Assorted Crisis Events #7 by Deniz Camp, with art by Eric Zawadzki, continues the renowned independent anthology series from Image Comics. True to form, it maintains the series’ Twilight Zone spirit, using impossible sci-fi backdrops to dissect social commentary and deeply human struggles. This combination of spectacular writing from Camp and the stylized art from Zawdzki has made for a series unlike any other on the stands.
Issue #7 doesn’t buck this trend either. This issue follows Tom, a man suffering from a condition where dead bodies will often materialize around him, all of them bearing a resemblance to Tom himself. We get dropped into a day in the life of Tom and the intense difficulties of trying to live some semblance of a normal life. He has a routine for hiding his condition, his neighbors chastise him as an abomination, he’s unable to hold a job, and thus is behind on rent. The few people in his life who don’t seem to be horrified by the condition eventually pull away from him, inconvenienced by his very presence.
The issue depicts a man at the end of his rope, a man who realizes that the world isn’t just apathetic to his condition but actively hostile to it. The issue ends with Tom making amends with the people he’s inconvenienced throughout the issue, even going so far as to call the hotline that’s ignored him. He tells them not to worry as he slowly gets buried under a mountain of his own dead bodies.
The Metaphor of the “Deviant Body”
Assorted Crisis Events continues to be a series that resists definition or classification. While every part of the craft is spectacular, Camp always has more to his story than what’s said on the page. It’s a question not of plot, but of what the message is. It’s a trait of Camp’s writing that lends itself brilliantly to analysis and discourse, and this issue is no different. From just a bit of digging online, interpretations ranged from chronic illness to trans identity to even a more generalized take on mortality.
Assorted Crisis Events masterfully supports these different reads by not explicitly representing a specific demographic, but rather the conflict of having a “deviant body” in a society that alienates them. A physical form that is deemed not normal or convenient. It’s the same kind of strategy that has made X-Men such a long-standing staple of social commentary. It’s not about one specific marginalized group; it’s about being marginalized in the first place. This focus is not on a specific identity but rather an experience, which is really the genius of Assorted Crisis Events and why many consider it one of the standout books from 2025.
Zawadzki and Bellaire’s Stylized Atmosphere
While Camp’s writing continues to be some of his best, I don’t think anyone would deny that the rest of the creative team is just as instrumental to the success of this series. Artist Eric Zawadzki continues to impress in this issue, especially in the facial expressions and design. Even in Tom himself, Zawadzki perfectly shows off the idea of a deviant body. Tom is notably shorter than those around him; he dresses similarly to someone like Pee-Wee Herman; he’s designed to look out of place. If there were one disappointment in this issue, however, it would be the lack of the creative paneling that has become so emblematic of the series.
Jordie Bellaire’s colors are no less stunning, particularly in the panels that feature a more limited color palette, which are often used to distinguish panels that feature a flashback or time jump of some sort. It’s a beautiful and clever way to distinguish those panels from the issue’s core timeline. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, on letters, does a similarly brilliant job, primarily in the contrast between Tom’s different emotional states.
Final Verdict
Assorted Crisis Events is a book where the whole creative team is at the top of their game, every issue impressing with its relevance and emotional resonance. As such, issue #7 continues the career-defining independent series with a heartbreaking story of a man giving into a world that wants nothing to do with him. It’s not an easy read, but it is one of the best of the year.
Review: ‘Assorted Crisis Events’ #7 is a Heartbreaking Masterpiece of Social Horror
Assorted Crisis Events #7 continues the career-defining independent series with a heartbreaking story about a man giving in to a world that wants nothing to do with him. It’s not an easy read, but it is one of the best of the year.
