It was a week filled with what felt like minimal comic news in terms of impact and a lot of bad things, so, folks, forgive me for this: I just want to start this edition of Comics Disassembled with some great art. So, that’s what we’ll be doing, as I look at the week that was by sharing ten things I liked or didn’t like from the latest in the world of comics, with that led by an artist who really stands out.

Alariko, Living Rent-Free

If there’s a single creator from 2025 who has captured my imagination, it’s Alariko, a Spanish artist who seems to have been set on this Earth for the sole purpose of creating landscapes and scenes that are exactly the visuals my brain desires more than anything. Small towns, ancient castle, rolling hills, one-of-a-kind buildings…you name it, Alariko delivers perfect renditions of scenic settings that only someone of remarkable talent and vision ever could. It just feels alive.

The above piece that arrived this week is incredible. It’s also probably not in my top 20 pieces from this year by the artist. That’s how good he is. Now, he’s not explicitly a comic artist. So far, Alariko just draws these types of visuals while occasionally doing comic-related work like his poster for this year’s ShortBox Comics Fair. Having a write-up about his work lead off this column might seem like a miss in that regard. I don’t even care. Great art is great art, and I hope to feature a lot more of Alariko’s work on the site going forward. It’s just exquisite.

Carla Speed McNeil, Back in Action

In one of the most surprising and exciting returns in a while, cartoonist Carla Speed McNeil of Finder fame announced this week that they would be releasing their first print comic in years in the form of Settlers of the Storm Worlds. More than that, it will be getting a 20-page print preview you can pick up if you happen to be attending this weekend’s Small Press Expo, or SPX (it’s also available for free on their Patreon). So, what is it? It’s a “portal-fiction mixed-genre gumbo of fantasy and science fiction” that finds some witchy folk traveling through a magical black hole at the center of a hurricane, and the adventure that happens from there. Which sounds great.

It’s more than just that. Apparently McNeil is exploring a lot of ideas right now, with a goal of getting through the first chapter of as many as five ideas while tackling something with the incredible name of Raccoon Crime Squad before getting back into Finder. That’s an audacious goal, and one that comes with some incredible art. For those that are unfamiliar with McNeil, they’re the type of cartoonist other cartoonists see the work of and go, “I want to be them when I grow up.” So, this is a big deal, and the type of thing that will create some serious battles at SPX this weekend. Good luck to everyone! I hope you wear your running shoes!