BOOK POST | COMICS ROUND UP | MARCH 2025
BOOK POST | COMICS ROUND UP | MARCH 2025
OK folks! Here we are again with another roundup of the comics I have been reading this month. Whilst it has been a busy month in the old book department, I have managed to get some new comics in this month, so here is a list of what I have read in the month of March.
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS
Ed Brubaker (Author), Doug Mahnke (Illustrator)
Comments: This is my second comic by Ed Brubaker, and this time it’s a Batman comic. Well really, it’s a joker comic. The issue that I read has three stories in it. Firstly, The Man Who Laughs which is basically the origin story for The Joker. Containing nods to The Killing Joke and other Batman stories this was a great comic. Secondly there is an issue of Gotham Noir which is a hard boiled noir story in which Commissioner Gordon is a down at heel private detective who is hired to look after a young woman that has ties to the Gotham underworld who is murdered. And finally there is a story where Batman teams up with the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott to investigate the reemergence of a serial killer that plagued Alan in the forties.
THE NICE HOUSE ON THE LAKE (VOL.1)
James Tynion IV (Author), Alvaro Martinez Bueno (Illustrator), Jordie Bellaire (Illustrator)
But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter’s invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It’s beautiful, it’s opulent, it’s private—so a week of putting up with Walter’s weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacation of a lifetime? Why not?
Comments: Ok! I am not going to spoil this one by revealing the plot as it is best to go into this one blind.
Tynion uses some familiar tropes and puts their own spin on them giving the, a new life.
The characters are intriguing and there is a nice little twist at the end.
INFIDEL
Pornsak Pichetshote (Author), Aaron Campbell (Illustrator), Jose Villarubia (Colorist)
A haunted house story for the 21st century, INFIDEL follows an American Muslim woman and her multi-racial neighbors who move into a building haunted by entities that feed off xenophobia.
Bestselling editor Pornsak Pichetshote (Swamp Thing, Daytripper, The Unwritten) makes his comics writing debut alongside artist extraordinaire Aaron Campbell (The Shadow, James Bond: Felix Leiter), award-winning colorist and editor Jose Villarubia (Batman: Year 100, Spider-Man: Reign), and letterer / designer Jeff Powell (SCALES & SCOUNDRELS).
Comments: An interesting horror tale that mixes political commentary and horror. I enjoyed this one a lot.
DWELLINGS
Jay Stephens (Writer/Artist)
Welcome to Elwich—an oasis of small-town perfection, where the schools overflow with cheery-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the crows can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface.
Murder.
Demonology.
Possession.
Obsession.
Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every dwelling awaits a horrifying new story to be told.
Shock, terror, and wry humor pepper every page of Emmy Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and animator Jay Stephens’s Dwellings .
Comments: This was a great read with some fantastic artwork. The artwork is very reminiscent of things like Richie Rich and has a kind of cute feel to it. However, in the midst of this there are some very bloody stories that for some reason makes it all the more creepy.
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Frank Millar (Writer), John Romita Jr (Artist)
A fire burns deep within Matt Murdock. He was raised by a single father, an over-the-hill prizefighter with one last chance to make it good - a chance that cost him his life! Taunted and tormented by children while growing up, Matt's life was irrevocably altered after he was blinded by radioactive materials while saving the life of an old man. The payoff? An unbreakable will and a keen intelligence, helping focus the super-senses he was blessed with during the accident. His story is one of love, pain, disappointment, and strength. Witness the tour-de-force origin of the Man Without Fear by industry legends Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.
Collects Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5.
Comments: Ok, this is a classic and I have read it many times. In fact, I recently gave my copy of this one to my son on the recommendation that he read it as it is a classic comic. I mainly read this one again because I was watching the new Daredevil show on Disney plus and I wanted to read it again.
EC Epitaphs from the Abyss #1
Brian Azzarello, Phil Hester (artist), Peter Krause (artist), Jorge Fornés (artist), J. Holtham, Stephanie Phillips, Chris Condon, Lee Bermejo (cover art)
THE MOST NOTORIOUS NAME IN TERROR IS BACK—WITH A VENGEANCE!
From the publisher that drove Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and many more into the depraved hearts of an unsuspecting world, the immortal EC COMICS returns . . . with its first ALL-NEW series in nearly 70 years!
In our first extra-sized, 40-page dose of fear, witness shocking tales of torment and tension in the immortal EC tradition—as wrenched from the grave by the vile intentions of acclaimed writers Brian Azzarello ( Damned, 100 Bullets), Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Night People), J. Holtham (FX's The Handmaid's Tale), and Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, Grim) and realized into bloody reality by "all-slaughter" artists Jorge Fornes (Rorschach, Danger Street), Phil Hester (Family Tree), Peter Krause (Irredeemable), and more!
What the Comics Code Authority couldn't kill has only made it stronger . . . EC COMICS LIVES AGAIN IN EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS!
COMMENTS: This is a reiteration of the famous comic by EC. Obviously, as with all anthologies this one was a mixed bag. However, on the whole this was an enjoyable comic that I enjoyed.
Mirka Andolfo's Mercy: The Fair Lady, The Frost, and The Fiend
Mirka Andolfo (Writer/Illustrator/Colorist), Gianluca Papi (Colorist), Francesca Caratenuto (Colorist), Chiara Di Francia (Colorist), Fabio Amelia (Letterer)
MERCY, a goth-inspired, Victorian monster series explores topics of "otherness," damnation and redemption, and what it means to be a monster in a horror tale perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful, Crimson Peak, The Alienist, Parasol Protectorate, and Dark Shadows.
The new series by UNNATURAL's acclaimed creator MIRKA ANDOLFO is a gothic horror tale where mysteries and unspeakable sins are blend together in a unique and sensual way.
Washington State, late nineteenth century. During the frenzied historical era commonly known as the Klondike Gold Rush, a mysterious woman arrives in Woodsburgh, a small mining town close to the Canadian border.
It's been a few years since the Swanson mine was closed following the terrible accident that claimed the lives of so many men and women, included the owner's and the city it's still struggling in search for a new place on the map of the country.
Elegant and extraordinarily wealthy, Lady Hellaine arrives in the city accompanied by her faithful butler Goodwill and settles in one of the most luxurious mansions in town. A lifestyle that contrasts sharply with that of the majority of the population, forced to choose between humble crafts and illegal activities.
No one is aware of the reasons that led such a classy lady to move from Seattle to the small village, but her arrival certainly did not go unnoticed. Especially in the eyes of Lady Swanson, widow of the late mine owner and leading figure of the local bourgeoisie. Lady Hellaine's plans will bring her on a collision course with the powerful Lady Swanson, who, for reasons not entirely rational, distrusts the newcomer.
Meanwhile, the streets and surroundings of Woodsburgh are flooded in blood: a heinous creature is killing incautious citizens, wreaking havoc on their bodies. Enough to induce local authorities to impose a strict curfew after sunset.
And with the falling of the first snow, the "Woodsburgh Devil"'s fury seems to have even increased. What's the connection, if any, between this disturbing presence and the ivory-skinned stranger?
Who's Lady Hellaine, really? And what's her secret agenda?
Collects MIRKA ANDOLFO'S MERCY #1-6
COMMENTS: I can’t say that I was over enamoured with this one to be honest. The artwork and the colours were fantastic and there were elements that I did like. However, I felt that it fell short in the story department and won’t be one that I will be carrying on with this one.
I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 5: Gert's Inferno
Skottie Young (Writer), Brett Bean (Artist)
Eisner Award-winning writer SKOTTIE YOUNG (MIDDLEWEST, TWIG, THE ME YOU LOVE IN THE DARK) and artist BRETT BEAN (Marvel’s Rocket and Groot) bring back the hit comic I HATE FAIRYLAND! Everyone’s favorite green-haired, axe-wielding, crazed maniac returns in this Deadpool-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland-style adventure! Gert is all grown up and living in the real world.
Times are tough and the only job she’s qualified for has her trying to find her way back to the place she hates the most…Fairyland.
Collects I HATE FAIRYLAND Issues 1-5
COMMENTS: Carrying on with I Hate Fairyland, this one sees Gert all grown up and tasked with returning a tech billionaire’s child.
This one was just as much fun as the first one although the focus has changed a little now that Gert has grown up.
BAD MOTHER
A nerve-racking thriller from crime writer Christa Faust and blockbuster artist Mike Deodato Jr. (The Resistance, Infinity Wars). April Walters is a hit-and-run victim of life – a middle-aged soccer mom whose inner fire has been snuffed out by her dreary suburban existence. When her teenaged daughter goes missing under mysterious circumstances, April embarks on a harrowing mission to find her; a journey that takes her through the underbelly of her suburban community and sets her on a collision course with a massive crime syndicate and its lethal matriarch. Tested to her limits and beyond, April discovers that hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.
COMMENTS: How far would you go to protect those you love? Bad mother explores this concept when April Walters’ daughter is kidnapped by a local drug baroness,
This one had an interesting art style, particularly the panelling of the story, which rather than following the traditional roles of panels, but rather splits a whole picture into a number of different panels.
The story itself is okay, but felt a little disjointed. It seemed to lack the character depth to illustrate how April gets to the decision that she does.
POISON IVY - THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE
Humanity had its chance. Now it’s time for Poison Ivy. The fan-favorite Batman villain steps into the solo spotlight, in a thrilling and tragic adventure written by Ms. Marvel co-creator G. Willow Wilson!
Winner, Outstanding Comic Book - GLAAD Media Awards 2023
Pamela Isley has been a lot of things in her life. A living god, a super-villain, an activist, a scientist, and dead. In a new body that she didn’t ask for and with a renewed sense of purpose, Ivy leaves Gotham and sets out to complete her greatest work—a gift to the world that will heal the damage dealt to it...by ending humanity.
On her journey to doom humankind, a heartbroken and betrayed Poison Ivy encounters obstacles (plant assassins!) and dodges the law along the way, in a body horror-infused character-defining epic from the visionary creative team of writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Marcio Takara.
This volume collects Poison Ivy #1-6.
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