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EC Cruel Universe 2 #1
AT THE STAR-LINED EDGES OF INFINITY, EC COMICS’ SCI-FI SMASH HIT RETURNS TO DRAW MORE WORLDS INTO THE MAW OF ITS GRAVITATIONAL VORTEX WITH AN ALL-NEW AND UNRELENTING 12-ISSUE MAXI-SERIES! Whether future or past, Earth or a distant world, no man can outrun the infinite singularity within us FEAR! Join this doomed expedition into the cold, unforgiving galaxies beyond our own as nihilistic navigators Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), J. Holtham (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss), Kano (Immortal Iron Fist), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), David Rubín (Sherlock Frankenstein), and Greg Pak (Planet Hulk) smash the laws of science . . . and splice the immortal EC Comics genome into a new breed of parasitic extraterrestrial tales with an endless appetite for pain! Plus, as an added A nerve-rending science-fiction classic from the EC vaults, painstakingly remastered and newly restored to its original coloring! BEYOND SPACE, BEYOND OBLIVION. . . . There is something vast, unsympathetic, and envious that yearns to consume us all in this CRUEL UNIVERSE! Let’s make it work for it, shall we?
Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 4, 2026
Cruel Universe 2 #1 — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
By J. Holtham, Charlie Adlard (Artist), Kano (Artist)
Cruel Universe 2 #1 opens its airlock and immediately drags you into another round of cosmic dread—an anthology where fear isn’t just a theme, it’s the gravitational force holding everything together. With a murderer’s row of writers and artists contributing, this issue feels like a guided tour through the darkest corners of speculative horror, each story orbiting the same bleak truth: the universe is vast, uncaring, and always hungry.
Most of the entries absolutely land. The writing is sharp, strange, and confidently nihilistic, and the artwork—especially from Charlie Adlard and Kano—leans into that EC‑inspired DNA with modern precision. There’s a real pleasure in watching each creative team twist their own brand of terror into the anthology’s overarching thesis. Whether it’s a doomed expedition, a psychological unraveling, or a creature feature in deep space, the book delivers variety without losing cohesion.
Not every story hits the same altitude. One piece feels like it needed another pass—either to sharpen the narrative hook or push the visuals further into the grotesque, the uncanny, or the emotionally resonant. But in an anthology this ambitious, a single wobble doesn’t derail the mission.
What does stand out is the sheer range of talent: Cecil Castellucci, Chris Condon, Melissa Flores, Sarah Gailey, Ryan Haddock, Rian Hughes, Ann Nocenti, Greg Pak, Dave Wielgosz—and the stacked lineup of artists including Sami Kivelä, Brian Level, Andrea Mutti, Anna Readman, Claire Roe, Riley Rossmo, and David Rubín. Together, they splice the old‑school EC genome into something slick, parasitic, and very much alive.
Cruel Universe 2 #1 is a reminder that space isn’t the final frontier—it’s the final threat. And this anthology makes the void worth staring into.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
By J. Holtham, Charlie Adlard (Artist), Kano (Artist)
Cruel Universe 2 #1 opens its airlock and immediately drags you into another round of cosmic dread—an anthology where fear isn’t just a theme, it’s the gravitational force holding everything together. With a murderer’s row of writers and artists contributing, this issue feels like a guided tour through the darkest corners of speculative horror, each story orbiting the same bleak truth: the universe is vast, uncaring, and always hungry.
Most of the entries absolutely land. The writing is sharp, strange, and confidently nihilistic, and the artwork—especially from Charlie Adlard and Kano—leans into that EC‑inspired DNA with modern precision. There’s a real pleasure in watching each creative team twist their own brand of terror into the anthology’s overarching thesis. Whether it’s a doomed expedition, a psychological unraveling, or a creature feature in deep space, the book delivers variety without losing cohesion.
Not every story hits the same altitude. One piece feels like it needed another pass—either to sharpen the narrative hook or push the visuals further into the grotesque, the uncanny, or the emotionally resonant. But in an anthology this ambitious, a single wobble doesn’t derail the mission.
What does stand out is the sheer range of talent: Cecil Castellucci, Chris Condon, Melissa Flores, Sarah Gailey, Ryan Haddock, Rian Hughes, Ann Nocenti, Greg Pak, Dave Wielgosz—and the stacked lineup of artists including Sami Kivelä, Brian Level, Andrea Mutti, Anna Readman, Claire Roe, Riley Rossmo, and David Rubín. Together, they splice the old‑school EC genome into something slick, parasitic, and very much alive.
Cruel Universe 2 #1 is a reminder that space isn’t the final frontier—it’s the final threat. And this anthology makes the void worth staring into.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
October 3, 2025
2.5 stars rounded down.
STRANGE LAND is a strong start with haymaker ending. Unfortunately, CATCH takes a cool premise and buried it in poor execution and FITTEST reads like a page or two was edited out of the story. The classic DERELICT from 1953 is a resonant tale and a wonderful peek into how the youth of the 50s processed losing their fathers to a strong anti-fascist cause—great stuff!
Read on a single issue with the Fowler cover.
STRANGE LAND is a strong start with haymaker ending. Unfortunately, CATCH takes a cool premise and buried it in poor execution and FITTEST reads like a page or two was edited out of the story. The classic DERELICT from 1953 is a resonant tale and a wonderful peek into how the youth of the 50s processed losing their fathers to a strong anti-fascist cause—great stuff!
Read on a single issue with the Fowler cover.
August 26, 2025
#11 but the cover matches.
Not feeling this one. oh well, just a few more issues.
Art is pretty good.
Not feeling this one. oh well, just a few more issues.
Art is pretty good.
April 10, 2026
The first volume of EC Cruel Universe had a few highlights, but was generally weak. This inaugural issue to its second volume is uniformly strong (and politically potent), hopefully a delightful portent for future issues.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews