This week’s Wednesday Comics Reviews column features two very different types of gritty comics between The Goddamn Tragedy #1 and Dark Honor #1, among other books. We also look ahead at a new title eligible for pre-order, Lazarus: Fallen #1. Plus, as always, The Prog Report!
The Goddamn Tragedy #1
Writer: Chris Condon
Artist: Shawn Kuruneru
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: Oni Press
Review by Jordan Jennings
What begins as the American Dream becomes the American Nightmare as the Janson family’s journey west turns tragic in The Goddamn Tragedy #1, a tale of mistrust, violence, and the supernatural. Writer Chris Condon presents an all too familiar western tale but with a layer of novelty and masterful execution. Condon’s command of pacing is on display here as the story is presented with a simple framing device of the much older Ellen Janson setting the record straight about what transpired and it builds up to a fever pitch as the events unfold.
In just one single issue, Condon manages to fit in all of this backstory and emotion. He does use dialog and narration to carry the load early on, but this should never be viewed as a problem. One piece of comic criticism I cannot fathom is the notion that comics are too wordy, but then in the same breath condemn a comic for being too decompressed. There is a time and place for exposition and while it can be abused by some writers, it is a necessary tool to get the story moving at a great pace.
Now, Condon isn’t going full Roy Thomas here and stating even the most obvious. Instead, Condon shows his understanding of when to let off the exposition and let the action speak for itself. It is through this that he commands the pacing of the story. He builds it up like a roller coaster climbing up to its peak and then lets it go. It’s nothing short of masterful.
Yet, while Condon’s writing is amazing, it’s the illustration by Shawn Kuruneru that is the real star of the show. Kuruneru’s style consists of these simplified forms and expressions that help convey mood and tone in an effective way. There is a lot of weight and gravitas in the narration and dialog that Kuruneru captures perfectly.
Just as Condon’s use of narration and dialog help set the pace of the comic, Kuruneru’s page composition really sets it in motion. He is able to draw the reader’s eyes across the page in a brisk pace to give a sense of action and suspense. When things turn sideways for Ellen Janson in the climax of the story the suspense is palpable and the action is frantic, but clear to follow. The simple forms used by Kuruneru really begin to shine here as the comic takes the subtle nuances of the characters and turns them into over the top emotions.
These emotions are amplified by the book’s color direction. The colors are done with watercolor and as such Kuruneru takes advantage of a limited color palette opting for much more monochromatic colors through most of the story be it cool blues of the present or the sepia tinged earth tones of the past. This allows for other colors to be used as accents and help pop off the page, be it the eerie green of the supernatural, the vibrant crimson of the blood, or the flash of yellow for gunfire. The use of selective color moments is just exquisite and I loved it.
The Goddamn Tragedy #1 is an intense, suspenseful, and chilling look at the evil that men do. This is contrasted with the clean watercolors and expression. Together they make a book that is anything but a goddamn tragedy. I cannot give this book any more praise as I have an early contender for my Best Comics of 2025. The Goddamn Tragedy #1 is a phenomenal one-shot and a masterclass in storytelling in both scripting and art.
Final Verdict: BUY
Dark Honor #1
Created and Written By: K.S. Bruce and Brian Decubellis
Adapted By: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Fico Ossio
Colorist: Raciel Avila
Letterer: Jame
Publisher: Image Comics – Syzygy
Review by Zack Quaintance
I think we as a society are in a weird place with COVID-19 fiction. The most common reaction to stories that involve the pandemic has, to this point, largely felt like a collective, ugh no thanks. And it makes sense. We have lived/are living through this pandemic and its prolonged aftermath. The memories are fresh. Speaking for myself, I’ve had a nasty bout of COVID within the last 12 months (contracting it specifically at San Diego Comic Con).
For most of the world, COVID-19 is not the stuff of escapism or even engaging suspense, and it doesn’t even seem to be the stuff of serious dramatic storytelling either. At least not yet. I suppose I could have abbreviated all of this into one guy in the way back yelling, too soon! Anyway, my point is that I was thinking about all of this as I read through Dark Honor #1, a new gritty crime comic that builds its comic book-y genre storytelling atop the outbreak of COVID-19.
The story in this book begins in New York City on March 13, 2020, and I must admit, even that time and place tag made me wince. From there we are quickly and violently introduced to the other major plot elements of this comic: mafia warfare involving an almost-mythic gang of crime enforcers called The Hundred Warriors…almost mythic. Within the current generation, their numbers and efficiency seem to have faded.
The last element here is the story’s hero, Rain, a woman who is paroled from prison because officials want to reduce the prison population as the pandemic sets in (this last bit feeling like perhaps the most fantastical element of the entire book). This first issue is mostly setup. It sets the action in the early hours of COVID; it introduces our hero and our villain; and it gets right to the edge of a collision between them before leaving us with a classic cliffhanger.
And I think this comic is pretty good, but its elements might feel a little unsettling to some readers. It would be a pretty standard gritty NYC crime thriller if not for the introduction of COVID, and so I think an individual’s enjoyment of this comic will largely depend on how willing they are to engage with the pandemic as a plot element. It’s also just a first issue, so it’s entirely possible there’s some poignant lesson to be gleaned about the pandemic when you take this story as a whole.
Still, with this first issue I think if you’re ready to revisit a traumatic moment that happened not that long ago, you may find this a fun way to do it. If you’re not, well, this is not a book for you.
Star Trek – Lore War – Shaxs’ Worst Day
Written by: Ryan North
Art by: Derek Charm
Lettered by: Clayton Cowles
Design & Production: Neil Uyetake
Published by: IDW Publishing
Review by Avery Kaplan
During the previous crossover event between the two ongoing IDW Franchise comics, Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant, we enjoyed Star Trek: Day of Blood: Shaxs’ Best Day. But that was years ago, and may have been in an alternate dimension. This week, Star Trek: Lore War: Shaxs’ Worst Day is arriving at your Local Comic Shop.
Previously, in Shaxs’ Best Day, we got to see Shaxs slaughter wave after wave of fascists. This was on Qo’nos, which had been overtaken by a civil war started by the zealot Kahless II and his goons. Naturally, Kahless II had designs to take over the whole galaxy. But standing between him and his goals was the fascist-slaying machine, Shaxs. The entirety of this one-shot depicted Shaxs slaughtering fascists, before escaping by literally catching a ride on (top of) a Starfleet ship.
But that was all during the Day of Blood event. Now, we’re in the Lore War event. As you may already be aware, this is a big crossover event between the Star Trek and Defiant comics. It serves as a climax for both, bringing both series to a conclusion with the forthcoming Star Trek: Lore War: Omega one-shot.
In Lore War, Data’s titular evil “twin brother” has remade the entire universe in his image. This has transformed Starfleet into a fascist “peacekeeping” force, sort of like in the Mirror Universe. In the process, many of our familiar heroes have been transformed into fascist-supporting ghouls. This includes Shaxs, who has become Pah-wraith Shaxs, one of the authoritarian regime’s most brutal and effective enforcers.
In Shaxs’ Worst Day, we get a direct sequel to Shaxs’ Best Day. At the outset of the issue, Shaxs has his memories restored (this is included in the one-shot’s already-released issue description).
As those who watch Star Trek: Lower Decks know, Shaxs loathes fascists, in an outspoken way. Remember, in Lower Decks Season 2’s “wej Duj,” he screamed: “Fighting fascism is a full-time job!” So naturally, he is overcome with self-loathing at having been transformed into an authoritarian enforcer — as any decent and moral person would be.
From here, Shaxs embarks on a secret mission, the details of which I will not elaborate on here for spoilers’ sake. But suffice to say, Shaxs is once again pitted against a legion of fascist foot soldiers. And while they may “just be following orders,” Shaxs has a very personal bone to pick with each of them after having been transmogrified into the thing he hates more than anything else: a fascist. And while Shaxs is a softie on the inside, when he goes on a fascist-killing mission, we all know it is bad news for anyone on the side of fascism.
In the ensuing issue-length bloodbath, Shaxs cuts a messy path through dozens of fascist goons. This includes both familiar (but corrupted) characters and unfamiliar characters alike. You’ll enjoy the familiar cameos and guest appearances, some of which are wholly unexpected. And you’ll enjoy the violence Shaxs unapologetically inflicts on these fascists even more.
Speaking of which, Derek Charm’s art is ideally suited to this story, just as it was for Shaxs’ Best Day. In both issues, Shaxs dispenses gory comeuppance to wave after wave of fascists. It’s unclear whether or not this violence would have been, well, so much fun if it was depicted more realistically. As it stands, characters can be sliced in half and/or decapitated, dismembered, etc. without the gore becoming a distraction.
And after writing ten issues of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Shaxs’ Best Day and the graphic novel Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, it’s no surprise Ryan North has the comedic Franchise comic script down pat. Like his preceding work, Shaxs’ Worst Day has a nice balance of comedy, action, Star Trek references and weird sci-fi ideas. As usual, his bottom-of-the-page notes add another comedic layer to the issue, with a couple being all-time-great examples of this characteristic trope. And I also spotted a personal reference in a certain ship’s name, which I will avoid specifically mentioning but which I wholeheartedly enjoyed.
Plus of course, you can expect Clayton Cowles to reliably provide excellent lettering. From dialogue balloons to LCARS screens to every KRAKOOM sound effect, Cowles delivers the goods. And all three creators come together for a final page that will knock your socks off (if you’ve already slipped them back on after they were previously knocked off while reading earlier pages of the issue).
The Pale Knight #1
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Val Rodrigues
Colorist: Cristiane Peter
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review by Tim Rooney
Though set in the middle ages amid the throes of the Black Death, writer Peter Milligan smartly grounds The Pale Knight #1 in the banality of the violence and horror beneath all of the glamor of knights in shining armor.
Our hero, Sir Hugh de Grey, is haunted by his battles and clearly suffering from what we would consider PTSD. But de Grey sees these recurring nightmares as divine retribution. That sense of his own damnation festers on his long journey home, around which most of this first issue is set. He argues with his fellow knights and chastises his cynical and callous squire, all the while dreading what awaits him.
When he reaches home and discovers his son is plague ridden, the feelings of God’s abandonment reach new heights. It is only at the very end that fantasy intrudes on the grounded, human story. The appearance of Death, with its temptation and dark deals, is fittingly creepy. The classic Reaper is transformed into a strangely beautiful apparition, a skeleton draped in sweeping violet robes that absorbs all of the vertical space on the page. It’s a haunting ending to the first chapter that sets up further human conflicts. To what ends will a man who believes himself damned go to save his child? In a post-Covid world, a story of losing loved ones to an uncontrollable plague, of the bewilderment and confusion at its senselessness, bridges the centuries in a new way.
Val Rodrigues’s art is a little sparse in detail but effective in giving the book a visceral, gritty feeling. The visuals do not shy away from the gore of battle or the bodily horrors of the Plague. Cristiane Peter’s colors are eerie and desaturated, painting a world devoid of life or joy. The lettering by Dave Sharpe adds texture to the narration with its scroll-like captions, and does just enough to make Death’s dialogue stand out without becoming distracting or difficult to read. With its questions of faith, the cost of violence, and the meaning of suffering, this is a rich and compelling first issue.
FOC Watch
This books is available for pre-order now.
Lazarus: Fallen #1
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Michael Lark
Colorist: Santiago Arcas
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Image Comics
Due Out: June 25, 2025
Review by Zack Quaintance
One of my favorite series in all of comics is returning next month for its final story arc. This book is, of course, Lazarus, and for its finale it’s getting a new #1 with Lazarus: Fallen #1, from the full series creative team of writer Greg Rucka, artist Michael Lark, colorist Santiago Arcas, and letterer Ariana Maher. This finale is a long-time coming, with the previous issue of Lazarus — Lazarus: Fallen #7 — nearly two years ago, back in September 2022.
But the book picks up right where it left off, both in terms of its very high quality and its plot. Lazarus is one of the true gems of monthly comics and has been for some time. Michael Lark’s artwork is fantastic, colored to perfection by Santiago Arcas, and complimented perfect by Ariana Maher’s letters. Part of what’s for sale with Lazarus has always been it’s world — a world that is both sci-fi skewing and dystopian, yet utterly plausible in every way. Lark’s gritty yet realistic art captures and conveys this perfectly, and it’s as strong as ever in the new book.
Structurally, this new issue makes clear in its opening act that we’re running for the finish, using time jumps in interesting ways that serve and enhance both the action and the plotting. And while we don’t see much of our hero — the titular fallen Lazarus, Forever Carlyle — we do see the impact her most recent actions are happening on the world around her and the people in it. It’s a great, bold way to play the start of this final arc.
So yes, as a long-time reader of Lazarus I absolutely loved and highly recommend the first issue of its finale arc. It’s not new reader friendly (I mean, it’s the first issue of a finale arc), but it doesn’t need to be. The important thing here is that one of the best long-form stories in modern comics is going to get an end, and I couldn’t be more excited for the rest of it.
The Prog Report
- 2000AD 2434 (Rebellion Publishing): This week’s new Dredd story — Judge Dredd: The First 100 — hooked me from the first page. It’s a couple of judges talking about their first 100 hours on patrol with an experience Judge, to which one remarks: “It was memorable. I got Dredd.” And off we go, flashing back to the events of that first 100. It’s a fun way to tell a Dredd story, doing so through the eyes of a brand new Judge, and the scripting makes great use of her recollections as voice over. The art is also fantastic and energetic and just spot on for the story. Overall, this was a very strong debut for a new Dredd story. It was written by Dan Abnett, with art by Colin MacNeil, colors by Chris Blythe, and letters by Annie Parkhouse. This week’s cover (above) is by Clint Langley. As always, you can pick up a digital copy of The Prog here. —Zack Quaintance
This column is compiled and edited by The Beat’s reviews editor, Zack Quaintance. Read past entries in the weekly Wednesday Comics reviews series!
