previews – SMASH PAGES

Mutants, mayhem and turduckens: An exclusive look at ‘Toxic Crusaders’ #4

AHOY Comics’ mutant misfits return on Feb. 18 with a new issue packed with grotesque origins and mayhem.

AHOY Comics is keeping the slime flowing with Toxic Crusaders #4, the penultimate chapter in its revival of Troma’s infamous eco-heroes. Written by The Nib founder and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors with art by Tristan Wright, the series reunites the Toxic Avenger with No-Zone, Junkyard, Major Disaster and more for a gleefully grotesque spin on super heroics.

This issue leans hard into backstory, delivering the origins of Headbanger and a mutated counter-Crusaders force that sounds as appalling as you’d hope. Cultists merged with animals and objects into living “turduckens” collide with the team in what promises to be an epic fight.

Toxic Crusaders #4 hits shops Feb. 18 and retails for $4.99. Many thanks to AHOY Comics for sharing this exclusive preview:

From Tromaville with love: Exclusive ‘Toxic Crusaders’ #4 cover premiere

Take a look at Tristan Wright’s cover, which arrives in stores next February.

Courtesy of Ahoy Comics, we’re pleased to present a look at Tristan Wright’s cover for The Toxic Crusaders #4, which will arrive in stores Feb. 18.

If you hadn’t heard, the mutant misfits are back and grosser than ever. Based on the animated series that turned toxic waste into Saturday morning gold, the five-issue miniseries reunites the Toxic Avenger with his fellow freaks: No-Zone, Junkyard, Major Disaster and the brand-new addition Fungirl.

Written by Matt Bors, the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and founder of The Nib (which I still miss), this series is a blend of environmental satire and superhero splatter, and continues to channel the spirit of the Toxic Avenger revival at Ahoy. Wright, who is also the interior artist for the series, brings a gloriously grotesque visual style that captures the spirit of the original show.

Issue #4 features the backstory of Headbanger and the emergence of a mutated counter-Crusaders force. The solicit promises “cultists merged with animals and objects to become living turduckens” in what’s described as an “epic and sickening fight scene.”

Check out the cover reveal below:

Exclusive | George Northy + Rachele Aragno unleash holiday havoc in ‘Yuletide’ #3

Check out our exclusive preview of the final issue, which arrives in stores Dec. 17.

If you like your holiday comics with a splash of folklore, chaos and unapologetically weird energy, then we have a great gift for you today.

Here’s your first look at Yuletide #3, the oversized 40-page finale to the festive miniseries from writer George Northy and artist Rachele Aragno. The comic will hit shelves Dec. 17 from Oni Press, tying a bow on the series.

After centuries trapped inside a sacred relic, the Yule Witch Perchta has been accidentally unleashed by three Pennsylvania teens just days before Christmas. And she’s brought a monstrous entourage that includes the infamous Yule Cat and the ghostly Meri Lywd on her mission of revenge.

Issue #3 brings all that chaos to a head. As Perchta’s creatures overrun the streets, it falls to a ragtag band of the town’s brightest, oddest and most underestimated kids, along with an ancient warrior elf, to pull off a Christmas miracle.

Check out the preview below.

Exclusive Preview | ‘Ancestral Recall’ races toward its finale

The penultimate issue of Jordan Clark and Atagun İlhan’s Afrofuturist thriller comes out Nov. 12.

The penultimate chapter of Jordan Clark and Atagun İlhan’s Ancestral Recall arrives next week, and we’ve got an exclusive first look at the issue.

The title from Ahoy Comics blends heritage, identity and science fiction elements into a story about a man with a unique power searching for his wife. For those who’ve been following Melvin’s journey, issue #4 delivers the moment we’ve been waiting for: Melvin has finally found his wife June. But as the solicit warns, even with the mysterious power that connects him to his “ancestors” in Black history, escaping from the corporation’s high-tech fortress won’t be easy.

You can check out the preview below, and then pick up Ancestral Recall #4 when it arrives Nov. 12.

Exclusive | Unwrap an advanced look at ‘Yuletide’ by George Northy and Rachele Aragno

‘Tis the season to be terrified.

While most holiday tales focus on sugarplums and goodwill toward men, Oni Press is bringing something darker down the chimney this year with Yuletide, a horror-tinged holiday adventure from writer George Northy and artist Rachele Aragno.

This three-issue series of double-sized issues counts down to Christmas with a story that’s more interested in the eerie, ancient roots of the season than its twinkling lights and festive cheer. And we’ve got an exclusive look at some pages from the first issue.

Set in Christmas, Pennsylvania—a town that bills itself as “the merriest place on Earth”—Yuletide follows a group of teens who find themselves caught between their town’s obsession with America’s biggest holiday and something far more sinister lurking beneath the tinsel and tradition.

“I’ve long been fascinated by the dark, strange, obscure Yuletide monsters from various cultures, from Germany to Iceland to Wales. The way these demons have been buried and forgotten felt like the perfect metaphor for how we often bury our own darkness and personal demons throughout the holidays,” Northy said. “If Buffy taught us ‘High School can be Hell,’ then Yuletide will show that the best way of dealing with our own holiday demons isn’t by pretending they aren’t there, it’s by facing them together.”

Check out the preview and the solicitation for the first issue below, and look for it to arrive at your local comic shop Oct. 15.

The Toxic Avenger is heading to Washington in December

Take an exclusive look at the covers for ‘Toxic Avengers Comics’ #6 by Fred Harper and Erica Henderson.

Courtesy of Ahoy Comics, we’re pleased to present a look at the covers for Toxic Avenger Comics #6, which will arrive in stores on the last day of the year.

If you’ve been following along, you know that the new ongoing series written by Matt Bors (The Nib) started off with each issue being illustrated by a different artist and showcasing a different genre. That included horror and crime in the first two issues, which have already been released, and then sci-fi (#3), romance (#4) and fantasy (#5) in the September, October and November issues. Each issue also includes a two-page back-up story illustrated by Fred Harper that sets up the second storyline, “Toxie Goes to Washington.”

Which brings us to today’s cover reveals, as Harper and variant cover artist Erica Henderson bring the former janitor to the White House to help clean up Washington:

Exclusive | Meet Zarigazami, a new kaiju debuting in ‘Monstrous Magazine’

Check out the designs for the new creature by manga artist Itaru Kinoshita prior to the Kickstarter campaign launching next week.

Monstrous Books is making big plans for their next issue of Monstrous Magazine, and by “big” I mean “Kaiju sized.”

Monstrous: The Kaiju Issue will debut on Kickstarter soon — you can sign up to be notified when it launches — celebrating all things giant monster in an oversized issue. It’ll feature short stories, comics and artwork by author Greg Cox, publisher James Aquilone, artist Dave Swartz and more.

“When I decided to do a Kaiju issue of Monstrous Magazine I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a Kaiju-size magazine, so we’re going from 5.5 x 8.5 to 8.5 x 11 inches,” said Aquilone. “And that’s just the beginning. We’re resizing the Monstrous Magazine back issues, too, and now, for a limited time, they will be available in the new collectible, oversized Kaiju format.”

Zarigazami is one of several new kaiju that will appear in the issue. Designed by manga artist Itaru Kinoshita, the monster will appear in black and white in the magazine, but Aquilone is offering a full-color print as one of the rewards in the campaign.

This isn’t Kinoshita’s first time drawing giant creatures. The fan-favorite creator is best known for Dinosaur Sanctuary and the series Gigante o Utte, which is also about dinosaurs. Dinosaur Sanctuary is published by Seven Seas Entertainment and was nominated for Best Continuing Manga Series at the American Manga Awards in 2024. Volume 7 is due to be published in English on Sept. 30.

Here’s a look at the print, which will be available when the Kickstarter goes live:

Oni Press launches Kickstarter for ‘Carbon-Based: The Art of Lewis LaRosa’

Check out some exclusive artwork that’ll appear in the oversized hardcover art book.

A new artbook from Oni Press will spotlight Lewis LaRosa’s 20+ year career in comics, as the publisher launches a Kickstarter for Carbon-Based: The Art of Lewis LaRosa.

The 250-page volume will feature LaRosa’s raw line art, along with rarely seen covers, character designs, concepts and more from his work for Marvel Comics, Valiant Entertainment, Epic Games, BOOM! Studios, Creative Beast Studio and more—including Bloodshot Reborn, Divinity, Harbinger, Punisher MAX, Savage, Shadowman, Uncanny X-Men, A Vicious Circle, X-O Manowar and more.

“It’s happening, guys! Thanks to the fine folks at Oni Press, a retrospective of my art spanning over 20 years is in the oven,” LaRosa said. “What an incredible honor. From my early days at Marvel launching Punisher MAX to my years helping relaunch the Valiant Universe, this will showcase some of my best work in one lovely tome. I’m making sure to include some rarely seen odds and ends, as well as insight into my old school analog process revealing how the sausage is made. Whether it’s the muscly figure work, sleek robots or prehistoric dinosaurs, hopefully these images will inspire you to pick up the pencil and DRAW!”

Here’s a look at the cover:

The Toxic Avenger meets the Justice Warriors in ‘Toxie Team-Up’ #5

Check out Ben Clarkson’s cover for the big event.

Ahoy Comics’ Toxic Summer has put the spotlight on the Toxic Avenger, with multiple titles like Toxic Crusaders and the Toxic Avenger Pin-Up Special arriving to support the re-emergence of the cult classic character into the pop culture sphere.

One of the more interesting titles has been Toxie Team-Up, a take on the classic team-up title that has featured Troma’s best boy meeting characters from other Ahoy titles, like the Jersey Devil from Project: Cryptid, Dragonflyman and even Jesus Christ from Second Coming. And in October, Toxic Avenger writer Matt Bors will have the chance to team up again with artist Ben Clarkson as they bring together the Toxic Avenger with Swamp Cop and Schitt, the breakout stars of the Justice Warriors.

Justice Warriors, if you aren’t familiar, started as a miniseries about two cops in the fictional series of Bubble City. It was followed last year by the graphic novel Justice Warriors: Vote Harder. Swamp Cop is a take off on the Creature from the Black Lagoon, while Schitt is, well … a living poop emoji. The satire poked fun at capitalism, law enforcement and “free” elections in a future of severe inequality — and one populated by mutants. Which makes them the perfect companions for someone like the Toxic Avenger.

Check out Clarkson’s cover for Toxie Team-Up #5 below, which we are pleased to debut today:

Exclusive Preview | Check out the noir time-travel tale ‘Host Mortem’

The project is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter.

Courtesy of Clover Press, we’re pleased to present this exclusive preview from Host Mortem. The new graphic novel is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

Host Mortem is written by — and stars — Kevin Shinick, former host and time-traveling detective from the TV series Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?, alongside actor/host Greg Lee. Both of them appear in the graphic novel, as an appearance at Comic-Con goes horribly wrong, and they find themselves transported back in time. After arriving in 1947, they find themselves involved in a murder mystery set against the Humphrey Bogart film The Big Sleep. When one of the stars winds up dead, Kevin and Greg’s knowledge of random trivia might be the key to solving this Hollywood caper.

“Between the two of us, Greg and I have hosted a number of game shows,” Shinick said. “As a result, we have a lot of random trivia floating around in our heads and I always wished I could put that knowledge to better use other than just, ‘Hey, did you know the singular of spaghetti is spaghetto?’ And since we both played fake detectives on Carmen Sandiego (me a time traveling detective and Greg a classic gumshoe detective) I got to wondering how we might fare with an actual murder? The ultimate question being, ‘Are hosts really smart? Or do they just have the answers?’”

The graphic novel is being brought to life by artists Damien Torres and Andrea Schiavone, colorist Pippa Bowland and letterer Taylor Esposito. Check out the preview and some of the variant covers available through the Kickstarter campaign below.

Look, up in the sky, it’s … Wilbur? Galaxy Man arrives in ‘Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest’ #335

Check out a preview of a new story by Dan Parent coming next month from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to share a preview of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #335, which arrives in stores June 4.

The digest’s new story, written and drawn by Dan Parent, features an all-star red carpet for the opening of the Galaxy Man movie, with appearances by the Mighty Crusaders, Katy Keene and … Wilbur Wilkin? Wilbur lands a gig dressing up as the movie’s hero, but when he runs into trouble, he needs a hero of his own. Inker Bob Smith, colorist Glenn Whitmore and letterer Jack Morelli join Parent on this story.

Check out the preview below, along with some classic Archie material that’ll appear in the digest.

Dan Parent tells a hypnotizing story featuring Kardak the Mystic in ‘Archie Jumbo Comics Digest’ #361

Check out a preview of a new story coming in May from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to share a preview of a new story appearing in Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #361, which arrives in May.

In it, Dan Parent brings Kardak the Mystic to Riverdale Beach, where the gang is enjoying some rest and relaxation. But a frisbee accident sends Kardak’s hypnotism powers out of control, causing some chaos in the sand — and a fun reference to the Archie Horror line. Parent is joined by inker Bob Smith, colorist Glenn Whitmore and letterer Jack Morelli for some beach day fun.

Check out the preview below, along with a complete classic story by Frank Doyle and Harry Lucey.

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