Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1 Review

 

Creators: James Tynion IV & Michael Walsh

Writers: James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh & Pornsak Pichetshote

Artists: Michael Walsh, Marianna Ignazzi & Valentine De Landro

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artist: Michael Walsh

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $9.99

Release Date: September 17, 2025

 

As his town prepares for Halloween, Sheriff Scott Hill bids goodbye to Oak Valley. He's not supposed to tell anyone he's leaving or warn them about the night of violence awaiting them. Still, when he hands over the keys to the Police Department for money and a new identity, the Sheriff warns him about Big Bruce and the teenagers' traditional party in the Pit.

 

The Groundskeeper seems unbothered by the Sheriff's concerns. As he unleashes his drones, he knows no one is safe from the families' handpicked assassins, soldiers, and serial killers. What mysterious organization has made Oak Valley its killing field? And why are they turning murder into a game? Let's pick a card, leap into Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

While politicians entertain the populace with a façade of democracy, the thirteen families who rule the United States gather. A year has passed since they drew their cards identifying their means of murder. Now, as they name their players, the descendant of the family that once governed Massachusetts makes a final attempt to hire Captain Eduardo Torres, a disgraced Navy SEAL. While the writers share the Point of View among combatants, victims, and those caught in between, "Massachusetts" explains how the game works, and why the killers agree to a probable death sentence in Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1.

 

As the most affluent Americans watch video relayed by the Groundskeepers' drones, some bully their competitors. Others mourn their losses or celebrate their kill counts. In Oak Valley, car lot owner Big Bruce Nguyen forces his secretary to badger the local media for free advertising. Xavi looks forward to joining the party in The Pit after his shift at the Haunted House. His friend Craig agrees to take Jason trick-or-treating when Big Bruce forces his mom to work late on her day off. Mike notices all the vehicles passing Pump King. When the internet goes down, and he can’t listen to his podcasts, the convenience store clerk sees this as confirmation of his conspiracy theories.

 

Massachusetts sits apart from the other families as they party. She disdains her contemporaries who bet on how many combatants or citizens die. She's tired of the lunatics running the asylum. But in the killing fields, Laura wonders about the letter her uncle Scott left with Mike before he abandoned Oak Valley. She and her partner drive an ambulance. When they arrive at a murder scene, neither she nor Ian realizes how many deaths await them in Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1.

 

Art

The Sheriff and Groundskeeper seem somber as they meet. Each knows others dictate their options. Despite the pain and distress they attend, Laura and Ian seem content in their roles. They lack “Meth Head” Mike’s buoyant smile as they smoke cigarettes between calls. But the EMTs don’t quiver in a corner when they are frightened. Michael Walsh, Marianna Ignazzi, and Valentine De Landro reveal the highs and lows of Human nature in Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1. While most of the combatants and families smile, the mask Captain Eduardo Torres wears fits his dour demeanor.

 

Jordie Bellaire adorns the drama and action with a limited color palette. Once the game gets underway, the ruling families appear in a red and green color scheme, as if Christmas has come early for people who can buy anything they want. Each killer receives a flamboyant rockstar introduction. While some of the graphic murders occur onscreen, the Gamemaster’s staff record them all on the scoreboard.

 

Becca Carey welcomes readers with a title page produced by an old typewriter on carbon paper. Uppercase black letters fill white dialogue balloons and boxes. The words grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. A utensil against a champagne flute gets the families' attention. Cellphone beeps frustrate people when their texts don’t go through. Gunshots and alarms merge with screams and laughter as a dog howls when Humans stop making sense. Thanks to Image Comics and Tiny Onion for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As families embark on a game of death to decide the future of America, Exquisite Corpses TP Vol 1 ponders the divide between the rich and the poor, our hunger for entertainment, and how childhood traumas shape our identities.

 

Rating 9/10

 

Read the first issue for free at the Image Comics website. 

Superman Red & Blue 2025 Special #1 Preview

 

 

Clark Kent may have superhuman powers. Still, he realizes that everyone's life is a miracle. So, Clark treasures each day of life. See how he pays it forward by helping others in these stories that celebrate the Humanity of Krypton's favorite son!

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Superman Red & Blue 2025 Special #1

Writers: Paul Dini, Dan Abnett, Michael Walsh & Rainbow Rowell

Artists: Caitlin Yarsky, Michael Walsh, Cian Tormey & More!

Cover Artists: Chris Samnee & Michael Walsh

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: $5.99/$6.99 Card Stock

Price: 48 Pages

Release Date: October 29, 2025

 

A special Superman one-shot from Eisner-Nominated creators!

 

The beloved, Eisner-nominated series returns with a special one-shot to put a cap on Superman’s monumental year! Witness visions of the Man of Steel in his signature colors of red and blue brought to you by comics’ finest writers and artists.

 

Paul Dini soars from Gotham to Metropolis for a touching tale. Meanwhile, Dan Abnett (Titans) gives a reporter the Superman scoop of the century, Michael Walsh (Exquisite Corpses) makes his DC debut, and Rainbow Rowell (Runaways) revisits Lois and Clark!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Exquisite Corpses Ashcan Review

 

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist & Cover Artist: Michael Walsh

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Michael Walsh, James Stokoe, Eckman Lawn, Malavia, Jae Lee, Yoshi Yoshitani

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $4.99 ($6.99 with playing card)

Release Date: May 14, 2025

 

A woman and her family want to course-correct the country. She knows how to play the game. But she needs the right person to help her achieve her goal. The woman has a candidate in mind. But he has rejected all her subordinates’ offers. Can she convince the man to help her turn her country around? Or will he send her to the hospital like he did her underlings? Let's grab a bag of candy corn, leap into Exquisite Corpses #1, and see!

 

Story

Every five years, the thirteen families lock down a small town. These affluent dynasties select their game pieces, then let them play. Anyone who wanders across the gameboard is collateral damage. (Or, for some of the game pieces, a bit of fun.) The game is a gladiatorial contest, and the family whose game piece clears the board rules the country for the next five years.

 

James Tynion IV introduces his characters and the stakes in this sixty-page debut. The representatives of the thirteen families are as diverse as the residents of this “small town in a lonely corner of America.” Once, each of these families ruled a state. Now, they wage a quinquennial battle for leadership and spend the intervening years helping the winning family enforce its policies.

 

While recasting the organization of a political regime as a contest played out on Halloween, Exquisite Corpses #1 begins a conversation about who determines how we live our lives. The families thanked Sheriff Hill for his service, gave him money, and a new identity. Then, like European immigrants told the First Nations, they moved him elsewhere. Big Bruce believes he is the dictator of Oak Valley, but is ignorant about the game. Mike at Pump King suspects how the system works. But no one pays attention to him because he lacks money and power.

 

While we meet colorful characters like fun-loving Xavi, who works at the Haunted House at 666 Main Street, and Craig, who is more responsible, the primary character is Massachusetts. Her best years may be behind her. Still, she wants to exert her vision upon the world. But to do that, she must convince the man she believes can be her winning game piece to represent her in Exquisite Corpses #1.

 

Art

Mike slouches behind the counter at Pump King. Sheriff Hill hands him an envelope before he leaves town. The years etch the gray-haired woman's face as she climbs from the helicopter, clad in white. She pours a drink from her bottle before looking at the automatic weapons on a dining table. New York prances into the players' club like Jack Nicholson, while Rhode Island, dwarfed by her fur coat, lets her son take the lead. The man whose family will abdicate stands before a wall of monitors, dressed in a suit and a turtleneck shirt. His eyes hide behind glasses.

 

Jordie Bellaire applies limited colors to Michael Walsh’s portraits of small-town life and the thirteen families. The grays, browns, greens, and beiges of the woman’s meeting with her would-be game piece represent his profession. Neon colors energize the more flamboyant families and introduce their game pieces like glam-metal rock concert posters. Jason’s orange hair shouts his joy of Halloween, while his mother’s hair reminds us that a man others see as a pumpkin makes her work on the holiday. The orange-and-gray candy corn symbolizes not only the game, but also people's understanding of how their supposed leaders rule the United States in Exquisite Corpses #1.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with delicate uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation and italicized for transmissions. Skatepark graffiti lettering introduces the professional and psycho killers who kill for money, fame, sport, thrills, beliefs, or their desired futures. Sparse sound effects show how the Sheriff views power, a leader's call to attention, and a sign that the battle for our country has begun. Thanks to Image Comics and Tiny Onion for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Americans vote for political candidates. Then government leaders argue or draft policies contrary to the voters' expectations. Whether rich or poor, influential, or going about their daily lives, the characters in Exquisite Corpses #1 are recognizable. They are our leaders, neighbors, and the killers who make headlines. James Tynion’s story paints a compelling portrait of life in the United States that feels frighteningly real.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

Exquisite Corpses Ashcan Review

 

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist & Cover Artist: Michael Walsh

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Becca Carey

Publisher: Image Comics

Availability: Contact Tiny Onion

 

Stories help us understand history and facts better. Then, students graduate from high schools and universities to discover a complex and confusing world. Who determines the rules by which we live? Is it worth following the news media? Or do the powers that be instruct them to craft stories that bear no relation with reality? Let's grab a weapon from our armories, leap into Exquisite Corpses Ashcan, and see!

 

Story

When the Police Chief stops by Pump King, he can't say anything. So, he listens as Mike gives him a spiel about how he thinks the world functions. The counter attendant is correct in one matter. He and the Chief live in a democracy but have little say in the daily functioning of their government.

 

The Police Chief sympathizes with Mike’s hunger to see past the government sideshow. But whether he likes it or not, his life in Oak Valley has come to an end. He can't tell Mike he's leaving or why. So, the Chief gives the attendant some parting words of wisdom and leaves Pump King.

 

In Exquisite Corpses Ashcan, it’s debatable how much of the big picture the Police Chief glimpses. The voters may have elected him, but it’s time to hang up his hat. The Chief drives to a bridge, where he leaves behind everything and everyone he ever knew and receives the keys to his future.

 

James Tynion IV strips away the political smoke and mirrors to reveal how our government determines its leaders. Life is a battle, and there is no more fierce struggle than the fight for control. Exquisite Corpses Ashcan sets the stage for a change of leadership. Who emerges the victor and will order our future is as much a mystery to the candidates as to us.

 

Art

A road twists through the evergreens in Maine. A sign leading into Oak Valley highlights an attraction at 666 Main Street. Michael Walsh shows a patrol SUV parked beneath the canopy sheltering the gas pumps of Pump King. A squashed bug on the windshield symbolizes the Police Chief’s lack of control over his fate in Exquisite Corpses Ashcan.

 

Orange paints the gray trees, reminding us that October has arrived. The green and yellow exterior of Pump King promises visitors a warm welcome. But the shelves, displays, and spinner rack are gray and cold blue. Mike shines with orange and yellow, an ember of a barely burning fire.

 

Outside, orange leaves dot the gray pavement and muted surroundings. A man in blue working clothes hands the Police Chief an orange envelope. Jordie Bellaire's limited color palette hints at the town's fate in Exquisite Corpses Ashcan. The orange envelope and glowing orange canvas bag reveal that the Chief's future can be bright if he holds his tongue.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with delicate uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation and italicized for transmissions. Large white uppercase letters explain the approaching battle, while typewritten words accompany glimpses of the candidates. Symbols of power accompany their histories, philosophies, and special skills as dealers of death. Thanks to Image Comics and Tiny Onion for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Every few years, voters march to the polls. They wait in line to stand in a booth and fill circles on pieces of paper. Then, they watch the leaders they voted into office do as they like for the next several years.

 

News providers and conspiracy theorists claim to tell us how our country functions. But behind the veneer of civilization, the people who run the United States prepare for a battle. Somehow, Exquisite Corpses Ashcan seems more accurate than the latest C-SPAN broadcast.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more covers of the forthcoming first issue see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Sacred Damned #1 Review

 

Writer: Sabir Pirzada

Artist: Michael Walsh

Colorist: Toni Marie Giffin & Michael Walsh

Letterer & Designer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Michael Walsh & Tula Lotay

Editors: Will Dennis & Pornsak Pichetshote

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 23, 2024

 

Kyle is a college football star. He excels in his classes, and his girlfriend adores him. Then Allison hears Kyle speaking a foreign language while he sleeps. Another evening, Kyle’s roommate awakens him in the kitchen. How did Kyle become fluent in Arabic? And why is he devouring an entire cake in his sleep? Let’s slip on our sacred amulets, leap into The Sacred Damned #1, and find out!

 

Story

NFL scouts approach Kyle. His professors brag about him. But as he garners good grades and touchdowns, Kyle seeks medical help. Why can't the doctors prevent him from sleepwalking and dumpster diving for table scraps? Kyle’s horror grows when he awakens in the woods over a fresh kill. Then, he does something that will haunt him forever.

 

When Western medicine has no answers, a college professor introduces Kyle to Dr Inayah Jibril. Based on her knowledge of customs and the supernatural, Inayah believes a djinn inhabits Kyle.

As the Ethnography and Occult professor grabs the spotlight in The Sacred Damned #1, Kyle hopes she can rescue him. But is Inayah a hero, a villain, or (to coin a phrase) a bit of both? Inayah did her homework on Kyle and learned secrets few others know. She claims her interest in djinn is academic. Yet Inayah's childhood diary tells a different story.

 

While Inayah proves the central Human character in The Sacred Damned #1, the djinns also emerge as sympathetic figures. They predated Humans. Yet most Humans who believe in them shun them. Western civilization has banished ancient spirits to the realms of folklore. So, the djinns subsist like illegal aliens or Native American tribes not granted a reservation. Humans live far shorter lives than their predecessors. Yet the ever-growing human population has caused rising global temperatures, the extinction of plant and animal species, and the gradual eradication of the djinns’ forest homes.

 

Humans have ruined the djinn’s lives. So, a djinn ruined Kyle’s life. Yet the djinns have also ruined Inayah’s. She fought back by learning how to defeat them while the djinns plotted to overthrow Humanity. No one wins in Sabir Pirzada’s story. Unless, that is, you define winners as those who live to fight another day.

 

 

 

Art

While Allison's smile glows, Kyle looks haunted. An exploding football and a photo of burned hands on a phone precede Kyle's descent into gluttony. Five panels stretching horizontally across the page evoke Richard Bachman's (or, if you prefer, Stephen King's) novel Thinner in reverse. Another lineup of three panels shows sympathetic leaders seated beside an American flag. Dr Inayah Jibril wears a black shirt, army surplus pants, and black lace-up boots. The only person who smiles in the second half of The Sacred Damned #1 is someone Inayah loves.

 

Red and blue haunt an evening that should have brought joy. Reds, blues, greens, and yellows dominate Toni Marie Giffin & Michael Walsh’s art. The djinn’s presence often bleaches colors from Kyle's surroundings. An orange and yellow fire rages between Kyle and Inayah as blues, greens, and purples illuminate the heavily inked forest.

 

Giant colored letters haunt dark panels, while black uppercase letters embolden for intonation in white dialogue balloons. After black letters in yellow narrative boxes chart Kyle's downward spiral, a child's large handwritten pink letters link Inayah and Kyle’s childhoods. As wobbly white letters in black boxes convey the djinns’ complaints in The Sacred Damned #1, Becca Carey’s sound effects heighten a brutal clash between the factions competing for control of the planet Earth. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When Humans stop believing in the supernatural, they stoke the flames of their desires regardless of how it burns the planet. With the usurpers despoiling their home, the supernatural refugees initiate guerrilla warfare in The Sacred Damned #1. Humanity's best hope for survival might be a woman who admires the “evil” spirits.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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