New Comics Reviews 8/6: Hellboy in Love, Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League, Cul-De-Sac & MORE!
New Comics Reviews for Wednesday 8/6!
Hello! Here are THN’s new comics reviews for the week of 8/6/25! Featuring Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire, Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League, Cul-De-Sac, and Blink and You’ll Miss It!
Be sure to check back every week for New Comic Book reviews and check out the New Comics Review Show if you want to hear our full discussions!
Joe’s Reviews:
Cover by Jonathan Wayshak
Cul-De-Sac #1
Bad Idea
Written by Mike Carey
Art, colors, and letters(?) by Jonathan Wayshak
48 pages for $5.99
Solicit: New York Times bestselling writer and master of the macabre, Mike Carey (LUCIFER, X-MEN) makes his long-awaited return to comic books, combining his powers with groundbreaking fine art illustrator Jonathan Wayshak (SPAWN: VIOLATOR) to deliver a nightmarish new vision for the horror genre. What lurking evil lies hidden at the end of the cul-de-sac? Nestled in a tucked-away corner of sleepy suburbia, the Kingsley, Herriman and Ortega families seemed like any other close-knit neighbors. So nothing seems amiss when Mrs. Kingsley piles all the neighborhood kids into the family RV for their annual summer camp-out. But in the dark of the woods, she unleashes a grisly, bloodcurdling display, revealing their families’ shocking secret—their parents are vampires and they’re eager to pass on their legacy. Now the children must choose—to join them and revel in their awesome dark powers or live out their lives as mortals.
The remainder of the solicit is [REDACTED] due to major spoilers.
Review: It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mike Carey’s name on something. The legendary Vertigo writer’s work on books like Lucifer and The Unwritten is still celebrated today, so it’s great to see him on a new project. The hook for this series drew me in right away. We’ve seen stories about kids who find out their parents are villains before – Marvel’s Runaways being a prime example – but there’s something about this particular take that I found really compelling. The food chain has plants, animals, humans, vampires, and then whatever these creatures are, something we haven’t seen before. There’s a visceral feeling of terror at work when the parents in Cul-De-Sac reveal their true nature as vampiric creatures that don’t just drink blood, but literally devour life itself. They exist at the top of the heap, and it’s time for their children to inherit their place in the chain.
While the story drew me in pretty quickly, some of Carey’s dialogue pulled me out at times. Specifically, the children don’t sound all that much like real children, especially the main character Gail. Carey tries to write in a youthful way and it just feels kind of off.
Jonathan Wayshak’s work in this issue is extraordinary. Quite frankly, this story doesn’t work without him. The way he uses color to draw the reader’s attention in different directions or to convey emotion is incredible. There are panels where the color drops out completely, only to come flooding back in a moment of extreme horror. It’s stunning and distressing and intense all at once. The characters are only slightly exaggerated for the most part, but then they contort in horrific ways when the story calls for it. His designs for the vampire characters are wonderfully grotesque. My one complaint is that a lot of the characters outside of the main families – like the groups of other vamps or the hunters – tend to blend together. It’s nothing that broke my engagement, but it’s tough to keep them all straight at times.
Cul-De-Sac #1 is another winner from Bad Idea. There are a couple of problems here and there, but it kept me engaged with a compelling story and phenomenal art. I just hope readers are able to find it despite the company’s insane business model.
Rating: BUY IT
Cover by Alex Nieto
Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
Art and colors by Alex Nieto
Letters by Clem Robins
32 pages for $4.99
Solicit: Hellboy and archaeologist Anastasia Bransfield trek to Iceland for evidence of a seemingly impossible network of occultists, but a fresh dig site holds answers that come at a steep — and risky — price. Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden join artist Alex Nieto in a return to Hellboy’s adventures of both the supernatural and the heart.
Review: The biggest problem with this issue is the same one that plagues all of the Mignolaverse #1s: this first issue isn’t really a first issue. It’s certainly the first part of the current storyline, but it continues directly from the previous series and it isn’t shy about making references to past events. But the story isn’t hard to follow and whatever you can’t infer from the broad strokes is notated with an editor’s note. There isn’t really much to say about Mignola and Golden that hasn’t already been said. Who better to shepherd the ongoing, evergreen adventures of Hellboy than his creator, and the co-writer that’s been a part of the journey for the past two decades? And telling stories set during the character’s decades-long history is a great way to keep the series going, even though the ongoing narrative ended years ago.
The work of Spanish artist Alex Nieto is very pleasant; perfectly suited for a comic about Hellboy adventuring with his lady love. His style reminds me of a cross between Chris Samnee and Peter Snejbjerg. It’s all thick, uniform lines and soft features. You wouldn’t think that would be a good fit for the supernatural elements of the story, but it totally works. Nieto is able to ramp up the tension really well thanks to some tight layouts and expressive character designs.
Will you get more out of Hellboy in Love: The Art of Fire #1 if you’ve read the previous books in the series? Maybe. Will you find plenty to enjoy if you jump in with this issue? Definitely. I’ll take more Hellboy for as long as Mignola is interested in creating it.
Rating: BUY IT
Matt’s Reviews:
Cover by Keith Browning
Blink and You’ll Miss it #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Ethan S Parker and Griffin Shridan
Art by Keith Browning
Colors by Brad Simpson
Letters by Pat Brosseau
40 pages for $3.99
Solicit: Melody Nelson and Jesse Harmon fell in love long ago in the tiny town of Perennial Harbor, but since they parted ways, that place has grown stranger and stranger… Everything is just as it was decades ago, and the strained smiles of its residents mask a bizarre secret. When Melody’s life begins to unravel and she finds herself slipping backward in time, she must uncover the truth behind this mystery before it destroys her… And the only one she’s ever cared for. A mind-bending new fairy tale begins from writers ETHAN S. PARKER and GRIFFIN SHERIDAN (Kill Your Darlings), debut artist KEITH BROWNING, and colorist BRAD SIMPSON (Stray Dogs)!
Review: At just 32 pages, Blink and You’ll Miss It #1 doesn’t have much room to establish a complex story. There are eerie echoes of The Twilight Zone and some of the darker episodes of Doctor Who in this reluctant hero tale that plays with time and questions of memory. It’s an intriguing setup, and in a graphic novel format, the story might unfold more naturally. There’s nothing wrong with Parker’s pacing, but by the time we reach the strange payoff that’s been building since page one, it feels like the action should be kicking into gear. Instead, readers are left waiting a month for issue #2.
Browning’s art complements the story’s off-kilter tone and pacing well. The opening panels of Jessie on a motorcycle at twilight are particularly strong, and the reveal of the main character’s time jump is handled excellently. Brad Simpson’s colors are spot on, enhancing Browning’s emotive linework with thick blacks and rich blue-green tones.
Blink and You’ll Miss It #1 sets the stage for a compelling story about a reluctant hero returning to a place where time works very differently—but it might ultimately read better when collected.
Rating: STRONG SKIM IT
Cover by Scott & Kwok
Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League #1
DC Comics
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Nicola Scott
Colors by Annette Kwok
Letters by Troy Peteri
32 pages for $3.99
Solicit: SUPERSTAR CREATORS GREG RUCKA AND NICOLA SCOTT TEAM UP FOR THE HEIST OF A LIFETIME! A daring heist aboard the most secure facility in the DCU! Cheetah and Cheshire assemble a team of misfits and oddballs to pull off the impossible — robbing the Justice League Watchtower… and getting away with it. All that stands between them and pulling off the most daring heist in history are a few tiny complications, such as the most sophisticated orbital platform ever constructed, its AI-driven security system, and one other thing… the smartest and most powerful heroes in the DCU. Eisner Award winners Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott bring you a slick, stylish heist that guarantees fun, laughs, and more than a few twists and turns.
Review: Few male writers have a better handle on writing strong female characters than Greg Rucka. Just look at his work on Lazarus, Stumptown, Wonder Woman, and more. This time, Rucka teams up with his Black Magick co-creator, Nicola Scott, to spotlight two of DC’s B-list female villains as they attempt a heist that could finally cement their status as major players. All they have to do is rob the Justice League Watchtower.
Rucka nails the caper setup in this first issue, evoking the vibe of George Clooney pitching an impossible job to Brad Pitt in Ocean’s Eleven. Fans of his Wonder Woman run will remember how he added depth and tragedy to Cheetah’s character—and here, he gives Cheshire the same thoughtful treatment. She’s beautiful, confident, deadly, and a struggling single mom—just desperate enough to team up with her desperate friend for a score that feels like a long shot.
At this point, Nicola Scott has moved from superstar artist to living comic book legend, and her work here is pitch perfect. Scott’s style isn’t flashy or exaggerated; her strength lies in grounding even the most fantastical characters in realism. She makes Cheetah—a fanged, fur-covered monster—look completely believable walking along a pier in gym clothes. Her action scenes still deliver the classic superhero flair, like when Cheshire takes out a room full of armored henchmen before blowing up their boss.
Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League might sound like just another quirky six-issue mini-series starring lesser-known villains, but this creative team is crafting a lighthearted yet emotionally grounded caper that likely won’t end well for one—or both—of its stars. This is exactly the kind of story Rucka was born to write, and paired with Nicola Scott, it’s a must-read for DC superhero fans.
Rating: BUY IT
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