Can’t Wait for Wednesday | The Dynamic Duo is back in action

Check out comics and graphic novels arriving this week by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Bryan Hill, Nico Leon, Mariko Tamaki, Mike Mignola, Kyle Baker, Marguerite Bennett and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights for this week below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So check with your retailer to see what’s arriving at their shop this week.

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Hell for the holidays: Dark Horse announces ‘Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors’ for December

Mike Mignola and Márk László reunite for a two-issue series that sends Hellboy to the Devil’s funeral.

Dark Horse Comics has announced Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors, a new two-issue series by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist Márk László, with colors by Dave Stewart and letters by Clem Robins. The series launches in December and immediately follows Hellboy in Hell: Nothing But Blood, which kicks off in October.

The series reunites Mignola with László, who previously worked with the creator on Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: Time is a River.

“I hadn’t planned to return to Hellboy’s HELL — I certainly didn’t think I’d ever let anyone else in there. But I love Márk’s work, and when we met he said he wanted to do a story set there. Well, how could I say no?” Mignola said. “Fortunately, there were a couple big holes between the chapters I’d drawn and I thought Márk would have fun with those two dead soldiers we meet in ‘The Three Gold Whips’ — and he did! I only gave him a rough outline for a story, and he took it from there. And as things took shape, we found a place to introduce a bit more of the history of the place. Every time I think we are done with this thing it seems we find there are just a few more bits and pieces to explore, which I guess is a good thing.”

Continue reading “Hell for the holidays: Dark Horse announces ‘Hellboy in Hell: Parade of Horrors’ for December”

Magik leads a mystical X-team in Marvel’s ‘X-Orcists’

Ashley Allen and Germán Peralta reunite for a five-issue miniseries that pits Magik, Juggernaut and Madelyne Pryor against a demonic invasion.

Ashley Allen and Germán Peralta, the creative team behind Magik and Magik & Colossus, will assemble a team led by Magik to battle a demonic invasion from Limbo this November in X-Orcists.

The five-issue miniseries sees Illyana Rasputin join forces with Juggernaut, Madelyne Pryor and others to stop a demon “unlike anything they’ve ever seen before” in the five-issue miniseries. This marks the third series by the creative team focused on the mystical mutant.

“Round three, baby!” Allen said. “In all seriousness, I’m incredibly grateful to continue this journey with Germán and the rest of the Magik team, telling the story of a character so close to my and fans’ hearts. Magik and Madelyne are both women who have been told what their paths should be, only to choose their own destinies. Exploring this has been such a powerful and rewarding experience and I’m excited for fans to see these two characters reclaim their power, evolve from their pasts, and discover what it means to truly wield themselves.”

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Exclusive | Meet the Toxic Avenger’s worst nightmare on the cover of ‘The Toxic Avenger vs. The Noxious Offender’ #2

Matt Bors’ cover for the second chapter of AHOY Comics and Troma Entertainment’s five-part showdown arrives ahead of its October debut.

The Toxic Avenger is about to meet his match in The Toxic Avenger vs. The Noxious Offender, and we’re happy to offer an exclusive first look at Matt Bors’ cover for the second issue.

The five-part series from AHOY Comics reunites Bors and artist Felipe Sobreiro for a showdown between Troma Entertainment’s favorite mutant hero and his murderous, multiversal doppelganger.

The Noxious Offender made his movie debut in Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, but Toxie vs. Noxie marks the character’s first appearance in a comic book series. As Toxie deals with his increasingly complicated personal life and the forthcoming birth of his mutant baby, the arrival of his long-absent father forces Toxie to confront some of his own complicated family history. Meanwhile, Noxie takes over Tromaville and gives its residents permission to indulge in their darkest impulses.

Check out the cover:

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Mark Tatulli wins the Reuben Award

Stan Sakai, Liniers and more were presented with NCS Divisional Awards during the National Cartoonists Society’s annual awards program.

In a ceremony held last night, The National Cartoonists Society named Mark Tatulli, creator of the comic strips Lio and Heart of the City, as ‘Cartoonist of the Year” and presented him with the Reuben Award.

The National Cartoonists Society also announced the winners of their annual NCS Divisional awards, which recognize creators of comic strips, illustrations, comic books and more. Nominees were announced back in April, with winners were selected through a vote open to all NCS members. This is the 80th year for the awards program.

On the comics front, Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai won in the comic book category, while Sunder creator Pierre-Alexandre Comtois won in the graphic novel category.

You can see the complete list of winners below.

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Smash Pages Q&A | Matthew Dow Smith on ‘Amelia Shadows’ + ‘The October Girl’

The writer and artist talks about his newest book, ‘Amelia Shadows and the Monster in the Box,’ giving his editors nightmares with his creative process, and more.

Over the course of 30 years, Matthew Dow Smith has built a career that has taken him everywhere from Hellboy and The X-Files to DC and Marvel. But in recent years, the writer and artist has been able to work, as he says, “with the training wheels off,” embracing middle-grade and young adult graphic novels that better reflect the kinds of stories he’s always wanted to tell.

That creative shift has resulted in two growing fantasy series arriving just months apart. Amelia Shadows and the Monster in the Box debuted this week from Papercutz, continuing the adventures of the curious young heroine. Meanwhile, The October Girl Book Three arrives from Mad Cave’s Maverick imprint (in October, naturally), which expands the mythology of the supernatural world Smith has been developing for decades. I caught up with him to discuss both series, how all-ages comics unlocked a new level of creativity for him and how finding the right audience has transformed his career.

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Quick Hits | Diamond bankruptcy: Publishers to recover consigned comics after settlement

Plus: News on Dan Boultwood, the 2026 Small Press Expo, San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum, a Marvel Compact Comics line and more.

Legal | After months of stalemate, resolution came this week in the case of Diamond’s trustee Morgan W. Fisher and a group of publishers concerning consigned goods being held by Diamond and Sparkle Pop. The settlement will allow BOOM!, Dynamite, Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly and other publishers to recover their inventory from the Sparkle Pop-controlled warehouse, in exchange for waiving roughly $600,000 in claims. It also resolves a side dispute over money Sparkle Pop collected from unauthorized inventory sales during the fight.

The legal battle followed in the wake of Universal Distribution and Ad Populum’s purchase of several Diamond assets, including the comics distribution business, after Diamond declared bankruptcy. Graphic Policy has more.

Creators | Comic creator Dan Boultwood, who worked on Chu, It Came!, Baker Street Irregulars and more, was sentenced in London after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child. Boultwood was sentenced to to three years’ imprisonment, which will be suspended for two years, as well as to rehabilitation activity, community service and sex-offender notification requirements in the United Kingdom. The offenses occurred in 2010 when Boultwood was 29 and the victim was 15; the case reached court after the victim reported it to police in 2023 and Boultwood was arrested in 2025.

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‘M.A.S.K.’ #3 delivers a surprise for the Energon Universe

Skybound and Hasbro expand the shared universe with a new arrival from classic toy history.

Spoiler warning: The following story discusses a major reveal from M.A.S.K. #3.

The Energon Universe just added another piece to its growing puzzle.

M.A.S.K. #3, which arrived in stores yesterday, introduced a major character from another classic Hasbro property into the shared universe.

BE WARNED: SPOILERS AHEAD

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Picture + Panel | Damian Alexander + Alex Krokus on expressing grief in their comics

The two cartoonists reflect on grief, memory and how personal stories can help readers feel a little less alone.

Grief, loss and the ways we carry them are deeply personal, but they’re also themes that have inspired some of comics’ most powerful stories. For its latest Picture + Panel discussion, the Boston Comic Arts Foundation brought together cartoonists Alex Krokus and Damian Alexander for a conversation about processing death and grief through their work, drawing on both their creative approaches and deeply personal experiences.

Damian Alexander is a cartoonist and storyteller who grew up around Boston. He created the graphic novels Hand-Me-Down, Other Boys and Absolutely Everything. When Damian isn’t doodling or making comics, he can be found rearranging his dollhouse and caring for his terrariums. Damian lives in New England with his husband and their cat and dog.

Alex Krokus is a cartoonist and animator based out of Brooklyn, New York. His work has been published by VICE, Buzzfeed, the New York Times, Comedy Central, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Food and Drug Administration. The latest volume of his webcomic series, Loud & Smart, was published by Silver Sprocket in a volume titled Loudest & Smartest.

Our thanks as always to Gina Gagliano and Jason Viola, who organize the monthly series in Boston and brought this Q&A series to Smash Pages.

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Slugfest | Baby Darkseid? DC’s October solicits reveal the villain’s untold past

Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Sanford Greene and Yasmine Putri revisit the origins of the DC Universe’s greatest villain in October. Plus: new Batman, Superman and Justice League specials.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition focuses on DC’s October titles. Hit the links for more info.

DC’s October solicitations came out during the Sam Diego Comic-Con, and I’ve been negligent and in doing this monthly round-up of the new stuff and highlights they contain. So, forgive me — I blame the con! And actually you’d think that after SDCC and all the news DC dropped that there wouldn’t be much to talk about, but don’t worry — there’s plenty, beyond even the stuff I already covered, like the new Demon and Jonah Hex titles.

Let’s start with one that was mentioned at SDCC, but the solicits give us a bit more info on it …

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With ‘Teen Titans: Together’ wrapped, Kami Garcia + Gabriel Picolo look to the future with a book tour, more graphic novels

Fans of the Young Adult graphic novel series will be happy to learn the team will next focus on a new series with Kid Flash and Blue Beetle.

Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo’s Teen Titans: Together arrives in stores today, wrapping up the Young Adult graphic novel series that started about eight years ago — back when DC was using the DC Zoom and DC Ink imprints for their graphic novels aimed at younger readers. In each volume, Garcia and Picolo slowly reintroduced each member of the Teen Titans, from Raven to Beast Boy to Raven AND Beast Boy, then Robin and Starfire, with the final volume bringing everyone together.

“This series changed my life,” said Picolo. “We’ve shared so many unforgettable moments with fans around the world, and we’re excited to celebrate this final chapter together. I see these characters as my friends. The more I draw them, the more fun it gets. Some of my favorite moments came from drawing these characters the same way I’d draw my own friends just hanging out, and Kami and I are always blown away when fans show up in cosplay inspired by those everyday looks from the books.”

The series out-survived its imprint, proving to be mega-popular and critically acclaimed.

“Teen Titans has been one of the most rewarding creative journeys of our careers,” said Garcia. “We’ve loved telling stories with these characters and watching readers connect with Raven, Beast Boy and the rest of the Titans over the years. We grew alongside these characters, and these characters grew alongside the readers who embraced them from the very beginning.”

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Can’t Wait for Wednesday | Iman Vellani + Marianna Ignazzi + Jordie Bellaire team for ‘Chachu’

Batman gets a gift from Alfred, Mary Jane Watson celebrates her 60th, Skeletor gets an origin story and DC K.O. gets collected in this week’s new comics. Plus: Piemageddon!

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights for this week below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So check with your retailer to see what’s arriving at their shop this week.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Wednesday | Iman Vellani + Marianna Ignazzi + Jordie Bellaire team for ‘Chachu’”