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.

 

 

Ghost Machine #1 Review

 

Creators: Jason Fabok, Gary Frank, Bryan Hitch, Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee, Francis Manapul, Brad Meltzer, Ivan Reis, Peter Snejbjerg, Peter J. Tomasi & Maytal Zchut

Inker: Danny Miki

Colorists: Brad Anderson & Bjarne Hansen

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Francis Manapul; Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson; Peter Snejbjerg; Ivan Reis & Brad Anderson; Ivan Reis & Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 24, 2024

 

A radioactive man traverses an apocalyptic wasteland. Wardens in an abandoned terraformed world wear helmets to control animals. Novelty store items wield unexpected power. A family travels back through the centuries to live among us amid a contest between Heaven and Hell. What do all these stories have in common? Let’s leap into Ghost Machine #1 and find out!

 

Stories

Geiger

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank; Colors by Brad Anderson

Geiger wanders post-apocalyptic America. He burns with radiation. Beside him trots a two-headed wolf. Many come to him for help. One, the nuclear knight, begs to assist him. But all that interests Geiger is another immortal named Redcoat.

 

Redcoat

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch; Colors by Brad Anderson

Redcoat was born in 1749. Colonists killed him in 1776. He awoke on the battlefield and has since fought in many wars. He’s met many historical figures, including Einstein and Annie Oakley. Every time Redcoat dies, his mind returns to a painful childhood memory. Then Redcoat awakens to fight another day.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Geiger and Redcoat introduce several antiheroes who fight wars across time. As these stories interweave, so are the acts of these immortal warriors. A chart provides the timeline for each soldier's origin across a tapestry called The Unnamed, while biographies reveal insights into their histories and characters.

 

Rook: Exodus

Creators: Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok; Colors by Brad Anderson

Rook failed at farming. Now he’s a Warden. His helmet helps him command crows, ravens, and rooks. With Swine’s help, Rook searches for parts to repair a rocket and leave the planet. Swine isn’t sure he wants to leave Exodus with Rook. Dire Wolf argues they should build a new community among those who have not abandoned the terraformed world. Yet someone else hunts the three wardens long after the corporation that settled the planet fled. As with the Unnamed characters, short biographies provide insights into their histories and characters.

 

 

The Rocketfellers

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Francis Manapul

A 25^th-century family travels back to 2024. Neither his father, wife, or children are inclined to sacrifice their likes and interests. Still, Roland’s determined to forge them into a loving, supportive family. While doing this for personal reasons, Roland worries that Vertex will discover them.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, The Rocketfellers participate in the Time Zone Protection program. Perhaps the family protects our future. In any case, Roland must help them disregard traditions and perspectives that originate in their society and adapt to our less-advanced ways.

 

Hornsby & Halo

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerb; Colors by Bjarne Hansen

Zachary Halo and Rose Hornsby live in Warwick, New York. Zach is the child of angels who now lives with demons. Rose is a demon maturing among angels. While Rose's parents are loving, Zach struggles to please his adoptive mother and father. As the eleven-year-olds compete against each other, they reveal supernatural abilities.

 

In Ghost Machine #1, Heaven and Hell wonder whether nature or nurture will triumph. How the contest relates to peace between both realms is yet to become apparent. And how will mortals react when they notice Zachary and Rose’s superhuman abilities?

 

The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo shelter under the Family Odysseys umbrella. Fact sheets provide the lowdown on each character. Even Rex--the Rocketfellers' family dog--gets a paragraph!

 

Hyde Street

Creators: Geoff Johns, Lamont Magee & Ivan Reis

Inks: Danny Miki

Colors: Brad Anderson

A boy blows a whistle to punish a rude man. A woman who has tried everything makes another attempt to lose weight. The items look like mass-produced gimmicks. How do these powerful objects influence the user, and what happens when wielded for evil purposes? Could using these artifacts hasten the apocalypse?

 

Ghost Machine #1 introduces all these stories arriving in comic shops in the upcoming months. Among this tempting array of appetizers, The Rocketfellers and Hornsby & Halo best resemble entrees. But all these appealing starters will tempt the palettes of readers hungering to discover a promising new storytelling universe.

 

Art

An elder sits on a rock, telling stories of Geiger, the Nuclear Knight, and Redcoat to children gathered around a campfire. They clutch cloaks or blankets over their antiradiation suits and gaze at each other through the visors of their helmets. Geiger doesn’t need a radiation suit. He strides through the wasteland, carrying two sticks across his back like ninja swords. He glows with green fire when angered.

 

American colonists surround Redcoat on a hill. Their rifles encircle his head. Redcoat smiles congenially, offering to change sides. Yet he awakens moments later amid the Revolutionary War as scavengers try to pinch his boots. A lifetime later, Redcoat awakens when people try to bury him. The Unnamed features appealing realism with vibrant colors.

 

Rook: Exodus catches Rook and Swine on the run. The Wardens charge through trees and fall off a cliff, pursued by a beast they cannot control. Water streams down their features and flies into their faces as they struggle through a stream. Grays and browns saturate this failed terraformed project. Yet Rook and Swine shine, thanks to nuanced coloring and detailed penciling.

 

Lavish penciling inscribes The Rocketfellers into our hearts in Ghost Machine #1. The limited color palettes shift by scene, while other panels offer full-spectrum coloring. Many images evoke paintings. Grandma appears via hologram. The art conveys rapid movement as the family leaves their clapboard home, boards their VW bus, and races to escape pursuit. A 25th-century blaster—stored in the dash—provides their only protection.

 

 

 

The soft tones of the limited palette imbue Hornsby & Halo with All Ages appeal. The art suits these young heroes as they compete against each other on the baseball diamond. While outshining their peers, they endure parents who view the world from a different paradigm.

 

Three sections comprise Hyde Street in Ghost Machine #1. Pages advertising novelty items evoke Bronze Age Comic advertisements for items children could purchase via mail. These give way to paintings of realistic art in which characters exude warmth and settings radiate vitality. Moments of action strike powerfully while danger menaces throughout.

 

Rob Leigh populates Ghost Machine #1 with a wide range of lettering. Sizes ranged from large to small, and styles from simple block font to italicized. Vibrant sound effects enliven every story, and Easter Eggs hint at linkages to others.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy of this sixty-six-page issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Popular and promising creators introduce a lavish sampler of exciting stories in Ghost Machine #1. The oversized one-shot fires a salvo across the bows of local comic shops, warning readers to take heed and other storytelling universes to remain on High Alert.

 

Rating 10/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.