Hammer Head, Nova: Return of the Rings, and Doom All-on-One #1: Weekly Comic Reviews

Reviews are back on Comic Frontier! However, full disclosure: I won't burn myself out by trying to cover too much at once. So, future weekly reviews of new releases might feature one post, or they might have ten. There’s nothing set in stone; I just want to talk about some of the books I liked each week! I could also talk about older books! The rules are, there are no rules. Just comics! So… without further ado.

Nova: Return of the Rings #1 - Marvel Comics (2026) - Josh Trujillo, Juan Ponce, Andy Pereira, Bruno Abdias, Rafael Loureiro, Cory Petit, and Jão Canola — Sam Alexander’s Nova returns after being recently sidelined in the pages of Marvel Comics. The main story finds Sam waking up mysteriously imprisoned, unaware of his surroundings, and with missing memories. A cunning alien illusionist, King Arasmer, holds him captive, eager to seize the great power of the Ten Rings and access the powerful Xandarian Worldmind.

The book wastes little time centering the story around Sam, featuring electric action as Sam fights off the illusions, with Bruno Abdias and Jão Canola helping bring the cosmic chaos to life. For those out of the loop on Sam’s story, the book reflects on his core reason for being a hero: the family, friends, and legacy that have guided his journey.

The book concludes with a lively backup story focused on Sam saving the world with the trust of some of Marvel’s smartest heroes. The story showcases Sam's duality as a hero and a teenager, as he tries to save the world while also worrying about making it back to Earth in time for his sister Kaelynn’s folklórico performance. The story highlights Sam’s heritage, his skill as a hero and quick thinker, and his big heart for his friends and family, as well as his importance in the larger Marvel Universe. Please, Marvel, keep up this momentum and keep Sam in the fold. 4.5/5

Doom All-On-One #1 - Marvel Comics (2026) Al Ewing, Alessandro Cappuccio, Joe Caramagna, Rachelle Rosenberg - Doctor Doom has rightfully earned his title as one of comics' most formidable villains and thinkers. This new story shows the highs and the lows of his power, arrogance, and hubris.

In the one-shot, Doom’s once-a-year chance to save his mother from Mephisto’s grasp leads him down a road where he’s seemingly prepared for everything the Devil throws his way. Alessandro Cappuccio’s moody and atmospheric art leans epic, and his sense of scale helps illustrate how dangerous Doom is, whether he’s taking out the giant stone monster Kagrok (an excellent callback from 50+ years ago to Astonishing Tales #8) in surrounding Hellfire, or using his full arsenal of magic to creatively take out the Mephisto-conjured Avengers one by one.

Ultimately, the high-octane battles and mission to save his mother from Mephisto's hands end pretty much the only way it’s destined to: Doom gets in his own way. Ewing gets what makes Doom so powerful, but also deeply flawed. The comic becomes a character study on why Doom is, well… doomed to suffer within the confines of his own hubris. 4/5

Hammer Head #1 - Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro, Dee Cunliffe, Pat Brosseau - Mad Cave Studio (2026) - A blood-splattered affair that feels like Cabin in the Woods or the Hunt, but as a full-blown slasher film.

The comic isn't for the squeamish, as Brisson and Damian Couceiro deliver an extremely bloody tale with some gory, outrageous kills from the titular villain. However, the story isn’t only a bloodfest or feature for Hammer Head, as the book’s main character Jules deals with her own lifelong trauma of returning in one of the most fucked up ways imaginable. I’m excited to see where this goes. 4/5

Check out my conversation with Brisson from this week about Hammer Head!