Tag: DC

Slugfest | ‘Titans: Beast World’ has giant starfish and lenticular covers

Plus more news and announcements on Canto, Nomads, Batman, Blue Book, Star Wars and more.

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

DC has released a preview of the upcoming Titans: Beast World miniseries, which was announced this past summer. The crossover event will feature a main series by Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis and Danny Miki, with various tie-ins throughout.

The story centers on The Necrostar, a giant space starfish that rivals Starro and who the Titans, along with the rest of the DC Universe, team up to fight. Along the way, they somehow end up being turned into animal versions of themselves. Beast Boy, in fact, will show that it takes a giant starfish to stop a giant starfish, as he transforms into a version of Starro himself.

Here’s a preview, along with a look at the main cover, which is by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki and Brad Anderson:

Continue reading “Slugfest | ‘Titans: Beast World’ has giant starfish and lenticular covers”

DC announces a ‘Compact Comics’ graphic novel line

The new format will begin arriving in stores next summer.

DC has announced a new line of “compact” graphic novels, as they plan to re-release several titles from their backlist in a smaller format and at a lower price point.

The format, 5.5″ x 8.5″, is closer in size to the ever-popular manga format and what you might find overseas, than the current standard 6.5″ x 10″ format.

“The DC Compact Comics price and sizing is perfect for readers of prose and manga looking to pick up a new-reader-friendly storyline in a self-contained full color graphic novel,” said Anne DePies, SVP & General Manager, DC. “This 5.5″ x 8.5″ paper cut is the most widely circulated softcover book size in the U.S. and is popular among graphic novel aficionados in international markets. At $9.99, it’s a great price point for retailers to stock these classic titles. For readers, DC Compact Comics deliver a new graphic novel reading experience that fits in the palm of their hands, with no loss of readability.”

Continue reading “DC announces a ‘Compact Comics’ graphic novel line”

Marvel + DC’s Black History Month anthologies will return in 2024

Look for both anthologies the week of Jan. 29.

Both Marvel and DC have announced their plans for Black History Month, which includes the return of their traditional anthologies featuring Black creators and characters.

Continue reading “Marvel + DC’s Black History Month anthologies will return in 2024”

Spurrier, Campbell + Bellaire reunite for more Hellblazer

‘John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America’ kicks off in January.

Si Spurrier, Aaron Campbell and Jordie Bellaire’s run on John Constantine was cut short back in 2020, but as we’ve seen many times before, the rapscallion’s pretty good at cheating death. At NYCC last weekend, DC announced that the trio will team up once again for John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America, an eight-issue Black Label miniseries.

“Hellblazer is back. Between 2019 and 2021, Aaron Campbell and I chronicled John Constantine’s sly progress through London,” said writer Si Spurrier. “For 13 issues, the book dripped with heart and hate and rage—rage at the state of the world, rage at the state of our minds and lives. Those 13 issues were our poisonous love letter to the Constantines of the past—[Alan] Moore’s, [Jamie] Delano’s, [Garth] Ennis’s. It was the best work we’ve ever done. And then it stopped. On a note of death and despair, with—like all magic—a heavy price levied. And now it’s back. Because the cost doesn’t count if we don’t get to see it being paid. Because even dead things can make a difference.”

Continue reading “Spurrier, Campbell + Bellaire reunite for more Hellblazer”

DC announces big plans for ‘Action Comics’ in 2024

Those plans include Bizarro, a Brainiac crossover event and Jason Aaron.

DC revealed big plans for their flagship title, Action Comics, in 2024 this weekend at the New York Comic Con. In what they’re calling the Superman Superstars initiative — which even has its own logo, shown above — Action will feature rotating creative teams telling stories about the Superman Family, starting in January with a new story by Jason Aaron and John Timms featuring the return of Bizarro.

“I’ve been writing comics for almost 20 years, and I’ve certainly enjoyed my share of special moments and exciting projects along the way, but getting to write Superman for the very first time, in the pages of Action Comics no less, the one that started it all, goes down as one of the absolute most significant honors of my career,” said Aaron. “So the amazing John Timms and I are doing our very best to give readers a Superman tale full of action and surprises, the most Bizarro of all Bizarro stories, in what Bizarro himself would call the worst Bizarro story ever told’!”

Continue reading “DC announces big plans for ‘Action Comics’ in 2024”

DC announces six new Elseworlds projects for 2024

Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernandez, Greg Smallwood, Clay Mann and more will tell stories from across the DC multiverse.

DC will venture into the far corners of its multiverse next year with six new projects that were announced this week at the New York Comic Con.

Three of the projects are sequels to previous Elseworlds tales, including the well-regarded Gotham by Gaslight from 1989. They’ve also announced follow-ups to the recent Dark Knights of Steel miniseries and DC vs. Vampires, where several DC characters were turned into vampires and preceded to try and take over the world.

“Out-of-continuity stories have always been a pillar of DC publishing, granting creators the ability to explore all the wild corners of the DC Universe,” said DC Executive Editor Ben Abernathy. “We’re excited to bring a whole new slate of titles under the Elseworlds banner in 2024, combining some all-new titles from top storytellers, as well as sequels from the current DC line that fit that same out-of-continuity aesthetic.”

Here’s a look at the six projects:

Continue reading “DC announces six new Elseworlds projects for 2024”

Bill Willingham says ‘Fables’ is now in the public domain; DC says ‘Nope’

Willingham severs ties with the publisher with extreme prejudice.

Citing ongoing problems in working with DC Comics, Fables writer Bill Willingham has said he is releasing Fables into the public domain.

The quick version:

  • On Sept. 14, Willingham sent out on a press release on his Substack saying that as of Sept. 15, “the comic book property called Fables, including all related Fables spin-offs and characters, is now in the public domain.”
  • Willingham followed the next day with another post where he interviewed himself, citing problems he’s had with DC in recent years and saying “DC doesn’t seem to be capable of acting fairly and above-board.”
  • DC responded with their own statement, saying that they own Fables and that the company “reserves all rights and will take such action as DC deems necessary or appropriate to protect its intellectual property rights.”

So what’s this all about? Let’s break it down …

Continue reading “Bill Willingham says ‘Fables’ is now in the public domain; DC says ‘Nope’”

Aaron + Mahnke will take Batman ‘Off-World’ in November

The writer of ‘Scalped’ and ‘The Other Side’ returns to DC following the end of his exclusive contract with Marvel.

After years — decades, even — of plotting the course of Marvel titles like Thor, Wolverine and the X-Men and Avengers, writer Jason Aaron has returned to DC for a new Batman story.

Aaron will team with artists Doug Mahnke and Jamie Mendoza for Batman: Off-World, which he describes as “a different sort of Batman story.”

“One that sees a young Dark Knight undertaking his very first trip into space,” Aaron said in his newsletter. “A journey that’s inspired by some of the DC books that made me a comics fan as a kid, and ultimately set the course for the rest of my life.”

Continue reading “Aaron + Mahnke will take Batman ‘Off-World’ in November”

‘G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition’ makes it easy for everyone to be Batman

DC reveals the back cover and more variants for the upcoming special.

In a world where everyone wants to be Batman, DC is making it easy with the release of G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition next month. The one-shot, which was announced in May, will feature 48 pages of art and two complete stories, but it’s the back cover that Batfans may want to pay attention to.

You might remember back when the title was announced that J. Scott Campbell and Tanya Lehoux have created a variant cover for the title featuring Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle at the beach. Even on his day off, Bruce can’t help but be Batman:

Continue reading “‘G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition’ makes it easy for everyone to be Batman”

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).

Continue reading “Slugfest | SDCC news + more”

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:

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

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.”

Continue reading “Beast Boy leads the pack in ‘Titans: Beast World’”