Death Sentence: The Complete Collection Preview

 

This is a big book that reads like an epic! It's all about sex, drugs, Rock 'N Roll, and superpowers. The art is shocking with lots of nudity and over-the-top violence. But it has an intriguing idea that will keep you reading. Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

DEATH SENTENCE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

Author: Monty Nero

Artist: Martin Simmonds & Mike Dowling

Publisher: Titan Comics

HC, 464 pages, FC, $49.99

ISBN: 9781787741461

On sale July 1, 2025

 

Collected together for the first time, all three volumes of the irreverent, no-holds-barred graphic novel about an STI that grants superpowers at a cost of only 6 months to live…

 

Death Sentence is an adult story featuring swearing, drug-taking, sex, violence and it's blackly funny too. Snort your coffee across the room funny!

 

SEX, SUPERPOWERS AND SIX MONTHS TO LIVE!

 

Verity: frustrated artist. Weasel: struggling guitarist. Monty: rogue media icon. Three people infected with the G+ virus, which grants them incredible powers – but will kill them in six months! Will they fade away – or go out in a blaze of glory? From the streets of London to the North Atlantic, from muses lost to futures thrown away – Death Sentence is the jaw-dropping next step in superpowered storytelling! Funny, fearless and frightening, this collection of the hit series is an unforgettable comics debut.

 

More than any other series Death Sentence predicted the world we now live in, one of the reasons it was named Dreamcage Comic of the Decade (beating Umbrella Academy into second place). Work is underway to turn the comic into a major TV series, but nothing beats the magic of reading the original comics first.

 

This incredible collection sees all three graphic novels brought together for the first time in marvellous mayhem! Features art by Martin Simmonds — artist on Department of Truth by James Tynion.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death Sentence: The Complete Collection is on sale July 1, 2025 at bookstores, comic shops and digital. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK. 

 

Here's the Direct Market cover:

 

 

 

  

ABOUT CREATORS

Monty Nero is a writer and artist specialising in graphic novels, after a career

making computer games such as Need for Speed and SSX. His credits include writing The Hulk and X-Men for Marvel, as well as stories for 2000AD, DC’s Vertigo imprint, and Delcourt in France. He’s currently writing and drawing Book 2 of his original hand-drawn cyberpunk series Chrome Roses, after the first book raised $35,000 on Kickstarter. Monty lives in Scotland and his agent for written work is James Wills at Watson Little Ltd. You can find him at www.montynero.com or on social media @MontyNero

 

Mike Dowling is a comics artist in pencils, ink and colour – drawing for creator-owned, independent and mainstream comics, both sides of the pond. After Death Sentence, he co-created Unfollow with Rob Williams for Vertigo, and worked on Safe Sex with Tina Horn for Image. At Marvel, Mike has done stints on Alien, Amazing Spider-Man and Black Cat amongst other titles – and Judge Anderson and Judge Dredd at 2000AD.

 

Martin Simmonds is a comic artist, and co-creator of the Eisner nominated The Department of Truth (with James Tynion IV) for Image Comics, Dying is Easy (with Joe Hill) for IDW, Punks Not Dead (with David Barnett) for Black Crown/IDW, and Friendo (with Alex Paknadel) for Vault Comics. Martin is also a cover artist, with his work regularly appearing on titles from Marvel, DC, Image, Boom!, Vault, and IDW.

 

ABOUT TITAN COMICS

 

Titan Comics, a Titan Publishing Group company (which includes Titan Books, Titan Magazines, and Titan Merchandise), is the comic book arm of the Titan Entertainment Group, and its sister company is the pop culture retail chain, Forbidden Planet. Titan Comics offers comics and graphic novels from the world's most renowned properties, alongside creator-owned comic books from new and established talent, as well as classic graphic novels remastered for a brand-new audience.

 

Titan Comics publishes a variety of genres through its imprints: Hard Case Crime (world-renowned pulp-crime publishing), Statix Press (critically acclaimed translated comics and graphic novels), the new Titan Manga (exciting manga and anime-based titles), and Titan Nova (new young readers imprint).

 

For more information, visit https://www.titan-comics.com.

 

For further information, follow Titan Comics on Facebook, X, Instagram, and BlueSky.

 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

VR Troopers #1 Review

 

Writer: Mairghread Scott

Illustrator: Sebastián Piriz

Colorist: JP Jordan

Letterer: Taylor Esposito

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Goñi Montes, Jorge Corona with Sarah Stern, Karen S Darboe, James Stokoe, Christian Ward, Dan Panosian, Sebastián Piriz, Ivan Tao & Marcelo Matere

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 25, 2025

 

Imprisoned on the moon, Rita Repulsa pondered the relationship between evil and progress. The Eltarians brought technological riches to Earth. They imported alien refugees to increase societal diversity. Then, the Eltarians created heroes the indigenous Humans could identify with to help them maintain order.

 

Along with Kaitlyn Star and JB Reese, Ryan Steele protects Earth from dangerous mutants, Human (and Alien) traffickers, off-world weapons, and illegal drugs. But like Bulk, who abandoned the Eltarian Security forces to serve Rita, Ryan also wonders about his allegiance. The Eltarians have given Ryan everything. So, why does he question his commitment to the protectors of the known universe? Let’s grab our Virtualizers, leap into VR Troopers #1, and see!

 

Story

Ryan loves Valentina. But since she tried to help Lauren, and Rita made her a Power Ranger, their relationship has grown complicated. Ryan keeps urging Jun to join the VR Rangers, but Admiral Janessa's son seems enthralled by the Power Rangers. As his relationships with his girlfriend and his Eltarian friend fracture, Ryan tries to convince them to behave responsibly. So why does he lie in bed at night, unable to sleep?

 

Instead of following Rita Repulsa's exploits with Orion and Lauren and Ryan’s attempts to get Valentina and Jun to betray them, VR Troopers #1 takes us inside Ryan's world. Like Orion's roommate Mark, who Ryan has imprisoned in a holding cell, Ryan has a dog. Ryan shares Orion's good looks and blond hair. But unlike Mark and Orion, Ryan is a native of Earth.

 

Lacking Human parents, the Eltarians gave Ryan status as a VR Trooper. He befriended Kaitlyn Star and JB Reese, the other members of his squad. Ryan enthusiastically supports the Eltarian government. Yet his superiors dispense information sparingly.

 

Mairghread Scott’s story follows a day in the life of Ryan Steele. It’s an extraordinary day that sheds light on Ryan’s past and suggests the possible means by which Earth became the Eltarian Empire’s 205^th colony. The events in VR Troopers #1 will test Ryan’s loyalty to the Eltarians. Their team's discoveries will tempt Kaitlyn and JB to keep secrets from him. Perhaps Ryan would sleep better at night if he was not apprehending "mutants" for public relations and endorsing Crashcrunch protein bars as a VR Trooper.

 

Art

Ryan lies clothed atop the covers with his brown lab nestled beside him. After rising from bed, Ryan dons a hoodie. Then, he jogs past the elaborate dome wherein Jun and Mark once answered Professor Barall’s question about their new lives on Earth. Standing before an arched cutaway in a chicken wire fence, Ryan gazes at the sign above a building. Electricity crackles around his body as his clothes make way for armor in VR Troopers #1.

 

Ryan makes a striking impression, half silhouette, half covered in colorful circuitry, as he enters the building. Dark turquoise fills the night as others wearing yellow masks emit a yellow glow. When one runs away, a yellow blast beckons. Ryan finds someone cloaked in green, producing a shower of yellow sparks. As Sebastián Piriz lays out panels against black or white space, the structure (and JP Jordan’s coloring) of Ryan's armor evokes the Cubist movement.

 

Taylor Esposito’s white or yellow letters against darker colors reveal thoughts and off-camera dialogue in narrative boxes. Black uppercase letters in white balloons grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, change color with action, and rarely shrink. Sound effects enhance gunfire, explosions, and bodies crashing through a multi-light window that evokes the Shoji screens of Lauren’s Samurai Ranger heritage. Thanks to Boom! Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Ryan Steele may work for a corrupt regime, but it's the only one he knows. VR Troopers #1 reveals why the Eltarian Empire made Power Rangers into fugitives and transformed Ryan and his colleagues into pop culture heroes.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

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

The Savage Sword of Conan Vol 2 Preview

 

If you're a fan of Jim Zub's Robert E Howard crossover, the Battle of the Black Stone, then this volume is for you! The stories in the first issue follow crucial events that show why the Howardian heroes were pulled into this savage battle. Then, Jason Aaron takes over the next issue with a commanding King Conan story! Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOL. 2

Author: Jim Zub, Jeffrey Shanks, Ron Marz and Fred Kennedy

Illustrator: Patch Zircher

Publisher: Heroic Signatures & Titan Comics

SC, 208 pages, B&W, $24.99

ISBN: 9781787744332

On sale June 17, 2025

 

CONAN RETURNS, UNLEASHED, UNBRIDLED AND UNCENSORED! This second volume is sure to satisfy fans of the iconic hero and Robert E. Howard’s fantasy universe.

 

Comprising the very best comic industry talent, a myriad of writers and artists create a spectacular array of beautifully illustrated Black and White comic strips and pin-ups, as well as poems, short stories and essays.

 

The Savage Sword of Conan is back from Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics! This second volume collects issues 4-6 of the stunning new Savage Sword of Conan magazine.

 

Featuring ALL-NEW Conan comic strips from writers Jim Zub, Jeffrey Shanks, Ron Marz, Fred Kennedy and artists Patch Zircher, Fernando Dagnino, Dean Kotz, Andy Belanger, Eryk Donovan, Mike Perkins. Also featuring a brand-new Solomon Kane strip written and drawn by Patch Zircher and exclusive pin ups and more!

 

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #4:

Prepare for the BATTLE OF THE BLACK STONE with this special issue, boasting a rogues’ gallery of comic artists and writers channelling Robert E. Howard’s most iconic characters. Explore captivating stories that set the stage for the mini-series, featuring CONAN (Zub/Dagnino), BRISSA (Zub/Kotz), SOLOMON KANE (Zircher), DARK AGNES (Kennedy/Belanger), CONRAD & KIROWAN (Shanks/Donovan), and EL BORAK (Marz/Perkins).

 

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #5:

An incredible story by legendary comics writer Jason Aaron and artist Geof Isherwood.

 

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN #6:

An incredible story by legendary comics writer Jason Aaron and artist Geof Isherwood.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 2 is on sale now at bookstores, comic shops and digital. Order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK.

 

 

Also available! The Savage Sword of Conan Vol. 2 DM Edition with exclusive cover from Joe Jusko. Order now from comic shops, and Forbidden Planet for UK. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

Spider-Girl #1 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artist: André Risso

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Javier Garrón & Jesus Aburtov; Peach Momoko; Kaare Andrews; Marguerite Sauvage; Nicoletta Baldari

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

Makawalu Akana, or Maka for short, wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. Nor was she injected with an experimental serum containing irradiated spider blood. When the mutant meets your gaze, she absorbs your memories and abilities. Anything you can do, Maka can do better.

 

Bullseye met Maka at the Mega-Storm Energy Drink Cliff-Diving Challenge in Hawaii. He trained her to win a legendary contest. Then, Spider-Boy's spider-sense detected that the uncanny marksman planned to kill her. Maka may not have won The Dragon’s Challenge in Madripoor, but she returns to New York with a sweet crown. How will Bulleye’s former apprentice fare without his guidance? Let’s put on our karate gi, twhick into Spider-Girl #1, and see, Brah!

 

Story

Before Bullseye met her, Maka entered any contest she could find. Bullseye fueled her love of winning. But his betrayal has shaken her. Worse, Bullseye was the only person who could deceive her with false memories. So, when Maka spies a cap with a bullseye emblem, she falters mid-twhick, and her barbed webs bite her. Bullseye was her mentor. Her sensei planned to capitalize on Maka’s abilities and then kill her. What moves didn’t Bullseye teach her?

 

Torunn Grønbekk imbues Spider-Girl #1 with a breezy style reminiscent of the Hawaiian easy-going approach to life. Unlike Spider-Boy, Maka’s attitude is as prickly as her barbed-wire webs. Her thoughts interweave with the dialogue and action, while the point of view switches between her and Dr Trauma. The good (or bad) doctor is looking for a super-powered individual she can control. And like Druig, she enjoys playing with Vermin.

 

Maka trained hard under Bullseye's tutelage. Now, another challenge awaits her. In Spider-Girl #1, Maka gains admission to the best dojo in New York City. But Bullseye's teachings were a lie, while Spider-Boy taught her that winning isn't everything. 

 

 

 

Art

Maka looks lithe and agile as she thwips through the streets. What she lacks in strength, she makes up in resilience. When Maka removes her mask, her wide eyes and smile suggest excitement at the possibilities awaiting her. Yet, as Maka enters the dojo, uncertainty creases her features. Seeking friendships differs from the goal she pursued under Bulleye’s leadership.

 

Dr Trauma sits before her workstation. The industrial surroundings and her green costume evoke Doc Ock's preparations to dominate others. We catch a glimpse of Vermin behind a holding cell door. Later, he races along on all fours, surrounded by a swarm of rodent kin.

 

 

 

While André Risso fills Spider-Girl #1 with strong character portrayals, touching character moments, convincing settings, and intense action, Java Tartaglia delivers a loaded palette of beautiful colors. Red forms a dominant theme, from Spider-Girl's suit to the Red Snow Dojo sign to the red glowing eyes of the Vermin and rats under Dr Trauma's control. Red uppercase letters in white narrative boxes reveal Maka’s thoughts as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

 

Yellow also forms a theme, from the waves of pain Dr Trauma induces to the conduit linked to her victims and the hair of a girl who opposes Maka's admission. Joe Caramagna’s giant yellow and red dialogue and sound effects heighten the drama and action, filling Spider-Girl #1 with alarms, tremors, shouts, shrieks, and Maka’s barbed twhicking. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Maka Akana can win any contest she enters. She has trained hard to succeed in the martial arts. As the young Hawaiian transitions to life without Bullseye, she wonders if she should change her approach. But as she weighs the values of victories versus friendships, a villain conspires to use her like her former mentor in Spider-Girl #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Return To Skull Island #1 Preview

 

COVER A: INHYUK LEE

 

Hold onto your hats, Monster Hunters! There's a lot going on in this action packed issue beginning with a double-page spread version of Inhyuk Lee's cover! Go Kong! Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND #1 (OF 4)

(W) Simon Furman

(A) Chris Jones

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, 32pp, $4.99, On Sale July 9, 2025

 

AN OFFICIAL CONTINUATION OF THE SKULL ISLAND ANIMATED SERIES!

 

SET IN THE LEGENDARY COMICS MONSTERVERSE!

 

KONG RETURNS! SPINNING OUT OF THE HIT NETFLIX SHOW!

 

A ragtag group of castaways must return to an island steeped in dark secrets and danger!

 

After Kong's battle with the Kraken, survivors soon discover that far worse lurks in the shadows… and that their unlikely ally may not be able to protect them from Skull Island’s horrors!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B: CHRIS JONES

 

 

COVER C: CHRIS JONES

 

 

COVER D: LOGO VIRGIN

COVER F: COLOR BLANK SKETCH ($5.99)

COVER G: FOC INHYUK LEE VIRGIN

Not pictured:

COVER E: FOIL INHYUK LEE ($14.99)

 

Here's where the series fits in the Monsterverse timeline:

 

 

 

Fans can order from their local comic shop and Forbidden Planet for UK & Europe. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

Roadkill Review

 

Writer: Jeff Kerr

Cover Artist: Stuart Bache 

Publisher: Vinci Books

Kindle ebook: $4.99

Release Date: June 25, 2025

 

After completing two tours in Afghanistan and a university degree, Adam Cash returned to his hometown of Pinyon, Texas. While he waited for an opening in the Pinyon Police Department, Cash watched his former girlfriend from afar. Edie James endured a painful divorce. She raised her son while working at the Firewheel Café. Cash wanted to rekindle the flames of love with Edie. But he also struggled to get along with another woman. Cash left Bernadette Fenster pregnant after a one-night stand. Bernadette wants nothing to do with him. Cash wants access to their daughter, Emma.

 

When Cash and Edie finally try to give love another try, Cash struggles with jealousy and commitment. Then Edie delivers a bombshell. She and her son Luke are leaving Pinyon, Texas. Can Cash hold onto Edie? Or will life bring another woman better suited to his needs? Let's grab an iced tea from the Firewheel Café, leap into Roadkill, and find out!

 

Story

Pinyon is a small town in the Texas Hill Country. In a state that boasts some of the highest road fatality figures in the United States, the back roads can be perilous and easily swallow a compact car. Ranches dot the arid landscape. Cash has taken over his parents’ former house and land since their move to Austin. As a police deputy, he never has enough time to take care of the 200 acres his parents own. So, when he meets a 14-year-old boy who wants to work, Cash offers him a job in Roadkill. 

 

Jeff Kerr modeled the Firewheel Café on the Redbud Café in Blanco, Texas.

 

 

Travis Bolton is a hard worker, and his grateful mother invites him over for dinner. Edie has always been Cash's vision of beauty. Heather Bolton takes Cash's breath away. Even with Edie and her son Luke living in Austin, Cash wants to make their long-distance relationship work. But Heather likes him, and her beauty enthralls him.

 

After working for several months, Cash is slowly finding his feet as a police deputy. He and Sheriff Gabe Santos are learning to trust each other. Cash has found an able partner in recent hire Keisha Hodge. Then Santos throws him a curveball. The Sheriff has hired Carson Rutledge straight out of the Police Academy. Cash realizes some of the burden of training Carson will fall on his shoulders. But when veteran deputy Deke Conrad reports two dead bodies on a poorly maintained back road, Cash must train Carson as he investigates the men's deaths.

 

In Roadkill, Adam Cash investigates cattle theft, a notoriously difficult crime to prosecute. The fledgling deputy must also solve the death of two rustlers. The popularity of bow hunting complicates the investigation, as tracing arrows to killers also seems unfeasible. As suspects join the tally of murder victims, Cash struggles with his commitment to faraway Edie and his attraction to the beautiful woman who lives nearby. 

 

 

Jeff modeled the Pinyon Courthouse on the Blanco Texas Courthouse.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Jeff Kerr’s previous Adam Cash novels have explored Cash’s rocky road to reconciliation with Edie, his fight with Bernadette for access to his daughter, and his love of country music. In Roadkill, Jeff Kerr devotes more of the narrative to Cash's investigation than ever before. Jeff Kerr seasons the story with reminders of how easily Cash could fall prey to the corruption that once infected the Pinyon Police Department. Roadkill is a mature work from a talented crime author and a worthy addition to any reader's collection. 

 

5 Stars

 

For more on the author, see Jeff Kerr's website.

You can purchase Roadkill on Amazon.