Category: Comic Books

SDCC | Jeff Lemire + Teddy Kristiansen present a ‘new beginning’ in ‘Black Hammer: Spiral City’

The seven-issue miniseries set in a chaotic new world begins this fall.

Rumors of the demise of the Black Hammer universe were … well, not exactly exaggerated, but sometimes endings bring new beginnings.

With that in mind, Jeff Lemire returns to a rearranged universe with Black Hammer: Spiral City, which “follows a new cast of heroes struggling to survive in a chaotic new world.” The miniseries also features artwork by Danish comics artist Teddy Kristiansen, who you probably know from drawing The Sandman, It’s a Bird and a lot of other great-looking comics.

“Teaming with one of my all-time favorite artists, Teddy Kristiansen, I knew this book needed to be special,” said Lemire. “It’s a brand-new era for the Black Hammer Universe. New stories, new characters, and a whole new direction. Black Hammer: The End was the culmination of the last eight years of storytelling, and now Black Hammer: Spiral City is truly a new beginning. It’s both a great jumping on point for curious readers, and a bold new direction for long time fans.”

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DC reveals more details on their ‘All In’ line-ups

The publisher has shared creative teams and cover art for three Absolute Universe titles, along with plans for several DCU series in the post-‘Absolute Power’ era.

If you missed the YouTube video yesterday, DC has revealed their next publishing initiative, All In, which will see several creative team changes and the birth of a whole new universe. Headed up by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson, the Absolute Universe will come into being thanks to Darkseid in October’s All In one-shot.

And today DC revealed some of the creative teams you can expect to see on some of the Absolute titles and the regular DC titles.

Starting first with the DC Absolute Universe — which is what they’re calling it in the press release, so we can assume that’s the official name — the line will launch with Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, as revealed yesterday. The first issue will come out Oct. 9. It’ll be followed by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman’s reinvention of Wonder Woman “from the ground up” in Absolute Wonder Woman #1, due out Oct. 23. Then you have Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval launching Absolute Superman #1 on Nov. 6.

“The creation of the AbsoluteUniverse is how I always imagined coming back to DC, and DC All In will be a great jumping-on point for new readers as well as lapsed fans to discover new stories to love and the chance to explore the new directions in store for DC’s core series lineup,” Snyder said in the press release.

Here’s more details and cover art for those titles, along with several DCU titles (which they refer to as the “Core Line” in the press release):

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Horror filmmakers David Ian + Rebekah McKendry head to ‘Barstow’ with Tyler Jenkins + Justin Birch

The horror-comedy title arrives from Dark Horse this fall.

Filmmakers David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry will team with artist Tyler Jenkins and letterer Justin Birch for Barstow, a horror comedy coming from Dark Horse later this year.

The McKendrys are the husband and wife team who worked on horror films like Glorious and All the Creatures Were Stirring. Jenkins, meanwhile, is the award-winning artist of titles like Grass Kings and Hairball.

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Mark Waid + Chris Samnee show us the early days of Dick + Bruce in ‘Batman and Robin: Year One’

The 12-issue series begins in October.

The creative team behind beloved runs of Daredevil, Captain America and Black Widow will bring their magic to DC this fall, as Mark Waid and Chris Samnee present Batman and Robin: Year One.

The series will focus on the early days of the relationship between Bruce Wayne and his new ward, Dick Grayson, as they navigate their new roles both as superheroes and father/son. It’ll also introduce a new mob boss, The General, and feature Two-Face.

“While Batman and Robin are the stars of this tale and get most of the panel time, at its heart, this isn’t a Batman/Robin story, it’s a Bruce/Dick story,” Waid said. “It takes place only a month or two after Bruce adopted Dick, and it’s sinking in for Bruce that he has no idea how to be a father to a kid that age. He has no role model—his own father was long dead by the time he was Dick’s age. Nothing he’s ever done has prepared him for this, and Alfred—wise as he is—doesn’t have much experience here either.”

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SDCC | Ryan Parrott + Eleonora Carlini bring ‘Vicarious’ to BOOM!

The new series will debut in October.

BOOM! Studios’ Road to SDCC continues with the announcement of Vicarious by Ryan Parrott and Eleonora Carlini, both of whom have worked on BOOM!’s Power Rangers titles.

Vicarious is about a 20-something who, through technological implants, allows rich old people to experience the world through his eyes.

“There are some ideas that get stuck in your head and you just keep coming back to them over and over again,” Parrott said. “What would it be like to be able to see through someone else’s eyes and feel what they feel? How would that kind of technology change the world? Who would use it, who wouldn’t and why? It was just a notion when I first pitched it to BOOM! Studios, but with their guidance and Eleonora Carlini’s amazing artwork, Vicarious has turned into a sexy, futuristic neo noir that deals with identity, duality and the value of our lives and experiences.”

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Spencer Ackerman + Julius Ohta will reboot ‘Iron Man’ in October

Tony Stark goes to war with Roxxon in the new series.

Gerry Duggan’s run on Invincible Iron Man may have ended today, but an Invincible-less Iron Man will return in October in a new series by journalist and Waller vs. Wildstorm writer Spencer Ackerman and Hellverine artist Julius Ohta.

The new series will see Tony Stark once again running Stark Unlimited and facing off with some familiar threats — AIM and Roxxon. What won’t be familiar is his armor, as Marvel says Tony Stark’s tech will fail him, and he’ll have to put together an “improvised” set that he’ll upgrade throughout the series.

“Winning a Pulitzer is cool and all, but it’s not writing for Marvel Comics,” said Ackerman, who won the Pulitzer while working for The Guardian. “And to write Iron Man is a very specific dream come true. A lot of comics’ best creators have used Iron Man to tell big stories about security and freedom—with a whole lot of super hero action, of course—and I can’t wait to build on their legacy.”  

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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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