The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 Review

 

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

Artist: Francis Manapul

Colorists: Francis Manapul, John Kalisz & Ian Herring

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Francis Manapul

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: September 10, 2025

 

When does your life begin? With your birth, your first big job, marriage, or a singular achievement? The Rocketfellers' story starts in the 25^th Century, as they race to evade their pursuers. Yet their lives begin anew when they travel back in time. How will this future family find life in the 21^st Century? And why did they have to flee the era of their birth? Let’s leap into The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 and see!

 

Story

After remaking their lives in Olympia, Washington, the Rocketfellers invite the neighbors over for a meet-and-greet. A BBQ on Thanksgiving may be unusual, but Roland recognizes the need to get to know his neighbors as he flips the burgers. The wives and mothers gather around Rachel. They pepper her with questions about handsome Harry Helicopter, who Rachel flies above the city each morning for his traffic reports.

 

Rodney is getting up in years, but he intrigues the older ladies by mentioning his age and his military service. Richie makes new friends in the pool. His little sister, Rae, offers umbrellas in case it rains. The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1 introduces readers to a loving, supportive family. Yet Peter J Tomasi’s story reveals how they are suffering.

 

Rose’s death plagues them most. But aside from leaving Rodney’s wife and Roland’s mother behind, they also miss the 25^th Century. Leaving the technology and superior resources of their time forces each member to adapt. Rae develops a close relationship with nature. Richie's technological abilities help him pursue his interests, but don't come without risks.

 

Rachel has put her career on hold for her family twice before. Now, her family's safety forces her to miss what might be her last opportunity to fulfill a dream. At least Roland can continue his bioengineering project in the basement. And after losing his wife, Rodney's dedication to fitness attracts disciples.

 

In The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1, trouble arises from the people they left behind. Roland’s former employers aren’t happy that he absconded with company property. Reggie covers his brother's tracks at the Time Zone Protection Agency. Yet while Reggie gets on with his life, the wheels of justice that would allow his family to return grind slowly.

 

Art

Francis Manapul begins his story with the Rocketfellers speeding across a snowy landscape. Yellow energy courses through a sleek copper structure that would give Anakin Skywalker’s podracer a run for Watto’s money. A missile sends the vessel tumbling through the snow. The family climbs from the fiery wreck clad in yellow and black, with orange insulation extending above their necks. Rose helps her husband hobble along as figures on hoverbikes race toward them. After she begs them to abandon her, a silver cyborg confronts Rose. White specks of snow dot the metal face as orange eyes reflect Rose's final moments.

 

After the desperate race for survival in the tundra, the family surrounds Roland as he greets neighbors on their backyard deck. Older women watch as Rodney does pullups with a free weight chained to his waist. When their neighbors aren’t watching, Rex, the family’s chihuahua, proves an able companion. The canine cyborg sprouts appendages handy around the house or piloting a vehicle. Yet this family from the future motors around town in an old Volkswagen bus. John Kalisz, Ian Herring, and Francis Manapul adorn Peter J Tomasi’s lighthearted tale with a bright, cheery palette.

 

Rob Leigh portals black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons in The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Balloons grow spiky when characters undergo stress. Purple letters in lavender boxes denote time and space changes, while Reggie speaks with his brother across time using green boxes with lightning-bolt arrows. Sound effects enhance this story about losing loved ones, forming new traditions, and Roland’s bioengineering experiment floating in green liquid. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Each member of the Rocketfellers has given up something to become exiles. Yet each also gains something to ease the pain of that loss. Every page of this reverse Buck Rogers saga resonates with the power of family to help, harm, and inspire in The Rocketfellers TP Vol 1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For covers from the series (including a Christmas one) see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

Merry Christmas, All! 

Geiger TP Vol 4 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Page Count: 152

Price: $16.99

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

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

 

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

 

Story

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Art

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

 

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

 

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

 

Final Thoughts

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

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

 and my review of Geiger TP Vol 3.

Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1 Review

 

Creators: Peter J Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $14.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

When nations go to war, resolving the issues that sparked the conflict can be difficult. Often, the underlying problem is that they're different and don't understand each other. Ancient cultures brokered peace by exchanging royal children and letting their adoptive families raise them as their own.

 

There are no more ancient cultures than Heaven and Hell. When the two realms wish to broker peace after years of war, they exchange babies. Who will raise these children from Heaven and Hell? And how will the realms ensure that the children grow up to accept both realms? Let's grab a party hat and blow tickler, leap into Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

Zachary was an infant sired by angels. Rose was born to rule the Underworld. The task of overseeing their development fell to the Adjudicator. He placed them with Human families of opposing natures. The Hornsbys adopted Rose. As she grows, she helps them run the local community center. The Adjudicator placed Zachary with the Halos, who operate a funeral home. While Rose helps feed and clothe the unhoused residents of Warwick, New York, Zachary performs all the menial tasks so his parents can preen in their finery and go skiing on a snowy weekend.

 

As thirteen marks the beginning of the teen years, agents from Heaven and Hell arrive to test the children. These are not authorized visits in Peter J Tomasi’s story. Instead, they are surreptitious attempts to activate the children's inherent natures and help them reclaim their destiny. The Adjudicator has watched over Zachary and Rose for twelve years. But because the agents come in disguise, he doesn’t realize they are trying to break the celestial peace.

 

In Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1, an unintended act of vandalism stirs Zachary's and Rose's emotions. When Zachary's parents upset him, his spirit attempts to rectify their foul deed. Linked by Zachary's hurtful act, Rose's spirit rises to pursue him. When their paths cross at Mount Hope Cemetery, Zachary and Rose compete for the same goal. While one wins the prize, both must deal with the consequences of victory.

 

Art

While baby Rose bathes in fire, baby Zachary flies with doves in Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1. As she plays with skeletal birds and a toy ferryman in his boat, he eats tufts of clouds and shares his meal with his avian playmates. Rose clutches her mother’s horns when a sword-clad demon lifts her daughter from her bath. Zachary clambers over an angel's back, yanking out wing feathers as they fly over a field of fallen demons. More feathers descend as angels and demons hover above heavenly and hellish cities. Swords, pitchforks, and spears glow as energy and fluids spill from their lifeless bodies.

 

While Peter Snejbjerg provides tantalizing visions of Heaven, Hell, and small-town life in New York, John Kalisz lavishes a loaded palette on Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1. Stars shine amid the darkness surrounding the blue-skinned Adjudicator as he clutches the orange and pink infants. After the intensely colored eternal realms, red-haired Rose sits amid gentler colors in her school bus. Her green art bag hovers before her as her schoolmate grabs her sketchbook. Zachary garners more attention as he leans out of the bus window. As he closes his eyes, birds soar above his outstretched arm.

 

Black uppercase letters in gray boxes reveal the children’s cosmic origins. Black letters in white balloons convey dialogue as the children fail to recognize the bond uniting them. Rob Leigh shows the children’s pets bark and meow into nonspherical balloons with lightning bolt arrows. Sound effects fill panels as agent provocateurs descend on Warwick, unleashing a variety of colored and shaped dialogue balloons. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

What does becoming an authentic person involve? Can you accommodate others' differing worldviews without diminishing your identity? In Hornsby & Halo TP Vol 1, a celestial war has slaughtered millions of angels and demons. All that prevents the conflict from restarting is two children who don't know who they are and must decide who they wish to become.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

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

Geiger TP Vol 3 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Penciler: Paul Pelletier

Inker: Andrew Hennessy

Colorists: Brad Anderson & John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $16.99

Release Date: June 4, 2025

 

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

 

Story

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

 

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

 

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

 

Art

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Final Thoughts

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

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

This review first appeared at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

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

The Rocketfellers #5 Review

 

Writer: Peter J Tomasi

Artist: Francis Manapul

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artist: Francis Manapul, Ryan Sook & Germán Peralta

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 30, 2025

 

Rachel Rocketfeller trained to captain a flight to Jupiter. Instead, the astronaut put her career on hold to have Richie. After giving up on having children, life gifted her a son and daughter. Her husband's research cost Rachel their life in the 25th century. Rachel loves her family and flying a news station helicopter. Still, she engages in extreme sports to fill a void. How will Rachel and her family react when Rae faces danger? Let’s grab our hoverboards, leap into The Rocketfellers #5, and find out!

 

Story

Rae rescued baby sparrows from a Christmas tree. Before her grandmother died, Rose told the girl that trees have a communication network through the ground. Rae seems to sense that connection. Like a priestess of the Delphic Oracle, the girl makes comments about the future open to interpretation. Her brother thinks she is weird. But when Rae faints and their parents react in shock, Richie orders them to take her to a doctor.

 

Tony Martinez looks out for his community. When it snows, Tony offers to bring the Rocketfellers their mail or pick up their groceries. So when Rachel explains that their Volkswagon van won't start and they want to take Rae to the hospital, Tony tosses Rachel his keys and watches as the family drives away. But Tony will find that befriending Rachel, Roland, and the family carries risks in The Rocketfellers #5.

 

In Peter J Tomasi's story, Roland is a 25th-century bioengineer. His nano-borgs have reconstructed an eyeball from its dead husk. Cronex searches the centuries for traces of the family, hoping to recapture Roland for his knowledge and research. Yet when danger threatens the Rocketfellers, it comes from 21st-century Russia.

 

Like Rachel, Richie lost a future that challenged him. His parents restrict his use of anything that could garner notice from the time agents. But Roland and Rachel are so wrapped up in their lives that they don’t know that Richie gets detention at school or hacks offshore accounts on his bedroom computer. While the Cronex agent Raina tracks the family through time, Russian mobsters trace their missing money to Richie’s home in The Rocketfellers #5.

 

Art

Amid scenes of domestic harmony as the Rocketfellers sleep and rise for breakfast, one of the Sparrows Rae adopted finds the reconstructed eyeball in Roland's basement lab. Scenes follow the family’s first visit to a 500-year-old hospital (from their perspective), a team of Russian suits driving around Olympia, Washington, to Yuri and Nicolas reclining in a room below sea level on the Baltic Sea. Instead of watching fish exploring ocean wrecks on the sea floor, the diminutive mobsters clothed in full military attire cover their eyes in immersion glasses.

 

While Francis Manapul lavishes a loaded palette of color on The Rocketfellers #5, pink overtakes panels to convey what Yuri and Nicholas see. Green and blue dominate hospital scenes, while greenish light streams through the undersea windows. Exterior lights on the family home cast brightening rays on a blue evening while the Rocketfellers await the medical staff’s diagnosis. One noteworthy panel shows a man standing in the checkerboard tile hall of the Rocketfeller home, Rodney's greenlit basement lab, and the intervening stairs as white lines on a streaked charcoal background.

 

Rob Leigh portals black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons in The Rocketfellers #5. The letters grow bold for inflection and enlarge and change color for raised voices. Rae’s wavering lines of small text convey her wooziness. Balloons grow spiky when characters undergo stress. Purple letters in oval lavender boxes locate us in time and space. Sound effects help us hear birds tweeting, hands knocking, Rex barking, and high-tech equipment breaking as danger threatens the family on two fronts. A fact sheet on Richie featuring lowercase letters closes this family saga. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When their daughter faints, the family flies into crisis mode. But a trip to the hospital leaves the family home open to threats. While showcasing how Rex greets uninvited visitors, The Rocketfellers #5 hints at interconnections between little Rae, Rodney's basement laboratory project, and the agent pursuing the 25^th Century family through time.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Hornsby And Halo #6 Review

 

Storytellers: Peter J Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Cover Artists: Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz; Germán Peralta; Mark Chiarello

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 23, 2025

 

After returning the zombies to their graves, Zachary Halo and Rose Hornsby wanted to resume their lives. But even a Vulcan Nerve Pinch can’t awaken the teenagers from this nightmare. The creature Rose calls a Mutant Demon Lion can assume any shape. Zachary and Rose know him best as their bus driver, but the Adjudicator has taken many forms while watching over them during their adolescence.

 

With agents from Heaven and Hell trying to influence the thirteen-year-olds, the Adjudicator agrees to show them where they came from. Will discovering their origins bring Zachary and Rose peace? Or will it freak them out even more? Let’s grab some snacks from the Drive-In Theater concession stand, leap into Hornsby And Halo #6, and find out!

 

Story

Zachary damaged Rose's sketchbook, broke into her bedroom, hotwired the truck from Jim's Orchard, and pilfered candy bars from the concession stand. So, when the Adjudicator transports them to Hell, Rose struggles to accept she belongs there, while Zachary hails from Heaven. It doesn't help that a demon welcomes her by name. Nor does Rose appreciate Zachary's snarky comments as they watch people suffering eternal torment.

 

But then, Zachary is not enjoying their interdimensional sightseeing tour either. Zachary has spent his youth weighed down by guilt over his parents’ bad behavior. He blames himself for the zombie uprising. So when Zachary visits Heaven in Hornsby And Halo #6, he struggles to feel like he belongs. Worst, Heaven delivers good vibes but seems strangely lacking in substance.

 

The Adjudicator finds the teenager’s dissatisfaction troubling in Peter J Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg’s story. He has watched over them all their lives. Yet Rose and Zachary hesitate to trust him. The Adjudicator granted their wish to see where they belong. Yet the teens wonder if they want the privileged futures awaiting them. The Adjudicator tries to make Rose and Zachary understand that they must prevent a cosmic war. Still, Rose and Zachary struggle to accept that everything they thought they knew about themselves is a lie in Hornsby And Halo #6.

 

Art

Peter Snejbjerg conveys Rose and Zachary’s space odyssey amid cinematic widescreen imagery. Panels stretch across two pages or convey depth in vertical strips as the characters descend to Hell and ascend to Heaven. The interdimensional imagery seems lifted from illuminated manuscripts painted with quill pens in medieval monasteries. A moment of wonder in Hornsby And Halo #6 recalls Superzach’s “flights” on the school bus. Visions of her eternal destiny evoke drawings in Rose’s sketchbook.

 

After remaining by Zachary’s side during the zombie uprising, Pepper gazes at a tiny cosmos of pink, blue, and white circles. The green-eyed orange-and-white cat paws at the sparkling energy as if struggling to believe its master left it behind. Rose and Zachary fly through green clouds amid the starry cosmos. Orange, yellow, and red convey the horrors of Hell, while purple and green portray doomed souls. Greens and blues dominate the Adjudicator’s ascent, while beige, blue, mauve, and white fill Heaven with radiance and mystery. John Kalisz's colors capture the majesty and horrors of the eternal realm and the richness of Earth.

 

Rob Leigh places uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons. Letter size, balloon shape, and arrow size vary as the teens ask the Adjudicator to hold their hands. Sound effects convey the anguish of Hell, a battle in Heaven, and the Adjudicator’s frustration when the future rulers turn on each other. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Rose and Zachary used to respect Mr Wenders. Now, they call their bus driver by his first name and question everything he tells them. Like many teens, Rose and Zachary struggle to embrace truths they don't want to accept. But then, people like the Adjudicator have been influencing them without their knowledge or consent. While their friends ponder how to spend their lives, Rose and Zachary's futures seem already written in Hornsby And Halo #6.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Redcoat #11 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch

Inkers: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

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

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

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

 

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

 

Story

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

 

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

 

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

 

Art

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

 

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

 

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

 

Final Thoughts

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

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

 

Hyde Street #5 Review

 

Creators: Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Francis Portela

Colorist: Brad Anderson

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover Artists: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki & Brad Anderson; Francis Portela & Brad Anderson; Leila Leiz & Alex Sinclair

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 2, 2025

 

Miss Glee Goodbody has stayed in her shop since she arrived on Hyde Street. She has not reaped souls as quickly as Pranky, but her products have delivered consistent results. Miss Goodbody only needs two more conquests to return to the world she left behind. Will Mr X-Ray help Miss Goodbody fulfill her contract? Or will the former advertising executive doom her enterprise? Let’s grab a container of Devour, leap into Hyde Street #5, and find out!

 

Story

While most people see the world as shades of gray, Miss Goodbody sees only black and white. Glee didn't let anyone take it easy at Iron Dance. She challenged her aerobics students to push themselves. They didn't belong in her class if they didn't give their best.

 

It’s easy to say that Miss Goodbody pushed her students too hard. But in Hyde Street #5, Glee is as tough on herself as on her students. Her parents taught her to strive for excellence. Her body was a gift, and Glee needed to cherish it. So, Mrs Goodbody always pushes her limits. She denies herself anything that would impair her physical perfection. If she weakens, she looks around. Too many people invite failure via indulgence.

 

Mr X-Ray appeals to Miss Goodbody’s sense of fairness. In Geoff Johns’ story, the man who hooked his graphic designer on drugs wishes to build a neighbor watch to deter Pranky’s predations. Mr X-Ray wants to help his fellow residents escape Hyde Street. The former advertising executive doesn’t share the Matinee Monster’s insistence on saving all their visitors. Still, people should get a choice to reform instead of being tricked into damnation.

 

Miss Goodbody perceives in Mr X-Ray the same weakness she decries. Anyone who doesn’t sacrifice for physical perfection is unworthy of the gift of life. Damnation, or indentured service to the Scorekeeper, is what they deserve in Hyde Street #5.

 

Art

Miss Goodbody pulses with energy as she yells at her aerobics student. While the teacher's hair tumbles around her face like a VO5 commercial, hairs spring loose from Trisha's perm to dangle before her eyes. Her mouth looks as wobbly as her legs as Miss Goodbody urges Trisha to move or die. Francis Portela’s art shows Glee doesn't give up on her students. She jabs her finger at Trisha’s nose and leans closer, insisting she work harder. Spittle flies from Miss Goodbody's mouth as Trisha's eyes roll up, and she collapses amid the lycra-clad crowd.

 

While lavishing bright colors on energetic art that evokes the 1980s 20 Minute Workout TV series, Brad Anderson hints at why Miss Goodbody is so hard on her student. Glee wears a green leotard, lavender leg warmers, head- and wristbands, and pink earrings in Hyde Street #5. Lavender earrings complement Trisha's green eyes. The student wears a pink headband, wristbands, and leg warmers. If Trisha tried harder, she could make her tightly curled auburn hair as lustrous and full-bodied as Miss Goodbody’s.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons as Mr. X-Ray appeals to Miss Goodbody. White letters in black boxes bring readers into the present as the former aerobics instructor welcomes visitors to her shop in her favorite green and lavender. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell or change color, and rarely shrink as Miss Goodbody protests her innocence. Sound effects enhance Miss Goodbody's adherence to her code, making a pivotal choice and a counseling opportunity. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Miss Glee Goodbody is a winner, although she doesn’t see herself in those terms. In Hyde Street #5, the proprietor of Fat-Free aims for excellence and never waivers. She will do anything to achieve the results she desires. But Miss Goodbody swims in dangerous waters. She knows a moment of weakness can invite a feeding frenzy.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Hornsby And Halo #5 Review

 

Storytellers: Peter J Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg

Colorist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Designer: Steve Blackwell

Editor: Brian Cunningham

Cover Artists: Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz; Gary Frank & Brad Anderson; Dean Haspiel

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 26, 2025

 

A hellish night united them, forcing Zachary to sprout a feathered wing to spirit a fiery Rose and his cat Pepper away. After resuming human form, Zachary uses his ingenuity to appease the unquiet dead and return them to the cemetery. But their transformations and evening assisting zombies leave both teens disturbed. Each thought they knew who they were. Now, they are unsure where they belong.

 

Zachary and Rose attend Warwick Valley Central School but have never been friends. After destroying Rose's sketchbook, Zach invaded Rose's bedroom to reclaim the burial goods she stole from the grave robbers. Zachary is a child of Heaven raised by fiendish undertakers. Rose is a child of Hell growing up with nurturing social workers. Can the two thirteen-year-olds help each other adjust to their supernatural puberty? Let's leap into Hornsby And Halo #5 and find out!

 

Story

Zachary is used to taking the blame. His parents may run the mortuary, but he does all the work. Like Cinderella and her stepsisters, Zachary slaves while his mom and dad play. He takes responsibility for the zombie invasion, weighed down by guilt over his parents’ thefts. But Zachary also picks locks and hotwires vehicles. In Hornsby And Halo #5, Rose becomes his conscience, pointing out consequences await those who groove to Judas Priest's famous song.

 

Like Zachary, the Adjudicator also feels guilty. He believes he failed to prepare the children for their Coming Out party. So, when agents from Heaven and Hell attempt to use the children to restart the War Between The Realms, Zachary and Rose aren't ready. The zombie invasion and their transformations freaked them out. Now, they can no longer distinguish reality from fantasy.

 

Peter J Tomasi and Peter Snejbjerg's story evokes parents ripping away the illusion of belonging. In Hornsby And Halo #5, the Adjudicator must find a way to get Rose and Zachary to trust him. But the young teens want nothing to do with him. Unlike Rose, Zachary can not lock horns with him. But, like Rose, he insists they belong with their human parents.

 

Art

The Sphinx towers over the children in the cemetery. Rose and Zachary are so desperate to wake up that when they pinch each other, both children scream and shake off the pain. Zachary, Rose, and the Adjudicator become reverse silhouettes before the blazing truck headlights. With one sweep of his hands, energy crackles across the graves, and the snow covering the reburied caskets smoothen. But, the moment the Sphinx takes his eyes off them, the teens vanish.

 

John Kalisz lavishes a bright palette on appealing characters caught in crisis. The little cemetery, old truck, and snow-covered town are just some of the beloved remnants of Americana that ground readers in fantastic events. The evening sky becomes a tapestry of grayish greens dappled with white amid the frantic, high-flying action. But in Hornsby And Halo #5, nothing is more eye-catching than the Sphinx. Pink, blue, and purple galaxy spin across its dark wings while its glowing yellow eyes link with the golden bands covering his forearms.  

 

Rob Leigh places uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons. Letter size ranges from blessedly generous to accursedly small as the children confront a creature out of mythology. Enlarged and bold letters deform arrows and threaten balloon integrity. Flying stars enhance the children’s pain, while sound effects amplify their fright. But the emblem on a stolen truck reminds us Zachary and Rose tasted something forbidden. Their childhood is over, and scary adulthood awaits. Thanks to Image Comics and Ghost Machine for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

After settling an undead uprising, Rose and Zachary hope to resume their lives. Neither feels like they belong. Still, that is all they know. In Hornsby And Halo #5, the shocks to their systems continue. On the cusp of physical, emotional, and social changes, the thirteen-year-olds discover that their peers aren’t their peers, their parents aren’t their parents, and their world isn’t their home.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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