EC Cruel Universe Vol. 2 #10 Review: Oni Press & EC Comics Deliver Cosmic Horror with Bite

EC Cruel Universe Vol. 2 #10 from Oni Press/EC Comics is another sharp, nasty, cosmic gut-punch from the revived EC line, serving up three sci-fi horror stories that feel modern, uncomfortable, funny in the darkest way, and proudly cruel. This issue does what a good anthology should do: each story has its own flavor, but they all orbit the same doomed little planet called “humanity made bad choices again.” From corporate greed to social media panic to cybernetic obsession, this book takes familiar real-world anxieties and launches them straight into the void.

“Consumer Culture” by Greg Pak and David Rubín kicks things off with a wicked satire about profit, processed food, and people being treated like disposable parts in a machine. Pak’s script has that classic EC bite, where the joke is horrifying because it feels a little too close to reality. Rubín’s art is wild, packed, colorful, and grotesque in all the right ways, making Center Corp City feel like a bright corporate nightmare with something rotten leaking underneath the floor.

“Tick Tock” by Liam Johnson and Felipe Cunha may be the most painfully current story in the issue, taking livestream culture, misinformation, and influencer trust and turning them into apocalypse fuel. What starts as a familiar online personality reacting to breaking news becomes something much lonelier and more disturbing. Cunha’s panel work captures that trapped feeling of watching disaster through a screen, while Jão Canola’s colors help the story slide from digital comfort into full-on dread.

“Install Update” by Anthony Mauro and Daniel Gete closes the issue with a more personal cyberpunk tragedy. The horror here is not just the tech, but the memories and regrets buried beneath it. A man trying to upgrade himself ends up trapped inside the emotional wreckage of what he gave up to become “better.” Gete’s art brings a heavy metallic mood, while Valentina Pinto’s colors give the story a cold, haunted atmosphere that hits hard by the end.

The lettering by Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith keeps the pacing clean across all three stories, which matters big time in an anthology this dense with dialogue, tech commands, screams, corporate speak, and emotional breakdowns. Nothing feels muddy. The issue moves.

Overall, EC Cruel Universe Vol. 2 #10 is a strong, smart, twisted installment that honors the EC legacy without feeling stuck in the past. It is weird, creepy, satirical, and mean in the best comic book way. Oni Press and EC Comics are not just dusting off a classic brand here; they are letting it bite again. Sci-fi horror fans, anthology lovers, and readers who enjoy comics with a nasty little grin should absolutely put this one on the radar.

CRUSADERS SCORE:
4.5/5

Writers: Greg Pak, Liam Johnson, Anthony Mauro
Artists: David Rubín, Felipe Cunha, Daniel Gete
Colorists: Jão Canola, Valentina Pinto
Letters: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Tyler Smith
Cover A: Miguel Mercado
Cover B: Lukas Ketner
EC Homage Variant: Albert Monteys
B&W Artist Edition Variant: Lukas Ketner
Publisher: Oni Press / EC Comics