Nullhunter #9 Review
Easy Labor
“The Cattle of Geryon”
Writer: Michael Walsh
Art & Colors: Gustaffo Vargas
Letters: Becca Carey
Cover: Michael Walsh
Variant Covers: Gustaffo Vargas; Artyom Trakhanov
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: 3.99
Release Date: July 2, 2025
The mind of Medus, a powerful crime boss, escapes Olympos as an AI, hijacking a bot factory to rebuild her army. Now, Lois must return to the fray, as cyberspace becomes the next battlefield. The ninth chapter of NULLHUNTER, the cyberpunk retelling of Hercules from writer MICHAEL WALSH and artist GUSTAFFO VARGAS, is out in June.
Sort of Mythic
Some issues of Nullhunter are impressively faithful to the Hercules/Heracles labors they’re based on. Others less so. Nullhunter #9 drifts far from the particulars of the myth, more concerned with setting the stage for the series’ conclusion.
The only easily recognizable element from the myth referenced in Nullhunter #9 is the name Geryon which, in the original myth, was a three bodied giant whose cattle Heracles needed to steal. Geryon’s appearance here is in the form of a six headed cyberpunk monstrosity, the strongest line of defense between Clay and the defective A.I. It is possible, though, that the issue includes some references to Heracles’s twelfth labor where he faced Cerberus. Additionally, there are strong hints that the Medusa myth is a part of this issue’s story (though Medusa does not factor into Hercules). As part of a retelling of the myth, Nullhunter #9 is easily the most opaque if not downright confusing.
Vargas takes these disparate elements and almost pushes them in a horror direction with the artwork. By far the most gruesome are the decaying human/machine hybrids that are supposed to be the A.I.’s “children.” In one case, flesh seems to be falling off it. Red coloring further pushes this sequence into the grotesque.
Geryon, the most successful “child,” is largely robotic but at certain angles Vargas draws the unevenness of muscle tissue. This combination of the organic and inorganic is a visual theme throughout the issue, much of it leaning into body horror territory. Vargas also leans on a spectrum of red shades to color the bulk of the facility–all of the areas featuring any of these creations.
Unexpected Humanity
Despite Geryon’s strange depiction and apparently gruesome creation, Walsh manages to add an unexpected measure of humanity to him. Late in the issue, as the Medus A.I. is losing the fight, Geryon responds by rushing back to his “mother.” The creature ends up on his knees, crying over the physical manifestation of Medus. The bit of dialogue Walsh writes for Geryon is sad, almost tragic. Like much of Nullhunter #9, Geryon’s ending doesn’t match his fate in the actual Hercules. But this is one of those occasions where a departure from the myth vastly improves the story.
Nullhunter #9’s major conflict is between the two A.I.s, Lois and Medus. The battle is fought in Medus’ mind and is depicted in a variety of differently shaped panels–circular, wedge shaped, arched, and more. The slightly chaotic yet still somehow orderly display is an effective way to communicate the abstract nature of a battle in a mind.
Carey’s design choice for the issue’s sound effects is rough and somewhat messy in how the words run into each other. It’s an effective aesthetic for Nullhunter #9 which is already cluttered with a strange mess of organic and inorganic parts.
Final Thoughts
Nullhunter’s retelling of Hercules is a lot of fun. It’s different enough that even readers familiar with the myth will be surprised by how the series unfolds. That is very much the case with Nullhunter #9 which departs from the myth significantly while still delivering an entertaining story.
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Republished at Comic Watch.