Space Ghost Annual 2025 - Dynamite Entertainment

SPACE GHOST ANNUAL 2025, June 2025

Weighing in with a fairly hefty twenty-eight pages, David Pepose’s narrative for this “very first Space Ghost Annual” may well have proved rather bamboozling for any readers hoping to just jump on on board the title for their first ride. For whilst the comic’s plot is absolutely packed full of dynamic action sequences and the odd emotional moment, it's far from being an accessible standalone story, and instead just carries straight on “after the thrilling events of Issue Twelve’s second-story-arc finale” with absolutely no exposition whatsoever; “Ever since the dawn of time, chaos and corruption have infected this universe…”

Indeed, even for those long-time fans of this ongoing series the revelation that Robo Corp’s nefarious leader Doctor Xander Ibal has somehow been completely “consumed by the infinite singularity of Ultima” may well come as something of a shock considering that the unscrupulous scientist has only just activated the artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the sheer speed in which the evil computer takes over the minds of almost all of the galaxy’s inhabitants repeatedly begs the question as to how it’s doing such a thing, as well as why it needs a little monkey known as the Binary Language Integrated Prototype to do so..?

Disappointingly, this book also seemingly suffers from some unconvincing developments such as Jace deciding he needs to undertake a lengthy spacecraft chase outside Robo Corp Tower so as to distract Ultima. Bearing in mind the Collective is already capable of simultaneously seeing through billions of different eyes and controls multiple satellites, why would it decide to focus so much of its attention upon a smart-mouthed boy who is clearly distracting it as part of a much wider ruse..?

By far this annual’s biggest asset therefore lies with the pencilling of Jonathan Lau and Andrew Dalhouse’s colours. The artistic duo do a great job in depicting a decidedly disconcerting view of a galaxy where every inhabitant serves a single unified purpose, and this then really helps emphasise the terror experienced by the few citizens who have a natural resistance to Ultima’s mind-controlling power. In addition, this publication’s visuals definitely don’t lack for plenty of zip, whether it be Jan running to reprogramme the Collective at its central core, or Space Ghost blasting into orbit in a desperate attempt to free his brain of the Collective's zombifying signal.

The regular cover art of "SPACE GHOST" ANNUAL 2025 by Francesco Mattina

West Coast Avengers [2024] #9 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 9, September 2025

Containing an enthralling and rather convincing fight back from the very brink of disaster by its titular characters, few fans would debatably believe that Issue Nine of “West Coast Avengers” would surprisingly prove to be the comic’s penultimate instalment. True, Gerry Duggan’s twenty-page plot does admittedly contain a few moments which probably didn’t land all that well with his audience – such as Simon Williams donning the ill-fitting attire of a local car valet after his own costume was literally fried to pieces. But overall this book contains a number of well-written moments which show just how much the roster has grown into a super-team.

Foremost of these ‘arcs’ is most certainly that of the Blue Bolt, who despite being repeatedly shot and risking the cold-blooded murder of his father, still desperately attempts to live up to the words (and expectations) of War Machine. The reformed villain is shown to repeatedly demonstrate the Whackos’ core values, and even finds the time to remind the reader of his criminal past by making the odd joke about now needing to “get to a non-extradition country” following his recent prison break.

Similarly as persuasive though has to be how Spider-Woman quite wonderfully manages to hold things together just long enough to give (good) Ultron a chance to challenge his utterly mad, mechanical brother. So many lesser writers would probably have had Jessica Drew somehow shift the large concrete slab away from her injured comrades-in-arms. However, in this publication it’s clear the “former unofficial member of Heroes for Hire” is already at the very limit of her super-strength, and needs additional help if she is to successfully extract herself from a mountain of rubble; “Spider-Woman to the Avengers broadcasting blind -- I need help! Can anyone hear me?”

Sadly, Danny Kim’s layouts don’t do all that good a job in selling parts of this comic’s adrenaline-fuelled action sequences. Jessica’s aforementioned plight is very well pencilled, with the illustrator really capturing both the physical and emotional strain on the face of poor Drew. Yet by the time this book ends, the artist appears to be rushing through each panel at tremendous speed, disappointingly providing the likes of Jim Rhodes and Tony Stark with some disconcertingly amateurish facial features.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #9 by Josemaria Casanovas

Planet Of The Apes Verses Fantastic Four #2 - Marvel Comics

PLANET OF THE APES VS. FANTASTIC FOUR No. 2, May 2026

Whilst there’s arguably little doubt that Issue Two of “Planet Of The Apes Verses Fantastic Four” should provide the vast majority of its readers with an enthralling experience, the sheer number of subplots Josh Trujillo throws into the twenty-page periodical’s narrative suggests that the Los Angeles-born writer was perhaps a little concerned as to whether his story would have the legs to run for an entire “four-issue Marvel comic miniseries.” In fact, towards the middle of the book the whole premise of the title appears to suddenly swing around to following in the footsteps of Michael Wilson and Rod Serling’s screenplay for the 1968 motion picture, rather than anything particularly original; “Based on what Taylor said, I have an idea of where the ship crashed. But not what condition it’s in.”

To make matters even more confusing though, the American author also creates a large, gun-toting population of straw-hat wearing gorilla farmers who rather unconvincingly rise up to assault the soldiers of Ape City simply because a red-hooded stranger informs them over a night-time campfire that their civilisation’s leaders are feeding four humans with their harvest. So bizarre a predicament genuinely smacks of this tale rather desperately needing some sort of threat to draw the likes of General Ursus back to the capital, and debatably appears disappointingly contrived at best.

What does land well however, has to be Johnny Storm’s discovery of a submerged ANSA space vessel at the bottom of the Forbidden Zone’s lake. This sequence should bring back a wave of nostalgia to any bibliophile who has watched Franklin J. Schaffner’s original science fiction flick, and also muse the ramifications of poor Stewart’s demise when the meta human spots the dead astronaut’s rapidly aged corpse still inside her compromised hibernation pod.

Perhaps therefor the most consistent thing about this publication are the pencils of Andrea Di Vito and Erick Archiniega’s colours. Together the artists do an absolutely first-rate job of depicting this crossover comic’s considerably-sized cast, with the rather imaginatively rock-covered Doctor Zaius proving especially memorable. Furthermore, Urus’ brush with one of the Red Ghost’s super-apes really brings home just how physically strong gorillas are – whether it be the General or Miklho.

The regular cover art of "PLANET OF THE APES VS. FANTASTIC FOUR" #2 by Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg

West Coast Avengers [2024] #8 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 8, August 2025

Faced with a seriously deranged incarnation of Ultron who seems more than capable of finally destroying the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Gerry Duggan’s narrative for Issue Eight of “West Coast Avengers” should have kept the vast majority of its readers delightfully entertained. In fact, this particular twenty-page periodical is arguably a perfect mix of super-powered fisticuffs and pulse-pounding sub-plots – such as Blue Bolt’s rather impulsive prison break so he can rescue his father from the deadly sharpshooting sights of the Scourge.

Furthermore, the American author does a good job of imbuing this comic with a genuine sense of vulnerability to its titular characters, whether it be James Rhodes' heavily armoured War Machine getting his clock cleaned by Hank Pym's merciless creation, or the 'virtually invulnerable' Simon Williams being turned into a devastating ionic energy bomb. Such palpable jeopardy is especially difficult to achieve when it comes to the ordinarily near-omnipotent Iron Man – a protagonist often “cited as [being] a top five superhero alongside giants like Batman and Spider-Man." Yet in facing a robot who has already survived flying into the Sun, Shellhead certainly seems to have bitten off far more than he can chew; "The final tally wouldn't be calculated for days. But the deaths were in the hundreds."

Similarly as engaging though is the aforementioned plight of Thomas Watt, who despite all his best intentions to go straight, ends up assaulting a detention centre official and subsequently getting shot whilst en-route to save his elderly dad/team-mates. The former villain’s desperate dilemma really does pull at the heart-strings, and seems so utterly unfair considering just how far Flag-Smasher’s stooge has come since first joining the Avengers work-release programme.

Likewise, artist Danny Kim also appears to be at the top of his game for this publication, providing the battle sequences with all the fast-paced, adrenalin-fuelled dynamism a reader might expect from so cataclysmic a confrontation. The illustrator is especially good at giving Wonder Man a terrific moment in the spotlight as the human mutate brutally batters Scorched Ultron through several floors of its predecessor’s Church, only to then be completely overpowered by his opponent’s malicious code infecting chain weapon.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #8 by Ben Harvey

Conan The Barbarian #28 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 28, February 2026

For those long-term readers of the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre, Jeffrey Shanks’ claim at the rear of this comic book that Jim Zub is merely “finishing one of Howard’s unfinished yarns” may well ring rather hollow. Indeed, the notion that the Animex Honorary Award-winner's bizarre plot concerning Aquilonia’s King committing bloody acts of ritual human sacrifice in order to elevate himself as a master of the Dark Arts was actually developed from “Howard’s own words” is ambiguous at best – especially when the regular contributor to this publication’s back pages also admits that “Robert E. Howard never wrote about the event directly.”

Instead Issue Twenty Eight of “Conan The Barbarian” should probably be more accurately seen as just being an attempt by its Canadian author to weave his own long-running narrative concerning “Black Stone Magic” into one of the most beloved episodes of the Cimmerian’s career, irrespective of any conflicts it may cause with accepted canon. Unfortunately though, even this notion of simply being ‘fan fiction’ debatably doesn’t help make this storyline particularly convincing or even entertaining, as much of it consists of the narrator making broad, sweeping statements as to how the kingdom-sized war progressed, rather than telling a specific detail about its numerous military actions.

By far this comic’s biggest disappointment though has to be the way in which the Flower of the West’s mad monarch is portrayed as a guileless sorcerer who having mass-murdered many of his courtiers to attain the blessing of some unspeakable deity, simply allows Conan to approach his dais and strangle him. So undemanding a death for so powerful a ruler is truly underwhelming, and may well cause many a reader to wonder just why Numedides didn’t stab at his barbaric killer with his raised dagger, or at least put up some sort of physical struggle considering that the mercenary’s arm with which he is being throttled has just had an arrow go right into it. 

Far more convincing than this book’s script is Fernando Dagnino’s pencilling, which does a great job in depicting some of the various foot-fights and cavalry charges Zub fleetingly mentions. However, even the most ardent fan of the Spanish illustrator must surely have been a bit bemused by his handling of Count Trocero – who rather than being established as the titular character’s future “trusted counsellor” is instead sketched as a rather moody, disagreeable malcontent who fully intends to usurp the crown for himself; “Damn these hidebound fools! When I am crowned King of Aquilonia, I will remember who stepped up to meet destiny and who only fell in line when it was most convenient to do so!”

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #28 by Gerardo Zaffino

West Coast Avengers [2024] #7 - Marvel Comics

WEST COAST AVENGERS No. 7, July 2025

Predominantly focusing upon Killerwatt’s origin story and subsequent poor relationship with his physically abusive father, Gerry Duggan’s script for Issue Seven of “West Coast Avengers” definitely does not contain the much-hyped punch-up between Tommy and Wonder Man which this comic’s Ben Harvey-sketched cover misleadingly implies. Indeed, after a very brief exchange of cross words the pair actually appear to form a seemingly perfect friendship, with Simon Williams even deciding upon the spur of the moment to visit the reformed villain’s ‘Old Man’ when the super-hero learns that the somewhat repentant parent is a long-time fan of his.

But that doesn’t mean for a moment that this twenty-page periodical’s plot isn’t a riveting read, as its mixture of genuinely heart-warming goodness and distinctly dark physical violence – courtesy of a deranged Ultron slaughtering as many of The One’s cybernetically enhanced disciples as he can get his cruel claws on – is incredibly well-penned; “My friend missed a check-in, and there was just a very loud boom -- even for Downtown L.A.”

Furthermore, the American author’s handling of the former Masters Of Evil member turned actor is rather cleverly done, marking Williams out as a sincere, caring protagonist, who actually has a heart of gold beneath his ‘Big Screen’ bluster. This calm approach to life also provides the comic with a neat, noticeable contrast when compared to the sheer terror experienced by the likes of Spider-Woman when she unknowingly stumbles upon Ultron’s latest killing spree, and actually heightens the sense of fear emanating from the scenes set inside The One’s Church as everyone inside is quite literally torn asunder.

Danny Kim also appears to be in good form pencilling this publication’s layouts, and somehow manages to show just why an adolescent Tommy grew up to become the despicable Killerwatt within the space of just a half-dozen ‘flashback’ panels. In addition, the terrified look upon the faces of all the cyborgs fleeing for their lives as Hank Pym’s homicidal creation mutilates their android frames is first-rate, and really helps sell the notion that despite being formidable physical specimens in their own right due to their mechanical bodies, these hapless followers of a false god are still mere fodder before the murderous might of an utterly mad Ultron.

The regular cover art of "WEST COAST AVENGERS" #7 by Ben Harvey

Conan The Barbarian #27 - Titan Comics

CONAN THE BARBARIAN No. 27, January 2026

Considering just how sedentary so much of Jim Zub’s narrative for “The Ill-Suited Guest” is, it’s probably clear to many of this comic’s readers just why Robert E. Howard never penned “a specific story detailing Conan’s battle to win the crown of Aquilonia” himself. Sure, the Canadian writer does manage to inject a morsel of manic activity towards the book’s end – as the Cimmerian and Prospero make a rather unlikely prison break. But just why the civilisation’s population should suddenly riotously rise up against their monarch in the barbarian’s name is arguably far from convincing.

To begin with King Numedides isn’t depicted as being all that insane a ruler, at least until he suddenly declares that Poitain’s latest General will shockingly lead an ill-advised invasion of Zingara. Instead, the Web Cartoonists’ Choice Awards-winner merely hints at the monarch’s predisposition for the Dark Arts, as well as having plenty of political savvy when it comes to ensuring his kingdom’s most powerful Barons are constantly fighting one another rather than threatening him. As a result the everyday people’s decision to attack the ruler’s guards whilst they are publicly whipping the Wolves of Westermarck comes somewhat ‘out of the blue’, as does the masses’ call for the Mad King to be dethroned.

Similarly as unpersuasive though has surely got to be the author’s sub-plot featuring Conan somehow surviving the blades of three deadly assassins whilst chained to a cell’s ceiling. Now some long-term fans of the adventurer possibly won't be all that surprised by the Cimmerian managing to pull one of his shackles loose from its stone block before he is slain. However, the fact that the barbarian’s skin directly above his heart is so leather-like that it can apparently deflect a full-blooded dagger thrust must have caused them to raise an eyebrow or two in alarm; “Whatever light work these murderers thought they had this night… Now they must contend with a barbaric beast braced for vengeance!”

Far more successful than this twenty-two page periodical’s writing is therefore undoubtedly its art, thanks to some excellent illustrations by “Ferocious Fernando Dagnino”. The Spaniard seems especially adept at making many of this publication’s dialogue-driven sequences perfectly palatable by pencilling lots of interesting details on every one of Numedides’ banquet guests – not least of which is Dion of Attalus, whose cynical attempt to have Conan marry his beautiful daughter should genuinely raise a smile or two.

The regular cover art of "CONAN THE BARBARIAN" #27 by Nick Marinkovich