Can’t Wait for Comics | Welcome to the Hellfire Gala … hope you survive the experience

This week’s look at new comics includes ‘Knight Terrors,’ Godzilla, new BRZRKR, Black Label Superman, a new Scrooge McDuck graphic novel and more.

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.

X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 (Marvel, $8.99): It’s the event of the year as those hedonistic mutants out in the South Pacific throw a party and invite all their friends (and probably some enemies). This year’s soiree will serve as the kick-off for the crossover event Fall of X, and the solicits promise “shocking revelations, stunning betrayals, horrifying tragedy, impossible deaths,” so don’t expect everyone to have a good time at the bash.

Knight Terrors #2 (DC, $3.99): The second issue of Knight Terrors has Deadman, Batman and now Wesley Dodds facing the Sleepless Knights, the army of the main villain Insomnia.

Knight Terrors tie-in miniseries (DC, $3.99-4.99): The crossover miniseries continue this week as Knight Terrors infect the sleep of the Titans, Power Girl and the Super-Twins, Harley Quinn, Angel Breaker and Jim Gordon.

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 (DC, $6.99): Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch, who previously worked together on JLA: Heaven’s Ladder, reunite for this Black Label miniseries about Superman trying to find a cure for a dying Lex Luthor.

Alice Never After #1 (BOOM!, $4.99): Dan Panosian and Giorgio Spalleta once again head through the looking glass to Wonderland in this sequel to their 2022 miniseries Alice Ever After.

What If? Dark: Spider-Gwen (Marvel, $4.99): Gerry Conway, who told the original story about Gwen Stacy’s death, teams with Jody Houser and artist Ramon Bachs for this new What If? version that finds Spider-Man dying instead of Gwen.

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors Summer Smash (IDW, $6.99): Erik Burham and Dan Schoening return to the Monsters & Protectors team they first assembled for a new one-shot centered on summer vacation, an alien invasion and the search for Godzilla.

Purr Evil #1 (Image, $3.99): Sweet Paprika creator Mirka Andolfo teams with Harley Quinn artist Laura Braga to tell a story of mothers, daughters and evil purple kitties.

BRZRKR: Poetry of Madness (BOOM!, $9.99): Keanu Reeves teams with artist Steve Skroce (who worked on all of The Matrix films) for this new one-shot that delves into B’s past as the protector of the ancient realm of Atlantis.

She-Hulk #15 (Marvel, $3.99): The current She-Hulk series wraps up with this issue, but don’t fret –Jen and friends will return in Sensational She-Hulk in October. This issue will resolve She-Hulk’s confrontation/flirt-fest with Scoundrel, as well as feature the Punch Club battling an alien horde.

The Ribbon Queen #1 (AWA, $3.99): Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows and Guillermo Ortego unleash a new horror on the world in this miniseries, where the murdered victim of a group of corrupt cops summons “a force of vengeance older than the human race itself” to find and destroy her killers.

Jacin and the Olympians (Band of Bards, $9.99): Shane Berryhill, Alex Ogle and Mattia Monaco present a science fiction story that draws from Greek myth. Following the death of the Greek gods at the hands of the Titans, Jacin Mukai and a group of genetically engineered demigoddesses use “divine technology to protect the remnants of humanity aboard the Starship Olympia as they quest to find the legendary Colossi.”

Stars in their Eyes (Graphix, $15.99): Jessica Walton and Aska present the story of Maisie, who falls for convention volunteer Ollie on a trip to Fancon. It’s love, Comic-Con style!

Scrooge McDuck: The Dragon of Glasgow (Fantagraphics, $19.99): While most of Fantagraphics’ Disney projects have been reprints, this is a new graphic novel set in the world of Don Rosa’s Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck featuring a young Scrooge working in the coal mines of Scotland. It’s by Joris Chamberlain and Fabrizio Petrossi.

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