SDCC | It’s Christmas in July (and August, and September …) in ‘Christmas 365’

Mikey Way, Jonathan Rivera and Piotr Kowalski get jolly in a new miniseries coming from Dark Horse this December.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Comic-Con, as a few hours before the big event starts, Dark Horse has announced Christmas 365, a four-issue miniseries by Mikey Way, Jonathan Rivera and Piotr Kowalski.

“Like most kids growing up, I never wanted Christmas to end,” Way said. “When it’s over, you’re left having to wait an entire year for that magical feeling to return. I would often fantasize…what if it never had to end? That very thought was what sparked this story. But as the saying goes, is too much of a good thing not so good?”

Way is the bassist for My Chemical Romance, where his bandmate, brother and fellow comics writer, Gerard Way, is the lead singer. He’s also written Collapser for DC Comics. Rivera worked on Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye, part of Gerard Way’s Young Animal imprint a few years back. Kowalski, meanwhile, is the artist of Where Monsters Lie and its upcoming sequel; the graphic novel Skinner, which came out this week; and a whole lot more. The creative team is rounded out by Brad Simpson on colors and Joshua Reed on letters.

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SDCC | Ariela Kristantina returns to Comixology Originals for ‘The Girl Who Draws on Whales’

The new graphic novel arrives on digital in October and in print from Dark Horse Comics next March.

Ariela Kristantina, the artist of the Comixology Original graphic novel Adora and the Distance, is working again with the digital comics platform on a new original graphic novel she’ll both write and draw: The Girl Who Draws on Whales.

The OGN will arrive on the digital platform in October, and features colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice and edits by Will Dennis. Inspired by her homeland of Indonesia, Kristantina’s post-apocalyptic story is about a flooded Earth where the remaining villages are separated by water — but connected by the art they draw on whales.

“Creating The Girl Who Draws on Whales has been a deeply personal and exhilarating experience,” Kristantina said. “Living in the island nation of Indonesia, surrounded by the beauty and mystery of the sea, I drew inspiration from the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of our islands. Through Wangi and Banyu’s story, I wanted to capture the bravery it takes to defy expectations and the strength found in siblinghood. This journey of art, courage, and discovery reflects the resilience of our spirit and the magic that storytelling brings to life. I hope readers feel the same sense of wonder and connection that I felt while crafting this tale.”

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SDCC | Mignola + Stenbeck return to the Hellboy-verse for ‘The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England’

The three-issue miniseries begins in November.

With SDCC on the horizon AND it being the 30th anniversary of Hellboy, it only makes sense we’d get some news from Mike Mignola this week. And now we have, in the form of The Serpent in the Garden: Ed Grey and the Last Battle for England, a new miniseries by Mignola, artist Ben Stenbeck, colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Clem Robins.

The series stars paranormal investigator Ed Grey, who first appeared in Hellboy: Wake the Devil and went on to star in Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder. This new series finds him going up against famed sorceress Morgan Le Fay in a battle for England.

“Ed Grey feels to me like he took off like a rocket,” said Mignola. “He was my ‘regular guy’ occult detective but then just kept going. Being dismembered and stitched back together didn’t even slow him down. He became a magician and flew around doing stuff. He decided to take on some of Hellboy’s curse and everything just kept beating him and he just kept getting up, and before too long, I just felt bad for him and wanted to give him a quiet place to sit down – retire in peace. BUT he had just one more (I hope) thing to do and then not only could he retire but he could retire another of my favorite characters. Let’s hope both of them can finally relax after this one last battle for England.”

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SDCC | Kelly Sue DeConnick + David López reunite for the magical realism miniseries ‘FML’

The eight-issue series arrives in November from Dark Horse Comics.

Kelly Sue DeConnick and David López, the creators behind Marvel’s well-regarded reboot of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel some years ago, are reuniting for a new creator-owned series that’s coming from Dark Horse Comics this fall.

FML, which stands for … well, search it up … is about a teenager and his mom navigating a world of modern terrors, punk rock music and magical realism. DeConnick has been teasing it in her newsletter and dropping in Easter eggs, like a website for a band from the comic where you can already buy FML T-shirts. DeConnick and López are joined on the project by colorist Cris Peter and letterer Clayton Cowles, both of whom are veterans of DeConnick’s Bitch Planet.

“David and I have been talking about doing something creator-owned together since Captain Marvel, but it took years for the stars and our schedules to properly align,” said DeConnick. “Now that we’re here though, it almost feels planned — like we needed exactly as long as it took us to grow and change, both as artists and as people, so that we could come back together for this big swing.”

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SDCC | Dark Horse announces ‘Arcbound’ by Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri, Tom Hardy + Ryan Smallman

The science fiction maxi-series will kick off in November.

It wouldn’t be Comic-Con season without some announcements of celebrities writing (or producing, or “based on a concept by”-ing) comics. In this case, Venom actor Tom Hardy is working with an impressive array of talent to bring a comic called Arcbound to Dark Horse.

Hardy is working with veteran writers Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri, and artist Ryan Smallman and colorist Frank William on the science fiction story.

“I’ve been lucky enough throughout my career to work with some of the biggest, most inventive talents in the industry. So when I was given the opportunity to work with Frank Tieri, Ryan Smallman, and, of course, Tom Hardy, I jumped at it,” Snyder said. “These are all creators that have an innate understanding of how characters tick and what makes their narratives sing across all kinds of media. Getting to craft a brand new universe with such immense creative voices is beyond a treat for me, and I can’t wait to share what we’ve been crafting this past year with all of you. Arcbound is going to blow you away!”

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SDCC | Jeff Lemire + Teddy Kristiansen present a ‘new beginning’ in ‘Black Hammer: Spiral City’

The seven-issue miniseries set in a chaotic new world begins this fall.

Rumors of the demise of the Black Hammer universe were … well, not exactly exaggerated, but sometimes endings bring new beginnings.

With that in mind, Jeff Lemire returns to a rearranged universe with Black Hammer: Spiral City, which “follows a new cast of heroes struggling to survive in a chaotic new world.” The miniseries also features artwork by Danish comics artist Teddy Kristiansen, who you probably know from drawing The Sandman, It’s a Bird and a lot of other great-looking comics.

“Teaming with one of my all-time favorite artists, Teddy Kristiansen, I knew this book needed to be special,” said Lemire. “It’s a brand-new era for the Black Hammer Universe. New stories, new characters, and a whole new direction. Black Hammer: The End was the culmination of the last eight years of storytelling, and now Black Hammer: Spiral City is truly a new beginning. It’s both a great jumping on point for curious readers, and a bold new direction for long time fans.”

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SDCC | Comixology + Dark Horse announces ‘Neptune’ by Michael Conrad + Nathan Ooten

The graphic novel will arrive on the digital platform in September, followed by a print edition from Dark Horse next year.

Comixology Originals will publish the revenge tale Neptune in September by Tremor Dose writer Michael Conrad and debuting artist Nathan Ooten.

They’re joined by letterer Kyle Arends on the project, which is described as “a bleak examination of the capitalist machine.” The story revolves around a former prison inmate investigating the mysterious death of his brother.

“Following books like Tremor Dose and Double Walker isn’t easy, I remain quite proud of both of those stories,” Conrad said. “With Neptune, I wanted to rip something from the headlines and address it in a graphic novel. The result feels far less like ‘entertainment’ and more like observing a car crash, a thing you don’t wish to see, but can’t look away from. Nathan Ooten nailed it; each page manages to be at once a beautiful display of his multimedia approach to sequential art, and a profane representation of quite vile subject matter.”

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Horror filmmakers David Ian + Rebekah McKendry head to ‘Barstow’ with Tyler Jenkins + Justin Birch

The horror-comedy title arrives from Dark Horse this fall.

Filmmakers David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry will team with artist Tyler Jenkins and letterer Justin Birch for Barstow, a horror comedy coming from Dark Horse later this year.

The McKendrys are the husband and wife team who worked on horror films like Glorious and All the Creatures Were Stirring. Jenkins, meanwhile, is the award-winning artist of titles like Grass Kings and Hairball.

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Check out an exclusive clip from the ‘She Could Fly’ game by Wowbagger Productions

Christopher Cantwell and Martín Morazzo’s Berger Books series has been adapted into a video game about OCD and mental health.

She Could Fly by writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Martín Morazzo achieved liftoff in 2018 from Dark Horse Comics’ Berger Books imprint. It was the first published comic written by Cantwell, and also one that was very personal, as it featured a main character with OCD — something he’s spoken about suffering from since he was 10 years old.

Now She Could Fly has become part of a “documentary game” — the She Could Fly Documentary Escape Game, which is a point and click game from Wowbagger Productions that takes players on a looping adventure to explore OCD.

“For me, in the graphic novel, flying is a form of relief or freedom for the main characters,” Cantwell said. “In my life, what I look for, in terms of relief or freedom, is not happiness but peace of mind. Real peace of mind. Peace of mind is very important to me, and it’s something I’m always striving for. And I hope that by playing this game or reading our story, it helps you find some peace of mind as well.”

The game features artwork by Morazzo and colorist Miroslav Mrva from She Could Fly as part of the gameplay elements, and the creators hope it puts a spotlight on, and helps people understand, how OCD can affect someone.

“The work we do at Wowbagger Productions is very much about collaborating with creatives from marginalised perspectives to share less-known stories,” said Wowbagger Productions founder Sara Kenney, who wrote, directed and produced the game. “This is our first digital game and decades of storytelling and producing experience meant we ensured the comic, documentary and gameplay works together and flows in a meaningful way. Games for impact are an arena that the team at Wowbagger Productions are passionate about and want to continue our work, not just combining art and science, but also the different disciplines of games, comics and film.”

Check out our exclusive video clip below, which shows how some of the comic pages from She Could Fly are used in the game:

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James Robinson + J. Bone reunite for ‘Welcome to the Maynard’

The new series about a magical hotel opens its doors at Dark Horse Comics in November.

James Robinson’s return to comics continues in November, as he and his Saviors collaborator J. Bone check into the Maynard, a magical hotel for with witches and otherworldly creatures. Dark Horse Comics will publish the four-issue miniseries.

Welcome to the Maynard will focus on the hotel’s newest bellhop and amateur detective, as she tries to stop a magical thief. The series will follow Patra, which is also written by Robinson and debuts in August.

It’s a thrill to be reunited with my dear friend J. Bone,” said Robinson. “I love his art and his collaborative spirit, both, so Welcome To The Maynard has been a joy to write. I’m also excited to do a series (akin to Leave It To Chance, back in the day) that can be enjoyed on different levels, by readers young and old.”

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Caitlin Yarsky’s ‘Living Hell’ debuts from Dark Horse this fall

The new series features a demon who escapes from hell to become a bartender.

While you might know Caitlin Yarsky mainly as an artist, of comics like Black Hammer Reborn, Coyotes, Catwoman and more, that’s about to change. This fall, she’ll write and draw Living Hell, a new series coming from Dark Horse Comics.

The comic will feature a demon named Jerome Jameel, who escapes from Hell to become a bartender on Earth. But his transgressions lead him to become a bailiff for the underworld, hunting down dieties, monsters, ghosts and more.

“Almost every mythology around the world has its own version of an underworld—a land of the dead, the embodiment of despair,” Yarsky said. “Living Hell explores the lengths we’ll go to transcend generational trauma and the prisons of our past. It’s a story about family, the fantasy of a clean slate, and of course, cool monsters.”

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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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