IDW prepares for ‘Star Trek: Lore War’ in 2025

Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Christopher Cantwell and Davide Tinto take the bridge for a crossover event next March.

Data’s evil twin, Lore, gets a huge upgrade next year after he becomes a god and remakes reality in Star Trek: Lore War by writers Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Christopher Cantwell, and artist Davide Tinto.

The event was teased in today’s release of Star Trek #500, the 500th issue of Star Trek published by IDW. The story will also run through IDW’s Star Trek and Defiant titles, along with various one-shots.

“Since the line’s inception, our grander story in both titles has dealt with Star Trek’s concept of godlike beings and the rejection of those godlike beings — order and entropy as it exists throughout the four quadrants of the galaxy,” Cantwell said. “Who pulls the strings and who dares to cut them? Lore War is quite literally the apotheosis of that shared theme, two years in the making.”

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Quick Hits | Publishers push back against Florida book bans

Plus: IDW lays off Mark Doyle + three others, Webtoon targets pirate sites, Declan Shalvey, Jay Hosler, a lost Alan Moore comic and more.

Several book publishers have joined with parents and authors to sue the state of Florida over House Bill 1069, the ironically titled bill that, among other things, restricts books in school libraries that depict or describe “sexual content.” Hundreds of titles have been banned across the state since the bill became law in July 2023, according to a press release issued by the publishers.

Penguin joins with Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers and Simon & Schuster as plaintiffs in the suit, along with two parents, two students and a list of authors that includes Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult and Angie Thomas.

“Florida HB 1069’s complex and overbroad provisions have created chaos and turmoil across the state, resulting in thousands of historic and modern classics—works we are proud to publish—being unlawfully labeled obscene and removed from shelves,” said Dan Novack, VP and associate general counsel for PRH. “Students need access to books that reflect a wide range of human experiences to learn and grow. It’s imperative for the education of our young people that teachers and librarians be allowed to use their professional expertise to match our authors’ books to the right reader at the right time in their life.” 

Today’s LOL moment comes in the form of a statement from Nathalia Medina, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Education. “There are no books banned in Florida,” she told the Washington Post. “Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools.” The Miami New Times has a list of the books that have been banned in Florida since 2021 through June of this year. The extensive list by school district includes several graphic novels, including Flamer, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, Drama and Gender Queer: A Memoir.

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SDCC | IDW + Paramount renew their Star Trek partnership, announce ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ ongoing series

Ryan North and Derek Charm will continue to tell stories about the Lower Decks crew.

Paramount and IDW Publishing have announced an extension of their publishing partnership, which conveniently comes as IDW also announces a new Star Trek: Lower Decks ongoing series.

Star Trek is not just an iconic franchise, but a universe that celebrates diversity and creativity,” said Davidi Jonas, CEO of IDW Media Holdings. “The Star Trek community is one that we’re proud to serve and be part of. The team at Paramount share our love of storytelling, universe expansion and delighting fans. We are humbled and excited to renew our commitment, and plan on years of going boldly forward with our partners and fans.”

Terms and length of the deal were not disclosed, but the news comes as IDW prepares for the release of Star Trek #500 in September, the October release of the choose-your-own-adventure like Star Trek: Lower Decks – Warp Your Own Way graphic novel and the launch of Star Trek: Lower Decks in November, by writer Ryan North and, on the first story, artist Derek Charm. The duo worked on the Lower Decks miniseries Shaxs’ Best Day, which was nominated for an Eisner Award.

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The first volume of ‘The Hunger and the Dusk’ is $1.99 on Comixology today

Catch up on G. Willow Wilson and Chris Wildgoose’s epic fantasy before the second arc begins next month.

Last year award-winning writer G. Willow Wilson teamed up with artist Chris Wildgoose on The Hunger and the Dusk, a “high fantasy tour de force,” as the marketing billed it, and they weren’t lying. The series featured a dying world inhabited by humans and orcs who were once mortal enemies, but had to put their differences aside to face a powerfully brutal ancient race called the Vangol that threatened them both.

If that sounds intriguing, then this is your lucky week: not only has IDW released the first six issues — book one — as a trade paperback, but its available for the low price of $1.99 right now on Comixology.

And it comes at an opportune time, because next month will bring the the first issue of Book Two.

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There’s a demon in the White House in ‘The Exorcism at 1600 Penn’

Hannah Rose May + Vanesa Del Rey’s new IDW title arrives this October, just in time for election season.

IDW returns to its horror roots this October with The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, a four-issue miniseries by writer Hannah Rose May, artist Vanesa Del Rey, colorist Jordie Bellaire and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

The series is about the first woman president of the United States and the demons she must contend with when she and her family move into the White House. Literal demons, just for clarification.

“As someone who has always loved horror, I wanted to tell a story that let me play with the genre’s tropes but in a setting we haven’t seen before,” Rose May said. “The White House is arguably the most famous house in the world and I thought it would be fun to use it as a location to set an exorcism. At its core, this is a story about family and faith, but it also addresses the intensity of the 24/7 news cycle, the noise of social media and the expectations put upon the First Family.”

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Slugfest | Spawny returns to kill off … Spawn?

Plus: News and announcements on ‘Uncanny X-Men,’ ‘Gilt Frame,’ Godzilla, Blacksad, ThunderCats and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you that we haven’t otherwise covered. Hit the links for more information.

McFarlane Productions has been on a roll introducing Spawn into various genres, and this summer they’ll return to the world of humor and satire with Spawn Kills Every Spawn. Like the previous Spawn Kills Everyone and Spawn Kills Everyone Too, this comic features the tiniest Spawn, Spawny, deciding to kill another set of comic characters — the Spawn universe.

Written by John Layman and illustrated by Rob “Sketchcraft” Duenas and colorist Robert Nugent, the five-issue miniseries sees Spawny arrive at a Spawn convention filled with Spawns from around the multiverse, all of whom are more popular than him. So he decides to become the most popular by eliminating the competition.

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Quick Hits | Rest in peace, Jeffrey Veregge

Plus: news on Robert Beerbohm, layoffs at Marvel, Source Point Press, Scott Dunbier, Joshua Cotter, Earth-2 Comics and more.

Jeffrey Veregge, the award-winning Native American artist and writer whose work appeared in Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices, on comics covers and at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, has passed away at the age of 50. Zack Davisson shared the news on social media late last week, while Jeffrey’s wife Christina confirmed it and said he died of a heart attack after a long battle with lupus.

“For 1025 days he fought lupus like the superhero we knew him to be,” her post reads. “The strength, faith, determination and courage he showed while being in the hospital for a total of 925 days was an inspiration to us all. He fought so hard for his family and his 3 children who were his absolute pride and joy. He will be missed more than words can express. This world was a better place because of him.”

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Past TMNT creators return to celebrate 40 years of Turtles

The oversized one-shot ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration’ will arrive in July.

IDW has revealed more details on another project that ties into the 40th anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — the aptly titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 40th Anniversary Comics Celebration.

The 70-page special will include contributions from creators who have worked on the Turtles across their 40-year history, including Jim Lawson, Sophie Campbell, Freddie E. Williams II and more. Co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird drew the main cover, while Eastman will also have a story in the one-shot.

“Having a childhood dream – in my case, to write and draw comics for a living – is one thing. To then actually spending every minute of the next 40 years doing it is a whole other matter altogether – humbling is the first word that comes to mind,” Eastman said. “My co-creation of TMNT with the amazing Peter Laird has been the driving force of living that dream, and working with a number of really talented writers and artists along the way has made, and still makes, the journey the greatest shared experience I never imaged and could not be more grateful for.”

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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!”

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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 …

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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.

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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!”

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