Deadly Hands Of K'un-Lun #4 - Marvel Comics

DEADLY HANDS OF K'UN-LUN No. 4, July 2026

For those bibliophiles whose heads weren’t spinning following this comic’s opening summary of events, the book’s subsequent twenty-pages of almost endless kung-fu fighters and immortal weapons most surely will. Indeed, whilst the New York City-based publisher may claim that this issue of the mini-series is “its most epic chapter yet”, it is also arguably it’s most disorientating instalment too as Danny Rand pops up out of no-where to momentarily save the day and approximately “fifty Iron Fists” summon their inner chi to help the now one-armed Lin Lie transform into some sort of living armament; “Go, Pei, keep Shou-Lao’s egg safe!”

Of course, some critics of Yifan Jiang’s script may well point out that few readers will actually understand much, if any, of what the numerous plot-threads throws at them - such as just how the likes of Elektra (Daredevil) and the White Tiger ever joined the multi-dimensional fight to thwart Chiyou’s return to the Earth in the first place. But for those onlookers who enjoy simply being caught up in a publication-long, pulse-pounding punch-up, “Instant Karma” undeniably delivers and is well worth holding on tight for.

In addition, it’s hard not to get completely wrapped up in the writer’s enthusiasm for having so many of the Marvel Universe’s top martial artists battling it out against one another in a single title, even if the author’s numerous attempts to explain just what is going on via a plethora of text boxes falls significantly short of its purpose. The best thing for a reader to do really is to just let any semblance of sense wash right over them, and to merely enjoy the evident big bad guy’s apparent fall from grace once “Tiger’s faithful daughter’s necklace” is smashed into so many impotent, red-coloured beads.

Similarly as smashing as this comic’s scintillating speed and adrenaline-fueled action has to be illustrators Paco Medina & Alessandro Miracolo’s prodigiously pencilled panels, which bring life to so many different faces and figures. The pair somehow seem to miraculously imbue the entire cast of warriors within this book with both palpable emotion and convincing determination to succeed, as well as help push the audience along whenever the penmanship debatably doesn’t really manage to make it terribly clear just what is happening during a deadly tussle or encounter.

The regular cover art of "DEADLY HANDS OF K'UN-LUN" #4 by Leinil Francis Yu

Nightwing #139 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 139, August 2026

Arguably coming across more like a televised crime drama than a comic book thanks to the soap opera police procedural tone of its narrative, Issue One Hundred And Thirty Nine of “Nightwing” surely held the attention of much of its audience. In fact considering just how closely the titular character is shown working alongside Blüdhaven’s autopsy specialist it’s easy to forget that a Judge has actually supplied the authorities with an arrest warrant for the masked vigilante, ; “I used to work as a pathologist in Gotham. Assisted Batman a few times back in the day. How far have you gotten?”

In addition, Dick Grayson’s investigation into one final unnamed corpse definitely leads the original Boy Wonder down a route few bibliophiles will have seen coming. True, the Catholic priest Bruce Wayne’s heir meets during a stormy night does appear to be particularly insightful – quickly deducing that the millionaire is really the Teen Titan whilst taking his confession. But the notion that the white-haired 'Man of God' is responsible for the cold-blooded murder of Nightwing’s final ‘sodden corpse’ definitely comes straight out of the blue, as does the costumed crimefighter's desperate plea for “an excuse to let you go free.”

Finally, this twenty-two-page periodical’s aforementioned opening in which the city’s “new prosecutor” boldy announces that she believes Grayson’s alter-ego to be a liar and a killer makes for a compulsive read, with the lady's fury at the hero daring to be “seen fraternizing with Superman” genuinely being palpable. Furthermore, it seems very clear that Miss Eastbourne’s contempt for the original Robin is already blinding her to just how thoughtful the man actually is – something which is shown when she brazenly declares he probably doesn’t even know the victims’ names who died in the recent pile-up on the super-highway, and Nightwing unthinkingly lists them off in his mind.

Lastly, Denys Cowan’s gritty-looking pencils really seem to suit this style of storytelling, with all the various sub-plots being pulled together by Francesco Segala’s sombre choice of colours. Of particular note is the sheer arrogance shown upon Miss Eastbourne’s face when she contemptuously makes her statement to the media which should make most onlookers instantly despise her, and definitely look forward to the solicitor’s fall from grace in an upcoming edition.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #139 by Jorge Fornes

Star Wars: Jedi Knights #7 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS No. 7, November 2025

Falsely claiming that “Qui-Gon Jinn is dead!” at the beginning of this comic’s solicitation synopsis, it’s arguably difficult to therefore treat anything found within Issue Seven of “Star Wars: Jedi Knights” as implausible, sensationalist storytelling. Indeed, the very premise of its central plot appears to make no sense whatsoever when its revealed that the deadly assassin who previously cut down Count Dooku’s old padawan in the title's preceding instalment didn’t then just finish the job with one of his hand-weapons. But rather went to all the trouble of injecting his victim with the self-same, poison used to previously murder Jedi Master Fondar Etzis instead.

Furthermore, in using the now recognisable violet-coloured, slow-acting substance, as well as permitting an almost deceased Jinn to utter the name of the one planet where it's antidote is made, Marc Guggenheim is also able to manufacture Mace Windu and Aayla Secura’s desperate mission to a mysterious world where “Jedi are [apparently] forbidden.” Such a complicated contrivance should surely tax the willingness of any bibliophile to believe in the American author's subsequent penmanship, especially when he then has the two seasoned Force Users land their spacecraft at the one location where an inhabitant will dispense with the ramifications of Horomeeda, and tell the pair everything they need to know over a cup of tea.

Of course, this conversation luckily leads on to Windu and Secura needing to embark upon another assignment to convince the uncivilised thieves of “the most dangerous planet you’ve never heard of” to give them the rare cure before it’s too late – and subsequently chop down a gigantic Kaijura in the process. So clunky a narrative debatably doesn’t do the popular characters concerned any justice at all, and frustratingly even goes so far as to ignore perhaps this publication’s biggest draw which is to explore what the Jedi did to be banned from an entire world in the first place; “I… don’t know what that is.”

Fortunately, at least Madibek Musabekov’s artwork provides some prodigiously pencilled panels for this comic's audience to enjoy as the awkwardly-told yarn progresses. Although it does appear that the Kazakhstan-born illustrator ran out of room towards this adventure’s end, as one minute the titular characters have somewhat dubiously carried out King Gara’s demand and then in the very next instant they are disconcertingly back on Coruscant getting a medical update on Qui-Gon’s condition from Doctor Rig Nema.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS" #7 by Madibek Musabekov & Jesus Aburtov

White Widow #1 - Marvel Comics

WHITE WIDOW No. 1, January 2024

Perhaps a little surprisingly weighing in as the twenty-second best-selling comic of November 2023, and featuring an impressive opening which sees the titular character face-off against Captain America, things certainly seemed to be going in the right direction for Issue One of “White Widow” when the mini-series first hit the spinner-racks. Indeed, Yelena Belova’s initial interaction with the First Avenger, along with the appearance of the Superspy’s mentee Marthe appears to promise plenty of future skirmishes between the rogue agent and the finest super-heroes that the Marvel Universe can offer.

Disappointingly however, this notion seems to go completely out of the window once Sarah Gailey’s storytelling begins in earnest within the somewhat sleepy town limits of Idylhaven, and the American author rather unimpressively throws more information about the titular character’s new neighbours at her audience than any reader can possibly assimilate with even a couple of perusals. True, rattling off a number of lists concerning people’s ages, jobs and motivations, as well as those detailing the titular character’s loves, likes, dislikes and hates, certainly helps establish some sort of context for this book’s adventure in quick order. But it also arguably brings the publication’s pace down to that of a snail's crawl too.

Finally, any hope for Belova’s fans that this twenty-five-page periodical will show the Shadow of the Black Widow knee-deep in a yarn about international espionage, or simply tell of the deadly assassin’s code of conduct inexorably crashing into the moral virtues of the World's Mightiest Heroes are soon disconcertingly dashed when its revealed that the former Thunderbolt will just be confronting a somewhat small-time extortion racket in her own back yard; “I wanted someplace where things aren’t so much happening all the time, you know?” This underwhelming plot development must genuinely have frustrated those onlookers expecting so much more from a comic dedicated to “one of Marvel’s most enigmatic anti-heroes” and caused a fair few to refrain from pre-ordering its second instalment.

Unhappily, Alessandro Miracolo’s layouts don’t debatably live up to this “groundbreaking new chapter” in Yelena’s life either, despite the Italian illustrator demonstrating so much promise with his pencilling of the White Widow’s aforementioned skirmish with Captain America. Much of this frustration is undoubtedly due to the comic’s rather clunky script rather than anything else though, as whenever the artist is asked to sketch a punch-up or pulse-pounding panel he ramps up the adrenalin-fuelled violence in spades.

Writer: Sarah Gailey, Artist: Alessandro Miracolo & Color Artist: Matt Milla

Dungeons Of Doom #2 - Marvel Comics

DUNGEONS OF DOOM No. 2, April 2026

It’s debatably a little difficult for anyone perusing this thirty-page periodical to shake off the notion that they’re somehow participating in a game of “Dungeons & Dragons” rather than simply reading a comic penned by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Benjamin Percy. Indeed, this mini-series’ second instalment throws so many of Gary Gygax’s well known tropes at its audience, whether that be the all-seeing Eye of Khonshu, a mysterious Skull-Shaped Herb and the well-named Hammer of Treachery, that with each passing challenge any and all bibliophiles will feel that they’ve somehow outwitted another of Doctor Doom’s deeply buried dangers.

Perhaps foremost of these short-lived episodes is the one following Major Simmons and his depleted squad of American soldiers. Desperate to regroup alongside the formidably strong Red Hulk, this party of adventurers arguably appear to have the most humanity of the different “warring global factions” inadvertently hurled into “Doom’s most secret, most forbidden dungeons.” However, if any onlooker thought such a motivation was somehow going to protect them from the horrors trapped behind brick and mortar, they are soon put right – courtesy of their commanding officers’ well-meaning move to allow a limbless cadaver to somehow once again speak its words of magic.

Likewise, despite solely consisting of a lone Wakandan, the story of Umbra bravely diving into so ghastly a pit of unholy terrors appears just as riveting. Admittedly to begin with the white-clad operative does appear to be little more than a “thief” transgressing Latveria’s sovereign territory for their own ends. But such a label soon falls flat when its revealed that the agent’s mission is to penetrate a chamber packed full of T'Challa’s national treasures which Doctor Victor Von Doom has clearly stolen from the Black Panther's kingdom over a period of time.

Finally, the notion that a single publication featuring the work of five different artists would ordinarily be somewhat scoffed at by most comic book critics. And yet the illustrations of Justin Mason, Robert Gill, Carlos Magno, Georges Jeanty and Karl Story all seem to blend together quite magnificently, with only the odd strangely-sketched image of General Thunderbolt Ross’ colourfully-skinned alter-ego making those perusing Issue Two of “Dungeons Of Doom” momentarily doubt Senior Editor Jordan D. White’s decision to utilise so many talents all together.

The regular cover art of "DUNGEONS OF DOOM" #2 by Leinil Francis Yu & Romulo Farardo Jr.

Nightwing #138 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 138, July 2026

Initially seeming to pit Dick Grayson’s alter-ego against “something bestial lurking in the forests just outside of Blüdhaven”, Dan Watters’ narrative for Issue One Hundred And Thirty Eight of “Nightwing” appears to be about to dip its toes into one of the intriguing mysteries currently haunting the city’s new super-highway. Indeed, the notion of farmer Jones fending off some deadly bipedal fiend with his shotgun and disconcertingly still coming off second-best suggests that the English writer is rather enthrallingly planning to take his audience on a trip down memory lane for the former whaling town which will raise another unpleasant supernatural link between its violent past and concrete structure obsessed present.

Unfortunately though, a quick blood test at ‘the scene of the last crime’ soon has this fascinating notion shelved for a much more straightforward storyline featuring a crash-landed alien from the Vega system, and resultantly so much of this script’s mystery arguably evaporates almost instantaneously. Now admittedly, the presence of an extra-terrestrial known to have subjugated and experimented upon Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran does lead to a surprise cameo by Starfire herself. But the powerful Teen Titans’ presence also means that the lone Psion invader is quickly dispatched.

Perhaps therefore a much more interesting sub-plot is the notion of Nightwing being sued for Manslaughter by “the families of eight of the deceased” from the recent pile-up upon Blüdhaven’s new super-highway. This private investigation and vilification by Miss Eastbourne appears to be packed full of just the sort of legal casework which could see the titular character lose his vigilante status, and even worse make him a target of the city’s law enforcement department which he has spent so long building up a working relationship with; “If you’re here to intimidate me out of taking this case against you. You’re very much barking up the wrong tree.”

This book’s disappointing departure from the place’s paranormal history also debatably appears to detrimentally affect the layouts of Denys Cowan too, with so much of the twenty-two page periodical becoming a somewhat sedentary, dialogue-drive yarn. To begin with the American artist’s pencilling appears to work so well with farmer Jones’ aforementioned clash with a hungry Psion. Yet as soon as the much more wordy side of the storytelling starts, the poor illustrator is repeatedly tasked with just depicting Nightwing and Starfire in profile making conversation.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #138 by Jorge Fornes

Conan The Barbarian #31 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 31, June 2026

Essentially comprising of a tussle between this ongoing series’ titular character and his latest adversary, there is unquestionably a lot for its readers to enjoy inside Issue Thirty One of "Conan The Barbarian". Indeed, for much of this comic Jim Zub actually appears to pen the mighty Cimmerian as nothing more than an experienced, and impressively strong warrior who appears to be facing a paranormal foe whose power clearly exceeds his own; “Which means the only advantage Conan has is his battle instincts.”

This reluctance to imbue Robert E. Howard’s creation with some implausible superhuman attribute not arguably ever seen in the character's prose stories genuinely provides the contest with a palpable sense of intriguing danger, and adds an alarming air of deadliness to The Son of the Tooth which would certainly have been missing had the Canadian writer simply made the sword and sorcery hero just as extraordinarily strong as his otherworldly opponent. In addition, it soon becomes clear just how badly the Cimmerian is being outmatched, and these extra deaths of innocent bystanders raises the stakes even more so as Conan understandably tries to save as many of their lives as he can.

Unfortunately, the resultant blood bath whilst entertaining, does though also raise the issue as to just why a trained assassin would suddenly risk so many people knowing of both his memorable looks and presence in Khoraja. True, it appears clear that the cut-throat soon realises he might be outfought by his prey if he doesn’t quickly ‘juice himself up’ with some additional souls. But the sheer pandemonium the mass-murderer causes in the frontier trade city will apparently be spoken of for years to come – something some within this publication’s audience might feel is a little odd for a cold-blooded slayer who ordinarily sticks to the shadows before dispatching his target.

Lastly, having refrained from falling into the common trap of making the titular barbarian unconvincingly ‘shrug off’ a plethora of deadly knife cuts and physical injuries for so much of this twenty-two page periodical, the Animex Honorary Award-winner debatably does just that at its very end by having artist Doug Braithwaite pencil the Cimmerian inexplicably recover from a good half-dozen wounds so he can stab his would-be-killer straight in the throat with one swift movement. This opportune reversal just doesn’t sit right after such a beating, especially when its apparently caused by The Son of the Tooth bizarrely refraining from delivering his final blow so he can look up at an alignment of the Moon within the clouds.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #31 by Mahmud Asrar