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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Exclusive Preview | John Jennings + Damian Duffy + David Brame adapt Octavia E. Butler’s ‘The Parable of the Talents’

The timely graphic novel about a nation under the grip of a fascist regime arrives in stores this week.

Courtesy of Abrams ComicArts, we’re pleased to share a preview of The Parable of the Talents, an adaptation of the novel by Octavia E. Butler.

The graphic novel reunites John Jennings and Damian Duffy, who worked on the Hugo Award-winning adaptation of Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. They are joined by artist David Brame.

“Being chosen to adapt the Parable duology by Octavia E. Butler into a graphic novel is both an honor and a very serious responsibility,” said Jennings. “Those two books were so prescient and incredibly accurate with their forecasting that we are still amazed by the insightful creative acumen of Butler. It’s our hope that we did the story justice and that the underlying messages resonate through every word and every panel.”

The Parable of the Talents continues Butler’s story from the first volume, known collectively as the Earthseed series. Set on a war-torn continent under the control of a fascist state, the story follows Asha, who searches for answers about her own past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy. While Butler’s original novel was published in 1998, it feels very timely today — not only does it feature a country under the grip of a Christian fundamentalist denomination, but that group even used the slogan “Make America Great Again” in their propaganda.

The Parable of the Talents is available in stores this week. Check out the preview below.

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Exclusive | Take a look inside Andrew Wheeler + Rye Hickman’s ‘Hey, Mary!’

The graphic novel about a Catholic teenager reconciling his feelings for another boy arrives in stores from Oni Press this week.

Courtesy of Oni Press, we’re happy to present this preview of Hey, Mary! by Andrew Wheeler, Rye Hickman and Hank Jones.

Hey, Mary! tells the story of Mark, a devoted Catholic who realizes he has a crush on another boy at school. The pages we have today show Mark’s struggle and also illustrate why it’s titled “Hey, Mary!” as Mark turns to his faith for answers.

“Hey, Mary is a book about a lot of things — most obviously, trying to reconcile being Catholic and being gay, but it’s also about first love and teenage anxiety and isolation and trying to find your feet as you learn more about the world,” Wheeler said. “This sequence is at the heart of those themes as Mark struggles with the enormity of the question, ‘Why is this who I am?’ Perhaps the worst part is that the very thing he’s been told will give him comfort, his faith, is actually the source of his pain. I love the expressiveness that Rye and our colorist Hank Jones have brought to these silent moments.”

The relationship with Luka is also on display. Luka clearly has feelings for Mark as well, and the two friends have grown apart as the thought of romance pushes Mark away.

“Mark’s conversation with Luka gives us the other side of Mark’s anxiety,” Wheeler said. “Mark and Luka think they’ve grown apart — the truth is that they haven’t found the language to bridge the gap between them. The panel with the two of them running into the park on either side of a painted line is perfect. Also, Rye and I had a lot of conversations about the boys’ personal styles, and Mark’s ‘Camp’ t-shirt is one of my favorite choices!”

“I feel like teenage friendships are The Most, no matter what’s going on in your life, so I’m very excited for readers to relate to our protagonist, Mark, going for a jog with his estranged friend Luka,” Hickman said. “The secret sauce here, though, is that Mark has a big ole crush on Luka and all signs point to Luka also wanting more than friendship. No spoilers, but there’s friction -Luka has rainbow shoelaces and Mark prays for help with the fear he has about being gay himself- so hopefully you’ll pick up the book and find out how that friction resolves!”

Check out the preview below. Hey, Mary! is available in comic shops and bookstores now.

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Exclusive | Take a look inside the deluxe edition of Brenna Thummler’s ‘Lights’

The hardcover arrives in stores today from Oni Press.

Courtesy of Oni Press, we’re thrilled to share this preview of Lights: Deluxe Edition, the final installment of Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy.

Originally published in 2023, Lights wraps up the story of Marjorie Glatt and her best friend, Wendall, who happens to be a ghost that she found living in her family’s laundromat. Together with their friend Eliza, they set out to discover the story behind Wendall’s death — and, eventually, his life as well.

The hardcover deluxe edition, available in stores today, includes never-before-seen bonus content like sketches, a Q&A, Easter eggs and more. You can check out some of it in the preview below.

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Exclusive | Ben Winters + Brian Level share a sage’s sinister ‘gift’ in ‘Ye Will Be Healed’

Check out an exclusive preview of a story appearing in EC Comics’ ‘Cruel Kingdom,’ which arrives in stores today.

Courtesy of Oni Press, we’re back with another preview of one of the stories from Cruel Kingdom #4, which arrives in stores today. It’s the final issue of the dark fantasy anthology that’s a part of their revival of EC Comics.

Today’s preview is for the story “Ye Will Be Healed,” written by Ben Winters with artwork by Brian Level. The story is about a young boy who needed healing, and after a trip to see a dark sage he comes back … different. Winter is the creator of the hit CBS TV series Tracker and worked on Marvel’s acclaimed series Legion for FX. He’s also an award-winning novelist and will add another comic to his resume — Benjamin, a new science fiction series from Oni that will feature artwork by Leomacs and debuts in June.

Check out the preview, along with a look at this issue’s covers. You can also check out more preview pages from Greg Pak, PJ Holden and John McCrea’s story in this issue.

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Lil’ Jinx, Betty + Veronica would ‘Please, Please, Please’ like to meet their idol in ‘Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest’ #334

Check out a preview of a new story by Timmy Heague and 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 #334, which arrives in stores April 30.

The story features Lil’ Jinx, who has been starring in the Archie Horror line as of late, but the only thing scary in this story are some rabid Sabrina Serena Carpenter fans — maybe they had too much Espresso. Betty, Veronica and Jinx have entered a contest to meet their idol, and the competition is fierce. This one is written by Timmy Heague, with artwork by Dan Parent and Bob Smith, colors by Glenn Whitmore and letters by Jack Morelli.

This will be the second appearance of Jinx as a teenager in the classic Archie universe, as she’ll also appear in World of Archie Digest #149, which comes out next week.

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

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Martian Magic: Cosmo enlists Sabrina’s supernatural skills in this exclusive ‘Archie Jumbo Comics Digest’ preview

Check out a preview of a new story by Bill Golliher and Jim Amash coming in April from Archie Comics.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to share a preview of a new story appearing in Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #360.

Recently Cosmo the Mighty Martian made first contact with the Archie gang, and in this story he returns to Riverdale looking for his missing friends — who they determine are in Greendale, home to everyone’s favorite teenage witch. Queue a trip to visit Sabrina, who has some history on Mars herself. Bill Golliher writes and draws this new story, joined by inker Jim Amash, colorist Glenn Whitmore and letterer Jack Morelli.

Check out the preview below, along with a complete classic story by Bob Bolling featuring Little Archie and Mad Doctor Doom.

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Exclusive Preview | A brutal and bloody look at ‘Cruel Kingdom’ #4

Take a look at a new story by Greg Pak, PJ Holden and John McCrea before it arrives in stores in April.

Courtesy of Oni Press, we’re pleased to share a preview of one of the stories from Cruel Kingdom #4, which arrives in stores April 2.

Cruel Kingdom is a fantasy anthology from Oni’s partnership with EC Comics, the notorious and influential publishing house from the 1950s. The anthology features two stories per issue, and today’s preview comes from “Headmistress,” a tale by Greg Pak, PJ Holden and John McCrea.

Check out the preview, along with a look at covers by Adam Pollina, Gabriel Rodriguez, Albert Monteys and Rian Hughes.

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Cosmo lands in Riverdale in this preview of ‘World of Archie Jumbo Comics’ #149

Check out a preview of a new story by Bill Golliher and Bill Galvan coming in April from Archie Comics.

Check it out — Archie Comics has shared a preview with us of  World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #149, which will arrives in stores April 2.

“Gimme Some Space” is one of two new stories appearing in the digest, and it features the first meeting of the Riverdale gang with the newly redesigned Cosmo. You might recall back in 2017 that Archie Comics brought the Merry Martian back from obscurity. The character had a very short-lived humor/science fiction comic published in the late 1950s created by Bob White, and came back as “The Mighty Martian” in recent times. And now he’s making his first contact with Archie and the gang in a new story by Bill Golliher, Bill Galvan, Glenn Whitmore and Jack Morelli.

Check out the preview below, along with a complete classic story from the digest, a closer look at Cosmo and more.

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Exclusive Preview | ‘Heartcore’ by Štěpánka Jislová

The award-winning graphic novel arrives in English from Graphic Mundi in May.

Courtesy of Graphic Mundi, we’re pleased to present a preview of Heartcore, the award-winning graphic novel by Štěpánka Jislová. Originally published in Czech in 2023, Graphic Mundi will publish an English version, translated by Martha Kuhlman, on May 13.

Heartcore delves into the psychology of romantic attachment by examining the author’s own troubled relationships. Through powerful visual storytelling, Jislová confronts toxic patterns, trauma, and societal influences on love while offering an inspiring journey toward healthier connections.

Jislová is an award-winning comics artist based in Prague and the cofounder of the Czech branch of Laydeez do Comics, an international organization that promotes female comic artists and their work. Jislová collaborated with Czech writer Tereza Čechová on the 2021 Muriel prize–winning Bez vlasů, later published by Graphic Mundi in English as Bald. Srdcovka (the original Czech edition of Heartcore) received the Muriel Award in three categories in 2024, including the main prize.

You can check out the publisher’s full description and the preview below.

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The New Crusaders face a small problem in this preview of ‘Archie Jumbo Comics Digest’

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

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to share a preview of a new story appearing in next week’s Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #358.

Dan Parent writes and draws this one, joined by inker Bob Smith, colorist Glenn Whitmore and letterer Jack Morelli. In it, the New Crusaders are due to attend an event at the MLJ Museum, but they are nowhere to be found — until Archie’s friend Stacy Banks “figures” out what might be amiss.

You can check out the preview below, along with a complete “classic” Archie story by Frank Doyle and Stan Goldberg.

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Exclusive Preview | Betty steps into the spotlight in ‘Archie is Mr. Justice’ #3

The penultimate issue of the premium event series will arrive in March.

Courtesy of Archie Comics, we’re pleased to share an exclusive first look at Kenny Porter and Maria Laura Sanapo’s work on Archie is Mr. Justice #3, which will arrive in stores in March.

The premium event miniseries reimagines Archie Andrews as a hero who has left his mark on Riverdale and gone away, leaving his friends to remember his exploits. Each issue has focused on a different character in Archie’s life and has been created by a different creative team, with Porter and Sanapo presenting Betty’s perspective.

“Maria’s artwork brings the story to life,” Porter said.. “All of the emotional storytelling she does with the characters’ gestures and her slick art style really makes this feel like an all-time classic. I tried my best to make sure that people could read this issue of Betty on its own, and Maria made it a showstopper that anyone can enjoy.”

The modern take will show that Betty is more than just the girl next door in Mr. Justice’s story.

“Drawing Betty in this issue has been especially important for me,” Sanapo said. “You discover a side of her that you never expected. Behind her softheartedness, her strength comes out powerfully. She’s brave and despite the fact that she has no physical power, she chooses to help Mr. Justice, being a huge support for him. That makes her a super heroine, too!”

Check out the exclusive first look in black and white below, along with covers and character designs, below.

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