Writers: Alan Mcalindon and Steven Paris
Artist:: Guilherme Raffide
Reverie Publications, March 2026
Vermillion Edge #1 from REVERIE Publications isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it sets its sights on the well-explored blend of high-concept sci-fi and cosmic horror. It mostly sticks the landing. Written by Alan Mcalindon and Steven Paris with art by Guilherme Raffide, this debut issue builds a far-future sandbox rich with potential. The title however occasionally trips over its own world-building.
The story drops us into the year 2450. Humanity has tamed the stars through “gateways” that “rip” through space-time. We found that the comic does a great job of showing how mundane this tech has become. Travelling across the galaxy feels as casual as a modern-day flight, more akin to Star Wars than Interstellar. Of course, that expansion comes with a price. Here is the promotional copy:
In the far future, humanity’s reach across the stars has brought both prosperity and peril. At the edge of known space, a mercenary crew, soldiers, outcasts, and unlikely allies, are pulled into a conflict that spans galaxies.
Haunted by the past and hunted by horrors beyond reason, they must stand together or be consumed by forces far greater than themselves.
What began as a fight for survival has become a battle for the very soul of humanity.
The main threat here is the CEF, hostile alien entities that wield powers defying conventional logic. The book leans hard into cosmic horror, treating the CEF not just as simple antagonists but as incomprehensible forces. While we don’t get the full picture yet, the hints of grotesque monsters are enough to keep things uneasy. Looming dread permeates the title.
Humanity fights back with a high-tech weaponry that makes the book’s action-oriented heart beat. The glowing red blade seen on the cover is hard to miss. It’s clearly the titular “Vermillion Edge,” but the book is surprisingly shy about explaining precisely what it is. That lack of clarity is a bit frustrating, but, after all, we are being dropped into a complex world without a manual.
Or are we? The pacing is where the first half stumbles. The opening is heavy on “info-dumping,” with blocks of text dedicated to mechanics and setting. It feels verbose and slows the narrative down just as it should be hooking the reader. Once the shooting starts, the book finds its rhythm. The dialogue thins out, the kinetic energy ramps up, and the art finally gets room on the page.
Plot-wise, the issue stays in familiar territory. We see a rescue mission for a captured woman who initially looks like a standard “damsel” archetype. The writers introduce a twist when she begins manifesting strange powers after her time with the CEF. It’s not exactly a ground-breaking development, but it’s a solid hook for what is to come.
Guilherme Raffide’s art is easily the book’s strongest asset. His style feels like a love letter to late-90s animation, featuring bold outlines and vibrant, busy imagery. It works for the genre, though the density of the environments can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes the intricate machinery and layered backgrounds get so “loud” that it’s hard to parse exactly what’s happening in a scene. While we noticed it occasionally hits the readability, it doesn’t ruin the experience.
By the end, Vermillion Edge #1 has built a sturdy foundation. Between the rescued woman’s powers and the hint of a bigger threat, the cliffhanger does enough work to make us want to see the next issue. If the series can trim the exposition and lean into the mysteries it’s teased, it could turn into something special.
This is not a subversion of the genre. Some might find the beats here a little predictable. But we found a charm in how confidently the book embraces its influences. It’s “comfort food” sci-fi: spacefaring soldiers, gnarly aliens, and high stakes. The creature designs and weapon concepts are the real highlights, carrying the book through its more conventional moments.
In March 2026, the title was the subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign. For more information, see https://vermilionedge.com/