Paramount Pictures is developing a feature film adaptation of Devilina, based on the Atlas Comics character from producer Steven Paul. Blacklist writer Rebecca Webb (Echo) will write the screenplay, which will be produced by Paul, SP Media Group's Scott Karol, and Jason Goodman. Goodman is the grandson of Martin Goodman, the Marvel Comics co-founder whose wife was the cousin of Stan Lee. Atlas has a diverse portfolio of characters across numerous genres.

The move comes five years after Paul, who previously produced the Ghost Rider movies for Sony and Marvel, acquired the rights to the Atlas portfolio of characters, with an eye toward creating a shared universe based on Devilina and other Atlas characters. Shortly after the purchase, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Hollywood, seemingly delaying the start of the Atlas universe.

"From the beginning, Atlas Comics' expansive library of characters and stories was crafted as an interconnected universe. Devilina serves as the introduction, and we are dedicated to honoring this foundational vision of Atlas, ensuring that audiences can fully immerse themselves in these dynamic characters and narratives," says Paul.

"Dating back to the golden age of comics, Atlas has been home to some of the greatest comic book creators of all time," said Jon Gonda, EVP, Production, Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Group. "There are so many characters to love and so many stories to be told."

In the comics, the last attempt to bring the Atlas characters to the page was also a shared-universe idea, with veteran writer (and now Ahoy Comics publisher) Tom Peyer writing. The 2011 series saw superheroes Grim Ghost, Phoenix and Wulf the Barbarian come together with hard-boiled cop Mike Lomax.

If you're not familiar with Atlas Comics...well, you probably don't have to be. It lasted under a year, with a focus on creating and introducing a lot of new characters (many of whom only appeared once). Martin Goodman founded the short-lived publisher in 1974.

Here's the logline, via Deadline (who first reported the deal): "Devilina follows a sheltered young woman who journeys to New York in search of her past, only to discover she is the sister of Satan, and her twin brother has been manipulating her while a detective investigates a series of murders linked to her."

Conor O'Farrell, director of development at SP Media Group, is developing the project.

Task Force X may be expendable, but John Ostrander's Suicide Squad comics are indispensable. Decades after a version of the Col. Rick Flag-led government team debuted during DC's Silver Age in 1959, Ostrander reinvented the Suicide Squad for the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths era. Spinning out of Legends #3 -- plotted by Ostrander, written by Len Wein (Swamp Thing), and penciled by John Byrne (Superman: The Man of Steel) -- 1987's Suicide Squad comic run redefined the motley crew of incarcerated supervillains deemed disposable by ruthless program director Amanda Waller.

DC Comics will collect the first 18 issues of Ostrander and Luke McDonnell's Suicide Squad, plus the complete six-issue miniseries Legends and related issues -- including "The Secret Origin of the Suicide Squad" in Secret Origins #14 and the Ostrander-penned Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special -- in the Suicide Squad by John Ostrander Omnibus (releasing May 20th, 2025). The 1008-page collection retails for $125 and is available for pre-order here on Amazon.

The newly-formed Suicide Squad under Flag's command -- rogues Captain Boomerang, Enchantress, Bronze Tiger, and the assassin Deadshot -- were dispatched to eliminate Brimstone, an agent of Darkseid's, on a mission that came with the first casualty (the monstrous man-brute Blockbuster). Suicide Squad #1, titled "Trial by Blood," mined the cells of the super-powered prison of Belle Reve for the new Task Force X, adding Karin Grace, Plastique, and the ill-fated Mindboggler to the ever-changing ranks of Task Force X.

Ostrander's 66-issue run on Suicide Squad would go on to add marquee characters -- former Batgirl Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Oracle, Batman villain Poison Ivy, and the former Justice Leaguer Vixen -- alongside lesser-known anti-heroes and costumed criminals alike, including Green Arrow and Black Canary enemy Count Vertigo, Doctor Light, Ravan, The Thinker, Outlaw, Nightshade, Punch and Jewelee, Javelin, and Shade, the Changing Man.

The comic run influenced the David Ayer-directed Suicide Squad and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. In a 2021 interview with ComicBook, Gunn credited Ostrander's Suicide Squad for inspiring "the tone and the premise" of his R-rated, death-filled DC movie.

"I do think of [The Suicide Squad] as being a sequel to John Ostrander stories from the late '80s," Gunn said. "It's a bunch of Z-grade superheroes who are thought of as disposable by the US government and put out on a suicidal missions, Black Ops operations around the world, and really just sticking to that central premise and keeping that there is what was important to me."

Discover the definitive and explosive introduction to the modern version of the Suicide Squad by comics legend John Ostrander.

When new threats emerge deemed too dangerous for the United States military, Batman, and even Superman, who is called in to answer the call of duty? Seems like a job for Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad. Led by the no-nonsense federal agent Amanda Waller, this band of notorious super-criminals are faced with a dilemma: accept these highly dangerous missions and stare death in the face to earn their freedom or rot forever in prison. Comics legend John Ostrander defines the Suicide Squad for the modern age in this brutal tale of war and redemption.

Collects: Suicide Squad #1-18; Checkmate #1, #8; Manhunter #1; Justice League International #13; Secret Origins #14, #28; Who's Who #14; Detective Comics #582; The Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special #1; Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #3-8, #11-12, #15-18, #20-23, #25; The New Teen Titans #31; The Fury of Firestorm #62-64; Firestorm: The Nuclear Man Annual #5; Who's Who Update 1987 #1, #3-5; Legends #1-6; Millennium #4; Who's Who Update 1988 #1-4.

Writer Corey Perkins will team with illustrator M Arief Russanto and colorist Mariam Yasser to bring the character of Ernest P. Worrell back to life with Ernest & the Dream Stone, a new, spooky comedy story being crowdfunded starting next month. The book, a trailer for which you can see below, has been in development for a couple of years, and is being developed with the franchise's rightsholders. The late actor Jim Varney, who played Ernest onscreen, obviously can't endorse the project, but his biographer and cousin appears in the trailer to say it was the kind of thing Varney would have loved.

"If you're an Ernest fan, rest assured over the last couple of years we poured over the script making the story as strong, on brand, and Ernest-y as possible," Perkins wrote on the project's Facebook page. "Even the dialogue reads so that you can hear Ernest's voice on the page!"

Ernest was originally created as a regional pitchman -- but with a twist. Rather than being the mascot for a single company, the character -- played by Varney, and created by Varney and an ad executive named John Cherry. When his Nashville-based ads started to become a sensation -- something Hats Off Entertainment calls "the original viral star" -- Ernest went on to become a bona fide movie star and pop culture phenomenon. After having done hundreds of commercials as Ernest, Varney appeared in a series of shorts, followed by nine -- yes, nine! -- feature films.

He made his non-commercial debut in a Saturday morning sketch comedy series, Hey Vern, It's Ernest!, for which Varney earned a Daytime Emmy Award. The movies started in 1987 with Ernest Goes to Camp. The movie, which starred Varney alongside a cast of mostly-unknowns that included future Supernatural standout Richard Speight Jr. and beloved character actors Iron Eyes Cody and John Vernon. The movie, made for a reported budget of $3.5 million, made $23.5 million at the domestic box office and became a staple of the video rental market, where it would continue to make a profit for years to come.

That movie, and the next four, all went to theaters. By 1993, the box office draw of Ernest had started to wane, but he still connected with audiences at video stores around the country. While the movies rarely connected with critics, audiences -- epsecially kids -- loved Ernest. That, combined with how cheap the movies were to make, made Ernest one of the safest franchises in Hollywood.

The Kickstarter campaign for Ernest & the Dream Stone will run from September 17th until October 17th, ending just in time for spooky season. You can sign up for notifications here.

The Walking Dead #95 marked the first time anyone uttered the name "Negan." While the bat-swinging Savior wouldn't appear in the flesh until issues later -- in the brains-bashing issue #100 -- the line was a hint of what was suggested by the title of volume 16: "A Larger World." But the name-dropping panel, which happens when Paul Monroe, a.k.a. Jesus, leads Rick Grimes' group to the Hilltop colony, underwent a last-minute alteration to change Negan's original name: "Naygus," inspired by the similarly-named Grand Nagus who lived in the Nagal Residence on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"Negan, if in name only, is introduced in this issue," writer Robert Kirkman notes in The Cutting Room Floor feature included in The Walking Dead Deluxe #95. "It's cool seeing the characters mention him without him actually being introduced."

Kirkman continued, "Originally he was named Naygus, but it turns out that's the leader of the Ferengi people from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. So his name was changed before it saw print, thankfully, when I realized I wasn't coming up with a cool sounding name from scratch as I thought, and was actually just recalling something that lived deep within the recesses of my superhero, horror, and sci-fi addled brain."

The colorized reprint isn't the first time Kirkman disclosed this tidbit of Walking Dead trivia. (If anyone ever asks, "What was Negan originally named in The Walking Dead?" Now you know the answer.)

On a 2016 episode of Talking Dead, Kirkman explained he "wanted the name to sound negative in some way, so I was calling him 'Naygus' for a long time, which is just a word I thought I pulled from thin air." After realizing "Nagus" was a Star Trek term, however, Kirkman recalled, 'I can't call him Nagus. So then I was like, 'Okay, Negan. That sounds fine.'"

The Walking Dead Deluxe #95 is on sale now from Image Comics.

DC's All In initiative kicks into high gear this October, and now DC has revealed a delightful bonus for comic stores and fans who are jumping in. All In will encompass all of DC's core books as well as the launch of the new DC Absolute line, Scott Snyder took to social media and shared that throughout October, DC will be giving retailers new Justice League cards to give out free to fans who buy a few DC books that week. The exact number isn't known yet, but you can get a look at the cards in the image below.

Justice League Recruit

On X Snyder shared an image of the card and wrote, "THE DC ALL IN #1 Special that launches everything the 1st week of October focuses on the rebirth of the justice league. So Every week in Oct we're giving retailers a new Justice league card to give free to fans who buy a few DC comics of any kind. Thank you for buying weekly!"

The image shows off the covers to Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, and then shows off cards for Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in their modern classic looks. We also get the blank card and then the Darkseid version, so if you're wanting to pick one up make sure to add some DC books to the list that week.

DC's All In

DC All In officially begins with the DC All In Special #1 from the team of Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Daniel Sampere, and Wes Craig, and since it is a flip book, reading from one direction will spotlight Sampere's work while Craig's is highlighted from the opposite direction. The 64 page one-shot will pick up in the aftermath of Absolute Power, and it will kick off the beginning of the DC Absolute line as well. Here are the descriptions for Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman's upcoming All In debuts.

Wonder Woman #14 (October 16) - Courtesy of Tom King and Daniel Sampere, the tide is turning in Wonder Woman's battle against the Sovereign as Steve Trevor takes matters into his own hands, with deadly consequences. But Steve's end could be the beginning of Diana's greatest adventure yet-motherhood!

Batman #153-154 (October 2, 16) - Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jim?nez, and Carmine Di Giandomenico are back with a vengeance with a new story arc, "The Dying City," featuring an unexpected turn from the Riddler, a mysterious new Super Hero named Commander Star, and the shocking murder of one of Gotham City's greatest citizens as Batman ships twice monthly in October.

Superman #19 (October 23) - Superstar artist Dan Mora joins Joshua Williamson in a new story arc spinning out of Absolute Power. One of Superman's most lethal enemies returns as the Man of Steel and Superwoman (Lois Lane) deal with the return of the rampaging Doomsday, but how long will Lois's newfound powers last? And as if Doomsday isn't trouble enough, another one of Superman's greatest enemies lurks in the shadows: the Time Trapper.

Are you excited for All In? You can talk all things comics with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

AJ Mendez is busier than ever these days, and that includes an upcoming television series based on her memoir Crazy Is My Superpower. Since the show's announcement back in 2017, there hasn't been much in the ways of updates on the series, but in an interview with The Comicon regarding her new comic series Day Of The Dead Girl with Aimee Garcia, Mendez said not only was the series still in development, but it was also going to be airing on A&E whenever it eventually makes it to TV (via transcript from Fightful).

Crazy Is My Superpower

During the interview, Mendez talked about how writing the book was always going to be a challenge, simply because she is so guarded about her personal life. Opening up was important though if it ended up being able to help someone.

"It was an interesting struggle at first because I am the most private person in the world. I share nothing. I'm a brick wall. When you do have a lot of people listen to you, the things you say matter. There is value in that and you have to be considerate. I was willing to share this life lesson I learned embracing my mental health struggles. That's a piece of me I'm willing to share with the world, if it can help other people," Mendez said.

"My book is very much about growing up in poverty, growing up homeless, and not understanding the mental illness that was getting in my body and within my family. Really starting to embrace these things in the world seen as negatives and turning them into armor and weapons and making them my greatest strengths. That's been a huge part of my creative process, embracing this weird fucked up mind that I have," Mendez said.

Death Isn't The End

Mendez's next project is Day of the Dead Girl, which she is co-writing with Aimee Garcia and will be illustrated BY Belen Culebras. The series is described as a "beautifully blood adventure" by Mendez, and Garcia is excited to see the series reflect Mexican culture in a way we don't always get to see. You can find the official description for Day of the Dead Girl below.

"Death is never the end of the story. Coroner Sam Castillo will learn this the hard way, when a supernatural serial killer targets her hometown just as she moves back. A skeptical woman of science, Sam butts heads with her spiritual mother Ana, a leader of a witch coven specializing in Brujeria. But when the coven's Brujas start turning up murdered, Sam and Ana must work together to find the killer and save their town's Day of the Dead festival from turning into an occult bloodbath. As if sharing a bathroom with her mom wasn't hard enough."

Day of the Dead Girl hits comics stores on October 9th.

Are you excited for the new series? You can talk all things TV, comics, and wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

The image appears to be a recolored version of Silvestri's cover for Witchblade #170, which hit stores in October 2013. It features Sara Pezzini/Witchblade crucified on a giant, wooden "W" as opposed to the X that Wolverine was hanging on.

"Hugh Jackman did a great job recreating Marc Silvestri's iconic Uncanny X-Men #251 cover in Deadpool & Wolverine, But, Silvestri's Witchblade did it better," Top Cow posted on social media, along with a winking emoji. They added, "Just joking! We love you [Hugh] - You are Wolverine."

In Uncanny X-Men #251, Wolverine disassociates while being tortured by Donald Pierce and the anti-mutant terrorists The Reavers. In Witchblade #170, a murder victim was found, beheaded and crucified, and Sara had to find the killer. No word yet on whether there will be any literal connection to the plot of the new Witchblade issue, or if it's just a great pinup cover.

In Witchblade #3, out on September 18th, "Sara Pezzini grapples with the deadly powers of the Witchblade while corrupt cops, human traffickers, and supernatural conspiracies tighten the noose around her neck. A terrifying new hunter emerges in the form of Ian Nottingham, but is he here to save her, sabotage her-or seduce her?"

Orders for the issue are due on August 26th, so to get your copy of this snazzy variant, you'll have to act fast.

Below, you can see the order codes for each cover, which you can give your local comics retailer, along with a short history lesson on the cover from Top Cow:

Cover A: Giuseppe Cafaro & Arif Prianto - 0724IM431
Cover B: David Mack - 0724IM432
Cover C 1:25 Copy Incentive: Marc Silvestri - 0724IM896

Background: Marc Silvestri created the WITCHBLADE (2013) #170 "After Me" as he paid homage to his powerful cover of UNCANNY X-MEN #251 (1989). Since then it has been alluded to several times and inspired many of artists. With fans excited with the live action homage in the blockbuster film DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE, fans have been contacting us about the cover along with WITCHBLADE #170. With the incredible launch of WITCHBLADE (2024), we want to show our support of fans in bring this powerful image of Witchblade back for this collectible WITCHBLADE (2024) #3 cover, featuring intense, nostalgic colors of the original UNCANNY X-MEN. Thank you for your unwavering support!

Prepare to embark on a metafictional mystery in Kid Maroon, a new Vault Comics series from writer Christopher Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire, Iron Man, Doctor Doom), artist Victor Santos (Polar, Violent Love), colorist Mattia Iacono (Kid Venom, The Dead Lucky), letterer Andworld Design (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr), and designer by Adam Cahoon (The Nasty). Presented as a revival of a forgotten comic strip of the 1940s created by a cartoonist called Pep Shepard, the series sees a small-town boy detective outgrowing his innocuous local mysteries and heading for the city, where crime is more common and more serious.

As presented by Vault in their press release, "the daily Kid Maroon comic strip focused on a hard-boiled boy detective who investigates horrendous crimes in his hometown of 'Crimeville'. The series quickly attracted significant controversy, as the stories drew on Shepard's nihilistic outlook, penchant for violence, and obsession with bathtub laudanum. The backlash against the series, coupled with the rising tides of the Comics Code, led to the strip's cancellation after just 216 episodes. This caused Shepard to become completely disaffected with the comic book medium, and he would go on to bury all his original art in what is believed to be a field in South Dakota, location unknown. Despite all of this, Kid Maroon became a tremendous cult hit that has inspired underground and independent comics ever since."

In the press release, Cantwell says, "I've been wanting to write a Kid Maroon story for years upon years now. Because Kid Maroon feels like me. It's funny because I remember being a kid and how I couldn't wait to grow up. Every day I feel like I grew up too fast. I often wish I could go back. Kid faces that same struggle in our book. Sure, his world is laden with pulp gangsters and killers, but he's very much a child. This was always the undercurrent of the original Kid Maroon strips that Pep Shepard did. Sure, sometimes Pep occasionally had Kid rail against characters like Captain Pinko and write diatribes against Sales Tax, but at his best, those stories were always about a boy caught between worlds, his innocence always fragile, at risk of being shattered. That is the core of our book through and through."

Santos adds, "I must confess I did not know the existence of the character Kid Maroon, but as soon as I started investigating it was love at first sight. That wild boy was a compact version of The Spirit, Dick Tracy, and I don't know how many other pre-code pulp heroes. But at the same time he was everything I would have wanted to be when I was a brat, sneaking into my uncle's room to read those crime comics which were supposed to be too violent for a kid to read. I couldn't wait to take this awesome character and draw him into new adventures."

The double-length Kid Maroon #1 launches in November. Here's the full synopsis of the issue, as well as a five-page preview:

"Back in print for the first time in over 75 years in a stunning double-length issue #1... the world's only hard-boiled boy detective - KID MAROON. From Christopher Cantwell (Iron Man, Doctor Doom, The Blue Flame, Halt and Catch Fire) and Victor Santos (Polar, Violent Love)!

Two years ago, Walden Maroon outgrew his small town, his loving parents, and the low stakes mysteries involving missing butterflies and stolen cookies. Since then, he's dwelled within the cesspit of Crimeville, where murders, vice, and corruption are the city's bread and butter. But at 12 years old, Kid is weary. When a string of horrific killings and arsons spring up in the streets, can he crack the case with his quick wits and slingshot? Or does Kid Maroon secretly yearn for what he's never gotten to be... a kid?"

During our trip to Comic Con International in San Diego last month, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane shared a first look at the new Medieval Spawn action figure that he's currently funding on Kickstarter. The new campaign has broken McFarlane's prior records, reaching $1 million in pledges in only five hours. That's a fast turnaround compared to the previous Spawn Kickstarter campaign, which took 23 hours to hit the same milestone. Key to the success is a promised lightning-fast turnaround; McFarlane has already started production on the figures, which McFarlane hopes will set a record for Kickstarter in the action figure category. The hope is to get a lot of the figures shipping by the holiday season, and many will ship directly from Hong Kong, just a few months after the campaign ends.

"People are used to a year or two. I'm going to see if I can do it in 90 days," McFarlane teased during our conversation, noting that many of the figures were already in production by July. He looked back to a prior success to see how much he could improve on both the original figure and the delivery timetable.

"We did a Kickstarter right at the beginning of the pandemic, just because, when people are doing nothing, do something," McFarlane explained. "So we came up with sort of a remastered Spawn based on the very first toy we ever made. So, this one is basically going to be a remastered version of, series one, all the way back in 1994....We've learned a lot since then, let's do our upgraded one. This is easily our most detailed figure ever, and it comes with -- I'm hoping, if it hits all the levels -- you're going to get dozens of weapons, shield, mask, chests, helmets, you name it -- it's going to come with a ton of stuff."

The figure features a number of interchangeable elements, including some that will be added as stretch goals are passed in the campaign. McFarlane showed us that a number of those pieces are actually magnetic, so that fans can remove and replace pieces without having to snap them out of sockets or insert tiny pegs into holes.

"We didn't want people to have to break their toys to change the pieces on it," he explained.

The campaign (you can see more details and buy the figures here) met its initial $100,000 funding goal in just two minutes, and doubled its goal within four minutes, surpassing the previous campaign's record of three minutes. The figure -- offered in three colors -- sold through all 700 Premium 3-Packs within 45 minutes. As of this writing, the campaign has already attracted over 7,000 backers, to raise over $1.45 million, with 26 days to go in the campaign.

Following the debut of The Court of Owls 3-Pack and Joker Dragon Gold Label releases earlier this week, McFarlane Toys has even more in store for the DC Multiverse lineup. These new releases include the Red Hood Hood (Dawn of DC) and Cyborg (DC Rebirth) figures along with the Red Hood Sportsbike vehicle inspired by the Red Hood: Outlaw series that was first revealed at SDCC this year.

Pre-orders for these releases are expected to go live on August 23rd at 9am PT / 12pm ET here at Entertainment Earth (free U.S. shipping on orders $59+. The should also be available on Amazon at that time. Direct links will be added to the list below after the launch so stay tuned. UPDATE: The figures are live! Direct links added.

• DC Multiverse Red Hood's Sportsbike (Red Hood: Outlaw) 7-Inch Scale Vehicle - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• DC Multiverse Red Hood (Dawn of DC) 7-Inch Scale Action Figure - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• DC Multiverse Cyborg (DC Rebirth) 7-Inch Scale Action Figure - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon

Speaking of DC Multiverse vehicles from McFarlane Toys, the Batman Forever Batmobile 2-pack that launched a short while ago is still available to pre-order here at Entertainment Earth priced at $109.99 (free US shipping on orders $59+) .The GITD Gold Label exclusive is available here on Amazon priced at $79.99. Naturally, you'll want to pair your Batman Forever Batmobile with DC Multiverse figures inspired by the 1995 film. Fortunately, McFarlane Toys has you covered with a Build-A-Wave series that includes figures based on Batman (Val Kilmer), Robin (Chris O'Donnell), Riddler (Jim Carrey), and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). All of the details you need about the collection can be found right here.

"From the 1995 Batman Forever movie comes the iconic Batmobile! The vehicle comes with a 7-inch scale action figure of Batman's trusty butler, Alfred Pennyworth! A display base for the fully articulated Alfred and collectible art card is also included. The Batmobile measures approximately 31-inches long and can fit a figuure in the cockpit. Plus, the Batmobile features lights and sound! The vehicle requires 3x AAA batteries, which are not included.

Every hero needs a right-hand man, and Alfred Pennyworth was precisely that for the Dark Knight of Gotham City. This iteration of the Batmobile was designed to have a more organic aesthetic. The end result appeared to have ribs and wind while the engine panels, wheels, and undercarriage glowed blue. This Batmobile was destroyed partway through Batman Forever when The Riddler deposited a sack full of explosives in the cockpit."

Image Comics' fan-favorite series I Hate Fairyland is about to have a major full circle moment. Earlier this week, Image Comics revealed a new cover for the forthcoming I Hate Fairyland #17, which will be released wherever comics are sold in November. Skottie Young's cover intentionally mirrors his illustration for 2009's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1, the first issue in his and Eric Shanower's adaptation of L. Frank Baum's iconic novel of the same name.

Given the narrative similarities between The Wizard of Oz and I Hate Fairyland -- albeit, with the latter series taking a darker and more violent twist -- this cover is particularly clever. It has also been teased that the "Happy Ending" arc that I Hate Fairyland #17 is a part of will directly include characters from The Wizard of Oz, so it will be interesting to see how that story arc develops.

He is doing it. @skottieyoung is going there, and it couldn't be more beautiful. pic.twitter.com/e7z2Cz5gSr

-- Image Comics (@ImageComics) August 20, 2024

What Is I Hate Fairyland About?

I Hate Fairyland follows Gert, a six year old girl who has been stuck in the magical world of Fairyland for thirty years and will hack and slash her way through anything to find her way back home.

"It's amazing," Young told ComicBook in an exclusive interview at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. "Just the fact that I'm publishing a book at Image comics, being an Image kid myself, buying Spawn #1 on the shelf, buying WildC.A.T.S. #1 on the shelf, Savage Dragon #1 on the shelf. So the fact that I have Image Comics #1's that people buy is amazing," Young said. "The idea that it's lasted 10 years blows my mind. I feel like I'm living out my childhood dream... We are cooking some fun things up. We have some pretty big things that we were just talking about before stepping in here. I think everyone will have lots of fun, us most of all."

What Is I Hate Fairyland #17 About?

"HAPPY END GAME," Part Two of Five
Happy leads the army of dead Gerts from Hell, through the Inferno and into Fairyland. Gert needs allies, so the King summons a legend from Kansas who's pretty familiar with fighting off WICKED forces! Who could it be? Maybe someone who's into glittery footwear? Yellow Bricks? Any guesses?

I Hate Fairyland #17 will be available wherever comics are sold on November 6th.

Daniel Warren Johnson has been a big part of the landmark success of Skybound's Energon Universe, ushering in a new era of Transformers stories that have clearly resonated with fans. The good news is that Johnson isn't leaving in the near future, but that doesn't mean he isn't leaving eventually. In a new Reddit AMA, Johnson was talking about his current books and his upcoming The Moon Is Following Us series from Image, and in the thread a few fans asked about Transformers and how long he was staying on the series. Johnson revealed that he will be writing a total of 24 issues before he departs, and when another fan asked about possibly extending that run, Johnson revealed that 24 issues is his choice and his ultimate goal for a reason.

24 on the Horizon

Reddit Users Strange-Shock5466 and Danielle_Roe shared their love for the Transformers series in the comments, and then the question of how long he plans to write the series was asked. Johnson replied, "Thanks so much to you both! I'm having a blast writing it now and Jorge and Mike are absolutely slaying the art. I am going to be writing for a total of 24 issues. Thanks again!"

Reddit User ThatDarnCabbage echoed the love for the series, calling it one of the best books in comics, and asked if he was sure he couldn't stretch that to 50 to 100 issues. Johnson appreciated the feedback and would love to stay on that long, but revealed why that just isn't possible.

"Honestly, I'm having so much fun I would love to. But when I make anything, writing, drawing, or both, I only know how to go 110 percent. So all that to say, I'm killing myself and can only go for so long," Johnson wrote. "My choice to leave at 24 is more of a choice for my mental health and for my family than however I may feel about my wonderful Cybertronians. Thank you for your support!"

The Response from Fans

During an interview with ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con, Johnson was asked how he felt about the response from Transformers fans to the book thus far. Johnson couldn't be more thrilled about how the community has responded, even if they don't necessarily love certain characters dying along the way.

"It feels awesome. I mean, I'm trying to think of something cool to say. I don't have anything. It's really, it's very flattering," Johnson said. "I've had a few fans be really upset that I killed Bumblebee. So, some old school fans, they're like, 'What the heck?' And I'm like, deal with it, in a nice way. I've also got a lot of kids that are into the Transformers series, like pretty young, which is awesome because I'm like, 'Whoa Star Scream kills a guy in issue #1, how did you deal with that?' And the Dad's like, 'It's cool, it's fine.' So getting a new generation in is really sweet. And getting them in at comic level? As opposed to a cartoon level? Super cool."

"it's intense. Uh Thanks guys, love you. That's been really great and then also just the response has been overwhelming," Johnson said. "I just took the book because I wanted to do it. I wanted to have fun and here we are. It's blown up and it's an honor. I mean, come on. I've been drawing this stuff since I was a little kid. So, the fact that I get to do it and pay my mortgage? It's pretty cool. Thanks Optimus!"

What have you loved about the new Transformers series? You can talk all things comics and Transformers with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

First unveiled at SDCC 2024, Hasbro is set to launch the Marvel Legends Punisher and Bushwacker 2-pack inspired by the Punisher War Journal comics this Thursday, August 22nd at 10am PT / 1pm ET as a Fan Channel exclusive. It is expected to be available here at Entertainment Earth (free U.S. shipping on orders $59+) and on Amazon at that time, and we suggest you get their nice and early because this is going to be a pretty fantastic set. UPDATE: Direct links added. The set is priced at $54.99.

The update comes from Hasbro's Dan Yun, and we know from the SDCC reveal that the Punisher figure will come with a huge arsenal of weapons as well as a swappable head and hands. The Bushwacker figure is all new to the Marvel Legends lineup, and includes an effects piece and alternate hands, one of which features his uncomfortably long pistol finger.

If you're unfamiliar, Bushwacker aka Carl Burbank is was originally a priest who left the clergy and became a CIA assassin (as one does). He was created by Ann Nocenti and artist Rick Leonardi in the pages of 1987's Daredevil #248, and has most frequently appeared in issues of Daredevil but has crossed paths with Wolverine of the X-Men and the Punisher as a hired gun employed by the Kingpin. In this case, "hired gun" takes on new meaning as he is a villain known for his unique ability to transform his cybernetic arm into a variety of firearms.

The Punisher Returns In Daredevil: Born Again

Speaking of the Punisher, Jon Bernthal will return as Frank Castle in the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series Daredevil: Born Again, which is set to premiere on the streamer in March 2025. The first trailer debuted at Disney's D23 event, and Berenthal thinks that fans of the original Netflix show will be on board for the new ride:

"I think if you're a fan of the show that you saw before, you're gonna be a fan of this. I think we're just taking it a step further," Bernthal told Marvel Entertainment following Marvel Studio's D23 presentation. "We're all here, we're all enormously happy to be with each other, we're proud of what we did. If you're a fan of [Marvel's Daredevil], you're gonna be enormously happy."

Marvel's Daredevil spawned the interconnected series Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders, which were all cancelled between 2018 and 2019. Disney added all six shows to Disney+ in 2022, and by 2024, the streamer's official MCU timeline was updated with the "Defenders-Verse" series.

Wolverine: Revenge is turning out to be more expansive than we initially realized. The prestige series from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Greg Capullo officially launched this week, and has already provided readers with two unexpected deaths. But with Wolverine: Revenge taking place outside the main Marvel Universe continuity, it allows Hickman and Capullo the freedom and creativity to go in any direction. As the five-issue miniseries reaches its conclusion, fans will see the depths that Wolverine will go to truly get the revenge that he sorely deserves from those who have wronged him.

ComicBook can exclusively reveal the cover and solicitation for November's Wolverine: Revenge #4. It reveals that a great amount of time will pass between the first and fourth issue, and Greg Capullo's cover features a perfect example with Logan sporting a white beard on his face and white hair on his arms. "Time has passed since WOLVERINE'S quest for vengeance began. But as an eye for an eye escalates through the years, revenge becomes a FAMILY AFFAIR!" the solicitation for Wolverine: Revenge #4 reads. "And this is going to be one HELL of a reunion! A shocking development in Hickman and Capullo's saga of the Wolverine that must be experienced to be believed!"

Marvel reveals Wolverine: Revenge #4 Red Band details

Wolverine: Revenge is one of the new titles to get the red band treatment from Marvel. The publisher began releasing red band editions of its comics with the debut of the vampire-centric Blood Hunt, with the individual issues being polybagged and flagged as containing explicit violence and blood.

"The same vicious vengeance unleashed in WOLVERINE: REVENGE #4 - only expanded and bloodier than ever in the Red Band edition featuring exclusive pages! Polybagged to contain the explicit violence!" the description for Wolverine: Revenge #4 - Red Band Edition reads.

What's interesting is by the time Wolverine: Revenge reaches its final issue, the timeline might have extended far enough that we get to see Old Man Logan.

ComicBook's review of Wolverine: Revenge #1 called it "Big, Dumb Fun Done Right," stating that it pulls on both creators' distinct strengths."For as big and bombastic as Wolverine: Revenge #1 may feel at times--featuring mass extinction events and a who's who of X-baddies--it's also an example of less is more," the review reads. "Much like its eponymous anti-hero, the issue is a lean, mean superhero violence machine. It lays out the story, stakes, and motivations with economical efficiency designed to center Capullo's wonderfully expressive action sequences. The result is an incredibly fun presentation of Wolverine focused on their undeniable 80s action movie appeal."

WOLVERINE: REVENGE #4 (OF 5)

JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) o GREG CAPULLO (A/C)

AN EYE FOR AN EYE!

Time has passed since WOLVERINE'S quest for vengeance began. But as an eye for an eye escalates through the years, revenge becomes a FAMILY AFFAIR! And this is going to be one HELL of a reunion! A shocking development in Hickman and Capullo's saga of the Wolverine that must be experienced to be believed!

WOLVERINE: REVENGE #4 - RED BAND EDITION

The same vicious vengeance unleashed in WOLVERINE: REVENGE #4 - only expanded and bloodier than ever in the Red Band edition featuring exclusive pages! Polybagged to contain the explicit violence!

What do you get when you combine the world of comics, cosplay, and conventions with a lovable lead who is part puppy and part cloud? Turns out it's the delightful adventures of Cloud Puppy by Kelly Leigh Miller, and the adorable half puppy half cloud lead is likely to become a favorite of yours as well once you get to know her. The story brings a host of other charming characters into the fold as well, including Cloud's friend Berry Rose, and the duo is actually the focus of the first story, which puts a spotlight on what it means to be friends who want to dress as the same character at a convention. ComicBook had a chance to speak with Miller all about the new story, what and who inspired the character, and what the future might hold for the series.

Cloud Puppy Inspirations

Cloud Puppy weaves in a variety of geek themes throughout the book, including comics, cosplay, comic conventions, and more, but it all started with Cloud Puppy's initial design, which just felt special. "I actually started with the character designs first. At the time, I was loosely studying Japanese mascots like Sanrio, Tamagotchi, all of those. And I'm a huge Tamagotchi collector and stuff, and I was looking at all of those character designs, and trying to figure out what drew me to those. And I was like, 'I'm going to create a bunch of my own creatures.' and the creature for Cloud Puppy, I just kept drawing her," Miller said.

"I was like, 'This has to be something.' And I really just sent the drawing to my agent, and I'm like, 'Is this something? I don't even know. What do you think?' And she was just like, 'Do you have a story for this? Because I want to pitch it almost immediately.' And then I had a lot of ideas, but a lot of them kept coming back to nerdy, geeky themes and stuff," Miller said. "We were like, "Well, what if we took this approach, since a lot of my ideas fall into this category?" And I was able to grab a bunch, look at some of the other character designs I had, and figure out, 'Okay. Out of these characters that I drew, who would maybe be her friends?' And that's where it all started."

Not much changed from that initial concept, which remains largely intact in the final story. That said, one big change was just the volume shift from a 30 to 40 page picture book to a 160 page graphic novel. "I got my start in picture books, and for me, the length difference between up to 40 page picture book, 32 to 40 pages, and then going from that to 160 pages was a pretty big jump. So that was I would say probably planning around the amount of pages that I had to do was a little bit of a learning curve, which I think it's just brand new for me, but I feel like I had a lot of fun doing it," Miller said.

Family, Fun, and Costumes

Another element that stands out (aside from the gorgeous artwork mind you) is how the family factors into the story and how supportive they are overall. Far more often you see parents and extended family as a hurdle or challenge to the main character, but here that is very much not the case, and that's by design. "Yeah. I wanted to have the parents be very supportive of all the kids' interests, and whether some understand it, or don't understand it, they're just really into the fact that they love this thing, and they want to be part of the thing that they love," Miller said.

As anyone who has attended a convention knows, you'll see no shortage of amazing costumes as you walk the show floor. That's true of this convention as well, and Miller reveals that she based some of the looks on actual cosplays that she's seen. "I think some of the costumes, if I remember when I was designing just the background, mostly background characters, some of them were inspired by actual cosplays that I've seen, but I don't know if I kept the colors the same as the characters they were inspired by. I think I might've changed them just so it wasn't as obvious, but there definitely were a few that were inspired by costumes I'd seen in the past," Miller said.

As for what's next, Miller would love to return to this world, and the good news is we already have one more book to look forward to in Cloud Puppy Game On. The new book will hit on March 4th, 2025, and Miller sees lots of opportunities for new stories in this delightful world.

"Oh. Definitely. I'd love to, but yeah. It's actually since I think I can say this much, since it does have the number one on the side, but there are going to be more books in the series. So the adventure continues eventually," Miller said.

Cloud Puppy is now available in book stores everywhere, and you can order the book from Amazon right here.

Let us know what you think of Cloud Puppy, and you can talk all things comics and graphic novels with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

From Mezco Toys' premium One:12 Collective DC lineup comes Dick Grayson / Nightwing complete with tons of features and accessories. For starters, the detailed suit includes a removable utility belt, pouch, and leg strap holster. There are also four interchangeable head portraits, eighteen interchangeable hands (some with weapons), two Escrima Sticks that can form a staff thanks to the Escrima connector, multiple electric and spinning FXs, Wing-Dings, grapple hooks, and more.

Pre-orders for Mezco's One:12 Collective Nightwing figure are live here at Entertainment Earth for $95 with free U.S, shipping, You won't be charged until it's on the way to your doorstep in March 2025. A complete list of features and accessories can be found below.

One:12 Nightwing Figure Features:

• One:12 Collective body with over 30 points of articulation
• Hand painted authentic detailing
• Approximately 17cm tall
• Four (4) interchangeable head portraits
• Eighteen (18) interchangeable hands
• One (1) pair of fists (L&R)
• One (1) pair of brass knuckles hands (L&R)
• One (1) pair of stick spin holding hands (L&R)
• One (1) pair of stick holding hands (L&R)
• One (1) pair of Wing-Ding holding hands (L&R)
• One (1) pair of three (3) darts holding hands (L&R)
• One (1) posing hand (L)
• One (1) smoke bomb throwing underhand (L)
• One (1) single dart holding hand (L)
• One (1) smoke bomb holding hand (L)
• One (1) smoke bomb throwing overhand (R)
• One (1) grabbing hand (R)

Costume:

• Chest armor
• Shoulder pads
• Back armor
• Gauntlets (L&R)
• Utility belt
• Pouch (attaches to belt)
• Leg strap holster (attaches to belt)
• Knee pads
• Combat boots

Accessories:

• Three (3) Wing-Dings
• Two (2) Escrima Sticks (fit in back armor)
• One (1) Escrima connector
• One (1) grapple hook with rope (attaches to Escrima Sticks)
• One (1) grapple hook with wire (attaches to Escrima Sticks)
• Four (4) electric FX (attaches to Escrima Sticks)
• Two (2) spinning FX (attaches to Escrima Sticks)
• Two (2) dart FX (attaches to R Gauntlet)
• One (1) One:12 Collective display base with logo
• One (1) One:12 Collective adjustable display post

While it's only the middle of the week, it also happens to be new comic book day, and that's always a reason to celebrate. This week features a bevy of new titles from DC, Marvel, Image, BOOM!, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Titan, and more, and the ComicBook Nation crew is breaking down some of the biggest books of the week on the new episode of The Pull List. This week that list includes the debut of a new Sinister Six in Ultimate Spider-Man #8, as well as the welcome return of Greg Capullo to Marvel in Wolverine: Revenge #1. We also dig into a stellar new Power Rangers book, the debut of Huge Detective, an advanced review of The Missionary, and new tie-ins to Absolute Power with Wonder Woman and Superman. You can listen to the new episode right here, and we've got a rundown of the biggest highlights from the episode below.

Ultimate Renaissance

Ultimate Spider-Man has managed to capture what many longtime fans have wanted in a Spidey story for quite some time, and issue #8 is indicative of that, featuring so many small but powerful moments amongst the cast that will resonate in some form or fashion. The attention paid to the cast of characters and how they interact with each other has resulted in wonderful and nuanced relationships that feel fresh and full of possibility without abandoning what made those characters great in the first place.

That isn't just in regards to the heroes either, as the villains feel reenergized across the board. The concept of the Sinister Six still feels true to form, but the roster shakes things up and allows for a host of new storytelling possibilities. Did I mention J. Jonah Jameson being an absolute MVP? Well, I have now, and that moment at the birthday party has definitely had a major effect on how I perceive him in this universe.

A Savage Return

Sticking with Marvel, I had no idea what to expect with Wolverine: Revenge from Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo, and that might have been the best way possible to experience it. Hickman and Capullo come out swinging with big moments funneled along a simple but absurd effective premise, and the moments of pure shock and brutality are quintessential Wolverine in every way. This book had me from the opening blurb and it never lost steam, upping the ante continuously and setting the stage for what promises to be an epic and even bloodier conflict in future issues. Dinosaurs, exploding supers, and revenge are all on the menu here, and you simply can't pass that up.

This Week's Comics:

• Ultimate Spider-Man #8
• Wolverine: Revenge #1
• Power Rangers: Infinity #1
• Superman #17
• Wonder Woman #12
• Phoenix #2
• Destro #3
• The Missionary #1
• Spider-Woman #10
• Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #2
• Predator vs. Black Panther #1
• Huge Detective #1

Trade Watch:

• Titans: Beast World TP
• The Tea Dragon Tapestry Treasury Edition TP
• Batman Vol. 2: The Bat-Man of Gotham TP
• Bear Pirate Viking Queen TP
• Zorro: Man of the Dead TP

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Wolverine's healing factor is one of the strongest superpowers in the whole Marvel Universe - but fans often debate just how strong Logan's healing factor is. Questions like 'Can Wolverine survive in space?' or 'Can Wolverine survive drowning' are pretty commonplace in Marvel fandoms - however, the biggest question always is: 'Just how much damage can Wolverine's body take and still regenerate?'

Well, Marvel writer Jonathan Hickman has taken on that question directly in his new comic series Wolverine: Revenge. The series looks in on a version of the Marvel Universe where Magneto and some of the X-Men had a battle on Asteroid M that resulted in Magneto's death, and a massive EMP pulse being released across the world, plunging it back into the Dark Ages. The only person who doesn't know about the worldly calamity is Wolverine, who is off on a "vacation" in the Savage Land. Logan is recruited by Nick Fury and some of the only surviving superheroes/espionage agents (Captain America, Winter Soldier, Dum Dum Dugan, Maria Hill, and Clay Quatermain) to go on a veritable suicide mission: confronting the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and obtaining a cold fusion S.E.E.D. reactor, that can start to rekindle the lights of civilization.

The mission goes bad right from the start: The Brotherhood's leader, Mastermind, sees them coming from miles away and uses his mental abilities to make the remaining SHIELD Helicarriers collide. Logan and the strike team make it onto the ground - however, everyone except Logan, Cap, and Bucky are quickly slaughtered by Brotherhood members like Deadpool, Sabertooth, Colossus and Omega Red. Cap, Bucky, and Logan get a worse fate: they're captured and restrained, and have bombs surgically implanted in their chests. The villains eventually (and sadistically) detonate Cap and Bucky, saving Logan for last. The bomb is in Logan's adamantium rib cage and blows his entire body completely apart.

The final scene of Wolverine: Revenge #1 sees the pile of liquified flesh and metal bones that is Logan's corpse regrow its flesh and stitch itself back onto his bones. The final panel reveals a raw-skinned and berserker Logan ready to take that titular revenge we were promised.

Being blown apart from the inside out is one of the most hardcore deaths we've seen Wolverine go through - and a testament to the true power of his Healing Factor. Hickman posits that as long as there's a single scrap of Logan's DNA left around on the floor, he can regrow his entire body of flesh again, and have that flesh reconstituted over his adamantium skeleton. If you didn't think that Logan was unkillable before, you should now.

Wolverine: Revenge #1 is now on sale at Marvel Comics.

We got a varied one this week! James Harren and the Transformers make a big splash. A whole new portion of the community is discovering Gwenpool is a thing. Villains like Muse, and of course, Dr. Doom are moving up the list. Gambit again dominates the aftermarket, while Something is Killing the Children delivers some encouraging news. Now, let's dive in!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value for the Week of 08/19/24

1: TRANSFORMERS #11 - JAMES HARREN - THANK YOU | IMAGE | AUGUST 2024: This Transformers run has been on an absolute tear. Fans are loving it! You know what else they love? Super dope covers! James Harren delivered that in spades for this Thank You variant, providing an amazing cover swap from his stellar Ultramega #1 cover. It's quickly become the key to acquire as many fans are just discovering his talents, and how epic this Transformers run is. We tracked it at a high sale of $95 for an NM+ copy and a current NM raw of $77.

2: THE UNBELIEVABLE GWENPOOL #1 - GURIHIRU - REGULAR | MARVEL | APRIL 2016: A whole new set of fans are discovering Gwenpool. Thanks to Fortnite releasing a new battle pass with Gwenpool as a dedicated skin, new and old fans are taking a look at the character. What better transition, than picking up a copy of this book? Colorful, exuberant, oh so Gwenpool. It's a readily accessible key for new fans to acquire that gives them a more in-depth look at who Gwenpool is. We tracked it at a high sale of $95 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw of $67.

3: DAREDEVIL #11 - RON GARNEY - REGULAR | MARVEL | SEPTEMBER 2016: The first appearance of Muse is steadily rocketing up the charts. Like Echo before him, most fans had no idea who the character was until he popped up in the leaked Daredevil: Born Again trailer. Immediately fans were eager to find out who this guy was, what motivates him to be a serial killer, and how in the heck this guy would be able to stand up to Daredevil. Before the leak, this book was much easier to come by. As excitement for the series grows, it's becoming increasingly hard to secure. We tracked it at a high sale of $208 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw of $50.

4: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL.1 #251 | MARVEL | NOVEMBER 1989: While this book sports an incredibly iconic and beloved cover, it took a billion-dollar movie to make it more known to the masses. Beautifully nodded to in Deadpool and Wolverine this cover has been hot for months. Recently, a behind-the-scenes look from the film put it into a little more context, enticing fans who may have been on the fence to take a second look. We tracked it at a high sale of $300 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current FN raw of $31.

5: X-MEN ORIGINS: GAMBIT #1 | MARVEL | JUNE 2009: *Potential Spoilers*: Strangely, it took nearly 20 years for a definitive origin of Gambit to appear in comics, but here we are. The Gambit love was back in full force when fans saw that cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine. He was already hot thanks to X-Men '97, but Deadpool and Wolverine are cranking the heat up again. It's gotten many fans thinking, "Just who is this guy?" Well, they did a little digging and discovered this gem of an issue sporting an awesome Gambit cover and his origin within. We tracked it at a high sale of $64 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $43.

6: INFAMOUS IRON MAN #1 | MARVEL | OCTOBER 2016: Mere moments after Robert Downey Jr. walked onstage, this book exploded. Featuring the first appearance of Dr. Doom as Iron Man, WITH a Tony Stark A.I. to boot, it was bound to get hot. It's calmed down some, but there is still a ton of hype behind it, evidenced by its spot on this list. We tracked it at a high sale of $255 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw of $49.

7: DOOM #1 - SANFORD GREENE - REGULAR | MARVEL | MAY 2024: This is the book that started the resurgence of Dr. Doom's love. Featuring a stellar cover, a tribute to a beloved underground rapper, and of course Dr. Doom, it has a little everyone can appreciate. And love it they have, routinely shelling out big bucks to make it theirs and propelling this one-shot to become one of the hottest books of the year. We tracked it at a high sale of $151 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw of $44.

8: BLOOD HUNT #5 - KAEL NGU (1:25) | MARVEL | JULY 2024: Did someone say they wanted MORE Dr. Doom? No? Well, here's some more. Just take a look at this cover from Kael Ngu! Not only does it grace the cover of the wildly popular Blood Hunt series, but it also has Doom front and center in full Doom mode. It doesn't get much better for collectors, and those who secured a copy have propelled it to a healthy aftermarket. We tracked it at a high sale of $60 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $54.

9: THE POWER FANTASY #1 - CASPAR WIJNGAARD - CHASE | IMAGE | AUGUST 2024: Chase versions of comics are atypical. Unlike some other hobbies, ratio variants typically dominate the aftermarket. Rarely do we see a Chase version reach such heights, but as more information comes out, we may just be getting started. The print run for this version is currently unknown, but the consensus is, it's pretty low. This series already had some hype building on it before it debuted, and the rumor, and confirmation, of a chase copy to chase put it on the map. While it's not seeing wild aftermarket values, it's receiving something arguably more important to a fledgling series; fan attention and interaction. We tracked it at a high sale of $21 for an NM copy and a current NM raw of $12.

10: SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 | BOOM! STUDIOS | SEPTEMBER 2019: Not long after it debuted, Something is Killing the Children BOOMED in popularity. It was all anyone could talk about as fans scoured back issue bins and out-of-the-way shops for a first print copy. A few years later, and once the hype had slightly subsided, the announcement of a series adaptation from Netflix was coming. Then, pretty much crickets. Until recently, when the Boom! Studios socials posted a picture from James Tynion featuring the front page of the first draft for the second episode of the series. So, there is hope! Fans immediately attacked the aftermarket with renewed interest, doing their best to secure a copy of one of the most popular, and limited, modern series. We tracked it at a high sale of $825 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw of $446.

2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum is widely considered to be one of the best video games of all time. The Rocksteady video game was written by comic book creator Paul Dini, one of the producers behind the Emmy-award winning TV show Batman: The Animated Series, and again pit the Kevin Conroy-voiced Dark Knight against a rogue's gallery of villains unleashed by the unhinged Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill). Set inside the titular institution for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum's bone-breaking freeflow combat and strategically sleuthy detective mode made the player say: "I'm Batman."

A lone Batman faced an onslaught of Arkham Asylum's most infamous inmates -- including Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Bane, Killer Croc, and omnipresent taunts from the Riddler -- all of whom had their backstories detailed in collectible character bios featuring art by Carlos D'Anda.

D'Anda illustrated the prelude comic Batman: Arkham Asylum: The Road to Arkham, set moments before the start of the first game, and a five-issue prequel comic bridging the gap between Asylum and its 2011 sequel Batman: Arkham City. DC Comics also published a tie-in comic, Batman: Arkham Unhinged, featuring characters like Catwoman, Two-Face, Penguin, Clayface, and Hugo Strange.

As the series expanded with more games -- including the 2013 prequel Batman: Arkham Origins and 2015's Batman: Arkham Knight -- DC published a multipath graphic novel about an inexperienced Batman's first encounter with crime bosses Black Mask and Penguin (Origins), a six-chapter story set between the events of Arkham City and Arkham Knight (End Game), and a six-issue miniseries revealing the origins of the mysterious Arkham Knight (Genesis).

These stories and more were collected in DC's long-out-of-print Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus. Spanning more than 1,600 pages, the companion book will receive a new printing for the first time since 2018 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The Batman: Arkham Saga Omnibus reprint is slated for release on September 24th and is available for pre-order here on Amazon. The new printing collects the following:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum: The Road to Arkham
• Batman: Arkham City #1-5
• Batman: Arkham City: End Game #1
• Batman: Arkham Knight #1-12
• Batman: Arkham Knight Annual #1
• Batman: Arkham Knight: Batgirl & Harley Quinn #1
• Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #1-6
• Batman: Arkham Knight: Robin Special #1
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Batman: Arkham Unhinged

Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus is the ultimate companion to the best-selling Batman: Arkham series of video games!

This volume collects all the games' action-packed backstories, from the volatile beginnings of Batman: Arkham Origins to the dark and deadly story of Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis and everything in between.

The Dark Knight was young, inexperienced and untested when he began his one-man war to save the soul of Gotham City. The vigilante known as Batman was new to the city's dark streets, and his errors were costly. Though his mind, body and arsenal of crime-fighting gear were all honed to near-perfection, his methods were yet unproven.

But Batman's rookie lessons were just the prelude to far more desperate tales.

Despite becoming an outlaw himself after quelling the Arkham Asylum riots, the World's Greatest Detective takes it on his shoulders to unravel why the new mayor, Quincy Sharp, wants to create Arkham City--a section of Gotham where heinous criminals and the insane can roam freely. Now not only is the Dark Knight up against City Hall, but also the amassing armies of his numerous enemies--the Penguin, Two-Face and even The Joker himself.

On top of the machinations of Batman's full rogues gallery, a new vigilante emerges--the Arkham Knight. It's a life-or-death battle unlike any other for the Caped Crusader's allies and enemies, with no end in sight!

McFarlane Toys has launched some pretty exciting new additions to the DC Multiverse Gold Label lineup in the form of Nightwing vs Talon & Owl (Batman: The Court of Owls) 3-pack and The Joker Dragon (Dark Nights: Metal) glow-in-the-dark vehicle. Both are Amazon exclusives and pre-orders were expected to go live today, August 21st. However, the listing for The Court of Owls 3-pack didn't launch properly, and the listing was down at the time of writing. Keep tabs on the link below for pre-orders to open. UPDATE: Pre-orders for The Court of Owls 3-pack is back up!

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Nightwing vs Talon & Owl 3pk Gold Label ($59.99)- See on Amazon: "Nightwing faces another villain claiming to be the Talon at City Hall as the Court of Owls' plans go into action-but will he be able to figure out what's going on before it's too late? A clandestine organization active since the birth of Gotham City, the Court of Owls is a powerful, well-connected cabal of Gotham society's elite. However, to bend an entire city to its will, the Court deployed a succession of lethal enforcers: A near-invisible assassin haunting the night, before vanishing without a trace. The "Talon" served the Court after undergoing a series of demanding challenges, including physical and mental conditioning ensuring loyalty to their cause above all else." Accessories include owl, 2 escrima sticks, 2 swords, 2 knives, 3 bases, 3 collectible art cards and a deluxe art card.

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Vehicles - The Joker Dragon (GITD) Gold Label ($29.99) - See on Amazon: "Nobody knows the exact origin of these beasts from the Dark Multiverse, but what is known is that they do the bidding of The Batman Who Laughs wherever they appear. During the invasion of Earth-0, the Bat-God known as Barbatos summons these great dragons to help his Dark Knights destroy the world, but they're ultimately defeated by Batman and his allies. These ghastly beasts are as deadly as they are horrifying, and a powerful addition to the army of darkness that threatens to engulf the entire DC Multiverse." Features a bendable tail, movable jaw and clear base and it fits most 7-inch scale DC Multiverse figures. Includes a collectible art card.

What James Gunn Has Planned For Batman

At the moment, The Brave and the Bold is a bit of a mystery. DC Studios has started off the James Gunn and Peter Safran era with a lot of fun plans. One of the biggest announcements was their Batman project. Longtime fans are excited to see what this Bat-Family-centric take on The Caped Crusader will be like. Damian Wayne fans, your time is here, and this time we're going to see the character in live-action.

"This is the introduction of the DCU's Batman..." Gunn previously wrote. "This is the story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman's actual son who we didn't know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He's a little son of a bitch. He's my favorite Robin. It's based on the Grant Morrison comic book's run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs, and we are putting that all together right now."

"And this is obviously a feature film, and it's going to feature other members of the extended 'Bat-family', just because we feel like they've been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long," Safran added during the announcement.

The Avengers may be Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but they are not the most beings in the Marvel Universe. That distinction belongs to Marvel's new Infinity Watch, beings who have merged with the now-sentient Infinity Stones: Star, Overtime, Multitude, Apex, and Quantum. However, as seen throughout the "Infinity Watch" storyline running through Marvel Comics' recent annual issues, these powerful beings are not necessarily the most heroic individuals in the galaxy. It'll fall to the recently resurrected Phil Coulson, with some help from Colleen Wing, to ensure the new Infinity Watch fights on the side of good, as told in the upcoming Infinity Watch limited series from writer Derek Landy and artist Ruairi Coleman. The series will serve as the culmination of the modern Infinity Watch saga.

"It's not every day you're asked to assemble a new team of heroes... and even less often you're asked to write an omnipotent team of misfits and malcontents!" Landy says. "Aside from fan-favorites Phil Coulson and Colleen Wing, this is a group of oddballs, criminals, and, frankly, idiots who suddenly realize that they're the most powerful beings in existence. There are big, terrible things on the horizon, and writing these bickering, petty wild cards and loose cannons as they stumble from lighthearted misadventure to reality-altering terror has been an absolute pleasure. The question then becomes: if your protagonists are all-powerful, how dangerous must your antagonist have to be to possibly challenge them?"

Who is Marvel's Infinity Watch?

The current "Infinity Watch" storyline follows in the wake of Marvel's 2018 Infinity Wars event, which concluded with Adam Warlock granting sentience to the Infinity Stones so that they may choose their destinies. The Stones merged with Star, Overtime, Multitude, Apex (former the Prince of Power or Powerstone), and Quantum, who have each popped up in various places around the Marvel Universe, with the fate of the Mind Stone to be revealed in the upcoming Moon Knight Annual in September.

While all of this occurred, Thanos created a seventh Infinity Stone, the Death Stone, which has Death's essence trapped within. The Death Stone somehow came to rest in the cemetery where Phil Coulson had been laid to rest, and its presence resurrected the dead former SHIELD agent, tying his fate to the Infinity Stones.

Infinity Watch #1, the first installment of the five-issue series, will release in December. Ahead of that, the Infinity Watch saga continues in the upcoming Moon Knight Annual, Spider-Boy Annual, and Avengers Annual.

• INFINITY WATCH #1 (limited series)
• Written by DEREK LANDY
• Drawn by RUAIRI COLEMAN
• Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA

INFINITY WATCH FINALE!

Sorry, Thor. Sorry, Hulk. These are the seven most powerful people in the universe, each wielding one of the embodiments of all power in existence--THE INFINITY STONES. Half of the Stone-Bearers are villains and the other half certainly aren't exactly hall-of-fame heroes, so what does this mean to the Marvel Universe? If Star has anything to say about it, we can start calling it the Star Universe. Can Colleen Wing or Phil Coulson possibly tilt the balance toward good?

Almost thirty years after the first-ever Medieval Spawn action figure's release in 1995, Todd McFarlane Productions has launched a new Kickstarter to allow hardcore collectibles fans to get an ultra-detailed version of the character, packaged with a comic book just like the original run of Spawn figures used to be. The new campaign has broken McFarlane's prior records, reaching $1 million in pledges in only five hours. That's a fast turnaround compared to the previous Spawn Kickstarter campaign, which took 23 hours to hit the same milestone. Key to the success is a promised lightning-fast turnaround; McFarlane has already started production on the figures, which McFarlane hopes will set a record for Kickstarter in the action figure category. The hope is to get a lot of the figures shipping by the holiday season, and many will ship directly from Hong Kong, just a few months after the campaign ends.

The campaign (you can see more details and buy the figures here) met its initial $100,000 funding goal in just two minutes, and doubled its goal within four minutes, surpassing the previous campaign's record of three minutes. The figure -- offered in three colors -- sold through all 700 Premium 3-Packs within 45 minutes.

As of this writing, the campaign has already attracted over 6,500 backers, to raise over $1.3 million, with 28 days to go in the campaign. Due to the speed with which the campaign is blowing through its stretch goals, four (of a possible 14) free bonus accessories have already been unlocked, and McFarlane plans to give away even more throughout the campaign as additional goals are reached.

The 2024 Medieval Spawn figure will be the most detailed yet, available in three color variations: classic blue and red, bold black, and an all-gray artist's proof rendition. Backers can choose between autographed and non-autographed versions of the figures. With production of the figures already underway, McFarlane hopes to begin shipping to many backers during the holiday season, with some backers receiving their figures before Christmas.

Here's a rundown of the key features of the toy, via the Medieval Spawn campaign on Kickstarter:

• The figure stands 7 inches tall with 32 points of articulation.
• Each figure includes a comic with original art on the cover by the award-winning Todd McFarlane.
• THREE Color Variations:
• Classic Blue and Red
• Black Variant
• All-Gray Artist's Proof
• Each color variation is available in autographed and non-autographed versions, with autographs done personally by Todd McFarlane on decorative nameplates.
• Magnetic accessories for easy customization:
• Standard Accessories: Long Sword, Round Shield, Classic Helmet, Right and Left Ornate Forearm Pads, Classic Chest Plate, and Skull Chain.
• Exclusive Accessories for Each Color Variant:
• Classic Blue Medieval Spawn: Valkyrie Helmet and Roman Helmet
• Black Medieval Spawn: Roman Helmet and Hamburger Head with Closed Mouth
• All-Gray Artist Proof Medieval Spawn: Valkyrie Helmet and Hamburger Head with Closed Mouth
• Each figure will be packaged in resealable blister packaging; faithfully recreating the 1995 design; packaged within a collector box with an added slipcover for protection.
• Figures will be shipped worldwide, with all backers responsible for their estimated shipping costs.
• Additional charges, such as regional taxes or customs fees, are NOT included and will vary based on your location.

Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) continues to be a thrilling reinvention of Marvel's Spider-Man mythos - and that now includes a brand new take on Peter Parker's infamous symbiote suit! In Ultimate Spider-Man #7 we got a fun new take on Spider-Man's motor-mouth monologuing, with the reveal that his new suit has an AI system that mimics Peter's psyche. Well, In Ultimate Spider-Man #8, we see this AI assistant subplot take a darker turn - literally and figuratively.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW!

Ultimate Spider-Man #8 picks up three weeks after Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Harry Osborn/Green Goblin got a surprise visit from a time-traveling Tony Stark, who returned to see if Peter had yet mastered his superhero duties. Three weeks later, Peter is planning a birthday party for his son and daughter when he falls into an unexpected conversation with the black ball that is his suit after it comes online and begins talking on its own. Peter is understandably perturbed by development, and asks his suit what else it can do without his knowledge; the suit intimates in a creepy way that it can indeed do a multitude of things that Peter has no idea about - something Peter pledges to dig more into, after the party.

This early scene with Peter's suit is clearly a foreshadow of how Ultimate Spider-Man is reframing the symbiote mythos. Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) reinvented the symbiote as a genetic experiment gone wrong; Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) is dipping into the modern themes of AI and next-gen tactical gear - something the issue digs into.

Ultimate Spider-Man's New Symbiote Suit Explained

A flashback scene to Tony Stark visiting Spider-Man and Green Goblin reveals more about the "picotech" suit that Spider-Man was gifted. The suit is cutting-edge armor tech that was invented by Tony's father, Howard Stark, before his apparent death - a technology so cutting-edge that even Tony himself cannot replicate it. Tony reveals that Howard had a list of the people whose heroic destinies needed to be stopped by The Maker, Reed Richards' nefarious variant who recreated the entire Ultimate Universe according to his own designs. Peter was at the top of The Maker's list of potential threats to his plan, making Peter the clear candidate for the picotech suit.

Like the alien version of the symbiote, Spider-Man's picotech suit can mimic any piece of clothing in any style and can protect Peter while remaining lightweight and versatile. The AI personality and its teases are the first real clue that this suit could be more powerful than Tony's Iron Man suit, or Harry's Green Goblin suit (which is also Starktech). However, that could become a serious problem if (once) the AI decides to go rogue and/or take charge of the kind of hero Peter should be - or if it finds a new wearer who has less noble intentions for its use than crimefighting.

Ultimate Spider-Man is now on sale from Marvel Comics.

A new Venom series is spinning out of the father-son battle between Eddie and Dylan Brock in Venom War. The event by current Venom architect Al Ewing has Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock on opposing sides, each believing the other is the cause of a hellish future yet to come. Ironically, neither character is in possession of the Klyntar, with the Venom symbiote instead reuniting with Spider-Man in Venom War's opening issue. However, it appears the web-slinger won't be keeping the symbiote, as Marvel has officially revealed All-New Venom (via Polygon).

All-New Venom is by writer Al Ewing and artist Carlos G?mez. Unlike Ewing's previous Venom - which was a time-traveling, cosmic affair - All-New Venom will be a street-level comic featuring a mystery character underneath the slimey symbiote suit. While the person's identity is being kept a secret, we are given four suspects that Marvel fans will be familiar with: Rick Jones, Madame Masque, Robbie Robertson, and Luke Cage.

Venom returns to his street-level roots

"If people have a strong hankering for something different from me, this is that. It's almost more like a Spider-Man-level story. It is set on Earth, very much in the normal New York City. Everywhere we go in the story is a place you could go, or at least the type of place you could go. Obviously, when we go to a warehouse... well, I do have a tendency to look up actual warehouses, and then change them just enough to pass legal. So yeah, everywhere we go in this story is a natural place you can go in New York City," Ewing said of All-New Venom going the street-level route.

"So we take a swing away from the big cosmic thing. The pendulum swings away from that and back into a much more intimate, character-based story, but also has a lot of that ground-level superhero action, where it's less about cosmic entities battling in each other's mindscapes, or mysterious zones beyond time, and much more on the street -- slinging webs, slinging chains, doing the Venom thing. It's almost like my return to an old-school sort of superhero comic, but with a couple of twists that we're gonna have fun bringing in."

All-New Venom's four host candidates

On Rick Jones, Ewing said, "It's good writing a version of Rick that has come through a lot of stuff and out the other side. This is a much more laid-back, joke-telling, wisecracking Rick than we're used to from me. No longer going through it... unless he's now going through something else. Who can say..."

Next up is Madame Masque. "Madame Masque is another great suspect. She's coming direct from the Gang War, which is where we last saw her in a Spidey context. She's got plans. Do those plans involve commandeering a symbiote? Do they involve getting revenge on other gangs in an identity which nobody would ever suspect? The ultimate mask for Madame Masque? I couldn't possibly comment...," said Ewing.

"Robbie Robertson is somebody else who was touched by the big Gang War and Spidey. He's never been tempted by power or superpowers. Has that changed after his son got so involved with the New York criminal underworld and falling in love with the Beetle? Does Robbie want to find a way to get things under control in a way that you know he can't as a newspaper man? Is this one of the great secret identities, like Clark Kent, a newspaper reporter -- or newspaper editor, in Robbie's case -- hearing about trouble, then going out and dealing with it?"

And finally, we have Mayor Luke Cage: "We've seen heroes get symbiotes to get a little more done. And we've seen that Luke Cage has had trouble hitting the streets and doing what he loves to do while behind the desk of the mayor. Would this be a way to do that? Would this be a way to pull on another identity, kick the ass that he knows needs kicking, but in a capacity where he's not dealing with it in an official capacity? He doesn't have to answer questions that he would if he went out on the streets in his mayor outfit and did what he used to do for the community. Maybe a symbiote is the perfect cover for him. Again, who can say? I'm merely saying words. These are all just possibilities..."

All-New Venom #1 goes on sale in December.

The Funko Pop figure lineup this week is loaded with new figures for Marvel and DC fans, but this Marvel Comics-inspired Spider-Man collection is sure to be among the most coveted. This will be especially true for the Fear Itself Suit Spider-Man and the Miles Morales Iron Spider Pops, which include the opportunity to score a rare Chase figure.

A full breakdown of the Spider-Man Funko Pop lineup can be found below complete with pre-order links that are set to go live today, August 21st at 12pm ET. Additional links will be added after the launch. Note that U.S. shipping is free at Entertainment Earth on orders $59+.

• Spider-Man Comics Funko Pops - Symbiote Spider-Man: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man Comics Funko Pops - Asgardian Armor / Fear Itself Suit (Chance at Chase): See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man Comics Funko Pops - Kaine Parker: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man Comics Funko Pops - Chasm: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man Comics Funko Pops - Miles Morales Iron Spider (Chance at Chase): See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man Comics Mystery Minis: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon

As noted, this week's lineup of Funko Pop drops includes several Marvel and DC releases in addition to the Spider-Man collection. Links to these figures can be found below. Again, they are expected to go live after 12pm ET.

• Marvel: Carnageized - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Batman Villains (Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon / Super: Batman: Arkham Asylum Bane - GameStop Exclusive / Fear Gas Batman - Funko Exclusive
• Marvel (Split Characters) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon

What Is Spider-Noir About?

Spider-Noir is an upcoming live-action series for Prime Video/MGM+ that "tells the story of an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator (Nicolas Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city's one and only superhero," the official synopsis states.

Emmy Award-winning director Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) is set to direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the eight-episode series from co-showrunners and executive producers Oren Uziel (The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel's The Punisher, Shantaram). The duo developed the series with Spider-Verse visionaries Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and Sony's Spider-Man movies producer Amy Pascal, with the trio also serving as executive producers.

"No one else could bring such pathos, pain, and heart to this singular character," Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, has said of Cage's Noir character. Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, added that the Oscar-winning Leaving Las Vegas actor and Longlegs star "is an ideal choice for our new superhero."

Stay tuned for more updates about Spider-Noir.

Star Wars fans have been wondering for months what the future of the galaxy far, far away will be when it comes to Marvel Comics, as it was announced that series like Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader would be coming to an end, with Marvel announcing today the all-new series Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege. The current era of Star Wars comics falls between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, this is only the latest announcement of a series that will follow Return of the Jedi and seemingly pave the way for the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1 hits shelves on November 20th.

"It's an unbelievable honor to be able to tell this lost story of Star Wars history, alongside so many amazing artists, in the pages of the three Battle of Jakku limited series," writer Alex Segura said. "Our story will be epic in scope -- involving all the major characters you love, plus some new, exciting additions to the mythos. We'll not only give readers a front-row seat to the final battle of the Galactic Civil War -- we'll reframe the aftermath of the Battle of Endor and introduce a new, menacing threat that will keep our heroes guessing. The goal for all of us is to turn up the volume and make sure this adventure stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other stories of the era. As the Empire collapses, a new darkness arises!"

"This series is definitely something fans don't want to miss," editor Mark Paniccia added. "Within the chaos and destruction of all three series, there are elements that hint to what comes next."

Per press release, "Last month, it was revealed that Marvel's Star Wars comic line would conclude its post-The Empire Strikes Back storytelling and enter a new post-Return of the Jedi era beginning in October. Three limited series will tell the story of the Battle of Jakku, the epic final battle of the Galactic Civil War and the saga that is one of the key events set between the Original Trilogy and the Sequel Trilogy. Following the debut series, Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Insurgency Rising in October, the events continue this November in the second installment, Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege, which fans can see the covers and story details for today!"

"Written by acclaimed, award-winning author Alex Segura (Star Wars: Poe Dameron - Free Fall, Edge of Spider-Verse) and drawn by a trio of superstar artistic talent -- Leonard Kirk, Stefano Raffaele, and Jethro Morales -- the Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku event will center around the never-before-told final moments of the Galactic Civil War. First introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Rey scavenged amongst its wreckage, the Battle of Jakku was a pivotal turning point for the galaxy. On the sandy dunes of Jakku, the remnants of the Empire made their desperate last stand after their secret base was discovered by the Rebellion, who were determined to destroy them once and for all so that the New Republic can thrive! Now, fans will witness this pivotal moment in Star Wars canon for the first time ever!"

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1

• Written by ALEX SEGURA
• Art by STEFANO RAFFAELE & JETHRO MORALES
• STILL REELING FROM THE EVENTS OF INSURGENCY RISES, LUKE MUST SEEK OUT A RELIC THAT COULD HOLD CLUES TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEDI ORDER!
• Luke Skywalker and a new friend find themselves cornered! Can two Imperial powerhouses find common ground against the nascent New Republic? Where are Han and Chewbacca? The heroes find themselves saved in the nick of time - by a fan-favorite guest star and ally!

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #2

• Written by ALEX SEGURA
• Art by STEFANO RAFFAELE
• LUKE AND DOCTOR APHRA JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT OFF A SURPRISE ATTACK AS THE REMAINING IMPERIALS PLOT THEIR NEXT ATTACK!
• Luke Skywalker must battle his way through a gang of Force-focused zealots! A faction of Imperial survivors plot to return the Empire to its past glory - and hint at a huge struggle to come! Can Luke survive against a giant...swamp rat?! As the defiant Imperial consolidates his power and allegiances - he discovers a traitor!
  

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1 hits shelves on November 20th, followed by Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #2 on November 27th.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Two of Marvel's most popular heroes just met a grisly demise in Wolverine's new comic. The X-Men are currently in the beginning of their From the Ashes era, featuring new creative teams and storylines as mutants look to regain their footing after the Fall of Krakoa. Naturally, Wolverine is headlining his own solo series, but the superstar team of Jonathan Hickman and Greg Capullo are collaborating on Wolverine: Revenge, a miniseries that takes place outside of X-Men: From the Ashes. This allows them to not worry about continuity, resulting in the deaths of two Avengers.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Wolverine: Revenge #1. Continue reading at your own risk!

Wolverine: Revenge #1 comes from the creative team of Jonathan Hickman, Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, FCO Plascencia, and VC's Cory Petit. The plot centers on the world being thrown into chaos when Asteroid M plummets towards Earth, burning up on re-entry. Magneto is one of the many casualties of the event, with his death setting off the largest E.M.P. in the history of mankind. This leaves the northern hemisphere without electricity and technology. Nick Fury estimates that a hundred million people are already dead, and more could join them S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't find a way to turn the lights back on. This leads Fury to recruit Wolverine, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier for a mission to steal a cold fusion S.E.E.D. reactor from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

When the trio start their march on the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants' lair, they're ambushed and captured by Sabretooth, Deadpool, and Omega Red. Mastermind cuts them open and plants bombs in their chests, and we're also stunned to see Colossus working with them as well. When Wolverine questions his fellow X-Man on his change in loyalties, Colossus states he's sticking with his countrymen over invaders from the West looking to steal from them. They're all eventually freed, with Captain America and Winter Soldier given the go ahead to return to the United States. However, Deadpool controls the trigger for the bombs, and sets them off before our heroes can get too far away. The same fate lands on Wolverine, but his healing factor patches him back together.

What is Wolverine: Revenge #1 about?

HICKMAN AND CAPULLO JOIN FORCES FOR A WOLVERINE EPIC LIKE NO OTHER! Greg Capullo makes his grand return to Marvel Comics storytelling as he and Jonathan Hickman pit WOLVERINE against a cadre of foes who will turn his world upside down! He's been beaten! He's been bloodied! And LOGAN only has one thought on his mind: REVENGE! Don't miss this prestige miniseries, set to become one of the defining tales in Wolverine's storied legend!

The first three pages do excellent work summarizing this alternate history and provide readers a sense of the need for a detective's lens on this fantasy concept to unravel the sorts of conspiracies bound up in decades of interspecies relations and global war. Yet every few pages readers are led to discover a new facet to consider including the stiff interpersonal dynamics between the series' protagonists, dual and almost certainly linked murder cases, and even hints at events off planet. There's no risk of the issue growing dull as additional layers are added without losing track of Tamaki and Gyant at their center.

The introduction of these threads ranges in efficacy, though. The detectives give the series a familiar heart that will appeal to fans of True Detective. Although clearly haunted by distinct demons, the pair bring distinctive personalities and plenty of skills to bear in exploring this setting - offering readers plenty of insight along the way. King's impressionistic forms capture their expressions and actions well in these instances.

Yet cutaways to the moon arrive without clear transitions and are so sparsely detailed as to leave readers questioning what they are reading and why it is significant. In this instance, there is only an implied mystery that doesn't possess the same immediacy as a couple of missing Huges and a murder mystery. Another thread involving a schizophrenic prisoner also suffers in its introduction from a clear lack of purpose, although this is alleviated somewhat by the issue's end.

The sequences that seem most lacking are also those lacking in Huges. It's apparent that the most immediate appeal of Huge Detective lies in the world it presents as each new detail provides an alternative history with apparent depth. A brief cutaway to an amusement park is simultaneously ridiculous and horrifying, and many panels featuring Gyant or other Huge figures deliver similarly potent ideas. It's a wonder to investigate the world of Gyant and Tamaki as they investigate a collection of mysteries, some still unidentified.

Published by Titan Comics

On August 21, 2024

Written by Adam Rose

Art by Magenta King

Colors by Magenta King and Minimone

Letters by DC Hopkins

Cover by Paul Pope and Lovern Kindzierski

To fill you further in on the premise of Standstill, the series follows Ryker Ruel, a man who is putting his new time-freezing device to good use. However, it takes more than one man to make a village as the world is beginning to become aware that all isn't right in "Denmark." Governments are realizing that the deaths of oligarchs, mysterious bank heists, and general tomfoolery all might have something in common as one scientist has become wise to the matter. Brainiac Colin Shaw finds himself sacrificing major parts of his life to reveal the mystery and hopefully stop it. Standstill lays out all these elements and more in its first issue.

To start, Ryker establishes the more flashy side of the premise, using the device to create some hilarious, and often grisly, displays to either net him cash and/or get some petty revenge on those around him. These scenes are serviceable though they don't go as "hard in the paint" as they could. The opening salvo is a bit of humorous revenge as Ryker demonstrates his "power" on an unsuspecting hangout for bikers, displaying his confidence throughout the heated exchange. Ironically enough, Ryker and his use of the time-freezing device feels like it's playing second fiddle to a far more interesting aspect of the series in scientist Colin Shaw.

Painted as something of a Reed Richards and Sue Storm dichotomy, Colin and his now ex-wife find themselves at an impasse, taking a direction that Marvel might never allow for the comic publisher's "First Family". Shaw is drowning in his work in attempting to figure out and losing his relationship in the process. Writer Lee Loughridge, on top of weaving the events and conversations within the script, also acts as the colorist of this opening issue which is a good segway into the strongest part of the premiere issue.

Artists Andrew Robinson and Lee Loughridge (on colors) deliver borderline experimental here on Standstill. Specifically, the series touts its opening salvo as having sixty "double-page spreads" which work well in terms of telling an interesting story and presenting an artistic style rarely seen in any comic book these days. Loughridge's colors are as vibrant and/or moody as they need to be, complimenting Ryker and Shaw's stories as the two are quite different concerning their locales. Loughridge and Robinson's art is big and bold while eliciting a "secret agent" style that would fit right into the world of 007.

If you've read my reviews in the past, you know that I'm a sucker for using the comics medium and trying something different with the layout of panels across the board. Standstill takes a unique approach in creating some scenes that leap off the page and grab the readers' attention. The art is the star of the show here, taking a solid story and pushing it to new heights with gorgeous facial features and lush surroundings.

Standstill introduces its world in a compelling enough fashion, establishing the premise and enticing readers to follow this espionage adventure. There are some big chinks in the armor here, mostly when it comes to the time freezes themselves, but Loughridge and Robinson have something special on their hands here and I'm anxious to see the direction that the miniseries takes with its remaining seven issues.

Published by Image Comics

On August 21, 2024

Written by Lee Loughridge

Art by Andrew Robinson

Colors by Lee Loughridge

Letters by Rob Tweedie

Cover by Andrew Robinson and Lee Loughridge

Wolverine: Revenge #1 quickly introduces readers to a story with no clear place in Marvel Comics continuity; the consequences of this scenario are too big to be neatly squeezed between other dots of continuity. That freedom allows Hickman and artist Greg Capullo full access to the various characters and elements associated with Marvel, but without many limitations to safeguard those pieces. From the opening sequences featuring Wolverine hunting in the Savage Land atop dinosaur back to an absolutely brutal cliffhanger, Revenge is entirely focused on delivering action sequences to shock and awe even the most cynical Marvel readers.

It's a credit to both Hickman and Capullo that they find a wavelength on which they co-exist so smoothly. Capullo is best known for his character-defining contributions to Spawn and a decade of Batman stories that made the character definitively "metal," and here he threatens to offer up a similarly irresistible spin on Wolverine. From the iconic yellow suit to battles with both dinosaurs and the cruelest of X-villains, he grabs for the highlights and applies his distinctive aesthetic to them.Given the notable body count and consistently gory action sequences, this looks like the Wolverine comic Capullo was born to draw. His appreciation for detailed panels, expressively abundant line work, and landing big moments ensure every set piece in Revenge #1 delivers.

Between the battles there are expository sequences laying out the premise. These may feel like homework, but draw in enough additional Marvel stalwarts to distract readers from their impatience to see more claw-popping. What's more is that all of the elements needed to understand this alternate timeline are laid out plainly by the end of issue #1. There's no big mystery or ongoing series of sci-fi MacGuffins to chase; it's all about revenge before this issue concludes - promising the best is still yet to come.

For as big and bombastic as Wolverine: Revenge #1 may feel at times--featuring mass extinction events and a who's who of X-baddies--it's also an example of less is more. Much like its eponymous anti-hero, the issue is a lean, mean superhero violence machine. It lays out the story, stakes, and motivations with economical efficiency designed to center Capullo's wonderfully expressive action sequences. The result is an incredibly fun presentation of Wolverine focused on their undeniable 80s action movie appeal.

Published by Marvel Comics

On August 21, 2024

Written by Jonathan Hickman

Art by Greg Capullo and Tim Townsend

Colors by FCO Plascencia

Letters by Cory Petit

Cover by Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, and FCO Plascencia

It's been 20 years since Jenny Sparks appeared at DC Comics, but now she returns in Jenny Sparks #1 with The Authority hero getting her own story from writer Tom King and artist Jeff Spokes. The timing of the new comic book is interesting--James Gunn's DC Universe is set to bring The Authority to the big screen with a feature film in development--but the comic doesn't feel like a simple play for connective relevance or even character nostalgia. Instead, thanks to King's unique approach to story-building with not only the main character but the characters surrounding them, it feels like the start of something bigger than just the Spirit of the 20th Century's return. But whether the pieces actually come together remains to be seen.

Jenny Sparks #1 starts off with introductions. We meet Jenny and four other people from different walks of life each with their own issues and secrets who are seemingly just ordinary people. But soon enough things get interesting with the arrival of Batman, crashing the morning after for Jenny's one-night-stand with news that Captain Atom has gone rogue and it's Jenny's problem.

One of the things King does best as a writer is character voice and it shines here. Jenny is sharp tongued, giving as good as she gets, but is never over-the-top. She is straightforward and knows exactly what she needs to do while making no secret of how she feels about the more dazzling "heroes" who don't want to get their hands dirty with what could very well be a major issue. What we get with Jenny Sparks #1 is a lead that is holding the big names accountable while also getting down to the work of things herself; it feels rooted in realism. This isn't bombastic optimism or gritty pessimism that we often receive in superhero comics. This is straight reality with just a bit of wit and it feels very refreshing. It lines up beautifully with Spokes' artwork. Things are clean and uncluttered with just the right amount of realism and details. It's a story that seems set in the real world, with real world stakes and consequences.

My only real concern with Jenny Sparks #1 is that while the comic book sets things up and establishes the players on the page, there are already some signs this will get needlessly complicated and quickly. With four key side characters in play from the jump that inevitably intersect, the story is already poised to be a balancing act. However, even in the first issue it can be difficult to keep the stories straight. Part of that is how the panels are arranged and the story is presented, but part is also in the way we're only given snippets that feel, in the final pages, almost too convenient. There's some heavy-handedness in trying to explain to the reader who Jenny Sparks is that doesn't do an especially good job of making the reveal, as it were unless you're already familiar with the character.

Those things aside, however. the story seems like it's off to a good start with enough of a mystery to propel it to the next issue and a primary character just interesting enough to keep readers turning the page.

Published by DC Comics

On August 21, 2024

Written by Tom King

Art by Jeff Spokes

Colors by Jeff Spokes

Letters by Clayton Cowles

Cover by Jeff Spokes

Fan-favorite writer Jason Aaron recently stepped into the role of writer for IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the publisher promising a whole new era from arguably the biggest name to write the characters in recent memory. The approach so far has been a unique one, splitting the quartet up and sending them in their own directions, while promising that sinister forces are coming together to reunite the boys sooner than later. Speaking with ComicBook recently, Aaron broke down his approach, which he hopes will pay homage to the original Mirage Studios comics from the 1980s.

Those books, by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, were darker and more adult-oriented than most people usually think of the Turtles, who became a global sensation after being translated into a children's TV series. More important than that, they sketched out a really clear vision for the Turtles, which would make each of the four well-defined enough to make the jump to other media.

"Really, everything I feel like I'm doing on this book is about harkening back to the original Mirage Studios series, the Eastman and Laird series, where the Turtles first came from, which is a book that I picked up off the shelf when I was a kid and it resonated with me," Aaron explained. "This is the 40th anniversary of that original series, so it seemed like, if you want to do something that's a new #1 and a jumping-on point in an anniversary year, let's do something that harkens back to the feel and tone, and grit of that original series. So this book very much focuses in on just these four brothers. You see them at a very pivotal time in their life, where they're still the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but they're a little bit older, they've lived a lot of life in their teenage years. They are still teenagers, but there's a lot of difference between 19 and 15. I'm not telling you that they're one age or another, but in my mind, character wise, they're at that late teen point where they know who they are, they've been through a lot. They're very established personalities, btu they're also pulling in four different directions at this point, growing apart, and how do they deal with that? How do they come back to center to be the force for good that they need to be?"

With the four brothers now spread out around the world, Aaron told us that he hopes to strike a balance of making the characters totally familiar, but putting them in unfamiliar situations where the audience hasn't seen them before, and doesn't expect them.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arrives in comic shops monthly from IDW.

vThe conclusion of Venom War will give the new Venom host a new look. The new event series recently started, and has already thrown readers a major curveball in its opening issue as Spider-Man has reunited with the Venom symbiote. But at its core, Venom War is a battle between father and son, with Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock vying for the sole possession of the Venom moniker. Several heroes and villains like Spider-Man, Black Widow, Deadpool, Carnage, Agent Anti-Venom, Red Goblin, and more will take part in Venom War, and Marvel is teasing that whoever walks away from the event as Venom will have an updated costume.

Marvel released a teaser for November's Venom War #5, the final issue of the event by writer Al Ewing and artist Iban Coello. "The Victor of Venom War Emerges With an All-New Look!" the press release reads. "Al Ewing and Iban Coello's VENOM WAR concludes in November. The victor of the symbiote showdown will debut an all-new look. Keep an eye out this week for more details!"

The figure on the cover of Venom War #5 is blacked out, but they appear to have sharp claws on their hands with some type of cape or symbiote tendrils coming off its back or shoulder area. There's really not much to take away from the graphic, except that whoever is the new Venom will have some mass and muscle about them, sticking to the Venom theme of when Eddie Brock first bonded with the symbiote.

What is Marvel's Venom War about?

"LAST VENOM STANDING! The Venom Symbiote has bonded with both Eddie Brock and his son Dylan at different points. Now both Brocks are going head-to-head, determined to be the one, true Venom!" Marvel's description of Venom War reads. "Father versus son in a showdown of showdowns that threatens to tear the world asunder! From heavyweight talent champions Ewing and Coello comes a Battle for the 'Biote like you've never seen!"

"This is what we've been building to since the start of this wild and way-out symbiote odyssey - the fateful confrontation between father and son!" Venom writer Al Ewing explained. "Where better to have it than inside the squared circle? And who better to bring this all-action epic to the page with than my old buddy Iban Coello? I'm tellin' ya, goo believer -- this is vehemently varied Venom violence like never viewed, and only one host can wear the symbiote when the dust settles! Who's it gonna be?"

Stay tuned later this week for more information on Venom War.