Any Given Smile #1: So Happy You Could Die!

Overview

Writer: Stephanie Williams

Artist: Pablo Collar

Colorist: Tríona Farrell

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artist: Ashley Witter

Any Given Smile #1 looks at sports betting through the filter of a supernatural nightmare. Tommy is left running the sportsbook he works for after his boss, Eddie, takes his own life with a Smile™, but the job quickly becomes tangled with the death of star athlete Marcus Dupree, a championship game, and a wave of impossible grins that cling to his thoughts like smoke to a weathered leather jacket.

Writing

Stephanie Williams builds suspense and tension in the issue through Tommy’s growing panic. He’s already carrying the burden of Eddie’s operation when he begins connecting the strange events around him to people who have died. The pressure of a major football game gives the story real momentum: betting lines, buzzing phones, and backroom bargains keep Tommy moving even as his grip on reality starts to slip. His family life gives the horror weight, turning his fear of bringing the danger home into something sharper and more personal.

Williams leaves the biggest questions unanswered, since this is just the first issue. Is Tommy witnessing something supernatural, suffering under the weight of guilt, or being drawn into a scheme he cannot see? Any Given Smile #1 is a stylish, unsettling debut with a memorable visual identity and a mystery that is sure to hook readers. As long as they have a pulse.

Art

Pablo Collar’s art is sharp and unsettling, grounding the story in believable bars, radio booths, casinos, and cramped homes before breaking into distorted hallucinations and warped faces. The storytelling is clear even when the imagery becomes chaotic, with the supernatural moments flickering onto the page like a bad signal cutting through a broadcast. Tríona Farrell’s colors shift the mood from Florida heat into sickly shadows and neon dread with ease, while Ariana Maher’s lettering gives the repeated “smile” motif a jagged, sinister snap.

Final Thoughts

This is a great first issue: tense, twisted, and visually unique. The sports betting angle really adds a relatable feeling of realistic dread that complements the supernatural elements perfectly, turning every point spread and whispered instruction into another loop in a tightening knot. Tommy’s fear feels real, and the final pages leave the audience with a smile that lasts until they realize they need to wait a month to keep reading!

Overall Grade

8.5/10

“Smile: For The Camera #1” – A Great First Outing