Geiger TP Vol 4 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Page Count: 152

Price: $16.99

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

Tariq Geiger has a history of suffering. Cancer threatened to devour him. His experimental treatments and the radiation from bombs that destroyed his country turned Tariq into a living nuclear reactor. And he has killed people. Oh, so many people.

 

But Tariq has a lot to live for. Barney, the two-headed wolf, has proven a loyal companion. Nate, the Nuclear Knight, always seeks to cheer him. And then there is Zigzag, a three-eyed zebra foal, the latest addition to their little family. As they travel through the new American frontier, can Tariq find peace and fulfillment? Or will the living nuclear reactor always be consumed by anger? Let's grab some Boron dust, leap into Geiger TP Vol 4, and find out!

 

Story

Once, he helped charities build homes for the less affluent in his community. Now, Tariq Geiger has no home. For a moment, Tariq found a place he thought he could belong. But after the new King of Vegas tracked him there and threatened the community, Grover's Corners kicked Tariq out.

 

As they travel toward Lewistown, Montana, Tariq and Nate defend a couple from a gang. With their home destroyed, Nate suggests they seek sanctuary in Grover's Corners. Before they embark on their journey, the man and woman give Nate a bag filled with books. For years, Tariq sought solace in libraries. Now, these stories only remind him of the family he lost. And then there was Principal William Webb, who burned books because they reminded the inhabitants of Grover’s Corners of a world they could never reclaim.

 

In Geiger TP Vol 4, the pain and longing for what Tariq can never have become too much. Overcome by rage and sorrow, not even the boron rods Dr Molotov designed can prevent the radiation from escaping Tariq's body. The outburst of energy alerts a pursuer to their location. And like Tariq, he doesn't know who he is or where he belongs.

 

It's been a long time since Tariq and Nate bartered with the Sheriff of Silverton for Ash Arden’s location. But when they reach Lewistown in Geoff Johns’ story, Tariq realizes he doesn't want to be there. Pain has become so much a part of him that he cannot imagine a life without it. Nor does Tariq believe he deserves redemption. It doesn’t help that Ashley Arden is a puzzle Tariq needs to figure out in Geiger TP Vol 4. But what he thinks of himself or how many people he believes he failed don't matter. When trouble arises, Tariq protects people in danger, regardless of the circumstances.

 

Art

It’s been a long road, but they’ve finally made it. A robot in Army fatigues, a knight in plate armor, a two-headed wolf, and a three-eyed Zebra foal stand before tall wooden gates. Around them stretches a city wall composed of stone, wood, metal, and Wall-E's compressed cubes of salvage. The Nuclear Knight bangs on the tall wooden gate with his sword, while Junkyard Joe cradles Tariq in his metal arms. A woman gazes down from atop the wall, clad in a cloak and hood, an armored vest, shorts, and boots. Two boron rods rise from her back.

 

When darkness falls, Brad Anderson paints Gary Frank's art with a subdued palette. Yet when the sun rises, this new world comes alive with color. The bright sunlight seems a reminder of Dr Andrei Molotov's nuclear bombs that cast their fallout far beyond where they fell. Junkyard Joe and Ash Arden’s green attire proves a constant reminder of Tariq’s condition. Ashley's memories share the same hatred of the yellow-green radiance that burns inside Tariq. As she tries to help him, Tariq explodes with the all-too-familiar green energy. Yet, the two glowing people are not the only source of green that threatens Lewistown in Geiger TP Vol 4.

 

Rob Leigh places uppercase black letters in dialogue balloons that grow bold for intonation, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Intense emotions distort balloons, while white letters in colored boxes share Junkyard Joe’s memories, off-panel dialogue, and dire warnings. Sound effects enhance Tariq’s outbursts of anger, Junkyard Joe’s struggle with his inner demons, and attackers who, like the King of Vegas, believe that whoever controls Geiger controls the world. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The former United States is an apocalyptic wasteland. While pockets of civilization survive, it is also home to the deformed organ people, gangs, Human traffickers, and religious extremists. In this lawless land, the warlords of Vegas and US President Griffin vie for power. Unlike them, Tariq Geiger wants a release from the power he wields. Instead, Tariq encounters treachery, betrayal, and more people he must sacrifice to save in Geiger TP Vol 4.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

 

 For more on this series, see my review of Geiger TP Vol 2

 

 

 

 and my review of Geiger TP Vol 3.

Geiger TP Vol 3 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Penciler: Paul Pelletier

Inker: Andrew Hennessy

Colorists: Brad Anderson & John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $16.99

Release Date: June 4, 2025

 

After their battle with the Electrician, Barney feels down. Geiger and Nate wonder if the two-headed wolf will carry on. That night, Barney abandons their camp to protect and befriend a zebra. Geiger doesn’t want another mouth to feed. But Nate adores the three-eyed foal. So, the living nuclear reactor is responsible for four people. Can Geiger find the other glowing man like him and discover a cure for his condition? Or will the people hunting Geiger find them first? Let's grab some Boron dust, leap into Geiger TP Vol 3, and find out!

 

Story

Geoff Johns begins with a fight as Goldfield and other warriors try to capture Geiger. These knights regard Nate as a traitor. The Nuclear Knight understands the need to bring order to the post-apocalyptic wasteland. The warlords of Las Vegas safeguard civilization. They want the Glowing Man to unleash his immense power on their enemies. Before Nate sought redemption from Geiger, the Nuclear Knight served the warlords. Now, Nate protects isolated communities with his new friends in Geiger TP Vol 3.

 

As Geiger, Nate, Barney, and Zigzag travel to Lewistown, Montana, they find Nightcrawlers attacking people. When they realize the children donned radiation suits and risked the giant ants to find books, Geiger feels a link with them. Yet, the children also remind him of the family he lost. Before he became the Glowing Man, Geiger loved sharing his love of reading with his son and daughter. Like Geiger, these children’s parents mourn a world they can never have again. Unlike him, the community’s leaders disdain books.

 

After continuing Geiger's adventures with three recent issues, Geiger TP Vol 3 revisits the Glowing Man's origins. The two-issue story explains why the Russian bombs that decimated cities spread their mutation-producing radiation across the continental United States. Like the parents who fear the consequences of reading books, the Geiger: Ground Zero miniseries reminds us how often we perpetuate our ancestors' flawed legacies.

 

Art

While Nate cuts and thrusts with his sword, Geiger’s glowing skeleton slices through plate armor or breaks glass faceplates. As Geiger wields his control rods like truncheons, and the two-headed wolf bites and claws, the three-eyed Zebra foal watches. Paul Pelletier and Andrew Hennessy portray Geiger's battles with giant ants, repressive leaders, and the knights who seek Geiger as a wedding gift for the Queen and New King of Las Vegas.

 

Then, a Russian immigrant aids a military leader in Geiger TP Vol 3. Gary Frank peels away a quarter-decade to show Tariq Geiger’s fragile form before the radiation healed him. The art reveals why the military leader hunts the Glowing Man and, like Nate, how the Russian strives to relieve Geiger’s suffering.

 

Brad Anderson and John Kalisz lavish loaded palettes on Geiger TP Vol 3. Perhaps the brightest colors adorn a meeting in Las Vegas as the corpulent queen holds court. The warlords adopt iconic costumes from decades and centuries past. Subdued colors portray green-clad soldiers pursuing a glowing green skeleton through the gray night. Lamps illuminate the darkness as Tariq reads to his son and daughter. Sunlight helps a community glow when Geiger and Nate escort their children home.

 

Rob Leigh places uppercase black letters in dialogue balloons that grow bold for intonation, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Intense emotions distort balloons, while colorful dialogue amplifies the action. Sound effects help us hear the Nightcrawlers’ clicking, Zigzag’s braying, knights battling, control rods hissing, and a cherished memory incinerating. Script excerpts, process art, and covers close out Geiger TP Vol 3. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Glowing Man is a dangerous man to know. Befriending him also has its perils. Painful memories propel Geiger on a desperate hunt for a cure in Geiger TP Vol 3. Yet his strange condition has allowed the morose man to survive and protect others from gangs, scavengers, and the monsters that terrorize the American wasteland.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

This review first appeared at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

For a look inside see my preview of Geiger #7, the first issue in Geiger TP Vol 3. 

Redcoat #11 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Inhyuk Lee

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Simon's abusive father told his foster son he would never be good enough. When Simon embarked on a career as a British Redcoat, he sought to make a new life for himself by bringing the rebellious colonists back under England’s control. Simon shot George Washington in the head at the Battle Of Trenton on Christmas Day in 1776. Then, he watched the leader of the American Rebellion shrug off the wound and use magic to defeat Simon's army.

 

The Founding Fathers’ ceremony made Simon Pure immortal. But it also robbed him of a loving family, a successful career, or even a full belly. Worse, while the Founding Fathers promoted traditional religions like Christianity, they conducted secret occult ceremonies in churches to forge the United States. So, Simon has no reason to fight to preserve this sham of a country. But can Simon remain neutral amid the slaughter of a generation? Let's leap into Redcoat #11 and find out!

 

Story

Zeke can’t believe his luck. The Corporal has been entrusted with a crucial mission and awarded a promotion. The Sergeant must deliver a package to a Confederate General within two days. But in his elation, Zeke allows someone to trick him. So, in Redcoat #11, Zeke pursues the thief who stole his satchel. It holds the keys to his future and the cause he pledged his life to protect.

 

While Zeke legs it to protect his legacy, Simon's past prevents him from pursuing a better future. Still, after ninety years of crisscrossing the United States, Simon knows the lay of the land. Military leaders on both sides of the war need reliable couriers. Simon slips to and from battlefields faster than Paul Revere. Then, while other healthy Americans fight for their families, government, and beliefs, Simon chats up women in bars.

 

Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch’s story introduces a mysterious secessionist. The Cobbler wants the South to win the American Civil War. Redcoat #11 also brings back the Northerner, who will observe Simon in 1909. At least, that’s how history should run. But the Northerner carries an object with him. Like an amulet or talisman, the Northerner hopes it will signal when he has achieved his objective.

 

Art

A tattered Confederate flag flutters over Columbus, Georgia in 1864. A scruffy, overweight man carries a satchel bearing an elaborate seal. African American women and children toil in a textile factory. After an impertinent display, two soldiers pursue a thief past wooden buildings and wagons. A brilliant light briefly obliterates a tree-filled hill. Then, symbols glow above a still body in Redcoat #11.

 

As Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch introduced Zeke amid his Confederate brethren with a two-page display, they introduce Simon amid a similar scene of grandeur. Simon’s redcoat outshines the American flag, muzzle flashes, and exploding ordinance. Amid the gray-clad cavalry charging infantry soldiers in dark blue uniforms, Simon’s coat seems equal to the Confederate flag in brilliance. Compared with the grays, browns, greens, and beiges of the textile factory, Simon’s redcoat, the women’s attire, and yellow candle sconces illuminate a similarly subdued bar. Brad Anderson paints the night green as Simon leaves Lincoln’s Tavern. Then memories flow on a blue tide as buildings burn, people fight, and Simon clutches a fading friend in his arms.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and beige scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #11. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and never shrink. Violent emotion makes balloons pointy, while sickness turns them splotchy. The giant orange letters H and A fill a pointy balloon, but not with laughter. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Simon Pure has lived for over a century. He wears his red coat as a reminder of his past and avoids choosing sides in any conflict. Now, as he works as an independent courier amid the American Civil War, a strange wave of pain and memories flood his consciousness. Simon hasn’t died. But if he wants to keep living, Simon must choose between two mysterious employers in Redcoat #11.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

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.

Redcoat #10 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Ryan Sook; Lesley “Leirix” Li

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 12, 2025

 

Simon Pure has the luck of the Irish. A night in a saloon netted him a bag of cash. But then, like Ryder in Aint No Grave TP, Simon's competitors objected to the aces up his sleeve. Pursued by gun-toting gamblers in St Joseph, Missouri, Simon leaps aboard a passing train. As the train rumbles across a bridge, Simon believes he has gotten away with the goods. Instead, an accident befalls him, tossing Simon into the Missouri River. Has a dropped coin doomed him like Captain Jack Sparrow? Let's grab the bills escaping Simon's sack, leap into Redcoat #10, and find out!

 

Story

The accident and the impact from the water deliver a mortal one-two knockout. Thanks to the Founding Fathers' magic and strong currents, Simon awakens the next day on the shores of Memphis. Karma dictates that Simon loses his ill-gotten gains. So, after begging for a coin from a passing stranger, Simon enters another contest. This time, he can’t win by cheating.

 

Simon meets the famous Annie Oakley in Redcoat #10. His contest with the sharpshooter in 1890 gives Simon a chance to shine. Still, Simon refuses to believe that he possesses exceptional skills. Believing in his capabilities, much less that he has a gift, means Simon must also accept that more than random chance rules his life. But then, Simon received immortality by stumbling into a ceremony designed to help Benjamin Franklin escape death.

 

In Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch's story, disbelieving in himself lets Simon off the hook. Why strive for success when it's easier to embrace failure? As Simon’s parents rejected him, and the Church consigned him to an abusive foster father, Simon accepted what his father drilled into him during his childhood. Simon fled the Battle Of Trenton in 1776. Over a hundred years later, Simon still rejects any notion that he could belong anywhere, let alone with people who might value his skills, abilities, and (perhaps even) gifts.

 

Art

As Simon christens his journey with Einstein by stealing aboard a train in 1892, so Simon leaps aboard a steam locomotive two years earlier in Redcoat #10. Greenbacks flutter from his bag, and a pig regards him with curious eyes. If the Founding Fathers were to observe Simon's misadventures, no doubt the phrase "casting their pearls before swine" would come to mind. As for the pursuing gunmen clad in their dark suits, coats, and hats, their appearance and revolvers recall that Jesse James died in St Joseph, Missouri, eight years before Simon's visit.

 

The tall buildings, crowded streets, and lines strung between poles suggest Simon washed up in Memphis, Tennessee, rather than Memphis, Missouri. Simon's red, white, and blue attire outshines the crowd in the dirt street. Brad Anderson’s colors make Annie Oakley glow compared to her portrait on the wagon. When Annie’s assistant hurls cards into the air, it evokes how Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch fill the first page with money and four Aces of Clubs.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and beige scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #10. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and rarely shrink. While many of the parchment scraps evoke the states of the union, the off-camera question in a rectangular box expresses concern Simon often hides. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

After ruminating on the role chance plays in his life, an accident helps Simon Pure meet Annie Oakley. Redcoat #10 reminds us how Simon's childhood shaped him and helps us better understand why, two years later, he will try so hard to keep his distance from thirteen-year-old Albert Einstein.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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.

Geiger TP Vol 2 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: February 5, 2025

 

Nate worked for the King of Las Vegas. He followed orders and punished those who broke the law. Seeking a more worthy life, Nate approaches the glowing man. But Geiger spurns him. Will Nate return to his former life? Or will the Nuclear Knight convince the glowing man to accept his aid? Let's leap into Geiger TP Vol 2 and find out!

 

Story

When Russia attacked the United States, Geiger couldn't get into their nuclear fallout shelter in time. His wife and children watched as the radiation interacted with his experimental cancer treatment, transforming Geiger into a living nuclear reactor. Now, Geiger wanders the land, wondering if he will ever find a cure for his condition.

 

Nate suggests a potential cure in Geiger TP Vol 2. After a quarter century, Geiger dismisses Nate's story as a fairy tale. When the Nuclear Knight tries to kill himself, Geiger takes pity on him. He may want Nate as much as Frodo wanted Gollum. Still, if Nate turns on him, Geiger doesn’t have to take him to Mount Doom to incinerate him.

 

The men and Barney follow a trail of breadcrumbs toward salvation. Geiger and his two-headed wolf look out for each other. Geiger and Nate seek information on a second glowing man while remaining alert for attackers, not knowing someone else pursues them.

 

The electrician is not the only danger in Geiger TP Vol 2. Radioactive fallout mutated people and animals. A president inhabits another White House. Still, he cannot cleanse the American wastelands of the nightcrawlers, crazed organ harvesters, or bosses who rule their territories.

 

Geiger TP Vol 2 speaks to our fears about the future. While warning us of threats to our way of life, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's story reminds us of the importance of kindness. Despite their differences, Geiger and his companions accept each other's foibles. And when they pursue those who have wronged others, Barney may take a bite out of crime, but Geiger and Nate often opt for mercy over justice.

 

Art

Bandits charge past a tilting McDonald's sign. People and horses wear respirators or transparent facemasks. Geiger hides his features with his hood and a book. When danger threatens, Geiger withdraws the boron rods embedded in his back. As Geiger hurls the radioactive batons, green energy suffuses him, and his burning face resembles a skull.

 

Two pairs of green lupine eyes watch as a man in armor approaches. He lifts his visor, revealing the cuts and burns covering the right side of his face. In Geiger TP Vol 2, the travelers hunt a man with a mask that evokes the Lone Ranger. A robot in army fatigues searches a house as memories fill his vision. Tumors and wounds cover mutants who eschew masks and sharpen their teeth. One evokes a savage Zaphod Beeblebrox.

 

As Brad Anderson lavishes a loaded palette on intense action scenes, dramatic encounters, and quiet character moments, Rob Leigh serves uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons. Words come in varying sizes and colors, while Barney's barks and growls reveal his personality. Amid the gunfire and explosions, Geiger's fiery hands sometimes evoke sadness, while red graffiti adorning a train car makes us smile. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Nuclear explosions blew up his life while curing his cancer. As he seeks a reunion with his family, Geiger helps those in need. In Geiger TP Vol 2, the stories he loves remind the living nuclear reactor of what he treasures and who he strives to be.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Redcoat #9 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Mark Buckingham & John Kalisz; Steve Lieber & Wes Dzioba

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 28, 2025

 

Johnny Appleseed may be younger than Simon Pure, but a wise head rests on his shoulders. Unlike Simon, magic doesn't flow through Johnny's veins. Still, Johnny senses the everyday magic that connects people and nature. He travels across the United States, spreading the bountiful nature of apples that supplement the diets of struggling farmers and townspeople.

 

What does Johnny Appleseed think of Simon Pure? And what will happen when they meet in 1816? Let’s grab a handful of magic seeds, leap into Redcoat #9, and find out!

 

Story

By June of 1816, Simon and Johnny are old friends. Fourteen years ago, they decided they liked each other so much that they agreed to an annual meetup. The men spend these day-long reunions catching up, trading stories, and drinking Johnny’s legendary apple cider. But this time, Johnny requests help putting a nearby community to rights.

 

While the rapid expansion of settlers helped people like Daniel Heavyside turn their hands to new skills, there was no shortage of bad actors. Silas Caldwell may be as inherently rotten as the Bender family Simon will later meet. Simon wants to catch the miscreant who hurt so many people. Johnny focuses on helping the survivors. But in Redcoat #9, Johnny is taken aback when Simon rebuffs a boy.

 

Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch paint Simon in 1892 as someone who runs up credit everywhere he goes. Perhaps earlier in his life, Simon focuses on being more self-sufficient. In any case, Simon's insatiable hunger and thirst for alcohol proved just as compelling in 1816. Simon drinks all of Johnny's apple cider and asks for more. Instead, Johnny suggests Simon use his inherent magic to track down Silas. As in his later adventures with Albert Einstein, Simon doesn't understand his abilities and relies on others' advice to resolve a problem he created.

 

Art

Simon checks his pocket watch as he waits for Johnny to arrive. But his friend sneaks up behind him and tosses a handful of seeds. As in Benedict Arnold's secret sanctum, the tree's explosive growth carries Simon into the sky as effectively as Groot secures Quarnyx batteries for Rocket. From his lofty perch, Simon notices more apples than butterflies. And instead of a Lonely Mountain, Simon spies a trail of brown smoke rising into the sky.

 

A double-page spread reveals Simon's spectacular failure to channel the energy from the Founding Fathers' ceremony. Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch fill the remaining pages in Redcoat #9 with action scenes, glimpses of life in a struggling 19^th-century town, and Johnny and Simon's camaraderie.

 

Brad Anderson lavishes a loaded palette on daytime scenes. Yellow, orange, and bluish-green dominate the evening. Fire proves a theme in this story set two years after The Burning of Washington by British Redcoats. A roaring campfire devours the wood as readily as Simon's deflections burn away Johnny's easy-going nature. Yet after a torchlit romp through the woods, the friends cavort with jugs in their hands like Jack Sparrow on a deserted island. 

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #9. Words grow bold for inflection. Raised voices enlarge letters and deform balloons. Lowered voices occasionally shrink the dialogue. Orange laughter dispels the darkness in this story about friendship and helping others. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Like Johnny Appleseed’s magical seeds, stories shape our cultural consciousness. While the issue provides deeper insight into Simon’s past, the shadow of a great American storyteller hangs Redcoat #9. Perhaps one of his major literary works laid a foundation stone for the series. The writer’s life and stories certainly influence Simon's relationship with Johnny. One of the early American author's famous characters also makes an intriguing comparison with our anything-but-pure, apple cider-loving antihero.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

 

Redcoat #8 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Brad Walker & Brad Anderson; Yanick Paquette & Brad Anderson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 25, 2024

 

As Simon Pure travels through Kansas, returning to his familiar New England, the former Redcoat knocks on the front door of a family home. Kate Bender welcomes him inside and offers him a room for the night. Her family is setting the table for dinner, and they invite Simon to join them. But is the Benders’ hospitality as pure as it seems? Or is it anything but? Let’s grab our enchanted hatchets, leap into Redcoat #8, and find out!

 

Story

To 19^th-century immigrants, America glowed like a beacon of opportunity. As settlers pushed back the frontier, labor shortages let opportunists turn their hands to new skills. Daniel Heavyside has worked as a Cattle Inspector and Homestead Surveyor. Kate seems impressed by Daniel’s accomplishments when he visits her home. But is she the prize Daniel imagines?

 

Like Daniel, Simon Pure has many talents. While it looks forward to 1909, Redcoat #8 occurs in 1873 and predates Simon’s meeting with Albert Einstein. Nearly a century has passed since George Washington shrugged off Simon's killing blow, and the fleeing Redcoat gained immortality at a Founding Fathers’ ceremony. After assisting a friend, Simon returns to more familiar stomping grounds. Edward O'Reilly first chronicled the adventures of Simon's friend in 1917, although Pecos Bill, the Texan who created the Gulf Of Mexico, was born three-quarters of a century earlier. Kate seems as impressed with Simon as with Daniel. But is her admiration for her guests genuine?

 

This horrific story harkens to when less regulation and oversight allowed crimes to pass unnoticed. Like the Kent family chronicles of John Jakes, Redcoat #8 reveals the less-than-rosy history of American expansion and settlement. Yet, even in an age when communications and governmental oversight should protect people like Daniel and Simon from predators masquerading as angels of mercy, evil still finds ways to attack the innocent.

 

After witnessing Simon Pure’s final reunion with Albert Einstein in 1955, it's hard to see the adventuring antihero as anything worse than a misguided innocent. Simon has lived more than a century by this point. But, as Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch make clear, Simon's childhood still haunts him and prevents him from becoming a renaissance man like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day.

 

Art

A silhouette of a cowboy rides into a rain-streaked gray evening. Blues and grays dominate the foul weather outside. Oil lanterns and a roaring hearth reveal subdued colors and shadows in the Bender home. Blood quickly blackens when the Benders violate their guests' trust. Brad Anderson fills the living quarters with muted yellows, pinks, greens, and browns. Still, Simon's red-and-blue coat dominates the interior of this last, unhomely house.

 

Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch show the rain streaming off Daniel’s hat and bouncing off his shoulders. A detailed beard frames Daniel's smile as he assures his horse there is nothing to fear. Mrs Bender and her daughter return Daniel’s smile. But when the family reveals their intentions to their guests, their joy shows on their faces. Axes serve as reminders of Simon's adventures with Albert Einstein and Benedict Arnold and provide a link with George Washington's treacherous life. Pocket watches suggest that, unlike Simon, the Benders' illicit exploits cannot last forever.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #8. Words embolden and swell for inflection and raised voices and shrink for lowered or distant voices. Red and yellow laughter spills across panels, while Mrs. Bender's German accent hints at another reason for Simon's reticence to team with Albert Einstein when they meet nineteen years later. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Past meets present in 1873 when Simon's discovery at the Benders' house reminds him of his troubled youth. Redcoat #8 is a violent and horrific reminder of what can happen when parents don’t take their responsibilities to their children and society seriously.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

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