I’m back once again with another comic review. This week I wanted to take a look at another Image Comics miniseries called All Against All. This story is written by Alex Paknadel in collaboration with artist Caspar Wijngaard. Originally released in 2023, the series is only five issues in length and is collected in a trade paperback format. Sadly, you might have a difficult time tracking it down.

The story of All Against All is set in a fascinating science fiction universe. In the distant future, Humanity has driven itself to extinction, destroying Earth in the process. Eventually, the planet is discovered by a parasitic alien species known as the Operators, who utilize the genetic samples found in an abandoned laboratory to reproduce various environments and species found on Earth. They seek not only to study these creatures but also to utilize their bodies for an ongoing war fought against a nameless enemy. Within this environment, a single human known as Helpless by his captors is born, driven by two things: hatred and the urge to survive.

This story excels in conveying strong themes such as the cycle of violence, the brutality of nature, the dangers of science, as well as the bonds of family. Though our major characters are not humans, Paknadel certainly manages to make our principal protagonist, Director B’tay, interesting. His relationship with his daughter and her deceased mother forms the beating heart of a tale soaked in violence.

I love how this story plays out almost as an inverse version of the film Predator, showing that sometimes humanity can be just as bad as anything our imagination can conceive. It’s also subtly celebrating the sheer power found within the natural world. Creatures that we consider ordinary are still huge threats to outsiders.

The real highlight of this story, however, has to be the artwork. Caspar Wijngaard’s style is wonderfully unique, bringing the world to life with vibrant neon colors and harsh penciling. Action scenes are particularly well-realized as short, visceral bursts that emphasize the fragility of life in this harsh future.

I’d also like to draw attention to Wijngaard’s overall character design. The Harvesters ‘ colored synthetic bodies, combined with the overall jellyfish inspiration, are certainly memorable. However, he also manages to give each animal an imposing presence through subtle details like drawing eyes as one solid color to emphasize mindless rage or staining fur and teeth with gore.

My main gripe with this story is actually the fact that it’s so short. Although this makes it easily approachable, the world is so interesting that it left me wanting more. I wanted to learn more about who the Harvesters are fighting and if the species will survive. It seems a shame to flesh out an engaging world but not fully explore it. This is only further enforced by the ending which (while satisfactory) leaves some threads open for more narratives. It causes B’tay and Helpless’ story to feel more like the first arc of a much larger plot.

Nevertheless, if you are a big fan of the Predator franchise, you’ll want to check this story out. I would also recommend it to science fiction lovers or simply a reader looking for a sampling of the comic book medium. All Against All delivers a total package.

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All Against All

16.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Fantastic Art
• Interesting worldbuilding
• Strong themes
• Great action scenes

Cons

• I want more but there is none