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REVIEW: 'The Author Immortal' #1 by Frank J. Barbiere and Morgan Beem

 


The Author Immortal #1  

Writer: Frank J. Barbiere

Artist: Morgan Beem

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: October 1, 2025

Cover Price: $4.99

A story about the stories that shape us — and the power they still hold.

Hector Ramirez is a failed writer who gets the opportunity of a lifetime: to help reboot the fantasy book series that defined his childhood. But when he discovers the original author has mysteriously vanished into his fictional world, Hector is pulled into a realm where stories are alive, and some are willing to kill to stay in control.

From acclaimed writer Frank J. Barbiere (Five Ghosts, Violent Love) and rising-star watercolor artist Morgan Beem (Swamp Thing: Twin Branches, You Belong Here) comes a literary fantasy for fans of Locke & Key, The Magicians, and Saga with an oversized 40-page debut issue.

Score:

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Professor Hector Ramirez thinks he’s landed the job of a lifetime: reimagining the novels of his idol, E.L. Vossler, with acclaimed author Deborah Luckwell. But Vossler’s fiction isn’t just dangerous—it’s alive. It consumed its creator, it hunts anyone who reads it, and now it has its sights set on Hector.

The Author Immortal reads like the first act of a nightmare, drawing readers in with quiet unease before tearing open something monstrous. Frank J. Barbiere grounds the terror in Hector’s messy, fragile life, a single parent juggling love, work, and secrets, while giving Luckwell her own ominous edge. Her not-so-subtle resemblance to a real-world literary icon only makes her presence more unsettling.

Morgan Beem’s watercolors give the book a haunting, timeless feel, with a shadowy monster that is all-consuming but elusive made more terrifying for its ambiguity. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering amplifies the dread, letting the creature’s voice drip and linger on the page.

With a generous 40 pages, the story has room to breath and develop into an increasingly eerie and chaotic thriller. The Author Immortal is gorgeous, chilling, and unflinching dark fantasy.  

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