Collapser Comic Review

Collapser: A Cosmic Chaos of Heart and Hue

I'm almost 40, and I've been finding it tougher to enjoy comics like I used to. As a kid, mainstream comics were my thing, but for years now, I've been more into indie ones. I still like the occasional mainstream comic, but indie is my main choice these days.

So, I was surprised when a DC comic I randomly grabbed at a thrift store turned out to be something I really wanted to keep reading. Lucky for me, I also picked up the next issue there. I'd taken a pretty big break from comics for a few years, and this one had slipped by me.

The comic is "Collapser," from DC's Young Animal imprint. Honestly, I hadn't really checked out that imprint before. I loved Umbrella Academy, but I haven't spent much time on Gerard Way's other projects. For instance, I love Doom Patrol and own a lot of the original issues, but I haven’t read any from Young Animal.

I picked up Collapser mostly because of the art. Ilias Kyriazis is incredible, and I feel a bit embarrassed for not knowing about him sooner, especially since we’re both from Greece. Having lived outside Greece for so long, it feels like such a small place that I should’ve crossed paths with him somehow.

Collapser is a six-issue series about Liam James. Liam hears a constant voice in his head that judges and questions everything he does. He deals with anxiety and dreams of being a successful DJ. His life flips upside down when he inherits a mysterious black hole from his late mother, who was secretly a cosmic superhero. The black hole gives him amazing cosmic powers but also makes his anxiety and self-doubt way worse. Liam has to figure out his relationships, himself, and some intergalactic threats while dealing with the reality of his new powers.

Kyriazis’s art is stunning and shows Liam’s emotions in every single panel—whether he’s working at a nursing home or feeling pure bliss when the voice in his head quiets down while he’s DJing after a shift.

The story starts by focusing on Liam—his personality and his mental health challenges. Shaun Simon and Mikey Way (Gerard Way’s brother—seriously, this whole family is killing it with comics) do an amazing job balancing superhero action with Liam’s character growth.

If anything, Liam feels more relatable (superpowers aside) than most characters in the Marvel or DC universes. His story centers on him tackling everyday struggles while dealing with pain, heartbreak, abandonment, fear, and more—it’s incredibly real and hits close to home for the average person.

The tale unfolds across just six wild issues, and yeah, it can feel like a whirlwind—sometimes rushed, occasionally baffling. But here’s the kicker: I’m convinced that chaos is the whole point! Wrestling with a black hole’s untamed power isn’t supposed to be neat and tidy—it’s a deliberate, mind-bending mess that drags you right into the madness with it.

I’ve mentioned this a few times in past articles, but I’m not a creative person by nature. I see creativity as a muscle you need to flex regularly, and mine’s been gathering dust for years. That’s why reviewing art feels a little fake for me, like I’m out of my depth. Even so, I have to give a huge shoutout to Cris Peter for the coloring in this series.

Every issue has panels that grab me, whether it’s the artwork, the coloring, or both working together. Peter’s use of color is standout, it’s not just there to look pretty; it shapes the mood and pulls you deeper into Liam’s world.

The way she plays with warm and cool tones, like coding Liam in vibrant hues against a colder, muted backdrop, mirrors his isolation and anxiety perfectly. It’s subtle yet striking, making the emotional beats hit harder.

The black hole itself gets this eerie, unnatural feel with her choice to reserve pure black just for it, while everything else leans into dark blues or softer shades. That contrast makes the cosmic weirdness pop off the page. Every panel feels alive, and I can’t help but linger on them.