Category: Comic Books

SDCC | Jordan Thomas + Daniel Gete enforce over-the-top thrills in ‘Skin Police’ this October

When black market clone babies go bad, the Skin Police are on the case.

Writer Jordan Thomas and artist Daniel Gete have teamed up for a new series that Oni Press calls “one of the most ecstatically over-the-top series” they’ve published.

Skin Police, which debuts this fall, is a fast-paced, science fiction action thriller set in a future where black market clone babies are the norm, but one out of every four turns into a psychopathic killing machine. That’s where The Skin Police come in.

“Skin Police set up shop in my brain as a combination of my love for Blade Runner and my fear of having children,” Thomas said. “It was an idea that wouldn’t go away, which is always a sign that it is one of the good ones. I wanted to take the base human fear of not being able to protect our offspring as well as the general existential fears most of us have about the direction the world is heading and smash it together with adrenaline-fueled, violent, unforgiving action, so the audience gets carried away with the sheer thrill of what is taking place before closing each issue and finding themselves thinking deeper about the more human and terrifying themes that underpin the thrills.”

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SDCC | Brian Azzarello + Vanesa Del Rey bring ‘The Creeping Below’ to BOOM!

The black metal revenge tale begins in October.

With the San Diego Comic Con on the horizon, BOOM! Studios continues to roll out announcements on their “Road to SDCC.” Yesterday brought a big one, as they announced a new revenge story by Brian Azzarello, Vanesa Del Rey and Hilary Jenkins called The Creeping Below.

BOOM! says the new series will be filled with “black metal, magic and Norse mythology,” as a woman killed at a black metal festival in Norway gets a second chance at life.

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Check out an exclusive clip from the ‘She Could Fly’ game by Wowbagger Productions

Christopher Cantwell and Martín Morazzo’s Berger Books series has been adapted into a video game about OCD and mental health.

She Could Fly by writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Martín Morazzo achieved liftoff in 2018 from Dark Horse Comics’ Berger Books imprint. It was the first published comic written by Cantwell, and also one that was very personal, as it featured a main character with OCD — something he’s spoken about suffering from since he was 10 years old.

Now She Could Fly has become part of a “documentary game” — the She Could Fly Documentary Escape Game, which is a point and click game from Wowbagger Productions that takes players on a looping adventure to explore OCD.

“For me, in the graphic novel, flying is a form of relief or freedom for the main characters,” Cantwell said. “In my life, what I look for, in terms of relief or freedom, is not happiness but peace of mind. Real peace of mind. Peace of mind is very important to me, and it’s something I’m always striving for. And I hope that by playing this game or reading our story, it helps you find some peace of mind as well.”

The game features artwork by Morazzo and colorist Miroslav Mrva from She Could Fly as part of the gameplay elements, and the creators hope it puts a spotlight on, and helps people understand, how OCD can affect someone.

“The work we do at Wowbagger Productions is very much about collaborating with creatives from marginalised perspectives to share less-known stories,” said Wowbagger Productions founder Sara Kenney, who wrote, directed and produced the game. “This is our first digital game and decades of storytelling and producing experience meant we ensured the comic, documentary and gameplay works together and flows in a meaningful way. Games for impact are an arena that the team at Wowbagger Productions are passionate about and want to continue our work, not just combining art and science, but also the different disciplines of games, comics and film.”

Check out our exclusive video clip below, which shows how some of the comic pages from She Could Fly are used in the game:

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Bad Idea announces ‘Planet Death’ by Derek Kolstad, Robert Venditti + Tomás Giorello

The last surviving soldier of a battalion sent to destroy an alien weapon must continue his mission alone.

Bad Idea, the boutique comics publisher founded in 2020, has announced a new title coming next year from John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad, Hawkman and Green Lantern writer Robert Venditti, and Star Wars artist Tomás Giorello.

Planet Death centers on the lone survivor of an invasion force sent to destroy an alien weapon on a hostile planet. After his battalion is decimated, he continues on alone to try and finish their mission.

“Planet Death is my love letter to all of the comics and books I read, movies I watched, and games I played – late into the night with a grin on my face…from Hard Boiled and Ronin by Frank Miller to the films of Alistair MacLean like The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare to Bradbury, Asimov, and Heinlein, to games like Starcraft and everything in between,” said Kolstad. “Some of my favorite stories are the ones that blend science fiction with elements of the war genre, from Starship Troopers to Aliens and Edge of Tomorrow. With Planet Death we take this tradition and add all those things we love so much about comic books.”

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James Robinson + J. Bone reunite for ‘Welcome to the Maynard’

The new series about a magical hotel opens its doors at Dark Horse Comics in November.

James Robinson’s return to comics continues in November, as he and his Saviors collaborator J. Bone check into the Maynard, a magical hotel for with witches and otherworldly creatures. Dark Horse Comics will publish the four-issue miniseries.

Welcome to the Maynard will focus on the hotel’s newest bellhop and amateur detective, as she tries to stop a magical thief. The series will follow ‘Patra, which is also written by Robinson and debuts in August.

“It’s a thrill to be reunited with my dear friend J. Bone,” said Robinson. “I love his art and his collaborative spirit, both, so Welcome To The Maynard has been a joy to write. I’m also excited to do a series (akin to Leave It To Chance, back in the day) that can be enjoyed on different levels, by readers young and old.”

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Caitlin Yarsky’s ‘Living Hell’ debuts from Dark Horse this fall

The new series features a demon who escapes from hell to become a bartender.

While you might know Caitlin Yarsky mainly as an artist, of comics like Black Hammer Reborn, Coyotes, Catwoman and more, that’s about to change. This fall, she’ll write and draw Living Hell, a new series coming from Dark Horse Comics.

The comic will feature a demon named Jerome Jameel, who escapes from Hell to become a bartender on Earth. But his transgressions lead him to become a bailiff for the underworld, hunting down dieties, monsters, ghosts and more.

“Almost every mythology around the world has its own version of an underworld—a land of the dead, the embodiment of despair,” Yarsky said. “Living Hell explores the lengths we’ll go to transcend generational trauma and the prisons of our past. It’s a story about family, the fantasy of a clean slate, and of course, cool monsters.”

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Batman battles werewolves in ‘Batman: Full Moon’ this October

Rodney Barnes and Stevan Subic put Batman to the test in a new Black Label miniseries.

Killadelphia writer Rodney Barnes will make his DC debut on a Black Label miniseries featuring Batman and werewolves.

Batman: Full Moon will feature artwork by Stevan Subic, who turned a lot of heads with his work on The Riddler: Year One. The four-issue miniseries will feature “an ancient and supernatural force” that “stalks the streets of Gotham City—a werewolf so powerful it’ll defy Batman’s most trusted resources: his brilliant mind and extensive gadgetry.”

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Dennis Culver + Ramon Bachs will bring ‘Sectaurs’ back to comics at Oni Press

The three-issue series set in the Nacelleverse begins in October.

Oni Press has announced the creative team for Sectaurs, a three-issue miniseries coming this fall that’s part of their Nacelleverse line-up.

Unstoppable Doom Patrol writer Dennis Culver will team with X-Men: Blue artist Ramon Bachs on a new series featuring the characters from the 1980s toy line, which are now owned by the Nacelle Company. It joins Roboforce and Biker Mice from Mars in the shared universe now being published by Oni.

“I’m beyond thrilled to help Nacelle and Oni reinvent Sectaurs for the 21st century,” Culver said. “The Warriors of Symbion are like nothing you’ve ever seen before in comics. It’s Game of Thrones, but with BUGS instead of dragons!”

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Ram V + Joëlle Jones bring ‘Through Red Windows’ to DSTLRY

The miniseries ‘looks at old and obscene wealth as Eldritch Horror and bears witness to the terrifying and absurd lengths its apostles will go to, in its worship.’

Detective Comics writer Ram V and Lady Killer creator Joëlle Jones will add a taste of gothic horror to contemporary capitalism in Through Red Windows, a new miniseries coming from DSTLRY.

Described as “a white-knuckle supernatural thriller,” the story focuses on a young financier who gets the opportunity of a lifetime, only to realize that it comes with a steep price.

“Through Red Windows looks at old and obscene wealth as Eldritch Horror and bears witness to the terrifying and absurd lengths its apostles will go to, in its worship,” V said. “It is the nature of accumulated wealth and also of late-stage capitalism to be entirely preoccupied with their own perpetuation. Beyond some sort of critical mass, I imagine, this self-perpetuation takes on a mind and existence of its own. Like some monstrous thing whose unfathomable lifetime is spent forcing humanity to exploit itself— sacrifice itself, in its name. Within this premise, I want to tell a story of choices, made in a world that indoctrinates its working youth to value profit and wealth perpetuation beyond all else. Will we end up on some cosmic balance-sheet? Or will we be saved by foolish things like love and relationships and guilt and hope?”

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Ghost Machine’s ‘Hyde Street’ will debut in October

The horror universe created by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis will kick off with a new series + a one-shot.

Ghost Machine, the Image Comics imprint led by Geoff Johns, has announced more details on Hyde Street, the upcoming line of horror comics involving Johns, artist Ivan Reis and others.

As a quick reminder, Johns and several of his frequent collaborators announced Ghost Machine last year, built on the idea that the creators involved will co-own all the characters and universes developed within Ghost Machine. And yes, that’s “universes,” plural with the horror-themed Hyde Street joining Johns’ The Unnamed universe, which features his Geiger and Junkyard Joe comics, and a science fiction-themed universe featuring Johns and Jason Fabok’s Rook.

Johns and Reis have worked together in the past on Aquaman and Green Lantern, including the Blackest Night crossover. So it’s no surprise to see them teaming up again on this new Hyde Street initiative.

“Everyone at Ghost Machine is incredibly excited for fans to discover the Hyde Street universe,” Johns said at a panel at FanExpo Denver this past weekend. “Ivan and I have wanted to collaborate on something new and original for a long time, and Hyde Street was the perfect avenue for us to let a darker side of our imagination run wild. The characters will lure you into this world each in their own unnerving way and walking down any ‘Hyde Street’ in your town will never feel the same again.” 

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Nova 2099’s story will continue in October in ‘Conquest 2099’

Spinning out of ‘Annihilation 2099,’ the new miniseries will feature Dracula 2099, Spider-Man 2099 and more.

Marvel introduced — or, actually, re-introduced; sorry, it’s complicated — Nova 2099 this past week in the pages of Annihilation 2099, another miniseries penned by Steve Orlando and set in Marvel’s futuristic cyberpunk universe. But this new character wasn’t so new — the first issue revealed that under the helmet, Nova 2099 is actually …

(I should add a SPOILERS WARNING and a jump here …)

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Mad Cave delves into the ‘Underworld’ as they launch a shared universe helmed by Mark London

The first title, ‘Revolution 9,’ arrives in September.

Mad Cave Studios CEO Mark London has written several titles for the fledgling publisher over the years, including Battlecats, Hunt.Kill.Repeat. and Honor & Curse. Now he’s teaming up with several different artists to launch a new shared universe called “Underworld.”

London will write three new miniseries this fall: Revolution 9, which debuts in September, followed by Hour of the Wolf in October and Exit City in November. Each interconnected, four-issue miniseries will lead into Endless Night, a crossover event set to launch in 2025.

“The Underworld line is an homage to Mad Cave Studios’ humble beginnings,” London said. “Ten years ago, I remember pouring my soul into creating IPs that would kick-start our little publisher—everything from assassins to detectives, hunters to slayers, all going against impossible odds. I’m excited to build toward the Endless Night crossover, a grand design that will push the boundaries of this universe, taking readers on an unforgettable journey through darkness and redemption.”

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