Welcome to The Monthly Readcap, a recap slash review column where I take a look at ten of the comics I read each month — which is not nearly all of them, but it gives you a good look at the highlights — and let you know where I stand on them. It’s a review column that’s built from constraints, as I’ll never feature more than ten comics, and each review is capped at 100 words in length. In short: it’s an exercise in brevity, which is rare for me.

Additionally, each review will close with a final verdict that falls into one of two classes: Aw Yeah! (complimentary) or Oh No (derogatory). There will be no middle ground either! It’s all in or all out. This column will highlight a mix of both single issues and trade paperbacks/graphic novels, with the lean derived from what I’ve been reading the most recently, and what’s featured will not be defined by when the comic is released but when I read it. So, sometimes you’ll get older comics, and other times you’ll get comics that aren’t even out yet, as you’ll see in the first pick. While most will be recent releases, this is just how The Monthly Readcap goes!

Besides that? It’s a pretty straightforward review column, just with those constraints and my own flavor brought to it. So, let’s get to it, with the titles being in the order of when I read them.

Chainkata #1 through 4

Written, Drawn, and Colored by Daniel Warren Johnson
Lettered by Rus Wooton
Published by Image Comics

Synopsis: Luma is a chainsaw-wielding warrior queen seeking out an unknown power in the vastness of space. All she wants is to find peace… but violence and terror chase her through every black hole. Princess Mononoke meets Warhammer 40k in this high octane, sci-fi adventure poised to be the biggest launch of the year!

My take: I’ve read the first four issues of Chainkata and let me tell you: this is both what you’re expecting and not. Its first issue isn’t a traditional one, and its story doesn’t fully start cooking until the second entry. Its debut is more of a world-builder, but in the best of ways. Prepare for that, but ultimately, these issues find Daniel Warren Johnson pushing himself as a storyteller and artist in fascinating ways, dialing some things back (i.e. color) and ramping others way, way up. It results in a singular read that only could only have come from DWJ (complimentary).

Final Verdict: Aw Yeah!

Anxietyland

Created by Gemma Correll
Published by Gallery Books

Synopsis: In 2018, Gemma Correll had a panic attack that lasted for weeks on end. Unable to do much more than walk aimlessly through the streets of Berkeley, Correll admitted herself to the hospital to reckon with The Bad Feeling that had been her companion since she was a child.

My take: If you’re looking for a deep dive into one person’s journey with anxiety that’s loaded with humor, insight, and a stunning level of honesty, Gemma Correll’s Anxietyland is for you. While it can sometimes feel like there isn’t enough balance in this autobiographical work from the cartoonist — it could use some contextualization provided by the other things from her life along the way, as it doesn’t feel like we get a full vision of who she is — what we do get is sharply written, wonderfully cartooned, and eye-opening to a reader who has mercifully avoided the experiences Correll’s gone through.

Final Verdict: Aw Yeah!