Month: July 2023

Jeff Smith will collect his college paper comic strip ‘Thorn’

A Kickstarter campaign for the strips that serve as the precursor to ‘Bone’ will launch in October.

Prior to the release of Bone as a comic book — and it eventually becoming a worldwide phenomenon — Jeff Smith had a college comic strip called Thorn. It introduced several of the characters who would eventually evolve into the ones we know and love in the Bone series, including Thorn and Phone Bone. In fact, Smith would reference many of those early strips directly in the early issues of Bone.

Thorn has never been collected in its entirety, but that will change when Cartoon Books launches a Kickstarter later this year for Thorn: The Complete College Strips.

“Talking Jeff into this book wasn’t easy, but fans have been asking us for years,” said Cartoon Books Publisher Vijaya Iyer, Smith’s partner.

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Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘Hawkgirl,’ ‘Blade,’ ‘Big Game’ and more debut

Check out new comics and graphic novels arriving this week by Jadzia Axelrod, Amancay Nahuelpan, Bryan Hill, Elena Casagrande, David Pepose, Marcelo Ferreira, Scott Snyder, Liam Sharpe, Philippe Squarzoni 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.

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Marvel announces the death of Moon Knight

Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio pull the final curtain on Moon Knight — at least until Marvel decides to bring him back.

Following in the footsteps of Doctor Strange, Ms. Marvel and, well, just about every other character they have, Marvel has announced that Moon Knight will be the next character to die in their comics in a story by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio.

It’s hard not to be cynical about comic book deaths, particularly when it comes to Marvel. They not only mourned Ms. Marvel last week in the pages of Fall Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel, but turned around a few days later to announce her return. The X-Men and their resurrection protocols have pretty much ruined the impact of any comic book deaths these days, right?

And while I’m a big fan of MacKay’s work in general and on Moon Knight in particular, this story comes on the heels of a similar one featuring Doctor Strange. But still, big fan, so I’ll be curious to see how this one plays out and trust that the execution will be well handled (no pun intended … well, maybe a little).

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Smash Pages Q&A | Adam Cesare and David Stoll on ‘Dead Mall’

The two creators discuss their love for malls, their approach to ‘mall horror,’ the potential for a sequel and more.

Horror novelist Adam Cesare‘s signature novel has a title that contains the two scariest words in the English language, Clown in a Cornfield, so right from the get-go you know that he gets horror. He’s also been adding comics to his resume over the last few years, having worked on Power Rangers comics, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and more.

David Stoll, meanwhile, was the artist for Pantomime, a Mad Cave title with writer Christopher Sebela from a few years back. The story featured students at a school for the deaf who become thieves, and I still remember how clever the visuals were in communicating what was being said and heard by the deaf characters.

The two of them more recently united on Dead Mall, a four-issue miniseries from Dark Horse Comics. Along with letterer Justin Birch, they told a complete story that combined horror and mall culture. The story takes place in — and is narrated by — the Penn Mills Galleria, a former mall that’s about to be demolished when a group of kids decide to visit it one last time. Only they find it isn’t quite so empty.

The miniseries was recently collected into a trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics, and it’s available now in comic shops and bookstores everywhere. I spoke with Both Cesare and Stoll about the story, abandoned malls and more.

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Bunn + Hervás reunite for ‘Invasive’ from Oni Press

The medical horror miniseries will debut in December.

Cullen Bunn and Jesús Hervás, the creative team for The Empty Man: Manifestation, will team up again on Invasive, a new miniseries from Oni Press.

“Invasive is a thing of nightmare. For me, literally,” said Bunn. “The initial seed of the idea sprang from a terrifying nightmare that startled me awake in the dark. While developing the idea, I was beset by even more nightmares. And while writing it? You guessed it. Nightmares. It’s a book that worries and haunts me, and I think it represents a bit of a signpost in the road of my approach to horror in general. I believe that in the years to come, it will be thought of as one of my most disturbing stories.”

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Arcancia Studio will adapt one of Fellini’s final film scripts into a graphic novel

Jean-David Morvan and Ste Tirasso will adapt the script to the comic page next year.

French comics writer Jean-David Morvan and Italian artist Ste Tirasso will adapt Napoli-New York, a film manuscript by Italian director Federico Fellini, into a graphic novel for Arcancia Studio.

Napoli-New York hasn’t been made into a film (yet), but was one of the last works from Fellini. It was co-written by Opium Den writer Tullio Pinelli.

“During my life as a scriptwriter, I invented stories and universes, worked on biographies and adaptations, but there’s one thing I’ve never done before: adapt a manuscript meant for a movie into a graphic novel, especially from such a master,” Morvan said. “The story takes place in  two cities: New York City, which I know very well, and Naples, which I don’t know yet. I plan to take time to visit and really feel the spirit of the city, so that everything I learn can become part of my script.” 

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Snyder + Sherman return to ‘Dark Spaces’ for ‘Dungeon’

IDW will unleash the miniseries in October.

Scott Snyder will return to his Dark Spaces line at IDW for a new series he’ll write with artist Hayden Sherman rejoining him — Dark Spaces: Dungeon might be “the darkest story I’ve ever written,” the writer said.

Snyder and Sherman previously worked together on the first Dark Spaces title, Wildfire, which came out in 2022. Then earlier this year Dark Spaces: Good Deeds by writer Che Grayson and artist Kelsey Ramsay launched, which is currently on its second issue. Snyder intends for Dark Spaces to not only showcase his own work, but also the comics of up-and-coming talent. The titles are part of the IDW originals line, which is spearheaded by editor Mark Doyle.

“Getting to explore the worlds of Dark Spaces has been a career highlight without question, and doing so alongside my dear friend and trusted editor Mark Doyle just makes it all the better,” Snyder said. “The ability to forgo supernatural elements in favor of highlighting the true light and darkness of our reality has been able to take me back to basics in a truly exciting fashion. I’ll say this – if Dark Spaces: Wildfire was modeled after noir, then Dark Spaces: Dungeon is a stone-cold thriller. It might be the darkest story I’ve ever written, while at the same time some of the most fun it’s ever been developing a new series.”

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‘Covenant’ will debut in print from Oni Press next year

Look for the first volume in stores next April.

Covenant, the popular Webtoon comic by LySandra Vuong, will come to print next year courtesy of Oni Press.

The webcomic has topped 21 million views on the site, and features a Catholic exorcist who has lost his faith and must protect a “seemingly normal” human from rising demonic forces.

“Covenant combines classic shounen manga tropes with fantasy Catholicism to tell an action-packed story in which angels talk to us and demons walk among us,” said Vuong. “Covenant is an unconventional comic. It’s supernatural, a little blasphemous, a little sexy and unapologetically queer.”

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‘Abbott: 1979’ wraps up the trilogy by Ahmed + Kivelä

Elena Abbott’s battle against the forces of darkness in 1970s Detroit will continue in October.

Writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Sami Kivelä will wrap up their Abbott trilogy this fall with Abbott: 1979, which will arrive in stores from BOOM! Studios in October.

The story started back in 2018 with Abbott, which was followed in 2021 with Abbott: 1973, which jumped ahead a year. This new series will jump six years into the future, as reporter Elena Abbott continues to defend Detroit against the forces of darkness, both real and supernatural.

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring you the next (and final!) chapter in the saga of hard-nosed reporter Elena Abbott, sorcerous savior of the city of Detroit,” said Ahmed. “Abbott: 1973 left Elena in a grim place, and things have only gotten worse since — for her and her beloved city. Now Detroit itself is being consumed — eaten alive by the Umbra. And it will take all Elena’s got to keep her own spark from being snuffed out. From the beginning I’ve imagined Abbott as a three-act story, and I’m positively thrilled to team with the awe-inspiring Sami to bring this story to its epic conclusion.” 

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Tynion + Simmonds resurrect ‘Dracula’ at Skybound

The Universal Monsters version comes to comics in October.

Count Dracula returns to comics as part of a partnership between Skybound and Universal Products & Experiences, which manages the Universal Monsters license. James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds will bring Dracula, R.M. Renfield, Mina Seward, Doctor John Seward, Van Helsing and more to the comics page in the four-issue Universal Monsters: Dracula miniseries.

“A few times in my life I’ve had the pleasure of writing about one of the great pop culture icons, but there is something singular about Dracula that made this opportunity too good to pass up,” Tynion said. “The challenge in front of Martin and I is to take the bloody heart of the Universal Pictures classic and find a bold new way to bring the character to life. It’s been one of the most exciting creative challenges of my life, and I am phenomenally excited for you to see the horrors we have in store for you.” 

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Bunn + Hurtt + Crabtree reunite for ‘The Midnite Show’

The miniseries from the team behind ‘The Sixth Gun’ features silver screen monsters coming to life at a film festival.

The The Sixth Gun team of Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree are reuniting — not only on more The Sixth Gun, but on a new horror miniseries from Dark Horse titled The Midnite Show.

Letterer Jim Campbell will join them for the story of a cursed movie that was never finished, but when found footage pops up at a festival, so do real-life versions of the silver screen monsters.

“I’ve been calling this book ‘popcorn horror.’ It’s a book that’s full of chills and thrills. Our heroes are in terrible danger,” said Bunn. “The monsters they are facing are terrifying. But this story is also a lot of fun! A horror romp with action, humor, heart and a lot of bloodshed. These monsters mean bloody business!”

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Mad Cave teams with Tatsunoko Production for ‘Gatchaman’ comics

The anime that inspired ‘Battle of the Planets’ will return to comics in the U.S. next year.

Mad Cave Studios and Tatsunoko Production have announced that Mad Cave will bring Gatchaman back to the United States for a new Gatchaman series.

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, or just Gatchaman for short, is a popular Japanese anime that first debuted in the early 1970s and was created by Tatsuo Yoshida. Those of a certain generation may remember Battle of the Planets, the American adaptation that was syndicated in the late 1970s and featured the same team, dubbed G-Force.

“Gatchaman has entertained and influenced fans around the world for over 50 years, and it could not be a better time to introduce their futuristic world to a new generation of readers,” said Kaz Haruna, Tatsunoko Production director of international business. “Tatsunoko is absolutely excited to work with the team at Mad Cave Studios.”

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