Punk’n Heads is a graphic novel written by Dave Baker and illustrated by Nicole Goux. It’s about to be published by Top Shelf Productions. It is due for release on the 7th of April, 2026. This review is intended to be free of spoilers, but none of us are perfect. Consider yourself warned! I was provided with a review copy by the publishers. There are affiliate links at the end of this review.
Blurb
This band plays together, lives together…and unfortunately two of them are sleeping together. Whatever, I’m sure it’s fine. Now put on your punk’n mask and let’s rock! Hannah Lipsky isn’t sure what’s happening. She dreamed of becoming a fine art painter, but after breaking up with her girlfriend, she’s suddenly dropped out of art school, moved into a flophouse, and gotten roped into singing in a campy horror-punk band. With costumes. To make things even more complicated, she might be hooking up with her housemate/bandmate/high school crush, Jerry. Wherever this is leading, it’s going to be messy. Critically acclaimed, Eisner-nominated creators Nicole Goux (Forest Hills Bootleg Society, Pet Peeves) and Dave Baker (Everyone Is Tulip, Mary Tyler MooreHawk) join forces for a raucous and revealing new graphic novel about making music, making mistakes, facing your past, and choosing your future.
Review
If comic books were judged solely on their vibe and visual DNA, Punk’n Heads would be a 10-star masterpiece. Coming from the creative team of Dave Baker and Nicole Goux, this book is an explosion of neon, grit, and pure counter-culture energy. But while the art sings at the top of its lungs, the story itself feels a bit like a distant echo.
Let’s talk about Nicole Goux’s work first, because it is the undisputed star of the show. Her character designs are impeccable. Each character feels like a living, breathing part of a specific subculture. The linework is expressive, and the colour palette is daring, perfectly capturing that DIY, underground aesthetic. Every page feels like a high-quality gig poster you’d want to rip out and staple to your bedroom wall.
Baker’s world-building also starts strong. The concept of these characters and the world they inhabit is stylish and cool in a way that feels authentic, not manufactured.
Where Punk’n Heads falters is in its connective tissue. For a book with such a loud visual identity, the actual plot feels surprisingly quiet and, at times, thin.
While the dialogue is snappy and the pacing is fast, I found myself reaching the end of chapters feeling like I’d missed a beat. The character motivations can be a bit opaque, and the central conflict never quite reaches the fever pitch that the artwork seems to be screaming for. It captures a moment and a feeling perfectly, but it struggles to turn that feeling into a cohesive, driving narrative arc.
I think my issues with this book come down to a style over substance trade-off. On the one hand, this is on par with some of the most exciting, unique artwork in the indie comic scene right now. It’s a book that looks unlike anything else on the stands. On the other hand, the emotional payoff doesn’t quite match this visual ambition. By the final page, the characters still felt like strangers I’d only met at a very loud party.
Punk’n Heads is a gorgeous art object. If you are a fan of Nicole Goux’s illustration style or you’re looking for a book that perfectly distils a specific punk aesthetic, it’s absolutely worth the cover price. However, if you’re looking for a deep, character-driven epic, you might find yourself wishing the story had just a little more distortion and a lot more volume.
Rating: 3/5
No Rerolls 