Junkyard Joe

Junkyard Joe #1-6

by Geoff Johns (Writer), Gary Frank (Illustrator), Brad Anderson (Colorist)

Throughout history, unlikely and strange heroes have risen and fallen, their identities and lives a secret. But for a Great Evil to be stopped, their stories must be told. They are The Unnamed fighting The Unknown War.

From the explosive pages of GEIGER comes JUNKYARD JOE! The world knows him from the comic strip by recently retired cartoonist Muddy Davis, but the truth stretches back to the Vietnam War. The tragedies of combat and visions of a strange robot soldier that saved Muddy's life there still haunt him. But dreams become reality when Joe mysteriously shows up on Muddy's doorstep, warning of a new impending war.

Collects JUNKYARD JOE #1-6

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, War, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Historical Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2023

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

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: Wherein women's deaths leave open wounds, a robot saves the self-marooned and motley friends mean life resumes.

*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-3 ◦ Issues #4-6

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good.
This is set in the same world as Geoff Johns' Geiger, and it looks like there's going to be a team-up with these guys at some point.



In 1972, Muddy Davis and his comrades had a robot soldier in their platoon. And he saved Muddy's life.
WHAT?
Yeah. It's a whole story that even he doesn't really believe anymore. As the only surviving member of their doomed tour in Vietnam, Muddy didn't talk about it with anyone.
Instead, he wrote a cartoon strip for the Sunday paper that immortalized his memory of the character he now calls Junkyard Joe. <--think Beetle Bailey



Present-day Muddy recently lost his beloved wife, decided to stop writing Junkyard Joe, and is curling up inside himself, waiting to die. Until some new neighbors move in next door with a loss of their own to deal with, and fate decides to intertwine their lives with another surprise.
Junkyard Joe.
He's real. He's on Muddy's doorstep. And he's being chased by some very bad people who don't care who they hurt.



To be frank, I was not expecting to connect with this story, much less find myself moved by it. But between Johns' storytelling and Frank's art, I was sucked in and flipping the pages, hoping that it would all work out in the end.
And for a robot that never said a word, it still spoke volumes.



I don't want to ruin the story for anyone with spoilers, so I'll just say that this was tender, bittersweet, and incredibly well done. I'm looking forward to reading more.
Recommended.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a high regard for Geoff Johns as a comics author, but this book was a bit of a disappointment. There's an interesting idea at its core, but there are too many niggling inconsistencies in the story and worldbuilding, which all build up into a rather big story-lump.

Muddy is a soldier in the Vietnam War, and there his company is joined by a robot, the titular Junkyard Joe. Muddy's whole company gets wiped out, and he only survives because of Joe. Then the army tries to gaslight Muddy into thinking he imagined Joe. Muddy returns to civilian live, and creates a comic strip based on Junkyard Joe, which becomes immensely popular.

All of which is a nice setup, an intrigueing idea. The first niggle presents itself - the strip as far as we get to read it, isn't very good. It's never really funny, just mildly strange and repetitive. I can't really imagine this thing running for more than a decade, let alone several decades. You get the feeling that Johns instantly ran out of ideas for the comics after just the two or three strips we get to see.

Johns adds a nextdoor family that consists of a father and his three children, which kind of echoes the kids that are added to Geiger (which takes place in the future of Junkyard Joe's universe), although I found the Geiger kids a lot more interesting. Here we get a lot of soapy stuff, the kids shouting at their dad about their recently deceased mother. It all feels a bit rote and rings hollow, to me.

The book consists of six chapters/issues and still the antagonists are woefully underdeveloped. The baddies show up wearing masks that are basically copies of Junkyard Joe's face, and besides it looking sufficiently creepy, I don't really know why they're wearing those masks. Is it to hide their identities? I'd say it only serves to attract more attention to them. It also doesn't help that they start killing townspeople left, right and centre, including quite a few local law enforcement officers, which you would think would attract a LOT more attention. (It doesn't, but it should've.)

It all reads like a Spielberg movie with added visceral gore, a robot E.T. with people getting half their faces blown off. It feels tonally off.

The art, I am pleased to note, is excellent. Gary Frank does some of the best expressive work in comics today.

(Thanks to Image Comics for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

DC's G.I. Robot gets PTSD from the Vietnam War.

There's a generic bad guy chasing him and a generic damaged family who pulls together to help him.

Pet peeve: The villain uses lethal force immediately on everyone he comes across, until he meets up with the central family and suddenly he's okay with bumps on the head and taking hostages.

Meh.

You cannot convince me that this title and the other parts of Geoff Johns' "The Unnamed" universe like Geiger, Vol. 1 did not originate as a pitch to DC to revive their Atomic Knights and various obscure war titles.

Side note: A complete Sunday comic strip is included from both "Peanuts" and "Calvin and Hobbes." There's no mention of their copyright in the indicia, so I wonder, are their appearances licensed or just shoved in as a fuzzy bit of fair use? Are the licensing fees reasonable? Could every comic book just include a page of "Calvin and Hobbes?" And if so, why don't they?

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up being really good. Starts off back in the Vietnam war and we follow this group of soldiers out in the jungle with a new guy. This new guy turns out to be a robot. The group were skeptical at first but the robot saved them out there. They got cool with him eventually. But the group was attacked and everyone was as killed except for Muddy Davis. Muddy never saw the robot again but went on the write a comic strip about him calling him Junkyard Joe. It was successful and Muddy became famous. Fast forward to present times and surprisingly, Junkyard Joe shows back up at Muddy’s house. But, his creators also show up looking for him and will kill to bring him back. Things go from a nice heartfelt story to being serious as hell real quick. Really nice touch on the ending of this one. Looking forward to see where Junkyard Joe goes from here.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Frank elevates all material, even the very well-trodden territory of damaged Vietnam veterans dealing with the grim psychic and physical fallout of that ill-destined conflict.



Also, I loved the homage to classic Sunday morning funnies throughout.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

REALLY good.

The idea of Joe, a robot who was made to murder turned good isn't brand new. However, the idea this robot has PDST and goes back to visit the one person he met in war to find peace is wonderful. On top of that the family dynamic they had going on next door from Joe and his friend was great. All around solid art too. The ending was a bit too cliche for me but the character work was excellent.

A 4 out of 5.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I saw this one being reviewed by a friend on Goodreads or I never would have known about it.

The art was very versatile, from the comic strip that Muddy writes to the Horrors of the Vietnam War and to Muddy's life in current times.

The story was strong and well done.

A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

TW: There is a bit of blood and gore to show the horrors of war and some wartime and robot violence. It is likely more appropriate for 16+, depending on the topics each individual is comfortable seeing/reading about.

Solid 4 Stars!

[Benji's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's campy, but I loved the heck out of it.

The story follows retired "Muddy" Davis, who wrote a long-running series of comic strips for many years, named "Junkyard Joe." The strip was based on real events as Joe and Muddy fought side-by-side during the war. Joe ended up saving their squad on numerous occasions.

Many years later (after Muddy retires), Junkyard Joe finds his way to Muddy's doorstep, one chilly winter morning.

Man, this was so good. I know I'm probably biased since I love the Geoff Johns and Gary Frank comic book duo, but with that aside, it was still done pretty well. It brings me back to films like E.T. or Short Circuit. I can't say much more about it without getting into spoiler territory, but I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good comic series you don't need to read a hundred other series to understand or really anyone just looking for a good time.

TRIGGER WARNINGS INCLUDE language and some pretty brief, yet graphic violence. Most of which takes place during 'Nam, but there are a few other instances sprinkled throughout.

[Jeffrey Schulte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited a long time for this... and boy did it deliver!

This book felt so real. It was about finding peace within yourself and the others around us.

Junkyard Joe is an artificial intelligence military personnel who finds who he truly is within his comrades of Vietnam. That's all I'll say.

4.5 of 5 soooo good! I love this "Unnamed Series"

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good!

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave off a nostalgic, feel good vibe that reminded me of those corny movies that grab you in spite of themselves and warm your heart, like ET. You feel like you shouldn't fall for it, but you do anyway.
Also, that Gary Frank art is so great! Very dynamic, especially coupled with creative coloring from Brad Anderson. Geoff Johns writes a very cinematic story that tells of a robot soldier utilized in Vietnam who recognizes that forces want to manipulate him so he seeks out someone that he feels he can trust more, like family - - - the sole surviving soldier from his Vietnam platoon.
There's some family drama here involving some new neighbors who feel isolated and end up bonding with the solider and his robot buddy.
The plot isn't complex, but it moves along at an easy-reading pace. To tell more would be to tell too much.
I read this in the original monthly issues. Junkyard Joe is also a prominent character in the Unnamed Universe being built by Geoff Johns and others for Image Comics.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junkyard Joe tells the story of ex-soldier and cartoonist, Muddy Davis and a soldier he used to serve with who happens to be a robot.
Muddy Davis has just retired a longstanding comic strip called Junkyard Joe when the inspiration winds up on his doorstep.
Why is Joe there? Who are the people chasing him? All this and more in a great nee series by noted comic scribe, Geoff Johns.
The artwork was handled by Gary Frank. I’ve always loved his artwork and with this book, I really remember why.
There is a larger story going with the comics from Ghost Machine that plays a small part in this book, but you don’t really need to know anything about it to enjoy the story.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember loving Geiger when it came out and was excited to see what other books in that world would come out. After having read this one, I may have loved this one even more. Great emotional character-driven story! Still excited to see where this world goes and what other great stories are still to be told!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like Geiger before it, Junkyard Joe demonstrates that Geoff Johns and Gary Frank can together do no wrong. This is the story about a PTSD-stricken robot warrior from the Vietnam War returning home many years later to the soldier who made him see that there's more to life than killing. On Joe's tail is a trio of bad men who will stop at nothing to bring Joe home.

The soldier is now a widower cartoonist and his new (overly friendly) neighbor is also a widower (with three kids to boot). Pathos firmly established. All these paths cross in a fiery conclusion that brings the whole town together. Honestly, a surprisingly decent Christmas read. There's nothing new or unfamiliar in Junkyard Joe, it's simply expertly crafted storytelling.

[Peter-Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
After Geiger this is another gem. The art is outstanding. The way Gary Frank draws facial expressions is out of this world. I'm really looking forward to the expansion of the Unnamed. Highly recommended !

[José Nebreda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blandito y emotivo, pero mola, por qué no voy a decirlo. Y buen dibujo.

[mad mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for depictions of war, PTSD, and racism. Also: death of a parent and spouse.)

Today, the world knows him as Morrie "Muddy" Davis, the artist behind the long-running Junkyard Joe comic strip. But in 1972, he was Private Davis, just one of millions of Americans deployed to Vietnam. All he wanted was to get back to his farm in Melody Hills, Indiana - and into the arms of his "girl," Rita. When his platoon is ambushed, Muddy is the sole survivor - him, and a mysterious robot soldier he and his comrades nicknamed "Junkyard Joe." Lying concussed in a military hospital bed, the doctors convince him to quit all the robot talk, lest he be labeled crazy. In time, Muddy even manages to convince himself that he imagined the whole thing - though this doesn't stop him from channeling his experience into his art. Until, that is, Junkyard Joe shows up on his doorstep. Hot on "Project Beta's" tail? His now disgraced rogue creator.

With the comic-within-a-comic design, JUNKYARD JOE has a meta feel to it. Johns explores wartime violence and PTSD with compassion; both Davis and Junkyard Joe are memorable protagonists with rather touching journeys. While Davis's life has been upended - again - by the death of his wife and his subsequent retirement of Junkyard Joe, Joe is haunted by memories of the war and desperately in search of a place to call home. They both find their salvation in Melody Hills, which welcomes these hometown heroes with open arms. (Hopefully the kids at Melody Hills High will extend the same compassion to the mixed-race Munn kids.)

More than anything, I found myself falling in love with Junkyard Joe - no surprise, considering I'm team Cylon all the way. He's every bit as human as you and I - and maybe more so than his nefarious creator. After defending his platoon through an act of deadly violence, Joe develops an aversion to cruelty, smashing every gun he encounters into smithereens. His compassion extends to nonhuman animals, such that when he stumbles upon a group of hunters gathered around a dying buck, he destroys their guns, chases them off, and mourns the fallen deer. (Giving HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS.)

I didn't realize it when I requested this title on NetGalley, but JUNKYARD JOE is part of Geoff Johns's "The Unnamed Universe" world (also known as "The Geigerverse"). Whereas GEIGER is set twenty-five years in the future, JUNKYARD JOE begins in 1972 and ends in present day. Though Junkyard Joe makes his first appearance in GEIGER #5 (and The Northerner is introduced at the end of JUNKYARD JOE), I think it's safe to read them out of order. In any case, GEIGER definitely jumped to the top of my reading list.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Junkyard Joe shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s about a robot soldier with a tragic past, a grumpy cartoonist with even more trauma, and a small town that suddenly finds itself caught in the middle of something way bigger than it can handle.

On paper, it sounds like a wild mashup of Iron Giant meets Platoon with a side of Norman Rockwell melancholy. But in execution? It’s heartfelt, action-packed, and way more emotional than I was mentally prepared for.

This isn’t just a comic about a rogue military android. Junkyard Joe is a story about memory, grief, and trying to hold on to your humanity whether you’re made of flesh or metal. Geoff Johns builds something beautiful here, weaving together war flashbacks, small-town Americana, and just the right touch of sci-fi weirdness. It’s a quieter book than Geiger but it’s no less powerful.
That said, the pacing does take its time so if you’re expecting non-stop robot carnage, maybe temper those expectations. But once it all clicks? It’s fantastic.

Junkyard Joe is easily one of the most compelling “non-human” protagonists I’ve come across in comics. He doesn’t speak, but somehow you feel everything he’s going through like his confusion, his pain, his oddly tender protectiveness. It’s impressive how Johns gives him such a distinct personality without a single line of dialogue. He’s not flashy. He’s not trying to be a hero. He just wants to do right, and honestly, that’s more powerful than any laser cannon.

Once again, Gary Frank shows up and absolutely kills it. The emotional weight of every panel is insane. Whether it’s the quiet sadness in a war veteran’s eyes or the stoic determination of a battered machine, Frank captures it all. His work brings a rawness to the story that grounds even the most sci-fi moments. You can feel the grit and nostalgia baked into every scene, like an old photo that’s been through hell.

All that being said, it’s just a bit of a slow burn. The first half takes its time laying the emotional groundwork, which pays off beautifully but might feel a little sleepy if you’re coming in fresh off the more explosive Geiger or Redcoat . Still, it’s a minor nitpick in an otherwise fantastic, emotionally layered story that earns every bit of its payoff.

Junkyard Joe isn’t just a story about a robot. It’s about the ghosts of war, the pain of memory, and the weird, wonderful ways we try to reconnect with the world after it breaks us. It’s quiet, thoughtful, and occasionally devastating all while balanced out with a metal man who punches people through walls. And really, what more could you ask for? 4.5 glowing stars. Now give me more of this “Unnamed” universe already.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The next major entry in Johns' and Frank's "Unnamed" interconnected comics universe features the character Junkyard Joe, an unspeaking robot who was first introduced in Geiger. Here we learn that Junkyard Joe was a deployed soldier during the Vietnam War and joins the same unit as aspiring cartoonist Muddy Davis. Though the entire squad is wiped out in an ambush, Joe saves Muddy and leaves him to heal in the infirmary. Joe shuts himself off and is reclaimed by the spooks who deployed him, leaving Muddy to ponder whether or not Joe was even real or not. Fast forward to "present day" and Muddy is now a retired cartoonist who is most well-known for his "Junkyard Joe" newspaper serial. But as Muddy ponders his solitary life in retirement, he's unexpectedly visited by Joe in the middle of the night.

The story itself is just as generic as Geiger , but at least here there are some more interesting aspects folded into the narrative. For one, this series acts a bit like a vehicle for the celebration of the medium since the story largely hones in on Muddy's cartooning aspirations. The PTSD portion of it all is also handled with care and adds a lot of texture towards the ensuring adventures of Muddy and Joe, which is really the core of this series. The villain is unfortunately very one note and the inclusion of the next door family felt kind of unnecessary for the most part. Otherwise, this was a solid read and an overall stronger entry for the continuing universe that Johns and Frank are putting together.

[Philips_comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell where this ranks in the overall Geiger universe .. (I know it's not called Geiger universe but theyve changed their minds a few times, who knows what itl be called by time you read this) .. But this was a wonderful read. Certainly as far as robot stories go, this is up there with one of my favourites and the robot in question, junkyard joe, doesn't say a word in this.

For context in robots, D4VE volume 1 will show you a good time.

Geoff John's story telling and Gary Frank's art is top tier here once again. Essentially a government agency robot programmed to complete missions develops a brotherhood of sorts with those he served with during vietnam. He also develops PTSD. Muddy Davis was the lone survivor of the unit and he believed Joe wasnt real but, not being able to drop it entirely, Davis develops a well revered comic strip about Joe and his exploits.

Junkyard joe finds his way back to Davis some years later and being chased down by it's creator. He finds himself in a town that is proud to be "home of junkyard Joe".

I'm aware I scored this instantly a 4 star and il be honest, on reflection it may be a 3.75 instead. With regards to my emotional response, I loved this. The pacing is a little off and feels rushed in places but I'd recommend this nonetheless and I look forward to more.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Junkyard Joe’s premise: Vietnam vet Muddy Davis, haunted by memories of a war and a robot soldier, is stunned when that very soldier, Joe, appears on his doorstep decades later. Muddy’s comic strip, inspired by Joe and his wartime experience, has gained massive popularity. Frankly, I don’t get its appeal based on the bland samples we see. Anyway, the author believed Joe was a product of his trauma and imagination, and not a real being.

As soon as Joe appears, shadowy figures with lethal intentions follow him. A solid premise. The art is stunning, too. Unfortunately, the writing lacks quality and any deeper insights, and the characterization of the villains is as one-dimensional as it could be. For that matter, the protagonists, too, feel flat. Muddy’s new neighbors, a grieving single father and his kids, feel plucked from any ’80s family drama.

Tonally, the story goes from sentimental Spielberg-style nostalgia and graphic violence, which I generally liked. In all, Junkyard Joe brings a solid premise and stunning visuals but uneven writing and thin character work make it feel empty.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently heard about this title from a video on the Casually Comics on YouTube. This comic was by creators who I have enjoyed in the past (from their work at DC Comics and other places) and sounded like something I might want to check out.

The story starts out in Vietnam in 1972 with an issue that would be right at home in any of the war comics that came out in the 1960's and 1970's. It very much has the mix of grime, violent reality with the fantastical. I can see the inspiration from old series like G.I. Robot here.

Then things jump to present day, and we're introduced to the residents of a small Indiana town. We feel the drama of the lives of Muddy Davis and his new neighbors, the Munn family. Johns and Frank really infuse that realism in their words and art. It is a solid experience.

Of course, being the first arc, we do not get all of the answers. We get a full story that could stand on its own as-is, but it definitely part of something bigger. These creators and others are setting up their own interconnected comic book universe after all.

[Richard Guion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best graphic novels by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. It obviously started as a pitch to revamp a DC Comics character, GI Robot, who was recently featured in the HBO show Creature Commandos. Joe is a robot serving in Vietnam, rather than GI Robot’s service in WW2. Joe cannot talk, but he bonds with his infantry buddies. One of the soldiers, Muddy, becomes a cartoonist and creates a popular newspaper strip called Junkyard Joe. There are a couple of these strips in the story, well done, I wish we had seen more. Later we forward a few decades to where Muddy has done his last strip, and a family from California moves across the street from his home in the Midwest. What follows next is a plot that is traditional Johns and Richard Donner, but well executed with a lot of heart. I could probably remove a star for sentimentality but I loved it so much, I won’t.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this a bit more than Geiger. Both this and Geiger can be read independently from each other and they barely connect thus far.

This is a typical mystery/action story with a robot of unkmown origin at its centre. It's starts in the Vietnam War and then flashes towards the present day. The story is quite already, but I found the resolution a bit lacking and the Vietnam War itself is not really my cup of tea.

Much like Geiger, the artwork is amazing though.

There's some enjoyment in here, but the whole book can be read in under an hour. These 6 issue volumes are humongous and I think my shelf space is too valuable to keep them and I don't plan on buying future volumes either.

[Ben A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Telling an incredibly small and pretty self contained story but with hints of a larger story, Junkyard Joe is another great entry into The Unnamed Universe from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. I will admit that I was a little hesitant to pick up the titles, but in actually reading them, they've really won me over. Going forward, I will be picking up all of them, as I'm ready to commit to the full ride.

Special thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nueva serie de Image donde tenemos un spin off de Geiger con el misterioso personaje de Junkyard Joe.
Comic muy chulo con una historia que arranca en la guerra de vietnam, donde un extraño robot salvará a un soldado de color de la muerte. El robot desaparecerá y nadie creerá la historia del soldado con lo que este homenajeará a su amigo en una popular tira còmica. Años después, el soldado ahora dibujante recibirá una extraña visita.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this spinoff series takes readers deeper into that world long before the events of Geiger, it's a story that very much stands on its own with solid balancing act of friendship and the brutal elements of war that has a taste of science fiction in it. I never knew I needed a book that was a combination of the Iron Giant and Rambo: First Blood, but this book had me hooked from beginning to end.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I was expecting more of a war book with robots fighting in Vietnam, and while there is a little bit of that to start off with, it's more about PTSD after the war and after losing family then a war book. And the art by Gary Frank is great.

[Xroldx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the world of Geiger and a nice homage to syndicated newspaper comics