It’s time to ‘Skate or Die’ with … Godzilla?

Louie Joyce brings the big green kaiju to Australia to battle Varan.

Move over, Night Thrasher — there’s a new skater in town! And he shreds to the name of … Godzilla!

OK, so when I first saw the art for this pass by while scrolling through social media, I thought it was fan art, combining Godzilla with the 1980s video game “Skate or Die!” It didn’t occur to me until a little while later that hey, this is a real comic that’s going to be published by IDW.

But, thank goodness, it is indeed real. IDW will publish Godzilla: Skate or Die by Australian artist and avid roller blader Louie Joyce, who has drawn comics like A Fistful of Pain and Past the Last Mountain. Joyce is writing and drawing the five-issue miniseries, which features Australian skaters fighting kaiju.

“I am so excited to share Godzilla: Skate or Die with the world,” Joyce said. “A story set right here in Australia, inspired by all the amazing DIY spots I’ve had the privilege of skating, as well as the incredible freedom and power that comes with having wheels under your feet! All against the backdrop of an epic Kaiju showdown. It’s gonna get gnarly!”

Continue reading “It’s time to ‘Skate or Die’ with … Godzilla?”

IDW announces five more ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ titles

To celebrate 40 years of Ninja Turtles, the publisher is going all out with a Nightwatcher title, TMNT Mutant Nation and more.

IDW continued to roll out their plans for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 40th anniversary this week, following the news last month of the main series relaunch by Jason Aaron and a quartet of artists that’s coming in July.

In conjunction with this week’s ComicsPRO meeting, IDW revealed five new series they will launch in the coming months showcasing the Turtles from every angle imaginable.

“One of the great things about being at IDW is seeing all the amazing and diverse talent working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over the years,” said IDW Co-Publisher Mark Doyle. “We wanted to create a slate of books that reflected that talent and allow them to tell a wide range of stories that would thrill all kinds of fans. It’s an honor to be publishing TMNT comics during the iconic franchise’s 40th anniversary, and we’ve gone all-out to truly celebrate Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s unforgettable creations.”

Here’s the rundown of what they have planned …

Continue reading “IDW announces five more ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ titles”

Tieri + Miranda set sail again for a second volume of ‘Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons’

The five-issue miniseries kicks off in June.

The official Godzilla site has news on Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons II – Sons of Giants, a sequel to the 2023 miniseries by writer Frank Tieri and artist Inaki Miranda.

The five-issue miniseries will pick up where the first volume left off, continuing a story from the 1500s that saw Sir Francis Drake encounter Godzilla on his trip around the world. The Sons of Giants, a monster-worshipping cult that protected the secrets of the kaiju, will play prominently in the new story.

Continue reading “Tieri + Miranda set sail again for a second volume of ‘Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons’”

Jones, Albuquerque, Chiang + Burnham will draw the first four issues of Aaron’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ run

IDW has revealed the artists working with Jason Aaron for his first arc of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’

Following word that Jason Aaron would take over writing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after the current series ends, IDW Publishing has now revealed the artists Aaron will work with on his first arc.

Each of the first four issues will focus on a different member of the team and will be drawn by a different artist, with the roster including Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang and Chris Burnham.

“I almost couldn’t believe it when these folks started saying yes. It’s such a dream team of modern artists, folks responsible for some of my favorite comics of this century,” said IDW Editor-in-Chief Jamie S. Rich. “All four of them were so enthusiastic to draw characters they love for the first time. It was cool to hear why they loved each of the individual Turtles. Like Chris talked about the Donnie issue with the Jack Kirby homage, and Joëlle mentioned how she has always liked hotheads and fighters. It’s comic book kismet!”

Continue reading “Jones, Albuquerque, Chiang + Burnham will draw the first four issues of Aaron’s ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ run”

TMNT: Sophie Campbell’s epic run ends with #150 as Jason Aaron preps a relaunch

IDW and Paramount prepare to celebrate 40 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

IDW has revealed several details about their plans for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2024, which will “shell-ebrate” their 40th anniversary this year.

First, Sophia Campell’s four-year run crafting stories featuring the turtles will come to an end with issue #150.

“I still can’t quite believe I’ve gotten to work on this much TMNT. I thought for sure I’d get the boot in the first year, but nope – here I am, four years later, still here against all odds,” Campbell said. “It’s really been amazing, truly a dream job. I wonder what my 10-year-old self would think if she knew what she’d go on to eventually do. The fact that this chapter is ending and I’m leaving the series is bittersweet, I’ll miss it for sure but it’s time to move on and let somebody else have a shot at the Turtles, and I’ll be back for more before you know it, whatever form that might take. As two great men once said, ‘Change is constant’ and ‘Life at best is bittersweet.’”

Continue reading “TMNT: Sophie Campbell’s epic run ends with #150 as Jason Aaron preps a relaunch”

Quick Hits | Massachusetts police officer searched an 8th grade classroom for a copy of ‘Gender Queer’

Plus: News on IDW, Fantagraphics, Joe Sacco, Jim Lee, Chris Gooch and more.

In a chilling chapter in the ongoing culture war against LGBTQ+ books and graphic novels, several sources reported that a plain-clothes police officer searched an eighth grade classroom for a copy of the graphic novel Gender Queer in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

The officer notified the school he was coming and was accompanied by the principal as he searched for the memoir by Maia Kobabe, which has topped the most banned book list for the last couple years. The search reportedly took place after school hours and was the result of a single complaint by a community member.

“Police going into schools and searching for books is the sort of thing you hear about in communist China and Russia. What are we doing?” Ruth A. Bourquin, senior and managing attorney for the ACLU of Massachusetts, told the Berkshire Eagle.

Continue reading “Quick Hits | Massachusetts police officer searched an 8th grade classroom for a copy of ‘Gender Queer’”

Free Comic Book Day 2024 Gold sponsors include DC, Marvel and more

Free comics featuring Spider-Man, Hellboy, Jonny Quest, Encanto and more will be available next year on May 4.

Diamond has revealed the “Gold Sponsor” comic publishers and titles for Free Comic Book Day 2024, which includes Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and more. A dozen comics from the gold sponsors will be available during next year’s event, which is scheduled for May 4.

“We’re looking forward to another great year of celebrating comic books and comic book shops!” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “This year’s lineup has a title for everyone. Whether you’re new to comics or a longtime reader, you’re sure to find a title that grabs your attention. And with the event falling on Star Wars Day this year, that adds a little extra excitement to the day!”

Interestingly, DC returns to the list for 2024, promoting an “exciting new project” that’ll be revealed at a later date. Since DC left Diamond back in 2020, they’ve participated in the event, but their books were not promoted by Diamond nor were they included on the Free Comic Book Day website.

Here’s a look at the gold sponsor titles, many of which are teasers rather than actual announcements. The extensive silver sponsor title list will be announced later this week.

Continue reading “Free Comic Book Day 2024 Gold sponsors include DC, Marvel and more”

IDW Original ‘Golgotha Motor Mountain’ will bend minds next March

“… it’s probably the first Southern Gothic, action, sci-fi, drug-fueled body horror concoction ever made.”

IDW has announced a release date and a new artist for Golgotha Motor Mountain, which was one of nine titles they announced last year as part of the IDW Originals line.

Robbi Rodriguez will replace Ryan Lee, who was originally announced as the artist, with Marissa Louise providing colors. They will work with co-writers Matthew Erman and Lonnie Nadler, as well as letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Finally, Nikola Čižmešija rounds out the team, who will draw “a backup short manga that is in-universe to the story.”

As for the comic itself, it sounds a bit bonkers.

“This book is genuinely unhinged, bizarre and unlike anything I’ve ever written before. In fact, it’s probably the first Southern Gothic, action, sci-fi, drug-fueled body horror concoction ever made,” Nadler said. “Something like Mad Max by way of Cormac McCarthy. Yet, at its heart, Golgotha is a story about two brothers at odds who have to find a way to trust one another in the face of absolute bedlam. As you can probably tell from my description alone, the whole team is trying hard to make sure this is like no other comic being released today, and that’s invigorating to be a part of.”

Continue reading “IDW Original ‘Golgotha Motor Mountain’ will bend minds next March”

IDW announces ‘Sons of Star Trek’ for March

The miniseries will feature Jake Sisko and Alexander Rozhenko traveling to an alternate universe.

During this weekend’s New York Comic Con, IDW announced a new four-issue miniseries with ties to their current Star Trek and Star Trek: Defiant series.

Writer Morgan Hampton and artist Angel Hernandez will tell a story about Jake Sisko and Alexander Rozhenko landing in an alternate universe, where they encounter the children of various Starfleet legends.

Star Trek is a franchise that has rewired my DNA and provided me a sense of comfort amongst its characters and stories,” Hampton said. “I’m so excited to pour some of that energy back into this world. Angel and I are creating a story full of shock, excitement, and wonder led by characters not usually in the spotlight. Fans new and old will find that familiar Star Trek charm at the heart. It’s a dream come true to be able to add a wrinkle in the fabric of this incredible universe!”

Continue reading “IDW announces ‘Sons of Star Trek’ for March”

Richard Scarrier: ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ brings ‘adorable horror’ to comics in October

Patrick Horvath writes, draws and colors the new series for the IDW Originals line.

The town of Woodbrook might seem familiar to anyone who has ever read Richard Scarry or played Animal Crossing, but the little town has some dark secrets that will be exposed in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.

Written, drawn and colored by Patrick Horvath with lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees offers a “cozy horror” story, according to IDW Publishing.

“One of my guiding principles for this series is to strike a balance between cute, fun, dark and disturbing, and I think that readers will be very pleased with the results,” Horvath said. “A lot of the creative work that I do tends to be these dark little existential explorations, carving a path through the dread of having your life up-ended. For as strange, or insane, or idiosyncratic your interior life might be, that type of story resonates with a ton of people. Every person goes through it in some form or other, and with Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees that person happens to be a cuddly brown bear who is a serial killer and owns a hardware store.” 

Continue reading “Richard Scarrier: ‘Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’ brings ‘adorable horror’ to comics in October”

IDW announces a ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin’ sequel

Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop and company will continue the story in ‘Re-Evolution.’

Casey Marie Jones and the next generation of Ninja Turtles will return for another round of turtle power in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution.

The next chapter is co-written by TMNT co-creator Eastman and Tom Waltz, illustrated by Ben Bishop, Esau Escorza and Isaac Escorza, colored by Luis Antonio Delgado and lettered by Shawn Lee.

“The real heart and soul for me with dusting off and bringing The Last Ronin to life three years ago was my belief that ‘Every beginning must have an end,’” said Eastman. “With all the respect in the world for my co-creator Peter Laird, I wanted to bring full circle to what we started in 1984 and set out to do in 1987. With The Last Ronin, with my friend Tom Waltz and an incredible gathering of brilliant artisans, we accomplished that 33 years later. A very fitting end indeed.”

Continue reading “IDW announces a ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin’ sequel”

Ridley + Raffaele bring ‘The Ministry of Compliance’ to IDW

An alien conspiracy goes wrong in the new IDW Originals series, which debuts in November.

John Ridley and Stefano Raffaele, the team behind DC’s GCPD: The Blue Wall, will re-team for a conspiracy-laden action series from IDW. The Ministry of Compliance will feature a secret cabal of aliens who are running the world who believe they’re doing the right thing for humanity — but what happens when they start fighting amongst themselves?

They’re joined by colorist Brad Anderson on the IDW Originals series.

“I’ve been real fortunate to have had many ‘phases’ in my career, from starting out writing on The Martin Show all the way up to 12 Years A Slave and everything that flowed from it. But there’s always going to be part of me which is the kid who fell in love with storytelling by way of comic books. And to be real this is the craft that brings me the most joy. The trio of Avigail, Quinn and Kingsley are easily my three favorite characters in thirty-plus years of creating,” Ridley said.

Continue reading “Ridley + Raffaele bring ‘The Ministry of Compliance’ to IDW”