New Comics Reviews 3/19/25: Absolute Flash, Out of Alcatraz, The Last Boy & MORE!
New Comics Reviews for Wednesday 3/19!
Hello! Here are our new comics reviews for the week of 3/19/25, featuring Absolute Flash, Out of Alcatraz, The Lost Boy, and Who Are the Power Pals!
Joe’s Reviews:
Cover by Ahmed Raafat
Who Are the Power Pals #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Duane Murray
Based on characters created by Murray and Shane Belcourt
Art by Ahmed Raafat
Letters by Rob Jones
32 pages for $4.99
Solicit: Washed-up actors Derek and Alex have been best friends ever since playing teen superheroes “Swallow” and “Buzzard” in the ’90s TV show Power Pals. Wait, you’ve never heard of it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone; it was canceled after three episodes. But that small taste of fame left them hungry for more, and they’ve been trying to get back on the Hollywood train ever since. After being fired from their studio security jobs and dropped by their agent, the middle-aged pair decide to don their old costumes, and thrust themselves back into the public eye, walking the Hollywood Boulevard alongside the popular cosplayers. When a video of the duo defending tourists from being badgered by a pair of rip-off characters goes viral, the attention inspires them to fight more crime. But when their low-level crime-fighting inadvertently disrupts the plans of a crazed crime boss, their friendship will undergo the ultimate test, and it, or they, may not survive long enough to enjoy their new found fame.
Review: Writer Duane Murray is better known as a Hollywood character actor, but he’s also the Ringo Award-nominated writer of Better Place from Top Shelf. Murray does a great job with his floppy comics debut, delivering an entertaining story about a pair of “never was” child stars whose attempts at getting back in the acting game go in an unexpected, and heroic, direction. Murray’s script is light and fun, with plenty of genuinely funny moments and bits of dialogue. Raafat’s exaggerated cartooning is a great match for the story, though while I enjoyed the subtle colors, I wasn’t really a fan of his approach to background shading. Overall though, Who Are the Power Pals #1 was an unexpected surprise and I’ll be back for future issues!
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Nick Robles
Absolute Flash #1
DC Comics
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Nick Robles
Colors by Adriano Lucas
Letters by Tom Napolitano
40 pages for $4.99
Solicit: JEFF LEMIRE AND NICK ROBLES SPEED INTO THE ABSOLUTE UNIVERSE! Without the mentor…without the family…without the Speed Force, what’s left is the Absolute Scarlet Speedster!
Review: DC does it again with another incredible title in their Absolute Universe. Lemire has twisted the familiar elements of the Flash mythos into something new and exciting, with a real sense that anything can happen. Robles has done an amazing job redesigning Wally’s supporting cast, in some cases from the ground up, and the way Wally’s speed literally explodes from his body is a great new take on superspeed. The work by Lucas and Napolitano is an integral part of the visuals, providing hyper-saturated splashes of red and lettering that bursts into every scene. Absolute Flash #1 is a can’t-miss addition to the Absolute line.
Rating: BUY IT
Matt’s Reviews:
Cover by Dan Panosian
The Last Boy #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Dan Panosian
Art by Allesio Avalone
Color assistance by Agnes Pozza and Rik Mack
Letters by Jeff Eckleberry
32 pages for $4.99
Solicit: Years after Peter Pan’s adventures with Wendy Darling, the boy who wouldn’t grow up is now the last one in Neverland still clinging to his adventurous youth. Meanwhile in London, Wendy also yearns for childhood and its freedom from responsibility as she rails against the transition to adulthood and her family’s expectations. As their desires create a mirror of fantasy and reality, a disastrous encounter with the aging Captain Hook becomes the catalyst for Peter’s realization that Neverland is growing up without him. But will the two of them find each other once again to carry on their age-old adventures… or is this truly the final threshold of their adolescence in this modern take on a classic tale from legendary writer Dan Panosian (Alice Never After, Canary), and rising star artist Alessio Avallone!
Review: Dan Panosian is once again exploring classic fantasy fiction. First, he reimagined Alice in Wonderland with Alice Ever After, where Alice returns to Wonderland as an adult. Now, he’s taking on Peter Pan, but in this story, Neverland has grown up—while Peter hasn’t. The aging inhabitants of Neverland seem exhausted by Peter’s unchanging wild-boy act, which helps frame him as almost a tragic figure. It’s a clever twist on the Peter Pan mythos, brought to life with excellent cartooning by Avalone, whose work is new to me. He brings a timeless style to the book, effortlessly transitioning between the sepia-toned 1920s England of the now-grown Wendy and the bright pastels of Peter’s Neverland. Normally, I find it difficult to stay engaged with modern reinterpretations of classic fairy tales, but Panosian’s script and Avalone’s incredible art bring a unique charm to The Last Boy that kept me invested. It also left me wondering if Peter will be forced to deal with a decidedly grown-up problem in the next issue. The Last Boy succeeds where many reimaginings of classic stories fail—by fully committing to its premise and telling a clever, engaging story about what happens when you never grow up.
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Tyler Crook
Out of Alcatraz #1
Oni Press
Written by Christopher Cantwell
Art and letters by Tyler Crook
48 pages for $5.99
Solicit: Convicts Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin have washed ashore in San Francisco after surviving their infamous escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in June 1962. They soon meet their gruff and disappointed handler, a mysterious young woman who’s also running from something, and hope to quickly get their way north to the border – if they can even make it out of Modesto alive. As a dogged federal manhunt and chance encounters threaten the desperate convicts, everyone involved is about to discover the same bloodstained truth: life on the run is an even more hellish prison than Alcatraz could have ever been.
Review: Cantwell and Crook pick up the story where Escape From Alcatraz left off, delivering a pulse-pounding, desperate tale that continually raises the stakes. While there are quiet moments, Cantwell’s script and Crook’s stunning art never give the characters—or the reader—a moment to breathe. The desperation of the escaped convicts is palpable on every beautifully illustrated page, and when the story turns violent, it happens fast, with blood-red panels washed over by Crook’s watercolor backgrounds. The illustration is masterful, seamlessly shifting from the rough waters of San Francisco Bay to breathtaking Californian vistas, and it’s easily some of Crook’s best work. It may be early in the year to start thinking about “best of” lists, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Out of Alcatraz on plenty of them come December. Cantwell and Crook are crafting an incredible historical fiction story that oozes character and tension and finishes with a perfect cliffhanger.
Rating: BUY IT
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