Author: Hunter Sandlin

Autumnal #1 Vault Comics Writer: Daniel Kraus Artist: Chris Shehan Critically acclaimed writer Daniel Kraus and independent artist Chris Shehan have teamed up on this Autumn-themed horror mystery series. Kraus is best known for co-authoring The Shape of Water but also has several horror comics under his belt that were all very well received. Shehan is just coming off of his one-shot comic, Deadbeat, with Jed McPherson which was released earlier this year. This issue sets up our main characters and alludes to the horrors that are to come. Autumnal #1 follows a pretty normal formula for a horror mystery.…

Ice Cream Man Presents: Quarantine Comix Special #1 Image Comics Writer: W. Maxwell Prince Artist: Martin Morazzo Back towards the beginning of the pandemic, the creative team behind Ice Cream Man decided to start a new project. The goal was to raise money for brick-and-mortar comic book stores that were struggling due to the virus. Once a week for six consecutive weeks, they would release “mini-comic” and donate half the profits to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. After the six weeks, they had a four-week stretch where they had guest creators put together mini-comic of their own. The entire industry…

Batman (2016) #97 DC Comics Writer: James Tynoin IV Artist: Jorge Jimenez Coming off the tail end of Tom King’s slow and depressing Batman run, James Tynion IV has reignited the feeling the character usually offers. As much as I enjoyed King’s writing, it is refreshing to get a Batman book that feels like a Batman book. Tynion’s flagship arc is The Joker War, in this issue, we get to learn more about his grand plans. From colorful and unique sets to the introduction of an exciting new character, this comic is exciting from cover to cover. There was not…

Gutt Ghost #1 Scout Comics Writer/Artist: Enzo Garza Gutt Ghost #1: Trouble with the Sawbuck Skeleton Society is a one-off story in a new series from Scout Comics. Gutt Ghost started as a character from the mind of Enzo Garza and it eventually rocked the indie scene after being showcased at a couple of conventions in 2016. He would eventually be contacted directly by the CEO of Heavy Metal and asked if he wanted his character in the magazine. Naturally, he jumped on the opportunity and had a 10-page story published in issue #285 of Heavy Metal Magazine. Fast forward…

Batman #95 DC Comics Writer: James Tynion IV Art: Jorge Jimenez In this issue, James Tynion IV starts diving into the grand story his run has been setting up – The Joker War. While many people are tired of Joker stories, I’ve somehow managed to avoid fatigue. Given that out of the 18 Black Label books published (excluding lines like Hill House), half of them have included the Joker, I understand where others are coming from. That’s not even including the abundance The Batman Who Laughs appearances in the last few years. Despite all of this, Tynion IV decided to…

Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7 DC Comics Writers: Gerard Way & Jeremy Lambert Artist: Nick Derington Much like every other comic this year, Doom Patrol: Weight of The Worlds suffered from quite a few delays. All of that waiting just made this series finale even more exciting. Since the previous issue came out last year, I ended up forgetting a couple of things from the series (like a main character being turned into a planet – normal Doom Patrol stuff). But it is finally here! Gerard Way’s second Doom Patrol run is over and we can only hope they…

Spawn #307 Image Comics Writer: Todd McFarlane Artist: Philip Tan General Outline It’s been a while since we’ve gotten an issue of Spawn but it is officially back! After the grandiose set up from issues 300 and 301, Spawn has been a little shaky. The series has struggled to focus on one story, which is by no means new to Spawn. This issue continues that trend by switching the storyline once more and mostly disregarding the previous issue. The new antagonist for the series, who was hinted at in earlier issues, was revealed on the very last page. Without spoiling…

Ice Cream Man #19 Image Comics Writer: W. Maxwell Prince Artists: Chris O’Halloran and Martín Morazzo This series has been one of my favorites since it started in 2018; it bends the comic book genre, creates its own unique atmosphere, and consistently delivers compelling stories. If you’re unfamiliar with Ice Cream Man, it is a bunch of one-off macabre stories with a very vague overarching plot involving an ice cream man. Don’t worry about that last part, it only sometimes comes up and is rarely relevant. The important part is knowing that with each issue you’re getting into a sad,…

The Low Low Woods #5 DC Comics Writers: Carmen Maria Machado and Joe Hill Artists: Dan McDaid and Dani Strips The Low Low Woods is a horror/mystery series coming out of DC’s Hill House imprint. The series follows two teenage girls and their unsettling experiences in a small coal-mining town. The only people living in the town, fittingly named Shudder-to-think, are those who are unable to leave. The last few issues have been building up the mythos of the town and the people in it. While it seems like a normal, albeit depressing, place, unusual things consistently happen and…

Spawn #306 Image Comics Writer: Todd McFarlane Artist: Philip Tan In issue 306, McFarlane throws us a pretty major curveball. The storyline that we’ve been following since issue 301 is put on pause while something new happens. It’s confusing but sets up what has the potential to be an exciting breath of fresh air in this series. Without giving too much away, this issue is completely out of the left field. In the last issue Spawn was suddenly wrapped up in a magical green ball and taken away in the middle of a conversation. We pick up with where that…