Trading Pages: New Releases January 2025
January 2025 kicked off the new year with a strong assortment of trade paperbacks filled with horror, mystery, and raccoon monks. Check out which titles are worth your time in this month’s Trading Pages reviews.
While numerical scores are not provided, these collected editions are graded on a scale of: Must Read, Consider It, or Maybe Pass.
Into the Unbeing Vol. 1
Into the Unbeing Vol. 1 masterfully captures the terror of that comes with isolation in unexplored lands. Thrilling and tense, this first volume offers plenty of dread and mind-bending horrors.
Following a group of climate scientists, the team decides to investigate an unexplained landform in the Australian outback. As they reach their destination, they are forced into the mouth of a cavern that is eerily shaped like that of a giant.
Filled with commentary on climate change and humanity’s hubris, this first volume offers no reprieve from trepidation, and instead locks readers into a story that goes deeper into anxiety-inducing worlds.
Verdict: Must Read
By Zac Thompson (Author), Hayden Sherman (Illustrator & Colorist), and Jim Campbell (Letterer).
Published by Dark Horse Comics.
The Butcher’s Boy
The Butcher’s Boy brings back slasher genres that once dominated cinema in the early 2000s only for the script to hold back what could’ve been an interesting story.
A group of friends make a road trip to a small Pacific Northwest town notorious for a serial killer that once walked the streets claiming victims nearly 100 years ago. Upon their arrival, it’s clear something supernatural and sinister may have been the source of bloody violence and has the friends in its sights.
While the art blends flashbacks of drama amongst friends with present bloody horrors, the convoluted script ultimately makes reading this comic feel like a bit of a slog. With its lack of interesting characters, this series attempts to hook readers with a mystery that never truly finds its pacing.
Verdict: Maybe Pass
By Landry Q. Walker (Author), Justin Greenwood (Illustrator), Brad Sampson (Colorist), and Pat Brosseau (Letterer).
Published by Dark Horse Comics.
Blow Away
Blow Away may not change the mystery/thriller genre, but it certainly crafts an engaging and isolating story.
Brynne is a wildlife photographer on assignment in Baffin Island—a cold and isolated part of Canada. While tracking the endangered Red Knot Bird, she witnesses a nefarious argument between two climbers. Whether the exchange resulted murder or a tragic accident quickly becomes Brynne’s obsession.
Like finding a new movie on a Sunday afternoon, Blow Away knows how to hook readers and keep hold throughout its narrative. This self-contained story is thrilling and readers will find themselves frantically turning page after to page to see what happens next.
Verdict: Must Read
By Zac Thompson (Author), Nicola Izzo (Illustrator), Francesco Segala (Colorist), and Andworld Design (Letterer).
Published by BOOM! Studios.
The Mammoth
The Mammoth crafts a unique supernatural mystery layered with themes of lost loves and acceptance of the unknown.
In the isolated area of Broke Tree Valley, unexplained seismic activity has resulted in research teams venturing into the dense forest in hopes of understanding the phenomenon. As another quake shakes the ground, researchers Jess, Mason, and Kokoro rush to safety only to discover their colleague Olivia was mysteriously killed.
Well-paced and a fun blend of body horror and mystical elements, The Mammoth provides readers with an entertaining—but eerie—experience.
Verdict: Consider It
By Paul Tobin (Author), Arjuna Susini (Illustrator), Pippa Bowland (Colorist), and Charles Pritchett (Letterer).
Published by Mad Cave Studios.
William of Newbury
William of Newbury is a charming supernatural comic book that combines history, illiterate robbers, and battles against demons.
This comic follows the journey of William, a raccoon monk who travels England and easily displaces forces of evil while also being scared of spiders and thieves. Surrounded by civil war and plagues, surviving isn’t easy for holy ones.
With its subtle humor and witty dialogue, William of Newbury reads like medieval road trip story. Colorful and cleverly designed, this adventure tale is worth picking up.
Verdict: Consider It
By Michael Avon Oeming (Author, Illustrator, & Letterer).
Published by Dark Horse Comics.
Falling in Love on the Path to Hell Vol. 1
Hell isn’t a typical destination for romance, but Falling in Love on the Path to Hell isn’t exactly a typical story. Violent, dramatic, and action-packed, this series is like a cocktail of dynamic storytelling elements that hits hard.
Set in the 1800s, this supernatural drama consists of two protagonists: Macraith, a gun-toting assassin, and Ogata Asami, a highly trained samurai. While their lives were filled with blood and death, their punishment is to survive daily attacks from monstrous creatures with other captives.
Make no mistake, this comic book is not for the faint of heart. It’s every bit as ruthless as it is beautifully drawn and wonderfully told.
Verdict: Must Read
By Gerry Duggan (Author/Artist), Garry Brown (Author/Artist), Chris O’Halloran (Colorist), and Joe Sabino (Letterer).
Published by Image Comics.