Skybound – SMASH PAGES

SDCC Slugfest | Oni Press brings a can to the con

As Comic-Con International approaches, here’s more news on the show from Marvel, Skybound, IDW and more. Plus: Rascal Randy roams the streets of San Diego!

With the San Diego Comic-Con coming up on July 23-26, we have news and announcements dropping left and right, so here’s an attempt to keep up with it all. Hit the links for more info.

Matt Kindt’s Flux House imprint is known for doing things a little differently, so it’s not surprising that they’ve come up with something unique and fun for San Diego this year as they’re relaunching at Oni Press. So here’s one of the show’s more unusual exclusives: the Fort Psycho “Comic in a Can.” Limited to just 250 copies and priced at $25, the resealable can includes an exclusive 16-page mini-comic by Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt, a bumper sticker, toy army men and even a brand-new prose story printed directly on the can’s label.

SDCC Slugfest | News from DC, 2000 AD, Fantagraphics + more

As San Diego Comic-Con looms, we round up news on the show, recent comic announcements and more. Plus: comics at the G1 Climax opener!

With the San Diego Comic-Con coming up on July 23-26, we have news and announcements dropping left and right, so here’s an attempt to keep up with it all. Hit the links for more info.

DC has unveiled its plans for San Diego Comic-Con, which includes a continuation of their decade-long plan to spotlight a different era of the company in their booth, building toward their 100th anniversary in 2035. Last year the spotlight fell on the 1940s, so, given how numbers work, this year will focus on the 1950s — the decade that brought us Supergirl, Legion of Super- Heroes, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan and MAD Magazine.

Their booth will feature a 1950s-style Daily Planet newsstand, and they plan to give away free copies of MAD Magazine #1 facsimile edition, based on the original that debuted in 1952.

Here’s a video DC released spotlighting the comics and characters of that decade:

Mike Mignola’s ‘Circus of Bones’ art book showcases more than 145 original works

The hardcover companion to Mignola’s upcoming gallery exhibition arrives in November.

Mike Mignola’s latest artwork is heading from the gallery wall to bookstore shelves this fall.

Act 4 Publishing, in partnership with Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics, has announced Circus of Bones: The Art of Mike Mignola, a 144-page hardcover collecting more than 145 pieces of original artwork created by the Hellboy creator. The book serves as the official catalog for Mignola’s upcoming exhibition at New York City’s Philippe Labaune Gallery, dates for which have not been announced yet.

The collection includes 53 new watercolor paintings created specifically for the exhibition, more than 60 published covers and interior pages, and more than 30 previously unpublished pencil and ink drawings. Every piece was scanned directly from the original artwork.

Lara Croft makes a surprise appearance in ‘G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero’ this week before headlining a five-issue crossover

Skybound surprises readers with the first meeting of G.I. Joe and the Tomb Raider icon, with a full miniseries launching in October.

Skybound pulled another Wednesday surprise today, hiding an appearance by video game bad ass Lara Croft inside G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #330. They also announced that a five-issue crossover miniseries, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero/Tomb Raider, will follow in October from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Elena Casagrande.

The miniseries sends Lara Croft to Cobra Island in search of a hidden treasure called the Arbco Star, teaming her with Shipwreck and several other Joes as they race Destro and the Baroness for the prize. Higgins and Casagrande will be joined by colorist Alex Guimarães and letterer Pat Brosseau on the crossover.

“Tomb Raider meets G.I. Joe. Lost artifact, a Destro plot and a joint infiltration mission to Cobra Island– the appeal of a story like this should be obvious,” Higgins said. “Having never had the opportunity to work with either, I was quite excited when Alex Antone called to ask me if I’d like to build an adventure for both. We’re taking some really fun swings with both brands–and there are definitely some deep cuts for G.I. Joe fans!”

Kelly Thompson + Mattia De Iulis reunite for ‘Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives’

The creative team behind ‘Absolute Wonder Woman Annual’ gives the Bride her own story in a four-issue series arriving in October.

Skybound has announced the next series in their Universal Monsters line — Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives, a four-issue miniseries from Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis.

De Iulis will both draw and color the series, with lettering by Becca Carey. The trio worked together on this year’s Absolute Wonder Woman Annual.

The series marks the eighth entry in Skybound’s Universal Monsters line, following Dracula, Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, the Phantom of the Opera and the Wolf Man, whose miniseries launched last month. Skybound began publishing comics based on the iconic horror characters in 2023, and have done a great job of pairing the right creative teams with each of the characters.

“The original Bride of Frankenstein is a brilliant film exploring the creature’s failed attempts to find friendship and community, and then the desperate act to force others to create that which he cannot find. What it’s not about, however, is how The Bride herself feels about her creation,” Thompson said. “Through The Bride of Frankenstein Lives we get the opportunity to explore not only her search for who and what she is, but her search for the women that were destroyed to create her — all brought to striking vivid life via Mattia De Iluis’s incredible visuals.”

Steve Skroce’s ‘Tales of Wonder’ takes flight at Skybound this September

The artist returns to superhero comics with a story about two estranged Golden Age creators whose comic book creations turn out to be real.

Former Ektokid and Gambit artist Steve Skroce returns this fall with Tales of Wonder, a new limited series he’ll write and draw, with colors by Ian Herring and letters by Pat Brosseau.

The six-issue series will debut from Skybound/Image Comics in September.

The series follows Stu and Jake, two comic book creators whose friendship was forged during World War II and whose Wonder Comics creations grew into a cultural phenomenon, until the partnership collapsed under the pressures of the industry. Decades later, the two reunite to launch a cinematic universe based on their old characters, only to discover their superheroes and monsters are real, forcing them to set aside old grudges to help save the world.

Daniel Warren Johnson’s ‘Beta Ray Bill’ miniseries is getting an Artist’s Edition

The oversized collection of Johnson’s acclaimed 2021 Marvel miniseries arrives in February 2027.

Act 4 Publishing and Skybound have announced Beta Ray Bill by Daniel Warren Johnson Artist’s Edition, a 144-page, 12-by-17-inch collection of Johnson’s 2021 Marvel miniseries, arriving in comic shops Feb. 3, 2027.

The Artist’s Edition format, developed by Act 4 founder Scott Dunbier when he was at IDW, presents original art at its original size, making ink gradients, blue pencil and other nuances of the physical pages visible. The collection includes the complete five-issue Beta Ray Bill miniseries, which Johnson wrote and drew, along with an introduction by Walt Simonson, who created Beta Ray Bill during his epic run on Thor in the 1980s.

“I’ll never forget the first artist edition I bought: Jack Kirby’s New Gods. It’s still in my studio, treasured, inspiring me to this day,” said Johnson. “It’s an honor to have Scott Dunbier give my story the same treatment.”

Surprise, it’s Rom! Skybound surprises ‘M.A.S.K.’ blind bag buyers with a new ‘Rom’ #1

Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici bring the space knight into the Energon Universe in a standalone issue available only through the blind bag program.

Today brought another signature Skybound surprise, kind of like that time they ended The Walking Dead without telling anyone it was ending, included a Spider-Man comic in their mix of Battle Beast #1 blind bags and stealth-launched the Energon Universe.

Today’s surprise, really shouldn’t be a surprise based on their track record, but it’s a fun one: some of the blind bags for M.A.S.K. #1 included completely different comics, with one of them being Rom #1, a standalone issue by Void Rivals co-creators Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici that introduces the space knight into the Energon Universe.

In a press release, Skybound said the character has been a fan request since Skybound launched the shared universe. Longtime Marvel fans know he previously published by them in the 1980s, following his introduction as toy by Parker Brothers. The toy was kind of a dud when it launched, but the comic proved popular, as he was integrated into the Marvel Universe and met everyone from the X-Men to Galactus. Later IDW Publishing reintroduced him to comics when they held the Hasbro license.

Robert Kirkman + friends will launch ‘Terminal’ in July

An all-star line-up will helm the series, which was announced during Kirkman’s keynote address at this week’s ComicsPro meeting.

Skybound chief Robert Kirkman announced this week that he’s teaming with Joe Casey, Andy Kubert, David Finch and Arthur Adams on Terminal, a new superhero series that will launch in July.

The announcement came during Kirkman’s keynote address at the ComicsPro industry meeting in Glendale, Calif. The series features colors by Dave McCaig and letters by Rus Wooton.

“Listen, I’ve done my fair share of press release quotes but never for anything this cool,” Kirkman said (in a press release). “This will be the coolest comic on the market by the best creative team ever assembled. I dare you to find a book with a more stunning array of artistic talent. Go on, I’ll wait! You can’t! I’m co-creating another vast superhero universe and I’m getting to do it along with Joe Casey, Andy Kubert, David Finch and Arthur Adams! It’s going to be great!”

Skybound adds M.A.S.K. to the Energon Universe with new series by Dan Watters and Pye Parr

The classic 1985 Hasbro franchise joins Transformers, G.I. Joe and Void Rivals in Skybound’s shared universe, with the debut issue arriving in June.

Skybound, Image Comics and Hasbro announced today that M.A.S.K., the classic spy-fi franchise that sprung from its 1985 animated series and toy line, is joining Skybound’s Energon Universe.

The ongoing M.A.S.K. series will be written by Batman: Dark Patterns writer Dan Watters and illustrated by Pye Parr of Petrol Head fame. They’ll be joined by colorist Pierluigi Casolino and letterer Rus Wooton when the first issue arrives in June.

The series follows Matt Trakker and his network of civilian specialists — equipped with advanced masks and transforming vehicles — as they battle Miles Mayhem and the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M., who are scouring the globe for weapons of alien origin and threatening to sell out the entire human race.

“Illusion is the ultimate weapon–but also sometimes weapons are the ultimate weapon,” Watters said. “M.A.S.K. is a book about ordinary people taking it into their own hands to face down the awesome weaponry of the Energon Universe–and a high octane, nonstop thrill ride to boot. I couldn’t be prouder to be bringing you this story alongside Pye this summer. Welcome to the M.A.S.K. network. Matt Trakker needs you to save the world.”

Robert Kirkman + Cory Walker reunite to introduce a new character in ‘Capes’ #7

The Invincible co-creators will introduce Ella Mental, a new character debuting in comics and the upcoming ‘Invincible VS’ video game, in a series of back-up stories.

Invincible co-creators Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker will reunite to introduce Ella Mental, a new Invincible Universe character, in a series of back-up stories running through Capes #7–12.

Ella Mental, who possesses the power to command earth, wind, fire and water, will also make her debut in Invincible VS, an upcoming 3-on-3 tag fighting game from Skybound and its in-house studio Quarter Up, launching April 30. The back-up stories in Capes will tell her origin.

“I’m so excited Capes is continuing to tell stories set in the Invincible Universe but why not also GROW the Invincible Universe at the same time?!” Kirkman said. “It’s great to be working with Cory Walker again, creating a new character, in Ella Mental. You’ll love her in Invincible VS when that game launches, and you’ll get to read her origin story in Capes. How cool is that? I plan to be creating characters with Cory Walker forever!”

Slugfest | ComicsPro news from BOOM!, Dark Horse, IDW and more

From a new ‘Something is Killing the Children’ miniseries to a Terry Moore/Dark Horse partnership, this week’s ComicsPro announcements brought a steady stream of news.

You may have noticed it’s a big week for comics industry news. ComicsPRO, the comics retailer organization, is holding its annual industry conference in Glendale, Calif. this week, and it’s being attended by comic retailers, publishers, distributors and creators. Skybound’s chief Robert Kirkman is delivering the keynote address later this week.

Publishers traditionally flood the zone with announcements timed to the meeting, and this year is no exception. Here’s a roundup of more announcements that caught our eye so far:

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