In this week’s Wednesday Comics column, it’s one of those good weeks of assorted weirdo comics, including Red Roots #1, a new edition of Hellboy in Love, the concluding issue of Roots of Madness, and more! Plus, FOC Watch and The Prog Report!
Red Roots #1
Writer/Artist: Lorenzo De Felici
Letters: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
Review by Clyde Hall
From Dusk Till Dawn. Bone Tomahawk. The Cabin in the Woods.
This list may help determine if Red Roots is for you. Basically, if you enjoyed the genre-switching elements of those movies, how a violent crime flick turns into an even more violent vampire romp, how a Western morphs into a grounded horror entrée, or how a teen slasher film undergoes a meta-horror Armageddon metamorphosis, this comic’s for you.
Because almost one-man show Lorenzo De Felici brings the best elements of a vigilante action flick and a teacher-themed horror piece into parallel alignment for crafting the first issue. And he doesn’t yet merge the two, which leaves a lot of mystery to be explored in subsequent entries.
Two running narratives comprise the premiere, one involving a special ops agent codenamed Sand making a seemingly suicidal strike against former clients of his organization. The second tracks high school teacher Kate through her sedate, at times humorous, adventures in modern education. Until that’s interrupted by a grisly discovery in her home.
Given the contrasting tone between the protagonist introductions, it’s a testament to De Felici’s writing that it works as well as it does. Sand is a tactical, militant force to be reckoned with. Kate’s clever and caring, the sort of teacher most of us remember fondly from those uncertain teen years. Their individual appeal makes wanting to see how they’re connected a real drive into the second issue.
On the downside personally, looking for connective tissue between the two storylines led to misunderstandings more than once. They were cleared up with a second read through, but framing events in both narratives differently could have avoided confusion.
The other element of uncertainty comes from what might be, what at least appears to be, a third genre on-ramp joining these two parallel story lanes. At the very least, that possibility will likely make me pick up the next issue just to see exactly how De Felici accomplishes this. For other readers, the lack of a clear merging point or common factors linking either the genres or the storylines may be a disappointment.
Regarding the art, De Felici’s illustration gets top kudos for how suited it is in both storylines. That is, for how he fashions such different vantage points while making it undeniable that these dissimilar characters in wildly different circumstances still occupy the same reality.
As the only other creator-behind-the-curtain on this project, letterer Rus Wooton gets special recognition. His sound effect fonts are equal parts disjointed, alarming, even amusing. As such, they complement the overall and sweepingly varied tone of this book. More, they are perfectly consistent between both narratives, providing a needed binding spell for them.
For all these reasons, curiosity regarding how the pieces will eventually fit together being paramount, Red Roots deserves a slot on your pull list. Most especially if you enjoy genre-swapping fictions blended well.
Hellboy In Love: Black Eyes #1
Writers: Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Artist: Alex Nieto
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Review by Jared Bird
The latest one-shot entry in the Hellboy in Love line of comics, Black Eyes sees Hellboy and his girlfriend Anastasia Bransfield visit retired B.P.R.D agents Archie and Margaret in Coventry, England, only to become involved in a mysterious ghost story in the dead of winter.
Set some time after 2025’s The Art of Fire miniseries, this newest one-shot has a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, going for a classic British ghost story structure with some slice-of-life elements that works in a brilliant way. It’s both a fun, cute story and also quite emotionally moving, examining how the United Kingdom changed after the second World War and some of the stories lost in the past because of it. At only two dozen pages, it has a relaxed and casual pace that allows the story to unfold gradually. The only significant issue is a truncated middle section, which definitely could’ve used more pages to examine Hellboy and Ana’s first fight, especially considering the ongoing dramatic foreshadowing across the line of titles given that we know Hellboy doesn’t spend the rest of his life with her. In terms of a standalone, whimsical story, it works phenomenally, but it does beg some questions for how the larger narrative will be paced going forward.
The script, co-written by Mike Mignola and regular contributor Christopher Golden, is cute and a lot of fun. They have such a seamless rhythm together as writers by this point that it’s basically impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins, forming a unified and efficient voice for this type of narrative. This one-shot isn’t the craziest or most out-there story they’ve done together, but it’s got a fun energy to it that carries you through this cosy, atmospheric narrative easily, leading to a heartwarming and wholesome finish.
The artwork by Alex Nieto, another regular contributor to the line, is fantastic. He really shines here, delivering some of his best and most bubbly artwork yet, with a fun cartoon-like style that serves the narrative beautifully. He leans into the cozy winter atmosphere really well, crafting a sweetness and warmth to the story that’s beautiful to see. It suits the overall tone of the line superbly, a more slice-of-life oriented and fun take on the character, and I hope he continues to contribute artistically.
Overall, Hellboy In Love: Black Eyes #1 is a whimsical and fun one-shot with a surprising level of emotional sincerity and sweetness to it, aided by a wonderful ghost story and a cozy, inviting atmosphere with great and smooth artwork to match. Whether new to the series or a long-term fan, this is a treat, and definitely worth checking out.
Roots of Madness #6
Writer: Stephanie Williams
Artist: Letizia Cadonici
Colorist: Alessandro Santoro
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Publisher: Ignition Press
Review by Khalid Johnson
Written by Stephanie Williams, the final issue answers every lingering question and yet, I wish there was more Roots of Madness. The finale builds in more understanding of Jewel and her history while exploring further what Etta’s readiness means in the context of the women who have come before her and for those who will come after.
Throughout the series, Etta is spurred by her desire for knowledge and the use of it in service of her community, the juxtaposition of that idea with a hive-mind that offers a communal knowledge from beyond the stars is captivating and seeing the difference in what that means for one’s people, in how it’s rooted really drives that home. Etta’s own connection to the flower is explored through her lineage, a seed planted and nurtured until she was ready for the moment that the series finds her.
The discussion about that nurturing is one of eugenics; Etta’s reconciliation with that history sees her prioritize the importance of choice. Choice is the throughline here; where she had been in others’ machinations or kept from information, we see Etta boldly embracing her agency and with art by Letizia Cadonici, colors by Alessandro Santoro and letters by Andworld Design, that embrace is bold and impactful.
I love how vibrant the light is, the warmth throughout really dials up the drama while the expressiveness of the characters and the body horror of connected roots through people is gripping. Black cosmic horror and a period piece, Roots of Madness is enthralling, it sits with questions of what we do for the betterment of our community and the choices we make in that effort.
I loved this series and I wish there was more.
Rapid Review
GI Joe: Sssilent Missions: Firefly: It’s a action comic written and drawn by Jorge Fornés. If that isn’t enough to make it an instant read, you are wrong. But, if I must expand this for specifics, Fornés utilizes his typical clean style to present an infiltration story set during the cold war. While largely a “Extremely well made hamburger” of a comic, Fornés and colorist Dave Stewart nevertheless find opportunities to present information is delightfully charming ways, be it something as simple as using a lighter shade of red to show characters being murdered or having the titular Firefly navigate through the vents via showing the whole process. It’s very much a work of competence porn, but it’s damn good at it. —Sean Dillon
FOC Watch
The following titles are currently available for pre-order at your local comic shop!
Operation: Iron Coffin #1
Writer: Kenny Porter
Artist: Tyrell Cannon
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Due Out: July 8, 2026
Review By Zack Quaintance
Operation: Iron Coffin is a comic in which Dracula teams up with the British during WWII to fight Nazis. And if Nazis and Dracula weren’t enough, Dracula is also battling his way through a Nazi horror experiment train so that he can escape being sent to hell. Do I even need to go on, or have you put down your phone, laptop, or tablet, and rushed off (leaving a dust cartoon outline) to pre-order this one?
My point being, that I’ve now read an advance of this first issue, and I think it’s safe to say that if you like the sound of this comic, you’re going to love what you find inside of this comic.
It’s a madlib of a plot, to be sure, but there’s something about the pulp elements involved that when combined just works. It’s also a story pitch that you hear over a convention table or at a hotel bar, chuckle, and say, awesome, pretty much reflexively. And the execution of this comic on the page is such that the whole thing ultimately feels like a B Movie you saw late at night at a friend’s house as a kid — which is the exact right way to execute this sort of thing.
Artist Tyrell Cannon is clearly having a lot of fun with it, too. There are whole pages in this book without captioning or dialogue — but with SFX that range from ARGH! to SPLURCH — in which Dracula dismembers Nazi soldiers as they pointlessly fire machine guns at his head. On those pages, writer Kenny Porter wisely writes a script that knows exactly when to sit back and, as they say, let the artist cook. This first issue even sends Dracula to hell for a quick minute, where it’s even gorier and the imagery can really cut loose. Great choices all around, with the visuals.
Thematically, the book does some work around redemption arcs, as well as what makes a true monster, but let’s be real, a desire for a story with poignant character work is not why you’re here reading about Operation: Iron Coffin. You are here because the comic has Nazis fighting Dracula. And I am here to tell you that it is awesome, and you want to buy a ticket and take the ride with this excellently ridiculous book.
The Prog Report
2000AD 2480 (Rebellion): I am really enjoying Brink of late, and I think this week’s chapter was one of its best yet. Brink: The Call of the Void is by writer Dan Abnett, artist INJ Culbard, and letterer Simon Bowland. In the past I’ve praised the strip for how visually interesting it manages to always be, even in chapters where not all that much is happening. In this chapter, we do get something happening — something rather mysterious and creepy — and the artwork, of course, looks fantastic conveying it. This is a patient, assured comic, and I enjoy it quite a bit. This week’s cover (above) is by Joe Currie. As always, you can pick up a digital copy of The Prog here. —Zack Quaintance
Column edited by Zack Quaintance.
Read past entries in the weekly Wednesday Comics reviews series or check-out our other reviews here!
