Author: JK Parkin

Gilbert + Natalia Hernandez would like you to meet ‘Roy’

The new series by the father and daughter team will debut in August.

Gilbert Hernandez of Los Bros. Hernandez fame will team with another family member for a new comic series this summer — his daughter, Natalia.

The father-and-daughter duo are the creative behind Roy, a new series that will debut in April from Fantagraphics, publishers of the Hernandez Bros. long-running Love & Rockets (and other titles).

“Is there anything Roy can’t do? Of course not, he’s a comic book character, duh!” said Fantagraphics’ Eric Reynolds. “In the hands of a master like Gilbert Hernandez, anything is possible, and Roy is the perfect vehicle for his limitless imagination. The Hernandezes are America’s First Family of Comics, and that Roy #1 also welcomes Natalia Hernandez into the Love and Rockets fold makes the occasion extra special!”

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Al Ewing + Pasqual Ferry will relaunch ‘Thor’ in August

The launch follows the end of ‘Immortal Thor’ in July.

Al Ewing and Jan Bazaldua have been building toward something in Immortal Thor since the beginning — suggesting that may Thor isn’t quite as immortal as the title of the comic suggests. With Immortal Thor #25 set to end the current run of the title, Marvel has announced that August will bring the adjective-less Thor #1.

Described as a “new status quo for the God of Thunder unlike any in his 60+ year history,” the new title will be written by Ewing and drawn by veteran Thor artist Pasqual Ferry.

“Since the very first issue of Immortal Thor, Thor’s been facing the end of his tale… but that was only the end of Act One,” Ewing said. “As the next chapter begins, Thor must face threats he’s never faced, from a place he’s never been… until now. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he immortal… or much, much more? You’ll have to join us to find out.”

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Can’t Wait for Wednesday | ‘Superman Unlimited’ introduces a new status quo for the Man of Steel

New comics and graphic novels arrive this week by Dan Slott, Rafael Albuquerque, Marc Guggenheim, Kaare Andrews, Zander Cannon, Jake Smith, Alison Bechdel and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

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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DC Go will add six new titles this year featuring Shazam!, Aquaman + more

Dc’s vertical-scrolling digital line will add new titles by Stephanie Williams, Josh Trujillo, Andrew Aydin, Steve Orlando and more.

DC Go, DC’s mobile-friendly digital comics initiative, will add six new titles to the platform beginning in July, along with “season renewals” for Harley Quinn in Paradise and Nothing Butt Nightwing.

DC announced DC Go, which is available on the DC Universe Infinite digital comics app, last year. In addition to original titles, they’ve also added vertical-scrolling editions of existing material, like All-Star Superman and some of the Absolute titles.

The new titles include:

  • Warriors and a Wee Wonder by Stephanie Williams, Jane Pica, and Emily Pearson;
  • Aquaman: Yo-Ho-Hold Onto Your Hook! by Josh Trujillo, Nicky Lelapi, Andrew Drilon, and Bradley Clayton;
  • Jon Kent: This Internship Is my Kryptonite by Sam Camp, Daimon Hampton, Seraji, and C.M. Cameron;
  • Taste of Justice by Andrew Aydin, Dominike “DOMO” Stanton, Aneke, and Nick Filardi;
  • My Little Warlord by Nina Gee, Madlen Mirjam, and Chi Ngo; and
  • The Magical Mysteries of Shazam! by Steve Orlando and Giopota.

You can find more details on each of them below.

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Jonathan Hickman’s reimagining of Marvel’s cosmic comics adds ‘Imperial War’ one-shots

‘Imperial War: Black Panther’ and ‘Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk’ will arrive in August.

Jonathan Hickman, Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini’s Imperial project is growing in scope, as Marvel has announced the four-issue miniseries will be accompanied by five one-shots that “spotlight individual characters and groups as they navigate the startling developments and explosive conflicts sweeping the stars.”

In case you missed it, Imperial is the latest project from Hickman, the architect of Marvel’s very successful Ultimate Comics relaunch as well as the Krakoa era of the X-Men line. He’s working with Coello and Vicentini to redefine Marvel’s cosmic characters in this new miniseries that kicks off in June.

From what’s been revealed so far, Imperial looks like it’ll showcase a huge battle between various cosmic factions, including the Kree/Skrull Alliance, The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda and New Sakaar, which will bring characters like Hulk, She-Hulk and Amadeus Cho into space.

The first two one-shots will help flesh out Black Panther and She-Hulk’s roles in the story. Hickman will work with writer Victor LaValle and artist CAFU on Imperial War: Black Panther.

“Working with Jonathan Hickman on an interstellar epic—who wouldn’t be thrilled by that idea?” LaValle said. “I’m excited to start working on the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda because there’s not enough stories about Black folks in outer space. There could always be more. By the time I’m done, T’Challa and Shuri will have constellations named after them, in some distant galaxy.”

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Ngozi Ukazu returns to Apokolips for ‘Orion’

The sequel to ‘Barda’ will arrive in stores in 2026.

Ngozi Ukazu, creator of the wonderful Check, Please, brought the New God Big Barda, along with others from Jack Kirby’s Fourth World comics, to DC’s young adult graphic novel line last year. That graphic novel, Barda, will get a sequel next year that will focus on another New God — Orion.

In the first volume, Barda started the story as the right hand of Granny Goodness and has been tasked with an impossible task — break their prisoner, the unbreakable Scott Free. But something broke in Barda on the fiery Apokolips in the story of first loves. The new volume details Orion’s life on New Genesis as he his fears about not really belonging there are confirmed when Highfather reveals his true lineage.

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AfterShock Comics emerges from bankruptcy

The company plans to start publishing comics again.

In other bankruptcy news this week, AfterShock Comics has announced that they have emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to begin publishing comics again.

AfterShock, the publisher of Animosity, Bunny Mask, Babyteeth and more, filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2022 “due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the press release. They’ve been fairly quiet ever since, and honestly I figured we’d never hear from them again (although their website has never gone dark in that period).

“The pandemic and subsequent writer’s strike impacted our business in ways nobody could have predicted,” said AfterShock Comics CEO Jon Kramer. “While we still believe that securing financing in the spring of 2020 to grow out our business and keep everyone working was the correct strategic move, business conditions proved unstable and, in spite of positive interest on the investment front from numerous parties, the ongoing uncertainty amidst the prolonged pandemic disrupted our momentum.  Though recognizing the effect it might have on our extremely important relationships with creators, fans, distributors and retailers, the restructuring process was the best avenue we could have pursued to protect our assets and the work of all those who created content for AfterShock.”

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Universal Distribution + Ad Populum complete the purchase of Diamond; begin layoffs

It’s official now: Universal Distribution and Ad Populum, the second-place bidders in the Diamond bankruptcy auction, have completed the purchase of several Diamond assets, including the comics distribution business and Alliance Game Distributors.

Universal will take home Alliance Game Distributors, while Ad Populum gets Diamond Comic Distributors, Diamond Book Distributors, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, Collectible Grading Authority and other related assets. Diamond UK remains separate from this sale process.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Alliance into the Universal Distribution family,” said Angelo Exarhakos, president and CEO of Universal Distribution. “This acquisition marks a transformative step forward in our mission to deliver exceptional service and value to retailers and publishers across North America. By combining Alliance’s respected legacy and expansive network with Universal’s operational strengths and innovation-driven approach, we are poised to elevate the distribution experience across the industry. We look forward to building on the trusted relationships Alliance has cultivated and continuing to support the growth and vibrancy of the hobby gaming community.”

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Nominees announced for the 2025 Eisner Awards

Fantagraphics, DC and Tom King lead the pack this year; winners will be announced at Comic-Con International in July.

Comic-Con International has announced the nominees for this year’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, which will be given out on July 25 in San Diego.

Fantagraphics and DC received the most nominations, followed by First Second Abrams and Pantheon. In terms of creators, Tom King leads the pack with four nominations, while Leela Corman, Bilquis Evely, Emil Ferris, LeUyen Pham, Ram V, Javier Rodriguez, Olivier Schrauwen, James Tynion IV, Gene Luen Yang and Quentin Zuttion each received three nominations.

Here’s the full list of this year’s nominees:

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G. Willow Wilson + Gleb Melnikov steal the spotlight with a new Black Cat series

Felicia Hardy has a change of heart, maybe, in her new solo series as a superhero.

Career thief Felicia Hardy will have a change of heart* in her new solo series by G. Willow Wilson and Gleb Melnikov this summer, as the former super thief takes on some of Spider-Man’s deadliest foes.

The new series will debut in August from Marvel. The stopry will spin out of Joe Kelly and John Romita Jr.’s run on Amazing Spider-Man, as the notorious cat burglar will have a change of heart after Spider-Man’s upcoming battle with the new villain Hellgate. “But is her most recent change of heart for purely altruistic reasons or simply a way to pull off her greatest heist yet?” Well, why can’t it be both?

“As soon as Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood dropped and people saw the Black Cat story, readers began to ask me, ‘When are you going to write more Felicia?’ Well, the answer is: right now,” Wilson said. “Black Cat is so much fun to work with. She’s a supporting character with main character energy. And she has such a rich history that there are tons of tantalizing story threads to pull on.”

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Can’t Wait for Wednesday | ‘Battle Beast,’ ‘Supergirl,’ ‘Exquisite Corpses’ and more arrive this week

You can find comics by Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottely, Sophie Campbell, Mark Millar, Rafael Albuquerque, Tim Seeley, Patton Oswalt and more at your local comic shop this week.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

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.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Wednesday | ‘Battle Beast,’ ‘Supergirl,’ ‘Exquisite Corpses’ and more arrive this week”

Jeph Loeb + Simone Di Meo resurrect the ‘Age of Apocalypse’ this fall

‘X-Men of Apocalypse’ will bring Blink, Sabretooth, Morph and other Age of Apocalypse characters to the 616.

Marvel will return to one of the most popular X-Men crossover events from the 1990s in the upcoming X-Men of Apocalypse miniseries by Jeph Loeb and Simone Di Meo.

The story will be set up in this summer’s Giant-Size Age of Apocalypse, one of several one-shots that’ll explore past X-Men-related events. Loeb and Di Meo will have a back-up story in that issue. Loeb worked on the original Age of Apocalypse storyline, as he wrote the X-Man miniseries and co-created the character with artist Steve Skroce.

Also, in a nod to the original crossover, the story will start with an “alpha” issue, followed by a four-issue miniseries, and will conclude with an “omega” issue.

“Thirty years ago, The X-Men of Apocalypse took the comics world by storm and I was lucky enough to be part of it,” Loeb said. “There were new characters! New designs! Heroes who were villains and villains who were heroes! Now, for the 30th anniversary, an all-new, all-different story with spectacular art by Simone Di Meo brings us to this uncanny team that shouldn’t even exist — and they are coming here! Join Gambit, Sabretooth & Wild Child, Blink, Forge and Morph and more as they try to save one universe without dooming another!”

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