SDCC | Tyler Kirkham levels up to ‘Final Boss’ in November

Kirkham will write and draw the new series, which debuts at Image Comics this November.

Tyler Kirkham started his career at Top Cow, and has since done work for DC and Marvel — enough to get his own The Marvel Art of Tyler Kirkham book from Clover Press — but hasn’t done any creator-owned work at Image, until now. In the lead up to this week’s San Diego Comic-Con, Image has announced Final Boss, a new ongoing series written and drawn by Kirkham that will debut in November.

Final Boss is a culmination of everything I loved growing up as an ’80s and ’90s kid,” said Kirkham. “From the fan-favorite action heroes and beat ’em up arcade games to the groundbreaking energy of early Image comics. It’s a no-holds-barred nostalgic action adventure!”

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SDCC | Dynamite to publish ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Angel’ comics

Kelly Thompson will serve as the “master architect and writer” for both series.

In the lead-up to the San Diego Comic-Con, Dynamite Entertainment has announced they are working with 20th Century Television on new comic titles starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Kelly Thompson, writer of Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey and many other comic titles, will write both series and serve as the “architect” for both. No word yet on when the series will be set in the Buffy mythos or the artists involved, although David Nakayama provided the image used with the press release.

Thompson shared more about her personal connection to the character and the original TV series.

“In my early days trying to figure out how to be a writer and what stories mattered to me and why — no heroine quite broke through for me like Buffy Summers,” Thompson said. “She was somehow everything my young geek heart had always wanted but hadn’t known to ask for. Something about that delicate alchemy of horror, fantasy, and comedy paired with a hero so pure of heart and yet flawed and relatable was… impossible to deny. I fell deeply in love with Buffy, and following that, her whole world. Her ex-boyfriend is now a supernatural detective in Los Angeles you say? Inject it directly into my veins! But unlike a lot of other worlds I loved, the world of Buffy and Angel somehow never fell to the wayside. I could always come back to it and find something new, or something I’d missed, or something I needed. And I hope this new story we’re telling can do the same for old and new fans everywhere.”

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Kyle Starks + Piotr Kowalski tap the ‘Devil On My Shoulder’

The miniseries debuts from Dark Horse Comics in November.

Kyle Starks first caught my attention with his more humor-oriented comics, but that impression has changed in the past few years as he’s gone deeper into horror. Following Where Monsters Lie and Those Not Afraid, Starks will next work with artist Piotr Kowalski, colorist Brad Simpson and letterer Josh Reed on Devil On My Shoulder.

The four-issue miniseries, coming from Dark Horse Comics this fall, is about a woman who, after being tortured, gets revenge on her captors.

“I wanted to do something new with Devil On My Shoulder – I wanted to do something dark and horrifying. A true Horror Story in the style of the classic Bloody Revenges,” said Starks. “This book has terrible people doing terrible things and then suffering terrible consequences. Our villains are awful, do monstrous things and our heroine’s revenge will be equal to what she takes if not worse. Be forewarned, this is not a comedy. This is not humorous. This is a violent and nasty, action-filled book for fans of horror comics, The Crow, Revenge, Kill Bill or I Saw The Devil. We made a book for lovers of revenge and violence and you couldn’t ask for a better partner than Piotr Kowalski. This is our third book together and I think it’s some of his best work yet – it’s extremely cinematic.”

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David Brothers + Nick Dragotta bring ‘Good Devils’ to Image Comics

The three-story anthology one-shot arrives in October.

David Brothers and Nick Dragotta will bring their two-man, three-story anthology Good Devils: Don’t Play Fair with Evil to Image Comics this fall.

The 64-page one-shot features stories about the apocalypse and a boxer, among others, and the three stories were previously featured in the Cry Punch anthology, at the ShortBox Comics Fair, and as a back-up tale in Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillip’s Newburn.

“If you like fight comics, blood and honor, you’ll like this collection of short stories,” Dragotta said. “I’m so happy Image is collecting them all together for the first time in floppy form.”

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Matt Kindt + David Rubin scratch their ‘crazy 1950s Superboy’ itch with ‘Space Scouts’

The three-issue, magazine-sized series will begin in November.

Matt Kindt and David Rubin, who previously teamed on Ether, will collaborate once again on Space Scouts. The three-issue sci-fi space odyssey will be published through Kindt’s Flux House imprint at Dark Horse.

Space Scouts is dream project that David and I have had for a long time – getting to tell a story that centers around thousands of teenage super-heroes recruited to save the universe,” said Kindt. “It gives us a chance to let our creativity run wild – with different super powers and aliens all tied to a competition/reality show. As a long-time fan of the crazy 1950s Superboy comic book covers – this scratches that inspirational itch.”

Each issue will be magazine-sized (8” x 10.875”) with 32 story pages and bonus content.

“Working with David is something I will never turn down. He’s a generational talent – I’m happy to just be alive and working in the same era as him. There hasn’t been a visual artist as inventive and energetic as David since Jack Kirby. He channels that same bonkers energy without being derivative in the least – David is a true original,” Kindt said.

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‘X-Vengers,’ ‘Cloak or Dagger’ + more round out the ‘Age of Revelation’ titles

The final titles announced for the upcoming X-Men event will all kick off in the final week of October.

It’s the fourth and final round of Age of Revelation titles, as Marvel reveals the titles that’ll kick off on Oct. 29. This round features different takes on Deadpool, Cloak and Dagger, the Avengers and more.

The spiritual successor to the Age of Apocalypse event from the 1990s, Age of Revelation features the Heir to Apocalypse, Doug Ramsey, taking over the world and creating a new mutant paradise that’s built on a lie. If you checked out this week’s prelude issue, then Xorn has already explained to you how, 10 years in the future, everything has changed in the Marvel Universe under the rule of Doug Ramsey (which is a weird sentence to type, being an old school New Mutants fan).

Details on these final titles can be found below, and if you’re planning to be at the San Diego Comic Con next week, you can find out more details at Marvel’s X-Men panel on Thursday at 1:45 p.m. PT. Here’s their full panel line-up.

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EC Comics draws down on the Western genre in ‘Outlaw Showdown’

Oni Press will publish the one-shot anthology in October.

John Arcudi, Brian Azzarello, David Lapham, Tony Moore, Ann Nocenti, David Lapham and more will saddle up for Outlaw Showdown, a one-shot anthology coming in October from EC Comics and Oni Press.

While the Western genre may not be the first to come to mind when you think of classic EC Comics, the notorious publisher did release several titles featuring cowboys and outlaws.

“Ever since we first began drawing up plans for the return of EC Comics at Oni Press, we knew there were genres and stories that would fit EC like a glove – and westerns were always close to the top of that list,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “It’s no secret that classic Golden Age series like Gunfighter and Saddle Justice have always been integral – if somewhat under-considered – components of EC’s destructive DNA. But, with Outlaw Showdown – and the other forthcoming genre specials that will follow in its wake – we’re aiming to enhance and amplify the combustible combination of ingredients that has made EC’s stories sing – or scream! – across 70-plus years of comics history. These are stories that will grab you tighter than a hangman’s noose . . . and leave you kicking and screaming for more before the last page is through.”

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Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson + more pit hero against hero in ‘DC K.O.’

The DC All In event series will see heroes battling in a tournament for the honor of becoming King Omega.

Now here’s something we can get behind — DC has announced DC K.O., a new event series that features DC heroes in a smash’em up brawl-for-all style tournament, with enough power to rival Darkseid as the prize.

Scott Snyder will write the five-issue series, joined by artist Javi Fernandez. Joshua Williamson, meanwhile, will serve as Snyder’s tag-team partner and write several of the tie-in titles, including a prologue called Justice League: The Omega Act.

DC K.O. is a knock-down, drag-out fight between all your favorite DC Super Heroes in a cosmic tournament to save the universe from Darkseid,” said Snyder. “Darkseid has evolved into something bigger and stronger than ever.”

“He’s destroyed the future,” added Williamson. “There’s no future for the DC Universe because of what he’s done—the heroes’ only shot is to stop him in the present.”

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Quentin Quire, Wolverine + Spider-Man join the ‘Age of Revelation’

Plus, Jed MacKay and Netho Diaz show us what the new world leader is up to in ‘X-Men: Book of Revelation.’

If you’ve been following along, you know that Marvel has been announcing all week the titles and creative teams that’ll make up their Age of Revelation event. The event and all its titles kick off in October — not including the prelude that was stealth-released this week — and today brings four more to add to the list.

Loosely based on the Age of Apocalypse event from the 1990s, this one features the newly minted Heir to Apocalypse, Doug Ramsey, taking over the world and creating a new mutant paradise — but it’s all built on a lie! Some mutants back him, others rebel against him, while some seem to have their own drama going on.

Today’s titles feature Wolverine, both the original vintage and a brand-new version; Quentin Quire, who is all grown up; and Spider-Man — yes, the Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, not Nightcrawler dressing up as him. There’s also a title focused on Revelation himself, written by the event’s architect Jed MacKay and drawn by Netho Diaz.

Check out the four titles and their creative team below. They all have first issues debuting on Oct. 22.

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DC’s Absolute villains unite in ‘Absolute Evil’ this October

See what DC has in store for the Absolute titles as they celebrate their first year.

Almost a year to the day that DC announced their “All In” publishing plans and the birth of the Absolute Universe, the publisher has revealed what October has in store for our Absolute heroes (and villains).

October of last year brought the first Absolute titles, as Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman made their way to comic shops. Those first issues went on to achieve phenomenal sales and critical acclaim, and DC continues to issue reprints for those and subsequent issues.

In a universe that’s built on putting our heroes at a disadvantage, this October will see several villains from across the Absolute Universe join forces and target the heroes. The Absolute Evil one-shot will bring that alliance to the forefront.

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Dan Abnett returns to Marvel to assemble ‘Imperial Guardians’

The former writer of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and other cosmic titles teams with Jonathan Hickman and Cory Smith for an ‘Imperial War’ tie-in.

Dan Abnett, who alongside Andy Lanning helped redefine the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova as the characters we know today, will return to Marvel’s cosmic arena with Imperial War: Imperial Guardians, a one-shot he’ll co-write with Jonathan Hickman. The duo will be joined by Cory Smith on art.

“It’s great to be back telling cosmic stories as part of the Imperial event,” Abnett said. “My time spent with Nova and the Guardians back in the day was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in comics, and Jonathan’s orchestrating exactly the kind of epic-SF-scale, character-driven and drama-packed epic I love to sink my teeth into. This is quite some ride, and the Galaxy—and the Guardians—won’t be the same again! I’d say it’s the best jumping-on point for Marvel Cosmic since the original Annihilation.”

Imperial Guardians is the fifth one-shot accompanying the Imperial miniseries that finds several cosmic empires dealing with a conspiracy/murder mystery. It will follow issues spotlighting other players in Imperial, including Black Panther, She-Hulk, Nova, and Professor X and Lilandra.

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‘Rogue Storm,’ ‘Sinister’s Six’ + more new titles revealed as part of the ‘Age of Revelation’

Gail Simone, Lucas Werneck, David Marquez and more will continue this new era of X-Men titles.

Marvel continues to roll out more details on Age of Revelation, the X-Men event that’ll jump 10 years into a future where Doug Ramsey, former New Mutant and current heir to Apocalypse, rules over the world.

Marvel revealed that they’ll publish (at least) 16 titles as part of the event, with fun twists on existing titles and characters like Cloak or Dagger and Undeadpool. Five titles and their creative teams were revealed yesterday.

Like yesterday’s announcement, today’s reveal shows that some of the creative teams for these titles can be mapped back to the current line-up — Gail Simone will continue writing the stories and characters we’re seeing in Uncanny X-Men, while Storm writer Murewa Ayodele is writing a Storm vs. Rogue title. Cavan Scott and Ruairi Coleman will revisit the relationship between Emma Frost and Tony Stark that we saw form at the end of the Krakoa era, while David Marquez (who has been showing his writing chops on titles like The Unchosen) and Rafael Loureiro bring together six random characters to pull off a heist for Mr. Sinister.

Check out the four titles announced today, all of which kick off Oct. 15, and I expect we’ll get more as the week goes on.

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