Author: JK Parkin

SDCC | Oni Press announces four new graphic novels for Spring 2025

The line-up includes OGNs by David Rubín, Craig Hurd-McKenney, Noah Bailey, Matt Lesniewski and more.

Oni Press has revealed their Spring 2025 graphic novel line-up, which they highlighted yesterday at a panel at the San Diego Comic Con.

The line-up includes four new original graphic novels, and a new edition of an older one:

  • El Fuego, written and drawn by David Rubín, who has worked on Cosmic Detective, the Black Hammer universe titles and more.
  • Soma by Fernando Llor, an award-winning writer from Spain, and Carles Dalmau, who worked on the video game Cult of the Lamb
  • Station Grand by Xeric grant-awarded and Ignatz Award-nominated writer Craig Hurd-McKenney, and Tremor Dose and Double Walker artist Noah Bailey
  • A new edition of the Eisner-nominated The Freak by Matt Lesniewski, which was originally published by the now defunct AdHouse Books.

“The adult graphic novels for the start of 2025 showcase an incredibly skilled lineup of writers and artists whose sensibilities enthrall, delight and entertain through grand and sometimes unnerving explorations of the human experience,” said Sierra Hahn, Oni’s editor in chief. “Readers will get lost in the stunning visuals in these four wholly unique graphic novels represented in lush, lavish full color and the quiet purity of black and white storytelling.”

Here’s more information on each of them from the publisher:

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SDCC Slugfest | Star Wars, DuckTales, Thundarr + more

Today’s round-up of SDCC and related news includes items on a Junkyard Joe action figure, new titles coming from Dynamite, a big sale by Fantagraphics and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. With the San Diego Comic Con in full force, this edition covers news from today I haven’t already covered, plus a few items from the lead-up to the show. Hit the links for more information.

The first full day of the San Diego Comic-Con brought plenty of news and tiodbits from comic publishers, following a very busy couple of weeks for comic news. It’s hard to believe a week has already passed since DC’s All In announcement. But here we are! So let’s jump in.

We ‘ll start with some Star Wars comic news, which these days spans multiple publishers. Lucasfilm hosted a publishing panel today that covered several upcoming releases, including the Battle of Jakku comic coming from Marvel this fall. Today’s panel also brought the news that phase 3 of the Star Wars: The High Republic will come to a close next year, and Cavan Scott and Marika Cresta will help wrap it up at Marvel with a comic titled Fear of the Jedi:

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SDCC | Oni’s EC Comics revival announces two new projects

The winter months will bring ‘Shiver Suspenstories’ and ‘Cruel Kingdom’ to the line, while the just-launched ‘Epitaphs from the Abyss’ grows into a maxi-series.

Oni Press is in Sand Diego this week to talk about all the comics and graphic novels they have in the “coming soon” pile, but one title they’ll be talking a lot about is already out — Epitaphs from the Abyss, part of the EC Comics revival.

According to the publisher, Epitaphs is their “biggest Direct Market launch in a decade,” and with its success comes three pieces of news related to their EC Comics plans.

First, the planned five-issue miniseries has now been extended to 12 issues, taking the horror anthology into next summer. Oni also announced two new EC titles that will come out in December and January.

“With Epitaphs from the Abyss #1 now on store shelves, it’s safe to say the full-blooded return of EC Comics to store shelves worldwide has exceeded even our own aggressive expectations to become Oni Press’ biggest Direct Market launch in a decade,” said Hunter Gorinson, Oni Press president and publisher. “We owe a huge debt of thanks to the fans, creators and retailers who have supported this righteous resurrection for one of the most iconic and influential publishing houses in the history of the comics medium. It also means the second phase of our ambitious plans to strengthen the scope of our EC publishing program can now be revealed – beginning with a surprise expansion for Epitaphs from the Abyss and continuing into two new releases: this winter’s holiday-themed Shiver Suspenstories special and EC’s first-ever excursion in dark fantasy, Cruel Kingdom, beginning in January!”

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Derek Kirk Kim + Jacob Perez place a bet on ‘Royals’

The graphic novel will arrive from Image Comics next April.

Derek Kirk Kim’s return to comics started strong with the release of the excellent The Last Mermaid, but he’s not done — the creator of the award-winning Same Difference and Other Stories will team with artist Jacob Perez for Royals.

Image Comics will release Royals as an original graphic novel. It’s about two telepathic brothers whose attempts to use their powers to cheat at poker land them in very hot water.

“As a lifelong fan of crime capers and Jackie Chan films, this is a dream project come true for me,” said Kim. “And having it brought to glorious life by Jacob Perez with his vivid, dynamic art is an absolute honor!”

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SDCC | Dark Horse rolls a 20, picks up Dungeons & Dragons + Magic: The Gathering licenses

New titles are expected from the partnership next summer.

Dark Horse Comics and Wizards of the Coast have announced that Dark Horse will publish comics, graphic novels and art books based on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. They plan to release the first titles as part of the deal next summer.

“If you’d told my 12-year-old self I’d get to work with incredible writers and artists to craft comics for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, alongside such thoughtful and creative stewards of these licenses, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Dark Horse senior editor Spencer Cushing. “The opportunity to work with Wizards of the Coast is a dream come true.”

Dark Horse joins a list of publishers who brought Dungeons & Dragons to comics since the late 1980s, when DC worked with TSR, its original owners, to create comics based on Dragonlance, the Forgotten Realms, Spelljammers and more. IDW has had the license since 2010, publishing a wide range of titles base don the role-playing game and even working with Dark Horse on a Stranger Things crossover.

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Nominees announced for the 2024 Ignyte Awards

‘Whisper of the Woods, ‘Brooms’ and more have been recognized this year in the comics category.

The nominees have been announced for the annual Ignyte Awards, which “celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy and horror by recognizing incredible feats in storytelling and outstanding efforts toward inclusivity of the genre.”

While the awards cut across several genres of fiction, they also include an “Outstanding Comics Team” category. Previous winners in that category include Where Black Stars Rise by Marie Enger and Nadia Shammas, Nubia: Real One by L. L. McKinney and Robyn Smith, and These Savage Shores by Ram V, Sumit Kumar, Vitorio Astone, Aditya Bidikar and Tim Daniel.

The awards are sponsored by FIYAH Literary Magazine, which focuses on Black speculative fiction, and the winners are typically announced in conjunction with FIYAHCON.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees:

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SDCC | BOOM! recruits actual Power Rangers to work on a Power Rangers anthology

David Yost, Walter Jones, Steve Cardenas and more will contribute stories about the Power Rangers they’ve played on screen.

BOOM! Studios will release an anthology of Power Rangers stories written by former Power Rangers in October.

Power Rangers: Across the Morphin Grid will feature stories written by David Yost, Walter Jones, Steve Cardenas, Mat Groom, Nakia Burrise, JD Sutphin and Meghan Camerana, with art by Paulina Ganucheau, Tango, Patrick Mulholland, Domo Stanton, Anand Ramcheron and more.

“I’m so excited that BOOM! Studios is expanding the Morphin Grid Anthology, and it looks like I’m next on the list! I’ve had the great privilege in the past to briefly work with BOOM! about Rocky and his background. But now to have the opportunity to create and collab and tell my own story is just a dream come true for me,” said Cardenas, who played Rocky DeSantos, the second Red Ranger on Mighty Moprhin Power Rangers. “I hope you enjoy what Mat and I came up with as a part of this new chapter!”

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Cavan Scott + Paul Fry show VHS horror movies some love in ‘Night of the Slashers’

Magma Comix will publish the first issue in October.

Cavan Scott and Paul Fry will pay tribute to their horror movie-filled childhoods in Night of the Slashers, a miniseries coming from Magma Comix this fall.

The comic is a “love letter” to slasher movies, particular the kind you could rent from a video store and watch on videotape back in the day.

“As you can probably tell from the title, Night of the Slashers is a love letter to slasher movies, an obsession that began when I saw my first serial killer (Halloween 2 on a dodgy VHS at my friend’s 12th birthday party) and has now been passed onto my daughter,” Scott said. “It was only a matter of time before I came up with my own walking nightmare in the mold of Michael, Jason or Jason, but when I met artist Paul Fry and immediately bonded over horror movies, it soon became clear that one wasn’t enough. If we were going to write a slasher, we wanted an entire town of masked knife-wielding killers. This series has everything we love in slasher movies! Victims, you can’t wait to see sliced ‘n’ diced, larger-than-life monsters, gallons of blood and gruesome deaths galore. No one is safe in The Night of the Slashers. No one at all.” 

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SDCC | It’s Christmas in July (and August, and September …) in ‘Christmas 365’

Mikey Way, Jonathan Rivera and Piotr Kowalski get jolly in a new miniseries coming from Dark Horse this December.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Comic-Con, as a few hours before the big event starts, Dark Horse has announced Christmas 365, a four-issue miniseries by Mikey Way, Jonathan Rivera and Piotr Kowalski.

“Like most kids growing up, I never wanted Christmas to end,” Way said. “When it’s over, you’re left having to wait an entire year for that magical feeling to return. I would often fantasize…what if it never had to end? That very thought was what sparked this story. But as the saying goes, is too much of a good thing not so good?”

Way is the bassist for My Chemical Romance, where his bandmate, brother and fellow comics writer, Gerard Way, is the lead singer. He’s also written Collapser for DC Comics. Rivera worked on Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye, part of Gerard Way’s Young Animal imprint a few years back. Kowalski, meanwhile, is the artist of Where Monsters Lie and its upcoming sequel; the graphic novel Skinner, which came out this week; and a whole lot more. The creative team is rounded out by Brad Simpson on colors and Joshua Reed on letters.

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SDCC | Comixology Originals announce ‘Groupies’ by Helen Mullane + Tula Lotay

“Our story is a blood-soaked and acid-drenched journey into the heart of darkness …”

Superstate writer Helen Mullane and Somna co-creator Tula Lotay will turn it up to 11 in Groupies, a five-issue miniseries about sex, drugs and the “true cost of rock’n’roll.”

The supernatural tale set in a world of parties and excess will arrive in October from Comixology Originals.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives of groupies,” Mullane said. “The daring fashion, devil-may-care lifestyle, and the girls’ determination, getting their kicks despite most people’s censure and judgement. It’s a world of glamour and darkness, where some people have their wildest dreams come true, while others are chewed up and spat out. Our story is a blood-soaked and acid-drenched journey into the heart of darkness, where most people are out for what they can get. But just because the girls are living in a world that sees them as disposable, doesn’t make them any less extraordinary.” 

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SDCC | Dynamite announces the creative team for their ‘Terminator’ comic

Declan Shalvey and Luke Sparrow team up for tales of time-traveling mayhem.

Dynamite has announced a creative team and a release date for their Terminator comic. Writer Declan Shalvey and artist Luke Sparrow will team up to tell stories that spin out of the plot for the original film but take things in a new direction, with “mostly done-in-one” stories involving killer robots and time travel.

“The approach of this series is new situations, new dilemmas in each issue. Mostly done-in-one stories, but as the series progresses there may be some recognizable faces…” Shalvey said. “We’re going for a more stripped-down, pulpy approach to the book. As innovative and groundbreaking as the first film was, it was also grounded in its environment, being noirish and moody as hell. An unstoppable force is coming to kill you — that’s the element of the franchise I want to lean into.”

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Hell is for children: Cullen Bunn + Joe Bocardo bring ‘Hexiles’ to Mad Cave Studios

A very personal horror story rises from the depths of the underworld this October.

Horror master Cullen Bunn will team with Night Walkers artist Joe Bocardo on The Hexiles, a new series about six children who find out their true lineage just in time for their father’s demonic debtors to come calling.

Mad Cave Studios will publish The Hexiles beginning in October.

“The Hexiles is a dark tale about destiny, cursed inheritances and people bound by blood… lots of blood,” said Bocardo. “A horror story that found refuge in a cave of madmen, where they love comics and work with true professionalism, and created by Cullen, a diabolical mind capable of turning the worst nightmares into words and convincing you to stay and live in them. As an artist, I couldn’t ask for a better team.”

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