From Curt Pires (Indigo Children) and Luca Casalanguida (James Bond) comes an all-new fantastical adventure in Lost Fantasy. But it it any good? Behold our review!
Image Comics has been absolutely knocking it out of the park recently. With comics like Assorted Crisis Events and Bug Wars, we’ve been treated with some top tier works so far in 2025. When I heard about Lost Fantasy, which comes from acclaimed writer Curt Pires and artist Luca Casalanguida, I was very excited by the prospect.
The comic is an urban fantasy, very much taking inspiration from the Final Fantasy franchise (look no further than the sword). It also holds stark similarities to other Image works, most notably Something is Killing the Children — thanks mostly to the aspect of monster-killing horror.
The giant-sized debut issue also includes a backup story that continues Pires’ popular Indigo Children series (which is great), but we’ll specifically be covering Lost Fantasy in this review. So what is the comic about? The story follows sword-wielding monster hunter Henry Blackheart (who bears a striking resemblance to Final Fantasy’s Cloud). A rookie in his field, Blackheart is called in to investigate the mysterious death of a child… by means of a monster… the responsibility falls on his shoulders to stop it.
The debut issue is chock full of intrigue and mystery, all wrapped up in page-turning action sequences with monsters and magic galore. The comic shines in its pulsating action sequences; it’s bloody and fast-paced. In terms of story, the world building is superb. presenting a fascinating narrative where monsters — trolls, werewolves, and the like — all exist in a magical world beneath our own. A lot of issue #1 tackles exposition, chronicling humanity’s first contact with monsters and the dawn of The Great Hunters who protect mankind from them.
As a consequence of the detailed exposition, our protagonist Henry Blackheart remains somewhat enigmatic. We know the key moments of his history, but besides that I’d expect the comic do dive more into his character in the coming issues.
Verdict
I wasn’t blown away by the beginning of the series, but the story was more than intriguing enough to keep me engaged. The world has been set, a mystery is unravelling, and now I’m very ready for Lost Fantasy to take the next step. The potential here is pretty immense. And if you’re a fan of Final Fantasy 7 specifically, I implore you to check it out. It’s a love letter to JRPGs. I’ll definitely be coming back to read more!
The oversized Lost Fantasy #1 arrives on April 30 from Image Comics.
