Welcome to The Monthly Readcap, a new, hopefully monthly column here on SKTCHD where I’m going to do something very atypical for me: review comic books.

One of my most frequently asked questions is why reviews aren’t something I do. The main reason is that so many other sites do it already, and they do it well. So, why try to compete, especially considering the fact that my whole goal is to zig while others zag. Reviews just don’t make a ton of sense for me. Plus, they’re not my favorite thing to do. But a recent check-in from someone about this made me wonder…what would my version of a review column look like?

That’s where The Monthly Readcap was born.

It’s a recap slash review of the comics I read each month, 3 albeit with built-in constraints. What are those constraints? On the final Thursday of each month, I will highlight ten different comics — and no more than ten — that I read that month, and I’ll do so in reviews that are capped at 100 words in length. 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.

Each edition of 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. 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.

Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1

Written by Matt Fraction and G. Willow Wilson
Drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inked by Cliff Rathburn
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Clayton Cowles
Published by DC Comics

Synopsis: Gotham City’s new mayor, Pamela Isley, deserted by her allies both political and arcane, is about to make a last-ditch power play that will leave Gotham decimated by daylight. Having already declared war on the Bat-Family and flooded the streets with his private, paramilitarized police army, Police Commissioner Vandal Savage sees an opportunity to solve two problems at once. Storylines converge in Batman: Bad Seeds, a Gotham City event spanning one long, dark night in Gotham that threatens to turn the entire city into a hostile world of prehistoric plant life unlike anything on Earth for millennia, at a time when its greatest heroes are hunted and in hiding. 

My take: Beginning a big crossover has to be an incredible challenge, because the weight of the entire storyline depends on a creative team’s ability to convince readers that what’s waiting for them is worth getting invested in. That’s why the opening gambit to Bad Seeds is so impressive. Even though there’s all kinds of big superhero world business, it’s still a character driven story that cleverly positions The Bat Family and their roles in this larger story. It lays out the board and then hooks us with a concept and timeline that makes this story feel unique. And it looks good.

Final Verdict: Aw Yeah!

Lovers of the Empire Vol. 1

Created by Yudori
Published by Takumigraphics

Synopsis: South Korea, 1929. Arisa Jo, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is the most eligible bachelorette in all of Gyeongsung (the capital city). With her Western dresses, movie star hairstyle, and assertive attitude, she embodies bold “Modern” values. Meet her opposite, Jun Seomoon, a young man from the countryside deeply rooted in tradition. When Jun is charged by Arisa’s father to be her escort in the big city, these opposing forces create sparks. Through this unlikely connection, these teenagers open their eyes to new perspectives amidst the rapidly changing world they live in.

My take: Apologies to Yudori, but I was unfamiliar with your game until now. That’s a shame because my god, what a stunning comic. Lovers of the Empire’s opening salvo is a gorgeously drawn, impeccably colored, and wonderfully told work. Not to get dramatic, but I was in constant awe of her gifts as a cartoonist, and there’s a wit and bite to Lovers of the Empire that astounds. Oddly, I feel like it makes for a nice pairing with another favorite from 2026 in Hisashi Eguchi’s Stop!! Hibari-Kun!, if only for the life both cartoonists bring to their characters and worlds.

Final Verdict: Aw Yeah!