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Geiger #1-6
Geiger, Vol. 1
The critically acclaimed team of writer GEOFF JOHNS and artist GARY FRANK unites with superstar colorist BRAD ANDERSON to bring their first creator-owned hero to Image Comics!
Set in the years after a nuclear war ravaged the planet, desperate outlaws battle for survival in a world of radioactive chaos. Out past the poisoned wasteland lives a man even the Nightcrawlers and Organ People fear. Some call him Joe Glow, others call him the Meltdown Man. But his name…is Geiger.
Collects GEIGER #1-6
Set in the years after a nuclear war ravaged the planet, desperate outlaws battle for survival in a world of radioactive chaos. Out past the poisoned wasteland lives a man even the Nightcrawlers and Organ People fear. Some call him Joe Glow, others call him the Meltdown Man. But his name…is Geiger.
Collects GEIGER #1-6
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2021
71 people are currently reading
1176 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,707 books2,414 followersGeoff 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
November 1, 2024
(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: A western at heart, it's poignant in parts, though generic in action, the world and its factions are inventive and smart.
Notes: A western at heart, it's poignant in parts, though generic in action, the world and its factions are inventive and smart.
December 17, 2025
Very, very readable.
Gary Frank just kills it with the art.
The facial expressions are just dead-on and push the story from good to great.
Ok. The gist is that nuclear bombs have dropped in the very near future, and what's left of humanity has a post-apocalyptic lifestyle going on. Creepy weirdos have taken over, and it's survival of the fittest and meanest.
One dude is a legend, however.
Geiger is a mythic survivor who got hit with the first blast, and somehow not only survived, but morphed into a being who can turn into a kick-ass radioactive monster.
He meets up with two lost kids in the desert and finds a reason to keep on keeping on.
Oh, and he has a two-headed dog.
And while none of these ideas may be particularly new, Geoff Johns does his thing and spins it into a heartwarming tale of cancer treatments, radiation poisoning, and dystopian landscapes.
Recommended!
Gary Frank just kills it with the art.
The facial expressions are just dead-on and push the story from good to great.
Ok. The gist is that nuclear bombs have dropped in the very near future, and what's left of humanity has a post-apocalyptic lifestyle going on. Creepy weirdos have taken over, and it's survival of the fittest and meanest.
One dude is a legend, however.
Geiger is a mythic survivor who got hit with the first blast, and somehow not only survived, but morphed into a being who can turn into a kick-ass radioactive monster.
He meets up with two lost kids in the desert and finds a reason to keep on keeping on.
Oh, and he has a two-headed dog.
And while none of these ideas may be particularly new, Geoff Johns does his thing and spins it into a heartwarming tale of cancer treatments, radiation poisoning, and dystopian landscapes.
Recommended!
January 15, 2022
Given the glut of post-apocalyptic comics out there trying to come up with original ways for the world to end, I found this refreshing to go with the old standby boogie man I grew up with in the 70's and 80's, nuclear war. There's some neat stuff here. I really loved how the escrima sticks Geiger uses were really control rods to keep him from exploding. I liked the themes of a father protecting his children. Johns leans into some of the stereotypes of our childhood, especially Mad Max and I'm okay with it, because it works.
Gary Frank is one of my all-time favorite artists. Along with Brad Anderson's eye-popping colors, the book looks absolutely gorgeous.
Gary Frank is one of my all-time favorite artists. Along with Brad Anderson's eye-popping colors, the book looks absolutely gorgeous.
September 11, 2021
The nuclear apocalypse happens in 2030 and Tariq Geiger manages to get his family to their fallout shelter in time - but gets locked out himself. It’s now 20 years later and Geiger has somehow survived, gaining superpowers from the radiation no less, and is waiting for the radiation levels to go down before opening up the shelter and reuniting with his family. But civilisation has broken down in the intervening years and, after one too many vigilante interferings, Vegas villains want Geiger’s head - as well as a valuable package two kids have stolen and are now on the run, into the Nevada desert, towards the “glowing man”...
Geoff Johns and Gary Frank break free from DC for their first creator-owned Image title, Geiger, and it’s an underwhelming book. Generally I found their DC books to be unremarkable but I also understood that they had to colour within the corporate lines - they couldn’t take risks or do anything too crazy with the likes of Superman, Batman and the Watchmen characters because DC wouldn’t let them; they’re their characters.
So it’s disappointing that when Johns/Frank create their own superhero character, they’ve created something that could easily be published at DC/Marvel. Geiger and the story he’s in could be substituted for the likes of Ghost Rider, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, or any other middling character with powers; there’s nothing too special or unique about him or his story.
Maybe this is the best they can do though - generic superhero comics? In which case we’re seeing the extent of their abilities and their books just aren’t for me. Or maybe it’s deliberate. I’m sure they saw the sales of books like Doomsday Clock and Batman: Earth One and thought they’d be multi-millionaires if they owned those characters. So maybe they decided to create similar books but with their own character, appeal to that same audience, and try to reap the rewards? Either way, Geiger’s not a particularly brilliant book.
Contrivance is the order of the day, as it so often is with Johns. Two nobodies happen to find the “nuclear football” which holds the locations of all the remaining nuke sites in the US (apparently they didn’t all go off 20 years ago), and, even though it’s the most valuable thing to the people they bring it to, they put it aside to play casino games, allowing a waitress to walk away with it. How convenient! Then, in her tiny room, two burly men crowd in, one of whom is spritzed in the face with something, and then the other just happens to disappear momentarily (it’s a confusingly-drawn sequence), allowing the kids to make off with the bag. It’s all so contrived. But it has to be this way because Plot.
The US government is still there but is weakened (plot!), which means the gangs of Las Vegas are now in control but they’re themed gangs for no reason. So there’s a Camelot-inspired bunch, and a roaring ‘20s group. There was an American Dad! episode about a Disneyland parody called Familyland where the park is locked down and factions arbitrarily spring up based on the areas of the park they’re in. This is exactly the same thing except it’s not meant to be funny, even though it is.
When he turns into his glowing skeleton form, Geiger can melt metal (ie. handcuffs) but not the thin cloth cape he’s always wearing (he probably shops at the same place Hulk gets his pants, right?), or a gun when the scene requires him to pick it up and shoot it. He finds out his family’s fate just when he needs to help the kids, who he just happens to come across (because the Nevada desert isn’t a big place or anything). And that’s ignoring the fact that his name is Geiger, who happened to be one of the few people with a nuclear fallout shelter in his backyard, his powers happen to be radiation-themed, and he lives in a post-nuclear war landscape! There’s far more contrivance here but I’ll move onto the derivative stuff, because it doesn’t stop at American Dad!
The most obvious comparison is to the Fallout games, not least New Vegas, and the post-apocalyptic world is exactly like Mad Max (the organ people = war boys). There’s a robot soldier character called Junkyard Joe that’s just the T-1000 and there’s a Game of Thrones Joffrey-esque character as the main baddie. Gary Frank’s art is top-notch throughout (though he’s not doing anything more impressive than in his previous books) but his character design for Geiger is just Ghost Rider but less biker-y, or a more muscular Death.
Johns just isn’t very imaginative. He took a lot of prefabricated elements and stuck them together into this chase template. He’s planning on a Geiger-extended universe which is set at key war moments in America’s history, starting with the Revolutionary War and going up to 2050 (ie. this book), so he won’t even have to try hard at all in creating most of those environments because they’re all well-defined already (US Civil War, WW2, Vietnam, etc.).
The characters are an uninteresting cast. Geiger is the archetypical sympathetic hero who’s all about saving his family (yawn) and is seemingly invincible when he turns into the glowing skeleton (double yawn) whose powers are vague at best. The villains are all one-dimensional (motivation: powah!) and the kids are average kid characters (ie. dull innocents). Nobody really stands out as particularly memorable.
Johns is like McDonald’s: it’s popular because it’s the same sort of thing every time, it’s easily consumed, easily digested and easily forgotten. If you’ve liked Johns’ previous books, you’ll probably like Geiger because it’s just more of that. The story flows effortlessly, it’s fast-paced, it looks pretty, and then it’s over. It won’t challenge you or show you anything you haven’t seen before in pop culture.
But for readers like me who were hoping to see a more interesting, subversive side to Johns and Frank away from corporate-controlled characters, you’ll be disappointed because they don’t do anything really different or creative than what you’ve seen them do at DC. As a result, Geiger, Volume 1 is a safely bland, generic and unimpressive superhero comic, sure to be a bestseller and adapted to a streaming service soon!
Geoff Johns and Gary Frank break free from DC for their first creator-owned Image title, Geiger, and it’s an underwhelming book. Generally I found their DC books to be unremarkable but I also understood that they had to colour within the corporate lines - they couldn’t take risks or do anything too crazy with the likes of Superman, Batman and the Watchmen characters because DC wouldn’t let them; they’re their characters.
So it’s disappointing that when Johns/Frank create their own superhero character, they’ve created something that could easily be published at DC/Marvel. Geiger and the story he’s in could be substituted for the likes of Ghost Rider, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, or any other middling character with powers; there’s nothing too special or unique about him or his story.
Maybe this is the best they can do though - generic superhero comics? In which case we’re seeing the extent of their abilities and their books just aren’t for me. Or maybe it’s deliberate. I’m sure they saw the sales of books like Doomsday Clock and Batman: Earth One and thought they’d be multi-millionaires if they owned those characters. So maybe they decided to create similar books but with their own character, appeal to that same audience, and try to reap the rewards? Either way, Geiger’s not a particularly brilliant book.
Contrivance is the order of the day, as it so often is with Johns. Two nobodies happen to find the “nuclear football” which holds the locations of all the remaining nuke sites in the US (apparently they didn’t all go off 20 years ago), and, even though it’s the most valuable thing to the people they bring it to, they put it aside to play casino games, allowing a waitress to walk away with it. How convenient! Then, in her tiny room, two burly men crowd in, one of whom is spritzed in the face with something, and then the other just happens to disappear momentarily (it’s a confusingly-drawn sequence), allowing the kids to make off with the bag. It’s all so contrived. But it has to be this way because Plot.
The US government is still there but is weakened (plot!), which means the gangs of Las Vegas are now in control but they’re themed gangs for no reason. So there’s a Camelot-inspired bunch, and a roaring ‘20s group. There was an American Dad! episode about a Disneyland parody called Familyland where the park is locked down and factions arbitrarily spring up based on the areas of the park they’re in. This is exactly the same thing except it’s not meant to be funny, even though it is.
When he turns into his glowing skeleton form, Geiger can melt metal (ie. handcuffs) but not the thin cloth cape he’s always wearing (he probably shops at the same place Hulk gets his pants, right?), or a gun when the scene requires him to pick it up and shoot it. He finds out his family’s fate just when he needs to help the kids, who he just happens to come across (because the Nevada desert isn’t a big place or anything). And that’s ignoring the fact that his name is Geiger, who happened to be one of the few people with a nuclear fallout shelter in his backyard, his powers happen to be radiation-themed, and he lives in a post-nuclear war landscape! There’s far more contrivance here but I’ll move onto the derivative stuff, because it doesn’t stop at American Dad!
The most obvious comparison is to the Fallout games, not least New Vegas, and the post-apocalyptic world is exactly like Mad Max (the organ people = war boys). There’s a robot soldier character called Junkyard Joe that’s just the T-1000 and there’s a Game of Thrones Joffrey-esque character as the main baddie. Gary Frank’s art is top-notch throughout (though he’s not doing anything more impressive than in his previous books) but his character design for Geiger is just Ghost Rider but less biker-y, or a more muscular Death.
Johns just isn’t very imaginative. He took a lot of prefabricated elements and stuck them together into this chase template. He’s planning on a Geiger-extended universe which is set at key war moments in America’s history, starting with the Revolutionary War and going up to 2050 (ie. this book), so he won’t even have to try hard at all in creating most of those environments because they’re all well-defined already (US Civil War, WW2, Vietnam, etc.).
The characters are an uninteresting cast. Geiger is the archetypical sympathetic hero who’s all about saving his family (yawn) and is seemingly invincible when he turns into the glowing skeleton (double yawn) whose powers are vague at best. The villains are all one-dimensional (motivation: powah!) and the kids are average kid characters (ie. dull innocents). Nobody really stands out as particularly memorable.
Johns is like McDonald’s: it’s popular because it’s the same sort of thing every time, it’s easily consumed, easily digested and easily forgotten. If you’ve liked Johns’ previous books, you’ll probably like Geiger because it’s just more of that. The story flows effortlessly, it’s fast-paced, it looks pretty, and then it’s over. It won’t challenge you or show you anything you haven’t seen before in pop culture.
But for readers like me who were hoping to see a more interesting, subversive side to Johns and Frank away from corporate-controlled characters, you’ll be disappointed because they don’t do anything really different or creative than what you’ve seen them do at DC. As a result, Geiger, Volume 1 is a safely bland, generic and unimpressive superhero comic, sure to be a bestseller and adapted to a streaming service soon!
April 4, 2024
Reread: 03/04/2024
Its always fun to reread this and omg I just love it even more this time just seeing the sad origin of the character and then bouncing between the present and the past and seeing Geiger in action and the King is such an exaggerated character I love it, theres also a 80 page one shot that expands on the diff. players in that Last vegas post apocalyptic city and yeah reading that actually enhances the experience, the king is a great villain and then add in the family element of it and it makes for one heck of a read, I just loved it! The art is so good, clearly this is Gary frank at his best, definitely read this!!
_________________________________________________________________________
This one was so good!!
It tells the tale of a man named Tariq Geiger who in a nuclear attack gets infected with glowing powers and he is the Melting man but he did all of it to protect his family and 20 years later in 2050 he is trying to survive hoping that his family is still alive and protecting them but well reality is different.
In some other place we see the landscape of Las Vegas and The Child King and the hate he has for Geiger and their origins of enmity but the main thrust of the story is him trying to rescue these children named Hailee and Henry and we follow their adventures to survive in this world and how they meet Geiger, one of the Unnamed fighting the Unknown war and the big mysteries of the world and the final face off on all sides and a surprise cameo by another hero!
Plus an epic ending. This is a great book and has so many things it does right like focusing on the hero in a post apocalyptic Americana and the effects of that plus big revelations about the origins and motive of Geiger, this world and hint to various heroes and all.
I like how this volume took its time to build up into something big and will continue to do so but in of itself its a contained story and is so awesome plus I like how Johns connects theme of family here and redeems the character too in a way and all that. Its a very nuanced and at times may feel pretty slow but the world building is immaculate and just makes for an amazing read and he is complemented by Frank his longtime collaborator and this pair delivers once again on an amazing book!
Its always fun to reread this and omg I just love it even more this time just seeing the sad origin of the character and then bouncing between the present and the past and seeing Geiger in action and the King is such an exaggerated character I love it, theres also a 80 page one shot that expands on the diff. players in that Last vegas post apocalyptic city and yeah reading that actually enhances the experience, the king is a great villain and then add in the family element of it and it makes for one heck of a read, I just loved it! The art is so good, clearly this is Gary frank at his best, definitely read this!!
_________________________________________________________________________
This one was so good!!
It tells the tale of a man named Tariq Geiger who in a nuclear attack gets infected with glowing powers and he is the Melting man but he did all of it to protect his family and 20 years later in 2050 he is trying to survive hoping that his family is still alive and protecting them but well reality is different.
In some other place we see the landscape of Las Vegas and The Child King and the hate he has for Geiger and their origins of enmity but the main thrust of the story is him trying to rescue these children named Hailee and Henry and we follow their adventures to survive in this world and how they meet Geiger, one of the Unnamed fighting the Unknown war and the big mysteries of the world and the final face off on all sides and a surprise cameo by another hero!
Plus an epic ending. This is a great book and has so many things it does right like focusing on the hero in a post apocalyptic Americana and the effects of that plus big revelations about the origins and motive of Geiger, this world and hint to various heroes and all.
I like how this volume took its time to build up into something big and will continue to do so but in of itself its a contained story and is so awesome plus I like how Johns connects theme of family here and redeems the character too in a way and all that. Its a very nuanced and at times may feel pretty slow but the world building is immaculate and just makes for an amazing read and he is complemented by Frank his longtime collaborator and this pair delivers once again on an amazing book!
January 10, 2023
Post-apocalyptic books are a dime a dozen these day - you're probably reading this while taking a break from reading some sort of post-apocalyptic fiction - so I started reading Geiger with an almost inhuman amount of skepticism.
Supposedly you've already seen my 5 stars so it can't be a surprise that I really loved it. Geoff Johns takes tired post-nuclear war tropes and plays with them, without it tipping into parody. The character of Geiger, a man who is left outside of his bunker while nuclear fire rains down, borders on the ridiculous, and then firmly steps into it. His powers are wonderfully over the top, and he is a hero in the mould of Batman - the stoic, silent type, under which hides a sweet, soft family man who just wants to find a nice book to read.
Every character, be they friendly or antagonistic, is quickly and smartly defined, especially Geiger's new substitute family.
The art is fantastic, and handily takes on the campiness and pulp of the story.
Pulpy fun with a heart.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
Supposedly you've already seen my 5 stars so it can't be a surprise that I really loved it. Geoff Johns takes tired post-nuclear war tropes and plays with them, without it tipping into parody. The character of Geiger, a man who is left outside of his bunker while nuclear fire rains down, borders on the ridiculous, and then firmly steps into it. His powers are wonderfully over the top, and he is a hero in the mould of Batman - the stoic, silent type, under which hides a sweet, soft family man who just wants to find a nice book to read.
Every character, be they friendly or antagonistic, is quickly and smartly defined, especially Geiger's new substitute family.
The art is fantastic, and handily takes on the campiness and pulp of the story.
Pulpy fun with a heart.
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
January 16, 2022
Okay, first of all this is not Mad Max or Road Warrior or whatever because it is set in the Nevada desert, see, not the Australian desert. So get that notion right out of your head. And, hey, this is probably not recycled from a rejected pitch for a revival of the Atomic Knights at DC that would have also pulled in their Tomahawk, Creature Commandos, and G.I. Robot characters. Nosirree. This is an original and independent creation. Yup, yup, yup. Yup.
Movie option now available. Step right up.
Movie option now available. Step right up.
October 21, 2021
(Buddy read with my fellow crazy man: Lex)
*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*
An explosion of neon green pages, this was quite a blast with a surprisingly emotional core.
A very novel concept, I liked how the story managed to balance the theme of family and superhero-esque fight scenes. The protagonist’s backstory played out before your eyes and you couldn’t help but feel for him as all his hopes were crushed. It was exactly the kind of thing I’d expected Geoff Johns to write.
However, I thought the end was lacking. The whole ‘power of love and family’ saving the protagonist from completely losing control came across as cringy and quite frankly ridiculous, and I say that regarding a man who could literally turn nuclear. That kind of fluffy ‘power of love’ schtick lacked integrity and felt like a cheap trick used here to end the volume quickly. And the ending did feel far too neat, despite the few loose ends remaining.
Then there was the narration which felt like a spare part in the story. It may have served as a reminder for those reading single issues monthly, but reading this as a collected edition, it seemed strange how the narration counterintuitively retold parts of what had already been shown for no reason. The campfire-story style of narrative also made the ending seem like it was effortlessly come by, once again making it feel rushed. Despite the fact that it was hinted that the narrator would come into play in a later vol, in this one his inclusion beyond the first issue felt unnecessary.
Gary Frank’s art wasn’t really to my taste. I thought it was a little stiff; although the grungy style suited the post-apocalyptic setting well. It was Brad Anderson’s colouring work that really saved some of the more awkwardly-drawn panels. His neon colours really brought Geiger to life and looked fantastic.
February 28, 2022
Johns and Frank always make a compelling creative team though some of the paint-by-numbers, Mad Max-style post-Apocalyptic character choices were unfortunate.
Still, more than enough here to get me interested in the next volume when it comes.
Still, more than enough here to get me interested in the next volume when it comes.
February 11, 2024
7.6/10
Very entertaining.
In a post apocalyptic world, a man called Geiger stumbled upon two kids. The kids are siblings and they are running away from some bad guys. Geiger decides to help them. Of course there is way more to it than that.
The story is fast paced. It has action and it can get emotional. The art is good and i love the way Geiger looks when he goes "nuclear mode".
The best thing is the world building. We slowly get to see more places and get to know more powerful "players".
Definitely excited to see what the future holds for Geiger.
Very entertaining.
In a post apocalyptic world, a man called Geiger stumbled upon two kids. The kids are siblings and they are running away from some bad guys. Geiger decides to help them. Of course there is way more to it than that.
The story is fast paced. It has action and it can get emotional. The art is good and i love the way Geiger looks when he goes "nuclear mode".
The best thing is the world building. We slowly get to see more places and get to know more powerful "players".
Definitely excited to see what the future holds for Geiger.
April 14, 2022
Pretty okay Image book! Geoff Johns tropes galore, but the Gary Frank art is pretty, but it’s more worldbuilding than anything.
There were also like two spinoffs set up out of this that I have 0 interest in ever touching, but a cool mix of superheroes in a fallout-like setting.
There were also like two spinoffs set up out of this that I have 0 interest in ever touching, but a cool mix of superheroes in a fallout-like setting.
November 19, 2021
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the Glowing Man stalks the wreckage of Las Vegas. Who is Geiger, and how will two children change his entire life for the second time?
Look, it's Geoff Johns, so I was always going to read this. It's gritty, a little grim at times, and yet has a big heart beating beneath the radioactive bits. Geiger's world is one that we've only just begun to explore, but this little scratch at the surface exhibits all of Johns' trademark creativity and ability to tug at the emotions.
Joining Johns is frequent DC collaborator Gary Frank, who manages to draw all six of these issues (and got them all out on time!). My biggest complaint about Frank has been his creepy noses, which is something he finally seems to have ditched, and the level of details in his panels is nearly unmatched (which is why he's so slow usually).
Geiger goes to show that even though this creative team is primarily associated with DC, they can make magic anywhere.
Look, it's Geoff Johns, so I was always going to read this. It's gritty, a little grim at times, and yet has a big heart beating beneath the radioactive bits. Geiger's world is one that we've only just begun to explore, but this little scratch at the surface exhibits all of Johns' trademark creativity and ability to tug at the emotions.
Joining Johns is frequent DC collaborator Gary Frank, who manages to draw all six of these issues (and got them all out on time!). My biggest complaint about Frank has been his creepy noses, which is something he finally seems to have ditched, and the level of details in his panels is nearly unmatched (which is why he's so slow usually).
Geiger goes to show that even though this creative team is primarily associated with DC, they can make magic anywhere.
October 7, 2021
Well damn, that was a stellar read. Not entirely sure if this qualifies as a spooktober book exactly, as it was more sci-if than horrific (though the fate of the protagonist is certainly tragic as all sympathetic monsters have), but let’s not slit hairs, let’s just encourage more folks to pick this up.
Moving emotional characters, cool ideas, clear action, a minimum of needless monologues, and an actual craft for writing something that compels the page turns.
Nicely done gang!
Brought to you again by the Apple Dumpling gang (hah, more like the Foul Mouthing Gang)
Moving emotional characters, cool ideas, clear action, a minimum of needless monologues, and an actual craft for writing something that compels the page turns.
Nicely done gang!
Brought to you again by the Apple Dumpling gang (hah, more like the Foul Mouthing Gang)
Read
February 3, 2025Geiger is the first book in a very exciting new universe of comics known as God Machine. Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank have both worked on massive characters from Marvel and DC, and now they have set out to create their own universe of fresh characters. The first is Geiger, a radioactive man who lives alone in the desert wastes of Nevada after a war ravaged and ruined the United States in 2025.
Geiger guards a bunker which his family have been holed up in for twenty years. He cannot speak to them or hear them, and only hopes that they are safe and well inside. Miles away, in Las Vegas, factions have taken the city; the most powerful leader being a petulant boy in a suit of armour who calls himself king.
When a woman steals something important from the king, she gives it to her children who, after watching their mother die, flee the city and are saved by Geiger himself—the legendary Glowing Man. And so begins a tense and blood adventure.
Geiger won't reshape comics forever, but it's a very exciting first entry in an enormous and fresh new universe—something which the medium of comics desperately needs.
Geiger guards a bunker which his family have been holed up in for twenty years. He cannot speak to them or hear them, and only hopes that they are safe and well inside. Miles away, in Las Vegas, factions have taken the city; the most powerful leader being a petulant boy in a suit of armour who calls himself king.
When a woman steals something important from the king, she gives it to her children who, after watching their mother die, flee the city and are saved by Geiger himself—the legendary Glowing Man. And so begins a tense and blood adventure.
Geiger won't reshape comics forever, but it's a very exciting first entry in an enormous and fresh new universe—something which the medium of comics desperately needs.
January 11, 2023
3.5 stars. I cringed so hard every time Geiger went full nuclear. You get cancer from radiation poisoning and you get cancer, and you. And you.
January 8, 2022
70% | B | Great
"You took hope from me"
I was recommended this by an employee at a comic book shop and picked it up because of how much they vouched for it. Boy did I not know what I was in for. Whilst this is a good book, I must say that it is extremely depressing . Terminal illnesses abound, children seeing their parents getting murdered, a man who has lost everything, it's really not a fun read. There are some really touching moments and themes such as found family and undying loyalty to loved ones, but in a world as dark as this, even moments like these don't get to shine for very long before they are overshadowed by something horrific. To the author's and illustrator's credit, the writing and illustrations do a terrific job of making the world seem as miserable and unappealing as possible. I'm definitely going to need a palette cleanser from this, so I guess it's time to read something overly whimsical next to balance this out 😅
"You took hope from me"
Set in an apocalyptic dystopia where everything has been ravaged by a nuclear war, there are tales of a mysterious glowing man who roams the land without a suit that no-one really knows anything about
I was recommended this by an employee at a comic book shop and picked it up because of how much they vouched for it. Boy did I not know what I was in for. Whilst this is a good book, I must say that it is extremely depressing . Terminal illnesses abound, children seeing their parents getting murdered, a man who has lost everything, it's really not a fun read. There are some really touching moments and themes such as found family and undying loyalty to loved ones, but in a world as dark as this, even moments like these don't get to shine for very long before they are overshadowed by something horrific. To the author's and illustrator's credit, the writing and illustrations do a terrific job of making the world seem as miserable and unappealing as possible. I'm definitely going to need a palette cleanser from this, so I guess it's time to read something overly whimsical next to balance this out 😅
October 19, 2023
Real good stuff. Geoff Johns and Gary Frank deliver yet again!
After a nuclear war, Geiger was unable to make it to the bunker his family had taken refuge in. Geiger becomes this glowing, nuclear man when all else around him is destroyed.
Other survivors of the war have heard the myths of the nuclear man and venture to his bunker in hopes of unlocking its treasures. But Geiger is not going to let that happen. Geiger himself won't even open the bunker. Not until it's safe for his family to come out into the world they once knew.
Though it can be read on its own, I highly recommend checking out Junkyard Joe first. It takes place before this and eventually, all of these series are going to tie together. No spoilers, but knowing the tale of Junkyard Joe can also help you to enjoy this story more. Especially since there are some references to that story throughout.
After a nuclear war, Geiger was unable to make it to the bunker his family had taken refuge in. Geiger becomes this glowing, nuclear man when all else around him is destroyed.
Other survivors of the war have heard the myths of the nuclear man and venture to his bunker in hopes of unlocking its treasures. But Geiger is not going to let that happen. Geiger himself won't even open the bunker. Not until it's safe for his family to come out into the world they once knew.
Though it can be read on its own, I highly recommend checking out Junkyard Joe first. It takes place before this and eventually, all of these series are going to tie together. No spoilers, but knowing the tale of Junkyard Joe can also help you to enjoy this story more. Especially since there are some references to that story throughout.
January 8, 2023
I love post apocalyptic stories like this. So this was great in my opinion.
I can't wait to see how this universe expands!
I can't wait to see how this universe expands!
March 21, 2023
A pretty fun post apocalyptical story. Basically a guy who lost his family after a atomic bomb and survived thanks to having cancer which mutated him now protects these children from the vicious world they live in. Great art mixed with solid writing, this was a fun adventure. I wouldn't say mindblowing but a good time throughout. A 3.5 I'll bump to a 4 on here.
July 25, 2022
A cool, post-apocalyptic story. It's like one of those old oral legends that gets passed down from generation to generation. I appreciate that this sets up the world and the main characters but also feels very much like a self contained story while leaving room for world building in later volumes.
September 12, 2021
A hoary old framing device to open the story leaves one a bit skeptical, but the story moves so swiftly and surely along that the cliché is soon forgotten, so much so that it is a pleasant surprise when the frame picks up again. More tales in this 'verse are eagerly anticipated.
April 15, 2024
Johns introduces a new hero and world with Geiger, a father and family man who eventually is a survivor in the year 2050 in the wastelands of Vegas with his two headed pet wolf named Barney. The always great Gary Frank on pencils provides a detailed and emotional laden adventure and in bits and pieces we get answers to the mysteries presented in this dystopian future.
January 10, 2022
Lots of post-apocalyptic nuclear action here. Cool story, great art. Apparently this is part of a larger universe that Johns et al have created, with more to come about various super soldiers and wasteland warriors down through the ages.
August 3, 2022
Thanks to Geoff Johns great dystopian world building and Gary Frank's lively artwork, I enjoyed Geiger more than I anticipated I would.
Geiger feels like a post-apocalyptic survival story clashing head on with a pulp western - all with a sprinkle of super-heroism on top for good measure.
The characterisation for the most part is absolutely spot on. The Glowing Man exists like a ghostly cowboy myth and the inhabitants of this bleak nuclear world all appear very genuine. That said, some of the villains here do fall a little flat and could possibly have benefited from their own extra backstory.
Likewise with the plot. Don't get me wrong, it's entertaining enough, but it always feels like there should be something more complex around the corner that never quite arrives, which personally, left it feeling a little basic for me.
Overall, this was a fun read. Sure it lacks a little pep-in-its-step, but it's definitely worth reading if you're a fan of dystopian fiction. The Glowing Man is a superb character and I shall definitely follow him should he have any further adventures.
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My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Geiger feels like a post-apocalyptic survival story clashing head on with a pulp western - all with a sprinkle of super-heroism on top for good measure.
The characterisation for the most part is absolutely spot on. The Glowing Man exists like a ghostly cowboy myth and the inhabitants of this bleak nuclear world all appear very genuine. That said, some of the villains here do fall a little flat and could possibly have benefited from their own extra backstory.
Likewise with the plot. Don't get me wrong, it's entertaining enough, but it always feels like there should be something more complex around the corner that never quite arrives, which personally, left it feeling a little basic for me.
Overall, this was a fun read. Sure it lacks a little pep-in-its-step, but it's definitely worth reading if you're a fan of dystopian fiction. The Glowing Man is a superb character and I shall definitely follow him should he have any further adventures.
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My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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October 15, 2021
Geiger is cool, just not really original. The art is terrific, the plot interesting, and the characters compelling. The world, though, offers nothing new in the post-apocalyptic genre.
Worth a shot anyway, it can be easily devoured in an hour or so.
ARC through Edelweiss
Worth a shot anyway, it can be easily devoured in an hour or so.
ARC through Edelweiss
February 21, 2024
Despite the fiction landscape being littered with numerous iterations of the post-apocalyptic dystopian survival tales, I seldom grow tired of them as long as I put some time between readings. I never expected to like GEIGER as much as I did. It's a fine example of the format with some incredible visualization.
The art of Gary Frank is simply amazing, from landscapes to action scenes to closeups of facial expressions and various emotions. Aided by the brilliant color work of Brad Anderson, this book is a joy to view. The inclusion of many of the variant covers is a nice bonus.
Geoff Johns crafts a tight tale of one survivor of a nuclear war in 2030, Tariq Geiger, who was trapped outside while getting his family to safety in a homemade fallout shelter. A skilled doctor was able to keep him alive by inserting boron rods (which he often uses as weapons) into his back. Those keep him from internally exploding, and when the rods are removed he becomes a radioactive menace with incredible strength known as "The Glowing Man", a futuristic boogey-man to frighten children in story circles.
The main part of the story takes place 20 years later in 2050 as Geiger is still alive and keeping watch over the bunker, hoping for the day when his family can safely come back to the surface. Mutated insects. Cannabalistic survivors in the Nevada desert. A Las Vegas divided into areas controlled by various warlords. Nuclear Knights serving a crazed prince from the Camelot area, looking to gain revenge on Gieger for his damaged face. A government hoping to access codes to the remaining missile silos in the state. Geiger just wants to be left alone, but has a soft spot for children in distress. I was entertained.
The art of Gary Frank is simply amazing, from landscapes to action scenes to closeups of facial expressions and various emotions. Aided by the brilliant color work of Brad Anderson, this book is a joy to view. The inclusion of many of the variant covers is a nice bonus.
Geoff Johns crafts a tight tale of one survivor of a nuclear war in 2030, Tariq Geiger, who was trapped outside while getting his family to safety in a homemade fallout shelter. A skilled doctor was able to keep him alive by inserting boron rods (which he often uses as weapons) into his back. Those keep him from internally exploding, and when the rods are removed he becomes a radioactive menace with incredible strength known as "The Glowing Man", a futuristic boogey-man to frighten children in story circles.
The main part of the story takes place 20 years later in 2050 as Geiger is still alive and keeping watch over the bunker, hoping for the day when his family can safely come back to the surface. Mutated insects. Cannabalistic survivors in the Nevada desert. A Las Vegas divided into areas controlled by various warlords. Nuclear Knights serving a crazed prince from the Camelot area, looking to gain revenge on Gieger for his damaged face. A government hoping to access codes to the remaining missile silos in the state. Geiger just wants to be left alone, but has a soft spot for children in distress. I was entertained.
May 23, 2025
pretty good comic set
I enjoy the artwork as it lends itself to a lot of dark lines and nuclear colors. The story telling is pretty good leaving me with enough questions and curiosity as to what is going to happen next but not so much here I am confused as sometimes comics jump around wayyy too much. Also the fact its set in Nevada is a plus.
I enjoy the artwork as it lends itself to a lot of dark lines and nuclear colors. The story telling is pretty good leaving me with enough questions and curiosity as to what is going to happen next but not so much here I am confused as sometimes comics jump around wayyy too much. Also the fact its set in Nevada is a plus.
May 20, 2025
BALLER
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2025
This was way better than I expected. What's done in six issues felt like it could be 12, it was very well written, really engaging, interesting characters. 4/5
January 25, 2022
The 2020’s update on weird 70’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi, but with some X-Men 2099 vibes in there, too
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