Redcoat Vol. 2

Redcoat #8-14

by Geoff Johns, Bryan Hitch (Artist), Andrew Currie (Artist)

IMMORTAL. MERCENARY. KIND OF A TOOL.
British soldier and all-around rogue Simon Pure has led quite an exciting life. Or lives, really.
In this volume, Simon crosses paths with some of America’s greatest figures…and one mystery man who absolutely despises Simon.
In the late 19th century, Simon has his annual meet-up with his good friend John Chapman—aka Johnny Appleseed—and an unexpected calamity awaits them. He also meets the striking and skilled sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who always hits the bullseye…especially the one in Simon’s heart.
And during the most desperate time of America’s Civil War, a mysterious force threatens to turn the tide of key battles by handing the Confederacy an unthinkable victory! Only Simon and the enigmatic new American Myth known as The Northerner stand in their path. But can these two unlikely soldiers put aside their differences long enough to stop a catastrophe? 
Collects Redcoat #8-14

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2025

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good series. 3.4 🌟

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some one-and-done stories sandwich a bigger adventure for Simon Pure, as he runs afoul of the Benders, Johnny Appleseed and a giant worm, Annie Oakley, the time-travelling Northerner, and Dolley Madison on his continued march through history.

Simon's still a git, but it's clear that his heart's changing across these issues - the Northerner adventure especially makes it obvious that he's perhaps not as bad as everyone thinks he is, even himself, it just takes a bit of coaxing to bring the best in him out.

Some of the American history references go a bit over my head being a Brit, but it's easy to get lost in Simon's adventures regardless, and the links to the other Unnamed titles, from the overt like the Northerner to the more subtle like the back of Junkyard Joe's head in one panel, keep me coming back for more.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat assortment of stories, featuring several memorable one-shot stories and a three-part team-up adventure. This continues to be an entertaining title; and the artwork is exceptional - always a visual delight.

NOTE I read this in the individual single issues (#7-#14).

REDCOAT #8
A stand-alone story with Simon Pure/Redcoat encountering the Bender family of serial killers in 1873 is set-up perfectly by the creative team.
Violent. Brutal. Good thing Simon is immortal. A good palate cleanser after the intensity of the first story arc.
The final page is a full panel preview/teaser of Civil War character The Northerner who will appear in a future storyline. He apparently knows of Redcoat and Geiger as well, so most likely he is another immortal time traveler. THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.

REDCOAT #9Bryan Hitch’s art just seems to get better and better on this title.
This issue takes place in 1816 and is another one-shot story detailing the friendship between Simon Pure and John Chapman a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed. During a campout together where much hard apple cider was consumed, Redcoat’s powers inadvertently create the world’s biggest apple, massive in size. Also massive is the giant worm that crawls out of it. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

REDCOAT #10
Redcoat is in the West of 1890 and is caught cheating in a card game and chased out of town. He dies after trying to escape by jumping aboard a moving train.
He wakes up and finds himself in another Western town and witnessing a crowd gathered around a sharp-shooting demonstration. He meets Annie Oakley and engages in a shooting competition with her. Soon after they team up to bust up a gang of outlaws who take children hostage.
Another entertaining one-shot story in which Redcoat matures a little. “Still, that day in Memphis stuck with me. Annie Oakley may have been the best shot in the West, but she hit me with something no one else ever had . . . Hope . . .” THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.

REDCOAT #11 “But the mysterious Northerner hunts Simon through time for reasons yet unknown . . .”
1864: Columbus, Georgia . . . A Confederate corporal isn entrusted to deliver a satchel of military intelligence to admin, a parcel given him by a mysterious secessionist called The Cobbler. A slave girl overhears, steals the parcel, and bolts. She is rescued from pursuit by The Northerner, who promptly burns the contents of the satchel.
Meanwhile Redcoat is making a living delivering military intelligence to the Union Army. He meets The Cobbler, who offers him a job delivery a package to the Confederate commander of the Tennessee army. The Northerner finally catches up to him, warning that “if America unravels, Mr. Pure . . . so do you.”
Another gorgeously illustrated issue with authentic detail. A nice start to this story arc featuring The Northerner. THREE AND THREE-QUARTER STARS.

REDCOAT #12
Part Two of The Northerner team-up. The jibes, insults and distrust between the two begins here as The Northerner introduces himself to Simon: “I know exactly what you are, Mr. Pure. . . One of the ever-living, the only one who fell into his stolen power instead of earning it.” He wants what The Cobbler gave to Redcoat. When offers $400, Simon gives in and lets him burn it.
In the next scene, we learn that The Cobbler is a time-traveler as he is seen eating a Snickers candy bar. When Union soldiers attempt to bring him in for questioning, he guns them down with a machine gun. Which leads to Simon and The Northerner uncovering his master plan, which is to furnish the Confederate Army with automatic weapons from the future.
This lead me to believe that Geoff Johns is familiar (as am I) with the 1992 science-fiction/alternative history novel THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH by Harry Turtledove. In that story, a white supremacist militia from the 20th Century time-travels to 1864 to furnish General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army with AK-47s - which means the South is victorious and Lee becomes President, and changing history. John’s plot device is right out of the pages of this novel (one of my favorite alternative history reads). THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

REDCOAT #13
I haven’t mentioned this before, but every single issue of REDCOAT features a cool wraparound cover by Bryan Hitch. This issue is notable for the various depictions of Redcoat and The Northerner trying to maintain their balance atop floating clocks while a giant Cobbler menaces them.
This is the final chapter of the Redcoat/Northerner team-up, along with a curious young orphan who makes better decisions in critical moments than both of them. They are hot on the trail of The Cobbler, trying to stop him before he delivers munitions to the South and changes the outcome of the Civil War.
More squabbles between the two, with the Northerner repeating his position that Redcoat never chooses a side in a skirmish/conflict, just an opportunity to enrich himself. They argue throughout the issue, but in the end Simon proves to have principles as well as a heart.
Lots of gunplay, explosions and before it ends in more blue energy The Northerner finds himself in a different timeline, with the whereabouts of the defeated Cobbler unknown. FOUR STARS.

REDCOAT #14
Another one-shot story; and this is just as good as the others.
It’s August 24, 1814 - - a notable day in history and by blind luck Simon Pure/Redcoat happens to be visiting with the White House cook in Washington, DC just before British Admiral General George Cockburn gets his revenge by burning down the building.
Simon is attempting to escape the flames when he encounters soldiers who mistake him for the enemy. He manages to fight his way through, only to see a woman running towards the flames. He attempts to stop her and finds out she is trying to save a portrait of George Washington. The woman is Dolly Madison, wife of then President James Madison.
In the backstory a thunderstorm washes D.C. later that morning and an ethereal George Washington shows up talking to himself about the Unknown War (foreshadowing the Ghost Machine timeline) and cursing Simon Pure for messing with his plans. Is he alive or a ghost? I’m assuming he is he First Ghost mentioned on the cover. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

[AviChaim Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw that this volume was rated higher than the first, I honestly didn’t understand why, but after reading it, the difference is clear. The issues that held back the earlier volume simply aren’t present here. The dialogue is sharp, the pacing is tight, and Bryan Hitch’s artwork is absolutely stunning throughout.
I loved every moment of this Redcoat arc. In fact, it’s quickly become one of my favorite stories; not just within Ghost Machine, but in general. As a history nerd, this kind of historical fiction hits all the right notes for me. Each issue is packed with action, heart, humor, and thoughtful moral moments.
I can’t even decide which format I enjoyed more: the one-shot adventures where Simon interacts with iconic American figures like Johnny Appleseed, Annie Oakley, and Dolley Madison, or the longer narrative arcs, especially the one that throws Simon into the Civil War. Both approaches work beautifully for this series and showcase how versatile and engaging the storytelling really is.
Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch are crafting a modern, timeless epic, one that will stand strong no matter when readers discover it. Simon Pure is an exceptional protagonist, and I’m thoroughly enjoying every issue. I couldn’t recommend this series more.
Grade: A

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts rather episodically, really taking its time to enjoy Simon Pure mucking about with American folktales, heroes, and bizarre murderer families. If the first volume was a full on story from start to beginning this starts with Geoff Johns playing with the toys in the toy box and it is fun to read. It does lay a bit of the groundwork for more of Simon Pure being this rapscallion with a secret heart of gold ruined by his sucky upbringing. But that really it just sort of goes with the trope of the sort of Han Solo rapscallion archetype Simon Pure slots into.
Then we get a cool battle for the heart of America, with Simon Pure having to choose a side lest he dies if America’s soul does, as two time travelers vie for which side wins the Civil War. I’ve heard in other reviews this isn’t new territory which I could believe. But this is my first step into this sort of historical scifi and I really enjoyed it here. The action is strong and seeing this anachronism of modern guns and explosives against all the Civil War architecture and clothes was admittedly super fucking cool. No doubt part an immense part of that is just Bryan Hitch’s penciling, Andrew Currie’s inking, and Brad Anderson’s coloring work which continues to be impeccable. The only real awkward bit is that all children are drawn a bit oddly. It worked for Einstein in volume one but the little girl drawn here can sometimes have a bit of an off face. The ending of this storyline confused me though as it tied into the larger Ghost Machine storyline which I haven’t paid attention to nor plan to. I really am here just for Redcoat.
We end with more fun Americana Forrest Gump shenanigans as Simon Pure happens to be there when the White House was burned down. It was fun and Simon bumping into American moments / individuals is fun and one of the best parts of this series. Oddly though both volumes have ended with sort of reinforcing the status quo of Simon Pure still needing to know to be the good guy he is deep down that he’s running away from. But… we’ve had multiple storylines of that and moments that were supposed to show growth so it’s a bit annoying. It is also a bit weird they did the Civil War. It feels like they were addressing the elephant that Simon Pure would be on either side and they purposefully ended it on a note being like “Look, Simon Pure ended joining the Union,” which good. I’m glad. But it felt a bit like having your cake and eating it too to have him war profiteer and then very quickly change to be on the Union’s side through story beat and self-preservation.

[Cameron DeHart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still love the core premise of Redcoat—an undying British soldier wandering through American history is such a fun and elastic idea—but this second volume really struggles to do anything fresh or meaningful with it. The earlier “child Einstein” cameo was already edging into gimmick territory, but Vol. 2 doubles down with lackluster historical mashups that feel more perfunctory than inspired.

The Johnny Appleseed and Annie Oakley issues, in particular, land with a thud. Oakley’s portrayal is not only sanitized but oddly off-model—tall, glamorous, and stripped of the complexity that made her an icon. The “Northerner” arc at least flirts with substance, but it retreads well-worn Civil War time-travel ground (Harry Turtledove did it better decades ago).

What really broke immersion for me was inserting Simon Pure into the Dolley Madison story while erasing Paul Jennings, the enslaved man who actually saved the Washington portrait in real life. That’s not bold revisionism—it’s tone-deaf.

Geoff Johns’ writing here feels surprisingly flat and mechanical, especially compared to his dynamic work on JSA or Green Lantern. The saving grace remains Bryan Hitch’s art: clean, cinematic, and gorgeously inked. But beautiful visuals can only carry a story so far.

Unless the next volume shows a dramatic creative turnaround, I’ll likely be bowing out of Redcoat’s eternal march.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this second volume proved a few things to me.

1. I don't care about the larger Ghost Machine "world" and found myself losing interest as soon as connections were made, which weren't even that intrusive.

2. Bryan Hitch still has the magic. I just wish he working on a comic with a more interesting setting.

3. Simon Pure looks like Chris Hemsworth, circa 2011.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lukewarm on the first volume but this one improves on it in almost every way, with focused, emotional storytelling, an interesting through line plot, and terrific art. best in career for Hitch and Johns? certainly the latter

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the world building and the use of history.

I want to read and see so much more of the Northerner. He could be my newest favorite hero since Armstrong.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot better than the first volume. Several single-issue stories: Simon meets the Bloody Benders; Simon hangs out with Johnny Appleseed; Simon becomes infatuated with Annie Oakley. But the best part of this volume was a several issue story where Simon becomes involved with a mysterious figure known only as The Northerner, who is on the trial of another mysterious person, The Cobbler. Both are time travelers and The Cobbler is intent on helping the South to win the Civil War, complete with a wagon-full of automatic weapons. This is the kind of thing I'd like to see more of, and with an open-ending, we likely will. Then things wrap up with Simon helping Dolly Madison to save a portrait of George Washington during the War of 1812. The art is topnotch throughout. This is shaping up to be a book I want more of.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redcoat Vol. 2 collects issues 8-14 of the Image Comics series written by Geoff Johns, art by Bryan Hitch, and colors by Brad Anderson.

The immortal and former British solider turned bounty hunter and assassin Simon Pure encounters many real life Americans whose stories have become legends and American folklore including Johnny Appleseed, Annie Oakley, Dolly Madison, and the infamous “Bloody” Bender Family. In the longest story arc contained within this volume Simon Pure encounters another member of The Unnamed who has traveled back in time to the American Civil War in order to correct the timeline.

Simon Pure likes to claim that he is a loner and only cares about himself, but his stories show that while he is a survivalist, he often does the right thing when confronted with societal wrongs. I really enjoy the mix of history, folklore, supernatural, sci-fi, and fantasy to weave Simon Pure’s story and very excited to see where this all goes.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geoff Johns' clever, scoundrel Simon Pure is back in action and this volume was a bit of a letdown as readers are given some one off adventures of Simon and some famous names throughout history that were decent but unnecessary. The main crux of the story involved a new foe, new accomplice, and maybe a new look on America. It did all the heavy lifting here as it was incredibly entertaining and brings up a lot more questions. I don't know how I feel about the book connecting to other Ghost Machine titles but we'll see. Bryan Hitch's art is once again spectacular. Overall, a decent read that once again felt ill-paced.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Pure encounters more real historical figures in Johnny Appleseed, Annie Oakley and Dolly Madison, although they are different as Appleseed can perform magic. By the way, that serial killer family in issue #8 is real. They'd lure travelers in and murder them. Then we get another one of the Unnamed in the Northerner. He's a time traveler from an alternate future where the South won the Civil War and he's trying to keep other time travelers from sabotaging the timeline. Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch have got another winner on their hands.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read, the more I think Simon Pure (although he is anything but, as I am getting to know) is an excellent, multi-dimensional character.

The art is excellent and the inclusion of the Northerner ties into an excellent overarching plot.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful balance between one-offs and story advancement, woven through a century of American history.

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as volume 1 but still entertaining and got me hyped. Close to 4/5 stars but just don’t think it reaches that level.