In this week’s Wednesday Comics Reviews, the team reviews the Adventure Time: Bubbline College Special from Caroline Cash, the return of Kill All Immortals, Godzilla going to space, and much more! Plus, Ensign’s Log, FOC Watch and The Prog Report!
Adventure Time Bubbline College Special #1
Writer/Artist: Caroline Cash
Letterer (Pages 44-45): Shawn Lee
Cover Artists: Caroline Cash, Robyn Smith, Chloé Stawski
Publisher: Oni Press
Review by Samantha Puc
Adventure Time is rich in alternate dimensions, and The Bubbline College Special #1 offers another delightful take on the romance between Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen.
Written and illustrated by Eisner Award-winning PeePee PooPoo creator Caroline Cash, this college AU one-shot throws these beloved characters into life at Ooo University. Bonnibel enrolls to “research an ‘average college experience,’” much to the chagrin of Peppermint Butler, but she immediately clashes with her roommate, Lumpy Space Princess. Meanwhile, she spots Marceline floating across campus with her guitar one night and is instantly intrigued, but a literal run-in between the two sets them off on the wrong foot.
Cash successfully translates Bubbline’s enemies-to-lovers arc from the original Adventure Time series into a super-short arc, utilizing college-era tropes to make the pacing work. LSP, whose calculated carelessness sends Bonni into a spiral after just one week of co-habitating, is already friends with Marceline, increasing Bonni’s irritation with them both. But sparks fly during a party game and when Marceline offers Bonni a place to crash so she can actually sleep, it turns the tide for their relationship.
Marceline and the Scream Queens close the issue with a concert, where Marceline reveals a new song. The scene feels straight out of an early-aughts rom-com, tying everything together perfectly.
There’s little, if anything, to criticize about this issue. Cash’s love for Bubbline and the broader Adventure Time universe is obvious in the story and art details throughout The Bubbline College Special. Each component feels well-planned and is equally well-executed, from the larger romance storyline to the smaller scenes with characters like Flame Princess (who naturally works as a barista in this world).
More absurd moments—like Jake and Finn’s inclusion in the plot—make sense in the broader context, largely because Cash so confidently presents them and then carries on without hesitation. Cash’s signature artistic style also works perfectly here, to the point that it seems ridiculous she’s never worked for the series before. Non-traditional panel layouts, zoomed-in character reactions, and curated color palettes to highlight emotion and plot progression help important scenes breathe without bogging down the overall pacing.
It’s an impressive feat, especially for a world and romance that’s been explored so many times before. While The Bubbline College Special #1 obviously feels very self-contained, a longer AT series from Cash would be incredibly welcome.
Overall, this one-shot is worth the investment for fans and collectors alike, particularly if they’re invested in the Bubbline relationship—which, frankly, who isn’t?
Kill All Immortals II #1
Writer: Zack Kaplan
Artist: Fico Ossio
Colorist: Thiago Rocha
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Review by Khalid Johnson
I really appreciate the raised stakes starting off this new Kill All Immortals arc. The choice to forego immortality now has a very real weight as the conceit flips and Frey and her family are up against immortals drawing immortality in a similar way. Life is worth fighting for when you know that it will end, how you spend the moments you have is deeply important especially when working to make a difference. I appreciate Frey’s altruism and commitment to being a mythical “good billionaire” but I also think that’s the point. When faced with your own mortality, your humanity, shouldn’t we strive to make a better world for everyone as opposed to a world better for the privileged few?
This is an action packed start to the run illustrated with high energy by Fico Osslo with colors by Thiago Rocha. Lettered by Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou, this is a good looking book; it’s exciting to read and as things progress, I also hope for some more quiet reflection which writer Zack Kaplan is more than prepared to handle per the juxtaposing statements from Frey about power.
I think what’s really interesting to me is the flip from mythos to history but man I hope they’ve done their Genghis Khan research. Pulling this historical figure into the modern creates this interpretive playground. It’s interesting that they’re not up against another pantheon of gods though perhaps that would be too easy. I also think about the desire for immortality in tyrants; a life spent putting your hand in the next person’s pocket so the line goes up and the dedication to personal enrichment. Either that and/or they’re scared of going to the biblical hell that they are so quick to condemn people to. I’m excited to see how this plays out and the exploration of the cost of violence when fighting humans who choose to be monsters with no qualms about their own usage of violence.
Starship Godzilla #1
Writer: Chris Gooch
Artist: Oliver Ono
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Review by Jordan Jennings
IDW’s shared Godzilla universe Kai-Sei Era adds a new title this week with Starship Godzilla #1. Starship Godzilla follows a crew of space pirates as they fly around in space in a retrofitted Mecha-Godzilla. In the first issue we see the crew obtain Kaiju eggs for a mysterious buyer, but things go awry when one of the eggs hatch and the kaiju escapes. What unfolds is a familiar but fun action-thriller as the crew tries to capture the Kaiju.
Writer Chris Gooch sets up an entertaining story while leaning on genre conventions throughout the story. While Starship Godzilla features a heist and there is intrigue over the nature of the mysterious buyer, the story is more about a rag-tag group of individuals on the same ship. Think The Ravagers from the Guardians of the Galaxy films. The main cast seem to tolerate each other at best, but are entertaining to see interact with each other. There isn’t much done in terms of character development. I understand that this is just the first issue but there isn’t much established in terms of character motivations in general. Well, outside of Rohan, the leader of the group and all around dirtbag. He’s the archetypal dashing rogue, but it’s an enjoyable trope in these kinds of stories and a necessary one, at that.
What the story does well is generating a heightened sense of action and suspense. Gooch keeps the story moving at a brisk clip with not much time to breathe between moments. The quiet moments between the fights and pursuit gives some insight into the characters, but the comic never dwells on it much in favor of the frenetic pacing.
Artist Oliver Ono really steals the show in this issue. His art style complements the kinetic momentum that Gooch is writing. There is a greater sense of fluidity and cartooning to the characters’ body language and panel composition. Truthfully, Ono’s style feels very Manga influenced in this issue with the character models and the energy in the page. Ayan, the lead female protagonist, feels very manga-inspired in her design, for example. As for the energy, the punches, knees, and kicks are all concussive with their tremendous impact.
Ono’s eye for detail is wonderful here too. The interior environments of the ship are varied and full of fiddly-looking techno bits. Meanwhile the alien world is visually stunning with its the sheer amount of detailing. The fact you can see individual buildings, aliens, and environmental features for this brief sequence is astonishing. Ono colors his own work here and it is a vibrant and alien palate. It feels very much of that 90’s anime vibe but with modern coloring techniques. It is one pretty looking book.
Overall, I really enjoyed Starship Godzilla #1. The issue is a bit lite on substance, but makes up for it with its frenetic energy born from the marriage of high-octane writing and dynamic art. As an aside, the diversity in stories in the Kai-Sei Era continues to impress me. I was a bit nervous at the notion of a whole line of shared Godzilla books, but my concerns have been unfounded. Each book taking on different settings and genres is refreshing. I like a good space story and I am eager to see where the series is headed.
The Last Day of H.P Lovecraft #1
Writer: Romuald Giulivo
Translator: Mercedes Gilliom
Artist: Jakub Rebelka
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Review by Jared Bird
‘Men are imbeciles. Not one knows what his last day alive will be.’ H.P Lovecraft is dying, a complicated and tortured man facing his choices, his legacy and his wrongs. Reinterpreting their French graphic novel as a mini-series, writer Romuald Giulivo and acclaimed artist Jakub Rebelka work together on the dreamlike and unnerving story of the very last day of cosmic horror pioneer and short story writer H.P. Lovecraft. Weaving together the end of human being and the beginning of his legacy, The Last Day of H.P Lovecraft is a staggering and stunning read that taps into the very heart of why Lovecraft is still so compelling nearly a century after his death.
As he fades in and out of consciousness, fading away on heavy medication, he is visited by Randolph Carter, a character from his own works, who challenges Lovecraft on his life and his potential legacy. It’s a story with death at the forefront, thinking about the complexities of legacy, the meaning and impact of art, and the flaws of one man whose work defined an entire genre and changed an entire mode of fiction. It’s got deeply literary ambitions, and that may not be for anyone, but it still is first and foremost a comic, with a deeply surreal visual style that balances magical fantasy and haunting, unknowable horrors, with a deeply personal focus at the core.
The script, by writer Romuald Giulivo and translated by Mercedes Gilliom, is really good. There’s a dreamlike quality to it, where it both channels Lovecraft’s distinct prose voice but never feels like a cheap imitation. There are playful references to Lovecraft’s work and elements of his life, such as his friendship with Robert E. Howard, as well as works inspired by Lovecraft. It never feels overwhelming in its fanaticism, and to the contrary isn’t afraid to criticise Lovecraft’s problematic tendencies and history of prejudice. It’s happy to live in the tension between loving the man’s work and despising the man himself, and allows the entire comic to be nuanced and exist in a multifaceted place.
Jakub Rebelka’s artwork is a remarkable achievement. It’s beautiful on every page, with gorgeous and surreal page layouts that possess a painting-like quality that’s simply stunning to witness. He knows exactly when to hone in on the real, and allows character moments to hit hard, but he never loses the haunting and magical quality of the book that stands out. It’s scary but enticing, like the best of Lovecraft’s dream cycle work, and it’s one of the most stunning debut issues of a series I’ve read in a long time, presumably because of its origins as a graphic novel. It’s incredible work.
Overall, The Last Day of H.P Lovecraft #1 is a brilliant first issue. A visual feast and a delightful read, unsettling and beautiful in equal measure, capturing the very heart of Lovecraft’s work and why his legacy and style endures. It challenges the man himself and his flaws whilst also existing in deep admiration for the creations he gave the world, and tells a haunting and moving story about Lovecraft’s final days, and how his art may impact the world. I’m incredibly excited to see where the series goes next, with a looming cosmic threat that seems to imply the series will push even further into the unknown – and I’m sure it’ll continue to be bold, scary and wonderful.
Minor Threats: The Last Devil Left Alive #1
Writers: Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum
Art: Scott Hepburn
Colors: Ian Herring
Letters: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Review by Clyde Hall
Scalpel has a deliciously complex love/hate relationship with Playtime, and it’s the Menacing M.D.’s POV in the launch of Minor Threats: The Last Devil Left Alive that gets this 5-issue miniseries off on the right booted foot of supervillainy. Like so many romantic couples who aren’t part of a lowest rung Rogues Gallery of C-List criminal talent…it’s complicated. And completely compelling.
Based on their involvement with the M.O.D.O.K. TV series, the first Minor Threats miniseries written by Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum was only of mild interest to me. But that quickly changed when they introduced the core characters, a group of small-time supervillains led by one-time villain sidekick Playtime, in their quest to make crime pay by turning in or killing one of their own major players for the reward money. The Stickman is archnemesis to the dark vigilante superhero known as the Insomniac, and after Stickmen kills the crimefighter’s young sidekick Kid Dusk, all the superheroes begin a relentless, violent hunt for the murderer. No stone is left unturned, and no supervillain, major to minimal, is spared brutal interrogation by the ‘heroes’. Enter Playtime, AKA Frankie Follis, child of former supervillainess Toy Queen and reduced to bartending at a sketchy villain watering hole.
As her customers, C-Grade supervillains past their glory days or never-weres in costumed criminality circles get beaten and roughed up by the overstepping superheroes of the city, Frankie formerly known as Playtime, sees a chance to collect a huge bounty by capturing or killing The Stickman, a psychotic villain others in their vocation avoid anyway. The premise and the characterizations sold themselves, and I’ve been along for every Minor Threats miniseries expansion since. Not all have been masterpieces of storytelling, but every one has presented enjoyable, quirky, and highly innovative takes on concepts and characters.
One of the most interesting villains from the start is Scalpel, disgraced medical doctor serving triage and healthcare needs of the underworld for a price, often a cut of their take if the job was successful. She may not be anyone’s archnemesis, but unlike many of the lesser villains, she makes crime pay in her own way. She offers her services, which have spawned three covert supervillain Express Cares. She’s alsobecome the villain other villains don’t cheat, rob, or mess with because they might someday need her healing expertise thanks to vigilante bullet storms or superhero plasma bolts. Scalpel began a personal relationship with Playtime, something akin to Spock hooking up with Captain Kirk as contrasting personalities go, and the romance was stormy. Then tornadic.
As the latest series premieres, we find Scalpel involved in a lucrative landgrab by a ‘reputable’ businessman. He hires her to engage rival supervillain gangs and route them from their evil dens. He then swoops in and claims their abandoned warehouse headquarters for a high-profit property flip. In her spare time, though, Scalpel’s running down her emotions regarding Playtime. The two are splits. More than just splits, the doctor feeling betrayed, yet still bewitched by what the couple shared when things weren’t antagonistic. And in Scalpel’s POV examination of their relationship, we get that Oswalt and Blum character design magic.
The spellcasting continues as Scalpel’s attacked by…herself, and Playtime comes to her rescue. Someone’s using doppelgangers or copies of supervillains to clean up the trail of potential witnesses to their own brands of evildoing, and Playtime’s putting together a team to stop them. Plus find out how the copies are made. In the interests of both, it’s time for a temporary truce and the recruitment of a major player.
Exploring what goes on behind Scalpel’s professional, logical mindset makes the initial issue worth the cover price. The dialogue is sharp, crisp, and the exploration of affection versus animosity sizzles within the supervillainess’ psyche. It carries the appeal of a Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy partnership, but with less humor and more insightful commentary on the perils of supervillain associations.
The creative team is doing very well here what it’s done since the beginning, and that’s presenting interpersonal villain dynamics seen in places like the Secret Society of Super Villains and the Secret Six and expanding on the complexities possible. The rivalries, the egos, the dreams, the desires. Overcoming the odds and finding that success, surprisingly effective success, is possible even for the C-List when they cooperate.
Artist Scott Hepburn always gives the readers a chaotic lens through which to experience the Minor Threats reality and this issue’s no different. I’ve always appreciated how the variety of villains, and to a degree the superheroes, he renders reflect spot-on avatars for differing comic book eras and power sets. The Silver Age brainy villain with a tight costume and weird mask/helmet for no reason? Check. The dark street level vengeance machine out-grimming the Darkest Knight? Check. Humanoid hench created to do his masters bidding, but instead striking out on his own? Check.
Most of all, Hepburn’s style is organically suited for interpreting the world of Minor Threats. One with megalomaniacal villain masterminds and superheroes who don’t always care about threat levels when dealing justice, viewed by lowercase costumed criminals likely as not to be on the receiving end of both. He portrays the strata from lowest rung looking up. Yet, there are elements pointing out rooted pasts and clay feet anchoring the ascended with the downtrodden.
If you’ve enjoyed previous miniseries in the Minor Threats reality, be assured that this one launches with all rockets firing. It may even be the smoothest liftoff yet. If you’re a new reader, know that minimal time’s spent catching you up on what’s happened before. You should read at least the first miniseries from 2022 before tackling this latest adventure. But, since Netflix is currently adapting the title into a new live action tv series, becoming familiar with the characters and setting just preps you for the show. And if seeing a creative team bring their superhero genre subverting A-game and applying it to minimal injustice leaguers sounds like a good time, you should absolutely place Minor Threats: The Last Devil Left Alive on your pull list.
The Author Immortal #1
Writer: Frank Barbiere
Artist: Morgan Beem
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Designer: Sasha Head
Publisher: Image Comics
Review by Zack Quaintance
There’s something about turning creative aspirations into horror comics that just works (from the Vault Comics book a few years back, Fearscape, to the recently concluded You’ll Do Bad Things). I think it has to do with the idea that desire is the root of all suffering. How do you make something scary? Make your protagonist suffer, or, at least, threaten them with suffering at every turn. And who suffers more than an artist with unfulfilled aspirations? Not many. The fact that these characters are largely comfortable and suffering of their own accord (depending on perspective), makes for a great story, especially for avid comics readers, a group wherein a not insignificant number harbor their own creative dreams.
All this is to say that The Author Immortal #1 is the latest comic to turn writerly aspirations into an immersive and engaging horror comic. The book is scripted by Frank Barbiere with art by Morgan Beem, letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and design by Sasha Head. It features a plot that appears simple on its surface, but has a series of rich and complex layers taken right from the zeitgeist of our moment.
The book’s main character is a (mostly) failed writer, who after years of self-publishing has resigned himself to a more harrowing fate — teaching. Specifically, teaching college. And our authorly protagonist is not a great guy, not really. He’s engaged to a woman much younger than him, and he’s cheating on her with a student. She works as his assistant and clearly idolizes him — and when he travels away from her for a few days, we catch him browsing escort listings online (hey, there’s that desire is the root of all suffering again!).
The plot gets going for our hero when he is called to meet with a famous writer, who is a stand-in for J.K. Rowling–a very wealthy woman with views for which she has become a pariah, despite authoring a beloved YA book series years ago. Our hero is also father to a transgender son, and despite all of this, gets into business with the Rowling analog. These are all interesting surface elements, torn from matters of the day. But where the book really shines is with its teases of what feels like portal fantasy, mixed with deep, visually-engaging horror.
There’s a mysterious darkness that lurks at the edges of all the real-world plotting above, waiting to terrorize the characters on the page. It’s rendered perfectly by Beem’s linework and colors, which are perfect for making fluid work of this book’s reality. Berbiere’s scripting does a great job with pacing, as well as with deploying his horror touches at the exact right moments to enhance the more grounded drama without ever taking away from it. This script also does a great job incorporating multiple time periods in a way that coheres and enhances its themes. And, of course, there’s no better letterer for a genre-busting book than the always-excellent Otsmane-Elhaou.
Overall, I found The Author Immortal #1 to be an excellent first issue. It’s a dense read (complimentary) with richly-drawn characters whose problems feel drawn right from several discussions of the day. If you like horror comics, you’d do well to pick this one up, especially if (like me) you enjoy horror comics about writers.
Ensign’s Log Star Date 1012025
As IDW’s Star Trek comics continue to expand, Ensign Avery Kaplan has enlisted here to keep a careful log!
Star Trek: Red Shirts #3
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: Megan Levins
Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff
Letterer: Jodie Troutman
The carnage continues in Star Trek: Red Shirts #3, written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Megan Levins, colors by Charlie Kirchoff, letters by Jodie Troutman and design & production by Neil Uyetake. By now, we know the drill: we’re privy to the narration of Ensign Chip Miller, a redshirt who — despite being only twenty-three years old — has already had a pretty rough go of it in Starfleet, which has made him more than a little bit cynical. Meanwhile, his co-redshirts die in increasingly gruesome ways. As with the previous issues, I appreciate this window into the Franchise’s universe that shows us a corner pretty far removed from the U.S.S. Enterprise.
This issue continues to move the story forward, with a big reveal for where the series is heading in the final two issues. But the real highlight of this issue is the goriest, most messed-up death yet. I’m not going to spoil anything, but kudos to Levis and Kirchoff for really knocking this one out of the park… it is truly messed up. It goes without saying that Troutman’s lettering remains on the ball. And the design & production by Uyetake continues to be top-notch. While it’s unlikely this series will continue past issue five (since everyone will probably be dead), I hope we continue to see this sort of off-beat comic from IDW’s Star Trek line.
It’s really pushing the boundaries of what a Star Trek story can be, and I appreciate that, especially when the shows seem to be heading in a direction that can hardly be considered “boldly going where no one has gone before”: Remake VII, the planet of the characters you already know everything about.
FOC Watch
This comic is currently available for pre-order
Galactic #1
Writer: Curt Pires
Artist: Amilcar Pinna
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Micah Meyers
Publisher: DSTLRY Media
Scheduled Publication Date: Nov. 26, 2025
In gorgeous over-sized comics news this week, Galactic #1 is wrapping up its pre-order window this coming Monday. The book — the latest from publisher DSTLRY — is a mash-up of space operas like Star Wars with hyper violent crime stories. The press info for this one bills it as What if George Lucas and Quentin Tarantino f@#&ed and had a baby?
And that’s really a great encapsulation of what to expect from this one. It’s kind of a cheek take on sci-fi by way of outrageous hyper violence. It’s also just rendered gorgeously from its start by Amilcar Pinna, who is colored here by Lee Loughridge and lettered by Micah Meyers.
It’s a fun book, too, one that reads like you’re being shot into orbit and then punched in the face with story. And since it’s DSTLRY, it’s going to print in their signature, very pretty over-sized format.
If that all sounds good to you (and why wouldn’t it?), make sure to get your pre-orders in this week at your local shop.
The Prog Report
2000AD 2452 (Rebellion Publishing): As promised, this week I want to check-in with Brass Sun, an ongoing series that returned a few weeks back for a new arc, titled Brass Sun: Pavane. This one comes to us from writer Ian Edginton, artist INJ Culbard, and letterer Simon Bowland. First things first, for me Culbard is one of those artists whose work is always worth reading. His lines are pristine, but he also has a sort of playful wit to his storytelling that makes even talk-heavy pages pretty interesting. Case in point, the first half of this week’s strip is a (somewhat) tense back and forth that borders on philosophical from two of our leads. But the creative team sets in front of a sort of interactive aquatic background that gives it a bit of visual interest. Overall, I think this new arc of Brass Sun has been off to a strong start, and in general, The Prog in the past three weeks (back to 2000AD 2450) is in the midst of its strongest run of the year. This week’s cover (above) is by Mike Dowling (who for my money is absurdly underrated in comics). As always, you can pick up a digital copy of The Prog here. —Zack Quaintance
Column edited by The Beat’s reviews editor, Zack Quaintance.
Read past entries in the weekly Wednesday Comics reviews series or check-out our other reviews here!
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