As a fan of horror and fantasy, this comic collection was right up my alley. With a diverse selection of art and storytelling, this offers up a bite sized story for just about every taste. While some of them have predictable twists, others surprised me with where they went and how they got there. Some of them are extremely gory, others only with implied gore. From fairy tales to futuristic invaders, robots, King Arthur, and cooks, there’s a lot of variety.

I don’t know, I just thought it was a fun, quick read. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

Cruel Kingdom is a fantastical & gory great graphic novel you NEED TO READ!

Cruel Kingdom is a blood-soaked blast of dark fantasy that feels like EC Comics got drunk on sword and sorcery and decided to throw a haunted dinner party. Corinna Bechko delivers twisted tales full of magic, murder, and myth, all wrapped in gorgeously grim art that makes every panel feel like a cursed relic. It’s got cannibal kings, creepy feasts, and just enough moral rot to make you squirm, in the best way. If you love your horror with a medieval edge and a wink of wicked humor, this anthology is absolutely your jam.

EC Comics doing what they do best. An outstanding collection of bleak, dark fantasy vignettes. Brilliantly pulpy art and writing -- very easy to gobble the whole thing up. Puts one in the mind of Tales from the Crypt, Black Mirror, and Aeon Flux. This is what we need more of nowadays: comics that'll cause another panic!

Another fun read from Oni Press.

This is another collection of short stories in a ‘Cruel’ setting, darker than the usual fantasy so horror-tinged or with a dark outcome.

I really enjoyed most of these, so much so that it felt like it was over and done with much too quickly as I shot through them on my morning commute.

A few of my favourites were; “Friendly Visitors” which looked at colonialism and the overconfidence of an ‘advanced’ race (humans) looking smugly at taking over another planet to strip it of its resources but with a really unexpected yet pleasing outcome, “The Demon’s Face” though I think I got the twist early on this was still a fun read playing with the destiny of heroes and gender expectations, “Hammer of Witches” another story of witchcraft and witch trials with a nice twist at the end, “The Feast of King Arthur” hilarious and goes with the current idea of ‘Eat the Rich’, and finally “Ye Shall Be Healed” another story riffing on the Frankenstein theme but with an even darker twist.

All the stories in the collection are good and it did take a bit of time to choose the ones I thought were stand outs so don’t worry about any duds.

A nice broad range of illustrators and colourists really bring all the stories to life, turning the words into worlds that we can lose ourselves in.

Another of the Cruel series to add to the shops inventory!

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cool combination of horror, fantasy, and scifi in this graphic novel anthology! I had a blast reading this one and hope there’s another in the works. Favourite story had to “The Feast of King Arthur”, but it was hard to pick, they were all unique.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and illustrators, and Oni Press for a copy!

EC Comics seems to have made a comeback recently and I’m here for it. EC Comics are now with Omni 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 Omni 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.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

This was another great volume from the new EC line. A mixture of grimdark fantasy with sci-fi elements. These stories are all told in a quick but satisfying way, maintaining the twist/punch that EC was always known for.

Great batch of ideas and artwork.

Bit of a different pick up for me and a bit of a different review structure for me. This graphic novel is separated into an anthology of short stories each with different teams behind them, so I’m going to give each a mini review and then my overall thoughts at the end.

Blood of the Robo King
Stunning - especially the last panel. The work of Leomacs and Iñaki Azpiazu together creates incredibly evocative of the medieval robot war. The last panel especially gives such a stunning and evocative tableau. The short story by Greg Pak was succinct, dark and fit with the theme of the volume.

Friendly Visitors
Following two legally distinct hobbits who are visited by a humanoid alien species who ‘come in peace’ to remove ‘dangerous magic to the world’ and are foiled by the elderly Mistress Stormeye. Art by Kano and story by Al Ewing (a historical favourite of mine from my more active comic reading days) - incredibly themeatic and succinct in its anti-colonisation theme.

Death and Pickaxes
Dark reimagining of Snow White with a murderous dwarf. Dark with some of the panels being incredibly evocative of the darkness in the mines and the brightness of the forest. I found it a little weaker but still a solid entry. Written by Chris Condon and art by Charlie Adlard.

The Demon’s Face
A mix of a Eowyn style twist and Arthurian legend, the story seems more like a set up than a full short story. I loved the work of colourist, Michael Atiyeh, in this, their style gave the art by Andrea Mutti a very watercolour like effect that complimented the story by Ben H. Winters well.

A Rare Immunity
A strong entry in here. I loved the art style by PJ Holden (artist) and Michelle Madsen (colourist) - especially the opening panel which really evoked the nature of the story. I liked that the armour reminded me of Warhammer to some extent. The story by Chris Condon is a not unusual one for dark fantasy but was added to heavily by the format.

Hammer of Witches
I really enjoyed this one! As with The Demon’s Face, I loved the work of the colourist, Michael Atiyeh, in adding to the art with a painting style to the art of Andrea Mutti. This story I found to be one of the stronger of the anthology, by Steve Niles, and the ending really packed a punch for me.

The Seat of Power
Also really enjoyed this one. It reminded more of classic 80s and 90s comics from the structure of panels and the art style of David Lapham and colour work of Nick Filardi. The story by Cameron Chittock is a strong one, again not unexpected in dark fantasy but I really liked it and would love to see more of this concept and story.

Just Desserts
Again, another one in a row I loved. This one really surprised me, the story by Matt Bors is less grandeous than the previous entries in the series, focusing on the cooks of the court. The art by Valeria Burzo teams well with the colourist Iñaki Azpiazu - I particularly loved the use of shade throughout. I love that this story was motivated by something that ended up relatively trivial, despite the actions causing such pain.

The Feast of King Arthur
Very dark and actually was unexpected for me! I loved the full page panels making up the start and end of this. Art by Kano was more traditional in style along. Enjoyed this story by Christopher Cantwell a lot.

Heart of Ice
I loved the cooler tones within this one. Violent and dark as always, following the story of a mercenary after her saber tooth tiger and as with all of them packed a punch. I loved the art as I have throughout by the team of Andrea Mutti and Michael Atiyeh and this article setting worked well to showcase a different side to their style together.

Headmistress
Following a group of warriors training with the titular headmistress, this entry is very hack and slash-y which allows the work of PJ Holden & John McCrea to shine, with colour work from Michelle Madsen. I particularly enjoyed the extra dark twist in this one, story by Greg Pak.

What You Wish For
Another fairy tale retelling, this time Cinderella. Honestly I expected a few more than we had but I appreciate the restraint. I really enjoyed how this version comes out darker than even the original Brothers Grimm with a wording trick similar to any fae deal. One of my favourites from writer J. Holtham, artist Caitlin Yarsky and colour work by Francesco Seğala and Sabrina Del Grosso. I especially loved the art teams work on the final full page panel, it was disturbing and angelic in a particular way I enjoyed.

Ye Shall Be Healed
Creepy entry with a very claustrophobic feeling to the art style by Brian Level and colour work by Lee Loughridge. This particular entry felt much more small scale in this story by Ben H. Winters but still very much playing to the demonic elements included from his other entry in this volume.

Overall, I loved this. I love darker fantasy and anthology style short story comics are something I have always gravitated towards - especially at events like Thought Bubble where I would grab small indie anthologies like this. I would recommend anyone looking to branch out from the mainstream of comics to pick this up!

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for this digital ARC edition, my above review is my own honest thoughts.

Cruel Kingdom Vol. 1 feels like EC Comics stepping back into the horror game with confidence. It has that classic EC vibe; dark, twisted, and a little mean, but updated with sharper storytelling and modern art. The anthology format works really well here, because every story hits you with a different flavor of horror and fantasy, but they all share this brutal, fairy-tale-gone-wrong atmosphere.

Some stories landed harder than others, but when it hits, it really hits. The artwork is gorgeous in a grim way, and the writing doesn’t hold back. What I liked most is that it feels like EC honoring their roots without trying to copy the old books beat-for-beat. It’s fresh, but you can still feel that classic DNA under the surface. Overall, it’s a strong start to a new era for EC, and I’m excited to see where more volumes go..

Big thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for making the latest edition of EC’s revival series available for review, EC Cruel Kingdom Vol. 1. I previously read the Epitaphs from the Abyss and Cruel Universe and thoroughly enjoyed them. Cruel Kingdom Vol. 1 follows in the same tradition of presenting weird stories with ironic and shocking endings that often present a sense of cosmic justice. While Epitaphs from the Abyss is more horror oriented and like Tales from The Crypt and Cruel Universe dealt with aliens, technology, and space, Cruel Kingdom focuses on fantasy and fairy tales, although many of the stories also include elements of sci-fi and horror. Most of the stories are short and quick to read, and this edition collects 4 issues, each with 4 stories. The artwork for the stories stands out the most. The artwork captures the horror and shock of EC Comics heyday, while also adding fresh and unique elements. I also liked the stories too. In particular, there are 2 stories that are based on popular fairy tales, yet have a bloody twist on them that makes it particularly entertaining. “Death and Pickaxes,
a take-off on Snow White was particularly demented, but in a fun way. I kept thinking how great this would be as a short film. Likewise, “What You Wish For,” based on Cinderella was also surprising and ironic. “The Feast of King Arthur,” was one of the most shocking and gory stories as well, and it demonstrates how the authors and artists working on these comics can take traditions and well-known stories and make them fresh and new, adding surprising twists to make them feel at home within the cruel universe of EC. Other stories contain monsters, beasts, knights, and mercenaries looking to either survive or thrive within this cruel universe. Stories like “Just Desserts,” “The Seat of Power,” and “A Rare Immunity” highlight the irony and costs of these quests for survival and success in this universe. The only drawback with this collection was that it left me wanting more. It seemed a little shorter than the other EC editions from Oni Press. Regardless, it’s a great collection that captures the spirit of the original EC comics with its wicked and cruel endings and bloody and colorful artwork. I also wish that there was some commentary from the editors or artists in this edition like the other editions. It would be cool to learn more about what went into creating this edition—like what the themes are and how they fit with the spirit of the original EC Comics. Nevertheless, this is a fun and quick read. Highly recommended!

Cruel Kingdom is a wonderful collection of fantasy with horror and even some sci-fi touches. The stories are varied and with a title like Cruel Kingdom you know it’ll deliver on the brutal side of fantasy. The art ties with the writing so well too, making these stories deliver on all aspects.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've gotten to read all three releases that Oni has put out this year for EC Comics - Epitaphs From the Abyss, Cruel Universe, and now this one. I think I liked this one the best, with its mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. It was basically right up my alley.

Each story is just a couple of pages and the quality varies but overall it's a good time. I enjoyed Hammer of the Witches best though, it had a great twist that, while I saw it coming, was still fun, and gave Slewfoot and The Witcher vibes. Right after that was another strong one called The Seat of Power about what it means to be the King (lol). Both of these I'd read longer stories for.

Art-wise, everything was solid as well. I didn't really have any favorites but liked it all, though the first story, Blood of the Robo King, had some really great dynamic panels. The coloring across all the stories was excellent. I think my favorite was, again, Hammer of the Witches, followed by Headmistress.

Overall a stronger collection than they've previously put out - though I'd happily keep reading whatever is done. I love an anthology, even when I wish some stories were longer lol

This Comic is awesome, I loved the stories and the amazing artwork.

I picked up this anthology after reading Epitaphs from the Abyss series (the Horror equivalent) and Cruel Universe series (the Si-Fi equivalent) and loved them both.

I have to say, EC are nailing it at the moment, everything I have read from them has been outstanding.

4.75 -5 star read
terrifying, bloody, multi author dark fantasy anthology from the Cruel Universe collection
magic, knights and monsters fight in death or life adventures with twisted endings leaving you questioning if you would do the same
medieval themed with a future-esque threat, few fairy tale retellings but they were all 5 stars!
some of my favourite stories are #3-7, 12 & 13