Month: July 2023

Ms. Marvel will return as a mutant in a new miniseries

‘Ms. Marvel’ actress Iman Vellani will co-write the series with Sabir Pirzada, with art by Carlos Gómez and Adam Gorham.

As I think we all had already guessed, the recently deceased Ms. Marvel will return to comics in August, thanks to the resurrection protocols used in Marvel’s X-Men comics — meaning yes, she’s a mutant.

The four-issue Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant miniseries will be co-written by actress Iman Vellani and Dark Web: Ms. Marvel writer Sabir Pirzada. Vellani plays Ms. Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’re joined by artists Carlos Gomez and Adam Gorham.

“This was way scarier than joining the MCU for me,” Vellani told Entertainment Weekly. “Those projects feel like they live in their own dimension, so I guess I can separate myself easier. But you can hold a comic book! I’ve never written anything before in my entire life, but I have read many comics, so I just wrote what I would want to read. I was given a very professional tool to write what is essentially my own fan fiction.”

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Ethan Sacks teams with his daughter to write Syzygy’s ‘Haunted Girl’

Ethan and Naomi Sacks will work with artist Marco Lorenzana on the paranormal thriller.

Syzygy, the comics imprint started by Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood back in 2021, have announced Haunted Girl, a four-issue miniseries written by Ethan and Naomi Sacks and drawn by Incredible Hulk artist Marco Lorenzana.

Described as a paranormal thriller, the inspirational story will also detail a teenage girl’s struggles with anxiety and depression, which is something Ethan and his daughter Naomi also experienced.

“Four years ago, while my daughter was hospitalized, I came up with the idea of a story about a girl who’s battling depression and finds out she’s the sole hope to save the world,” said Ethan Sacks.“That she would find a way to endure and to save everyone she loves. It was meant to be uplifting and cathartic. Now four years later, my daughter is in a place where she could help write that story. To inspire others going through similar struggles. As a father, I’m proud.  As a comic book writer, I’m inspired. As a human being, I’m moved.”

The first issue features a cover by Joe Quesada:

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Three new titles written by Curt Pires will debut on Comixology next week

‘Money,’ ‘Simulation. Theory’ and a second season of ‘Lost Falls’ will arrive next Tuesday.

Curt Pires’ relationship with Comixology Originals will continue to bear fruit next week, as the prolific writer has three new titles that will debut on the digital comics platform on July 18.

Pires’ run with Comixology started back in 2020 with the release of Youth, which has since been collected by Dark Horse and is being developed by Amazon for their streaming service. Since then we’ve seen a second season of Youth, as well as three other series — Memoria, New American and Lost Falls. That third one’s second season debuts next week, along with two new comics:

  • Money, a “white-knuckle conspiracy thriller that follows five powerful families.” Money is illustrated by Luca Casalanguida, with colors by Mark Dale and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
  • Simulation. Theory, a “sci-fi thrill ride into a simulated reality where one can live a new life.” Simulation. Theory is illustrated by Darryl Knickrehm, with colors by Mark Dale and lettering by Micah Myers.
  • Lost Falls Season 2, which features art by Pierluigi Minotti, colors by Emilio Lecce and lettering by Micah Myers. The “mind-bending season of the socially minded mystery thriller” follows the recent release of Dark Horse’s print publication of Lost Falls Volume 1.

“I’m excited to be debuting Money, Simulation Theory and Lost Falls S2 with my world class collaborators on these projects and my friends at Comixology,” said Pires. “These books run the gamut subject and genre-wise and tackle some of the most prescient topics of the day. I think there’s something for everyone in these three books and am delighted by the accessibility that Kindle Unlimited and Comixology Unlimited provide in making them widely available.” 

Here’s a look at Money:

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Kickstarter’s comics projects have increased by 14% this year

The crowdfunding platform shares some of their data for the first half of 2023, as comics projects continue to flourish on the site.

Crowdfunding continues to serve as a viable method for creators to fund their creative endeavors, as comic-related projects flourish on sites like Kickstarter. Even with the rough economic environment we’ve seen over the last six months, with rate hikes, inflation and layoffs, comics-related projects on Kickstarter have remained resilient — and have even grown compared to last year.

With Comic-Con on the horizon and the first half of the year complete, Kickstarter shared some of their recent data with us.

In the first half of the year:

  • Comic projects on the platform grew by 14% when compared to the first half of 2022. Comic projects in the first half of 2022 numbered 1,457 and increased to 1,666 in the first half of 2023.
  • Dollars pledged to comics campaigns also increased, from $14.4 million in 2022 to $17.6 million in 2023.
  • While the number of overall projects increased, so did the number of successful projects. 1,171 comics projects, or 78.1%, successfully met their funding goal this year. This is a 13.5% increase compared to the same time last year. 
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Flash Gordon will soar again at Mad Cave

The publisher plans both new and reprint titles, which will kick off next year.

Mad Cave Studios and King Features have announced plans for Mad Cave to publish new Flash Gordon comics, along with reprints of older material and graphic novels.

In addition Papercutz, the middle-grade imprint owned by Mad Cave, will publish new Flash Gordon comics aimed at that younger audience.

“As one of the first action heroes Flash Gordon has always been powerhouse in the comics universe,’ said Christina Nix Lynch, King Features’ licensing director. “We’re delighted to have a partner like Mad Cave Studios on board who are true Flash fans as well as publishing experts. This program will bring a long-awaited, regular stream of new and legacy content to generations of readers.”

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Top Cow opens ‘Destiny Gate’ in October

Ryan Cady, Christian DiBari and Simon Gough bring the upcoming video game to comics.

Top Cow is teaming once again with video game designers EP1T0ME Studios to co-produce and to publish Destiny Gate, a “noir thriller” comic.

This will be the fourth title the two companies have collaborated on, following St. Mercy, The Clay People: Colossus, and Revolvers. This one is based on a video game concept by Paul Limon, which EP1T0ME plans to make in the future.

“I told Paul, an ex-Blizzard artist, that his Destiny Gate game pitch was one of the best I’d ever read;” said Richard Leibowitz, President at EP1T0ME. “We’re happy to work with Paul and Top Cow to make the comic and look forward to making the game next.”

Writer Ryan Cady, whose Haunt You to the End debuted a few weeks ago, will work with illustrator Christian DiBari, who drew The Clay People: Colossus, and colorist Simon Gough.

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A killer doll runs wild and Betty gets a superhero upgrade in this preview of ‘World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest’ #27

The Boy Buddies and Mr. Justice return to Riverdale in two new stories appearing in next week’s digest from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to present a preview of two new stories from World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #27, which comes out July 19.

This week we start with an homage to the already classic killer-doll-run-wild movie M3GAN, as the Little Archies call in the Boy Buddies to help them stop M1N3RVA 2.0, a doll Little Dilton brought to life with an AI upgrade. This one is by Ron Robbins, Steven Butler, Bob Smith, Glenn Whitmore and Jack Morelli.

Then, in the second story, Mr. Justice is back in Riverdale looking for another sidekick — I guess things didn’t go so well with Moose — and this time he has his sights set on Superteen, aka Betty Cooper. Ian Flynn, Bill Golliher and Jim Amash team with Whitmore and Morelli on this one.

Check out both stories below, along with a complete classic Veronica story by Jamie L. Rotante and Dan Parent.

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Street Noise announces two new titles for fall 2023

New projects from Joseph Kai and Karina Shor will arrive from the nonfiction graphic novel publisher later this year.

Activist nonfiction graphic novel publisher Street Noise has announced two new graphic novels it will release this fall: Restless, by Joseph Kai, and Silence, Full Stop, by Karina Shor.

“I’m blown away by the two books we have coming to you in the fall of 2023. Each of these books is breathtaking and transporting in its artwork, and both Joseph Kai and Karina Shor have the power to take us outside ourselves and broaden our understanding of the struggles and trauma of the life of another,” said Liz Frances, Street Noise publisher and founder in a statement. “These graphic novels are clear examples of the transformative nature of the art of comics.”

Street Noise Books is a fairly new publisher but already has an impressive list of books under their name, by creators like Hayley Gold, Tracy White, Gabriel Ebensperger, Elizabeth A. Trembley, Woodrow Phoenix and more. You can check out their backlist here.

Here are more details on both graphic novels:

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Nominees announced for the 2023 Ringo Awards

The awards will be presented during the Baltimore Comic-Con on Sept. 9.

The nominees for the 2023 Ringo Awards have been announced, marking the seventh year for the awards program named for artist Mike Wieringo, who passed away in 2007.

Nominees were chosen by fans, along with a panel of judges. The awards presentation will take place at The Baltimore Comic-Con on Sept. 9.

And this year’s nominees are …

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There’s another new Carnage series coming later this year

‘Carnage’ by Torunn Grønbekk and Pere Pérez will arrive in November.

It looks like Marvel’s “Summer of Symbiotes” will extend into the fall, as the publisher has announced a new Carnage series will debut later this year. The announcement comes the same week that Web of Carnage debuted in shops, so if you like Carnage, well, this is your best week ever.

The new title comes from writer Torunn Grønbekk and artist Pere Pérez who set out “to reunite the bloodthirsty symbiote with its equally ruthless host.” Currently Cletus Kasady is split from the Carnage symbiote, but it sounds like that could be changing.

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‘I basically wanted to make the greatest Toonami show that never existed’: Kennedy + Formisano bring the supernatural to life in ‘Nights’

The ongoing series will arrive from Image Comics in October.

Wyatt Kennedy, writer of the Image series Bolero, will team with artist Luigi Formisano for a new series featuring vampires, alternate history and Florida.

Nights, a new ongoing series, will debut from Image Comics this fall.

“I basically wanted to make the greatest Toonami show that never existed,” Kennedy said. “There’s so many bizarre genre-bending elements with horror, comedy, action and romance, but the characters are the true heart of this story. Expect an episodic start to the ‘season’ as it were, but we’re ramping up to tell an incredible near apocalyptic event love story.”

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Winter Soldier forms a new Thunderbolts team in December

Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Geraldo Borges plot a new course for Bucky Barnes, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and more.

Marvel will launch a new Thunderbolts comic in December by recent Captain America writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, and artist Geraldo Borges. Kelly and Lanzing’s helped architect the recent Cold War crossover and Bucky Barnes’ new role in the Marvel Universe, which will be the focus of the new title.

The new line-up includes Black Widow and White Widow, as well as U.S. Agent, Red Guardian, Shang-Chi and Sharon Carter, aka Destroyer. They are led by Winter Soldier and Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine — so it’s very close to the line-up for the upcoming Thunderbolts film.

“Welcome to Operation: Worldstrike! The Hivemind is wildly excited to continue the saga we began with Carmen Carnero in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty—while also starting anew with a dangerous and unpredictable cast from across the Marvel Universe,” Kelly and Lanzing said. “The call has gone out to all those who call the shadows their home; every spy, assassin, and renegade has a part to play in Bucky Barnes’ all-encompassing and uncompromising hit on the singular, monstrous living symbol of fascism: the Red Skull. Alongside our old friend Geraldo Borges, we’re taking this opportunity to tell a very different kind of team book. This is a whole new era for the Thunderbolts and it starts with a four-part espionage epic, an ever-shifting cast and a single overarching goal: to tear down a century of Nazi evil with justice like lightning.”

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