Breaklands Vol 1 Review

 

Breaklands Vol 1 Review

Writer: Justin Jordan

Artist: Tyasseta

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Rachel Deering

Publisher: Mad Cave Studios

Price: $19.99

Release Date: September 2, 2025

 

Kasa Fein's mother left a while ago. While she awaits her return, Kasa tries to protect her brother. But Adam is bored with their isolated existence. Neither sibling knows much about the world beyond their home in the cliffs. But before she left, their mother warned them that it was dangerous.

 

While Kasa hunts for food and does most of the household chores, Adam plays. Despite her urging, Kasa cannot restrain her younger brother from levitating her and flying among the hoodoos. Is the world as menacing as their mother believed? And what will happen when strangers discover the brother and sister? Let’s leap into Breaklands Vol 1 and see!

 

Story

One morning, Kasa criticizes her brother for levitating her without her permission. Adam flies off in a huff. While she hunts for their supper, Kasa hears him cry out. She races to her brother. But what aid she can render comes too late. And in this world where everyone but Kasa has a gift, she cannot protect him.

 

In Breaklands Vol 1, a stranger observes Kasa’s fight with Nitro Eddie and his Rumblers. Gargarin suspects the salvage gang found someone of immense value. Once, the world was much different. Then the Shapers tore it down and rebuilt it into its present form. Gargarin suspects that Adam is a Shaper. And he fears who Eddie and his gang will sell Adam to.

 

Justin Jordan enlivens this high-stakes story with snappy dialogue and dry humor. Once Adam leaves the hoodoos surrounding his home, others sense his abilities. As Gargarin and Kasa pursue Eddie and the Rumblers, others set off to intercept the boy with the power to reshape their world. As the fast-paced plot alternates between Kasa, Eddie, and those who want to control the powerful Shaper, Kasa discovers why, in a world where everyone has a gift, she may be the most special person of all.

 

Art

Tyasseta opens Breaklands Vol 1 in the future by introducing a ruler of this strange world. Incredibly muscled, Rask dons red and maroon armor over his white skin. While giant sculpted faces protrude from metal and stone buildings, he leaps hundreds of feet to greet his followers waiting in the street.

 

Along with those clad in maroon robes, Shattersword awaits Rask dressed in white and blue. Her long sword, composed of gleaming pink shards, acts like a whip when she wields it. Toy, with her pink mohawk and red skirt, can summon fire. Kneeling on the desert sand, blue hair falls upon Ruth's dark, muscular shoulders. The warrior, who often works as a security guard, can recover from any injury. But with faces adorning his chest and knees, Rask dominates everyone's attention. The ruler strips away a follower’s flesh with his hands, rips the limbs and ribs away, and raises the skull, spine, and pelvic girdle like a staff.

 

Then, Breaklands Vol 1 steps back in time to see how Adam and Kasa live before their period of isolation ends. Sarah Stern adorns the desert scenery and characters with a loaded palette of bright colors as Kasa sets off with her bow, arrows, sword, and throwing knives. Eddie's crew kicks up plumes of beige dust as their wheeled and nonwheeled vehicles cast maroon shadows over the coral and yellow hardpan. When their leader cocks his hand like a gun, a yellow and orange cloud bursts among the red hoodoos.

 

Rachel Deering fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase words. Rask speaks white letters into black balloons. After the opening scene, the letters increase in size. A rumble fills the air as the salvage gang approaches. Sniff, just one of many characters with transformed features, utters a bold “Snif” as his elephant trunk detects a Shaper. Thanks to Mad Cave Studios and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

In a drastically changed future, people wield incredible abilities. While some people resemble animals, some of the animals they hunt have grown to enormous proportions. In this dog-eat-dog world, everyone is more than they seem. And while a boy's abilities could reshape the world, his sister could prove even more valuable in Breaklands Vol 1.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Breaklands Vol 1. 

The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN Review

 

Writer & Artist: Ariela Kristantina

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Bernardo Brice

Designer: Kassandra Starkell

Editor: Will Dennis

Publishers: Comixology & Dark Horse Books

Kindle Release Date: September 23, 2025

Kindle Price: Free with an Amazon Prime membership

Paperback Price: $17.99

Paperback Release Date: March 31, 2026

 

Like a pier jutting over the water, Wangi's town perches on stilts. When the whales arrive each year, the girl abandons her hammock and dives into the sea. The whales swim around this cluster of homes that represents Wangi's world. Yet each whale dwarfs this small enclave of Humanity.

 

Despite the village elder's fears, the whales regard their Human neighbors peacefully. Maaha, the pod's leader, even lets Wangi fingerpaint on him. As Wangi adorns Maaha with art, the girl speaks with Maaha, and the pod leader responds. What stories about life do Maaha and Wangi share? And how will Wangi's love for whales affect her future? Let’s grab our art supplies, leap into The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN, and see!

 

Story

The village elder reads the tides and the sky. She has safeguarded her community for decades. But while everyone else sees happiness, the elder worries that the whales will bring trouble to her people. After the whales depart, she breathes easier for a while. But when Maaha returns without the pod, its injuries bode ill. As Wangi directs the villagers to tend Maaha's wounds, the elder’s fears grow.

 

In The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN, the elder cannot repress Wangi’s compassion. Nor can she quench the girl’s curiosity. As Wangi tends Maaha's wounds, she discovers that not all the art on its body has come from her hand. So, when Maaha departs, Wangi climbs into a boat to find her.

 

Ariela Kristantina's story introduces a cast of colorful characters. Like the elder, Wangi's younger brother Banyu urges restraint. But Wangi is up for anything and eager to explore her world. When she meets Citra and his people, some are less friendly than others. But like her, the young mapmaker has the heart of an explorer.

 

As Wangi travels, she meets more people like herself, learns about the history of her world, and beholds wonders she never imagined. Sadly, Wangi also discovers that the village elder’s concerns were warranted. The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN is a story of Human greed and the desire to destroy what you cannot control. Yet the book also celebrates love, family, adventure, and the beauty of nature.

 

Art

Bridges and piers link the islands upon which Wangi’s people have built their homes. Wangi braids her red hair in front. The rest tumbles around her, as uncontrollable as the ocean waves. While other islanders strain to remain in their boats when Maaha rises like a mountain, Wangi perches atop the whale and waves to them. Mythological creatures frolic on the page as Wangi draws on Maaha's hide. The children of the village swim beneath the waves to behold the illustrated whale in The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN.

 

Sarah Stern loads her brush with a soft and inviting palette of colors as she paints Ariela Kristantina’s charming illustrations. Bubbles rise through the turquoise waters as Wangi paints the gray whale with red, yellow, and blue. Citra's green hair evokes Peter Pan as he sits at his desk surrounded by books, charts, and a globe. His purple shirt links with the sky above him, while his maroon chair resonates with the wooden trim of his elegant ship. As green plants adorn Wangi's wood and reed home, metal spikes rise from the captain's jacket as he gazes at the pink clouds floating through a peach sky.

 

Bernardo Brice fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters and lowercase letters in dark yellow paper scraps. As Wangi lies on the injured whale, Maaha speaks white uppercase letters into a black rectangle. While Humans splash in the water, knock on their neighbor's door, and activate alarms, the sea creatures' telepathic communication appears as white uppercase letters surrounded by black. Thanks to Comixology, Dark Horse Books, and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Citra is a young mapmaker. He owes everything to the man who raised him. The boy narrates this tale about Wangi’s adventure in his own inimitable style. Yet whether Wangi can trust this stranger who also draws on whales is anything but certain in The Girl Who Draws On Whales GN.

 

Rating 9.4/10

Breaklands Vol 1 Preview

 

Kasa Fein’s mother left a while ago. While she awaits her return, Kasa tries to protect her brother. But Adam is bored with their isolated existence. Neither sibling knows much about the world beyond their home in the cliffs. They just know that, before she left, their mother warned them that it was dangerous.

While Kasa hunts for food and does most of the household chores, Adam plays. Despite her urging, she cannot restrain her younger brother from levitating her and flying among the hoodoos. Is the world as menacing as their mother believed? And what will happen when strangers discover the brother and sister?  

Here's all the info from Mad Cave Studios: 

 

Breaklands Vol 1

Writer: Justin Jordan

Artist: Tyasseta

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Rachel Deering

Publisher: Mad Cave Studios

Paperback Price: $19.99

ISBN: 9781545821251

Release Date: September 2, 2025

   

Mad Max meets Akira! In a future where history was reshaped by godlike psychics, Kasa Fain is the only girl in the world without a power of her own. When her brother is kidnapped, she's going to need to use everything she does have to get him back. The first of 3 volumes!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a little about the creators:

 

  

Writer, Justin Jordan

Justin Jordan broke into comics with the Image series The Strange Talent of Luther Strode. Since no one threw him back out after said break in, he has gone on to work for every major comics publisher. He is owned by two cats, George and Tom.

(Luther Strode, Spread, Dead Body Road)

Quote:

"A while back, I got to thinking: what if everyone had super powers? And me being me, I figured this would be the end of the world. But then I wondered: what about after that? Breaklands is the answer, our anime inspired Mad Max meets Akira adventure through a world where everyone is superhuman...except our hero. While I love digital comics, there's nothing like the physical thing, so I'm beyond excited for Mad Cave's collection of the book that (briefly, digitally, on Amazon) outsold X-Men." – Writer, Justin Jordan

 

 

 

Artist, Tyasseta

Tyasseta is a comic artist and illustrator based in Indonesia: an enthusiast of silent comics, hiphop and martial art movies. He loves to draw lines, rubble, trees, and to hang out in parks.

Quote:

“I’m super excited to bring Breaklands back! I can't wait to see the Mad Cave edition. I hope it reaches many new readers who love adventure and great stories!” – Artist, Tyasseta

 

Thanks to Mad Cave Studios and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

 

The Girl Who Draws on Whales Spotlight

 

 

Like a pier jutting out over the water, Wangi's town perches on stilts. When the whales arrive each year, the girl abandons her hammock and dives into the sea. The whales swim around this cluster of homes that represents Wangi's world. Yet each one dwarfs this small enclave of Humanity. 

Despite the village elder's fears, the whales regard their Human neighbors peacefully. Maaha, the pod's leader, even lets Wangi fingerpaint on him. As Wangi adorns Maaha with art, the girl speaks with Maaha, and the pod leader responds. What stories about life do Maaha and Wangi share? And how will Wangi's love for whales affect her future?

Here's all the info from Comixology and Dark Horse Books: 

The Girl Who Draws on Whales

Writer & Artist: Ariela Kristantina

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Bernardo Brice

 

The highly anticipated original graphic novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, written and illustrated by Ariela Kristantina, the artist of the Eisner award-nominated original graphic novel Adora and the Distance written by Marc Bernardin, arrives digitally on September 23, 2025, from Comixology Originals, Amazon’s exclusive digital content line and in print from Dark Horse Books on March 31, 2026.

 

In The Girl Who Draws on Whales, Kristantina takes readers on a powerful and atmospheric journey through a lush island environment inspired by her homeland of Indonesia. With soft and inspiring colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice, and edits by Will Dennis, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a captivating and visually stunning story of exploration and discovery. This epic YA adventure marks the first-ever graphic novel that Kristantina has both written and illustrated.

 

Blending Southeast Asian folklore with themes of colonization and the unshakable power of art and storytelling, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a coming-of-age story about resistance, siblinghood, and believing in your voice—even when no one else does.

 

“This story is about trust. About believing in yourself. About what happens when no one else does, except the one person who always will,” says Ariela Kristantina.

 

Siblings Wangi and her younger brother Banyu live in a sea-village in a post-apocalyptic world, centuries after The Great Flood changed the face of the world. Wangi shares a mysterious bond with the whales that visit their waters and they allow her to draw on their backs. One day a whale arrives alone, wounded and adorned with strange new markings that seem to carry messages from other lost settlements. Wangi believes it’s a call for help. No one listens—except Banyu.

 

Motivated by this mystery, Wangi vows to investigate. Although forbidden by their parents and the village elders, Wangi and Banyu embark on a wondrous sea journey into the unknown, only to stumble into a much larger fight: one that pits ancient sea magic against a volcanic empire fueled by war, greed, and conquest. Together, they must fight to save their home in The New World.

 

The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a testimony to the power of stories—their uncanny ability to entertain, educate and, ultimately, unite us.

 

About Ariela Kristantina: Kristantina is an artist from Jakarta, Indonesia. Since her debut in 2014, she's best known for her work on InSeXts, Mata Hari, Deep State, and The Logan Legacy. She has contributed covers and illustrations to a range of companies including Image, DC Comics, Top Cow, Vault and more. Kristantina is the artist of the 2022 Eisner award-nominated original graphic novel Adora and the Distance which she co-created with Marc Bernardin. The Girl Who Draws on Whales is the first YA graphic novel she has written and drawn.

 

 

Thanks to Comixology, Dark Horse Books, and Superfan Promotions for sharing this spotlight with us. 

 

Transformers #16 Review

 

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artist: Jorge Corona

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer; Karl Kerschl; Manabu Yashiro; Homare; John Giang; Mico Suayan; Tiago Da Silva; Jimbo Salgado; Johnny Desjardins; Chad Hardin

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Production: Ashby Florence

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 8, 2025

 

Disheartened over his epic defeat on the ocean floor, Soundwave resorts to destroying a Human city to lure out the Autobots. While emerging victorious, Optimus Prime and Arcee are hurting. Jetfire and Ratchet are dead. Cliffjumper got left behind on Cybertron. And their hero, Ultra Magnus, broke down and fled before the Decepticon who tortured him for centuries.

 

Abandoned by Arcee, Beachcomber, Carly, and Spike in their search to find Ultra Magnus, Optimus tries to banish his rage by rescuing Humans from Soundwave's attack. But like Soundwave, Starscream has not been idle. With his damaged legs replaced by a HISS tank, he enlists Astrotrain and the Combaticons in his cause. Can Optimus Prime's dwindling forces withstand a two-pronged Decepticon attack? Or will Soundwave and Starscream’s forces annihilate each other? Let's recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #16, and discover the Autobots’ transformative journey!

 

Story

Wheeljack tried to bolster the Autobots’ forces with the Energon he generated at the dam. But then Soundwave and Starscream’s forces turned the dam into Damnation Alley. While Starscream’s Combaticons and Soundwave’s Constructicons combined into Bruticus and Devastator, two Human children observed the Clash Of The Titans. Already struggling with rage, unexplained visions herald Optimus Prime's (19^th) Nervous Breakdown. After the heartbreak on the ocean floor, Optimus Prime failed Elita One. In severing Shockwave's space bridge, he wreaked havoc on Cybertron and his adoptive home. Now, the sight of the two behemoths destroying the Autobot's base overwhelms Optimus Prime.

 

Unlike dour Soundwave, Starscream leaps at any opportunity to gain the upper hand. Astrotrain swore obedience to Soundwave only to suffer the disgrace of captivity again. So, Astrotrain follows the Decepticon who freed him from his bonds. Like Drax The Destroyer, Astrotrain craves revenge. He has no patience for Soundwave’s long-term strategies. Astrotrain will readily attack his former boss if it means he can get his hands on Megatron. As for Thundercracker, the Decepticon has tired of Soundwave’s merciless nature. In Transformers #16, Thundercracker must decide where he belongs.

 

Elita One has never asked this question in Daniel Warren Johnson’s story. She blames the Autobots who abandoned their planet and let the Decepticons take over. Elita One won't rest until she wrests Cybertron from the Decepticon's hands. Yet she is also devastated by failure. She sacrificed her best soldiers to invade Shockwave's domain and rescue Ultra Magnus. Either he or Optimus Prime could have inspired her people. Instead, the Autobot leaders she admired abandoned their home planet. Yet in Transformers #16, inspiration and leadership come from an unexpected source.

 

Art

With Cliffjumper and Bluestreak on either side, Elita One carries a gun nearly as big as she is. Cliffjumper remembers the attack that caused the surrounding devastation. As he raises a glowing canister, the rubble Cliffjumper stands in evokes skulls. On Earth, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and Jazz gaze up at behemoths that make them feel like squishy Humans. A double-page spread reveals that Devastator and Bruticus are not having a Gru and Balthazar Dance Fight. Far below, the tiny figures of Soundwave and Starscream race toward revenge.

 

Sarah Stern lavishes bright colors on Jorge Corona’s detailed and frenetic artwork in Transformers #16. Thundercracker and Starscream find disharmony amid their mutual blue and red, while purple Astrotrain reveals his love of Michael Coney's novel The Celestial Steam Locomotive. Optimus Prime resembles Soundwave in silhouette as he plans violence before the red, white, and blue Autobot kneels and removes his cannon. Another silhouette gazes down on two Human children racing through a field of purple and blue. Yet when Cliffjumper speaks to Elita, a kaleidoscope of colors puts Shockwave's harvester to shame.

 

Rus Wooton fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters and the Transformers' rectangular ones with italicized words. Soundwave speaks yellow words into blue rectangular balloons. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and never shrink. Colorful sound effects help us hear firefights, explosions, a hero’s loss of control, and one punch to rule them all. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Anger overwhelms Decepticons and Autobots alike in Transformers #16. While Starscream wastes another opportunity to wipe out the Autobots, one of Soundwave’s plans comes to fruition. Elita One realizes that sometimes the best gifts come in small packages. As for Optimus Prime's fatal error, only a flight around the Earth in a retrograde orbit or slingshot around the sun will correct it.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

Transformers #15 Review

 

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artist: Jorge Corona

Colorist: Sarah Stern

Letterer: Rus Wooton

Cover Artists: Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer; Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer; Karl Kerschl; E J Su; Oliver Ono; Dustin Nguyen; Tiago Da Silva; Ryan Brown; Jimbo Salgado;

Livio Ramondelli; Fabrice Sapolsky; Tyler Kirkham

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Publication Design: Andres Juarez

Production: Ashby Florence

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 11, 2024

 

After Shockwave tortured Ultra Magnus for centuries, Wheeljack depleted the Autobots’ Energon to restore his vitality. But when Ultra Magnus faced his tormentor in battle on the ocean floor, he dropped his weapon, transformed into a truck, and sped away. Can the Autobots restore Ultra Magnus to greatness? And what happened to Cliffjumper after Optimus Prime rescued him from Shockwave’s torture chamber? Let's recharge our Energon batteries, leap into Transformers #15, and discover the Autobots’ transformative journey!

 

Story

The Autobots scattered Soundwave’s base on the ocean floor. Optimus Prime short-circuited his link with Cybertron. Once again, Soundwave finds himself starting over. This time, he's more bloodthirsty than before. Soundwave crushes a city filled with hundreds of thousands of Humans because he knows the Autobots cherish life. The Decepticons can cling to the fragments of Cybertron that fell into the sea, or they can draw upon Earth’s vast resources. But first, Soundwave must destroy the Autobots to secure this treasure trove.

 

Soundwave’s ruthless extinction throws Thundercracker into crisis in Transformers #15. While he pledged allegiance to the Decepticons, Soundwave’s actions are cruel and senseless. Like Ultchtar, Thundercracker fought for Cybertron. But unlike Ultchtar, who Megatron transformed into murder-mad Starscream, Thundercracker disdains needless slaughter.

 

As Megatron was Ultchtar’s mentor, Ultra Magnus helped Arcee forge a new purpose. Now, she yearns to help her mentor. Shockwave took joy in breaking his captive’s mind. Arcee wants to ease Ultra Magnus’ trauma. But embarking on a quest will reduce the Autobots’ forces while rival Decepticon factions led by Soundwave and Starscream are hunting them.

 

Optimus Prime fell back to Earth when he severed the link with Cybertron. But Cliffjumper remains there in Transformers #15. The small Autobot who Shockwave tortured and Carly condemned for not killing Starscream sees the devastation wrought by the war. Centuries of fighting have reduced his homeworld to rubble and done far worse to the surviving Autobots.

 

Art

Soundwave and Thundercracker stand upon a tilted skyscraper as the Constructicons deconstruct Tacoma, Washington. Thundercracker frowns and scowls amid the raging fires, but Soundwave shrugs as billows of smoke rise. Dented and fractured, Cliffjumper emerges from the surrounding rubble. He frowns before the distant towers, then smiles as an Autobot helps his injured friend hobble toward him. After Optimus Prime hugs her, Arcee gazes up at her leader. All too soon, he and Wheeljack become silhouettes as they watch their friends head toward the setting sun.

 

Sarah Stern enlivens Jorge Corona’s detailed artwork with bright hues. This loaded palette of vibrant, almost fluorescent colors makes Transformers #15 shine. Autobots roar along an orange road through lavender, mauve, and pink tunnels. Their headlights create yellow ovals that link with a patina on the concrete walls. But nothing prepares Optimus for the yellow and orange nest of tilted and broken buildings, as black smoke obscures the purple mountain beneath a dark pink sky.

 

Rus Wooton fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters and the Transformers' rectangular ones with italicized words. Soundwave speaks yellow words into blue rectangular balloons while shocked Humans and Transformers utter large maroon letters. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and rarely shrink. Colorful sound effects help us hear an unwilling assault, a violent misunderstanding, a haunting act, and the destruction of a stronghold in Daniel Warren Johnson's story. Thanks to Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Optimus Prime loved the squishy Humans so much that he bonded with one. But as the Decepticons unleash their anger on the Humans and the Autobots on Cybertron descend into savagery, Optimus Prime struggles with rage. Earth's last best hope for peace wonders if he is losing his mind in Transformers #15.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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