comic books – SMASH PAGES

The bugs are back in Jason Aaron + Mahmud Asrar’s ‘Bug Wars: The Coming of The Wardoom’

The eight-issue miniseries, which debuts in August, will show us what’s hiding in the woods.

Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar will return the backyards of Alabama in Bug Wars: The Coming of The Wardoom, a sequel miniseries to their 2025 miniseries Bug Wars from Image Comics.

“Your favorite man-eating bug comic is back for another adventure, one that’s even bigger than before, with new heroes, new villains, new bugs and new exotic locales in the Slaymaker family’s backyard,” Aaron said. “I’m so grateful y’all have made this series such a success, because I seriously think there’s enough story here and enough of a fantastical world to explore that I could write Bug Wars until I’m worm food. May we all live to see the dew.”

The first series introduced Slade Slaymaker, the son of an entomologist who was killed by the bugs he loved. When Slade is accidentally shrunk down to the size of a bug himself, he discovers a whole new world filled with war, betrayal, magic and more. It was one of my favorite comics of 2025.

Can’t Wait for Saturday | Free Comic Book Day + Comics Giveaway Day edition

See what’s available at your local comic shop this Saturday.

Comicdom’s biggest day of the year returns on Saturday, albeit in a new form. As Mark Briscoe might say, the word of the day is “bifurcation.” The event we once knew as Free Comic Book Day and was run by Diamond Comics has been split into two as a result of their bankruptcy and the sale of their assets.

In one corner, you still have Free Comic Book Day, with new owner Universal Distribution and their partner, Lunar Distribution. In the other, you have Comics Giveaway Day, an upstart that came into being when Penguin Random House decided they wanted to participate in giving out free comics, but apparently not in the official “Free Comic Book Day” event. Net-net for fans, there will be free comics on Saturday from a host of different publishers at many comic shops, some with one logo, some with another. Either way, free comics!

So where do you get these free comics? At your local comic shop, of course — if they are participating. The Free Comic Book Day website still has a store locator you can use to find a participating retailer. Comics Giveaway Day does not have a dedicated website, but you can find more details on the PRH website, which has a Google Maps link detailing participating stores.

Many publishers use the event as an opportunity to reshare a recent favorite title or offer a prelude to an upcoming storyline or crossover. Still other will produce something wholly original or introduce a brand new title. I’ve pulled out a few that look interesting to me below. Some things to keep in mind:

Not every retailer may have every title. Depending on their shop, they may elect to only have titles they think will excite their clientele.
Some retailers may limit the number of free comics you can take, while others may require a purchase.
Speaking of which, while titles are free to consumers, they are not free to retailers. So you may want to think about buying some other comics while you’re there regardless.
Some of the titles will also be available digitally, in case you can’t make it out on Saturday. So be sure to check your favorite digital comics site on Saturday as well.

Here a few highlights to look for:

Marvel recognizes Disability Pride Month in July with a backup story running through four titles

Marieke Nijkamp and Andrea Di Vito bring together Daredevil, Misty Knight, Echo, Hawkeye and others to save Colleen Wing.

Marvel will mark Disability Pride Month this July with a serialized backup story running through four titles.

Written by Dutch author Marieke Nijkamp and illustrated by Andrea Di Vito, the story unfolds across Amazing Spider-Man #32, Uncanny X-Men #31, Fantastic Four #14 and Wolverine #24, bringing together a lineup of heroes with a range of disabilities, including Daredevil, Misty Knight, Echo, Hawkeye, Silhouette and Finesse, to save Misty’s partner Colleen Wing from a deadly threat.

Nijkamp, who is autistic, previously contributed to Marvel with a story in 2023’s Marvel’s Voices: Pride special. The writer described the project as a genuine dream assignment.

“It may sound a bit cheesy to say this is a dream project, but for these stories, I got to bring together a roster of spectacular heroes and write an epic adventure that’s all about strength in community. It really is a dream come true,” Nijkamp said.

John Layman + Rob Guillory re-team for ‘Ghostbrawler’

The ‘Chew’ creators will launch the new series with a Kickstarter next month.

John Layman and Rob Guillory, the team behind the long-running and super-awesome series Chew from Image Comics, are reuniting on a new title called Ghostbrawler.

As revealed on Guillory’s Patreon, Ghostbrawler is the story of Joey Frezzini, a boxer who died in the ring and spends his afterlife evicting ghosts — with his fists.

“My old buddy Layman and I have been developing this since December, and it is a BLAST,” Guillory wrote. “Something truly original and unique that fans of Chew will absolutely love.”

Ignition Press officially announces ‘Minotaur’ by Si Spurrier + Mike Dowling

The new title gets a preview this Saturday on Comics Giveaway Day.

The new series Minotaur by Si Spurrier and Mike Dowling will launch from Ignition Press in July, following a sneak preview that will arrive this Saturday on Free Comic Book Day/Comics Giveaway Day. The series features colors by Sofie Dodgson and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

The series combines magic, technology, horror and capitalism in a story about a near-miss apocalypse that might have been more of a “hit” than people realized.

“Minotaur begins with Arthur C. Clarke’s timeless observation that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ – then runs with it,” said writer Si Spurrier. “What’s emerged, as we put this book together, is a strange and beautiful tonal confection. On the one hand it’s intimately concerned with superintelligence and emergent technologies, but it feels like nothing so much as a fusion of Hellblazer and The X-Files. Mike Dowling’s the perfect artist for this unique fusion of subject and mood, dancing between Mignola-esque horror and glittering capitalist modernity with equally chilling aplomb.”

Exclusive | AHOY reveals Russ Braun’s variant cover for ‘The Forgotten Divine’

The debut Kickstarter campaign from the publisher of ‘Second Coming’ and ‘The Wrong Earth’ launches next month.

Today we have an exclusive first look at Russ Braun’s variant cover for The Forgotten Divine, the upcoming title from Braun and writer Mark Russell, ahead of AHOY Comics’ debut Kickstarter campaign launching next month.

The 64-page book follows Rodney Coleman, an unhoused veteran whose dreams of a faraway planet draw him toward others who’ve had the same visions, leading him to a cult that forms around their shared experience. I chatted with Russell about the project, who talked more about the main character, who we see on this variant cover.

“Rodney is somebody who used to defuse bombs for a living and now, having returned to civilian life, doesn’t find a lot of demand for that. As a result of that, and the PTSD the war left him with, his life has fallen apart. I chose him as the center of this story because I wanted it to be told from the perspective of someone to whom a cult would not seem any crazier than the world they had come from,” Russell said.

Take a look at the cover:

Patrick Kindlon + Ludovic Lalliat team for the dark fantasy series ‘Regicide’

The new series from Image Comics follows a farmhand on a doomed mission to assassinate the murderous viceroy of Transylvania.

Image Comics will publish Regicide, a new ongoing dark fantasy series written by Patrick Kindlon and illustrated by Ludovic Lalliat, beginning in August.

The series is set in Transylvania and follows a farmhand whose simple life is upended when village elders dispatch him on a dangerous mission alongside a mysterious stranger: to travel to the capital and kill the murderous viceroy.

“Ludovic and I are going for it on this one,” said Kindlon. “True monster-of-the-issue storytelling where you are guaranteed sensational and sensual battles for the souls of our heroes every month! Violence you can feel in a world so dripping with evil the droplets will hit your head as you read! It’s submit to the Impaler or die on a pike!”

Watch the launch trailer for Matt Kindt’s ‘Mind MGMT: New & Improved’

The print-only, 100% Human-Made first issue debuts in June.

Matt Kindt’s return to Mind MGMT is shaping up to be one of the most carefully constructed comic book launches in recent memory, as Oni Press continues to march toward the June debut of Mind MGMT: New & Improved #1.

Today, they’ve released a trailer for the series, which will mark Kindt’s return to the world of Mind MGMT after the original series concluded in 2015. The new series, published under Kindt’s Flux House imprint, begins with an entirely self-contained entry point, following two investigators, Detective Delphi and Detective Swon, who find themselves at the center of a string of seemingly impossible murders: former Mind Management agents being killed in arcane and untraceable ways by a faceless killer capable of evading digital surveillance.

“I’ve been working on this book for 10 years — without even realizing it,” Kindt said. “Mind MGMT: New & Improved was a subliminal message I sent myself. And for the last decade it’s grown in my head, like a virus, with every passing day. I can’t imagine a better, more truthful time in the world to release it than 2026. Mind MGMT: New & Improved will shatter all the lies from my previous series and the truth shall set us free.”

Slugfest | ‘Action Comics’ hits issue #1100 in DC’s July solicitations

From a milestone issue to a Dark Knight/Lex Luthor team-up, here’s a rundown of the notable items from DC’s July solicitations.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. This edition focuses on DC’s July 2026 titles. Hit the links for more info.

Action Comics will hit a big milestone in July as it reaches issue #1100 — following several months behind Detective Comics, which hit issue #1100 last year. The oversized issue will feature stories from creators from across the Superman titles, including Mark Waid, Skylar Patridge, Sophie Campbell, Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Dan Slott and more.

Her’s a look at the main cover by Ryan Sook:

Zack Kaplan + John Pearson reunite for ‘The Smart Division’

The five-issue series arrives in August from Dark Horse Comics.

Zack Kaplan and John Pearson, who previously collaborated on the Vault Comics series Mindset, reunite for The Smart Division, a five-issue modern sci-fi detective series arriving in August from Dark Horse Comics. The series is lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou and designed by Tom Muller.

The story is built around a mysterious, predictive AI program that has begun helping people commit the perfect murder. When the technology surfaces, a mismatched pair of investigators must establish the Bureau’s first AI crimes division to hunt down the killer and the app enabling them.

“The Smart Division takes everything you loved about our first series Mindset — the playing with form, the thoughtful commentary on technology, and the tense character drama — and raises the bar, with more danger and dread,” Kaplan said. “Artificial intelligence is the hot topic of our time, but we’re exploring it like you’ve never seen — what happens when it helps us commit the perfect crimes.”

‘Absolute Wonder Woman,’ ‘The Power Fantasy’ among nominees for the 2026 Hugo Awards

Winners will be announced in August.

The nominees have been announced for the 2026 Hugo Awards, which includes a “Best Graphic Story or Comic” category.

Presented annually since 1955, the Hugo Awards recognize the best science fiction in books, comics, movies, TV and more. The Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story has been awarded since 2009, with previous winners including volumes of Saga, Ms. Marvel, Girl Genius, LaGuardia, Far Sector and Monstress. The graphic novel Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way won the category last year.

This year DC, Image and First Second all scored a nomination, with a picture book, a webcomic and an Ursula K. Le Guin adaptation rounding out the category.

This year’s nominees are:

Exclusive | First look at the slipcase for ‘The Marvel Art of Mike Zeck’

The Kickstarter campaign for the 200-plus page coffee table book celebrating the artist behind ‘Secret Wars,’ ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ and the first ‘Punisher’ miniseries, launches soon

Today we have an exclusive first look at the slipcase for The Marvel Art of Mike Zeck, the 10th volume in Clover Press and Marvel’s ongoing series of high-end artbooks celebrating legendary Marvel artists.

You can follow the campaign on Kickstarter.

The slipcase itself is a showcase of some of Zeck’s most iconic imagery. The front features his artwork from the cover of Captain America #286, which featured a Deathlok story by J.M. DeMatteis and Zeck. It’s inked by John Beatty, Zeck’s frequent collaborator during his celebrated run on the title. The back features a striking pin-up from Silver Surfer Annual #4, and tucked on the spine is an image of Kraven the Hunter from Kraven’s Last Hunt, the landmark Spider-Man story that remains one of Zeck’s most enduring projects.

“I first met Mike at the Chicago Comicon in 1986 right after his Punisher was released, and he left such a positive impression on this very impressionable kid,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “I had the privilege of working with him on a couple of projects over the years, and I am thrilled that in retirement, he’s agreed to be a part of our prestigious The Marvel Art Of… line of art books.

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