Category: Comic Publishers

Stephen Wacker returns to Marvel as editor-in-chief as C.B. Cebulski moves to a new role in Asia

The change follows Marvel’s recent executive restructuring that saw Brad Winderbaum take oversight of comics alongside television, animation and franchise.

Marvel has named Stephen Wacker its new editor-in-chief, bringing the longtime editor back to the company as C.B. Cebulski steps into a newly created role overseeing Marvel’s publishing efforts in Asia.

The announcement marks another major leadership change for Marvel’s publishing division following the leadership change announced in May. At that time, Marvel announced that longtime executive Dan Buckley would depart after nearly 30 years with the company, while Brad Winderbaum expanded his responsibilities from television and animation to oversee comics and franchise. Disney executive David Abdo also joined Marvel as general manager of comics and franchise.

Now, Wacker will take over as editor-in-chief, reporting to Winderbaum, while Cebulski relocates to Japan as editor of Asia Originals, where he will oversee Marvel’s original graphic fiction and manga initiatives in the region. Which is an interesting choice, to say the least, given that Cebulski once cosplayed as a Japanese man.

“Few editors have had as long and accomplished a career as C.B. I’m grateful for his partnership over the past decade and thrilled that he’ll be on the ground in Japan, connecting with local artists and overseeing Marvel’s original graphic fiction and manga in the region,” said Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics & Franchise. “At the same time, I’m excited to welcome Stephen Wacker back to Marvel. He is a tremendous editor, a passionate advocate for creators, and someone who deeply understands that Marvel Comics is the source code of our entire enterprise, with a publishing resume that includes some of our most beloved modern runs.”

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SDCC Slugfest | Oni Press brings a can to the con

As Comic-Con International approaches, here’s more news on the show from Marvel, Skybound, IDW and more. Plus: Rascal Randy roams the streets of San Diego!

With the San Diego Comic-Con coming up on July 23-26, we have news and announcements dropping left and right, so here’s an attempt to keep up with it all. Hit the links for more info.

Matt Kindt’s Flux House imprint is known for doing things a little differently, so it’s not surprising that they’ve come up with something unique and fun for San Diego this year as they’re relaunching at Oni Press. So here’s one of the show’s more unusual exclusives: the Fort Psycho “Comic in a Can.” Limited to just 250 copies and priced at $25, the resealable can includes an exclusive 16-page mini-comic by Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt, a bumper sticker, toy army men and even a brand-new prose story printed directly on the can’s label.

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Clover Press launches a creator-owned graphic novel line, The Fourth Leaf

The publisher will launch the imprint with projects by Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard, Steve Niles, Sean Lewis and Jonathan Marks Barravecchia.

Clover Press has become well known for everything from their Marvel and DC art books to their comic strip reprints. Now the boutique publisher is launching a line of creator-owned graphic novels, calling the imprint The Fourth Leaf. (Clever name, right?)

“We’re living in an unparalleled time of creativity and opportunity in the comic book industry,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “We may not have flying cars (yet) and we may not be living on space stations (yet), but we are absolutely living in the future of near endless creative possibilities. It’s our distinct pleasure at Clover Press to spotlight some of the stories that resonate deeply with us, and connect them directly to readers looking for something new and different. These are bold, bloody and pulpy stories by fearless creators, and we’re proud to provide them a place to create without limits. These are stories to invigorate and ignite the future.”

Their first three projects under the new imprint are:

  • I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits! by longtime collaborators Doug Wagner and Daniel Hillyard, the team behind Narco, Plastic, Vinyl and many more.
  • Bear Pirate Viking Queen by Sean Lewis and Jonathan Marks Barravecchia, a hardcover collection of the Image Comics series.
  • Cal McDonald: Plague of Evil and Other Stories, a return to his supernatural detective character by writer Steve Niles, who will team up with a “superstar line-up of international artists” for this short story collection

Like most projects from Clover Press, all three will be funded through Kickstarter. See below for more information on these first three projects.

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Jhonen Vasquez says he wasn’t consulted on new BOOM! Studios ‘Invader Zim’ comics

“You’d have to be special kind of oblivious to not understand why it still sucks to not have control over something you see as ‘yours.'”

A planned revival of Invader Zim as a comic series by BOOM! Studios has met with controversy, as the cartoon’s creator, Jhonen Vasquez, said on social media that he is not involved in the comic, nor was he consulted on it.

BOOM! revealed the new Invader Zim comic last week, with plans to bring back out-of-print collections alongside new stories later this year. The announcement promised “entirely new invasions, conspiracies, and catastrophically ridiculous adventures” featuring Zim, GIR, Dib and Gaz. The original Invader Zim animated series ran on Nickelodeon and is owned by Paramount.

“I have no involvement in any of the comics, nor was I told they were gonna be happening so I was never offered a chance to throw my voice into the mix in some way,” he said in a long statement posted to Threads and other platforms.

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It’s mutants against xenomorphs in ‘Alien vs. X-Men’

The four-issue crossover includes stories by Kieron Gillen, Geraldo Borges, Chris Claremont and more.

Following their battles with the Avengers and Captain America, those pesky xenomorphs from the Alien franchise have their sights set on the X-Men.

Marvel and 20th Century Studios have announced Alien vs. X-Men, a four-issue series written by Die and The Power Fantasy writer Kieron Gillen with art by Alias: Red Band artist Geraldo Borges, which begins in September.

“Alien was the first R-rated movie I ever saw,” Gillem said. “Aliens is one of the four founding teenage films that I built my understanding of story structure upon. As a hormonal teen, I had a looming Alien poster hung over my bed. I love Aliens so much that I am unhelpfully explaining beats to Geraldo by referencing two-second sequences featuring tertiary characters, as if he cares about Ferro and Dietrich as much as I do. So, yes, this is some prime-grade bucket list stuff for me, and I’m highly enjoying taking the X-Men on an X-press elevator to hell.”

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Oni Press expands EC Comics line with ‘Cruel Kingdom 2,’ treasury edition collection

The publisher continues its EC Comics revival with another round of its fantasy-horror miniseries and a treasury-sized collection of the imprint’s best stories so far.

Oni Press is continuing its EC Comics line with two new September releases.

First up is Cruel Kingdom 2, a second helping of the dark fantasy-horror miniseries that launched last year. The six-issue miniseries will kick off with stories by writers David M. Booher, Matt Bors and Jude Ellison S. Doyle, and artists Ryan Kelly, Lukas Ketner and David Lapham.

The anthology-style series continues the EC tradition of ironic, gruesome morality tales set in a medieval fantasy world. Future issues will include contributions from John Arcudi, Ramón F. Bachs, Sarah Gailey, Sami Kivelä, Curt Pires, SOM and Alison Sampson, among others.

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Dan Buckley to depart Marvel after nearly 30 years

Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum takes on an expanded leadership role overseeing comics alongside television and animation, while Disney executive David Abdo joins the Marvel team.

Marvel has announced a leadership change that will see Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum expand his role to include comics and franchise in addition to television and animation. David Abdo will move over from Disney to become general manager of comics and franchise.

Dan Buckley, the longtime head of comics and franchise, will depart after a nearly 30 years combined with Marvel. Buckley will remain through mid-2027 to support the transition. C.B. Cebulski, current Marvel editor-in-chief, will report to Abdo.

“Brad’s exceptional creative leadership and David’s deep experience in operations and digital innovation will be a powerful pairing as we begin building out the next 90 years of Marvel’s comic book legacy,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel. “Brad brings a proven ability to lead creative teams and craft ongoing, episodic narratives that resonate with our fans around the world, while David offers a strong track record of operational excellence and strategic growth. I’m excited for what they’ll be able to do together.”

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Marvel’s Midnight Universe features dark takes on your favorite heroes

Jonathan Hickman, Ben Percy, Scie Tronc and more head to the darkside in the new line of comics that kick off this summer.

Marvel Comics is plunging its most beloved characters into the dark with the Midnight Universe, a new publishing line kicking off in August with three titles.

The initiative launches with Midnight X-Men #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte on Aug. 5, followed by Midnight Fantastic Four #1 by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker in September and Midnight Spider-Man #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and French artist Scie Tronc, making his Marvel Comics debut, in October.

“From the original New Universe to two Ultimate Universes, Marvel has a long history of creating and inspiring bold worlds filled with unforgettable characters and fresh ideas that feel new yet recognizable at the same time,” Editor in Chief C.B. Cebulski said. “With the new Midnight line, we’ve given some of our most outstanding creators the opportunity to delve into the darkest corners of their imaginations and birth some of the creepiest, most terrifying takes on the Marvel Universe you’ve ever seen.”

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DC Pride 2026 puts Galaxy and Dreamer at the center of a major Justice League event series

Years of character-building across DC’s YA and main comics lines culminate in ‘Justice League: Dream Girls,’ a four-issue Pride Month event co-written by Nicole Maines and Jadzia Axelrod

It’s Trans Day of Visibility, which seems like an excellent time to mention DC’s Pride 2026 plans.

Their plans represent something the publisher has been building toward for years — LGBTQIA+ heroes not just celebrated in standalone anthology specials, but placed at the center of a continuity-driven Justice League event series. This year’s initiative spans YA graphic novels, mainline comics and a new four-issue miniseries, anchored by Galaxy and Dreamer. It’s also spanning several months, rather than just Pride Month in June.

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DC’s Summer of Supergirl brings new comics, anthology, an Elseworlds series ahead of this summer’s film

From Sophie Campbell’s ongoing run to a new Elseworlds survival story, DC is giving Kara Zor-El her biggest publishing moment ahead of her new film.

DC is rolling out an ambitious publishing initiative tied to the upcoming Supergirl film, which comes out June 26, and the comics line supporting it spans multiple formats and creative teams.

Just like we saw with Superman last year, DC has declared this summer the “Summer of Supergirl,” which will kick off with the previously announced Supergirl: The World anthology on June 2. June will also bring:

  • Summer of Supergirl Special #1, an anthology one-shot
  • Supergirl: Survive #1, an Elseworlds tale
  • Facsimile editions of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #23 and Lobo #1
  • An oversized artbook DC W.I.P.: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1
  • Variant covers across many of DC’s June titles
  • And of course, the regular Supergirl monthly title by Sophie Campbell.

You can find more details on each of them below.

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Founder Mike Richardson out at Dark Horse Comics after 40 years as Embracer installs interim CEO

The founder of one of comics’ most influential independent publishers was removed from his position this week by parent company Embracer Group, which purchased Dark Horse in 2022.

Mike Richardson, who founded Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and served as CEO ever since, has been removed from his position by parent company Embracer Group. Gaming executive Jay Komas, who previously served as head of Embracer’s Middle Earth Enterprises division, will serve as interim CEO.

The Hollywood Reporter shared a statement Embracer sent to business partners and creators regarding the news:

“As part of our long-term vision to better align Dark Horse within a more connected and forward-looking group structure, we are implementing changes to modernize the business and strengthen collaboration across publishing, games, film, merchandise and other key areas,” Embracer said. “Our goal is simple: to ensure Dark Horse is positioned for sustained success while continuing to serve creators, partners and fans at the highest level.”

Richardson’s long road in comics started off in comcis retail with his Oregon-based store Pegasus Fantasy Books, which was later renamed Things From Another World. In 1986, he began publishing comics with a concerted effort to protect creators’ rights.

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IDW Publishing partners with Sanrio for new ‘Hello Kitty’ comic series

Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux helm ‘Hello Kitty: Hello World!’, which will debut in July.

IDW Publishing has entered into a partnership with Sanrio to publish Hello Kitty comics. The line launches with Hello Kitty: Hello World!, a new ongoing series written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Cody Lemieux, arriving in July.

“It’s truly an honor to team up with Sanrio to create Hello Kitty comics,” said Davidi Jonas, CEO of IDW Publishing. “We’re thrilled to craft comics that celebrate the cute and fun spirit of the franchise while uplifting readers of every age. We can’t wait for these comics to bring inspiring and joyful stories to comic shops everywhere.”

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