EC Tortured Hearts #1 Preview

 

Patrick wanted to find the right woman. But in Amy Roy's introductory story, Patrick tries a little too hard. Who will the other four stories in this special issue introduce us to? And what issues will they grapple with while seeking the perfect person to give their heart to?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

 

EC TORTURED HEARTS #1 (ONE-SHOT)

WRITTEN BY JORDIE BELLAIRE, TINI HOWARD & BLAKE HOWARD, ANN NOCENTI, AMY ROY

ART BY SEBASTIÁN CABROL, FABIANA MASCOLO, DAN McDAID, ARJUNA SUSINI

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

ON SALE FEBRUARY 11th, 2026 | $8.99 | 56 PAGES | FC

 

LOVE HURTS! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., are wrenching romance comics out of the grave in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – a 56-page tome of terror forged in the unrelenting tradition of EC Comics! In advance of the giant-sized special’s February 11th release date, take a lovelorn first look at "A Pocket Full of Nails" by legendary comic writer and editor Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, The Seeds) and ardent artist Dan McDaid (Dega) with colors from the mighty Michelle Madsen (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

“Deep down in the EC catacomb, we've been toiling away to bring forth compelling tales of torment and technological terror,” says editor Allyson Gronowitz. "Now, we're excited to present our latest concoction of misery... a one-shot anthology dedicated solely to the particular pains and perils of romance! In this terrifying tale, esteemed writer Ann Nocenti explores the dangers of obsession, and the skin-crawling horror of the dark side of devotion... stunningly brought to life on the page by Dan McDaid and Michelle Madsen!”

“This tale is inspired by a true story about a guy who stalked female comic creators back in the days before stalker laws,” explains Ann Nocenti. “it was up to us to defend ourselves! One visual riff in the story was a scattering of loose nails, and Dan masterfully wove the spiky motif throughout the story to terrifying effect... dare I say he nailed it? Telling EC tales for Oni Press is a blast. My modus operandi is to think about what I'm afraid of, and with so much to fear in the world, the possibilities are endless. It's a pleasure to work with editors Allyson Gronowitz and Jung Hu Lee, who always offer tweaks to make the stories just a bit bloody better.”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here's one for all of you lovesick lunatics, rancid romantics, and forlorn fatalities as Oni Press proudly presents a giant-sized Valentine’s bouquet full of soft whispers and death rattles from hot-blooded writers Jordie Bellaire (Redlands), Tini Howard (Excalibur) & Blake Howard (Vampire: The Masquerade), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), and Amy Roy (EC's Epitaphs from the Abyss), alongside candy-coated artists Sebastián Cabrol (Hulk: Maestro), Fabiana Mascolo (Cyberpunk 2077), Dan McDaid (EC's Outlaw Showdown), Arjuna Susini (Lamentation), and many more!

Plus, as an extra-added bonus: Another newly restored and authentically remastered classic from the EC vaults by legendary fiends William M. Gaines, Al Feldstein, and Reed Crandall!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO

 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER

 

 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

 

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

Eat your heart out – but make sure to save some for the rest of us! This Valentine’s Day, EC Comics is gifting you a box of poison chocolates and cyanide-laced champagne in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – featuring a slate of salacious covers that will make your eyes linger a second too long from Dustin Weaver (Avengers), Miguel Mercado (X-Men), Tom Fowler (Refrigerator Full of Heads), Shawn McManus (Fables), and Patricia Martín (EC’s Blood Type)! Warm your heart to the boiling point – only in comic shops on February 11th! 

 

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

Sirens: Love Hurts #1 Preview

 

Life in the big city can be tough. This proves the case for Julie, as she struggles to find her place in Gotham. She wants to make friends. Instead, Julie feels isolated and alone. Things worsen on her birthday when Julie has no one to celebrate it with. How will Julie's dilemma intersect with the Gotham City Sirens? And why would Black Canary want to hang out with Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Sirens: Love Hurts #1 Preview

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Babs Tarr

Cover Artists: Babs Tarr, Derrick Chew & Sozomaika

Connecting Cover Artist: Tula Lotay

Foil Variant Cover Artist: Sozomaika

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 All covers Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Series Length: 4 Issues

Release Date: February 11, 2026

 

Harley, Ivy, Catwoman, and Black Canary brought to you by fan-favorite creators Tini Howard and Babs Tarr!

 

Introducing Gotham’s most eligible bachelorettes…for at least a little while longer! First, there’s Catwoman, who’s been playing cat and mouse with her two favorite boy toys—Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Next up? Harley Quinn, who’s recently single and now committed only to her hot girl era. Of course, there’s also Poison Ivy, who just wants to enjoy her solitude…as long as her best friend Harley’s there to enjoy it with her. And then there’s the new girl, Black Canary, who’s engaged to the love of her life, Green Arrow—but the closer they get to the wedding day, the more it feels like they might not be so written in the stars after all.

 

But these four fabulous women aren’t meeting to discuss any of that. At least, not willingly. There’s a killer on the loose in Gotham City—a killer of women. And when Black Canary realizes stopping the murders requires more criminal company than she’s used to keeping, she finds herself reluctantly teaming up with the infamous Gotham City Sirens for the hunt. Easier said than done when the four of them can barely make it through one lousy brunch…

 

Fan-favorite writer Tiny Howard (Catwoman, Harley Quinn) teams with superstar artist Babs Tarr (Batgirl) to bring you the sexiest and most scintillating DC Black Label series yet!

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

EC Tortured Hearts #1 Preview

 

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER 

 

Every month, Oni Press brings you great anthologies like EC Comics' sci-fi series Cruel Universe. EC Comics also brings us spine-tingling terror like Catacomb Of Torment. Now, they're alerting us to the dangers of dating, love, and that most crimson of holidays: Valentine's Day! Should you wait to book that special dinner date? Or should you beg your contractors to install a safe room immediately?

Here's all the info from Oni Press and EC Comics:

 

EC TORTURED HEARTS #1 (ONE-SHOT)

WRITTEN BY JORDIE BELLAIRE, TINI HOWARD & BLAKE HOWARD, ANN NOCENTI, AMY ROY

ART BY SEBASTIÁN CABROL, FABIANA MASCOLO, DAN McDAID, ARJUNA SUSINI

COVER A BY DUSTIN WEAVER 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

ON SALE FEBRUARY 11th, 2026 | $8.99 | 56 PAGES | FC

IOC: 12/27/2025

FOC: 1/19/2026

 

LOVE HURTS! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award–winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., are wrenching romance comics out of the grave in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – a 56-page tome of terror forged in the unrelenting tradition of EC Comics! In advance of the giant-sized special’s February 11th release date, take a lovelorn first look at "A Pocket Full of Nails" by legendary comic writer and editor Ann Nocenti (Daredevil, The Seeds) and ardent artist Dan McDaid (Dega) with colors from the mighty Michelle Madsen (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

“Deep down in the EC catacomb, we've been toiling away to bring forth compelling tales of torment and technological terror,” says editor Allyson Gronowitz. "Now, we're excited to present our latest concoction of misery... a one-shot anthology dedicated solely to the particular pains and perils of romance! In this terrifying tale, esteemed writer Ann Nocenti explores the dangers of obsession, and the skin-crawling horror of the dark side of devotion... stunningly brought to life on the page by Dan McDaid and Michelle Madsen!”

“This tale is inspired by a true story about a guy who stalked female comic creators back in the days before stalker laws,” explains Ann Nocenti. “it was up to us to defend ourselves! One visual riff in the story was a scattering of loose nails, and Dan masterfully wove the spiky motif throughout the story to terrifying effect... dare I say he nailed it? Telling EC tales for Oni Press is a blast. My modus operandi is to think about what I'm afraid of, and with so much to fear in the world, the possibilities are endless. It's a pleasure to work with editors Allyson Gronowitz and Jung Hu Lee, who always offer tweaks to make the stories just a bit bloody better.”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here's one for all of you lovesick lunatics, rancid romantics, and forlorn fatalities as Oni Press proudly presents a giant-sized Valentine’s bouquet full of soft whispers and death rattles from hot-blooded writers Jordie Bellaire (Redlands), Tini Howard (Excalibur) & Blake Howard (Vampire: The Masquerade), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), and Amy Roy (EC's Epitaphs from the Abyss), alongside candy-coated artists Sebastián Cabrol (Hulk: Maestro), Fabiana Mascolo (Cyberpunk 2077), Dan McDaid (EC's Outlaw Showdown), Arjuna Susini (Lamentation), and many more!

Plus, as an extra-added bonus: Another newly restored and authentically remastered classic from the EC vaults by legendary fiends William M. Gaines, Al Feldstein, and Reed Crandall!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B BY MIGUEL MERCADO

 

COVER C BY TOM FOWLER

 

 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY SHAWN McMANUS

 

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY TOM FOWLER

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

Eat your heart out – but make sure to save some for the rest of us! This Valentine’s Day, EC Comics is gifting you a box of poison chocolates and cyanide-laced champagne in TORTURED HEARTS #1 – featuring a slate of salacious covers that will make your eyes linger a second too long from Dustin Weaver (Avengers), Miguel Mercado (X-Men), Tom Fowler (Refrigerator Full of Heads), Shawn McManus (Fables), and Patricia Martín (EC’s Blood Type)! Warm your heart to the boiling point – only in comic shops on February 11th! 

 

 

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 Review

 

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Erica d’Urso & Matthew Wilson; Aka

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 29, 2023

 

While Rachel Summers searches the multiverse for signs of Morgan Le Fay, Betsy Braddock babysits her niece so Brian and Meggan can attend a West End musical. But instead of a quiet evening with Rachel, her brother calls for help fighting a Fury in Piccadilly Circus. Can Betsy prevent a slaughter of theatergoers? Let’s teleport into Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 and find out!

 

Story

Abandoning Rachel to solo adventures in babysitting, Betsy travels to London. Amid the smoking rubble, the Fury announces it’s the nation’s new defender. Its first order of business? After placing mutants and witches in protective custody, it plans to apprehend Brian Braddock, protector of Avalon (also known as Otherworld), and Krakoa.

 

There are a few things that I didn’t get, such as a reporter’s statement about Ambassador Reuben Brousseau and how he fares later. Nor did I appreciate yet another issue without Britannica Rex. (Hey, a T-Rex Captain Britain: what could be cooler than that?) But this story delivers on so many levels that the good far outweighs the bad.

 

Along with the battle of Piccadilly, Tini Howard relates the history of the Furies and their Everforge. Morgan Le Fay wields her magic. Betsy checks in with Pete Wilson and Faiza Hussain. But really, the best part of Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 is how hard Betsy and Rachel work at their relationship, even while Morgan Le Fay cooks up another next-level threat to gain unrestricted control of Britain's magic. 

 

Art

Vasco Georgiev takes us to the Braddock family kitchen, where even as Brian tries to talk her into coming with them, Betsy tries different tricks to sneak a spoonful of food into Maggie's mouth. We witness Betsy’s concern for Rachel’s excessive chronoskimming in the mansion's monitor-filled control center. We see Brian take up his sword and fight the red-and-blue Fury hurling threats and cars across Piccadilly Circus. We also visit Pete Wisdom's posh restaurant and Morgan Le Fay's medieval headquarters.

 

 

 

 

While I've mentioned Ariana Maher's tiny lettering before, what impressed me in this issue was how much dialogue she delivered. Vasco rarely devotes a single page to one scene, and each page averages four panels or more. He never works across multiple pages, so readers of later trades and hardcovers won't lose anything to guttering. As Ariana packs narrative boxes and dialogue balloons with lowercase lettering into each tiny panel, Vasco hits back with incredibly detailed art. He rarely shows a character against a blank background or fills space with direction lines. Whether large or small, nearly every one of his ninety-four panels delivers a fully realized scene in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3.

 

While the Braddocks and Pete Wisdom are partial to checkerboard floors, Erick Arciniega loads up his palette with full spectrum color. I'm no more a fan of Rachel's flaming head than of Michael Jackson's burning hair, but Betsy's long purple tresses blend well with her Union Jack costume. The red, blue, and black Captain Furious takes center stage in London's smoking West End district as a green-and-gold-clad Meggan wields arcs of energy in the hazy red sky. Even after the battle, as the sun sinks into the rubble-strewn streets and Rachel and her warwolf puppy step through a red portal in a nearby park, nothing is lost to the invading darkness.

 

Final Thoughts

Filled with witchcraft, Fairie, mutants, and robots with dreams of greatness, Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #3 delivers an interesting and exciting day in the life of Britain's courageous and caring defender. While short on mega-powered villains and world-ending threats, readers can expect a three-paragraph introduction, a report from The Reflector (the UK’s most trusted news source), a datafile, and twenty pages of story and art that impress, even when magnified at 150-200%. It's a substantial read that focuses on family, celebrates diversity, and contrasts what heroes and villains care about. Even without a T-Rex Captain Britain,  expert Marvelites and mutant newbies should enjoy this National Treasure.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 Review

 

Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 Review

Writer: Tini Howard

Artist: Vasco Georgiev

Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Erica d’Urso & Matthew Wilson; Ramon Villalobos & Jesus Abertov

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 29, 2023

 

Betsy Braddock and Rachel Summers lead all known Captain Britains against Morgan Le Fay and her Furies. When she realizes the forces of Good will carry the day, Morgan Le Fay retreats. Betsy guesses Morgan will try to mold a potential Captain Britain, and Rachel locates one on Earth-76. Can Betsy and Rachel arrive in time to save a possible Captain Britain from falling under Morgan Le Fay’s sway? Let’s teleport into Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 and see what happens next!

 

Story

In her London flat on Earth-76, Lizzie Braddock searches her poorly stocked fridge for dinner. She's overwhelmed when Morgan Le Fay appears. She’s heard others talk about Merlin, King Arthur, and Morgan Le Fay but never believed they were real. Lizzie's a capable member of S.T.R.I.K.E. with the mutant power of telekinesis. Morgan offers to help her become more. When Betsy and Rachel arrive, Morgan asks Lizzie to help her defeat them.

 

We learn more about British mythology—and how it relates to Marvel’s Multiverse—in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2. We also meet Captain Peggy Carter, a WWII super-soldier recently discovered in the arctic. Revived, she now defends Britain on behalf of S.T.R.I.K.E. We learn that Morgan can emulate Madrox’s mutant ability to raise her game. Every hero gets her moment as each faces off against the legendary witch.

 

 

 

Art

Betsy and Rachel levitate, fly, and look at ease in the air. Lizzie appears far away when viewed from inside her mostly-barren fridge. Morgan Le Fay's black dress flows and splays out at the bottom, reminiscent of Morticia Adams. Lizzie's window bursts and fragments as Morgan hurls her power at Betsy and Rachel. While backgrounds occasionally give way to direction lines, most panels provide a fully realized setting. Pleasing compositions make the story easy to follow.

 

Red unites Betsy and Rachel. Black-clad Morgan casts green everywhere she goes in Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2. Lizzie and Betsy share lavender hair, and Betsy's power manifests in that color. A Harry Potteresque scene shows Morgan stave off Morgan's power—not from wands but foreheads. When she's injured, strands of Morgan's black hair turn gray. All turns black in one panel when Morgan hurls her terrible power at Lizzie. All we glimpse is Lizzie's glowing form, outlined in red.

 

Dialogue balloons arrangement makes them easy to follow. Psychic communication appears in puffy clouds with a hint of an X. Stressed words are bold. The Furies get black dialogue balloons with white lettering. Sound effects are expressive and inventive. If only the upper-and-lowercase lettering didn't start small and shrink for lowered voices. Older X-fans: give the physical comic to your children and keep the digital copy for yourself!

 

Final Thoughts

The first issue lured me in with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Now it seems Britannica Rex may not regularly appear in this series. Even the Furies—a combination of Abe Sapien and Chappie-style robot warriors—don't get much screen time in this issue. Still, I enjoyed meeting new characters and seeing Betsy and Rachel force the legendary Morgan Le Fay to switch tactics. While much shorter than its predecessor, Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #2 delivers a satisfying story with a uniquely British sensibility. Pair it with a strong cuppa and a Jammy Dodger for maximum enjoyment.

 

Rating 8.5/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch