Conan The Barbarian #31 Cover Preview

 

COVER A: MAHMUD ASRAR

After the Battle of Venarium, a young warrior yearned to leave his native Cimmeria and see the outside world. When his steps led him into snowy Asgard, he could have killed a hungry bear from a distance. Instead, young Conan set down his bow. Then he approached the beast, assessing its mettle as he attacked the ferocious animal in its native habitat. 

Years later, another hunter tracks Conan. The Son of the Tooth follows Conan to the trade city of Khoraja. Instead of killing him from a distance, the assassin studies the ferocious man who slew Thulsa Doom, the great Necromancer-King of the Black Stone. What will happen when the two warriors test each others' mettle? And how will their battle influence Set's plans to dominate the Hyborian world?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #31

Writer: Jim Zub 

Artist: Doug Braithwaite

Publisher: Titan Comics & Heroic Signatures

Issue Length: 32 Pages (Full Color)

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 27, 2026 

A deadly new foe hunts Conan the Barbarian, tracking his spirit wherever he travels - a killer with keen blade in hand and teeth from old prey strung ‘round his neck. The cult of the Black Stone wants revenge against the Cimmerian and the Son of the Tooth is their weapon of choice.

 

Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B: DOUG BRAITHWAITE

 

 

COVER C: MAX DUNBAR

COVER D: PAOLO PANTALENA

COVER E: MAHMUD ASRAR - VIRGIN VARIANT

Also Available:

COVER F: DOUG BRAITHWAITE - FOIL VARIANT

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Conan The Barbarian #30.

For how this story arc began, see my review of Conan The Barbarian #29. 

 

Amazing X-Men #3 Review

 

Writer: Jed MacKay

Artist: Mahmud Asrar

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson; Miguel Mercado; Logan Lubera & Israel Silva

Design: Jay Bowen

Editors: Lindsey Cohick, Annalise Bissa, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

Cyclops and Beast awakened to a world gone wild. The United States was shrinking, and the Revelation Territories were taking over. Magneto explained that Revelation stripped troublemakers like Scott Summers and Hank McCoy of their ability to communicate. So, the X-Men transported their consciousnesses forward a decade, filling their older bodies with younger minds in these days of future past. Yet as they traveled to Salem Center, Glob Herman refused to take Scott’s orders, and Animalia inferred that older Hank had prepared for his younger self’s arrival.

 

Scott realized that Magneto lied. Revelation didn't Babel his older self. Instead, older Scott and Hank had traveled back to stop Revelation before he could unleash the X-Virus. What can Scott and Hank do to help these Mutants defeat Revelation? And why does Psylocke believe Revelation wants to destroy the world? Let’s grab our visors, leap into Amazing X-Men #3, and see!

 

Story

Shortly after Cyclops and Beast arrived, Wolverine killed Magneto, Forge, Xorn, and Archangel. Glob Herman blamed Scott for their deaths. But after a teleporter glitch diverted them to Darkchild’s domain, Scott got them out. Now, as they travel toward Philadelphia, Scott asks Psylocke to explain. But the Mutant community is divided between supporters of Revelation and those who defy his dictatorship. And Psylocke and Glob don't want to get along.

 

When Bei the Blood Moon betrayed her husband, she blew up Psylocke's life. With her dying breath, Revelation’s wife told Psylocke about his ultimate plan. But before that, Revelation forced Psylocke to wear an X-Men badge. He claimed it was a mark of shame for failing to protect Topaz. But in Amazing X-Men #3, others view it as a declaration of independence.

 

Jed MacKay's story deals with how we interact with others. Scott may spit out orders, but he wants everyone to work together. Psylocke may be a divisive figure, but the X-Men refuse to get along. They've been hunted and pushed back for so long that each takes pride in their individual accomplishments, but doesn't believe they can win as a team. While Scott tries to quell their squabbling, Revelation seeks to unite the world.

 

When the travelers finally find a place to regroup, Beast learns more about this future world. Beast is content to let Scott lead the group in Amazing X-Men #3. But he wants to be sure of where he stands before Scott and the group make any plans to take down Revelation.

 

 

 

 

Art

As the X-Men travel to Philadelphia, Psylocke reluctantly turns back to tell Scott her secret. Glob crosses his arms, interposing himself between Psylocke and his two remaining freedom fighters, as he listens. When trouble arises, Scott and Hank are the first to charge into action. Yet amid the chaos, Mahmud Asrar shows Schwarzschild, a man Scott never chose to be an X-Men, keep a cool head under pressure.

 

As Matthew Wilson adorns Amazing X-Men #3 with a vibrant palette, yellow-gold burnishes Psylocke's memories. The X-Men encounter people adorned in white and gold, including a man who summons yellow light with his hand. After Psylocke's X-Men gold badge sparks conflict, yellow light adorns a quiet interlude between Beast and Animalia. While yellow seems linked with enlightenment, pink becomes the color of conflict. Pink beams of energy strike opponents. Psylocke's sword glows pink. And a pink brute barrels through the foliage toward translucent, pink-skinned Glob Herman, who thrives by killing his enemies.

 

Clayton Cowles fills panels with black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons and narrative balloons. Letters grow bold for intonation and never shrink. Black obscures Glob Herman’s less placatory wordage. Sound effects heighten a conflict, yet also bring closure, and relax a tense relationship between heroes. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

The X-Men have failed to overturn Revelation's rule for so long that they no longer believe they can win. When Psylocke tells them that Revelation is planning the end of life on Earth as they know it, Scott Summers knows they need to act fast. Once again, he senses that things aren't quite the way they seem. But life has another surprise in store for Scott Summers in Amazing X-Men #3. 

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Amazing X-Men #2 Review

 

Writer: Jed MacKay

Artist: Mahmud Asrar

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson; Ejikure; InHyuk Lee; Stephanie Hans

Design: Sarah Spadaccini & Jay Bowen

Editors: Lindsey Cohick, Annalise Bissa, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

Like Rip Van Winkle, Scott Summers and Hank McCoy awaken in their future. Thanks to Forge, their consciousnesses reside in their older bodies. The future X-Men want their help to defeat fellow mutant Doug Ramsey. But Doug has become the mind-controlling dictator, Revelation. And before they can embark on a plan, Revelation sends Wolverine, his Angel of Death, to kill Magneto, Forge, Archangel, and Xorn.

 

Glob Herman led them to a teleporter, hoping to rendezvous with an agent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Instead, the machine glitched, sending them elsewhere. Can Scott, Hank, and their future friends gain help in Providence, Rhode Island? And can Scott gain his team’s trust so he can lead them to victory against Revelation? Let’s grab our visors, leap into Amazing X-Men #2, and see!

 

Story

At first, Scott Summers doesn't recognize his surroundings. Perhaps that explains why, when he sees the woman with Juggernaut and Psylocke, he mistakes her for Illyana. But Beast recognizes the change immediately. The woman who stands before them is Darkchild. And she rules Providence like she would Limbo. As in Beverly, Massachusetts, Darkchild protects the inhabitants from the virus that could cure them (of their nonMutantness) or kill them.

 

Unlike Carol Danvers, Darkchild is not a benevolent protector. In Amazing X-Men #2, she enjoys ruling her subjects and does nothing for free. So, when Darkchild demands a price for her assistance, Scott agrees. He may not like the way the X-Men brought him here. But they need him, and he wishes to help his future world. But the pound of flesh Darkchild demands makes their encounter different from what Scott anticipates.

 

 

 

In any age, pleasant falsehoods help make the world endurable. During tough times, we get through each new day by denying pain or hiding from it. In Jed MacKay’s story, the truth becomes a weapon sharper than Darkchild’s sword. The inhabitants of Providence fear it, allowing Darkchild to rule them so they don’t have to face it. She increases her population by revealing the devastating truths they prefer not to see.

 

Amazing X-Men #2 features action, drama, and revelations. But Scott Summers doesn’t have to incinerate anyone to shine in Jed MacKay's story. Scott stands resolute, demanding the center stage and refusing to accept anything less than the absolute respect of those around him. 

 

 

 

 

Art

Scott Summers may he disoriented. Yet when he sees Darkchild atop Juggernaut’s shoulders, he adopts a fighting stance. Likewise, the X-Men follow suit, provoking Juggernaut and Psylocke to action. Darkchild’s composure contrasts with her lieutenants' response and her hardworking subjects. While the others fight, and Hank McCoy attempts dialogue, Scott observes and waits for the time to intervene.

 

As Mahmud Asrar shows a contentious clash of two worlds in Amazing X-Men #2, Matthew Wilson lavishes a loaded palette on this contest for Scott’s future. Red and pink link Juggernaut, Darkchild, and Glob Herman, three people who believe force fixes problems. Gray Animalia and Hank share a love of learning. Or, at least they used to. Yet gray also represents the city where learning takes place, and the inhabitants who need education to do their jobs. As Scott confronts Darkchild, the surrounding greenery reminds us of how Revelation has transformed America, granting Darkchild her power and the X-Men's reason for abducting Scott and Hank.

 

Clayton Cowles fills panels with black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons and narrative balloons. Letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects arise when Animalia embraces rock and roll, while balloons deform when things don’t go Glob Herman’s way. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Magneto claimed the X-Men brought Scott Summers and Hank McCoy to the future to save it. Yet Glob Herman refuses to follow Scott’s leadership. Hank also recognizes that things don’t quite add up. But Scott realizes the truth behind their charade and the X-Men’s desperation in Amazing X-Men #1

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

Amazing X-Men #1 Review

 

Writer: Jed MacKay

Artist: Mahmud Asrar

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson; Germán Peralta; Mike Hawthorne & Dan Brown; Mike McKone & Rachelle Rosenberg; Sanford Greene

Design: Jay Bowen

Editors: Lindsey Cohick, Annalise Bissa, Tom Brevoort & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: October 8, 2025

 

When Scott Summers awakens in a cave, some of the first people he meets are Magneto, Forge, and Archangel. Magneto tells him about the mutative virus that activates mutant genes and has spurred nature into overdrive. Then Scott meets Beast. Magneto and the other X-Men have also ripped Hank McCoy’s consciousness out of time and placed it in his future self.

 

Scott discovers how badly this ragtag group of survivors needs their help when Wolverine appears and kills Magneto, Forge, and Archangel. Can Cyclops and Beast prevent Revelation’s forces from killing them and their abductors? Will Wolverine regenerate after Xorn's sacrifice and hunt them down? Let’s grab our visors, leap into Amazing X-Men #1, and see!

 

Story

Scott Summers is frustrated. Seven X-Men brought him to the future. Now, only three remain. Glob Herman may not say it. Still, he blames Scott for his comrades’ deaths. Had Scott allowed him to shoot the Omega Kid, who reported their position to Quentin Quire, all of them might be alive. Scott likely contemplates this as they trek toward Philadelphia. Perhaps there, Glob Herman, Schwarzschild, and Animalia’s colleagues can help Scott understand what he and Hank can contribute to combat Revelation.

 

While Scott still resists seeing Schwarzschild as an X-Men, Beast seems more understanding. But then, he also has much in his past that others could condemn him for. As Beast gets a glimpse of how Animalia has suffered, he also uncovers a mystery. It’s not something he wants to make too much of. After all, if he hopes to return to his own time, Hank will need these people’s help.

 

Once again, Jed MacKay shows us Revolution’s ruthless determination to dominate everyone in his expanding territory. Yet Amazing X-Men #1 also reveals what sent Doug Ramsey upon this path. As Cyclops and Beast struggle to come to terms with their future colleagues and each other, they will face more danger and loss. Scott will gain more insight into how Glob Herman and all the mutants have suffered. But perhaps Doug Ramsey, the great communicator, has suffered the most. That is, until he closed himself off to his feelings, when his pain exceeded what he could bear.

 

 

 

Art

As Glob Herman protects their group, Scott frowns and crosses his arms over his chest. Standing in judgment, he thrusts a finger at Glob. Like Schwarzschild, Beast looks away from the others. Only Animalia dares look at Beast, and then, not for long. As Beast and Wolverine lope through the forest, their long hair and beards forge a link between them. Mahmud Asrar brings a cinematic quality to Amazing X-Men #1. A fallen statue in the forest evokes The Lord of the Rings, and hands rise from the ground as in countless horror movies. Then there is a marker left behind, like a warning against entering a forbidden zone. 

 

 

 

Matthew Wilson applies a lush palette to life in the Revelation Territories, as Cyclops, Beast, and their future colleagues trek through this land reclaimed by nature. Gray links Beast and Animalia. With their dark clothing, gray also links Beast and Schwarzschild. Yellow and gold link Revelation with his assistants, as opposed to the mutant aberrations in need of debugging. Orange fills the background, and his eyes glow red like his late wife's costume when Revelation exerts his power. Yet the hands and arms arising from the ground glow green, showing far more affinity for this reclaimed land than Glob Herman’s vibrant pink skin in Amazing X-Men #1.

 

 

 

Clayton Cowles fills panels with black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons and narrative balloons. When he bends others to his will, Revelation speaks white letters into black boxes. Another character who opposes Revelation also speaks in white dialogue. Yet his words don't swell to emphasize his will. Sound effects and giant colored dialogue arise when Xorn's sacrifice proves insufficient to deter Revelation's Angel of Death. Yet a black line, instead of symbols, reveals Glob Herman's feelings about one of history's most revered X-Men. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As a mystery surrounds their abduction, Scott Summers and Hank McCoy must accept their situation and do their captors’ bidding if they wish to return to where they belong. Yet Scott and Hank's abduction is nothing compared with Wolverine, who represents the ultimate captive. Sadly, while Revelation once cherished life, now he treats people like lifeless machines in Amazing X-Men #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Bug Wars #1 News & Cover Reveals

 

 

Here's advance news on a series hitting comic shops next year. The art reminds me a little of last month's The Moon Is Following Us #1 (which has gone to a second printing), while the story sounds very different. Read on for all the details!

JASON AARON & MAHMUD ASRAR’S BRUTAL, HIGH-STAKES BUG WARS SERIES TO LAUNCH IN FEBRUARY 2025

The superstar team of writer Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Absolute Superman) and artist Mahmud Asrar (Conan the Barbarian, X-Men, Batman & Robin) join forces for the upcoming series, Bug Wars. The extra-length first issue of this six issue, dark fantasy, epic miniseries is set to debut in February 2025 from Image Comics.

Aaron and Asrar will appear on the "Image Comics Presents: Breaking Ground" panel on Sunday, October 20 @ 11 a.m. in room 406.2 at New York Comic Con this week to share more details about the announcement. They can also be found in Artist Alley at tables H42 (Aaron) and D24 (Asrar) where a limited number of Bug Wars ashcans will be available for sale.

Slade Slaymaker is a kid from Alabama suddenly lost in a vicious world beyond his imagining, a world of marauding ant armies, spell-casting spider witches, and beetle-riding barbarians. A kingdom of tiny but deadly warriors hidden in his own backyard. The same world that saw his father eaten alive by insects and now plunges young Slade into the middle of a brutal Bug War to decide the fate of his family.

"When I was a kid, our backyard was a wondrous place, where I spent hours imagining epic adventures, action figures scattered all through the grass. In a lot of ways, I still feel like that kid, running around the yard, making up stories. Only the stories have gotten a bit darker over the years," said Aaron. "For Slade Slaymaker, the backyard of his home in Alabama turns out to be a place of terror and brutality, where sects of tiny sword-wielding Mytes and their armies of flesh-eating beetles and acid-spraying ants have declared war on his family. Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Game of Thrones."

Asrar added: "Bug Wars is the culmination of what I wanted to do in comics: A fantasy epic told with no holds barred. A tale where our imaginations run wild. A place where we reach the heights of escapism, all while keeping everything grounded with pure human emotion straight from the heart."

A savage, bloody look at the world below our feet, enter: Bug Wars—where tiny warriors wage a violent war for dominance over an insect-driven kingdom.

Bug Wars #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. It will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. 

 

Check out the creators of Bug Wars. 

ABOUT JASON AARON JASON AARON is an award-winning comic book writer best known for his work with Marvel Comics, including a landmark seven-year run on THOR and the 2015 STAR WARS series that became the best-selling American comic book in more than 20 years. Aaron is currently spearheading the 40th anniversary relaunch of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES for IDW and the hotly anticipated ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN for DC Comics. His critically acclaimed creator-owned work includes the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning SOUTHERN BASTARDS from Image Comics and the New York Times best-selling crime series SCALPED from DC, plus the recently released ONCE UPON A TIME AT THE END OF THE WORLD from BOOM! Studios. Aaron was born and raised in Alabama and currently resides in Kansas City. ABOUT MAHMUD ASRAR Mahmud Asrar grew up with a passion to draw comics which led to a degree in art, and he has since worked for major publishers like Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse and beyond! Some of his work includes the award-winning Conan The Barbarian, King Conan, and X-Men for Marvel, as well as the Batman & Robin event for DC Comics. Asrar resides in Vienna, Austria with his wife and son. Visit: MahmudAsrar.com.

 

Check out all the covers for Bug Wars #1.

 

And if you haven't checked out The Moon Is Following Us #1, read my review at The Dragon's Cache.

Thanks to Image Comics for sharing this exciting news with us!

 

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States, and is the #2 graphic novel publisher in America. It is the publisher of such award winning titles as, Spawn, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Saga, Monstress, Deadly Class, Chew, The Old Guard, I Kill Giants, Criminal, The Department of Truth, W0rldtr33, Geiger, Descender, Gideon Falls, It’s Lonely At The Centre of The Earth, Do A Power Bomb, and more. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit: www.imagecomics.com.

Conan The Barbarian #15 Review

 

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Doug Braithwaite

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Cover Artists: Mahmud Asrar, Jessica Fong, Doug Braithwaite, Fernando Dagnino & Ariel Diaz

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 25, 2024

 

Even after defeating the Aquilonian invaders at the Battle of Venarium, Conan was appalled by the Vanir’s slaughter of an Aesir village. He joined Wulfhere’s scouting party while Niord raised an army to battle the Vanir. How will Conan fare when a blizzard abates and Wulfhere’s scouting party stands before the Vanir raiders? Let's grab our swords and battle axes, shout “By Crom,” venture into Conan The Barbarian #15, and find out!

 

Story

Wulfhere’s reavers met the wolves of Bragi on the frozen plain. Now, only Conan and Heimdul remain. The Vanir warrior thinks he will be the victor. But all too soon, Heimdul lies dead at Conan's feet. Suddenly, lights blaze around the survivor, and a young woman appears. Her radiant hair shines gold like the Aesir and red like the Vanir. When she refuses to name her tribe or nation, he inquires about Niord’s war party. Again, she refuses to answer and soothe Conan’s concern for his Aesir friend. And she takes offense when he swears by Niord’s silent god. She runs into the snowy hills after telling Conan that he is too weak to follow and runs toward the snow-covered hills.

 

In Conan The Barbarian #15, Conan has weighed his soul against Crom. He has tested his strength against stone and steel. As Conan pursues the daughter of Ymir, northern lights shine in the sky. Soon, he will face Atali’s brothers. Although larger than Bragi's raiders, they fall before Conan’s blade.

 

In Gods Of The North, Chapter Three of his story Frozen Faith, Jim Zub takes on “The Frost Giant’s Daughter.” Zub’s retelling of Robert E Howard’s story reflects the difficulty in discovering one's identity. Atali may be the daughter of a god, yet she finds life with her father far from heavenly. Atali seeks something to call her own, but her father demands sacrifice. So, Atali begrudgingly offers Conan to her brothers.

 

Conan's fervor in battling mortals also aids him when facing demigods. His refusal to back down to anyone made him worthy of becoming her worshipper. However, the obstinance she admires prevents Conan from becoming Atali’s slave. Like the Autobots who refuse to bow before the Decepticons’ oppression, Atali discovers more than meets the eye in Conan The Barbarian #15.

 

 

Art

As dead Aesir and Vanir litter the ground, a sword handle edges into the foreground like a cemetery cross. Conan exhales a cloud, while Heimdul appears transcendent. He wields a sword as a spear using a two-handed grip. Then Conan stands amid the dead in his Aesir armor. Atali hovers before him. Her hair and gossamer gown defy gravity as she radiates blue light. Her gold and red hair evokes Heimdul’s beard, yet hers glows like the gold encircling her neck, arms, wrists, and ankles. Her diaphanous lavender gown matches the purple and magenta sky.

 

Then orange and yellow blazes in the sky like the Cimmerian's passion, and a purple plume rises behind Conan in the blue heavens. Frost speckles the red and gold hair and beards of her blue-skinned brothers. Ymir's supersized sons sport little more than Barsoomian battle gear and horned helmets in Conan The Barbarian #15. Blue fills the sky as they battle Conan. But then red fills the background when Conan slays and emerges the victor.

 

Amid Doug Braithwaite’s lifelike art and Diego Rodriguez’s vibrant coloring, Richard Starkings adorns Conan’s interlude with Ymir’s children with black, uppercase lettering in white dialogue balloons. The stylized font of the flame-haired woman's thoughts inhabits blue lowercase letters in white narrative boxes. The utterances and musings embolden for intonation, occasionally enlarge, and never shrink. Shouts deform balloons and change the font color to match the runes spoken by mirthless giants. Thanks to Titan for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Conan found comradeship in Niord, who admitted that he also wondered if his god heard his prayers. In Conan The Barbarian #15, the gods live. But they are jealous, and their familial relationships prove as dysfunctional as on the mortal plane.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

 

To read Jim Zub's reasons for covering The Frost Giant's Daughter, read my Jim Zub Interview Part 4.

Redcoat #3 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Bryan Hitch & Brad Anderson; Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 26, 2024

 

Simon Pure wants to know why he will die in three days. Albert Einstein wants to hear more about the Axe Of Lies. But Benedict (Arnold) Armistice rants about George Washington instead of answering their questions. Can Simon escape an overdue grave and prevent the destruction of the United States? Let’s grab our enchanted hatchets, leap into Redcoat #3, and find out!

 

Story

The founding fathers signed the Declaration Of Independence over a hundred years ago. Benedict (Arnold) Armistice has seen all that those years have brought. He has profited from them by making wise investments and choosing rich and powerful friends. Yet, like an itch that won't go away, it irks him that people remember George Washington so fondly. The man Benedict knew was a self-important fanatic who shed innocent blood. Washington transformed a childhood gift into a deadly totem of mystic force that can kill an immortal like Simon Pure.

 

Simon never sought to be someone of importance like Benedict or George Washington. After fleeing the Battle Of Trenton, Simon parlayed his skills as a mercenary into a happy-go-lucky life. His profession and the magic that made him immortal come with a cost. Years and even decades later, people seek out the man who killed their friend or loved one. But the cultists Simon thought long gone, who he aggrieved when he stumbled into a ceremony designed to extend Benjamin Franklin’s life, have reappeared. The same day that they attacked, Albert Einstein befriended him.

 

In Redcoat #3, Benedict explains why he believes Simon will die in three days. Simon’s death seems inevitable as explosive energy from the occult ceremony departs. More perplexing is the vision of death and destruction he glimpsed in Benedict's office. Albert Einstein's sister Maja also foresaw this. Her ability to predict the future prompted the thirteen-year-old boy to stow away on a steamship and travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Benedict claims he wants a life of ease and comfort. Albert believes he's hiding something. Benedict and Simon may cringe at Albert's murdered English, but the boy's studies have given him knowledge and wisdom. Albert channels that more effectively than the cultists wield their powerful totems in Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch's story.

 

Art

Andrew Currie and Bryan Hitch bring history to life as George Washington's father reprimands him for chopping down the cherry tree. While Benedict (Arnold) Armistice affects joviality, closeups suggest a haunted man. Albert Einstein's hair reaches for the ceiling as he gestures at Simon, who grits his teeth and clutches his side. Then Benedict straightens his bowtie as Juliet Morgan, the daughter of John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan sweeps into the library. The young woman sports an elegant dress and dazzling jewels.

 

Brad Anderson lavishes a loaded palette on Red Coat #3. The roaring fire casts yellow light into Benedict's wood-paneled office while George Washington charges through the blue haze of battle. A yellow sconce aids a skylight, illuminating a darkened room filled with occult treasures, relics of American history, and reassembled paleontological finds. After blue energy provokes a storm of green, a high-speed chase fills a double-page spread with yellow, orange, and rust, giving readers a foretaste of the prophesied apocalypse.

 

Rob Leigh fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters and scraps of parchment with their italicized cousins in Redcoat #3. Words embolden and swell for inflection and raised voices and shrink for lowered or distant voices. No sound effects enliven this turbulent evening, but orange laughter erupts as a villain nears the completion of his plans. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Simon Pure and Benedict (Arnold) Armistice couldn't be more different. Neither likes nor admires the other. Yet they once joined forces for a terrible purpose: to wipe out the founding fathers of the United States. Can the two immortals reunite to save Simon's life in Redcoat #3? Or will the frenemies provoke an apocalypse?

 

Rating 9.7/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.