Month: July 2026

Smash Pages Q&A | Phillip Sevy + Christie Porter on ‘She Comes With Magic’

The creators discuss launching their adults-only fantasy series on Kickstarter, balancing epic adventure with explicit storytelling and bringing Maeve’s magical quest to life.

Known for his work on comics like Tomb Raider, X-Men Infinity Comics and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, among other titles, artist and writer Phillip Sevy is taking a decidedly different path with She Comes With Magic, a creator-owned fantasy series that launches on Kickstarter today.

Co-created with journalist/comics writer Christie Porter, the comic features Maeve, a powerful wizard who channels her magic through sex. She embarks on an epic quest to stop the Starving King in an adults-only fantasy that blends action, humor, romance and explicit sexuality, in the vein of comics like Sunstone, White Tree, Sex Criminals and Money Shot.

While the book’s high-concept premise is sure to grab attention, Sevy and Porter are committed to making She Comes With Magic work as a fantasy story first. Building a world with real stakes, memorable characters and emotional weight was just as important as embracing the book’s titilating premise, resulting in a series that aims to balance comedy, epic adventure and sex without sacrificing any one element.

I spoke with Sevy and Porter about bringing the first issue to Kickstarter, collaborating on the story, Porter’s transition from journalism to comics, finding the right tone for an erotic fantasy and more. While the book is definitely aimed at adults and is NSFW, this interview includes SFW artwork from the comic by Porter, Sevy and colorist Gibran Ferdian, along with a variant cover by Stjepan Šejić.

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Can’t Wait for Wednesday | Fred Van Lente + Luca Pizzari raise the black flag in ‘Vampyrates!’

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week by Katie Skelly, Mike Maihack, Ngozi Ukazu, Scott Snyder, Francesco Francavilla, Gabriel Hardman, Dean Kotz, Kelly Thompson, Soo Lee, Nathan Fillion and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what’s coming to your local comic shop this week. Vampires are everywhere this week, from the swashbuckling horror of BOOM!’s Vampyrates to the World War II action of IDW’s Operation: Iron Coffin. We’ve also got new graphic novels by Katie Skelly, Ngozi Ukazu, Mike Maihack and more.

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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Picture + Panel | Abby Denson + Matthew Loux talk about Japan

Check out our interview in advance of a live question-and-answer session between the two creators in Boston tonight.

We’re happy to continue our interview series with creators speaking at the monthly Picture + Panel event in Boston, which brings together two comic creators to talk about a specific topic. This time we have Abby Denson and Matthew Loux joining us to talk about Japan.

Omega Au, convention chair of Anime Boston 2026, will host a conversation with Loux and Denson tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Boston Figurative Arts Center in Somerville, Massachusetts. The event is brought to you by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books and the Boston Figurative Arts Center.

Abby Denson photo by Shigeo Kikuchi

Abby Denson is the author of Uniquely Japan; the Kitty Sweet Tooth books, illustrated by Utomaru; Cool Tokyo Guide; Cool Japan Guide; Dolltopia; and Tough Love. She has written for comics series such as The Powerpuff Girls, The Simpsons, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Amazing Spider-Man Family. Her work has garnered the International Manga Award, Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the IPPY Award. Abby has taught and lectured at various venues, including the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, The New School and Sophia University in Tokyo. Abby goes to Japan whenever she gets the chance.

Matthew Loux photo

Matthew Loux is author and artist of the graphic novels The Time Museum Vol. 1, published by First Second Books; Sidescrollers; and the five volume series Salt Water Taffy, originally published by Oni Press. Matthew has also illustrated the graphic novels F-Stop and Good Night Gabbaland, and has contributed cover artwork for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Matthew resides in New York.

Big 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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‘Radiant Black’ debuts as Image Comics’ first-ever audiobook

Massive-Verse architect Kyle Higgins writes, directs and narrates the production, with ‘Boy Meets World’ co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle heading the cast.

Kyle Higgins’ Massive-verse keeps finding ways to become more massive, and now they’ve expanded off the comic page and into your ear with an audiobook adaptation.

Radiant Black: The Audiobook, Volume One is now available on Spotify, LibroFM, Everand and other platforms. This marks the first audiobook adaptation of not just the Massive-verse titles, but also an Image Comics title.

The production, from Black Market Narrative, is written, directed and narrated by Radiant Black co-creator Kyle Higgins, with Rider Strong and Will Friedle from the sitcom Boy Meets World voicing leads Nathan Burnett and Marshall Ward. Friedle previously voiced Marshall Ward in the secret animated short that was hidden behind a QR code in Radiant Black #15. The audiobook features cinematic sound design by Higgins and an original score by Sam Ewing, who worked on the music for The Walking Dead.

“When Eric Stephenson and Lorelei Bunjes first pitched me the idea of doing Radiant Black in audio, I knew that to do it right would be a huge undertaking,” Higgins said. “This project has been a true labor of love for our team. From assembling our amazing cast to recording, design, narration, score, and our final mix, this has been an incredible experience at every turn. I never thought I would be back in the world of audio, but to be able to work in one of my favorite mediums and take advantage of all the possibilities it affords has been more than worth it.”

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Crowdpuncher | ‘Outlaw’s Apprentice,’ ‘Heartbreak Manor’ + more comic crowdfunding projects

Check out crowdfunding campaigns featuring the work of Chris Schweizer, Steve Niles, Damien Worm, Joan Boix and more.

Welcome to Crowdpuncher, where we round up cool comics crowdfunding campaigns. If you’re looking to buy from or support a creator directly, you’ve come to the right place.

Cartoonist Chris Schweizer has been serializing Outlaw’s Apprentice weekly on Webtoon and Patreon, and now he’s bringing the first collected arc to print. The 208-page Appalachian-inspired swashbuckling fantasy follows Otis, a teenage artist-in-training, and Erska, the former mercenary who took him on as an apprentice, as an injustice sends them both on the run.

Schweizer, who has earned three Eisner Award nominations for his previous work on books like the Crogan Adventures series, is publishing the book in mass market paperback format.

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Titan will publish Victor Santos’ ‘Moon Eaters’ graphic novel this fall

The crowdfunded neo-noir tale of a man hunted by a violent cult on his first night of freedom arrives Oct. 6 from Titan Comics.

Titan Comics will bring Moon Eaters, the latest graphic novel by Polar creator Victor Santos, to English language audiences this October. The story of one really bad night in the life of a recently released convict was crowdfunded by Santos back in 2021.

The story follows Tommy Blackfoot, freshly released from prison and hoping to start over with June, the woman who stood by him through years of correspondence. Their reunion is cut short when the Children of Hati, a violent cult Tommy once escaped, track him down and force him into a brutal fight for survival.

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Oni Press announces middle-grade Arabic graphic novel ‘Yalla!’

Ameen D.B. and Ismael Hernández tell the story of a young immigrant navigating a new language, new friendships and some very large monsters.

Oni Press has announced Yalla!, a middle-grade graphic novel from debut writer Ameen D.B. and illustrator Ismael Hernández, which they plan to publish next June. What’s unique is that it’s not written in English, it’s in Arabic, but is aimed at English readers.

Pre the press release: “While the book is not in English—fear not! By joining along with Pada, readers will encounter a new place and language, all while learning a new Arabic word or phrase in each chapter.” Which allows me to use one of my favorite words here, “edutainment” — enjoy the story, learn a little Arabic along the way. Also, based on the preview pages, it looks like it’ll at least partially be told in English, so don’t be too intimidated.

“Ahlan wa sahlan and welcome everyone to the magical world of Yalla!—a graphic novel for early readers that teaches literacy and empathy in new ways,” said Ameen D.B. “Across four stories, we experience a strange new world like an immigrant, like 10-year-old Pada . . . all without the help of any subtitles! But don’t be scared—through context clues, we arrive at understanding alongside Pada and her gang of friends. So strap on your boots, tighten your swimsuits and come with Pada as we explore her new home together. Yalla!”

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Kelly Thompson + Mattia De Iulis reunite for ‘Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives’

The creative team behind ‘Absolute Wonder Woman Annual’ gives the Bride her own story in a four-issue series arriving in October.

Skybound has announced the next series in their Universal Monsters line — Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives, a four-issue miniseries from Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis.

De Iulis will both draw and color the series, with lettering by Becca Carey. The trio worked together on this year’s Absolute Wonder Woman Annual.

The series marks the eighth entry in Skybound’s Universal Monsters line, following Dracula, Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, the Phantom of the Opera and the Wolf Man, whose miniseries launched last month. Skybound began publishing comics based on the iconic horror characters in 2023, and have done a great job of pairing the right creative teams with each of the characters.

“The original Bride of Frankenstein is a brilliant film exploring the creature’s failed attempts to find friendship and community, and then the desperate act to force others to create that which he cannot find. What it’s not about, however, is how The Bride herself feels about her creation,” Thompson said. “Through The Bride of Frankenstein Lives we get the opportunity to explore not only her search for who and what she is, but her search for the women that were destroyed to create her — all brought to striking vivid life via Mattia De Iluis’s incredible visuals.” 

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