Mail Call | ‘TerrorWar’ debuts from Saladin Ahmed + Dave Acosta

Check out recent news and updates from Saladin Ahmed, Top Shelf, IDW, James Tynion IV, Kyle Higgins and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of cool things we’ve received in our mailboxes recently from comics creators, publishers and more. Hit the links for more information.

Saladin Ahmed posted the first pages of TerrorWar this week, the comic he first announced when he launched the paid version of his Substack newsletter. Drawn by Dave Acosta and Jay Leisten, the comic is about a city where people’s worst fears have come to life somehow, and the terrorfighters who face them with really big guns.

Continue reading “Mail Call | ‘TerrorWar’ debuts from Saladin Ahmed + Dave Acosta”

Tsuei + Lee plan to reclaim cyberpunk in ‘Fox and Hare’

Vault Comics will launch the new series in November.

Vault Comics will publish Fox and Hare, a new cyberpunk comic by Jon Tsuei (Sera and the Royal Stars, Run Love Kill), and artist Stacey Lee (Silk, Gwenpool) starting in November.

In the press release, Tsuei explains not only what the new series is about, but also why telling a story in the cyberpunk genre is important to him.

“I’ve always been drawn to the cyberpunk genre, but I never saw myself represented in those stories, despite their heavy usage of Asian aesthetics,” Tsuei said. “I began to wonder, what if Asian people reclaimed the aesthetics of cyberpunk and centered ourselves in the narrative? As I spent time with that question, I realized that it wasn’t enough to just place Asian faces in the story. We also had to reframe the themes of new technology (cyber) and rebellion (punk) through an Asian lens. That’s exactly what you’ll get with Fox and Hare.”

Continue reading “Tsuei + Lee plan to reclaim cyberpunk in ‘Fox and Hare’”

Lore + Sposito team for the unsubtle werewolf story ‘Lunar Room’

Vault Comics will launch the new series in November.

Danny Lore (Queen of Bad Dreams) and Gio Sposito (Betty Page) will blend elements of science fiction, fantasy and horror in a new series, Lunar Room, coming from Vault Comics in November.

The two creators are joined by colorist DJ Chavis, letterer Andworld Design and designer Tim Daniel for the story of Cynthia “Sin” Breaker, whose resume includes former mob enforcer for a mage AND being a werewolf.

Lunar Room started as a conversation with Tim Daniel about why I hadn’t done a werewolf comic,” Lore said. “That conversation created the seed of an idea—how would I get what I love about werewolves into a script that an artist could have fun with, rather than a more internal-sensation based tale. That, paired with the best advice I’ve ever been given (‘Be less subtle,’ as Adrian Wassel often reminds me!), gave way to Lunar Room. From the genre-mash up to the story structure (chapter-based but not reliant on the issue number) to the very names of our characters (Sin Breaker and Zac Zero!), this is me pushing myself to be wonderfully unsubtle in my style.”

Continue reading “Lore + Sposito team for the unsubtle werewolf story ‘Lunar Room’”

Don’t feel so loud: Milligan, Cantirino + Kelly scare up ‘Human Remains’

The horror/sci-fi series debuts in September

How good are you at hiding your emotions? In the world created by writer Peter Milligan, artist Sally Cantirino and colorist Dearbhla Kelly for Human Remains, you better be good at it or you’ll wind up dead. The aliens will find you if you feel too strongly.

Inspired by the isolation Milligan felt during quarantine from the COVID-19 pandemic, the series stars Dax and Bisa who must hide their love for each other if they want to live. Alien monsters roaming the earth hunt humans by sensing strong emotions.

Continue reading “Don’t feel so loud: Milligan, Cantirino + Kelly scare up ‘Human Remains’”

Vault Comics’ Wonderbound imprint reveals its 2022 titles

Vault Comics’ young adult line announces new graphic novels by Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, Michael Moreci and more.

Wonderbound, the middle grade/young adult-focused imprint of Vault Comics, has announced their 2022 line-up of graphic novels.

The slate of nine graphic novels includes new work by Agnes Garbowska, Shea Fontana, Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, Galaad, Sam Beck, Michael Moreci, Brian Middleton and more. It also includes several sequels to works Wonderbound will publish later this year, when their first graphic novels debut in the fall, like Verse and Wrassle Castle.

“One of our goals with Wonderbound Year 2 was to present a wide range of genre graphic novels for young readers, but what blew me away was how each of these books also showed the depth of what genre stories can be for this age group,” said Wonderbound Managing Editor Rebecca Taylor. “I have laughed loudly and cried openly while watching pages come in on every single one of our 2022 titles. The sincerity and imagination at work in this slate–whether in a story about time traveling knights, orphaned detectives, or maniacal snowmen–is truly stunning, and I cannot wait for young readers to dive in!”

Here’s the complete list:

Continue reading “Vault Comics’ Wonderbound imprint reveals its 2022 titles”

Russell + Tiesma + Popov bring ‘Deadbox’ to life in August

The new horror title will take readers to Lost Turkey, where a cursed DVD machine holds the town in its grip.

Vault Comics has announced a new horror series from the team of writer Mark Russell, artist Benjamin Tiesma, colorist Vladimir Popov and designer Tim Daniel. Deadbox is about a town caught in the grip of “a cursed DVD machine.”

From the cover it looks like it’s a cursed Redbox, but for trademark reasons I’m sure they couldn’t say that. But somebody call The Last Blockbuster, because this could be good news for them.

“I wrote Deadbox as a horror story, not just about a cursed DVD rental machine, but also about the feeling of being trapped, boxed if you will, in a town that doesn’t get you and a place you will never feel at home in no matter how long you live there,” Russell said.

Continue reading “Russell + Tiesma + Popov bring ‘Deadbox’ to life in August”

Bunn + Leiz team for ‘The Last Book You’ll Ever Read’

The new horror title from Vault Comics arrives in July. Read at your own risk.

Cullen Bunn and Leila Leiz have a new title coming out in July from Vault Comics, but based on the title, we’d recommend you read it at your own risk: The Last Book You’ll Ever Read.

Joining them are colorist Giada Marchisio, letterer Jim Campbell and designer Tim Daniel. It’s about a woman who writes a book that brings about the collapse of society as we know it.  

“With this story, I’m exploring some concepts and themes that really trouble and frighten me,” Bunn said. “This is a story of fantasy and supernatural horror, but the themes and concepts haunt me like a ghost in the dark. The Last Book You’ll Ever Read is about the collapse of society, about the descent or de-evolution of mankind. The book referenced in the title is the Bible of this massive shift. In ourselves. In our friends and neighbors. In our culture. In the world around us. Reality itself is becoming more fierce and wild, and it is taking us with it. Is the ‘last book’ sort of a doctrine to what is coming? Is it somehow bringing about this cataclysmic reckoning? Not even the author of the book, Olivia Kade, seems to know. She knows only that the people around her want her dead because of the words she’s written. She hires a security consultant, Connor Wilson, to protect her. In order to protect him, she asks that he never reads her work. From that moment forward, the fates of Olivia and Connor are intertwined. And they are facing a horror of unbelievable proportions. This isn’t a story about the end times. It’s about a new beginning that is violent and terrifying.”

Continue reading “Bunn + Leiz team for ‘The Last Book You’ll Ever Read’”

‘Barbaric’ tells the story of Owen and his talking axe

New series from Vault Comics, by Michael Moreci, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke, Jim Campbell and Tim Daniel, debuts in June.

Vault Comics has announced Barbaric, the story of a barbarian named Owen and his “sentient, blood-drunk” axe.

It’s written by Michael Moreci, with art by Nathan Gooden and colors by Addison Duke. Jim Campbell will letter the comic, and Tim Daniel serves as designer.

Barbaric, to me, is a series that wraps both its arms around the comics medium–it’s big, from the get-go, in ways only comics can be,” Moreci said. “I want this to be a huge story that continues on the way Hellboy does, and I want it to feel like that kind of epic. It’s my ode to pulp adventures, and immersive world-building, and larger-than-life characters. I feel so energized writing it, and I hope, between my scripts and Nate’s insanely amazing art, that energy comes off of every page.”

Continue reading “‘Barbaric’ tells the story of Owen and his talking axe”

Mail Call | New release dates for the Milestone revival

Catch up on news and announcements from Dark Horse, Vault Comics, DC, Z2 and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.

DC Comics has modified their plans for the upcoming Milestone Media relaunch. The three launch titles — Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware — will no longer arrive digitally before they come out in print. Instead, they’ll be released in both formats on the same day, as well as on DC Universe Infinite. Both Static and Icon and Rocket will come out later, but Hardware will be published earlier than originally announced. The new dates (and creative teams for each title) are:

  • Static: Season One, written by Vita Ayala, with layouts by CHRISCROSS, finishes by Nikolas Draper-Ivey with covers by Khary Randolph launches in print and digital on June 15.
  • Icon and Rocket: Season One, co-written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills, with art by Doug Braithwaite and covers by Taurin Clarke launches in print and digital on July 27.
  • Hardware: Season One, written by Brandon Thomas, with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz with covers by Mateus Mahanini, launches in print and digital on August 10.
Continue reading “Mail Call | New release dates for the Milestone revival”

Smash Pages Q&A: Sebastian Girner

The editor-in-chief of TKO Studios discusses their approach to making comics, their second year of publishing and the ‘relentless hopelessness’ of his own writing.

Sebastian Girner is the editor-in-chief of TKO Studios, where he’s overseen the publisher’s launch, its approach to publishing, and its diverse lineup of talents and approaches that we’ve seen over the past few years.

Previously Girner worked at Marvel Comics and has edited various creator-owned comics. He’s also written comics, including two projects that came out this year. The Devil’s Red Bride is a miniseries coming out from Vault Comics, and The Father Of All Things is one of the books in TKO’s inaugural line of TKO Shorts.

We spoke recently about his eventful year, about the tone that unites these two different projects, and how he uses the supernatural.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A: Sebastian Girner”

Vault’s Wonderbound imprint to publish Sam Beck’s ‘Verse’

The Young Adult fantasy webcomic will arrive in print in Fall 2021.

Sam Beck‘s excellent webcomic Verse is coming to print, as part of Vault Comics’ Wonderbound imprint. The book is due out in Fall of 2021.

“The story of a shared journey is one that feels timeless,” Beck said in the press release. “It isn’t the promise of adventure or the fantastical things you unearth that draw us back to them. It’s getting to see how each character grows and develops along it, testing the bonds they form over and over again. And even when paths diverge, as they often do, seeing how they manage to find a way back to each other.”

Continue reading “Vault’s Wonderbound imprint to publish Sam Beck’s ‘Verse’”

Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘X of Swords’ begins

New comics arrive this week from Fabian Nicieza, Ron Garney, Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, Dan Panosian, Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter and more.

We are back with a look at what’s arriving in comic shops, bookstores and on digital this week. There are several first issues coming out, including new titles from Dan Panosian, Daniel Kraus, Fabian Nicieza, Ron Garney and of course the big X of Swords crossover event featuring Marvel’s merry mutants (with swords!)

If you’re wondering what to get this week, check out a few recommendations below. You can check out Comic List to see what’s arriving in your local comic shop, and the comiXology new releases page for what’s available digitally.

Continue reading “Can’t Wait for Comics | ‘X of Swords’ begins”