FORT PSYCHO #1 (ONI PRESS)

When a dangerous terrorist group holds the world hostage you have to fight back with your own elite group of mercenaries. In this case you call on the SAW team and watch as destruction gets rained down on the enemy. However, when the mission is done someone needs to be held accountable. Fort Psycho from Oni Press takes us on that journey well also adding a nice mystery to hook the reader even more.

Fort Psycho #1 – Written By Matt Kindt – Art Brian Hurtt – Colors By Bill Crabtree – Letters By Becca Carey – Edited By Sierra Hahn – Published By Oni Press

Credit: Oni Press

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

The terrorist group known as the Seven Seals rained down terror on the world especially after the attack that sank Singapore. In response the United Nations covertly created an elite team of mercenaries known as SAW (Strategic Alliance Worldwide) to fight this terrorist threat. After ten years the SAW team finally had the Seven Seals leader Blue Bishop in a position to be taken out. However, this action caused great destruction in Tokyo upon the leader’s assassination. The rest of the Seven Seals were rounded up and sent to a prison in the arctic known as the Ice Box and the SAW team wasn’t immune from blame as they were imprisoned on the island that was originally their headquarters. The team was hunted down and imprisoned there one by one. This brings us to the arrival of Jason to the island, the latest caught SAW member. However, when he gets to the island it isn’t what it seemed.

WRITING:

This first issue of the series drops the reader directly into the middle of a world that already feels scarred by violence, secrecy, and political consequence. Matt Kindt does an excellent job of making the opening feel immediate without leaving the audience behind. The issue moves quickly, but it never feels careless or confusing because each new piece of information builds naturally on the last. Kindt establishes the threat of the Seven Seals, explains why the SAW team was created, shows the cost of their victory, and then shifts the focus to what happened after the world no longer needed its most dangerous protectors. That structure gives the issue a strong sense of momentum while also making the larger mythology feel clear and easy to follow.

What makes the writing work so well is the way Kindt uses each twist to reframe the story rather than simply shock the reader. Jason’s arrival on the island starts as a prison narrative, but the truth behind the SAW team’s punishment makes the situation far more complicated. The team has been condemned for the destruction they caused, yet they have also been placed in a setting that reflects their old power, privilege, and moral ambiguity. That contradiction gives the issue a sharper edge because it raises questions about justice, accountability, and whether soldiers trained to operate outside the rules can ever truly be contained by them. By the time the final revelation lands, the series has shifted from a straightforward action setup into something stranger and more layered. Kindt leaves the reader with enough answers to feel satisfied while also opening the door to a much bigger mystery, which makes the hook for the next issue and the rest of the series extremely effective.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this first issue captures the scale, chaos, and strange personality of the story extremely well. Brian Hurtt gives the book a big, cinematic energy that makes the opening conflict feel massive without losing the smaller character beats that keep the issue grounded. The action sequences have a strong sense of motion and impact, especially when the story shows the SAW team operating at full force. Explosions, collapsing buildings, military strikes, and moments of destruction are staged with the kind of clarity that lets the reader understand the danger while still feeling overwhelmed by the size of it. The Tokyo sequence, in particular, has the exaggerated force of a blockbuster set piece, but Hurtt keeps the storytelling clean enough that the spectacle never becomes confusing. It feels loud, explosive, and dangerous, which is exactly what the story needs in order to show why the SAW team became both necessary and terrifying.

Hurtt is just as effective when the issue slows down and shifts into the island setting. The backgrounds give each location a strong identity, from the cold menace of the Ice Box to the strange, almost luxurious isolation of the former SAW headquarters. The island does not feel like a normal prison, and that visual contradiction is important. It looks too open, too beautiful, and too carefully designed to be a punishment in the traditional sense, which immediately makes the reader question what is really happening there. The layouts also help sell that mystery by giving the island a sense of space and geography, allowing the reader to understand how large and unusual this prison actually is. Bill Crabtree’s colors add another major layer to the presentation. The brighter tones make the tropical setting feel deceptively inviting, while the heavier colors in the action scenes bring out the danger, violence, and intensity of the world. Together, Hurtt and Crabtree make the book feel energetic, stylish, and visually distinct, giving the series a look that matches its mix of military action, conspiracy, and oddball mystery.

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Final Thoughts:

Fort Psycho #1 is a strong and exciting debut that mixes military action, conspiracy, and mystery into a fast moving first issue. Matt Kindt builds an intriguing world with plenty of moral gray area, while Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree give the book a bold, energetic look that makes both the action and the island setting stand out. With a sharp hook and a final reveal that adds even more questions, this issue does exactly what a first issue should: it grabs attention and makes the next installment feel essential. Make sure to grab a copy at the LCS this week and add this one to your Pull List as I’m sure you won’t want to miss an issue of this series.

FINAL GRADE: 9.8/10

Let me know your thoughts on Fort Psycho #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!