EC Cruel Kingdom Vol 1 by Corinna Bechko, Matt Boris, Christopher Cantrell, Cameron Chittock, Chris Condon, Al Ewing, J. Holtham, Steve Niles, Greg Pak, and Ben H. Winters

EC Comics seems to have made a comeback recently and I’m here for it. EC Comics are now with Oni Press and have released some new titles available in monthly issues or graphic novel collections. I collected all of ‘Epitaphs From the Abyss” which was EC Comics return to horror in the style of the old Tales from the Crypt. I did not collect their second run titled Cruel Universe which was a homage to the Sci-Fi comics from back in the day. When I saw this mash up of fantasy and Sci-Fi come available on NetGalley I was so excited to be approved for an advanced reading copy for a review. Thank you so much to Oni Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

Cruel Kingdom Vol 1 is the collection of issues 1-4. There are a total of 13 stories in this collection that range from abuse of technology, alien invasion, a twist on classic tales, and plenty of witches and knights to please any reader. Check out the titles:

I liked this collection and some of my favorites are the twists on classic tales. Death and Pickaxes is a twist on Snow White, The Demons Face is like the sword and the Stone and What you wish for is a Cinderella tale. I also really enjoyed Blood of the Robo King, and Heart of Ice.

I love EC comics. The artists they have writing and drawing are incredibly talented. I have yet to find a story that is not well scripted or drawn. This was a great read and if you like fantasy and a little Sci-Fi this collection is for you. 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃 Check it out when it is released on January 13, 2026.