Cruel Universe is a fantastic collection of science fiction with a hint of horror running throughout. Highlighting the darker side of the world. As with all horror and sci-fi it tends to use the uncanny to highlight issues in our present day. With a wonderful and varied collection of stories, Cruel Universe offers something for everyone and is sure to keep readers coming back. I cannot wait for more in this series and highly recommend to those who enjoy a good horror of sci-fi narrative. As always thank you to Oni Press for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.
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I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF @ 46%


Many decades after shutting down its comics, Entertaining Comics is back to doing creepy and weird science fiction anthologies. Sadly, the nostalgic art and writing just didn't do it for me.

There was a time when EC was truly lightyears ahead, especially with the 1953 comic, Judgement Day, which saw a representative of a galactic federation advise against welcoming racist robots into the fold with the last panel revealing the astronaut to be Black, much to the chagrin of the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers' Publishers Code, the print sibling of the small-minded, bigoted Hays Code.

Tragically for EC, the world has moved on (despite the recent regression and steady march of fascism), but this new comic hasn't. The stories are largely dudes rock white guys and women are victims of they are anything at all.

The opening story was probably the strongest offering, but the quality was all over the place with well trodden ground and premises that were competently carried out, but carried little weight.

The covers go hard though!

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

A fun collection of comics told in the classic EC style. Featuring all kinds of twists, monsters, and out there ideas.

Not every story was perfect, but all had their charms.

Will definitely be reading more of these in the future!

Big thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of their second EC relaunch Cruel Universe Vol. 1. I read a version in the NetGalley reader, and was primarily reading them on my iPad, which provided a great viewing experience, since I was able to see larger panels in vibrant color. I am really enjoying these reboots. Although sometimes I feel like these reboots and updated versions lack creativity or imagination, I think the stories in both EC Collections (Epitaphs from the Abyss is the horror themed, Tales from the Crypt version) are unique and present some modern takes on horror and technology, while also maintaining the ironic twists of fate that are a part of the original EC comics. While the Epitaphs from the Abyss was more of a horror themed set of stories, this collection was focused on science fiction and a kind of dystopia. I initially thought this would be strictly sci-fi, but there are stories that are horror themed and also feature the kind of cosmic horror that is in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft. Throughout all the stories, the artwork is great. I noticed in a few stories, there are some common themes in some of the outcomes to individuals in the stories, and I was surprised at the level of gore for a sci-fi collection. However, as the title indicates, these tales are part of a Cruel Universe, where people are subject to violence and brutality, as well as the whims of fate. In really enjoyed the space themed stories and those with aliens. I thought the artwork for these stories was particularly striking and original. Many of the aliens captured the kind of Lovecraftian image of Cthulhu, with tentacles and octopus-like appearances. One of the earliest stories, “Solo Shift”, features an interesting image of a black hole with really great colors. I also liked the kind of socio-economic themes that ran throughout stories like “Priceless” , “Organic”, “And the Profit Said…”, and “Paring Knife”, which all deal with people on the fringes of society or who are subject to a lower social ranking than others. In these stories, there is some kind of ironic twist at the end where we see how those with power maybe are not as powerful as they once seemed or their arrogance brings about a downfall, akin to hamartia in Greek tragedy. Other stories tell of the dark side of technology, and some are particularly relevant today. “Drink Up” was a unique and short tale about a rich man’s quest for immortality, as was “Billionaire Trust”, which had a particularly interesting ending. “Automated” was the story of a tech titan and car designer who brings about the destruction of society with his overreliance on automation (sound familiar?). I also really enjoyed “The Deleted Man”, which shows the lengths that people may go to in order to have their online histories “altered”. Two other favorites were “We Drown on Earth” and “The Ink Spot Test” for their creativity and illustrations. “We Drown on Earth” was especially Lovecraftian, but also focuses on the kinds of risks and problems that corporations exert on their workers. The creatures in the story are particularly creepy and well-drawn. I loved the background art in “The Ink Spot Test”, and the story is somewhat similar to a book I just finished on MKULTRA. I also really enjoyed the covers presented at the back of the book. There were some awesome illustrations there as well.
Overall, this was a great collection. I really enjoyed these stories, and most of them were great with unique and innovative twists and timely stories that are relevant to our current climate, and yet still maintain an element of that classic EC twist of fate. Highly recommended!

Cruel Universe was exactly what I hoped it would be - short tales that reminded me of the old Twilight Zone shows. Some focused on horror or sci fi or just shock factor, and all were well told and illustrated.this is definitely something I would recommend for people like me who sometimes miss the old pulpy sci fi and horror.

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

Cruel Universe is a collection of short stories that blends weird fiction and horror, and I loved it.
It was like a mix of the older Si-Fi shows like the Twilight show or The Outer Limits and something a bit more modern like Black Mirror.

The stories were great, and I really loved the artwork, it matched the stories well.

If you like you’re Sci-Fi with a bit of horror rather than fantasy then you will love these.

This collection of stories was very enjoyable. Most everyone was great. Wasn't sure how shorts would work here, but they worked great. #ECCruelUniverseVol1 #NetGalley

I've read the EC Horror comics before and they are great. And the EC Cruel Universe (Science) is just as good. They are the perfect combination of science fiction and horror. I enjoyed all the stories. It was everything I expected from EC comics. Fans of science fiction/horror comics will like this one. I look forward to reading more from this series.

A really fun reimagining of EC horror comics. Punchy and creepy short stories -- with a science fiction bend -- each with a twist ending. The surprises are of varying degrees of success of course, but that's the thrill of an anthology. If the cover grabs you, you won't be disappointed with what's inside.

from the amazing EC Comics comes 19 mind bending stories of dark, sad, terrifyingly twisted tales of the cruelty of the universe
from aliens to future dystopia's, you never know what the next chapter will bring

Much like Epitaphs From the Abyss, this collection is widespread and mixed in quality. Nothing stood out as terrible, with even the 'worst' story being decent, but nothing stood out as great either.

The very first story (The Champion) actually made me cry and gave me higher hopes for the rest. A few could be middling episodes of Black Mirror (Priceless, for example). Some are concepts done better in other media (ex: Organ1c and Tender is the Flesh). Then there are a few, decently effective, super short stories that are only a page or two... but most were perhaps longer than they actually needed to be.

I still really enjoyed this collection though, and I love things like this and want to encourage it to continue.

E.C. Cruel Universe is a collection of short stories that blends weird fiction and horror into one strange, often unsettling ride, and for the most part, it works!

The opener, featuring a gladiator-style showdown between a man and a dinosaur (yes, a dinosaur), starts things off strong. It’s bizarre in the best way and surprisingly intense with an emotional payoff. Another standout for me was the story involving a man who nearly kills a woman, dark, tense, and it sticks with you. That one in particular really hit the right notes, and the ending landed well.

There’s also a disturbing little piece about an animal/human farm that was both creepy and oddly grounded despite the idea. It’s one of those stories that stays under your skin a bit.

Not every story blew me away. Some were just okay, and a couple felt a bit predictable (like the “dead woman on a spaceship” twist you could see coming a mile away). But even the weaker ones weren’t bad, just more middle-of-the-road compared to the stronger entries.

Overall, it's a solid collection of horror-tinged weirdness. If you like your short stories with a mix of the bizarre, bleak, and creative, this is definitely worth a read.

I think that overall, this was max a 3 star read. Not sure why but the first 40 percent of this book was phenomenal, and I was hooked. I loved the format of a bunch of short comics, written and illustrated by different people. Each short comic was incredibly inventive and wonderful to read. and then I hit about the 45 percent mark and everything went terribly downhill. The stories got weirder and honestly kind of boring. The art was still fantastic but couldn't compare to the poorly written stories. This was my first time reading an EC comic and even though I'm giving this a fairly low rating, I can promise it won't be my last. Looking forward to more.

"Cruel Universe" is an anthology of sci-fi stories from EC Comics. I got this as an ARC ahead of their July 2025 publication, and I didn't love it as much as I hoped. Many stories were too short, descending into tired clichés. Some had a 60s/70s nostalgic charm, and 2 or 3 I genuinely enjoyed. Overall, the focus was obviously on the art style, with stories and narratives taking a backseat. Despite the "Penny Dreadful" allure, it doesn't stick the landing, and just feels rushed, or slapped together.

My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this atomic bomb blast from the past, filed with tales of fearsome aliens, high technology, astonishing objects from space, all told in sequential art form by many of the best artists and writers in the business.

I was a child whose favorite teacher, mother and secret lover to borrow from Homer Simpson, was television. Especially when my father had an illegal cable box that offered shows from all over time and space, at least that is what it seemed to me at the time. I could watch grade Z monster movies, aliens with bad makeup planning the end of man, stories about worlds under threats and much more. I also could watch Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits, which gave me the idea that science fiction could have more meaning than what I saw in galaxies far, far away. Comics were also my friend, and I would dive into quarter boxes with abandon, buying fist loads of comics without covers, ripped covers, or what had you. This might be where I found some old EC comics, or maybe reprints I am not sure. I know the stories seemed odd, dark even when dealing with science fiction subjects. However they were unique, and different, with a feel and an aura that was hard to match. I was glad when I saw that Oni Press was continuing the legacy of EC and after reading this can't wait to read more. EC Cruel Universe Vol. 1 featres many artists and illustrators including Corinna Sara Bechko, Chris Condon, Matt Kindt, Stephanie Phillips, Cullen Bunn, J. Holtham, Zac Thompson, Matt Bors, Christopher Cantwell, Ben H. Winters, Kano,Dan McDaid, Caitlin Yarsky, Jonathan Case, Artyom Topilin, Javier Fernández, David Lapham, Leomacs, Riley Rossimo, David Rubín, Alison Sampson and more in stories of hard hitting science, harder hitting aliens, and other scary things from beyond the stars.

There are numerous stories in the magazine, ranging from a few pages to a bit longer. We start in the far future, on a world that has the most highest rated gladiator games in the galaxy, a story that ends with a twist on who we should root for. A young astronaut, wounded by love as a chance to save a young woman from a horrible fate by using a black hole to travel through time. A cowboy with a limp finds a ray gun which changes his life. Aliens crash into cities, or sneak among humans, for purposes other than conquest. Woman learn a new way to serve man. Plus numerous other tales of stolen dimensions, destroyed worlds and humans being the worst they can be.

The stories are not long, and are of the get in, and get out style, with the readers going ohh I see what you did there. As with most of these kind of collections some are really good, some are good, and some are ok. The length does help, just as some stories start to drag, they end. The artwork really elevates this in many places. The artists knew the assignment and went for it, capturing the feel of classic EC stories, the bulky technology, the many switches and dials, the use of color. Also the faces are more exaggerated in that old style where one didn't even have to read the stories, knowing the good and the bad guys just from the art. There is also a lot of words in these stories, just like old comics used to have. One can sense the love and care the creators put into this.

Fans will love this work. New people might be surprised by the art, and the amount of words, but don't let that stop you. There is a lot of fun to be had here, by some great creators who put much of themselves in this work. And it shows. I can't wait to read more.

I enjoyed this 'comic' book. I did not count the number of stories but each one ended in a ironic twist. The art was decent and well drawn.

EC Cruel Universe doesn’t disappoint. Still short-form horror, Cruel Universe focuses on endings and betrayals ranging from the end of the world to smaller, equally-devastating scenes.

Horror (and science fiction, for that matter) is most effective when it mirrors the present, and these stories hit hard, ranging from Serlingesque to eco-Lovecraftian. While some twists are easy to see coming, inevitably lends to the tragedy of the situation rather than detracting. A few had to be read twice to savor the big reveal. I can’t choose between dinosaurs and mutants, but luckily with this anthology I don’t have to.

Science Fiction Excellence & Black Mirror Level Horrors!

EC Cruel Universe gives readers a delicious taste of the darkest and deadliest science fiction. It is truly excellent story-telling. There were stories within these pages that left me feeling haunted, with heavy emotional impact accomplished within few pages. Some stories sent a chill to my core, with disturbing imagery and dark context that left me as the reader feeling hopeless and terrified. The best parts of these stories are some of the realism found within the illustrations and storylines. These stories feel close to our society at times, and it made the reading experience much more enjoyable.

Readers, RUN and grab a copy of the latest and greatest by Oni Press! You will not be disappointed!

Short science fiction stories by different creative teams, with a tendency to go lurid and a fair few twist endings: this may be part of Oni's attempt to revivify the scandalous EC brand, but to British readers it feels much more like they've proudly invented the Future Shock. Still, even if the hit rate is as erratic as in the real thing, that's leagues ahead of their previous EC book, Epitaphs From The Abyss, which felt so straitjacketed by its legacy that none of the stories could even achieve a recognisable individual character, let alone success. And if there are a few too many sociopathic billionaires here, well, isn't that true of the real world too?

(Netgalley ARC)

As with other volumes of these new EC comics that I've read, this is a mixed bag. There are a couple of gems to be found- there's a great point of view twist in one story that made me smile- but a lot of the stories here are pretty predictable.

The art is good throughout, and there aren't any stories I thought were stinkers, but it didn't wow me either. A nice read on a cold afternoon.