Murder Falcon

The world needs to get loud.

Murder Falcon is an eight-issue limited series from Image Comics that asks one simple question: what if heavy metal could literally save the world? The answer is a thunderous, tear-jerking, fist-pumping saga about grief, redemption, and the kind of catharsis that only comes from cranking your amp to eleven and letting the distortion do the talking. Perfect for fans of Do a Powerbomb!, Extremity, and anyone who believes the loudest guitar solo can slay any demon.

The Story

Jake’s life has flatlined. His band broke up, his girlfriend walked out, and he’s drifting through a life that already feels over. The world doesn’t care — it has bigger problems. Hideous monsters from another dimension are pouring through portals, leveling cities, and humanity’s last hope is a six-foot-tall, heavily-muscled falcon from a dimension called The Heavy who speaks exclusively in metal platitudes and communicates through sheer, unfiltered ROCK.

Enter Murder Falcon. He came to Earth to destroy the invading evil, but there’s a catch — he can’t fight without a power source: the power of heavy metal. Every chord Jake shreds on his guitar fuels Murder Falcon into all-out kung fu fury, transforming a dejected has-been into the most important musician on the planet. Together, they tear through an army of extradimensional horrors, each battle synced to the beat of a thrashing riff.

But this isn’t a monster-of-the-week comic. Johnson weaves a deeply personal story about Jake grappling with his sister’s cancer diagnosis and the way we lash out at the people who love us when we feel helpless. The monsters from The Heavy aren’t random threats — they’re manifestations of pain, fear, and the darkness we carry inside. The battles deliver catharsis, but the real healing happens in the quiet moments between explosions.

The Art

Daniel Warren Johnson unleashes his most kinetic, unhinged artwork here. Every page of Murder Falcon feels ready to tear through the binding — slashing, jagged lines that capture the anarchic energy of a mosh pit, panel layouts that break free from their grids like a guitar solo gone off the rails, and character designs that make a muscular falcon with cybernetic arms feel like the most natural thing in the world.

Johnson’s action sequences are a masterclass in visual storytelling. When Murder Falcon fights, you feel every impact — the crunch of bone, the spray of ichor, the sheer weight of a creature built for destruction moving at full speed. His expressive character work in the quiet scenes hits just as hard: Jake’s slumped shoulders, his sister’s weary smile, the way people carry grief in their bodies — all drawn with the same care as the most elaborate battle sequence.

Mike Spicer delivers what might be his most essential color work. The palette shifts between the grimy, muted tones of Jake’s real-world troubles and the explosive, saturated neons of The Heavy’s dimension. When Murder Falcon powers up, Spicer’s colors go supernova — electric purples, screaming oranges, radioactive greens that make every battle feel like a concert light show from hell. His ability to make a single punch land harder through color choice alone is a superpower.

Letterer Rus Wooton completes the team with thunderous sound effects that read like musical notation — each BWAAM, CRUNCH, and THWOKK integrated into the art with the rhythm of a drum fill.

The Heavy Metal Heart

What elevates Murder Falcon beyond an action comic is its emotional honesty. The monster-fighting is spectacular, but the soul of the book is Jake’s relationship with his sister and the slow, painful process of learning to be there for someone who’s suffering. Johnson doesn’t flinch from the ugliness of cancer — the hospital rooms, the sideways looks, the way illness makes everyone around the patient feel useless. It’s heavy, in every sense of the word.

The comic’s central thesis: heavy metal isn’t just about being loud and angry — it’s about processing pain, finding community, and discovering the strength to keep going when everything feels pointless. The monsters aren’t just enemies to defeat; they’re the parts of ourselves we don’t want to face. And Murder Falcon isn’t just a hero — he’s a reminder that sometimes help comes from the most unexpected places.

The Creators

Daniel Warren Johnson is the Chicago-based writer, artist, and Eisner Award-winning creator behind Transformers, Do a Powerbomb!, Extremity, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, and The Moon Is Following Us. Known for explosive linework, heartfelt storytelling, and an unmatched ability to blend high-octane action with genuine emotional depth, Johnson has become one of modern comics’ most distinctive voices. Murder Falcon represents a turning point — the book where his signature style fully crystallized and his storytelling ambition reached new heights.

Mike Spicer is the acclaimed colorist and frequent Johnson collaborator whose credits span Transformers, Head Lopper, Do a Powerbomb!, Extremity, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, and numerous titles across Marvel, DC, and Image Comics. His atmospheric, emotionally intelligent color work has made him one of the industry’s most sought-after colorists.

Rus Wooton is an Eisner-nominated letterer whose decades-long career includes legendary runs on The Walking Dead, Invincible, Oblivion Song, and countless others. His lettering on Murder Falcon turns sound effects into visual percussion.

Where to Read

The complete eight-issue series is collected in a trade paperback (ISBN: 9781534312357) and a deluxe hardcover edition (ISBN: 9781534322134), both published by Image Comics. The deluxe hardcover, released in June 2022, includes behind-the-scenes material, sketches, and bonus content. A new printing of the trade paperback hit shelves in April 2025. The series is also available digitally through Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Praise

Murder Falcon holds a 4.43 rating on Goodreads with over 2,000 reviews, and critics have consistently praised it as one of Johnson’s finest works. Multiversity Comics called it “a love letter to a genre,” while The GWW gave the first issue a glowing review, noting its perfect blend of absurdist humor and genuine pathos. The deluxe hardcover edition has become a collector’s item, and the series continues to find new readers years after its release — a testament to the timeless power of heavy metal, heartfelt storytelling, and a falcon who’s ready to throw down.