Neither will let the other get in his way. Who will claim the neurostimulator? And who will leave Madri-Gen empty-handed? Let's leap into Deadpool Vs. Wolverine Slash 'Em Up #1, and find out!

 

Story

While Deadpool doesn't want to disappoint his client, Wolverine's ambitions are more complicated. At least, they seem so. Logan believes he let a young man down a long time ago. Securing the neurostimulator for his former friend helps Logan feel like righting a wrong. But Logan’s memories of his time before he became Weapon X make Wade jealous. In Christos Gage’s story, Deadpool would give anything to reclaim memories of his youth.

 

This realization pits the two living weapons at odds. Yet it also unites them. While they hack and slash their way through Madri-Gen and each other, Wade and Logan debate the importance of memories. As they try to steal this device for their clients, both men realize that Deadpool could benefit most by using it. Yet lingering in the background of Deadpool Vs Wolverine Slash ‘Em Up #1 is a question.

 

Logan’s memories of torture and enslavement weigh him down. Peter Parker sacrificed his additional memories of Uncle Ben to return Spider-Boy to the Web Of Life And Destiny. Will reclaiming his past complete Deadpool or fill the aching void with dead weight?

 

Art

As Deadpool takes on young guns with attitude, Wolverine arrives to cross claws with swords. Amid the slashing, hacking, and impalements, the two living weapons entertain their opponents before killing them. Alan Robinson transforms the high-tech corporate world into a Dungeons And Dragons tournament in Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash 'Em Up #1. As Wade and Logan follow in Indiana Jones’ footsteps, they battle beings from Dr Moreau’s laboratories at Omni Consumer Products.

 

Carlos Lopez applies a loaded palette to the heroes’ journey from the sleek, neutral floors and ceilings of desk-filled offices to subbasements filled with traps, pitfalls, and monstrosities. Vibrant colors fill backgrounds in closeups. Gunfire, laser beams, and explosions brighten this fast-paced action thriller. Yet nothing warms the pages of Deadpool Vs. Wolverine: Slash 'Em Up #1 as much as Deadpool's zest of life and how he shares others' pain.

 

Joe Sabino fills white and yellow dialogue balloons with uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Deadpool ensures that he and Wolverine receive headliner status with red 3D logos. The merc with a mouth also vocalizes every injury. Sound effects help us hear grunting ground troops, bouncing grenades, bonking heads, and wall-demolishing impacts. Who knew Mace wasn't a helpful hardware place? Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Some claim that memories are for losers who lead uninteresting lives. Many preach that it is not what you know but what you do that matters. Yet you cannot understand the worth of something until you have it. Wolverine prefers to shatter a mirror than look in it. But in Deadpool Vs Wolverine Slash 'Em Up #1, Wade Wilson wants to perceive the man he has become. And he can't do that without having something that may not be good for him.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths Review

 

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Mark Buckingham

Colorist: Mattia Iacono

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove; Federico Vicentini & Richard Isanove

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & C B Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 26, 2025

 

In their Alaskan base, Juggernaut senses the world is in danger. Shocked that he would initiate a mission, his teammates accompany him to New York. When Peter Parker changes the nature of the championship by refusing to fight Cradios, Juggernaut takes up the cosmic challenge. Juggernaut's substitution for Spider-Man may not nullify Doctor Strange’s covenant with Cyttorak. But what is unquestionable is that Cradios yields to Juggernaut.

 

Sadly, Callix uses the Blight to kill Cradios. The corrupted scion also infects the X-Men before detonating his rot dogs and boogieing back to the Crimson Cosmos. Now, the Blight incinerates Cyclops, Psylocke, Magik, Kid Omega, and Temper’s inhibitions. Can Juggernaut repel the X-Men's attack without killing his teammates? Let's strap on our Crimson Bands Of Cyttorak, charge into Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, and find out!

 

Story

Cyclops realizes Juggernaut is immune to the Blight. So, the X-Men team leader orders Juggernaut to join them or die. Perhaps once Juggernaut would have accepted the offer. But now he fights to protect others. Christos Gage’s story pits Juggernaut against his friends. It ties one hand behind Juggernaut’s back because he doesn’t want to kill them.

 

Callix believes his father fears losing his power. He states the Blight empowers him. Instead of supporting his family, Callix kills his siblings. There is power in burning your bridges behind you, and Callix embraces it. But Juggernaut knows what it means to be alone. Callix might have swatted him like a fly. Still, Juggernaut is not about to kill his friends to increase his power. He has learned the secret of life in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. People can accomplish more together than apart.

 

Cyttorak empowered Juggernaut to invoke fear. Yet Juggernaut has found exceptional rewards in inducing love. Like Callix, his colleagues embrace the Blight. Temper even blames the Blight for her actions. Yet, Juggernaut knows that people are not slaves to their instincts. To paraphrase a wise man, the Blight partially controls their actions. Yet, it also obeys their commands. In Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths, Juggernaut risks the assault of his formidable friends because he doesn’t seek power. Instead, Juggernaut fights for something infinitely more valuable.

 

Art

Temper surrounds Juggernaut with yellow-orange fire while Cyclops attacks with a beam of red energy. Yet purple proves the most potent as Kid Omega and Psylocke attack. An X rises to the forefront, first red and then blue, symbolizing his journey and identity. Yet purple, blue, and red also represent Juggernaut's insistence that unity equals strength.

 

Mark Buckingham reveals Juggernaut's iron spirit as Mattia Iacono bathes Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths in bold, eye-pleasing colors. Flashbacks form backdrops as Juggernaut appeals to his god. Whether he sits alone or with his family, Cyttorak rarely moves or changes his expression. Yet the god smiled when he watched Juggernaut battle Cradios. After his avatar’s aggressive address, the god responds in not-so-mysterious ways.

 

Joe Caramagna pounds uppercase black lettering into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The dialogue grows bold for inflection and never shrinks. Juggernaut's thoughts appear in pink boxes bordered with red as he battles his friends. Sound effects enhance clobbering, clapping, crashing, stomping, and psychic blasting. Lowercase black letters in yellow boxes link The 8 Deaths Of Spider-Man with Blood Hunt, while the enlarged and colored dialogue reminds us that our bravest choices can be the most painful. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Cradios claimed that Juggernaut didn’t possess as much power as a scion of Cyttorak. Yet the X-Men helped Juggernaut defeat the scion. Perhaps Cyttorak also aided him. Whether on Earth or in the Crimson Cosmos, Juggernaut stands in Cyttorak’s presence. Unlike Cyttorak’s children, Juggernaut talks with his god as he battles his friends in Amazing Spider-Man #68 Deaths. Theirs is an unshakable bond forged by mutual needs and a reminder of why dedication to our careers often threatens and injures our family.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Blood Hunters #1 Review

 

Writers: Mark Russell, Christos Gage & Erica Schultz

Artists: Bob Quinn, Javier Garrón & Bernard Chang

Colorists: Matt Milla, Morry Hollowell & Marcelo Maiolo

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata; Declan Shalvey

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 8, 2024

 

Day becomes night as Darkforce energy invites vampires to dine on our world. How can three superheroes prevent New York City from becoming their bloody smorgasbord? Let's grab our garlic, stakes, and symbols of our beliefs, leap into Blood Hunters #1, and find out!

 

The City That Never Weeps

Story

Mayor Cage may have nixed Fisk's Powers Act, but Hawkeye is on the lam in Blood Hunters #1. For some reason, people think he assassinated a UN ambassador. But when two police officers see through his disguise and try to arrest him for such trifles, the skies turn dark, and they find more important things to do. Mostly, they do a lot of yelling and screaming as vampires crash the diner. Hawkeye goes all Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but after defending his fellow patrons, he realizes his job isn't over. This neighborhood needs protection, and not from Tombstone's heavies.

 

In The City That Never Weeps, Hawkeye enlists a puppet therapist, a Spanish-speaking priest, and a burly Union worker to stamp out the Darkforce invasion. Writer Mark Russell's story reminds us how much like-minded people can accomplish when working together toward a goal. Russell uses the same low-key, playful dialogue and storytelling that made his recent Traveling To Mars series a joy to read. As the story nears its completion, and Hawkeye heads off for Shawarma, Russell also reminds us how important it is to heed government advisories during a vampire invasion and pack plenty of "light-to-medium-strength wooden stakes.”

 

Art

Bob Quinn ups the fun factor with Hawkeye marveling that the police recognize him with a mustache. While the police disappear amid the chaos, the young therapist wears a Save The Bees T-shirt and screams at his undead pursuer. But he joins Hawkeye on the roof of a restaurant to view the body-strewn street and vampires chasing citizens on the sidewalks. Later, he fights alongside Hawkeye in Blood Hunters #1, impaling vampires with his wooden puppet. Matt Milla sets the action under turquoise-streaked darkness, with streets and buildings muted, allowing people and vehicles to stand out. Interiors are more vibrant and help golden-haired Hawkeye glow with his purple outfit, bow, and arrows.

 

Joe Caramagna fires large uppercase lettering in white dialogue balloons and lavender narrative boxes while filling the air with loud hisses, screams, and crashes, the sounds of arrows leaving bows and plunging into bodies, and an intriguing but almost anticlimactic Ploof.

 

 

 

Blood Relations

Story

John waits for his father, J Jonah Jameson, to take him to lunch. But JJJ hurries past him to the balcony. John realizes the day is dark as the driver or assistant shouts a warning. A vampire bat crashes through a concrete wall. JJJ sees John transforming and begs him to let Spider-Man handle this, but John turns into Man-Wolf and takes the vampire for a ride off their roof.

 

Christos Gage peppers this action-packed story about a father and son protecting their city with MCU dialogue and complex character dynamics. Gage pokes fun at authority figures such as news and talk show personalities with JJJ's bluster, while John, even in werewolf form, proves the voice of reason. Yet JJJ is surprisingly proactive. He is the first to notice the darkening sky. JJJ quickly calls Spider-Man for assistance. He formulates plans to protect New York City. He quickly reduces a wood and cloth patio chair into stakes and a carrier bag to become J Jonah Jameson the Vampire Hunter! Take that, Abraham Lincoln!

 

Gage’s contribution to Blood Hunters #1 reminds us how families can weaken and empower their members, how we often yearn for authoritarian leadership, and

how beliefs can give us superpowers.

 

Art

His son may transform into Man-Wolf, but JJJ burns with frenetic energy in Blood Relations. John conserves his strength and remains calm and composed even in werewolf form. JJJ’s expression constantly changes as each new thought and feeling rocks his world. And despite all the money he's accumulated and the power he wields, he can only enjoy the view of his city from his high-rise apartment patio through cage-like iron bars.

 

Javier Garrón’s vampire-bat evokes Barry Windsor-Smith’s portrayal of Conan The Barbarian’s flying foes. Garrón also conveys John's amazement as he watches the Avengers battle a horde of vampire bats while he's just tackled one. In addition to the vampire-bat, other vampires menace father and son. Vampirism transformed them, yet their supernatural power accentuates their individuality.

 

Morry Hollowell brightens the darkened day with purple, maroon, orange, and yellow in Blood Hunters #1, pairs a silhouette with red to capture a violent moment, and pokes fun at JJJ’s fashion sense with flood-ready slacks and by making him carry a pink bag with white spots. Joe Caramagna hurls large-size uppercase black words into dialogue balloons, scares up crashes and impacts, and emphasizes that the humane way to kill vampires is a wooden stake.

 

 

 

Once More Into The Darkness: Part 1

Story

Darkforce energy consumed her partner. Without Cloak by her side, Dagger defends her adoptive home in New York City. Vampirism alters but doesn’t overpower villains in Erica Schultz's story, as drug dealers find a new way to prey on the citizens of NY’s Theater District.

 

Dagger's thoughts guide us through her battle against bloodthirsty drug dealers. Once More Into The Darkness: Part 1 is aptly named, as Dagger sympathizes with those she fights. Like a vampire, she has known insatiable craving. As more friends get drawn into dangerous situations, Dagger struggles to protect them from themselves.

 

Art

Bernard Chang brings big-screen appeal to Once Into The Darkness: Part 1. Dagger moves swiftly and athletically as she bounds, whirls, and flings psionic light daggers at her fanged opponents. Whether thin or muscular, the vampires show exceptional poise and definition, and their demonic features are haunting. Marcelo Maiolo brings a moody atmosphere to Blood Hunters #1 by contrasting cool browns and blues with bright yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds, giving this final story a film noir quality. Joe Caramagna breathes big uppercase letters into more narrative boxes than dialogue balloons, while the Shunk of psionic daggers gives Dagger hope before dispelling it with an immense heartrending scream.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Hawkeye soothes New Yorkers’ fright through spirituality, Man-Wolf forces J Jonah Jameson to confront his Spider-Man fixation, and Dagger battles the overwhelming power of addiction in Blood Hunters #1.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To preview art for all three stories in Blood Hunters #1 see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Spider-Man #10 Review

 

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage

Artists: Mark Bagley, John Dell & Andrew Hennessy

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Stephanie Hans

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 5, 2023

 

Haunted by his failure to save a fire victim, Peter Parker tries to amplify his Spider-Sense. His experiments with Norman Osborn succeed, but all the danger signals overwhelm him. Can he protect New Yorkers from Electro’s latest attack while coping with his newfound abilities? Let's leap into Spider-Man #10 and find out!

 

Story

Electro's surges of power sizzle through the air. They hit Spider-Man, wreck vehicles, and set buildings aflame. As bystanders flee, their fright and pain give Spider-Man a nuclear migraine. Spider-Boy rushes to Peter's defense, startling Electro, who isn't used to fighting kids. Meanwhile, Norman blames himself for allowing Peter to talk him into upgrading his Peter Tingle. He races to find a way to reverse the process before Electro incinerates Peter.

 

As the firefighters helped kick off this storyline, their reappearance gives symmetry to its closure. As for Spider-Boy, we can all identify with loneliness and feeling like we don't belong. Dan Slott and Christos Gage's story reminds us how much Peter Parker cares for others. While this burden costs him personally, all that matters is protecting others.

 

 

 

 

Art

Aided by his inking sidekicks John Dell and Andrew Hennessy, penciler Mark Bagley gives Spider-Man #10 a classic appeal. Electro steps out of a Bronze Age Marvel comic. Yet Norman Osborn, wearing his new Gold Goblin costume, looks like he belongs. With his bright, animated TV-style costume, Spider-Boy serves as a bridge between the Past and Present. Aunt May's features show her concern for Peter, while her gestures demonstrate how fiercely she's fighting for her nephew. Crowd scenes communicate energy as flames leap from buildings and explosions rock the ground. The spiders in Norman's lab enhanced this dramatic story with humor. Yet Peter Parker, as the amazing Spider-Man, never gets relegated to the sidelines.

 

Edgar Delgado deepens the art with bold colors and rich shading, giving Spider-Man #10 three-dimensional realism. He paints streets and buildings with richness and nuance. The raging fires writhe like the Human Torch in pain, while gray smoke reveals hints of yellow, orange, blue, and purple. Spider costumes shine from fires, vehicle headlights, and lights on nearby buildings. Norman’s work lights, and the glowing spider tank, give the lab a moody nighttime appeal.

 

Joe Caramagna web shoots lots of uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons. Font style, letter size, and spacing between lines make Spider-Man #10 a migraine-free read. Nick Lowe's footnotes—accompanied by a red spider—remind me of how characters and story elements relate to earlier issues. Sound effects help you feel explosions, lighting crashing into buildings, and the crackling hum as Electro charges his batteries between attacks. Red letters grip your heart as they escape a white dialogue balloon, and Spider-Man doubles up in pain.

 

Final Thoughts

While striving be our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers, Spider-Man #10 reminds us that we must also care for ourselves.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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