Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1 Review

 

Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1 Review

Writers: Chris Condon & Tim Seeley

Artist: Charlie Adlard

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: November 11, 2026

 

Words can calm. Or they can kill. But the most dangerous of all are the words we want to hear. Morris Graves knows all about that. As a lobbyist, he spends his life calming people's fears. He believes he helps improve their lives. But when he gives them what they want, people die. And the longer they listen to him, the worse the world gets.

 

Morris enjoys a comfortable lifestyle by helping people prosper. But what price might he pay for steering society in an unhealthy direction? And who else will this special issue introduce us to? Let’s leap into Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1 and see!

 

Story

Morris Graves has spent his life explaining how life works. So when an interviewer talks about society's dreamers, Morris shuts her down in "Just Another Memory." Humanity’s essential need drives them to consume. It’s hard enough to secure the life you want and get through each day. In Chris Condon’s story, Morris wants to make things easy for everyone. But even if Humanity won’t strive for greatness, life has a way of surprising us.

 

In “A Crossroads Repetition,” Professor Ben Richmond lectures about the nature of Hell. As he delves into historical literature and mythology, Chris Condon ponders who created Hell and the Devil. Yet, our lives are made up of choices. And choices are powerful things. They can change the world around us. In Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1, our choices reshape reality, often in unpredictable ways.

 

Ezra Hallum dreamed of becoming a storyteller. Yet after his first novel, repeating his literary successes grew increasingly difficult. In "Writer's Block," Tim Seeley shows how creativity's enormous demands have drained Ezra's creative juices. So, Ezra draws on his genre's tropes to create his next literary masterpiece.

 

After tackling society's contemporary problems, Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1 looks back to an earlier era. "Death And Pickaxes" recalls an age when Humanity shared the Earth with other intelligent species. Instead of technology, magic shaped people's lives. Yet people still needed others to help them. And as Chris Condon points out, caring for others takes a toll on your emotional health.

 

Art

Straight lines and rectangles define Morris Graves’s world in “Just Another Memory.” Morris smiles as the interviewer leans toward him and glares. Yet despite the comforts of his ordered existence, his modern house and furnishings cannot protect him from the natural world's unpredictability.

 

While Morris greets the world in a suit, unbuttoned shirt, and gold chain necklace, Ben Richards wears a suit and tie as he faces his audience in the darkened auditorium. Saul Henry watches the images Ben conjures on his glowing screen. In "A Crossroads Repetition," a piece of wrapped candy symbolizes one man's moment of contemplation. When a photograph of a smiling man recalls memories, a diagram reveals the intersections between our lives.

 

Tattoos adorn his arms. Cover art from his novels hangs on Ezra’s walls. As he types away on his laptop, he uses a hammer to construct his next story in Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1. As in “A Crossroad Repetition,” a loaded palette enriches Ezra’s world. Yet like Saul Henry’s contemplations, a limited palette adorns Ezra’s furious search for inspiration in “Writer’s Block.”

 

Vibrant pastels adorn “Death And Pickaxes.” As a dwarf regards the princess’s smile, he frowns when he studies the world around him. No matter how green and idyllic, life aboveground hasn't delivered what he desired. So, as red once again seeks to right the scales, blue clothing emphasizes the dwarf's mood.

 

Amid this quartet of tragedy, uppercase letters fill dialogue balloons. Thoughts, off-camera dialogue, and the narrator’s words fill colored narrative boxes. Sound effects accompany protagonists’ attempts to retake control of their lives and the world’s response to their efforts. Yet music notes also help a protagonist see the world from a new angle. Thanks to Oni Press and EC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Life rarely goes our way when we take the easy path. As a new story leads this band of reprints toward uncertain futures, the characters wrestle with their responsibility to others while striving for the lives they desire. Mythology, fantasy, urban legends, and ecological concerns haunt the pages of Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For another collectible cover, see Artists from the Abyss: Charlie Adlard #1 Cover Preview. 

Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5 Review

 

Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5 Review

Writer, Artist, Colorist & Letterer: Matt Kindt

Cover Artists: Matt Kindt & Mike del Mundo

Editors: Sierra Hahn & Joelena Despard

Designer: Winston Gambro

Production: Melanie Ujimori

Flux House Production: Ella Kindt

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: November 4, 2026

 

The future has never looked bleaker. Every day brings new opportunities for society to go off the rails. To stave off Humanity’s extinction, Mind Mgmt agents work to prevent bad actors from igniting the spark that will detonate the world.

 

The secret government agency trained Jon Swon to see with his nose. By mixing custom scents, he can focus witnesses’ memories or pacify criminals. His partner, Gemini Delphi, has mastered the world’s most lethal martial arts. Yet she’d rather employ her abilities to calm suspects. After arresting the world’s luckiest assassin, what case will the existential detectives tackle next? And why doesn’t Jon’s boss want him to remember more of his past? Let’s leap into Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5 and see!

 

Story

The Mind Mgmt Agency used to train its agents to work in pairs. By organizing agents into small cells, the leaders believed they could insulate their organization against corruption. But after a shakeup, one woman runs the government agency. Eraser tests her people until they break. She mixes truth with lies until they crack. Then she congratulates herself on finding weaknesses in her organization.

 

As Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5, another agent seeks to escape from Eraser's manipulation. He tells a police detective about his experiences. Under questioning, the man repeats his story and explains how his superiors controlled him. He wonders what happened to the other agents he trained with.

 

After apprehending Ayush, Jon Swon and Gemini Delphi began another investigation. But rather than picking up where the previous issue left off, Matt Kindt rewinds the clock to reveal how and why their quarry went missing. The story follows different characters as Gemini Delphi's mission statement changes.

 

Once again, Jon and Gemini's lives circle back to their boss's insatiable need to test her agents. The world may constantly perch on the edge of disaster. Yet, like the Duplo Brothers' Sleep Deep podcast, the truth is whatever Eraser needs to manipulate her agents in Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5.

 

Art

Like literature's greatest consulting detective, when Jon tried to remember elusive facts, smoking multiple cigarettes aided his cognitive abilities. Now, the man in the interview room smokes multiple cigarettes simultaneously. Outside the room, a police officer at a desk watches rows of monitors as a man walks behind him. Taking a seat, the visitor watches over the officer’s shoulder. He recreates what he sees inside pre-drawn panel outlines. When the artist leaves the police station, a blond man with hunched shoulders follows. A lightbulb becomes a symbol of enlightenment, while layers of secreted equipment reveal the science of perception.

 

A blue tint covers the questioning as cigarette smoke surrounds the frightened agent’s head like a calming collar. Pink accompanies the people privy to secret knowledge who prevent the world from falling apart. The man with hunched shoulders wears a yellow jacket, but the moisture trickling down his face isn’t from a recent storm. Most of the watercolors on the white and tan pages follow the agency’s reporting format. One black-outlined page, adorned with another medium, reveals scenes from a non-agent's perspective. Yet blue and pink converge in a location that bridges a frightened man's past and future in Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5.

 

The frightened agent’s confession fills white boxes with typed letters. Dialogue appears in white, beige, and blue-tinged balloons. Off-camera dialogue and characters’ thoughts fill colored and black narrative boxes. Yet despite all the action and violence in a seemingly tranquil city, sound effects accompany a book that captures what paper, cameras, and microphones never can. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While Jon Swon helps Gemini Delphi search for another rogue agent, he sees more examples of Eraser’s mismanagement. The Human costs of training agents may seem unnecessary to Jon. But as the government agency charged with maintaining world peace goes to war against itself, Jon glimpses more memories Eraser doesn’t want him to remember in Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For all the collectible covers see Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #5 Cover Preview. 

 

For how Agent Ayush killed an Immortal, see Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #4 Review. 

For how Agents Swon and Delphi escape a death cult in Arizona, see Mind Mgmt: New & Improved #3 Review. 

 

Conan & Dragonero #7 Review

 

Conan & Dragonero #7 Review

Writers: Luca Enoch & Stefano Vietti

Artist, Colorist & Cover Artist: Lorenzo Nuti

Letterers: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Editor: Chris Butera

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $4.99/$14.99 Foil

Release Date: November 4, 2026

 

Conan of Cimmeria has traveled across the Hyborian Age. Recently, ancient magic opened a portal between worlds. Conan befriended Ian Aranill, also known as Dragonero. After returning to Conan's world, they recovered the gems that prevented an ancient demon from entering the Hyborian Age. But their journey across two worlds took time. And when they secured the gems, no portal offered them rapid transit back to Tarantia. Without Myrva’s skyship, Conan and Ian endured a long journey across desert, river, and sea.

 

Now, Conan and Dragonero have reached Tarantia. But the gems have been away from their resting place too long. Nightmarish creatures slay the fleeing inhabitants. Can Conan and Dragonero kill the lesser demons terrorizing Tarantia? And can these warriors from two worlds stop an ancient demon from invading the Hyborian Age? Let's shout "Khame Adwerte," leap into Conan & Dragonero #7, and see!

 

Story

As they battle the street demons, Ian Aranill remains a stranger to Conan's world. But when Ian asks about the creatures and how they relate to otherworldly events at the temple, Conan shrugs off his friend's ponderings. Dragon blood gave Ian a connection with the winged species. He wonders how magic works in the Hyborian world compared with his own. But Conan isn't interested in how sorcery works, or why the ancient demon sent its foot soldiers ahead. So, he leads his friend to the temple where priests guarded the powerful gems. 

 

In Kuthchemes, Conan and Ian saw how badly things could go when Humans sought to control the gems. Yet when the heroes from two worlds reach the temple, they discover how much worse the Hyborian World is without the gems. In Conan & Dragonero #7, many priests collapsed while protecting Tarantia from an otherworldly being. Amid a glowing portal in the ceiling, the ancient demon's tentacles seek to break through the remaining priests' magical barrier.

 

Luca Enoch and Stefano Vietti keep the action flowing as the heroes battle the ancient demon. Ian and Conan must combine their strengths to reseat the gems in their resting place. But the otherworldly invader won't make it easy in Conan & Dragonero #7.

 

Art

Clad in a loincloth and boots, Conan swings an axe at the demons scrambling across the streets. Ian, still wearing armor and a cloak, attacks them with a sword. The street demons slash the warriors with their claws. Their incisors extend far beyond their giant maws as the street demons attempt to bite off their attackers' heads. Lorenzo Nuti continually changes the shape and orientation of his rectangular panels amid the fighting. Conan and Ian race over an arched footbridge without glancing at the bodies floating in the canal.

 

Scarlet splashes as the heroes battle the demons scrambling across cobblestones or clambering over classical architecture. Ian's armor and cape feel at home as he stands beneath a turquoise-and-tan canopy in the abandoned marketplace. As the warriors ascend the orange-and-red splattered steps toward the temple entrance, the yellow energy within makes the structure glow. Lorenzo Nuti dots the purple-blue sky with dark specks as storm clouds swirl above the temple in Conan & Dragonero #7.

 

Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith fill white balloons with black uppercase letters. They italicize words as voices grow in intensity and swell in volume. Text also changes color as Conan fears for his friend and swears by his god. As wind roars through the carnage-strewn streets, lesser demons and their master screech and scream, and Humans die. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When Aquilonians established a foothold in Cimmeria, Conan joined the battle of Venarium to repulse them. Yet after securing Cimmeria’s independence, Conan later helped defend an Aquilonian fort in Pict-held lands at Conajohara. Now, he defends Aquilonia's capital city against an otherworldly invader. Alongside Ian Aranill, Conan fights to prevent an ancient demon from establishing an otherworldly stronghold on the Hyborian world in Conan & Dragonero #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see Conan & Dragonero #7 Preview. 

 

For how this series began, see Conan & Dragonero #1 Review.

For the Colossus of Kuthchemes, see Conan & Dragonero #6 Preview.  

 

Archie In Hell #1 Review

 

 

Archie In Hell #1 Review

Writer: Patrick Horvath

Artist: Tyler Crook

Colorist: Francesco Segala

Flatter: Sabrina del Grosso

Letterer: Tyler Crook

Cover Artists: Tyler Crook, Patrick Horvath, Paul Azaceta, Jessie Lonergan, Kano, Dan Parent, Mirka Andolfo & Mahmud Asrar

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: November 4, 2026

 

Archie Andrews loves life. He’s got the best girl in the world, Betty Cooper. But then, he also adores Veronica Lodge. When he's not dating the lovely ladies in his life, Archie hangs out with his friend Jughead. His life in Riverdale couldn't be better. Still, Archie will do his best to make it Heaven on Earth. What happens when Archie resolves to pack more into each day? Can Archie juggle his love life, schoolwork, sports, time with his friends, and still find time for charitable endeavors? Let’s leap into Archie In Hell #1 and see!

 

Story

It may be the weekend. Still, Archie rises at dawn. He has a date with Betty in the afternoon, then another with Veronica in the evening. But first, he wants to help the food drive. Archie grabs cans of food for Reach Out Riverdale and goes out to collect more. The people in Archie's life received the same appeals. Still, Archie is the one who mobilizes them to contribute.

 

Life has taught Sabrina to be careful. When she gained her magical abilities, Sabrina tried to shirk them. Yet in Archie In Hell #1, Sabrina no longer needs Salem to urge her to take her role as Greendale's protector seriously. Instead of rebuking her for not being cautious enough, her familiar thinks Sabrina is being too cautious. Yet when a spell alerts her to danger, the teenage witch needs her aunts' help to understand the stakes and who might be most endangered.

 

As Patrick Horvath splits the narrative between his two protagonists, Archie does good works, while Sabrina races to protect him. Along the way, Reggie seeks to discredit Archie to gain Veronica's favor. Yet even though he inadvertently helps his rival, Reggie and Sabrina are two steps behind the villains. In Archie In Hell #1, the Order of A’ldarax has planned its operation well. And whether they succeed or fail, Riverdale, Greendale, and the world will never be the same.  

 

Art

As the sun rises, Archie's mother carries a hamper of clothes to Archie's bedroom. Her jaw drops when she finds his room empty. Archie's father sits in the dining room, nursing a mug as Archie passes. Both parents lean out to watch their industrious son depart. A framed painting of a thatch-roof cottage links Fred and Mary Andrews’ conventional lifestyle with Hilda and Zelda Spellman’s old-world magic.

 

As Tyler Crook links Riverdale and Greendale, white space frames rectangular panels. Francesco Segala and Sabrina del Grosso adorn Archie In Hell #1 with limited and full palettes. Yellow sunlight streams into Archie’s bedroom as candles fill a dark room with yellow light. The teenage witch confers with her aunts amid yellow light while Reggie rides his yellow motorcycle. Archie's orange hair links him with Sabrina's top and Reggie's helmet. Archie's red car seems to herald bloodshed. Yet as panels adopt more diagonal angles, green conjures change in Archie's reality.

 

While Tyler Crook places black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes, Salem’s white uppercase letters appear in black balloons. Reggie’s words quickly shrink and swell as jealousy unbalances him. Yet when they recognize the danger threatening their world, Sabrina lowers her voice, Archie’s words grow bold and unbalanced, and both friends conjure large letters into spiky balloons. Sound effects link Archie's car with Reggie's motorcycle as Archie knocks on doors in Riverdale. Thanks to Oni Press for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As each day brings new opportunities for Archie and his friends, Archie's innocence makes him a target of nefarious individuals. A sect needs someone like him to accomplish their goal. Yet, with Sabrina's help, Archie may surprise the Order of A’ldarax in Archie In Hell #1.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more collectible covers, see Archie In Hell #1 Cover Preview. 

 

For Sabrina's early struggles with witchcraft, see Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1 Review. 

 

For more of Archie's adventures, see Archie #1 Review and Archie #2 Review. 

Batman #15 Review

 

Batman #15 Review

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jiménez

Cover Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Variant Cover Artists: Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos; Dustin Nguyen; Becky Cloonan; Jorge Jiménez; David Aja

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US | Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock) | Variant $7.99 US (foil)

Release Date: November 4, 2026

 

As Tim Drake recovered from police brutality in the hospital, a TV interview with Dr Annika Zeller offered Bruce Wayne hope of helping criminals forge better futures. Instead, Professor Hugo Strange commissioned a high-speed hit on the psychological researcher via Dantai Tozuki’s motorcycle-riding Triple Zeros. Then, the night got even livelier when the sword-wielding Ōjō attempted to assassinate Bruce Wayne. 

 

Now, Bruce Wayne appears on Sophie Silvaire’s talk show. Will the TV interview inspire others to help make Gotham safer? Or might it unleash more deadly attacks on the Bat-family? Let's leap into Batman #15 and see!

 

Story

Jim Gordon’s life has become a nightmare. He’s struggled to uphold the law while Vandal Savage corrupted the GCPD, sent his daughter to Supermax, and ordered his private army to kill masks and bats. But when Batman requests his help, Jim Gordon agrees. Then Jim discovers that, like Vandal Savage, Batman wants him to break the law.

 

Dr Annika Zeller vowed to leave Wayne Enterprises. Then, Bruce Wayne convinced her to stick around a little longer. She and Bruce share more than a disastrous (not a) first date. They both attempt to help others using controversial methods. But remaining on staff at Arkham Towers traps Dr Zeller in Batman’s ethical labyrinth in Batman #15.

 

Batman identified six assassins who want to kill Bruce Wayne. Verity Pennyworth helped him take two off the streets of Gotham. Still, he cannot risk endangering bystanders by letting the remaining four choose when and where to attack him. So, Bruce announces he’s leaving Gotham. Then he gives them one more opportunity to kill him by announcing he will attend the Gran Gala Enmascarada at the Vauxhall Center.

 

Matt Fraction opens his story by interweaving Bruce's public façade on Sophie Silvaire's talk show with his private conversation with Superman and Wonder Woman. The TV interview also evokes Vicki Vale's earlier interview with King Panther, and Bruce's suggested reading for his son. While Sophie Silvaire bookends this story about illusions, Gotham’s modern masque reawakens inhabitants’ love for masked heroes. As they recover from Poison Ivy’s prehistoric plants, the traumatized residents readily embrace a night of glamor, knowing its aura of safety is just another mask that Gotham wears in Batman #15.

 

Art

When he meets with his Justice League friends, Wonder Woman stands before him, while Superman hovers above him. Yet both look down as Bruce tells them his plan. In Gotham, angels rise above the Vauxhall Center. Batman clings to a nearby building, knowing the search lights glowing from every corner aren't sending the bat-signal. Later, he addresses his team beside a bank of monitors. Amid the sterile walls and floors, glass partitions make the Batcave feel like Gotham General.

 

As Jorge Jiménez chronicles Bruce Wayne’s grand illusion, the sun sinks into the distant hills, filling the sky above Bruce, Superman, and Wonder Woman with yellow and orange light. The red carpet before the Vauxhall Center forms a cross, signaling a need for medical attention. Yet the green trees and the living arch surrounding the entrance link with Dr Zeller attending to her patient in Arkham Towers. As she adjusts her Crown of Thorns amid red lighting, Bruce Wayne walks the red carpet in a red suit. The green tank and Robin’s green mask highlight how Annika and Bruce strive to influence those under their care. Yellow and gold link an entertaining TV host with an entertaining killer. Yet Tomeu Morey adorns the walls, floors, and monitors with blue, linking the Batcave with the masked hero who brings hope to Gotham in Batman #15.

 

Clayton Cowles fills white balloons with uppercase black letters, while Bruce Wayne’s interview with Sophie Silvaire appears above images from the TV broadcast. The dialogue grows bold with intonation and shrinks for lowered voices. White offscreen dialogue fills colored boxes, while giant red letters signal a challenge. As the celebrities arrive in classy cars, revving engines signal danger. Sound effects also accompany a confrontation between rivals, while an assassin adapts to Bruce's carefully laid plan. Yet white lowercase letters in a gray box evoke another occasion when an assassin killed people to lure Batman into a trap. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to follow the rules when they make sense and are administered responsibly. But after Vandal Savage and Poison Ivy leave office, Batman isn't the only one wondering if more ethical leaders will take their place. Unable to work openly with Gotham's officials, Bruce Wayne lies while Batman breaks the law. As his friends and enemies worry about his decisions, Batman strives to prevent four assassins from killing people to hurt Bruce Wayne. Yet to capture the world-class killers, he lays a trap at the city’s heavily populated celebration in Batman #15.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Batman #15 Preview. 

 

For Batman's recent struggle to protect Gotham, see my Bad Seeds Event List.

 

For Bruce Wayne's battle with the Triple Zeros and the assassin Ōjō, see Batman #5 Review. 

 

For the masked people who hired Lady Ōjō, see Batman #11 Preview.   

 

For Vicki Vale's interview with the "Suplex Superman," see Batman #12 Preview. 

Absolute Catwoman #4 Review

 

Absolute Catwoman #4 Review

Writers: Scott Snyder & Che Grayson

Artist & Cover Artist: Bengal

Colorist: Giovanna Niro

Letterer: Lucas Gattoni

Variant Cover Artists: Marcio Takara, Dustin Nguyen, & Is*A Works

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Riley Rossmo

Editors: Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US | Variant $5.99 (Card Stock)

Release Date: November 4, 2026

 

Selina Kyle had plans for a life after the Calicos. She might have been raised in foster homes. Even without connections and resources, Selina aspired to an enviable career. But after the explosion in David Cain’s apartment, Selina believed Cassandra had died. She couldn’t pursue her dreams knowing that she had cost the girl her life. So, Selina took responsibility for the Calicos. She turned herself in. Yet fate had other plans in store for Selina Kyle.

 

After rebuilding her life on her own, Cassandra’s Copycats blew up Selina’s London Penthouse the way the Calicos blew up Cassandra’s childhood home. And Selina discovers that the girl she thought she had killed still lives. Selina has reunited with two members of her former team. They have traveled to Candia to rescue the fourth. But can they rescue Holly Robinson from Cassandra Cain's clutches? Or will Cassandra destroy their world? Let’s leap into Absolute Catwoman #4 and see!

 

Story

Life might have separated them, but Holly Robinson always believed in Selina Kyle. Fearing an Artificial Intelligence would rewrite her reality, Holly snuck Selina Kyle the key. Now, Cassandra Cain holds Holly hostage. She controls the Yarn, which would knit everyone's life into a new, global tapestry. Selina has reunited with her former Calico partners, Victoria and Helena. She uses Jonesy, her personal AI, to search for the Yarn's probable location.

 

As Selina, Victoria, and Helena search for Cassandra’s stronghold, Scott Snyder and Che Grayson stitch Selina’s past into her present. While the Calicos use the methods that brought them success in Gotham, Selina remembers how Gotham repaid her repentance with condemnation. Yet Absolute Catwoman #4 isn't just Selina's story. It also follows Cassandra Cain, as she attempts to make her plans her new reality.

 

Selina Kyle is a thief. Cassandra Cain is an assassin. While they seem worlds apart, they both seek the same things. Safety. Security. And most of all, belonging. Cassandra grew up among Gotham's elite before becoming a woman who inhabits the shadows. Selina climbed above the cruelty of the foster care system and others' indifference to join the world's elite. Yet as Selina wrestles with her insecurities and her yearning to trust others, Cassandra knows she can never be safe. So, Cassandra Cain fights to escape the shadows in Absolute Catwoman #4.

 

Art

As ground-level cameras follow Selina to GCPD Headquarters and then toward the courthouse, inset panels reveal Gotham's lies. Bengal uses downshots and upshots to reveal the city’s cruelty. Selina remembers Gotham’s towers. Yet skyscrapers dominate Candia. The camera constantly roves up and down to catch the action, as Selina leads the Calicos above the city. Cassandra and the League of Shadows stride through the streets, unnoticed by those they pass.

 

Compared with Gotham's limited, muted colors, Giovanna Niro fills Candia with bright, luminous colors in Absolute Catwoman #4. Pink light shines down on Cassandra as she gazes up at Holly. Bound to a rat’s nest of pipes and conduits, Selina’s former stray seems a necessary sacrifice to awaken a new world. Pink lines overlay an indigo map guiding Selina’s mission of mercy. As the Calicos once bounded past a pink neon sign, Cassandra walks beneath a yellow one in this gleaming yellow city. Cassandra’s actions seem cruel as she clutches the blue orb. Yet red highlights the kill-or-be-killed nature of Cassandra’s reality.

 

Lucas Gattoni slips black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons. White uppercase letters in blue boxes blend Selina’s past with her off-screen dialogue and thoughts. Stylish black letters in light blue fields locate readers in space and time. Unable to speak, Cassandra shares her thoughts with lowercase letters in beige parchment scraps. Sound effects accompany Selina's rough welcome to Blackgate Penitentiary, Cassandra’s offer to choose her fate, Selina’s attempt to make a good impression, and her decision to emulate Holly. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Selina Kyle grew up without knowing her parents. All she had was a list of names and a postcard. Believing her family abandoned her, Selina made her own way and pushed anyone who got too close away.

 

Her father taught her not to speak up. Her mother’s voice became the foundation for Cassandra Cain's new life. Like Selina, Cassandra also had a list of names. But unlike Selina, she risked her place in her family so everyone on her list felt like they belonged.

 

Now, life is bringing Selina Kyle and Cassandra Cain together. But whether this clash brings them more pain or healing remains to be seen in Absolute Catwoman #4.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

 

To look inside see Absolute Catwoman #4 Preview. 

 

For how the girl the Calicos injured remade her life, see Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow's Hand #1 Preview. 

For Selina, Victoria, and Helena's original post-Calicos plans, see Absolute Catwoman #3 Preview. 

For how Selina reunites with Victoria and Helena, see Absolute Catwoman #2 Review. 

For Selina's desperate battle to rescue Holly, see my review of Absolute Catwoman #1. 

For Selina Kyle's relationship with Bruce Wayne, see my preview of Absolute Batman #12, 

 

 My preview of Absolute Batman #13, and 

 

My preview of Absolute Batman #14. 

 

Spielberg Review

 

Spielberg Review

Writer, Artist, Colorist & Letterer: Amazing Ameziane

Publisher: Titan Comics

Book Description: 192 Pages, Full Color

Paperback Price: $24.99 US

Kindle ebook: $23.74

Release Date: October 13, 2026

 

His father enjoyed repairing TVs. His mother loved to dance. Together, they inspired their son to make movies. Even though they would eventually part, the Spielbergs supported their young son’s interest in filmmaking. Then, young Steven saw a movie that made him wonder if he had what it took to be a director.

 

Instead of giving up his dream, Steven returned to the cinema to watch Lawrence Of Arabia again. As he rewatched the movie, Steven began to understand how David Lean alternated spectacular imagery with the personal and seemingly ordinary. So, when he moved to Hollywood to study filmmaking, Steven took guided studio tours. Then, he snuck onto the set of another director he admired and watched him until he got thrown out.

 

How would Steven Spielberg get his start as a movie director? And how would he go on to make some of Hollywood’s biggest films? Let’s grab some popcorn, leap into Spielberg, and see!

 

Story

When Sid Sheinberg saw Steven's college movie, the Universal TV exec signed the aspiring filmmaker to a 7-year deal. At first, Steven struggled to find his feet. But in his second year at Universal, he became one of the studio’s busiest directors. Steven had to learn how to work with people of all ages. As he impressed actors, crew members, and studio execs with his artistry and finished episodes on time, Steven found a project that propelled him into the movie business.

 

Spielberg shows how things didn’t always go his way. Some movies, like JAWS, could have ended the director’s career. Still, he aimed high and strived to tackle subjects in unexpected ways. When one of his films proved a big success, he used the opportunity to film a passion project. Steven climbed the Hollywood ladder with some ambitious friends, including George Lucas and Martin Scorsese. While he helped them when he could, both directors guided Steven to make some of the most important films of his career.

 

After portraying Steven Spielberg’s youth in the 1960s, Amazing Ameziane devotes additional chapters to the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Perhaps because some critics hail 2002’s Minority Report as Spielberg’s last great film, the author combines the director’s 21^st-century work into one final chapter. Yet this later period produces some of Steven’s most personal films. All these lead up to 2022’s The Fabelmans, which fictionalizes his journey toward Hollywood success.

 

Art

While Amazing Ameziane shares how Steven Spielberg’s films inspired him, he allows the director to tell his own story. A full-face view of Steven often dominates a page, with dialogue balloons introducing the movie, his struggles, or the people in his life. Friends and collaborators interact with the director. Actors appear in character amid film settings in Ameziane's Spielberg.

 

Interactions with his friends may appear in Black and White. Amazing Ameziane usually adorns films with a limited or full palette. Vibrant colors adorn full-face portraits. Some of his highest-grossing films receive one or two pages. Some popular films are only mentioned in passing, if at all. While JAWS gets 10 pages, two passion projects equal or receive more. Schindler’s List, the film in which Steven confronts his heritage, receives 16. Pixel art characters enliven Steven's stories about making his movies. They star in their own version of a game that once dominated arcades. Still, the shark that rarely worked in the ocean lurks beneath the story, before unexpectedly arising to attack pages.

 

While Steven speaks to the reader through dialogue balloons, narrative boxes also showcase off-camera dialogue. He also shares his thoughts and provides commentary between panels and on the sides, bottoms, or tops of pages. As the director ages, his appearance diverges from the image that readily sticks in our minds. But then, the director often challenges viewers' assertions about his career in Spielberg. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a physical review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As Steven Spielberg sought to make his mark in Hollywood, he invested in his heritage. Yet while living his childhood dreams, his parents’ divorce haunted him. So as he made movies about aliens, dinosaurs, or archeologist adventurers, Steven Spielberg also made movies about the struggles that bind families together and tear them apart. He may have adopted Martin Scorsese's suggestion as his career formula. Yet as Spielberg nears the end, Quentin Tarantino points to another reason for the director's extraordinary success.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For a look inside see Spielberg SC Preview. 

DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1 Review

 

DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1 Review

Writers: Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson

Artists: Sanford Greene & Yasmine Putri

Colorists: Matt Herms & Yasmine Putri

Letterer: Steve Wands

Cover Artist: Sanford Greene

Variant Cover Artists: Mark Spears, Javi Fernández & Alejandro Sanchez; Anthony Marques, J Bone & Dave Stewart; Juan Ferreyra

Editors: Chris Rosa, Sophie Philips-Roberts & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US | Variant $6.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: October 28, 2026

 

When Darkseid conquered reality, the Quantum Quorum rewound time, giving Earth's superheroes a brief window of freedom. They could use it to say goodbye to their families. Or they could even live on, after a fashion. But the Justice League didn't want to live on as reflections of themselves in a mirror universe. So, to reclaim their reality, they had to fight for it.

 

Yet after their victory, visions bound Earth’s heroes to perform onerous tasks. They had to stand alongside villains in their Watchtower and go on missions together. Earth’s governments had to accept that the people they counted on to protect them might have pasts drenched in blood. And inexplicably, Cyborg has preserved the Heart of Apokolips in Mount Titan.

 

Are Earth’s heroes and villains ready for Darkseid’s prophesied return? And why does Darkseid have an insatiable need to control everything? Let’s leap into the DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1 and see!

 

Story

People may fear him. They may dread his return. But Darkseid has a plan he is working toward. He wants everyone to understand how his great dream benefits everyone. So, as heroes celebrate their victory in the Omega Tournament and prepare for Darkseid’s return, he takes his message directly to the people. But before he paints his rosy future, Darkseid looks back at where he came from.

 

In DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1, he addresses the reader. He shares how he became the Lord of Apokolips. Then he shares his recent past, including how and why he created his Absolute Universe. Still, Darkseid isn’t through. His plan encompasses all of space and time. So, as he intersperses his narrative with clashes between himself and superhumans on two worlds, Darkseid shares his ultimate dream.

 

Ironically, Darkseid’s goal evokes the futures that the Heart of Apokolips offered each contestant. Many contestants would likely have been tempted to accept the Heart's offer and transform Earth into their version of paradise. Yet Superman, who triumphed in the tournament, resisted the Heart's offer and returned Earth-Zero to its former state. Thus, Darkseid needs to get his message out. Superman may be perceived as a champion of hope. But Darkseid sees Superman as a destroyer of everything that matters in DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1.

 

Art

As a star travels through space, it burns and swells with energy. Then it forms a symbol before resolving into Darkseid. He stands before the Heart of Apokolips, which empowers him. Then he stands before the machinery that will help him build his miraculous new reality. Circles portraying heroes from different worlds float in space. Darkseid rises in profile behind them, gazing up with determination as he resolutely works toward his dream. Then he faces his audience. While Earth-Zero is crucial to his plans, the giant visionary gazes over the planet, showing how his plans extend far beyond one world.

 

Sanford Green helps Darkseid tell his story across panel-packed pages and one-page montages. Double-page layouts showcase conflicts between Darkseid and metahumans and introduce the heroes of the Absolute Universe. While Matt Herms adorns DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1 in the colors of Darkseid’s eternal enemy, violet and indigo also appear as he carries out his plan. But then, Darkseid wants to give people what he believes is best for them.

 

Harbinger: Story

In this 10-page story, Joshua Williamson shows Darkseid’s desire to share his Omega energy with everyone. He resurrects Pandora and gives her a new purpose. Darkseid’s abilities allow him to see the truth she hides from others. But like the superhumans of all the Earths in the multiverse, Pandora must decide whether to fight Darkseid or bow to his will.

 

Harbinger: Art

Darkseid wishes to dominate all reality. Yet Pandora stands between heroes from different universes as the Flash races around the Earth. Despite her reddish-violet cloak, lines of color flow across her. Yet when she revives across an orange 9-panel grid, Pandora loses her kaleidoscopic appearance. The woman with light-indigo hair rises before Darkseid. Instead of the Flash’s yellow energy, white energy crackles around Darkseid. Red lightning bolts encircle Pandora's features. Yet, Yasmine Putri shows the red fire burning in Darkseid’s eyes.

 

Lettering

Darkseid shares his past and reveals the reasons behind his plans, using white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes. When he addresses heroes, he speaks white letters into black dialogue balloons with straight-edged borders. His opponents, and the woman he wants to serve him, speak black letters into spherical white balloons as they defy his glorious vision. Yet Pandora reveals her thoughts and tells her story in white boxes with red borders. Steve Wands’ sound effects enhance Darkseid’s encounters with metahumans, his determination to make Pandora his servant, and his sacrifice to give everyone a better tomorrow.

 

Final Thoughts

When they traveled into the Earth’s core, Earth’s heroes had to play by the Heart of Apokolips’ rules. They battled their morals and pushed past their self-imposed limits to achieve victory. Yet the heroes’ justification for killing their opponents seems eerily similar to Darkseid’s rationale for building his kinder, gentler, and more fulfilling reality in DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see DC All In Saga: Darkseid vs. the World #1 Preview. 

 

For when Darkseid told the Justice League, "Thank you," see DC All In Special #1 Preview. 

 

For Time Trapper's plan to save the DCU (& how Lara's friendship with Ursa would eventually save Earth in Kingdom Of Zod), see Justice League: The Omega Act #1 Preview. 

 

For how the heroes' plans for the Omega Tournament go awry, see DC K.O. #1 Preview.