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Napalm Lullaby
Road Warrior meets Superman in this apocalyptic superhero story about a child with unimaginable power who is discovered by a dangerous cult and raised to believe he is a God.
A child raised to believe he was God by a cult built on hatred, by zealots utterly confident in the purity and absolute moral authority of their religion… Enter a world ruled by The Magnificent Leader, where such a cult imposed their will on an entire world to create the ultimate theocracy. Join up and buy-in or be cast out to suffer in the toxic slums with the masses of humanity.
The story of Napalm Lullaby begins 50 years after the cult’s subjugation of Earth, when two of the messiah’s bastard children—each with powers that are strange and difficult to control—set out to escape the slums of their birth. Determined to infiltrate the Magnificent Leader’s domed fortress of adulation, they’ll stop at nothing to kill the man responsible for the nightmare they were raised in.
The bestselling creative duo behind fan-favorite series Death or Glory—Rick Remender and Bengal—reteam for an all-new dystopian epic in, Napalm Lullaby.
Collects all issues #1-10.
A child raised to believe he was God by a cult built on hatred, by zealots utterly confident in the purity and absolute moral authority of their religion… Enter a world ruled by The Magnificent Leader, where such a cult imposed their will on an entire world to create the ultimate theocracy. Join up and buy-in or be cast out to suffer in the toxic slums with the masses of humanity.
The story of Napalm Lullaby begins 50 years after the cult’s subjugation of Earth, when two of the messiah’s bastard children—each with powers that are strange and difficult to control—set out to escape the slums of their birth. Determined to infiltrate the Magnificent Leader’s domed fortress of adulation, they’ll stop at nothing to kill the man responsible for the nightmare they were raised in.
The bestselling creative duo behind fan-favorite series Death or Glory—Rick Remender and Bengal—reteam for an all-new dystopian epic in, Napalm Lullaby.
Collects all issues #1-10.
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2025
About the author
Rick Remender
1,284 books1,466 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 10, 2026
The ending!
April 11, 2026
Rick Remender absolutely pulled me in with the initial world-building, a post-apocalyptic future where the masses struggle while a select few get to bask in the favor of the lord (a mysterious superhuman being). We follow a brother and sister who seem dead set on taking down the big religious baddies - an engaging enough story to follow, particularly with the evocative artwork.
When the kids are revealed to be related to the royal line, superpowered in their own ways, it makes a lot of sense. Then the gears shift: It's a wild shift that takes a fairly formulaic, if quite enjoyable, narrative in a weird new direction. The ending is even stranger:
Definitely some cool ideas and great art, but the big twists left me pretty cold.
When the kids are revealed to be related to the royal line, superpowered in their own ways, it makes a lot of sense. Then the gears shift: It's a wild shift that takes a fairly formulaic, if quite enjoyable, narrative in a weird new direction. The ending is even stranger:
Definitely some cool ideas and great art, but the big twists left me pretty cold.
January 13, 2026
great art, very rushed story, and an unsatisfactory ending
September 17, 2025
Unfortunately this one feels like it was curtailed early
It seems like a far longer series for the first 8 issues then rushed to an ending that didn’t quite work for me.
It seems like a far longer series for the first 8 issues then rushed to an ending that didn’t quite work for me.
August 12, 2024
This book is somehow a slow burn mystery and so ridiculously action-packed. Lots of fun and terrifying parallels to today. Which a great Remender story always has. Bengal is at the top of his game. If you want an explosive story about toppling a Theocracy based around a Superman type with sci-fi/fantasy/superhero elements, and twists everywhere (that makes sense), then this is a solid read for you.
October 29, 2025
I have no idea what's going on but in the best way. Can't wait to read more!
March 14, 2026
Sarah's fortitude belies the distrust she feels for her own, dangerous supernatural abilities. Sam's breathless arrogance belies the empathy through which he attunes to his sister's, and others', moral uncertainty and moral indiscretions. Both want to do good. Both want to save the world. Can they?
NAPALM LULLABY is an easy comic book to get into but a difficult story to truly enjoy. Perhaps the eternal crutch of contemporary dystopic narratives is to blame (i.e., when reality confers events such that a tale ceases to be an allegory and is simply something that can happen). But thematic punctiliousness and timing aside, the book's bespoke criticism of religio-fascism, wealthy authoritarianism, and pledges of power-fantasy are neither directionless nor unwarranted. Sarah and Sam may be annoying siblings who bicker endlessly, but their aim to uproot the dictatorial aims of the world's religious authority is all parts precarious, scattershot, and worth the risk.
Sarah's ability to manifest her dreams into reality sounds cool until one realizes this also means her nightmares possess just as much agency as her dreams. And Sam's capacity for empathy is expansive, but is it too expansive? He can feel the deepest, most treasured thoughts (and fears) of anyone within a certain radius. How much empathy is too much empathy?
The crass uncertainty at the center of a book like this is best felt in its heartbeat: Two characters of meager origin scheme to take down the cult that has institutionalized unearned piety the world over. The story's primary question does not concern whether Sarah and Sam will win, the question concerns whether they'll survive the consequences of their brash interference.
NAPALM LULLABY relies on Remender's longtime penchant for stories about good people getting sucked into dark deeds, as well as on Bengal's longtime penchant for rounded, comfortable character designs with soft, warm coloring that scratches at the surface of characters hiding or harboring criminal tendencies.
The book noses its way into awkward and impractical science-fiction, toward its middle, but all in all, the comic's worldbuilding is stridently incomplete, none of the characters are particularly likeable, and the book doesn't quite regain its initial drive or impulsiveness. By the comic's end, the creative team's clever and roundabout tale of modern-day neuroses feels long-winded. Do readers require an epic tale of super-powered battles in the hallowed halls of dynastic religious institutions to presuppose phobias, indignations, and bigotries? The book's action is exciting, but it's narrative organization lacks refinement, and relative to the effort pressed-upon by the 10-issue run, the conclusion feels cheap.
Can a girl whose dreams are deadly, and a boy whose compassion is limitless, overthrow a government whose heartless leaders wield their power to crush individuality? Sarah and Sam's earliest debate about whether they should usurp their rulers to set people free or to guide them toward their own vision of the truth is a prescient one.
NAPALM LULLABY is an easy comic book to get into but a difficult story to truly enjoy. Perhaps the eternal crutch of contemporary dystopic narratives is to blame (i.e., when reality confers events such that a tale ceases to be an allegory and is simply something that can happen). But thematic punctiliousness and timing aside, the book's bespoke criticism of religio-fascism, wealthy authoritarianism, and pledges of power-fantasy are neither directionless nor unwarranted. Sarah and Sam may be annoying siblings who bicker endlessly, but their aim to uproot the dictatorial aims of the world's religious authority is all parts precarious, scattershot, and worth the risk.
Sarah's ability to manifest her dreams into reality sounds cool until one realizes this also means her nightmares possess just as much agency as her dreams. And Sam's capacity for empathy is expansive, but is it too expansive? He can feel the deepest, most treasured thoughts (and fears) of anyone within a certain radius. How much empathy is too much empathy?
The crass uncertainty at the center of a book like this is best felt in its heartbeat: Two characters of meager origin scheme to take down the cult that has institutionalized unearned piety the world over. The story's primary question does not concern whether Sarah and Sam will win, the question concerns whether they'll survive the consequences of their brash interference.
NAPALM LULLABY relies on Remender's longtime penchant for stories about good people getting sucked into dark deeds, as well as on Bengal's longtime penchant for rounded, comfortable character designs with soft, warm coloring that scratches at the surface of characters hiding or harboring criminal tendencies.
The book noses its way into awkward and impractical science-fiction, toward its middle, but all in all, the comic's worldbuilding is stridently incomplete, none of the characters are particularly likeable, and the book doesn't quite regain its initial drive or impulsiveness. By the comic's end, the creative team's clever and roundabout tale of modern-day neuroses feels long-winded. Do readers require an epic tale of super-powered battles in the hallowed halls of dynastic religious institutions to presuppose phobias, indignations, and bigotries? The book's action is exciting, but it's narrative organization lacks refinement, and relative to the effort pressed-upon by the 10-issue run, the conclusion feels cheap.
Can a girl whose dreams are deadly, and a boy whose compassion is limitless, overthrow a government whose heartless leaders wield their power to crush individuality? Sarah and Sam's earliest debate about whether they should usurp their rulers to set people free or to guide them toward their own vision of the truth is a prescient one.
October 13, 2025
I have no idea what this was supposed to be. I think a friend did a whole bunch of cool art while tweeking and old tricky rick puts some random words together and sold it as a story…😂
“IT NE'ER WAS
ABOUT XANDER'S BOOTY--'TWAS ALWAYS ABOUT YE, ME BONNIE LASS!” actual line in this book…. And like way out of left field 🙃😆🙃
Like ridiculous but not in a funny haha way. This was almost as bad as that bowling ball book he made with the actor kid.
2.7🌟✨
“IT NE'ER WAS
ABOUT XANDER'S BOOTY--'TWAS ALWAYS ABOUT YE, ME BONNIE LASS!” actual line in this book…. And like way out of left field 🙃😆🙃
Like ridiculous but not in a funny haha way. This was almost as bad as that bowling ball book he made with the actor kid.
2.7🌟✨
September 7, 2026
Good concept, decent ending (although I suspect many won’t like it on principle), but far too drawn out. The series could have been half as long and still conveyed the same ideas, perhaps even better. I like Remender’s work, but for me this is one of his weaker efforts. Excellent art, though.
January 2, 2026
A quality Remender story. Typically it is high concept with a dash of pessimism. Dangers of being certain you are correct.
Bengal's art is perfectly suited to the story.
Bengal's art is perfectly suited to the story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews