‘The Guy in the Chair’ Review: Fast, Fun, and Full of Surprises

I went into The Guy in the Chair curious and came out genuinely impressed, so let’s break it down.

The series is co written by Hannah Rose May and Utkarsh Ambudkar. We already liked Hannah Rose May’s work on The Exorcism at 1600 Penn and the new Smile: For the Camera, so we were curious to see her tackle something more action driven. Utkarsh Ambudkar, who is also known as an actor, co writes the series, and it turns out the two of them actually met while filming CBS’s Ghosts, where Ambudkar plays Jay Arondekar (he’s since started directing episodes of the show too), and bonded on set over a shared love of comics and comedy. That real-life meet cute basically explains everything about this book’s tone, it’s exactly the kind of project you’d expect from two people who found each other through a mutual love of genre storytelling. Together, the story delivers a mix of action, mystery, and emotional stakes that kept me engaged. The art by Guillermo Sanna, whose credits include Savage Wolverine and Lovecraft Unknown: Kadath, manages to fit the tone perfectly, especially during the action sequences, giving the missions a cinematic and dynamic feel.

What Is The Guy in the Chair About?

The Guy in the Chair follows Abhi, a tactical analyst who supports field operative Merlin during dangerous missions from behind a screen. In a world of assassins and corporate espionage, he is supposed to stay detached, but he has fallen in love with her. When Merlin is reported dead during a mission, his world collapses, only for her to suddenly show up at his apartment alive, injured, and convinced that their own employer is trying to eliminate her. What follows is a fast moving thriller filled with betrayals, hidden agendas, corporate conspiracies, and shifting loyalties, forcing Abhi out from behind his computer and directly into the danger he used to observe from a safe distance.

From the Chair to the Front Line

I really liked how different this felt from a typical spy comic. Starting with the emotional angle of the guy in the chair being in love with his agent already gives it something more personal. The first issue hooked me immediately with the fake out death and Merlin suddenly appearing at his door. From there, the series keeps the momentum going with a lot of action and mystery. I genuinely never felt bored, which honestly does not always happen with action heavy comics. There are betrayals, hidden assets, and some twists that caught me off guard. The pacing keeps things moving constantly, and Sanna’s art carries a lot of that energy, the mission sequences especially have a real sense of motion and stakes that a lot of comics in this genre struggle to pull off.

What I appreciated most is how the story eventually pushes Abhi into the field. Usually, the operator stays behind the screens while others take the risks, so seeing him thrown into the front seat of the action was such a fun shift. And it works. He actually proves he has what it takes, which makes the whole premise feel meaningful rather than gimmicky. There is a cool plot twist near the end that adds another layer to everything, and overall the series manages to mix romance, humor, and explosive action in a way that feels entertaining without taking itself too seriously.

Final Thoughts

The Guy in the Chair is a fast, fun spy thriller with heart, and with the trade paperback out on June 16, 2026, it is a perfect time to jump in.

More Dark Horse Comics Worth Reading

If you’re looking for more Dark Horse titles that deliver on action and intensity, we’ve got a few more worth checking out. Behemoth follows a woman fighting to survive after a giant monster swallows a bus full of civilians, and it’s every bit as brutal as that premise sounds. Those Not Afraid follows two rival serial killers competing to break their state’s kill record, all narrated by the true crime podcaster covering their spree. And Where Monsters Lie: Cul-de-Sac, also from Kyle Starks, who wrote Those Not Afraid, imagines a gated community where slasher-movie monsters go to unwind between kill sprees.

FAQ

Is The Guy in the Chair worth reading? Yes, especially if you like spy thrillers that don’t take themselves too seriously without sacrificing real emotional stakes.

Do you need to read anything before The Guy in the Chair? No. It’s a standalone four-issue miniseries with no required reading beforehand.

Who is writing and drawing The Guy in the Chair? Hannah Rose May and Utkarsh Ambudkar co-write the series, with art by Guillermo Sanna, colors by Dearbhla Kelly, and letters by Josh Reed and Steve Wands.

Is The Guy in the Chair a one-shot, miniseries, or ongoing series? It’s a four-issue miniseries, running from October 2025 to January 2026.

When is the trade paperback out? The collected edition is out June 16, 2026.