Hyde Street #5 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Francis Portela

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson; Francis Portela & Brad Anderson; Leila Leiz & Alex Sinclair

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 2, 2025

 

Miss Glee Goodbody has stayed in her shop since she arrived on Hyde Street. She has not reaped souls as quickly as Pranky, but her products have delivered consistent results. Miss Goodbody only needs two more conquests to return to the world she left behind. Will Mr X-Ray help Miss Goodbody fulfill her contract? Or will the former advertising executive doom her enterprise? Let’s grab a container of Devour, leap into Hyde Street #5, and find out!

 

Story

While most people see the world as shades of gray, Miss Goodbody sees only black and white. Glee didn't let anyone take it easy at Iron Dance. She challenged her aerobics students to push themselves. They didn't belong in her class if they didn't give their best.

 

It’s easy to say that Miss Goodbody pushed her students too hard. But in Hyde Street #5, Glee is as tough on herself as on her students. Her parents taught her to strive for excellence. Her body was a gift, and Glee needed to cherish it. So, Mrs Goodbody always pushes her limits. She denies herself anything that would impair her physical perfection. If she weakens, she looks around. Too many people invite failure via indulgence.

 

Mr X-Ray appeals to Miss Goodbody’s sense of fairness. In Geoff Johns’ story, the man who hooked his graphic designer on drugs wishes to build a neighbor watch to deter Pranky’s predations. Mr X-Ray wants to help his fellow residents escape Hyde Street. The former advertising executive doesn’t share the Matinee Monster’s insistence on saving all their visitors. Still, people should get a choice to reform instead of being tricked into damnation.

 

Miss Goodbody perceives in Mr X-Ray the same weakness she decries. Anyone who doesn’t sacrifice for physical perfection is unworthy of the gift of life. Damnation, or indentured service to the Scorekeeper, is what they deserve in Hyde Street #5.

 

Art

Miss Goodbody pulses with energy as she yells at her aerobics student. While the teacher's hair tumbles around her face like a VO5 commercial, hairs spring loose from Trisha's perm to dangle before her eyes. Her mouth looks as wobbly as her legs as Miss Goodbody urges Trisha to move or die. Francis Portela’s art shows Glee doesn't give up on her students. She jabs her finger at Trisha’s nose and leans closer, insisting she work harder. Spittle flies from Miss Goodbody's mouth as Trisha's eyes roll up, and she collapses amid the lycra-clad crowd.

 

While lavishing bright colors on energetic art that evokes the 1980s 20 Minute Workout TV series, Brad Anderson hints at why Miss Goodbody is so hard on her student. Glee wears a green leotard, lavender leg warmers, head- and wristbands, and pink earrings in Hyde Street #5. Lavender earrings complement Trisha's green eyes. The student wears a pink headband, wristbands, and leg warmers. If Trisha tried harder, she could make her tightly curled auburn hair as lustrous and full-bodied as Miss Goodbody’s.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons as Mr. X-Ray appeals to Miss Goodbody. White letters in black boxes bring readers into the present as the former aerobics instructor welcomes visitors to her shop in her favorite green and lavender. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell or change color, and rarely shrink as Miss Goodbody protests her innocence. Sound effects enhance Miss Goodbody's adherence to her code, making a pivotal choice and a counseling opportunity. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Miss Glee Goodbody is a winner, although she doesn’t see herself in those terms. In Hyde Street #5, the proprietor of Fat-Free aims for excellence and never waivers. She will do anything to achieve the results she desires. But Miss Goodbody swims in dangerous waters. She knows a moment of weakness can invite a feeding frenzy.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Hyde Street #4 Review

 

Storytellers: Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis

Inker: Danny Miki

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson; Peter Snejbjerg & Brad Anderson; Joe Prado & Wes Dzioba

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 5, 2025

 

The Scorekeeper brings villains to Hyde Street. He chooses some to be his assistants. After their faithful service, he promises to return them to Earth better than they left. But first, they must deliver 10,000 souls to Hell. Oscar Oddman never wanted this deal. Still, he ended up on Hyde Street. How did Oscar get here? And why does he send souls to Heaven instead of Hell? Let’s have a monster mash, leap into Hyde Street #4, and find out!

 

Story

Oscar Oddman tried to make it in Hollywood. But the studios saw his height as a disadvantage. Stan worked hard to get the 6’7” man a shot at a leading role like Clark Gable or Jimmy Stewart. But all his agent could scrounge up was the monster part in an Abbott And Costello film.

 

In Hyde Street #4, Oscar doubts his abilities. However, the director surprises Oscar by seeing his potential. Trouble arises when production takes a hiatus. Oscar is left alone with his fears and insecurities. When he returns to the set, Oscar no longer feels valued.

 

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis’ cautionary tale delves into the precarious reality of the mid-20^th century Hollywood studio system. One day, you could be a player. The next, you slept on a park bench. As Oscar strives for legitimacy, the voices inside tell him he’s not good enough. Stan and the studio’s secretiveness feeds Oscar’s fears. And like anyone who craves power over others, the Scorekeeper keeps Oscar weak and dependent on him.

 

While Hyde Street #4 lays Oscar's life bare, it also exposes his tragic afterlife. The Scorekeeper may deal less kindly with Oscar than Mr X-Ray did with Jim Smith. Still, despite the Scorekeeper's abuse, Oscar shows surprising fortitude. Oscar decides he won't let the Scorekeeper, or anyone else, decide what role he plays on Hyde Street.

 

Art

A gold and brown lamp illuminate Stan’s smile as he hands Oscar the script. The tall man clutches his beaten hat to his chest, surrounded by framed posters of the Phantom, Invisible Man, and Dracula. The giant and his comparatively pint-sized agent frame a poster of Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein’s Monster. Yet, a closeup of Stan’s determined face nestles against a shot of Oscar’s crestfallen features, clarifying who stands higher in the Hollywood echelon.

 

Six headshots portray the transformation from an out-of-work actor to a green-faced monster. A soulful monster menaces the camera beneath glaring lights amid Greek grandeur in Hyde Street #4. Two pages of red and white reveal Oscar's passage to the Scorekeeper's Twilight Zone via a Time Tunnel. Brad Anderson uses color sparingly in the Black And White transit station. Window shutters glow an infernal red. The purple eyes of Oscar's new master shine as purple flames leap from the white contract in his gray hands.

 

Italicized uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons as Stan feeds Oscar’s doubts. White letters in black boxes forecast Oscar’s fate as if spoken by Rod Serling. One giant yellow and red growl shows how a little encouragement can bolster one’s confidence. Red letters in blotchy white balloons solidify Oscar’s place on Hyde Street. White letters in green balloons with jagged edges reveal a hint of villainy amid Oscar’s kindness. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Others denied Pranky the satisfaction and love he yearned for. Becoming the Scorekeeper's little helper made the former Boy Scout feel valued. But when Oscar Oddman's actions threaten his dominance, Pranky makes the Matinee Monster his next target in Hyde Street #4.

 

Rating 9.8/10 

 

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

Redcoat #2 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

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

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 15, 2024

 

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

 

Story

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Art

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Final Thoughts

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

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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