Slugfest | SDCC news + more

Today’s round-up includes items on Ms. Marvel, ‘Operation Sunshine,’ Zod, Supergirl and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you from comics creators, publishers and more. Today’s edition includes some San Diego news we didn’t get to this past week, plus a few other items to note. Hit the links for more information.

If you read the Hellfire Gala 2023 special this week, then you know Ms. Marvel is playing a big role in what happens next to our favorite mutants. At San Diego, Marvel revealed more about Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, the Fall of X miniseries featuring the recently resurrected Inhuman/mutant.

Here’s a look at the covers for the first three issues, along with the solicitation information (which was “hidden” when Marvel originally released their solicitations, to keep everything a surprise).

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Christian Ward takes Batman into a ‘City of Madness’ in a new Black Label series

The three-issue series will feature the Court of Owls and a twisted version of Batman.

DC’s solicitations for October arrived today, revealing a project from Christian Ward that originated from a social media post last year.

“One day I’ll do my cosmic horror Batman,” Ward wrote on Twitter (0r X, or whatever it’s called now). Someone was listening, because that image spawned a three-issue, 48-page Black Label series from DC, and it kicks off Oct. 10.

With this being the day after San Diego, it might seem odd that DC wouldn’t have mentioned such a major project at the convention, but there is something appropriate about Ward essentially announcing it on Twitter. Here’s the original tweet:

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Beast Boy leads the pack in ‘Titans: Beast World’

The crossover event will spin out of Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott’s work on ‘Titans.’

When an interstellar Sea Star that rivals Starro the Conqueror threatens Earth, one hero will step up to save the world — Beast Boy.

In San Diego today, DC announced Titans: Beast World, a crossover event spinning out of Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott’s work on Titans. The event will begin in Tales of the Titans #4, which spotlights Beast Boy, and will continue through Janaury.

“I’m beyond excited to bring this DC crossover event to life starting in November with our new Titans: Beast World series, featuring art by the incomparable Ivan Reis. ‘Beast World’ will also thread the needle between the current series that I’m writing about the Titans,” said Taylor. “Friends will fall. Super Heroes will rise. And nothing will ever be the same again. Earth is about to become…Beast World.”

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‘Outsiders’ get a ‘Planetary’-style makeover in a new series

Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly will helm the new series, which starts in November.

At a panel in San Diego today focused on all things Gotham, writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly revealed they’re working on a new Outsiders title, which will feature Batwoman and Luke Fox (aka Batwing).

But hey, if you get some Planetary vibes from the main cover — the old Wildstorm title by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday — you aren’t alone. Not only does the series feature a new version of The Drummer, but Luke Fox seems to be sporting an Elijah Snow-esque ensemble:

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The Justice League will throw down with Godzilla and King Kong in a new miniseries

Brian Buccellato, Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero will bring together two worlds filled with big characters.

DC kicked off the first full day of the San Diego Comic Con with a king-sized announcement — a crossover featuring the Justice League, Godzilla and King Kong.

DC will work with Legendary Comics and Toho International on Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, the seven-issue miniseries, which will be written by Brian Buccellato, with art by Christian Duce and colorist Luis Guerrero.

“As a comics fan—there’s nothing more fun and exciting than exploring those amazing ‘What If’ situations that come up when fandoms cross streams,” said Jim Lee, DC president, publisher and CCO. “In this case, it’s a match-up of the world’s greatest super heroes in the Justice League who take on not only the King of the Monsters—Godzilla—but the mighty Kong himself! It’s a crossover no-holds-barred battle, decades in the making, and no bona fide comics fan will want to miss it!”

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John Stewart returns to Earth in ‘Green Lantern: War Journal’

The new series kicks off in September.

John Stewart will spin off into his own title in September after appearing as a back-up in the current Green Lantern title. While this hasn’t been a secret — they teased a variant cover for the first issue at MegaCon — they have confirmed that the new title will indeed be called Green Lantern: War Journal, and it’ll kick off in September as part of the Dawn of DC initiative.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos will bring John Stewart back to Earth for a post-superhero life that doesn’t go as expected (at least not for him).

“The most epic ’80s sci-fi action movie you haven’t seen is coming, and it’s set in the DCU,” said Johnson. “That’s what Montos and I are giving readers. The prologue stories in the back of Green Lantern #1-3 have a clear sci-fi/fantasy feel, but when Green Lantern: War Journal #1 drops, it’s going to start feeling less like Dune and a lot more like PredatorThe Terminator and Aliens. Sometimes you just need ’80s James Cameron, and that’s what this is. By the end of this series, readers are going to know exactly who John Stewart is, and why he was born to be a Green Lantern.” 

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Rafael Grampá celebrates Batman Day with ‘Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham’

The Black Label miniseries will follow a Batman who gives up being Bruce Wayne.

Mesmo Delivery creator and Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child artist Rafael Grampá will return to Gotham this fall for Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham, a Black Label miniseries that will arrive just in time for Batman Day on Sept. 16.

In the miniseries, Batman will decide to “kill off” his Bruce Wayne identity and dedicate his life to fighting crime as Batman. Mat Lopes joins him on colors.

“When his origin was introduced in Batman #1 in the 1940s, Bruce Wayne swore revenge by the spirits of his murdered parents and—driven by his belief in an omen—became Batman,” said Grampá. “For me, this subtle aspect of Bruce’s belief system has always been the fundamental core of Batman, and through that lens I recognized this untold story. Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham explores ‘who he is and why he came to be.’ It makes my dream of bringing my own interpretation of Batman to life a reality as I delve into the darkest corners of his essence. I sincerely hope readers enjoy the ride.”

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Black Canary recruits Harley, Zealot, Barda and Batgirl for ‘Birds of Prey’

The new series by Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles debuts in September.

After a week of social media teases by writer Kelly Thompson, DC Comics has officially announced the new Birds of Prey series.

Thompson will team with artist Leonardo Romero and colorist Jordie Bellaire, who she worked with on Hawkeye for Marvel, and letterer Clayton Cowles. The series will feature Black Canary, Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot and Harley Quinn.

“When I say this is a dream come true for me, I mean not just working on the iconic Birds of Prey title, but also the characters we were able to fold in, and the creative team we assembled,” Thompson said. “Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire were two of my first partners-in-crime making superhero books and I’ve been trying to make this happen ever since. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that Leonardo and Jordie are even better than they were the last time we worked together—and working together on this wild book is pure magic.”

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‘Birds of Prey’ will return this fall by Thompson, Romero + Bellaire

Black Canary will assemble the ‘most dangerous’ Birds of Prey ‘for mysterious reasons.’

DC’s Birds of Prey will return in September by the creative team of Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire.

Thompson revealed the news both on Twitter and via her Substack, and also shared the team’s first member, Black Canary, with the promise to reveal more of the members throughout the week. Here’s a look at Romero’s design:

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Batman and Catwoman face a ‘Gotham War’ this fall

Dawn of DC continues in the fall with a crossover between Gotham’s most tumultuous couple.

DC Comics has announced a new crossover coming in the fall — Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War, part of their Dawn of DC publishing initiative. The story will run through two one-shots, the regular Batman and Catwoman titles, and a miniseries that will focus on The Red Hood.

Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, writers of Batman and Catwoman, have been working toward this story since they each started on their respective title.

“From the moment Tini and I started working on these titles, we realized we had a huge opportunity to build toward something that would shake up the power structure of Gotham City,” Zdarsky said. “The Gotham War is just that: relationships explode, relationships are formed, and it all leads to massive changes! Being able to take these kinds of big swings together has been extremely exciting.”

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Everybody out of the water: DC + G’nort revive the illustrated swimsuit comic

The world needed more G’nort. But maybe not this much.

I was a little surprised and very ashamed when I started this post and noticed we didn’t have a G’nort tag yet. “How is such a thing possible?” I asked myself, but then again, maybe the universe’s favorite Green Lantern just hasn’t had a high-profile role in recent years.

But that will change in August when DC releases the G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, which both raises G’nort’s profile and brings back a fun and somewhat cheesy idea that Marvel published back in the 1990s. The Marvel Swimsuit Special would showcase Marvel characters in various tropical locales — like Wakanda, Madripoor and the Blue Area of the Moon (transformed by the Inhumans into a tropical paradise) — in their swimwear. They were light on story and heavy on the cheesecake. But they were a lot of fun.

And now, we have G’nort bringing them back, for the Distinguished Competition.

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Slugfest | Frank Miller draws a new variant cover featuring Wolverine

Plus: a manga tribute to Marvel, Star Trek’s ‘Day of Blood,’ Power Rangers, Oni Ronin and Whoopi Goldberg!

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. Hit the links for more information.

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Frank Miller draw Wolverine. Before moving on to DC to work on Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, Miller worked with writer Chris Claremont on the character’s first miniseries in the early 1980s, which, along with his work on Daredevil, established Miller as a top-tier creator.

Decades later, Miller has drawn a variant cover for Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1:

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