Random House Publishing Group is acquiring BOOM! Studios

The deal is expected to close this summer.

Penguin Random House has announced plans for its Random House Publishing Group divison to acquire BOOM! Studios, the publisher of BRZRKR, Something is Killing the Children, Power Rangers comics and many more titles over the course of its almost 20-year history.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but PRH expects to close the sale this summer.

BOOM! will join the Random House Worlds portfolio of imprints, which includes genre piublisher Del Rey, manga publisher Inklore and more. According to the press release, BOOM! will retain their editorial and publishing independence as they report into Scott Shannon, President of Random House Worlds.

“Over the past several years Random House Worlds has partnered with BOOM! Studios on various projects and had the benefit of seeing first-hand their best-in-class comic publishing. Ross and his team have built a dynamic, imaginative home for a diverse and talented roster of creators. We are thrilled to welcome BOOM! Studios to our house, and now work side-by-side with this imaginative team,” said Shannon. “The acquisition of BOOM! Studios is a major step in Penguin Random House’s expansion of support to the direct comics market and a key part of our commitment to being the best publisher for creators across all categories. We are excited to continue that tradition with BOOM! as part of the Random House Publishing Group.”

As to who will run things on the BOOM! side, that remains to be seen, as founder Ross Richie is leaving and Filip Sablik, their president of publishing, recently left.

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Slugfest | BOOM! announces a second ‘I Heart Skull-Crusher!’ arc

Today’s round-up includes news on SDCC, Power Rangers, Something is Killing the Children, Groo, Venom War and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. With the San Diego Comic Con rapidly approaching, you’ll probably see more of these over the next few weeks. Hit the links for more information.

As a part of their annual “Road to SDCC” announcements, BOOM! Studios has revealed that Josie Campbell and Alessio Zonno’s I Heart Skull-Crusher! will continue in October.

The BOOM! Box series was announced late last year and began in March as a miniseries, but it looks like it has grown into something more.

“Josie Campbell and Alessio Zonno have even more action-packed, hilarious hijinks in store for us,” said BOOM! Studios Editor Elizabeth Brei. “The new arc is funny, chaotic and shockingly touching, just as you’d expect from Trini and the rest of her Screaming Pain Ball teammates! We’re so excited for readers to discover the surprises still to come!”

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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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Steven S. DeKnight goes all in on comics with two new graphic novel projects

‘Beneath’ will debut from Comixology in August, while ‘Hard Bargain’ from Humanoids kicks off a crowdfunding campaign today.

While Steven S. DeKnight is no stranger to comics, he’s probably best known for his TV work, on shows like Smallville, Daredevil, Spartacus and many others. But that perception could change, as DeKnight has not one but two new graphic novels coming up that were both announced today.

Now up on Kickstarter is Hard Bargain, which features artwork by Leno Carvalho and will be published by Humanoids.

“Hard Bargain has been a dream 30 years in the making. An idea that sprang from my love of two-fisted, hard-boiled detective stories and matinee creature-features of days gone by,” said DeKnight. “I’m thrilled to finally have that dream realized via the incredible artwork of Leno Carvalho and the good people at Humanoids.”

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Can’t Wait for Wednesday | A new era of ‘X-Men’ begins this week

Check out what comics and graphic novels are arriving this week by Jed Mackay, Ryan Stegman, Gail Simone, Eddy Barrows, Rainbow Rowell, Cian Tormey, Leah Williams, Caitlin Yarsky, Chip Zdarsky, Rachael Stott, Taigami, Ilias Kyriazis, Maria Sweeney, Amy Chu, Soo Lee and more.

Welcome to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, your guide to what comics are arriving in comic book stores, bookstores and on digital.

This week the X-Men: From the Ashes line officially kicks off, as both Marvel’s Blood Hunt event and DC’s Absolute Power event continue. Amy Chu and Soo Lee return to the world of Carmilla the First Vampire, while Papercutz shares the first of many new graphic novels they have planned from their partnership with Disney.

I’ve pulled out some of the other highlights for this week below, but for the complete list of everything you might find at your local comic shop and on digital this week, you’ll want to check out one or more of the following:

As a reminder, things can change and what you find on the above lists may differ from what’s actually arriving in your local shop. So always check with your comics retailer for the final word on availability.

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Jo Duffy + Ralph Newman will receive the 2024 Bill Finger Award

The awards will be presented at Comic-Con International later this month during the Eisner Award ceremony.

Comic-Con International has announced that Jo Duffy and Ralph Newman will receive the 2024 Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing, which recognizes comic writers who made lasting contributions to comics that went largely “unsung.” The award is named for Bill Finger, whose contributions to the creation of Batman and related characters went unsung for many decades.

The two recipients were chosen by a committee headed up by comic historian and Groo writer Mark Evanier that included editor Charles Kochman, writer Kurt Busiek, artist/historian Jim Amash, cartoonist Scott Shaw! and writer/editor Marv Wolfman.

“Since 2005, we have been honoring writers whose work in the comic book industry has not, we feel, received the attention and recognition that their work deserved,” Evanier said. “This year’s posthumous recipient wrote hundreds if not thousands of comic book scripts without, as far as we can tell, ever getting his name on any of them. That’s about as unrecognized as you can be.”

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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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Curt Pires’ ‘Endless’ will debut on Comixology this Tuesday

Pires will team with Diana Nguyen, Jacoby Salcedo, Stefano Cardoselli and Ryan Quackenbush for the story of a thief lost in the multiverse.

Curt Pires’ partnership with Comixology Originals, which has brought us titles like Youth and Lost Falls, will continue this Tuesday with Endless, a five-issue miniseries drawn by several different artists.

“Endless is the story of one man’s lives across the multiverse,” Pires said in the news release. “Each issue–a new universe, a new life, drawn by one of freshest new talents in comics. Strap in and come aboard, because we’re about to take you on one hell of a trip.”

Pires is working with artists Diana Nguyen, Jacoby Salcedo, Stefano Cardoselli and Ryan Quackenbush on the story, which is about a thief who becomes unbound in space and time. They’re joined by colorist Mark Dale and letterer Micah Myers, while Sunando C provides the cover for the first issue:

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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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