Carnage reigns over Miles Morales this May

Alex Paknadel, Cody Ziglar, Julius Ohta and more will pit the “greener” Spider-Man against the sadistic symbiote.

Miles Morales and friends will face off with Carnage in a crossover event that will run through both their titles starting in May.

Carnage Reigns will kick off with an alpha issue by writers Alex Paknadel and Cody Ziglar, and artist Julius Ohta. The seven-part crossover will run through issues of Carnage, Miles Morales: Spider-Man and the recently launched Red Goblin. Oh, and Iron Man is involved, as Carnage is trapped in the “Extrembiote Armor” Tony Stark created during King in Black. The whole thing will wrap up in an omega issue in June.

Carnage Reigns is an old-fashioned David and Goliath story pitting a greener Spider-Man against the most sadistic monster in the Marvel Universe—Cletus Kasady!” Paknadel explained to Bloody Disgusting. “Miles has only been this out of his depth on a handful of occasions, which is a gift from a storytelling perspective. I’ve really enjoyed crafting this tale with Cody Ziglar, and we’ve developed a really fun, really productive working shorthand and that fun is present on the page! We know this story will satisfy fans of both characters in their first-ever crossover!”

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Wheeler + Kyriazis create the purr-fect cat-themed thriller

IDW will publish the six-issue ‘Cat Fight’ starting in May.

Andrew Wheeler, writer of one of Smash Pages’ favorites, Sins of the Black Flamingo, is teaming up with Ilias Kyriazis (Collapser, Secret Identities) on a new heist thriller featuring cat burglars — cat-themed cat burglars. Cat Fight “follows a debonaire jewel thief whose decadent sensibilities and taste for high-powered thrills inadvertently lead him down a path of illicit intrigue.”

“I’m so excited for readers to escape into our world of glamorous adventure! Cat Fight is an action thriller about family and connection in an age of disconnection, a vacation from gray skies and ordinary lives,” Wheeler said. “The art team has done an incredible job bringing this breakneck ride to life. It’s John Wick meets Kill Bill meets…well, Cats!

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Mad Cave will launch ‘Monomyth’ in May

David Hazzan, Cecilia Lo Valvo, Marissa Louise and Lucas Gattoni present a story about ‘the darkest side of stories.’

Mad Cave Studios has announced a new fantasy/horror series by Nottingham scribe David Hazzan, with artwork by Cecilia Lo Valvo of Grimm Tales from the Cave fame. They’re joined by colorist Marissa Louise and award-winning letterer Lucas Gattoni.

Monomyth is “a story about the darkest side of stories…how they use people, twist people and affect people and the dangers of getting stuck telling the same tired tales.”

Monomyth has been a wonderful opportunity to explore both the magic of storytelling as well as to plumb its darkest recesses…because maybe it’s just me, but if I ever got a letter inviting me to a school for magic, I’d tear it up!” Hazan said. “And Cecilia and Marissa together have done such a wonderful job of illustrating that juxtaposition between wonder and terror as our cast discover that magic is both everything and nothing like what they imagined. Lucas’ innovative letters only intensify the mystery and terror in a world where magic is stories.”

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‘The Rocketeer’ returns for a one-shot in May

Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Adam Hughes, Jae Lee and more contribute stories to the anthology.

IDW will publish an anthology one-shot featuring Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer, with stories by Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Adam Hughes, Jae Lee and more.

The idea for the project sprang from 2022 documentary Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection by Kelvin Mao. Mao found out that The screenwriters for The Rocketeer movie, Bilson and De Meo, had written a Rocketeer comic book script featuring the Rocketeer teaming with Amelia Earhart. Hughes will draw that story, while Mao and Windom each wrote a new story for the one-shot.

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Marvel returns to the ‘Planet of the Apes’ in April

David F. Walker and Dave Wachter bring the franchise back to Marvel with a new ongoing series.

Marvel has revealed more details on their Planet of the Apes relaunch, which will hit stores in April. The publisher revealed last year that they had once again obtained the license to make POTA comics for the first time since the 1970s.

The ongoing series by David F. Walker and Dave Wachter will be set during the war between humans and apes, after the ALZ-113 virus infects humanity and the world begins to crumble.

“Not only is Planet of the Apes my favorite film franchise, it was my favorite series of comics from Marvel when I was a kid,” Walker said. “Both the films and the comics ignited my imagination and helped me fall in love with the art of storytelling. To be part of Marvel’s return to the Planet of the Apes is more than an honor, it is a childhood dream come true.”

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Four ‘Before the Fall’ one-shots precede the next X-Men event

Before Fall of X kicks off this summer, four one-shots will ‘put all the pieces in place’ for the big crossover event.

Marvel has revealed that this year’s Hellfire Gala, an in-book event the X-Men have held since the launch of the Krakoa era, will tie into Fall of X, the upcoming X-Men-themed summer crossover event. But prior to Fall of X, Marvel will release four one-shots that will “tie up long-simmering plotlines, reintroduce major players and put all the pieces in place for the dramatic events of the third annual Hellfire Gala.”

They also plan to hold another fan vote for membership into the X-Men, as they’ve done for the past two years. It kicks off tomorrow.

Each of the one-shots will be written by a current X-title scribe — Kieron Gillen, Al Ewing, Steve Orlando and Si Spurrier — and will feature everything from the return of Apocalypse to a big showdown between Legion and Nimrod.

According to Marvel, Fall of X will answer the question, “Can Krakoa last forever?” which seems to indicate a change is coming to the current X-Men status quo. We know that at one point Jonathan Hickman, the original architect of the Krakoa era, had two more chapters planned in his bigger X-Men storyline, but he backed away from the second part when he realized the creators making Krakoa-focused comics were having such a great time. That suggested Krakoa would go away or change in some way … could that plan be back on?

I guess we’ll find out this summer, but for now, check out the covers and info for the “Before the Fall” books:

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Marvel announces a new ‘Alien’ title by Shalvey and Broccardo

The xenomorphs return in April.

Marvel has announced that Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight, Time Before Time) and Andrea Broccardo (Doctor Strange/Punisher: Magic Bullets, Doctor Aphra) will create the next Alien series. It kicks off in April and features a new cast taking on the xenomorphs on an icy moon.

“It’s incredibly exciting to take on such a brilliant franchise …the potential for great stories is limitless,” Shalvey said. “I feel like the themes from the films remain quite relevant to today, which makes me feel like we’re able to tell contemporary stories set in that iconic universe. I’m very much hoping to channel the mood and atmosphere of those films while doing something new and Andrea has done an incredible job of putting the reader in that recognizable world. With this new series, I think we have a really interesting addition to the lore of Alien.”

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DC will launch new Titans, Cyborg + Green Lantern titles

Dawn of DC continues in May.

DC has revealed three more titles and their creative teams for their 2023 Dawn of DC publishing initiative, which Publisher Jim Lee called “one of our most ambitious initiatives ever” and “a chance for us to tell bigger and bolder stories across our line” when it was announced back in November.

Today brings news of three new titles featuring some old favorites, all of which will kick off in May:

  • Titans by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott, which is not surprising given the end of Nightwing #100 earlier this month
  • Green Lantern by Jeremy Adams and Xermánico, which will feature a main story focus on Hal Jordan, with a back-up by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Osvaldo Montos focusing on John Stewart.
  • Cyborg by Morgan Hampton, a graduate of The Milestone Initiative Talent Development Program, along with Tom Raney.

They also released an updated infographic on their plans for 2023:

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Dennis Culver reveals ‘Unstoppable Doom Patrol’ scratch-off variant covers

Each cover will include a random Crazy Jane personality under the scratch off by artist Chris Burnham and colorist Brian Reber.

Dennis Culver, the writer of DC’s upcoming Dawn of DC title The Unstoppable Doom Patrol, has revealed five “scratch off” variant covers for the first issue by series artist Chris Burnham and colorist Brian Reber.

The covers will feature Doom Patrol member Crazy Jane looking in a mirror, which can then be scratched off to reveal one of five of her personalities. I mean, if you’re inclined to scratch it off. I totally would, but I’m sure that’s akin to opening a polybagged version of those Rob Liefeld X-Force covers from back in the day so I could see the back of the trading cards that were included.

Here’s a look at the unscratched cover:

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‘TMNT: Last Ronin’ expands with a new one-shot, director’s cut

IDW announces a tie-in story focused on April O’Neil as well as a ‘director’s cut’ version of the ‘Lost Years’ miniseries.

Tomorrow sees the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin–Lost Years #1, the first issue of a new miniseries that serves as prequel to IDW recent smash hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, an “Old Man Logan” approach to the latter years of your favorite heroes in a half shell. To accompany that series, IDW has announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Day Special, a one-shot that will “straddle both the past and the future of the Last Ronin universe.”

The 40-page special issue, available in May, is by writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, illustrator Ben Bishop and colorist Luis Antonio Delgado. The story will be told from the point of view of April O’Neil, as she and her daughter raise for new mutant turtles.

“As Tom Waltz and I dig deep into the evolution of New York City post-Last Ronin, the Lost Day tale brings the future of all things TMNT up close and very personal,” Eastman said. “Buckle up, things are about to get messy!”

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Ghost Rider + Wolverine will team up this summer in ‘Weapons of Vengeance’

Two Marvel anti-heroes reunite courtesy of writer Benjamin Percy and artist Geoff Shaw.

Writer Benjamin Percy has been tearing it up in the pages of Ghost Rider and Wolverine, and come this summer he’ll bring the two characters together for Weapons of Vengeance.

The event will kick off, naturally, with an Alpha issue, titled Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance. Drawn by Geoff Shaw, the Alpha issue will recount the first encounter between Johnny Blaze and Wolverine.

“Wolverine is metal. Ghost Rider is metal. Together, their adamantium and chrome weigh in as HEAVY METAL!” Percy told Marvel.com. “You know how Metallica and Iron Maiden have toured together, shredded out songs, wailed on music videos? This is a little like that. I write the sheet music that Geoff Shaw brings to pyrotechnic, guitar-smashing life. You’re in for a head-banging good time, I promise.”

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Higgins, Clark + more will play some ‘Deep Cuts’ in April

The new anthology series looks back at the history of jazz.

Kyle Higgins has been slowly but surely building up a new superhero universe — the Massive-verse — over the last few years, but his next project at Image Comics is a departure from that. Higgins will team with Radiant Black co-writer Joe Clark for Deep Cuts, an anthology series inspired by the history of jazz music.

Higgins and Clark will jam with several artists on the series, including Danilo Beyruth, Helena Masellis, Diego Greco, Ramón K Pérez, Juni Ba and Toby Cypress, with all issues colored by Igor Monti, who they’ve worked with on Radiant Black, Inferno Girl Red and Supermassive. The covers will all connect, spanning 60 iconic years of music history and featuring artwork by Chris Brunner and Rico Renzi.

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