Category: Comic Publishers

NYCC | Don’t sleep on IDW Dark’s 2026 slate of comic nightmares

The horror imprint’s lineup includes new tales from Hannah Rose May, Phil Hester, Ryan Kelly and more

IDW Publishing’s horror imprint, IDW Dark, is cranking up the terror for 2026 with four new series aimed at keeping you up all night.

The first-half lineup, revealed at New York Comic Con, includes movie tie-ins Smile: For the Camera and A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, the sequel The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace, and the IDW Original Operation: Iron Coffin.

Kicking things off in February, Smile: For the Camera brings the sinister “Smile Entity” to New York’s fabled Fashion Week in 2005. Written by Hannah Rose May and illustrated by Miriana Puglia, the series promises psychological horror with a glossy, pop-culture twist.

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Create your own brackets for DC’s upcoming ‘DC K.O.’ crossover

Superman, Wonder Woman, Lobo or … Plastic Man? Make your picks on who will win the big tournament to become King Omega.

It may not be March, but if you like creating your own tournament brackets, then DC has you covered — they’ve launched a website that’ll let you pick the winners and losers in their upcoming “fight club” crossover comic DC K.O.

Thus far DC has told us that DC K.O. will involve heroes and villains battling it out, tournament style, for the right to become “King Omega” and gain enough power to take on a supped up Darkseid. They’ve revealed the 32 characters participating, and they showed us several of the issues coming in December where the big battles will go down. But until now they’ve been coy about who will fight who, so this new site gives us the first look at all the match-ups.

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Disney + Webtoon are building a digital comics site together

Webtoon will manage the site, which will feature comics from Marvel, Disney, Star Wars and more.

Disney and Webtoon have announced a “non-binding term sheet” for the development of a new all-ages digital comics site. The site will be built and operated by Webtoon, and will feature “35,000 comics from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios.”

The press release says this is an expansion of Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s current digital comics platform that is said to already host 30,000 comics, rather than a replacement. It also notes that Disney+ subscribers will have free access to a curated selection of comics through the site. It will include both vertical and traditional formats for archived comics and current comic book runs, as well as original comics.

“By uniting our unparalleled collection of comics across Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar and 20th Century Studios into a single digital platform, we’re giving fans unprecedented access to the adventures they love – all in one place,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “Through our expanded relationship with Webtoon, the global leader in digital comics, we’re opening doors to new audiences and deepening fan engagement.”

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DC cancels ‘The Red Hood’ just one day after the first issue’s debut

The cancellation follows comments the writer made about the death of inflammatory activist Charlie Kirk on social media.

Just a day after the mature readers title arrived in stores, DC has cancelled all future issues of The Red Hood by Gretchen Felker-Martin, Jeff Spokes and Becca Carey.

DC told retailers that they were cancelling orders for issues #2 and #3, which were already solicited, and they will credit retailers for all invoiced copies of Red Hood #1, “inclusive of copies that may have already been sold.” The first issue was still available on the digital comics platform Comixology when I checked earlier this morning, but it appears to be no longer available.

The publisher issued a statement on the cancellation:

“At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints. Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct.”

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Alien Books, Mauro Mantella criticized for anti-trans passage in ‘Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot’ #1

The publisher posted an apology on social media, saying “We will do better,” as the author’s anti-trans social media history became evident.

Alien Books, the publisher of the Valiant comics line, and writer Mauro Mantella have received widespread criticism for a passage that appeared in Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot #1 that featured “thinly veiled transphobic metaphors,” as one comics creator put it.

The comic’s creative team includes Mantella and artists Fernando Heinz Furukawa and Juan Pablo Massa. It’s part of a line-wide reboot of the Valiant line, called Valiant Beyond, that was set to kick off earlier this year but was delayed due to the bankruptcy of Diamond. Valiant’s comics are now distributed by Penguin Random House via IDW Publishing.

What should have been a big launch for the publisher, as Bloodshot was the first Valiant Beyond title to hit comic shelves, was marred by panels whose words mirrored a false but common refrain by anti-trans bigots. For context, the comic features Bloodshot in a Japan plagued by vampires. “There are kids who want to be bitten to become vampires because their favorite influencer says they are one,” Bloodshot’s interior monologue reads. “And parents who force their children into that irreversible change just to feel modern … and believing that they’ll be thankful for it when they grow up.”

Here’s the page:

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DC + Marvel announce their first new crossover in two decades

Deadpool and Batman will collide in two issues coming later this year.

I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see this again in my lifetime, but here we are — Marvel and DC have announced their first crossover event in about 20 years, as Batman and Deadpool will met in two different issues this fall.

Marvel will kick things off in September with Deadpool/Batman by Zeb Wells and Greg Capullo. DC will follow in November with Batman/Deadpool by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora.

Each issue will also feature back-up stories starring different Marvel and DC characters by as-yet-unannounced creators.

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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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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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Alien Books will bring Zorro back to comics

The publisher will start by crowdfunding a hardcover collecting Alex Toth’s work on the pulp character.

Alien Books has announced they’ve acquired the license to publish comics featuring Zorro, the legendary swashbuckling rogue created by pulp writer Johnston McCulley more than 100 years ago.

They’ll start with a hardcover reprinting Alex Toth’s Zorro comic from 1958 with remastered colors and lettering, as well as a story by Howard Chaykin and Eduardo Risso, premiering for the first time in English. Toth first drew Zorro in Four Color #882, which was published by Dell and adapted the first two episodes of the Walt Disney TV series starring Guy Williams. Toth drew several other Zorro comics around that time, both for Four Color and for the Zorro title Dell published.

Alien will launch a Kickstarter for the deluxe hardcover on April 23.

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Mad Cave Studios will release benefit anthology for Los Angeles wildfire victims

‘L.A. Strong’ will include stories that celebrate ‘the city’s spirit and resilience.’

As several wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, resulting in the death of at least 11 people and burning down an estimated 12,000 homes and buildings, Mad Cave Studios has announced a benefit anthology to raise money for those impacted by the disaster.

“When tragedy strikes, we stand together. At Mad Cave Studios, we believe in the power of art to heal, inspire, and rebuild. With this anthology, we aim to honor the resilience of Los Angeles and provide much-needed support to those who have been impacted by these devastating fires,” said Mark London, Mad Cave Studios CEO, in the press release. “This is our opportunity to give back to the community that has given us so much, and we’re calling on creators and fans alike to join us in making a difference.”

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Mad Cave + Tatsunoko will partner on ‘Speed Racer’ comics

Speed, Trixie, Racer X and more will return to comics.

Mad Cave Studios and Tatsunoko Production will expand their partnership next year with a comic adaptation of Speed Racer, the popular manga-turned-anime that aired in the United States in the late 1960s.

No details have been shared yet on when a comic (or comics) will launch or who the creative team might be. Tatsunoko owns the license for Gatchaman, known to some as Battle of the Planets here in the U.S., and Mad Cave has been working with them on their new line of Gatchaman comics that debuted earlier this year.

“Speed Racer is one of Tatsunoko’s most beloved properties and we’re excited to partner with Mad Cave Studios to bring new and original stories to fans of all generations,” said Mari Yamauchi from Tatsunoko Production in a press statement. “Tatsunoko is incredibly happy with Mad Cave’s work on Gatchaman and we look forward to continuing our journey together with Speed Racer.”

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Vertigo will return as DC’s creator-owned imprint

Jim Lee announced the return of the iconic brand this weekend during the New York Comic Con.

At his Jim Lee & Friends Panel during this weekend’s New York Comic Con, DC Publisher Jim Lee announced plans to revive Vertigo, the long-running imprint that was home to comics like Preacher, Fables, Y the Last Man and more over its more than 25-year history.

The imprint will fall under editor Chris Conroy and will feature creator-owned titles.

“This is my editorial dream come true,” Conroy said on social media. He currently oversees DC’s Black Label imprint as well, and confirmed Vertigo isn’t replacing it.

“DC Black Label continues, with some red-hot stories for DC’s superhero characters still on the way for years to come,” Conroy said. “Vertigo puts us back into the creator-owned business in a very big way. Yes, I’m running both; no, I haven’t lost my mind yet.”

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