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| COVER A BY MIKE HUDDLESTON |
Creativity is a strength, and ingenuity is a good thing. But sometimes, we can be too inventive for our own good. Do you dare to peer into what the science of tomorrow will bring? And where our penchant for experimentation will take us?
Here's all the info from Oni Press:
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| ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY MALACHI WARD |
Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.
Writer: Ryan Haddock, Andrew Wheeler, & Corinna Bechko
Artist: Kano, Andrea Mutti & Tyler Jenkins
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Cover Artists: Lee Bermejo, Liam Sharp, Albert Monteys & Malachi Ward
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 3, 2025
Life may not be easy on planet Earth. But living on the planet's biosphere is far easier than surviving in the cold, dark void. Space offers Humans nothing they need to survive. People take what they need with them and hope that's enough. What happens when it isn't? And even on Earth, how do you respond when others prey on you? Let’s leap into Cruel Universe 2 #5 and see!
Hope Endures: Story
James Bond loved his Beretta and didn't want to part with it, even when it let him down. In Hope Endures, Ryan Haddock introduces Captain Cole Queller, a pilot who forms a bond with his fighter. Like Bond, Cole stuck by the ship, even when newer models became available. But when he's stuck on an alien planet, he's glad he stuck by her. Like Cole, "Hope" feels the same and cherishes their time together.
Hope Endures: Art
Kano shows Cole sitting on a sandstone boulder near his shattered ship in Cruel Universe 2 #5. Surrounding him are the toothlike spikes symbolizing the mineral wealth beneath a surface incapable of supporting life. The events that forged Cole’s friendship with his ship play through Cole’s mind in black and white. A limited palette of light colors adorns the lone figure in a spacesuit, as seen from an empty cockpit. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith place black uppercase text in white dialogue balloons. The ship's thoughts appear as white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes.
Byproduct: Story
Andrew Wheeler introduces us to Marcus Keane. He’s a man who gets what he wants. Anyone who fails to provide that is superfluous to requirements. When his doctor tells him that all the money in the world won't solve his problems, Marcus opts for a radical cure. Byproduct puts overachievers who treat people like appliances under the microscope, while reminding us how tempting it is to hang onto the things that harm us.
Byproduct: Art
Tattoos entwine like double helices along Marcus' neck. His doctor's hair and glasses evoke an absent-minded scientist. Andrea Mutti introduces Marcus to Vida Cash. Vida wears similar clothes, shows him graphic displays, and guides Marcus through their facility. Michael Atiyeh adorns Byproduct with a vibrant palette. Yet the doctor and his patient become silhouettes against a stormy sky when Dr Ash delivers his prognosis in Cruel Universe 2 #5. The red, yellow, and green double helix display suggests more years to enjoy the tropical paradise in which Marcus lives. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith deliver black, uppercase lettering in white balloons, and off-panel conversation in colored narrative boxes.
Some Time to Reflect: Story
Do you ever wish that you had more resources and time? What if you could split yourself in two? Or, like Lord Voldemort, hide away other copies of yourself and have them help you with your work? Corinna Bechko introduces us to a scientist who finds a way to maximize her productivity. As in David Brin's novel Kiln People, a woman uses versions of herself to pursue necessary tasks that she can capitalize on. But in Cruel Universe 2 #5, her golems are flesh and blue, and don't carry an expiration date. Even more than Byproduct, Some Time to Reflect seems a metaphor for ignoring those around us in search of productivity and achievement.
Some Time to Reflect: Art
Tyler Jenkins shows a woman sitting outside her mountain cabin. Inside, she finally notices another version of herself in a mirror. As in Phantasm, the window opens a portal to her other self. Tyler’s scenes showcase pink and green. Along the way, red seeps in and splatters. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith open with uppercase words in dialogue balloons and sound effects that introduce the woman and the instigating event. But the colored narrative boxes relay the actor behind the scenes, manipulating events for her own benefit. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
As people explore space, visit pocket universes, and delve into the potential of the genome, some reveal their inhumanity, while a machine makes a very Human choice in Cruel Universe 2 #5.
Rating 8.8/10
For more see my cover preview of Cruel Universe 2 #5.
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| COVER A BY LEE BERMEJO |
Life in space is hard. Sure, you rely on the people around you. But you also rely on your equipment, and the systems that keep you alive in the cold, uncaring void. Cruel Universe 2 #5 introduces readers to Cole Queller. He's more loyal to his ship than most people are to their friends. He's someone worth meeting. His story will linger with you long after you read "Hope Endures," and the other stories in this new issue.
Here's all the info from Oni Press:
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Here are more cover options:
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| COVER B BY LIAM SHARP |
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| EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY ALBERT MONTEYS |
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| B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY LIAM SHARP |
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| ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY MALACHI WARD |
Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.
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| COVER A BY MIGUEL MERCADO |
Ada has made some tough moral choices. But then, she never had it easy. She may have become a vampire, but doesn't revel in killing. Unlike her, Max wants to become a vampire. Worse, he wants to create an empire of vampires to rule the world. And with the science at his disposal, he may just do that, unless Ada can stop him.
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| B&W ARTIST VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO |
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ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN |
Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.
Writer: Corinna Bechko
Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Cover Artists: Miguel Mercado; Andrea Sorrento with Dave Stewart; Albert Monteys; Patricia Martin
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 13, 2025
Ada is on a tropical island. She should be enjoying herself. Instead, she is hiding. Max tasted like a bloodsucker. Yet he walked in sunlight. Now, he hunts her. Can Ada elude Max? And why does he seek her? Let's leap into Blood Type #3 and see!
Story
When questioning the resort staff, Max expresses concern for Ada's welfare. But the staff don't know where she is. They suggest that one of the workers, Jen, might know. As Ada watches Max, she discovers Jen beside her. The housekeeper sought her out. She knows Max is dangerous and wants to help Ada avoid his grasp.
Jen's concern touches Ada. As they hide in the shrubs, watching Max continue his search, Ada remembers her youth. Once, she was a maid like Jen. But that was a long time ago. Ada didn't ask to become a vampire. But as a poor woman working for a prosperous family, she had no choice. True or false, one word to the authorities could ruin her and her family's future.
In Blood Type #3, Ada cannot hide forever. And as she remembers her past, Max will force her to confront it. We all must live with the consequences of our actions. Ada has lived for much longer than most people can ever hope to. Whether she likes it or not, Max is the man he is because of the choices that Ada made. In Corinna Bechko's story, he aims to correct Ada's mistakes.
Art
A Jack Nicholson-like narrator welcomes us into Ada’s story while lying on the beach. Andrea Sorrentino alternates double-page spreads with panel-packed pages. Palm trees rise above the cabanas clustered around the swimming pool. Max rests his arm in a sling while he questions a woman carrying towels. When Jen rests her hand on Ada's shoulder, the vampire reveals her fangs. Jen covers her neck with her hand as they sink behind the shrubs.
Dave Stewart fills the night with blues and greens. Red overtakes the sky when Ada's eyes radiate crimson. Memories that evoke overexposed photographs or reversed shadow portraits glow with pink and lavender. Colored silhouettes move through her memories, and this evening at the resort. When Ada's gray face, tinged with a hint of purple nears, white sweat drips down Max's face.
Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith fill the eye-catching art with black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. The typed font swells and grows bold for intonation. When one character turns the tables on another, the words shift like reflections in a funhouse mirror. Thanks to Oni Press for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Two vampires confront their pasts, and discover their common origins, on an idyllic tropical island. But while one holds great dreams for the future, the other realizes the end may be in sight. Class struggles, familial loyalty, and ethical behavior among vampires come under the spotlight in Blood Type #3.
Rating 9/10
For more covers see my cover preview of Blood Type #3.
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| COVER A BY MIGUEL MERCADO |
I haven't read the first two issues, but I found this issue mesmerizing! If you enjoy vampire stories, check this series out!
Here's all the info from Oni Press:
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| ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN |
Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.
Writer: Corinna Bechko
Artist & Colorist: Danny Luckert
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Cover Artists: Danny Luckert, Ariel Olivetti & David Mack
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 1, 2023
Revla defies orders and risks her ship to save another pilot’s life. Upbraided by her commanding officer, Revla’s heretical response lands her in solitary confinement. Will she follow orders, write a contrite confession, and get her wings back? Let’s soar into The Space Between #1 and find out!
Story
Revla expected reward, not punishment. Frustrated by her society’s stringent rules, she escapes her room. When others approach, she pulls away a grill and hides inside an air exchange vent. Perhaps the cat who snuck into her room inspired her. Either that or the crawlspace arouses her curiosity. But when she reaches a service ladder and tries to descend, she slips and falls.
Thankfully, Revla bounces off a safety net and splashes into a water vat. Les helps her climb out of the algae growth tanks. He shows her how more of her food is grown. Les also introduces her to his assigned breeding partner. Revla discovers these lower levels operate by different rules than she’s used to. After Les escorts her back to the upper levels, Revla shows him the stars for the first time.
The Space Between #1, science fiction author Corinna Bechko introduces us to life aboard the Dodona. When the generation ship reaches its destination, Revla, Les, and everyone they know will be dead and forgotten. Over time, society has stratified, and their leaders have stressed some rules over others. Revla and Les’ defiance gets everyone’s attention. Their actions prompt others to question the hollow asteroid’s society.
Art
In the cockpit of her winged globe, Revla pursues her fellow pilot. As the ships hurtle toward the Dodona, buildings rise from the asteroid bathed in starlight. Revla tows the other ship aboard and exits her craft. Work crews race across the hanger bay. Clad in safety gear, they avoid the engine flames writhing from the towed vessel.
Facial expressions communicate the characters’ feelings about each other and their world. Characters walk and run through this richly drawn world, where the privileged feast their eyes upon the glowing stars through floor-to-ceiling windows while the less privileged grow food in tanks and columns. Danny Luckert shows us all the hatches, panels, and rivets of Revla and Les’ carefully constructed world. Its cool, muted colors threaten to drain the warmth from its inhabitants. Yet the beauty of the starry abyss they travel through and the flora and fauna they cultivate hint at what gives solace to the Dodona’s inhabitants in The Space Between #1.
Jim Campbell fills panels with easy-to-read black letters in white dialogue balloons. Radio communication inhabits white or yellow balloons with snipped edges. Colorful sound effects help you hear Revla’s tow cable clamp the out-of-control craft and feel her splash into the algae tank. You may need to squint to read Revla’s apology in The Space Between #1, but it’s worth the effort.
Final Thoughts
A peaceful protest sparks societal change aboard a generation ship in The Space Between #1, a comic sure to please fanciers of cats and science fiction.
Rating 9.2/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
