Theron Couch
The Pale Knight #1
(W) Peter Milligan (A) Val Rodrigues (C) Cristiane Peter (L) Dave Sharpe
England, 1349. Sir Hugh de Grey, the Pale Knight, returns from war to find a land ravaged by the Black Death, and his son dying of the plague. When he prays to God to save his son’s life, it is not God who answers–but Death himself. And Death is willing to cut a deal.
Most of The Pale Knight #1 focuses on setting up the historical circumstances in which the series takes place. The issue doesn’t obsess over the history, but Milligan makes sure the reader is informed about the necessary basics of the time period. This priority does make for slow moments early in the issue, but it should minimize the necessity for significant world building as the supernatural plot gets going.
Milligan primarily uses third person narration to advance the story, but he doesn’t completely eschew character interaction and dialogue. Sequences featuring Hugh de Grey speaking to other characters are intermittent, appearing more in the latter half of the issue. Even so, Milligan successfully builds the character into a compelling one in advance of the final pages’ shocking events.
Rodrigues’ work isn’t excessively detailed, but he employs a significant amount of shading to get a sense of contour and depth on both backgrounds and characters. Backgrounds are further enhanced by Peter’s soft color palette.
The Pale Knight #1 starts slow but it builds to an effective ending and sets up an enticing supernatural/historical horror story.
Final order cutoff: May 5; In stores: May 28
Endless Night #1
(W) Mark London (A) Tom Derinick (C) Juancho Valez (L) Simon Boland
When Axel Black, an obsessive tech billionaire and head of the sinister Order of Nine, sends his operatives to Exit City in search of a dangerous mystical artifact, only a team of unlikely allies from different corners of the underworld can prevent an apocalyptic catastrophe: VELVETEEN, the elite rogue assassin hellbent on revenge; McCORMICK & MILLER, two detectives keeping peace in a lawless city; and OWEN BLACKWOOD, a monster hunter duty-bound to stop evil. But tensions are mounting, and time is running out!
Endless Night is an ambitious crossover that follows up on Exit City, Hour of the Wolf, and Revoluti9n. London assumes readers have prior knowledge of these series, though, and as such there is virtually no backstory in Endless Night #1. New readers coming to this series may struggle to keep up with the issue’s fast pace and lack of details about the main characters.
Readers who are familiar with the three series that feed into Endless Night #1 will have a very different experience. Armed with knowledge about the various characters involved, they are likely to be gripped by the story immediately. London maintains a fast pace and never lets up on the tension that is established almost from the first page.
Derinick’s art is detailed both when it comes to characters and settings. Combined with Valez’s coloring, the issue is visually engaging. This is especially true during action sequences. There is a horror sequence as well, and while the gruesome killing at the center of it is not seen, the aftermath is quite gruesome.
Endless Night #1 offers very different experiences depending on readers’ familiarity with the material. That said, it is still an engaging page turner.
Final order cutoff: May 12; In stores: June 4
Blue Palo Verde #1
(W) Ray Fawkes (A) Rimanti (C) Rifan Kartakusumah (L) Frank Cvetkovic
On her first day out of jail, Kristine Woods discovers that her father has disappeared into a mysterious isolated town hidden in the New Mexico desert. Now it’s up to her to find him and rescue him from a bizarre and unnatural threat. An atmospheric folk-horror story of dread and redemption set in the American Southwest, starting in June 2025!
Fawkes is a master of pacing here. Blue Palo Verde #1 is a tense comic from panel one and it manages to steadily increase until the last page. The story rests on folk horror tropes such as isolated and secretive communities, the arrival of a stranger who may uncover dark secrets, and ritual sacrifice. But it also pushes back the more explicit depictions of those ideas into future issues.
Kristine makes for an intriguing character. Her undefined prison background gives her a certain presence even if it does rest on readers’ preconceived notions. She possesses a great deal of willpower and physical strength.
Rimanti’s depiction of Kristine lives up to how Fawkes sets her up in the larger narrative. She is imposing in height and overall body type. Rimanti gives her a good scowl when necessary. Overall, the characters in Blue Palo Verde #1 are well realized. Rimanti makes them expressive both in how he depicts their body language and facial reactions.
Blue Palo Verde #1 makes for an exciting and urgent beginning to a story that will appeal to horror fans.
Final order cutoff: May 19; In stores: June 11
Bytchcraft #1
(W) Aaron Reese (A) Lema Carril (C) Bex Glendining (L) Morgan Martinez
Set against the backdrop of modern-day New York City during a seemingly permanent supernatural eclipse, Bytchcraft follows a queer coven bound by magic and blood, each bringing their own flair to the craft: a pretentious oracle who speaks with gods, an emo necromancer with a forked tongue, and a nature witch with the soul of a fairy tale princess. Under the guidance of their enigmatic guardian MTHR, the coven discovers they’re at the center of an ancient prophecy, and all wytchkind hangs in the balance!
Glendining’s coloring dominates Bytchcraft #1. The first few pages especially grab a reader’s attention with bright spectacle–in setting, character design, and expression of supernatural abilities. The rest of the issue settles down somewhat, but from beginning to end this is a visually engaging comic.
The story is driven as much by character interaction as it is by the peculiarities of witchcraft and supernatural elements that the characters interact with. As a result, the issue advances for the most part at a slow burn. It has peaks of tension that are leavened by lighter character beats.
Intended to be “a love letter to queer friendship, Black Magick, and the found families that sustain us,” Bytchcraft #1 is as much if not more about its characters than it is the larger supernatural plot that surrounds them.
Final order cutoff: May 26; In stores: June 18
