Free for All #1

by Patrick Horvath (Author And Illustrator)

From Eisner Award–nominated writer/artist Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees) comes a 56-page, self-contained one-shot that delivers a brutal new vision of capitalism by combat . . . In the future, the World Finance League exists to benefit all, randomly choosing those from among the billionaires and trillionaires of the world and presenting them with a either donate half of their assets to the common good—or defend them in ritual combat. Reigning champion and real estate magnate Ted Brooks has 22 victories under his belt—defending the wealth he schemed and stabbed to get—when he is forced to face his ex-wife, Luella Dominguez, in a fight to the death. Luella has been training, waiting for this moment. But will she have what it takes to defeat the man who would do anything—absolutely anything—to keep his fortune? It’s every shareholder for themselves when death and bankruptcy collide in Free for All #1, a giant-sized, one-shot spectacle of commerce and carnage coming this March from Eisner Award–nominated cartoonist Patrick Horvath!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Thriller

Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2026

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the success of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, one of Patrick Horvath's older works is being given the deluxe edition treatment -- hardcover with bonus features -- by Oni Press.

And it looks pretty good before you start reading the words.

The story takes a big swing with it's concept, pitting billionaires and multi-millionaires against each other in death battles to see which one gets to survive and keep their horde of money while the loser dies and forfeits their fortune to the state. But instead of making any substantial statement about class and elites, Horvath is content to simply use it as a setting for a bloody sci-fi mash-up of The War of the Roses and Death Becomes Her as a couple of one-percenters with a personal grudge face off in a gory duel.

It may still work for some, but I felt no connection to the characters so the extended fight just becomes a whole lot of sound and fury, albeit nicely drawn sound and fury.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents [2026 edition]: Free for All / Patrick Horvath -- Interview with Patrick Horvath / Russ Burlingame -- Commentary: Behind the Curtain – Breaking Down the Ending Pages with Creator Patrick Horvath / Patrick Horvath -- Cover Gallery / Matt Kindt, Juni Ba, and Noah Bailey, illustrators -- Cover Gallery: Concepts & Commentary / Matt Lesniewski

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooh... what a cool, messed-up premise! The idea of these billionaires choosing a fight to the death instead of donating half of their money definitely feels like a plausible one, honestly. I could definitely see some of the 1% choosing anything over losing their status...

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

[Alex Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for a free advance copy of this comic one-shot.

Free For All is the gladiatorial Billionaire deathmatch comic you didn't know you needed.

It's a really interesting concept, that looks at the wealthy not wanting to give up their huge pits of money, to share with a welfare state.

So what's the obvious choice? A fight to the death to make sure that you don't lose any of your hard earned multi-billions.

It's got a crazy good psychedelic art style, and leans heavily into violence and gore, which seem quite fitting for the subject matter. Of which, I'm sure many people would likely think of a few individuals that they'd like to see pitted against each other - especially in the current socio-political climate of the world.

3.0/5.0

[Bill Hsu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fine ideas and amusing art, but the gladiator schtick bores me. I guess I'll avoid #2.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free for All is a 56-page one-shot comic that explores a not too distant future where growing wealth inequality has finally resulted in a global "eat the rich" movement. The results are gladiatorial matches between former members of the plutocracy, whereby the extremely wealthy must fight to the death to retain their wealth, or else lose their money to the general unwashed masses. Patrick Horvath states that the inspiration for the concept behind Free for All arose from The Giving Pledge, a campaign spearheaded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to promote the idea of billionaires giving away 50% of their wealth to philanthropic causes. This is a cynical take on the same idea, whereby the only way billionaires would comply is if the fear of death hangs over them. The story here primarily follows one such billionaire, the real estate magnate Ted Brooks, who has repeatedly entered the gladiatorial bouts out of bloodlust and an eagerness to retain his wealth. After winning 22 consecutive matches, his next challenger is one a little more personal to Ted.

Horvath, following the critical and commercial success of last year's Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, continues to deliver on both the writing and art fronts. The cutesy, lush art style from Beneath the Trees isn't retained here though, instead Free for All features more jagged and harsh lines, mirroring the brutality of the story here more. Horvath also adds his own colors here too, and they're poppy and vibrant which adds a bit of a cartoonish edge to the comic that is needed for the more satirical tone. That said, Free for All isn't really delivering any new or fresh critiques on post-capitalistic societies, and the rather abrupt nature of the ending doesn't leave much in the room of contemplation about fixing our current economic woes. Perhaps all we're doing here is exploring the inevitability of a proletariat uprising, but I don't this comic has much to say about that either.

It's mostly just an entertaining and well-drawn comic that sparks a couple ideas but all else is a rather forgettable little story.

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around a 3.5. A really bloody, but fun, social commentary on the rich. It was a fun gladiator style storyline.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Free for All Volume 1 by Patricl Hovarth.

The concept of this is very good! A dystopian future where trillionaires have to donate half of their money to the people or else face being put into a lottery to fight to the death against another. Weapons allowed, no rules, just fight until only one is left. The loser's full estate is awarded to the people, and the winner keeps their full estate and the cycle begins again.

I loved the artwork in this, it was graphic and hard, representing the story very well. I really liked the first taste of Free for All, and look forward to future volumes.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the gladiator style battles, but definitely didn’t get the same “wow” factor as the author’s other graphic novel series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author/illustrator, and Oni Press for a copy!

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool little one shot from the cartoonist behind Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Selling Pitch:
A dystopian graphic novel whose commentary on capitalism amounts to all of a sentence.

Pre-reading:
This cover is absolutely gnarly!

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Okay, Judge Judy

Ayy a Sam!

Haha Ted Talk

Post-reading:
This was kinda lame. It’s a one liner dystopian pitch, but that’s also kinda all there is to it. Fight to the death or give up half of your belongings. It’s a capitalistic commentary premise, but the buck stops there, no pun intended. The whole money isn’t everything message rings pretty hollow when your victors are already living in the lap of luxury, and the general public is getting handouts any time a billionaire dies. We don’t see the motivation behind hoarding wealth, and sure, that can be its own commentary on there’s no need to hoard when money is equally distributed, but it’s hard to buy that when you’re not shown how the average person lives in this dystopia.

The art style wasn’t my favorite. It’s pretty thick lineart, and that can muddy up the action sequences. It has that adult cartoon ugliness to it that people argue is gritty and I just find repellent.

While I wouldn’t recommend this, it’s so short, I don’t think you’ll be too put out at having read this even if you don’t enjoy it. If you’re a Squid Games or a Hunger Games fan and need something short and sweet, this might work for you, but I think you’re going to be disappointed that it doesn’t push the envelope at all.

Who should read this:
Dystopian fans
Gladiator fans
Squid Games fans

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Nope.

Would I buy this:
Nope.

Similar books:
* Animal Pound by Tom King-graphic novel, classic retelling, political commentary
* George Orwell’s Animal Farm by Christina Dumalasova-graphic novel, classic retelling, social commentary
* Golden Rage by Chrissy Williams-graphic novel, dystopian, social commentary
* A Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid-YA dystopian, romance, queer, social commentary
* Local Heavens by K. M. Fajardo-dystopian, classic retelling, queer, social commentary

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gory, dystopian masterpiece.

I had high expectations going into this book, the premise combined with the cover art had me very excited. I am pleased to report that my expectations were met.

Free for All by Patrick Horvath Is a brilliantly constructed book. The reader is transported straight into the action, setting the tone as grand and suspenseful yet eerie.

The illustrations were gorgeous and appropriately provocative.

I was amazed by the world building, The unique elements of technology such as the weaponry contrasting the ancient arena and armour was inspired.


Thank you NetGalley, Patrick Horvath and Oni Press for the opportunity to read prior to the publication date.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed parts of this, but I never really connected with it. The cover art is great, for the rest of the story I did miss the whimsy and odd charm that I loved in their other work. There were some solid gory moments, but the story itself felt a bit thin and didn’t quite land for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulpy in the best way. The plot is mostly a clothesline upon which to hang fantastic gore artwork.

[Colin Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horvath does so much storytelling in this one-shot, setting up a bizarre alternate future and setting personal stakes for the characters - and life and death stakes, as they’re involved in actual gladiatorial combat. I want to see Horvath make a full graphic novel.

[Becky Swales-Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok?

Think Battle Royale but with adults and also not as good. Despite the synopsis on NetGalley and GR saying about it being a commentary on capitalism, it isn't really long enough or in-depth enough to actually be one. I liked the artwork and it was so short that I didn't feel like I wasted my time but this definitely isn't a good example of this kind of genre.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

[The Blog Without a Face · Rating 3 out of 5]

BWAF Score: 7/10

TL;DR: Free for All is sleek, corporate-bright dystopian horror where sanctioned combat gets packaged as feel-good civic ritual, and the real monster is the system’s calm, smiling efficiency. It lands, mainly because Horvath’s clean staging, broadcast-style pacing, and sterile palette make every hit feel like a product demo for violence, perfect for readers who like satirical, procedural dread more than gore-first chaos.

Patrick Horvath’s visual language in Free for All is basically a dare: bright, clean color fields and calmly outlined faces that look like they were designed to sell you vitamins, and then a hard cut to sanctioned cruelty presented as entertainment you can casually snack on. The line is crisp, the palette is often soft-to-sterile, and the whole thing has this quietly sick “everything is functioning as intended” vibe. It is not splatterpunk chaos. It is the horror of a well-lit system that knows exactly what it is doing and calls it community.

This is a world with a wildly popular, televised combat spectacle called “Free for All,” where a reigning champion faces an opponent selected through a lottery-like mechanism, and the culture around it is ravenous. The opening frames it as global entertainment, complete with hosts and crowd commentary, and the story quickly starts widening into the machinery around the fights: money, reputation laundering, and the strange emotional economy of a society that chants for dismemberment like it’s karaoke. The champion Ted Brooks is treated like a stoic institution, while other characters are pulled into the orbit of the arena whether they want it or not.

Horvath is very good at paneling that behaves like broadcast rhythm without feeling like you’re reading a fake TV script. Early pages bounce between tidy “talking head” boxes, crowd reactions, and big establishing shots of the arena that let you feel the scale of the spectacle. Then, when he wants tension, he starts weaponizing the page turn. A siren call, a pause, a drop. A rule explained, then a reveal of what that rule actually means in practice. There’s a particular nastiness in how the book compresses and decompresses time: a moment that should be huge gets flattened into a couple of blunt panels, while the waiting, the anticipation, the audience’s appetite, gets stretched just enough to make you feel complicit for leaning in.

Readability and staging are a real strength. Even when the arena is full of bodies, signage, and noise, you always know where you are and what the fighters are doing. Horvath’s figures carry emotion through posture more than melodramatic facial contortions. Ted’s “portrait of the stoic magnate” face reads as a practiced mask. Other characters, when they’re alone or caught off-guard, look softer, smaller, or just plain tired in a way that sticks. Spatial coherence holds in action beats too. When someone runs, you feel the distance. When something drops into play, you understand the geometry and the risk. It is clean storytelling, which makes the moral grime stand out harder.

Lettering and sound design do a lot of heavy lifting without becoming obnoxious. Balloon density is generally controlled, and when the crowd gets loud, the book lets that loudness become part of the visual architecture. Big, blunt SFX like the extended siren call, the amplified announcer voice, and the smaller tactile noises (a “click,” a mechanical “fwoosh”) create a layered soundscape that feels both comic-booky and unsettlingly procedural. Dialogue “sounds” like a world that has normalized atrocity. Even the banter has that polished, public-facing cadence, like everyone learned how to speak in press releases and chants.

Color and ink choices are doing something sly. A lot of the book lives in pastels and muted tones that evoke corporate interiors, broadcast graphics, and the weirdly comforting aesthetics of consumer tech. Then Horvath drops in stark negative space when it matters, like isolating figures against deep black to make a confrontation feel like it’s happening in a void, not a stadium. There are also these jarring, symbolic insertions, anatomical imagery and stark icons that interrupt the literal surface of the narrative. They function like intrusive thoughts made visible, which is exactly the right formal move for a story about violence being packaged as meaning. Texture is used sparingly, so when you get something like blood-like splatter in the margins of the book’s framing materials, it reads as a stain on the presentation, not just “cool gore.”

The dread mechanics are mostly social and procedural, and that’s why it works. The book is constantly reminding you that the fight is not an accident. It is scheduled, commentated, monetized, and cheered. Tension comes from rules you can hear clicking into place. The siren that delivers “weapons” is funny in a bleak way, because it turns brutality into a game show, and the crowd reacts exactly like they’re watching someone open a mystery box. Cross-cutting away from the arena into quieter, controlled spaces is another pressure tool. When a character is told, with calm efficiency, that their next week is now defined by being selected, the horror is the casualness of it. The world has systems for this. It has language for it. It has metrics for your emotions about it.

Violence is smartly calibrated. Horvath knows when to show impact and when to make you sit in the build-up instead. A lot of the nastiest feeling moments come from what’s implied by the crowd’s desire and the show’s framing, not just from anatomy on display. When the book does lean into the physicality, it tends to emphasize bodies as fragile objects inside armor and ritual, not as superhero meat that can take endless punishment. That choice keeps the stakes human, even when the culture around the arena is trying to turn bodies into content.

There are also a handful of images and tonal turns that stick like burrs without needing to spoil anything. The arena itself has this grotesque “monument” quality, including a carved, speaker-mouthed face that makes the announcements feel like they’re coming from the wall of the world. The recurring split-head, icon-and-anatomy imagery reads like a manifesto and a diagnosis at once. A sterile “meditation cycle” setup plays like self-care as sedation, a sleek little coffin for your feelings. And the crowd, god, the crowd, shown as a mosaic of expressions, signs, and tablet-lit reactions, becomes its own monster, smiling and screaming in the same breath.

Underneath the spectacle, Free for All is about righteous violence as a hobby and a moral escape hatch. It takes aim at the fantasy that brutality becomes pure if you tell yourself the target “deserves it,” and it pokes at how easily people outsource their conscience to a system that gives them permission. There’s a thread about power, money, and narrative control, too. Who gets framed as champion, who gets framed as villain, and how the story the public consumes is engineered so nobody has to feel responsible, only entertained.

Sometimes the book’s commentary is so cleanly articulated that it edges toward on-the-nose, especially when characters speak in the polished language of the world’s ideology. That can feel intentional, like part of the satire, but it occasionally flattens the messiness that would make certain emotional turns hit even harder. Also, if you’re allergic to stories where the “mechanism” is the main character, and you want deep, intimate interiority for everyone on the board, you might find the coldness a little distancing.

If you love dystopian horror that reads like a glossy brochure with blood under the laminate, this will absolutely be your shit. If you like combat staged with clear geography and real consequence, plus a moral argument baked into the formal choices, you’ll have a good time. If you want maximal gore and nonstop escalation, you may find Horvath more interested in the cultural rot than in topping himself with bigger splashes every page, and that is not a flaw, but it is a preference.

Read if you want dystopian horror that looks like a wellness brochure and feels like a moral paper cut that won’t stop bleeding.

Skip if you need big character interiority and messy emotional catharsis more than a cold, procedural nightmare.

[Kay ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What an absolute treat from start to finish! This was a much needed cause the last couple of things I have read were something else…. The concept in this is both original and captivating, blending creativity with a sense of adventure that keeps you hooked. The artwork is not only visually striking but also perfectly complements the tone of the story, adding depth to every page. I found myself drawn into the world Horvath has crafted, and honestly, I would love to see this expanded into a full series. It has so much potential for development, and the unique premise promises endless possibilities. Also who doesn’t like a good old gladiator type fight?

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this graphic novel that tells of future world an effort is made to share the wealth for the common good, a common good one can opt out of by being willing to fight to the death, a death that will be streamed all over the planet.

I have never been much for sports. Never cared to play it, never really cared to watch it. Never cared for the tribalism of liking one team over another. On the other hand, for some reason professional wrestling has always had an appeal to me. The idea of two men, settling their grudges in a squared circle, sometimes trapped by a steel fence, that to me is a sport, even if the end is predetermined. The athleticism, the stories, the physical contact makes me wonder if I would have been a big fan of gladiators. Where instead of pinfall to determine victory, death is the only way out. This graphic novel takes this idea and adds in billionaires willing to die to keep their money, rather than share it with others. Which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Free for All is written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, and tells of a future Earth, and an interesting way of redistributing wealth, and what happens when a couple, once married find themselves facing each other with weapons in hand, and betrayal still fresh in their minds.

The time is the future, when the World Financial League has taken power and tried to share the wealth for the people of Earth. Billionaires and trillionaires are approached with an offer. Sacrifice part of their wealth to help others, or fight to keep one's gains in the most popular streaming show imaginable. Kill your opponent, and one can keep one's wealth. Ted Brooks is the current champion with 22 kills, an amazing amount of wealth, a a burgeoning popularity. Luella Dominguez is Brooks' next opponent, and one who has been looking forward to the moment for quite a while, training in all different forms of martial arts. Luella and Ted were once married, until Ted stole their company away from her. Not only can she get her wealth back, but she can hurt Ted where it counts the most. At least Luella hopes, for Ted will not go down easy, and 22 fights have taught him quite a bit about survival.

I became a fan of Patrick Horvath's after reading the limited comic series Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, a story that was a fresh take on an old trope. Horvath continues this trend with a familiar story of love gone bad, rich and poor, and good old ultraviolence. The world is well explained, as are the character motivations, and reasons why things happen. A world I would like to see more of. A really violent world, with illustrations to match. There is a realism mixed with psychedelic feel to the art, a dreaminess, with a blast of ice water to the face. The story is short, but packs quite a bit into its story, and again, makes one want to know more about the world, and what is happening outside of the fighting pits.

A good story, with excellent art, maybe not for everyone, but one that I quite enjoyed. I liked the extra's also, telling about the design of the stories, changes as the book was written, tricks in the art and early sketches. This things really give insight to the story, and for people who wonder about how the sausage is made, can learn quite a lot. Even as a person who can't draw a straight line with a ruler, I found the art sections quite intriguing. A really fun story from an author who really is pushing the graphic storytelling medium. I can't wait to see more from Patrick Horvath.

[Alex Sarll]

In a utopian future, the world has come up with an acceptable compromise solution to the problem of grotesque wealth inequality. If your net worth is above 200 million dollars, that's fine – but you go into a draw, and if your name comes up, either you donate half to global welfare initiatives*, or you prove that you really are a uniquely capable and deserving specimen by single combat to the death in the gladiatorial arena. Alas, after the feelgood opening in which a pharma bro takes a war-mallet to the head, Horvath gets waylaid by fripperies like 'plot' and 'stakes' rather than simply teeing up more gory demises for deserving arseholes, so we get the reigning champion versus his ex in a more drawn-out bout, flashbacks to why they hate each other, all that jazz. Worse, while this is being published off the back of Horvath's hit Richard Scarry/serial killer hybrid Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, it's actually earlier work, and it shows; in places the action can look stilted, which is unfortunate when it's such an action-forward piece. Imperfect, then, but I forgive it much for the beautiful concept at its heart.

*Tellingly, in the dystopian billionaire-frotting present, even the book's own publisher misrepresents this in both the backmatter interview and the back cover blurb as a choice between death and bankruptcy. Not at all; the rich of the story's world can graciously cede half their wealth and still be left with enough to enjoy a fabulous standard of living. It's simply that some choose not to, because as we see so often, plenty of these pricks would rather absolutely any awful consequence than that the number go down.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Patrick Horvath’s “Free for All” is such a brilliant concept. As he describes it, he heard the news that Bill Gates was challenging other billionaires to donate half of their wealth and thought to himself, they would probably be willing to die before they do that. And there in lies the premise of “Free for All”. A lottery picks the billionaires. They are then given a choice: donate half of your wealth or fight each other to the death. The winner gets to keep their fortune for now, and the other one is dead. So, their wealth gets turned over to a redistribution of wealth.

Like I said, brilliant concept. But the follow-through is meh.

Imagine if Peter Benchley comes up to you and says, “I have a great concept for something that will strike fear in the hearts of ocean-goers for generations.” When you ask for further explanation, he says, “A shark eats some people and then the sheriff goes out on a boat and shoots an oxygen tank and the shark blows up!” Yeah…no.

Or George Lucas comes up with a brilliant concept, or so he says. “There is a farm boy that kisses his sister and then fights his dad before his dad kills his boss. Then the dad drops dead after the farmer boy drags him around some debris and then the son sets his corpse on fire!” Okie dokie then.

Well, that is what it feels like reading “Free for All”. You barely meet the characters and then one is dead, the other one maimed. And then it’s over. That’s it. 60 pages. This could have been drawn out to tell a magnificent story. Nope. Let’s just have a great concept and end it quickly.

Sigh.

The art was good.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

2.5 stars out of 5 stars

[ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC!

“Free for All” is a dystopian comic by writer/artist Patrick Horvath. Here, we are shown a future in which the solution to the issues of capitalism and the wealth gap is found in a fight to the death. However, unlike in other such stories (e.g. The Hunger Games, Chain-Gang All-Stars), the fighters aren’t those at the bottom of society – instead, they come from the top 1%. They are given the choice: Donate half of your assets to the World Finance League, which exists to benefit all, or fight to the death and keep your money, should you win. Ted Brooks is the reigning champion, having won all 22 of his matches, but now he will face his ex-wife and business partner, Luella Dominguez… Can he win, or will their past get in the way?

I will admit, I have very little experience with comics, but despite that I had a wonderful time with this. Making the rich guys fight for their lives for once is a wonderful twist on the usual dystopian “fight to win, win to survive” type of story, in which those who already have the least are made to suffer even more. I always enjoy seeing rich people suffer, so this was great. The fights were a bit silly, but this may be my personal bias due to my unfamiliarity with the medium.

I liked the art style, nice to look at and the perfect degree of realism for a work of this type.

I do wish it had been just a bit longer, maybe a bit more back story for the system or a bit more worldbuilding generally.

If you like comics and some light critique of capitalism, you’ll like this.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to pick up another Horvath graphic after racing through Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees last year. And while this had a similar flair in its illustration and commentative nature, it just didn't have the same impact for me as his previous work.

The concept of a dystopian world where those with greed and wealth are held accountable in the most gruesome manner is a good one. Gladiator dystopians are not new, but I loved this twist on the story (perhaps for very vindictive personal reasons). But beyond this initial concept, it didn't feel as fleshed out as it could have been.

The book is heavy on the violence and action, which made the overall story feel a bit shallow. Don't get me wrong, I love a gory book. The author/illustrator's notes at the end of this edition give a bit more insight into his intentions, including those that didn't strike as much as I would have liked.

I still love Horvath's illustration style, and the pacing is on point. I am definitely keeping an eye out for more from this creator, even if this wasn't quite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with a review copy. This does not impact my opinions.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free for All is the first entry in Patrick Horvath's new series of graphic novels imagining a world where wealth redistribution is decided in a gladiatorial face-off between members of the one percent. The ultra-wealthy are allowed to exist in society so long as they don't become too wealthy, in the order of billions or trillions (not entirely sure this is a financial possibility) of dollars. (Since they are forced to donate only half their wealth, it seems like $500M is the sweet spot for those interested in a long life). Rather than interrogate the systems that would have allowed individuals to reach this status, let's force them to have it out in a fight to the death!

First off, let me just say, I loved the art in this story. (The art is at least half the experience in a graphic novel, so you need to enjoy it.) It reminded me a lot of Junji Ito in its creatively horrific elements, so if like his work, picking this up is a no-brainer. This was sort of cathartic in the eat-the-rich kind of way. Billionaires choosing between donating their wealth or fighting each other to the death to keep it. Squid Games for the rich instead of the poor. Beyond that, I thought the world-building and plot was a bit...confusing? It really opted for no explainers when it came to the who, what, where, and why of it all. That said, since it's only the beginning of the series, maybe that's as much as I should expect. (I'm not a frequent reader of the genre, so it's hard to say.) But if the synopsis sounds interesting, you might give it a shot! It's a quick read with fantastic illustrations and a sort of one-dimensional message that's impossible to miss, so there isn't much to lose.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Gigi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️

thank you to oni press and netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

the concept of free for all feels especially relevant today, as the rich and powerful continue to consolidate wealth and influence. unfortunately, this one-shot doesn’t fully live up to the strength of its premise. the action is bloody and brutal, and the gore is beautifully illustrated, but the overall narrative comes across as disjointed and a bit unpolished.

because it is a one-shot, it doesn’t have the space or time to meaningfully explore its ideas about capitalist combat or the characters and motivations driving the story. compared to beneath the trees, this feels like the weaker work, but though that may simply reflect the differences in horvath’s stylistic approach at the time each was created.

this is a fairly quick read, even with the added behind-the-scenes notes and the interview with horvath. still, i’m excited to see what he does next and look forward to whatever stories he has up his sleeve.

[Chelsea is Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a futuristic setting, billionaires are put into a lottery. When drawn, they either forfeit half their earnings to welfare or join in a gladiatorial fight to the death. Ted, 22 time winner, is set for his next match against his ex-wife and business partner.

I like the concept of this story, the idea of this future dystopian world where the rich are the target instead of the poor. I also really enjoyed the fact that this deluxe re-release has extras in the back that discuss a few of the panels and the reasoning behind some of the artistic choices. My criticism would be that this is a shorty so I felt that some of the meaning the author was going for was lost. It really just came across as a story to highlight some gorey gladiatorial combat and many people will enjoy that. This piece of work has been out for a while and in the interview in the back it seemed like the author may or may not revisit this story so we will see if we get a second comic with more plot development in the future.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Oni Press, NetGalley, and Patrick Horvath for an advanced reading of Free for All.

Firstly, even in a bloody, dystopian, one-on-one combat situation, Horvath’s art and stories are GORGEOUS. I first read Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees last summer, and adore his style and storytelling, so I knew I’d enjoy Free for All.

Free for All is set in the future where body mods are the norm and corrupt billionaires are put into a lottery where they have the option to fight for their wealth or donate it to the poor. Ted Brooks, the long time victor of the highly televised Free for Fall games, faces off against Cameron Miller–a corrupt pharmaceutical executive–as the graphic novel begins.

As a satire, this graphic novel is perfect, as it explores the top 1%, and what they would do to preserve their wealth, while onlookers jeer and cheer at the blood bath.

I loved it.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A (HOPEFULLY) Not So Distant Future!

Free for All by Patrick Horvath is a chaotic, darkly comedic descent into the absurdity of human nature under pressure. Horvath blends sharp satire with unsettling suspense, creating a narrative that feels both hilarious and horrifying. The story thrives on unpredictability. Every character (or millionaire) has a scramble to survive and if you have ever found yourself uttering the words "Eat the Rich," then this is a story for you. The darkest parts of humanity rebound in this gladiator resurgence of a graphic novel. The audacity of this premise and the biting social commentary make it a memorable, if uncomfortable, ride. It is like the better version of the Hunger Games!

[Kay West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, I cringed, I shut the book because my character was in peril and I got scared.

I loved Beneath the Tress Where Nobody Sees, and if you did then you'll definitely want to pick this one up next. The art is amazing. The storyline is compelling. The body horror is on point.

This is an ultimate sci-fi, bloody fix for capitalism. If you make over a certain amount of money, you get the option to give a major percentage away to the government in support of people's livelihoods (food/shelter/etc) or you can have your name put in a lottery where, if selected, you will fight to the death against another rich person for a chance to keep your fortune. And it is televised.

This resonates with the world we are living in right now in a way that healed my soul.
🪓 Exes fight to the death
🪓 Coliseum-style fight match
🪓 Bloody
🪓 Amazing art
🪓 I was emotionally invested
🪓 Capitalism by combat
🪓 One-sitting read

This book is best read while eating the rich, raw.

[Elle (Lost in Wonderland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet and should totally be part of the next government reform. This was such a fun idea, with gruesome and intriguing visuals. Easy to get into and the goal was clear from the start. The characters were there for a good time not a long time and were exactly what you expect from billionaire CEOs.

Fun fact, did you know 1 million seconds is equal to 11 days but 1 billion seconds is equal to 32 years. There are currently 3000 billionaires in the world... Imagine what that kind of money could do if it was dispersed rather than hoarded? The ending was satisfactory to be sure.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Oni Press via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Allen Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the author's most recent release Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, I was excited to see his older works getting republished. This is a short, bloody and brutal read that focuses heavily on violence. It's fighting to the death - gladiator style - pitting uber-wealthy people against each other. There's commentary on wealth and class disparity. It's easy and entertaining to think of what uber-wealthy real-world people we would see in the ring.

It's a quick read, and well-drawn with some truly bloody and gory images, but, for me, it lacked the emotional depth and resonance of Beneath the Trees. (I can give it some lenience for being short and having limited space to create that though).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.