A professor gets the opportunity of a lifetime to research the mystery of his favorite author. But his research may become far more first-hand than he expected. Your Major Spoilers review of The Author Immortal #1 awaits!

THE AUTHOR IMMORTAL #1

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Artist: Mortan Beem
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Editor: Arden Ripley
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 1st, 2025

Previously in The Author Immortal: Hector is a failed writer who is approached by ultra-successful writer Deborah Luckwell. She has secured the rights to the fantasy books Hector loved as a child, whose author disappeared mysteriously, and wants his help to reboot the series.

IN-DEPTH RESEARCH

The Author Immortal #1 opens up in London, 1953. An author pens his last letter before stabbing himself in front of the preserved body of a young girl. Elsewhere, an inky monster pours out of a copy of his book. Presently, Hector and his manager/fiancée prepare for an important meeting with Deborah Luckwell. At the meeting, she informs him that she wants him to go to England to research the disappearance of an author and that she has obtained the rights to his works. Running late, Hector goes to pick up his son, Al, who’s in the midst of getting bullied for being transgender. After picking him up, Hector informs him that his spring break is cancelled and he’s coming with him to England at the behest of Luckwell. Al is very upset due to having their vacation ruined, but also because of Luckwell’s opinions about transgender people. In England, on the estate, Al stumbles across a secret passage, but inside, something frightening awaits.

COMPLEX CHARACTERS, BUT UNCOMFORTABLE

The plot in The Author Immortal #1 is primarily focused on setup, so we don’t get to see much of the selling point of this series, which is this trip into a fantasy world. But we do get to see some of the complexities with the characters, both internally and in their relationships. The main character of Hector is not a paragon of virtue, and there are little hints at some of his issues, which are scattered in clever ways. Also, Al, the other main character, is kind of an asshole; even if their opinions are justified, there’s a petulance to them that feels both genuine and incredibly grating. My major hangup with this book is the JK Rowling stand-in, Deborah Luckwell. Having her take the role of the sinister, possible antagonist, makes perfect logical sense, but having allusions to her being transphobic and almost cartoonishly shady, while having one of the main characters be transgender, comes off as exploitative of real-life struggles people are going through, without giving it an acceptable amount of gravity.

BEAUTIFUL AND INTEGRAL

Sometimes you read the first issue of a new comics series, and you just know that the book had to look like it does, or it wouldn’t work nearly as well. That’s the case here with The Author Immortal #1. Considering that the story revolves around people’s relationship with fantasy stories of their youth, making the whole thing look like a watercolor fantasy tale really drives home the idea of these stories having a transformative effect on the characters in this story. There’s also a good amount of variety with the characters; each one, even the smaller characters, looks distinct, with attention given to their look.

BOTTOM LINE: STRONG CHARACTERS, TOO MUCH OF A TEASE

The Author Immortal #1 effectively uses its real estate to set up a cast of complex and layered characters and a tense situation. But, at the end of the day, it is all still just setup, meaning the readers don’t get a good view of what this series is advertised to be. Visually, this is a well-realized world, with a style that blends perfectly with the elements and themes of the story as well as gives each character a personality of their own. 4 out of 5 stars.

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