Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review

 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review

Writer: Corinna Bechko

Artists: Kano & Nick Cagnetti

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Kano; Marguerite Sauvage; Naomi Franq; Caroline Cash, Dan Parent, Erica Henderson; Mahmud Asrar & Matt Wilson

Also Available: Sketch Covers & Comic Shop Exclusives

Editors: Megan Brown & Joelena Despard

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 7, 2026

 

Transitioning from childhood to the teenage years can be tough. High School forces you to level up in every area of your life. Every day brings unexpected discoveries, demands important decisions, and imposes new responsibilities. And a seemingly endless succession of authority figures who want to teach you how to think and behave.

 

Sabrina has just discovered that she is a witch. Even more shocking: her cat can talk. How will Sabrina take to her new responsibilities? And what dangers will threaten the novice? Let's leap into Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 and see!

 

Story

Before she discovered her powers, Sabrina bought her Halloween costume. Now, she's stuck with it. As she dresses up as a pretend witch, Sabrina also wonders what type of real-life witch she will become. Her aunt Zelda fears the dangers threatening such an inexperienced witch. Her aunt Hilda cherishes her niece's awakening. Yet, Sabrina’s lighthearted aunt also cautions her to take her new life seriously in Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1.

 

Still, this is Halloween. Even if life has saddled Sabrina with unwanted responsibilities, everyone deserves a fun evening with their friends. And she doesn't want to let down Libby, who is hosting such a grand party for them. So when her cat brings his recent kill to the doorstep, Sabrina refuses to take her new familiar’s assertion seriously.

 

While Salem’s concern for his inexperienced master opens the story, the rest of Corinna Bechko’s story follows the girl’s first night as a witch on Halloween. Unfortunately, Sabrina learns that witches don’t get to decide when they have time off. When a responsibility she tries to shirk festers, the young witch must protect her friends on her own. As she endangers her friends, her life in Greendale could become more dangerous in Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1.

 

Art

Sabrina’s feline partner often resembles a silhouette. After opening with his yellow eyes, panels focus on his bared teeth, extended claws, and the black cat attacking vermin before a full moon. When he appears with his catch outside Sabrina’s round window, the network of cames between the glass panes evokes a spiderweb. Sabrina is more concerned about how she looks in her black dress, striped stockings, and pointy hat. Still, Sabrina outshines Zelda with her short blonde hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and black T-shirt honoring a pop-culture villain.

 

Aunt Hilda seems more fun with her long orange hair, multicolored long-sleeve shirt, and the red hearts that fill the air when she smiles. Sabrina's white hair glows, thanks to Kano's yellow inking. Background characters occasionally fade into pale pink or lavender paper cutouts. Yet the page frames and scene backgrounds contrast Salem’s seriousness with Sabrina's irresponsibility. Blue dominates Salem's opening scenes, while yellow surrounds Sabrina. Purple frames her arrival at Libby’s party. Yet different shades of blue frame the panels as Sabrina confronts the problem threatening her friends in Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1.

 

While characters speak black uppercase letters into white balloons, Salem’s white dialogue and thoughts fill black balloons and boxes. A black-and-white Manga-style caricature of Sabrina’s face occasionally speaks white letters onto a colored background. DC Hopkins’ sound effects haunt Sabrina’s first Halloween as a witch with scratching nails, creaking wood, hissing, shrieking, clumsy conjuring, and the splat of something that turns Sabrina’s stomach. Nick Cagnetti’s introductory lessons for witches and familiars insist that, regardless of species, trust and respect are crucial to securing a magical partnership. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Sabrina Spellman wanted to be ordinary. Instead, she learned that she possesses extraordinary abilities. Some might greet such an unexpected boon with joy. But Sabrina only regards her gift as a burden. Sabrina may have made her early days as a witch more difficult. Still, if she treats Salem with more respect, perhaps her familiar can help her through them in Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more collectible covers, see Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Cover Preview. 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Cover Preview

 

Cover A: Kano

Transitioning from childhood to the teenage years can be tough. High School forces you to level up in every area of your life. Every day brings unexpected discoveries, demands that you make important decisions, and imposes new responsibilities. And there's no end of authority figures who want to teach you how to think and behave. 

Sabrina has just discovered that she is a witch. Perhaps even more shocking: she's just realized that her cat can talk. How will Sabrina take to her new responsibilities? And what dangers will threaten the novice?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Cover Preview

Writer: Corinna Bechko

Artists: Kano & Nick Cagnetti

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Kano; Marguerite Sauvage; Naomi Franq; Caroline Cash, Dan Parent, Erica Henderson; Mahmud Asrar & Matt Wilson

Also Available: Sketch Covers & Comic Shop Exclusives

Editors: Megan Brown & Joelena Despard

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 7, 2026

 

 

Your local Teenage Witch 

is Conjuring Mischief!

 

 

Just in time for Halloween, Hugo Award–Nominated writer Corinna Bechko (Green Lantern: Earth One, EC’s Blood Type) and Eisner Award–Nominated artist Kano (Daredevil, EC’s Cruel Universe) summon a new spell of magic and mischief in a brand-new ongoing series hell-bent on launching comics’ most iconic sorceress-in-training into a spectacular new era for Archie Comics!

 

Who’d ever want to be ordinary when you could be a teenage witch instead? Sabrina is still reeling from the surprise revelation of her secret birthright. With Halloween just around the corner, high schooler Sabrina Spellman is honing her craft one hex at a time. She's also figuring out how to balance her magical new life with the crushing responsibilities of being 16 years old. But when her feline familiar, Salem, drops a mythical trickster onto Sabrina’s literal doorstep, she might not be able to keep her two worlds from smashing together like busted pumpkins on All Hallow’s Eve. No time for fate. No time for destiny. No time for homework. Sabrina’s about to find out that being a teenager is far from magical . . . even when you’re a teenage witch!

 

Plus, a special trick (and treat): Explore the inner workings of Sabrina’s secret guide to familiars, featuring the spellbinding artwork of Nick Cagnetti (Spirit of the Shadows)!

 

 

Here are more covers to collect:

 

 

Cover B: Marguerite Sauvage

 

 

 

Cover C: Naomi Franq

 

 

 

 

Cover D: Caroline Cash

 

 

Cover E: Blank Sketch

 

Foil Variant ($8.99): Kano

Foil Variant ($8.99): Caroline Cash

Pyre Satanic Variant: Chloe Brailsford

Teaser Variant (1:10): Kano

Classic Variant (1:20): Dan Parent

Variant Cover (1:50): Erica Henderson

B&W Variant (1:250): Kano

Not Shown:

Variant Cover (1:100): Mahmud Asrar

 

For more Archieverse titles from Oni Press, see Archie #1 Review and

Archie: New Riverdale Compact Edition SC. 

The Unchosen #2 Review

 

Writer & Artist: David Marquez

Colorist: Marissa Louise

Letterer & Designer: DC Hopkins

Editor: Lauren Sankovitch

Cover Artists: David Marquez & Nick Derington

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 13, 2025

 

When Aida awakened in a pit, Alex and Vasha found her. The girl didn't recognize them and ran away to find her mother. Soldiers tried to arrest her. Then four people appeared, wielding astonishing powers. While Vasha fought them off, Alex summoned a glowing portal. As she fell through it, Aida glimpsed memories of her mother. What happened to Aida’s mother? And what do Alex and Vasha want with her? Let’s leap into The Unchosen #2 and see!

 

Story

In David Marquez’s story, Alex and Vasha brought Aida to their school. Alex agrees to help her find her mother. But first, Aida must learn to protect herself. Otherwise, people like the soldiers, and the dark-garbed warriors Vasha fought would capture her. Aida doesn't understand the dangers surrounding her. She yearns to return to the hillside cabin she shares with her mom.

 

As she attends to her studies, Aida feels like she doesn't fit in. She cannot use The Word like the other students. Her friend, Daniel, may be a slow learner. But even he admits that she seems to be taking too long to master the basics. The Novitiate needs people to fight those who use their power to inflict pain and destruction. Yet like the legendary Korra, who struggled to master air-bending, Aida feels like a failure.

 

The Unchosen #2 takes us into Aida's memories. Or at least, those she can remember. After Alex and Vasha brought her to the school, Aida awakened from a nightmare involving her mother. Daniel was the first to welcome her. Despite her fears, Daniel assured Aida that if Alex and Vasha sought her out, she belonged.

 

Aida and Daniel may not run with the cool crowd. Still, the friends realize that responsibility comes with power. The first time we saw Daniel, he cradled a bird in his hands and cried because he couldn’t revive it. Aida struggles with her anger, and her frequent use of profanity shows she doesn’t respect the damage that words can inflict. Still, we learn why Alex befriended Aida’s mother, and why he believes Aida can wield The Word responsibly in The Unchosen #2.

 

Art

Aida remembers standing on the hillside beside her mother. After gazing down into the valley and out to sea, she awakens in a darkened room. Out in the hall, Aida sees the moon rising above a river twisting between hills through towering wall windows. When she whirls at Daniel’s appearance, the boy moves to leave before a view of a distant waterfall. The two regard each other in close-ups. Then, David Marquez pulls back to reveal how their Asgardian surroundings dwarf the young students.

 

After Aida leaves the bluish-gray hall, she bursts into Alex's office. Like Vasha, he wears white and red. His brown robe links Alex with the book-filled shelves covering the walls and the desk filled with papers. Two green objects unite Alex with Aida. Golden trees grow between the towering wall windows and glow in the dark alcoves of the dining hall, imbuing the school with a regal flair. Yet Marissa Louise saves the most vibrant coloring for an evening rendezvous. Orange, red, and purple fill the skies as Alex and Vasha accompany Aida. When Aida arrives for her fateful meeting, yellow and orange rage in The Unchosen #2.

 

DC Hopkins fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters that grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Off-camera dialogue appears in beige and lavender narrative boxes. The merged halves of the same person stand before two types of writing. An unseen breeze whips Aida's hair as furious white scribbles and colors banish the darkness. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

School dominates our lives and shapes our characters. Yet few students choose the schools they attend. Then, there are the people we must befriend, or at least learn to get along with. As Aida struggles to understand why she must attend this school at the end of the world, the girl wrestles with why she cannot master the basics of the curriculum in The Unchosen #2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For how this series began see my review of The Unchosen #1. 

The Unchosen #1 Review

 

Writer & Artist: David Marquez

Colorist: Marissa Louise

Letterer & Designer: DC Hopkins

Editor: Lauren Sankovitch

Cover Artists: David Marquez & Peach Momoko

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 9, 2025

 

Aida should be studying. She needs to master her abilities. But as Cyndi Lauper sings, "Girls just want to have fun." So, Aida plays Hide And Seek with Daniel in the forest. She wants her friend to find her. Instead, Aida finds Daniel clutching a small bird. Tears run down Daniel's cheeks. Why is Daniel so upset about finding a dead bird in the forest? Can Aida lessen Daniel’s sadness? Let’s leap into The Unchosen #1 and see!

 

Story

Daniel shoulders an important responsibility. But he cannot relight the spark inside the Painted Bunting. So, Aida takes his hands in hers and closes her eyes. When she opens them, nothing has changed. Aida’s eyes glisten. Then their classmates discover them. Ezra jeers Aida and Daniel for attempting something beyond them. Purple stars sparkle in his eyes. Esra extends a hand and speaks a different language. The bird's limbs twitch. It opens its eyes. The Painted Bunting opens its beak as if to fill the forest with its chirping song. Then Aida punches Ezra on the nose.

 

David Marquez introduces us to a school for people with extraordinary abilities in The Unchosen #1. The story opens with the event that brought Aida to the school. After this brief interlude with the bird, we return to the moment her life changed. Aida awakened in a pit. Devastation surrounded her. Her teachers, Alex and Vasha, were the first people she saw. But she didn't know who they were. Frightened, Aida sought her mother. But amid the blasted ground and buildings, her mother was nowhere in sight.

 

The Unchosen #1 reveals a power struggle between two schools. While bullies like Ezra may inhabit Aida's school, her teachers, Alex and Vasha, seem better suited to caring for her. But the instructors of the opposing school fight to include her in their ranks. Even if Aida doubts her abilities, yearns to return home, and utters colorful metaphors.

 

Art

Marissa Louise welcomes us into a forest infused with green vitality. Despite the densely packed trees, sunlight pierces the canopy, dappling the brown trunks yellow. The boys' gray calf-length socks contrast with the girls’ gray hose as the students gather clad in their gray and red shorts, skirts, blazers, and ties. Compared with their staid attire, the blue, orange, and green plumage decries the tiny bird's demise. Ezra's nose splatters his face and white shirt with red when Aida punches him. Yet the bully's blonde hair shines as brightly as Aida's yellow boots.

 

But then, Alex shares Ezra’s blonde hair in The Unchosen #1. Their teacher strides in with a red-trimmed brown cloak over his brown slacks. Like Alex, Vasha also appears as Aida first saw her in the brown pit. Her white hair, scarf, and boots contrast with the black catsuit that enhances her fighting skills. Vasha’s white cloak’s scarlet interfacing shines whether attacking soldiers or confronting the representative of a rival school. When she removes her jacket and gloves, tattoos cover every visible part of Vasha’s arms, torso, and fists.

 

DC Hopkins fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters that grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Incantations appear as white symbols amid red and purple. Sound effects heighten a confrontation, while Aida's redacted dialogue enhances the appeal of this colorful, energetic, and action-packed debut. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Viktor Krum's Durmstrang and Harry Potter's Hogwarts utilize different curricula. The Unchosen #1 introduces us to two more schools with opposing viewpoints. One, like Freddie Mercury, says, "We want it all, and we want it now." The other, like Axl Rose, urges us to "Take it slow, and things will be just fine."

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Huge Detective #5 Review

 

Writer: Adam Rose

Artist: Magenta King & Dalts Dalton

Colorists: Magenta King & Minimone

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

Mrs Stubbs raised her son to believe he would become a Huge. Manny seems capable of telepathy, which links him with the Huge. But while Mrs Stubbs appears to love Humanity's giant neighbors, she burns for revenge. Once, she fought for Human acceptance of the Huge. A regrettable accident at the Dollsville theme park in Brobdingnag changed her mind. Mrs Stubbs has a controlling interest in the theme park where her husband and child died. Now, she wants to build Gulliver's World filled with her new and improved Giant Size puppets.

 

Mrs Stubbs kidnapped Tamaki’s father. The Bobble Man holds the Human detective. Detective Gyant lies with a drill poised above his head. But does any of this even matter with a Huge skeleton hurtling toward Earth’s atmosphere? Let’s put on our seven-league boots, leap into Huge Detective #5, and see!

 

Story

The Omega Event left Humanity and the Huge at odds. Her mother’s death amid the conflict left Tamaki nursing a grudge and caring for her ailing father. She takes medication to get through each day. Tamaki teamed with a Huge partner she never wanted to investigate the mystery of Belter’s Cave. But when the confrontation awakens Gyant’s hunger for Human flesh, Tamaki urges him to fight the temptation, like a friend encouraging an alcoholic to maintain his sobriety.

 

Adam Rose packs the converging storylines with action and drama. After learning about Mrs Stubb’s tragic history, Dr Crawford reveals Manny’s past. As Tamaki and Gyant fight for freedom, two events dominate Huge Detective #5. World leaders must either mount a mission to destroy the falling Huge skeleton or let Brobdingnag’s sacred relic fall and hope for the best. And then there is the fragment that broke off and reawakened a volcano in the Philippines. The Huge could help that effort. How the US President reacts to the falling skeleton could prove pivotal to international and interspecies relations.

 

Art

Magenta King and Minimone color Tamaki and the Bobble Man's scenes red and highlight the characters green. Red dominates the background as a reporter stands before the erupting volcano. Brobdingnag's diplomat sports red hair as he delivers an ultimatum. Gray and muted green evoke Black and White photographs as Dr Crawford relates Manny's past.

 Yet yellow, orange, and red clash with green when Mrs Stubbs demonstrates her inhumanity.

 

Gyant regards his desolate surroundings with a stony visage. Magenta King shows a white bird alight on Gyant's collar. After clasping her father's shoulder, Tamaki takes the bird's place in Huge Detective #5. As the detectives race against time to prevent a tragedy, fighters reach the descending skeleton on a starry night. As the skeleton hurtles toward a yellow and ocher patchwork landscape, the planes set off in pursuit.

 

DC Hopkins fills dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with uppercase black and red letters in Huge Detective #5. The words grow bold for intonation and Huge speech. People's thoughts fill cloudy balloons, while sound effects reveal the difficulties of forgiveness and the necessity to protect those we love.

 

Lowercase letters in yellow narrative boxes wrap up this series that celebrates our love of old songs, classic literature, and fairy tales. Dalts Dalton's Silver Age art and vibrant coloring provide a glimpse into the future that gives one Huge and one Human a happy ending. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As Huge Detective #5 grapples with the conflict between patriotism and diplomacy, Humans struggle to let go of the painful past, even if the future seems to promise more of the same. 

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Huge Detective #5. 

Huge Detective #4 Review

 

Writer: Adam Rose

Artist: Magenta King

Colorists: Magenta King & Minimone

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Alex Moore, Magenta King & Lenka Simeckova

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 5, 2025

 

Detective Gyant found Human and Huge bodies in underground caverns beneath Belter’s Cave. But someone left booby traps that injured Gyant and killed nearby Humans. As Human relationships with the Huge breakdown, another Omega Event threatens. Yet even another war between the Huge and the Humans pale before an imminent impact event as a Huge skeleton drifts toward Earth. Can FBI Captain Tamaki and Detective Gyant work together to discover what happened at Belter’s Cave, prevent a war, and protect life on Earth from extinction? Let’s slip on our seven-league boots, leap into Huge Detective #4, and find out!

 

Story

Mrs Stubbs raised Manny. She filled the boy’s head with a grand dream. In Adam Rose’s story, Mrs Stubbs convinces her adoptive human son that he will tower above the land. Mrs Stubbs held his head underwater so Manny could hold his breath for long periods. She also gave him a dictionary so he could project his thoughts. Perhaps Manny will never grow tall enough to touch the moon. Still, as he sits in his cell, attended by Dr Crawford and trained staff, the boy has a psychic connection with Detective Gyant. Stranger still, Manny knew what was happening on the moon before the Hubble telescope spotted the Huge skeleton leaving the Copernicus Crater.

 

In Huge Detective #4, Tamaki and Gyant visit Mrs Stubbs. As they sit in the aircraft hangar where she raised Manny, Mrs Stubbs serves tea and tells them about her past. Detective Gyant found her business partner's body in Belter's cave. Her husband died during the early years of Dollsville. Detective Gyant understands her concerns. The Huge have strong olfactory systems, and the aroma of Humans drives them wild. Although he denies it, Detective Gyant struggles not to think of eating Humans when he is around them. He may have killed Humans when his people arose and established Brobdingnag, but the Huge wants to believe he's better than that now.

 

While Detective Gyant learns the truth behind the mystery at Belter’s Cave in Huge Detective #4, his Human partner also faces a dilemma. Tamaki lost her mother during the Omega Event. Her father is an empty shell. She uses pills to survive her constant headaches. Captain Tamaki can barely stand to be around a member of this species that destroyed her life. When danger threatens, will Tamaki stand by and watch it happen, or risk all she has to try and save Detective Gyant?

 

Art

Magenta King's art suggests a children’s book more than traditional comic art. Despite the horns or bone spurs on the sides of his head, Detective Gyant appears like a Human character. As they look up at him or scurry around his feet, Humans like Tomaki and Mrs Stubbs resemble dolls. You can understand the Huge’s fascination with these tiny people that filled their world while the larger species slept.

 

Magenta King & Minimone cast Mrs Stubbs’ memories in Black And White. Regrettable “workplace” accidents in Dollsville splash red on white and gray. Red bathes panels when danger threatens. The vibrant colors in Huge Detective #4 wade into the primary waters of red, yellow, and blue. As the giant beige skeleton drifts our blue orb, the skull’s eyes glow yellow against a dark blue starfield.

 

DC Hopkins projects black and red uppercase handprinted lettering into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. A Huge’s thoughts appear in Old School cloudy balloons. Giant-size dialogue conveys Mrs Stubb’s horror at a regrettable start to her missionary journey, while an enormous yellow thud heralds her new vision. Breaking News reports appear as white letters in black boxes as video clips project Earth’s future. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As Mrs Stubbs reveals her past and Dr Crawford helps bring her plans to fruition, Manny demonstrates that he won't be anyone's doll in Huge Detective #4.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Huge Detective #4.

Huge Detective #2 Review

 

Writer: Adam Rose

Artist: Magenta King

Colorists: Magenta King & Minimone

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Pedro Cobiaco, Magenta King & Marcelo Costa

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 18, 2024

 

Detective McKenzie Tamaki wants to find a girl’s killer. The chief suspect, Manny, is convinced he is a Huge. Detective Gyant is among the few Huge who interact with Humans outside of Brobdingnag. Can Tamaki get answers from her schizophrenic chief suspect? Can Gyant assist with her investigation? And is the girl’s death in the cave related to the strange incidents on the moon? Let’s slip on our seven-league boots, leap into Huge Detective #2, and find out!

 

Story

The Huge arose forty years ago. Because most surfaced in Australia, the Huge expelled the tiny Humans and declared their new nation of Brobdingnag. Aside from the Doll Theme Parks in Brobdingnag, Humans and Huge rarely interact. But each needs the other. Many Huge want products that Humans make. A few, such as Stonecutter Mustardpanzer, welcome Humans into backpack hotels and transport them between continents faster than an airplane. The world has changed drastically after the Omega Event, but prejudice and hatred over the bloody war linger.

 

Park Rangers found Manny beside a dead girl at Belter's Cave. Detective Tamaki is tired of calling Manny’s cell on a megaphone. She forced her way into the prison and questioned him outside his cell. In Huge Detective #2, Detective Tamaki rushes into his cell and pulls Manny from a water-filled sink. She gives him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When the prison psychiatrist arrives, Dr Crawford gives Manny a sedative and Detective Tamaki a lecture.

 

Manny has an intriguing link with Detective Gyant. Dr Crawford doesn't understand it. All she sees is how badly Manny injures himself when he invokes his psychic link with the Huge Detective. Detective Tamaki needs Manny's knowledge, and perhaps his psychic abilities, to solve the girl's death. Still, she wishes she didn't have to partner with a Huge. Detective Gyant may seem friendly and easy-going, but the Omega Event left an indelible mark on Tamaki.

 

Manny’s mother raised him to become a Huge. Manny believes he will grow so tall he can touch the moon. Until then, Manny tries to increase the time he can hold his breath. The Huge can hold their breath for up to two hours. Detective Gyant utilizes this ability in Huge Detective #2. While Detective Tamaki learns of recent developments on the moon, Detective Gyant searches the lake near Belter’s Cave. He finds another entrance that swiftly rises above the water line. What Detective Gyant discovers inside casts an intriguing light on Manny’s visions and missing Human hikers. 

 

Art

Magenta King's art has an innocent, childlike quality, befitting this story about people surviving the tragedy of the Omega Event. Tamaki's suffering is apparent, but so is her growing concern for Manny. Detective Gyant resembles Frankenstein’s monster. Amid panels steeped in bold, rich colors, his skin is gray. Detective Gyant’s yellow shirt and undershorts pair with another tragic scene on the lakebed and mirror the astounding events on the moon.

 

Magenta King & Minimone’s coloring gives Huge Detective #2 texture and depth. The handcrafted appeal also invokes a cosmic look. After glimpsing the distant white stars amid the black void above the moon's surface, Detective Gyant rises above the water in the cave. His yellow shirt glows with green and white dots, suggesting his travel through a nebula to reach a strange, enclosed world.

 

DC Hopkins projects black uppercase lettering into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Breaking News reports appear in colored banners and as white letters in black fields. Sound effects convey Detective Gyant’s pain, the lyrics of an English folk song, and underline the dangers Humans face in Brobdingnag's Doll Theme Parks. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Amid Detective Gyant’s discoveries in Belter's Cave and an eruption on the moon's Copernicus Crater, Manny's psychic connection to Gyant increases while Detective Tamaki’s health worsens in Huge Detective #2.

 

Rating 9/10 

To preview interior art see my preview at The Dragon's Cache.

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 Review

 

Writers: Dan Watters & Ram V

Artist: Matthew Roberts

Colorist: Trish Mulvihill

Letterer: DC Hopkins

Cover Artists: Matthew Roberts & Dave Stewart; Jenny Frison; Dani & Brad Simpson; Maria Wolf & Mike Spicer; Martin Simmonds

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 24, 2024

 

Dr Edwin Thompson hunted the Creature for thirty years, but it eluded him. Kate Marsden traveled to Peru to capture Darwin Collier. She wanted justice after he tried to drown her. When the reality of the situation grew apparent, she made a deal with Dr Thompson. Help me kill Collier, and I'll help you capture your Creature. Kate thought she had the benefit of surprise, but Collier knew she was coming and laid a trap. Now, Dr Thompson's fate is uncertain. He may be deceased. His assistant Christiano, ditto. Kate is in Collier's custody. What will the soldier with a penchant for drowning people do to her? Let's grab our knives and rifles, leap into Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4, and find out!

 

Story

The Marine Corps taught Darwin Collier how to kill. Watching the life seep out of a victim's eyes changed him. Humans once dwelt in the ocean. Collier began to wonder why we left. So he sought out people with the sea in their eyes to help them return. A business trip to Peru introduced him to the Creature. Dr Thompson’s Missing Link confirmed his beliefs. And it shed bits of itself to help him transform into its likeness.

 

In the United States, all those Collier tried to baptize into their new life died except Kate. She followed him across the world to Peru. Collier welcomes her as a disciple. He hid his transformation from others, but in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4, he reveals his changed features to her. Now, she sees through a glass darkly. Collier will use his needles, surgical thread, antiseptics, and the Creature’s shed hide to clothe her in its glory. How can she fail to recognize the gift he has bestowed upon her?

 

But Collier's misdeeds are catching up with him in Dan Watters & Ram V's story. The drug producers he helped train in military combat and surveillance found the remains of his latest victim. They won’t wait while he picks them off one by one. And then there are Christiano and Dr Thompson. The disfigured researcher tends to his wounded assistant. But when he sees the Creature, he grabs his rifle, abandons Christiano, and ventures into Collier’s sacred temple.

 

Art

Matthew Roberts shows figures treading a dirt path to the lake between stony hills in Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4. A silhouette against a red field shows the man drawing his prize from the water. The narco’s eyes close as he presses the severed head of his colleague against his own. Nearby, Dr Thompson pulls his assistant from the dark water. Christiano’s face now bears similar disfiguring scars. Dr Thompson tears off a shirt sleeve. Then his eyes bulge, and he abandons Christiano. Darkness obscures his face and chest, and his eyes glow yellow as he enters the cave.

 

Trish Mulvihill paints the periphery of the cave in blues and greens. We first glimpse the Creature as a silhouette with blue eyes. Later, we see the Creature in all its green radiance. By contrast, Collier's webbed hands and the scales adorning his body are a dull and faded green. Yet his eyes glitter like gold and glow yellow as he disappears into the humid gray darkness. Red stains the dark water inside the cave, revealing the shadows of men bearing rifles as Collier seeks those who defiled his temple.

 

Uppercase black letters inhabit white dialogue balloons and gray narrative boxes. DC Hopkins' font grows bold for intonation, swells for elevated voices, and rarely shrinks. Sound effects heighten small moments, helping us hear tearing cloth and scratching claws. Yet enlarged colored dialogue joins the chorus of violence and death as Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 reaches its crescendo. Thanks to Universal Studios, Skybound, and Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Like the disease that once ravaged Christiano, the hunger for revenge refuses to release Kate. As she seeks freedom from her torment, Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives #4 ponders the difference between animals, humans, and monsters.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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