Shadow of the Bat, Static, Vixen are Next Level at DC

Deniz Camp, Javier Rodríguez, Stephanie Williams, Khary Randolph, Cody Ziglar and Diego Olortegui helm the next wave of Next Level titles.

DC’s Next Level panel yesterday at the San Diego Comic Con was the gift that kept on giving. Not only did they finally officially announce titles featuring Jonah Hex and The Demon, but they also announced three more titles — one we knew was coming, and two we didn’t.

First up is Shadow of the Bat, which has been teased but we weren’t aware of the creative team until this weekend. And what a creative team it is — Deniz Camp and Javier Rodríguez, the team behind the recently wrapped Absolute Martian Manhunter and the big winners at last night’s Eisner Awards.

“We’re going to try to do some new things with Batman. I hope you’ll join us,” Camp said on social media.

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Shaquille O’Neal partners with Archie Comics for pirate epic ‘Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar’

Stephanie Williams and Ray-Anthony Height team for a new series based on the life of the pirate Black Caesar.

Archie’s October solicitations brings us our first look at Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar, a new series arriving this fall about the rise of one of history’s most mythologized pirates.

If you’re scratching your head and asking yourself, “Archie Comics?” I just want to note that isn’t a typo — the home of Archie Andrews and friends is doing a comic outside their traditional Riverdale universe and sans any Jugheads or Veronicas. Which is different from what we might expect from them, but it’s not unheard of, as they once published Sonic the Hedgehog.

This one is actually a partnership between Archie Comics and Shaquille O’Neal, the basketball Hall of Famer, business mogul and insurance spokesperson. Eisner-nominated writer Stephanie Williams is writing the series, with art from Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger. Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris and Matthew Gross of O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions/Authentic Studios are overseeing the project.

Here’s a look at Height’s cover for the project:

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Tom King + Daniel Sampere will kick off ‘The Wonder War’ act 2 in September

The Matriarch’s story continues in the main ‘Wonder Woman’ title and in a 48-page special tracing the Matriarch’s path through Hell.

DC has announced that Tom King and Daniel Sampere’s “The Wonder War” arc will move into its second act in September. The battle with the Matriarch continues in Wonder Woman #37, followed later in the month by Wonder Woman Annual: Wonder War — The Matriarch #1, a 48-page special by Stephanie Williams and Leah Williams, with art by Eduardo Pansica and Belén Ortega.

Wonder Woman #37 continues the story of Steve Trevor and his daughter Trinity, who arrived in the present after a defeat at the hands of the Matriarch two decades in the future. The pair must convince Wonder Woman of the threat a seemingly innocent child will eventually pose.

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DC Go will add six new titles this year featuring Shazam!, Aquaman + more

Dc’s vertical-scrolling digital line will add new titles by Stephanie Williams, Josh Trujillo, Andrew Aydin, Steve Orlando and more.

DC Go, DC’s mobile-friendly digital comics initiative, will add six new titles to the platform beginning in July, along with “season renewals” for Harley Quinn in Paradise and Nothing Butt Nightwing.

DC announced DC Go, which is available on the DC Universe Infinite digital comics app, last year. In addition to original titles, they’ve also added vertical-scrolling editions of existing material, like All-Star Superman and some of the Absolute titles.

The new titles include:

  • Warriors and a Wee Wonder by Stephanie Williams, Jane Pica, and Emily Pearson;
  • Aquaman: Yo-Ho-Hold Onto Your Hook! by Josh Trujillo, Nicky Lelapi, Andrew Drilon, and Bradley Clayton;
  • Jon Kent: This Internship Is my Kryptonite by Sam Camp, Daimon Hampton, Seraji, and C.M. Cameron;
  • Taste of Justice by Andrew Aydin, Dominike “DOMO” Stanton, Aneke, and Nick Filardi;
  • My Little Warlord by Nina Gee, Madlen Mirjam, and Chi Ngo; and
  • The Magical Mysteries of Shazam! by Steve Orlando and Giopota.

You can find more details on each of them below.

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Slugfest | ‘Antarctica’ will continue as an ongoing

Plus: a new ‘Alien’ series, Marv Wolfman returns to ‘Tomb of Dracula,’ ‘The Walking Dead’ tribute covers and more.

Slugfest is a roundup of cool announcements about projects coming to a shelf near you. Hit the links for more information.

Antarctica by Simon Birks and Willi Roberts, the Top Cow miniseries that debuted in July, will continue as an ongoing series after issue #5.

“If readers already love the first two issues of volume one, they’re going to love this new arc as we get the chance to delve deep into the previous events surrounding the Fracture and explore the Hannahs’ stories,” Birks said. “We’re thrilled to once again be working with the team at Top Cow. Not only have they been professional, but they’ve really taken the time to get to know us, and I’m delighted they love the book as much as we do. Antarctica takes no prisoners, and I’m excited to share our adventure with the readers. Willi and I have created something exceptional; an incredible experience full of unique twists and turns to keep everyone guessing right up until the end. As if one married The Fugitive with The Cabin in the Woods.”

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Here’s a look at the new characters debuting in ‘Marvel’s Voices: Pride’

Nightshade, Muzzle, Dark X-Men and more will appear in this year’s special.

As previously mentioned, this year’s Marvel’s Voices: Pride special will continue the tradition set by previous volumes and introduce new characters — specifically a new symbiote, a new Nightshade and a third character with a “fascinating” origin.

In the past, Marvel has used the Pride special introduced characters like Escapade and Somnus, two characters who have since appeared in Marauders and New Mutants. So there’s no telling where this year’s debuting characters could pop up next.

Here’s a look at each of them, plus some additional previews from the issue:

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Marvel’s Pride special will introduce an X-Men team, a new Nightshade and more

‘Marvel’s Voices: Pride’ will arrive in June, along with several Pride-themed variant covers.

Marvel has announced details for this year’s Pride special, which will once again come under the Marvel’s Voices banner in June. And like previous specials, which introduced new characters like Escapade and Somnus, this one also will include several character and creator debuts.

Probably the biggest news is that the special will introduce a new X-Men title that will debut later this year from Steve Foxe and Rosi Kampe. Their story will feature Gimmick, one of the Children of the Atom, who you might remember as being teased as the X-Men’s sidekicks before debuting (they all looked liked versions of the original X-Men) and starred in their own miniseries in 2020. The only true mutant on the team was Gimmick, who was later invited to the Hellfire Gala by Storm. I don’t think we’ve seen much of this team since they were introduced.

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‘Wakanda’ takes the spotlight in new miniseries

Stephanie Williams, Paco Medina, Evan Narcisse, Natacha Bustos and more will tell stories about Shurt, Killmonger and more.

Spinning out of recent events in the ongoing Black Panther series, Marvel has announced Wakanda, a five-issue miniseries that will feature Shuri, Killmonger and other residents of the African nation in solo stories.

The first issue will spotlight Shuri in a story by Stephanie Williams and Paco Medina.

“I’ve been such a huge fan of the Black Panther over the years, especially the evolution and expansion of the women of Wakanda,” Williams said. “It’s truly an honor to kick off the new series with the Shuri story I wrote. I hope I can add to her and Wakanda’s already impressive lore.”

Subsequent issues will feature different characters by different creators. Each issue will also include a back-up story, “History of the Black Panthers,” by Evan Narcisse and Natacha Bustos, which will expand on the lore of previous Black Panthers.

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Smash Pages Q&A | Stephanie Williams on ‘Nubia and the Amazons’

The co-writer of the DC Comics miniseries talks about her approach to writing Nubia, the Well of Souls, her journey to becoming a comics writer and more.

Stephanie Williams has been writing about comics and making her own comics for several years, with her work appearing on NPR, the AV Club, Den of Geek and more. She’s also written Living Heroes, a fan comic/mash-up of the sitcom Living Single with Marvel characters, as well as the webcomics But What If Though and Parenthood Activate.

Earlier this year, Williams began working for DC, with her first story for them appearing in Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #2. This was soon followed by the announcement that she would co-write Nubia and the Amazons with Vita Ayala, who recommended her to the Wonder Woman editorial office. Featuring art by Alitha Martinez, the story focuses on the current queen of the Amazons and also introduces Bia, a Black trans woman who emerges from the Well of Souls.

I spoke with Williams about her work on the title, her approach to writing Nubia, the introduction of Bia and much more. Big thanks to Williams for taking the time to answer my questions.

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DC celebrates 80 years of Wonder Woman with ‘Nubia and the Amazons’ + more

A new title featuring Wonder Woman’s sister headlines a slate of Wonder Woman projects arriving this fall.

DC Comics have announced several Wonder Woman projects for September and October, when they plan to pull out all the stops in celebrating the character’s 80th anniversary.

Wonder Woman debuted in the pages of All-Star Comics #8, which was published Oct. 21, 1941. Oct. 21, at least according to DC’s marketing department, is now known as “Wonder Woman Day” (although they have celebrated it at other times of the year as well).

October will bring the debut of at least one new Wonder Woman title, featuring her fellow Amazon Nubia, as well as an 80th anniversary special, an oversized issue of her regular title, a previously announced Black Label project, some free comics and more. Check’em out below.

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Marvel announces plans for Black History Month

The publisher announces an anthology titled ‘Marvel’s Voices: Legacy’ and a series of variant covers by Ernanda Souza.

Marvel has announced plans to release another addition of Marvel’s Voices during Black History Month in February, similar to the one arriving this week to celebrate Indigenous history. This one is titled Marvel’s Voices: Legacy and will feature a variety of stories by Black creators.

“I don’t think comics can call itself a successful industry unless it’s reached out to all kinds of fans,” said the anthology’s co-editor, Sarah Brunstad. “Comics are a medium, not a genre, you know? So it’s immensely important to me that we bring in new readers and make them welcome in the Marvel Universe. We do that by telling all different kinds of stories with all different kinds of creators.”

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