Month: December 2022

John Byrne helps Tom Batiuk wrap up the final week of ‘Funky Winkerbean’

The 50-year-old strip ends its run with a look into the future.

Tom Batiuk ended 50 years of Funky Winkerbean today with a strip guest-drawn by former Superman and Fantastic Four writer/artist John Byrne.

Byrne, who not only has drawn the strip before but has also appeared as a character in it, actually drew the past five strips, as Batiuk wrapped up his story with another of his patented time jumps. This time he jumped to a future where a robot bookstore keeper sold two books to the granddaughter of “Nanna Summer” — Westview, by Summer Moore, and Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe, written by Les Moore.

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Inferno and Fly Girl return in ‘Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics’ #310

Check out an exclusive preview of two new stories coming in next week’s digest from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of our friends at Archie Comics, we’re pleased to present one more preview before the year ends — for Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #310, which comes out Jan. 4.

Today we have previews of two new stories that will be in next week’s (next month’s? next year’s) digest, featuring the return of two Mighty Crusaders characters we’ve seen recently — Fly Girl and Inferno. In the first story by Ian Flynn and Ryan Jampole, Fly Girl, aka Kelly Brand, hangs out with Betty and helps her come up with a new superhero name for herself — something besides “SuperTeen.” The second story features Inferno, Veronica and evil clowns. It’s by Flynn and Bill Galvan.

Check out the preview below, as well as a classic winter story featuring Archie, Betty and Veronica.

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Anders + Balám team for ‘New Mutants Lethal Legion’

The story of Escapade continues in miniseries featuring a new team calling itself the Lethal Legion.

Writer Charlie Jane Anders will team with artist Enid Balám to continue the story of Escapade and the New Mutants in New Mutants Lethal Legion, a new five-issue miniseries coming next year.

The story follows the recent New Mutants arc Anders wrote that teamed the trans superhero with some of Krakoa’s finest. Escapade was introduced earlier this year in Marvel Voices: Pride #1.

“I had so much fun writing a few issues of New Mutants, I didn’t want to get off this ride. So I was overjoyed when Marvel asked me to do a whole New Mutants miniseries of my very own, where I can stretch out and explore these characters in more depth,” Anders told Out.com. “After the dark, scary storyline in ‘The Sublime Saga,’ I was eager to change gears and do something funnier and lighter, and it’s been a total blast getting to play around in the Marvel Universe.”

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Young + Ramos’ Strange Academy story will wrap up with ‘Strange Academy: Finals’ #6

The creators set out to tell a 24-issue story, with the final issue arriving in April.

In an interview on Marvel.com and in his Substack newsletter, Strange Academy writer Skottie Young has revealed that the story he and Humberto Ramos set out to tell will come to an end with issue #6 of Strange Academy: Finals.

“We made it to the end,” Young told Marvel.com. “We planned this as a 24-issue story with a very specific set of goals in mind and we’ve made it!”

The first series, Strange Academy, launched in March of 2020 and ran for 18 issues, until this past summer. It introduced the titular institution, a school for young magicians started by Doctor Strange and featuring mystical instructors from around the Marvel universe, including Magik, Agatha Harkness and the Scarlet Witch. Bu the real focus was on the students, a set of new characters created by Young and Ramos. It returned in the Mighty Marvel fashion with a new title and a new first issue in October as Strange Academy: Finals.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | Closing out 2022

See what new comics and graphic novels arrive in stores during the last week of 2022.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital. It’s the final week of 2022 and may be a lighter week than usual, but there’s still a lot to look forward to.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights 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 always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

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Lemire + Walta walk the ‘Phantom Road’

The creators of ‘Sentient’ reunite for a new series coming next year from Image Comics.

Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta will hit the road again for Phantom Road, a “grindhouse horror/fantasy mashup” ongoing series that kicks off in March.

“As soon as I first worked with Gabriel on Sentient I knew he was a collaborator I needed to do more with,” Lemire said. “We began talking about a big creator-owned series at Image. Something massive in scope like all the books we loved when we were getting into comics. Something with the scope of Preacher and Sandman and Walking Dead. We began putting ideas together and Phantom Road is the result. A sprawling mash-up of sci-fi, horror and character driven road movie. We can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

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Can’t Wait for Comics | The ‘Dead Seas’ rise

Check out what new comics and graphic novels arrive in stores this week.

Happy holidays and welcome to Can’t Wait for Comics, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

I’ve pulled out some of the highlights 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 always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | The ‘Dead Seas’ rise”

Usagi + Ninja Turtles meet again in ‘WhereWhen’

Stan Sakai will write and draw a new miniseries bringing the old friends together.

Earlier this year Dark Horse Comics announced that Stan Sakai and Usagi Yojimbo would return to the publisher as part of the Dogu Publishing imprint after spending a few years at IDW, but it looks like Sakai’s time at IDW isn’t quite up. IDW announced today that Sakai is writing and drawing a team-up between the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Usagi Yojimbo, titled WhereWhen.

“I am so pleased with the story and art for WhereWhen,” Sakai said. “There is a lot of emotion and, of course, lots of action. I actually wrote this story about five years ago and had been anxious to get to it. In the past, the Turtles have met just a few of Usagi’s friends. This time, everyone is thrown in—Gen, Tomoe, Jotaro, Yukichi, Kitsune, Chizu, and more! This one is epic!”

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Kindt + Jenkins cough up a ‘Hairball’ at Dark Horse

Apologies for the headline; it had to be done.

Writer Matt Kindt will team again with artist Tyler Jenkins and colorist Hilary Jenkins for Hairball, a new horror drama centered on a family’s cat, Bestie.

The new miniseries will fall under Kindt’s Flux House imprint, which was announced earlier this year.

“I’ve written stories of international intrigue and locked room murder mysteries, but in 20 years of making comics, I’ve rarely been compelled to create a horror story,” Kindt said. “And for good reason. I was actually sick to my stomach when I finished writing the end of issue 1. I grossed myself out. I knew that I’d need someone fearless to draw it. (There was no way I was going to.) I knew that Tyler was the perfect artist and co-creator for the story. And when Tyler and Hilary started sending his pages in, it was just as horrible as I’d imagined —in the very best way.”

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Liefeld returns to Marvel for ‘Deadpool: Badder Blood’

The sequel to ‘Bad Blood” continues the tale of Deadpool and new villain Thumper.

What’s badder than Bad Blood? How about Badder Blood? Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld will return to one of his signature characters for a new five-issue sequel to the graphic novel Deadpool: Bad Blood.

That graphic novel introduced a new nemesis for Wade Wilson, the mysterious Thumper. Liefeld will continue to build out Thumper’s story in Deadpool: Badder Blood.

“Deadpool really doesn’t have a Rogues Gallery of his own. He mostly tangles with other heroes’ villains, so I dedicated the entirety of Bad Blood to building up the story of Thumper,” Liefeld told The Hollywood Reporter. “With Badder Blood, Thumper is making moves across the gangs and crime organizations of the Marvel Universe to squeeze Deadpool and deliver him into his clutches. Thumper is also moving to destroy all the scientists behind the Weapon X program and specifically the program that created him. It’s a romp that continues to build out a Rogues Gallery for Deadpool.”

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Reggie faces Mr. Justice in ‘Archie Jumbo Comics Digest’ #336

Check out an exclusive preview of a new story by Ian Flynn and Steven Butler coming in next week’s digest.

Courtesy of our friends at Archie Comics, we’re pleased to present a preview of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #336, which arrives in stores Dec. 21.

Our preview today is for the second of two new stories appearing in the digest — “Justice Isn’t Blind” by Ian Flynn, Steven Butler and Rich Koslowski, which features the return of Mr. Justice. Once Prince James of England, the ghostly Mr. Justice was a trapped spirit who was released in 1940 and went on to fight evil, including Satan. His first appearance was in Blue Ribbon Comics #9 in a story by writer Joe Blair and artist Sam Cooper.

Check out the preview below, as well as a classic crime story featuring Archie.

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IDW reincarnates ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ cartoon as a comic book miniseries

David M. Booher, Sam Maggs and George Kambadais will revive the 1980s animated series.

Hank, Diana, Bobby, Uni and the rest of the party from the 1983 Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon will return in Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures from IDW next year.

The four-issue miniseries by David M. Booher, Sam Maggs and George Kambadais celebrates the 40th anniversary of the animated program, which ran for three seasons from 1983-1985. In it, six regular kids were transported into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, where they fought Venger and his evil forces, received guidance from the mysterious Dungeon Master and tried to find a way back home.

“As a lifelong D&D fan, it is an absolute dream to get to work reviving a childhood classic,” Maggs said. “It’s been such a blast working with IDW and the fine folks at Wizards of the Coast to home in on what made the Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon such a cult favorite. Setting these characters up for a whole new run of stories has truly been a career highlight, and I hope fans will love seeing Uni (well…all our cool kids, but especially Uni) back in action as much as I do!”

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