TOP 10 PUBLISHERS
NO. 1: DC COMICS
WONDER WOMAN 2026 ANNUAL: WONDER WAR — THE MATRIARCH SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)
(W) Stephanie Williams, Leah Williams (A) Eduardo Pansica, Belen Ortega (CA) Daniel Sampere
MATRIARCH'S INFERNO!
Wonder Woman Annual: Wonder War — The Matriarch #1 is a 48-page special from Eisner Award–nominated writer Stephanie Williams, GLAAD Media Award–nominated writer Leah Williams, artist Eduardo Pansica and Eisner Award–nominated artist Belén Ortega.
“In the Matriarch Special, Leah and I are exploring a single motif: conviction versus doubt,” said Stephanie Williams. “The Fates take Lyssa’s Green Lantern ring and send her alone onto the Phlegethon, the River of Fire she was warned about as a girl. This leaves her isolated, compelled to confront her own fears and uncertainties. We’re intentionally paralleling the events of ‘The Wonder War Act 2’ that begins earlier in September. While Tom and Dani fight the external war in Wonder Woman #37, Eduardo, Belén, Leah and I are following Lyssa’s internal struggle after she chooses fate over freedom.”
In Wonder Woman Annual: Wonder War — The Matriarch #1, we witness the Matriarch’s inferno. After the shocking events of Wonder Woman #34, the Matriarch must crawl her way through Hell and back to the land of the living to stop Steve Trevor and Trinity from changing the past. The only thing that stands in her way is a river filled with the souls of heroes and villains alike who perished by her hand. Retribution is coming for the Matriarch. Will she survive it, or is she doomed to fate?
The Matriarch has had a slew of interesting reveals. Her first storyline is, so far, satisfying all the way around. The test will be her second appearance. I hope that she can maintain this sense of possibility — and menace. She could become Wonder Woman's Joker, or become another Giganta. I hope it's the former.
Anyway, i've read on the interwebs that this story ends with Wonder Woman #40, which will be Tom King's last. He had hoped to write 100 issues, but evidently life (and Lanterns, I assume) has intervened.
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BAD SEEDS
POISON IVY #48
KINGDOM OF ZOD
SUPERMAN: KINGDOM OF ZOD SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)
VERTIGO
BLEEDING HEARTS #8
MORE DC
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: BOOK OF EL #12 (OF 12)
BIZARRO YEAR NONE #3 (OF 4)
DC W.I.P. WATCHMEN #1 (MR)
ZATANNA #6
***
COLLECTIONS
BATMAN BY NEAL ADAMS ABSOLUTE EDITION VOL 1 1967-1970 HC: Look! I told you! There was NO UTILITY BELT on the original image! (I know nobody cares but me. It's just ... one of those things that stick in your head for life.)
BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS BY RAM V OMNIBUS HC
BATMAN: NIGHT OF THE OWLS COMPENDIUM TP
BATWOMAN OMNIBUS HC (2026 EDITION)
DARK NIGHTS METAL TP (DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION)
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR ONE TP (DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION)
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL BY JOHN BYRNE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC
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NO. 2: MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36 (LGY #1000)
Written by JOE KELLY NOAH HAWLEY, FRANK MILLER, DAN SLOTT, J.M. DEMATTEIS & BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & MORE!
Art by PEPE LARRAZ, JOHN ROMITA JR. PATRICK GLEASON, PEACH MOMOKO, MARCOS MARTIN, STUART IMMONEN & MORE!
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. & PAOLO RIVERA
Variant Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
The countdown to one of the biggest milestones in comic book history officially begins! This September, Marvel Comics proudly presents the 1000th issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, and is pulling out all the stops to make it one of the grandest comics it’s ever published!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000 will be led by an epic story by Joe Kelly and Pepe Larraz that serves as both a culmination of their work on the title so far AND a pivotal moment that launches into the next phase of their acclaimed run! Then, the giant-size spectacular continues with special anniversary stories by an unprecedented lineup of renowned creators from legendary Spider-Man creators and modern superstars to surprise contributors! The talent includes the likes of John Romita Jr., Frank Miller, Peach Momoko, Stuart Immonen, Brian Michael Bendis, Dan Slott, J.M. DeMatteis, Patrick Gleason, Marcos Martin and, making his Marvel Comics debut, screenwriter Noah Hawley (Alien: Earth, Legion)! Further details will be revealed in the weeks ahead, but today fans can check out John Romita Jr.’s main cover, which unites the iconic Spidey artist with acclaimed artist Paolo Rivera for the first time, along with a variant cover by Pepe Larraz that teases the debut of the new supervillain, RAVAGE!
Spider-Man faces his greatest fear and his most frightening new villain in decades. Who is this Ravage? And how will his history-shattering power force Peter to question his very legacy? It’s one of Spider-Man’s most personal battles to date, and one that will shape his path for the next 1,000 issues!
“Writing AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1000 has stirred up a lot of emotions for me, but gratitude is chief among them,” Kelly shared. “It's a true honor to have the opportunity to contribute to Spidey's legacy with a huge milestone like this. And special bonus — we get to introduce a new villain?! Amazing. Ravage is layered and complex and mysterious, and I can't wait to unleash him on the readers with this monumental issue!”
New details for some of the many anniversary stories are also revealed, including new promo art covers by Stuart Immonen and Marcos Martin. Both iconic Spider-Man artists will reunite with fellow Spider-Man legends, Brian Michael Bendis and Dan Slott, in their respective stories. Plus, Patrick Gleason delivers another of his stunning “Web-Head” covers as promo art, and joins screenwriter Noah Hawley (Alien: Earth, Fargo) in his exciting comic book debut. Finally, visionary creators Frank Miller and Peach Momoko will collaborate for the first time!
- “Now I Can Rest” by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin brings readers back to the night that changed Peter Parker’s life in a revelatory and heartbreaking story exploring Uncle Ben’s death.
- “The Gesture” by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen is a mighty team up between Spider-Man and the Avengers against some of Spidey’s greatest foes!
- “Still Standing” by Noah Hawley and Patrick Gleason
- “Tears of the Spider-Queen” by Frank Miller and Peach Momoko pit Spider-Man against the deadly ninjas of the Hand!
I don't know what jiggery-pokery gets us to #1000, but it's probably close enough for Marvel Math. I may actually buy this one, although I haven't been reading Spidey for a couple of years. If nothing else, I should check in to see what the current status quo is. (Lots of symbiotes, I imagine.)
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ALIEN VS. X-MEN #1
Written by KIERON GILLEN & CHRIS CLAREMONT
Art by GERALDO BORGES & MORE
This September, Marvel Comics and 20th Century Studios join forces for a special crossover saga decades in the making: ALIEN VS. X-MEN!
Following the blockbuster success of Alien Vs. Avengers, Marvel’s bold Alien line of comics evolves, pitting the Children of the Atom against the universe’s perfect organism! Blending super hero storytelling with cosmic horror, the saga will be written by visionary X-Men writer Kieron Gillen and illustrated by acclaimed artist Geraldo Borges. The series will also feature a four-part bonus story by legendary X-Men creator Chris Claremont, who brings the Xenomorphs into conflict with his own parasitic extraterrestrial creation: the BROOD!
The X-Men went looking for a Phoenix egg. They found something else.
The X-Men return to Earth with deadly cargo, and a violent battle between mutant and alien begins. Will an unexpected ally turn the tide in the X-Men's favor? Will anyone survive the experience? The next evolution of Marvel's mightiest mutants begins!
On his love for the Alien franchise, Gillen shared, "Alien was the first R-rated movie I ever saw. Aliens is one of the four founding teenage films that I built my understanding of story structure upon. As a hormonal teen, I had a looming Alien poster hung over my bed. I love Aliens so much that I am unhelpfully explaining beats to Geraldo by referencing two-second sequences featuring tertiary characters, as if he cares about Ferro and Dietrich as much as I do. So, yes, this is some prime-grade bucket list stuff for me, and I'm highly enjoying taking the X-Men on an X-press elevator to hell."
Plus: A young Kitty Pryde faces her greatest nightmare when she’s hunted by two of the galaxy’s greatest terrors: the Brood and the Xenomorphs!
“For me, the coolest aspect here is returning to a universe where I can pit my deadliest alien predators against their movie counter-parts, with Kitty caught in the middle,” Claremont said. “Kitty brings a hero’s perspective to the challenge that embraces the heart and soul of the X-Men. This story is cram-packed with adventure - plus some crazy surprises along the way."
Didn't we already get this story with the Brood as substitute xenomorphs? I think Paul Smith was on the title at that point, as was Chris Claremont, who is back for this one.
QUEEN IN BLACK
Evidently, this is still going on. Be still, my heart.
QUEEN IN BLACK #5 (OF 5)
Written by AL EWING
Art by IBAN COELLO
OH, THE HUMANlTY!
In the war between Light and Dark, the winner's taken their prize... but is it Hela or Knull who's ascended to the Throne of All? Either way, the only thing standing between them and all life on Earth is... the VENOMWORLD! It's the ultimate symbiote battle — and for Mary Jane Watson, it's the last stand!
***
QUEEN IN BLACK: VENOM UNCHAINED #3 (OF 3)
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by JUANAN RAMÍREZ
THE KING IS BACK?
Eddie Brock was the King in Black… right up until he wasn’t. It was him vacating the throne that led to the return of Knull and Hela’s rise as the Queen in Black. Can he make up for his mistake? Could he take back the crown as god of symbiotes?
***
VENOM #262
Written by AL EWING
Art by CARLOS GÓMEZ
WHO IS THE NEW ALL-VENOM?
Mary Jane Watson is Venom ... and so is everybody else! VENOMWORLD LIVES!
The war between Knull and Hela just ended — and even Eight Billion Venoms might not be enough to beat the winner! It's the strangest adventure yet for the World's Strangest Roommates ... but is the lease finally up?
***
AMAZING VENOM #1 (OF 5)
Written by JORDAN MORRIS
Art by LUKE ROSS
Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
Variant Cover by LUKE ROSS
Homage Variant Cover by ERIK LARSEN
Foil Variant Cover by MATTEO LOLLI
New York, NY— June 8, 2026 — The mystery wearer of the super stylish new Red & Blue Venom suit was revealed this past April in Web of Venom #1 to be none other than fan favorite villain-turned-vigilante Boomerang! This September, after fighting alongside his fellow symbiote heroes during Queen in Black, he’ll swing into his first solo adventure in AMAZING VENOM, a five-issue limited series from returning Web of Venom creative team, writer Jordan Morris and artist Luke Ross. Now calling himself COMEBACK, Fred Myers sets a course for Klyntar, the symbiote homeworld, on a cosmic quest that will test his limits as a hero and reshape his understanding of what it means to be a symbiote host.
When last we left the red-and-blue be-symbioted Fred Myers—formerly BOOMERANG, now COMEBACK—he was trying to keep his life uncomplicated. The last thing he wanted was to get caught up in the symbiote nonsense of Hela and Knull’s war over Earth...but the best laid plans of saps and symbiotes often go awry. Now, in the fallout, Fred and his symbiote, Passenger, find themselves on a mission way, way, WAY more complicated than your average Venorang can handle!
“Boomerang has always been one of my favorite Marvel anti-heroes and sticking him with a hyperactive symbiote in Web of Venom was a bonkers amount of fun,” Morris shared. “I’m so stoked that we can continue their adventure in THE AMAZING VENOM! Readers are in for a wild slurry of action, comedy and (gasp!) maybe even a little character growth for everyone’s favorite boomerang-hurling scumbag!”
Check out covers by Stefano Caselli and Luke Ross, along with an homage variant cover by Erik Larsen inspired by his iconic Amazing Spider-Man #347 cover and a foil variant cover by Matteo Lolli. Preorder AMAZING VENOM #1 at your local comic shop today!
***
ULTIMATE
ULTIMATE IMPACT: REBORN #5: I'm not dead yet! I think I'll go for a walk!
MORE MARVEL
DNX #2
FANTASTIC FOUR #17
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST FOES — DRAGON MAN (2026) #1: I'm getting these, because I don't think we'll see most of these supervillains on the big screen. This may be the only way to get the history of the MCU Fantastic Four, who apparently dispatched most of the Lee/Kirby villains with ease.
GAMBIT: WANTED (2026) #3
GODZILLA CONQUERS THE MULTIVERSE (2026) #3
PREDATOR VS. THE PLANET OF THE APES (2026) #3
SORCERER SUPREME (2025) #10
TOMB OF APOCALYPSE (2026) #2
UNCANNY X-MEN (2024) #36
X-MEN (2024) #38
X-MEN UNITED (2026) #7
COLLECTIONS
MARVEL KNIGHTS: PUNISHER TP
***
NO. 3: IMAGE COMICS
BADROCK #3
FINAL BOSS #10
GEIGER #25
HAMMERFIST #2
HYDE STREET #13
IMAGINARY FIENDS TP
The fan-favorite horror miniseries Imaginary Fiends by Tim Seeley (Revival, Hack/Slash) and Stephen Molnar (Star Trek/Green Lantern, Danger Girl: Renegade) will be collected in its entirety and available a new trade paperback edition from Image Comics this Fall.
This chilling horror/crime noir series was first published by DC/Vertigo to massive critical acclaim and is equal parts the bone-chilling horror of Scott Snyder and Jock’s Wytches and the twisted procedural depths of James Tynion and Martin Simmonds’ The Department of Truth.
When she was 10 years old, Melba Li was sent to a mental institution for attempted murder, a crime she blamed on a spidery phantom called "Polly Peachpit."
Now, on the eve of her 18th birthday, Melba receives an unexpected offer from the FBI: in exchange for a reprieve from her sentence, she will work with Special Agent Virgil Crockett to hunt down I.M.P.s — Interdimensional Mental Parasites — that prey on the minds of humans.
Polly Peachpit is one of those I.M.P.s, and Crockett needs Melba to convince her childhood tormentor to help with his mission — because only I.M.P.s and the humans they are linked with can see and interact with each other.
If she succeeds, Melba will finally free herself from the trauma of her past. But can her fragile sanity survive a partnership with the creature that drove her mad in the first place?
"When I first came up with Imaginary Fiends, I envisioned it as a horror story for a new generation — a comic book for the kind of fans who were into creepy pastas, slender men, and back rooms," said Seeley. "And, with this new release, we're finally at the right time and in the right place. Imaginary Fiends is one of my favorite series I've done—a dark tale of imagination, disconnection, and obsession ... with sexy monsters and beautiful art by Stephen and Quinton."
MALEVOLENT TP
ROGUE SUN TP VOL 06
SPAWN #379
TRILLION DOLLAR KID TP
WHITE SKY #6
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NO. 4: IDW PUBLISHING
GANGRENE
HELLO KITTY AND FRIENDS: HELLO WORLD! #2
THE HUNGER ONE-SHOT
MIND MGMT NEW & IMPROVED #4
OPERATION: IRON COFFIN #3
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #90
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE HUNGER COVER
ZORRO'S LEGACY #3
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NO. 5: DARK HORSE
HILLBILLY: THE TREASON OF TWELVE-TOE MAGGIE #1
Dark Horse Comics presents Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie, the next story and perfect jumping-on point for new readers in the hit Hillbilly series by Eisner Award–winning creator, Eric Powell! This three-issue comic arc is written and illustrated by Powell (The Goon, Dr. Werthless) and follows Rondel, the wandering hillbilly, years after the Great Witch War. The first issue will feature cover art by Eric Powell and a variant by Becky Cloonan.
About Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie:
There are many tales of Rondel the wandering Hillbilly; this is but one. Some years after the great witch war, Rondel, in order to save an old friend, finds himself in an uncomfortable situation — in the service of his former captor, Twelve-Toe Maggie. Will he break the magical tie that binds him to the twelve-toed witch, or will the wielder of the Devil’s Cleaver be at her service forever?
Praise for Eric Powell and Hillbilly:
“There aren't many characters like the Goon in comics and there aren't many characters as unique and enjoyable as Eric Powell.” — IGN
“The Goon is one of my favorite comics, and Powell is on the top of my list of best artist/writers out working today.” — Steve Niles
“Atmospheric and elegantly horrific.” — Slings & Arrows on Hillbilly
“Powell is old school in all the best ways — hand drawing and teasing out textures, often using washes and earth tones to give a weighty sense of times past to his storytelling.” — Comicon
I still haven't read all the Goon books, and now Powell's got another franchise? I need eight days a week to keep up with all this!
***
Go back to the beginnings of the Three Worlds/Three Moons sci-fi universe with the new one-shot, Shift, from Jonathan Hickman and Mike del Mundo. Written by Hickman, illustrated by del Mundo, and lettered by Rus Wooton, this one-shot explores a lost age of magic and wonder set ages before Foundations. The 64-page issue will be presented in a prestige, magazine-sized format and will be available September 2026
About Shift:
Set generations before the current science cycle, in a time when magic is at its peak and Kaoso is thriving, Syg the White Stag eschews the wishes of his family and the will of the Academy by hitching a ride on a Vojoganto to the center of the universe — Akva — to understand the cause behind what he believes to be the inevitable collapse of the universe as he knows it. Accompanied by his lifelong friend, an accused heretic named Markus, the two set out to unlock the secrets of life and stop the worlds' collapse. Will Syg and Markus be able to complete their mission, or will their time be cut short by the next cosmic shift?
Initially published on Substack, Three Worlds / Three Moons is the brainchild of the award-winning and best-selling team of Hickman (X-Men, East of West), del Mundo (Spawn: Unwanted Violence, Avengers), Huddleston (Decorum, The Strain) and Spencer (Amazing Spider-Man, Morning Glories), spanning comics, graphic novels, and more. Dark Horse Comics will publish all of these stories, available in comic shops and bookstores beginning July 2026.
About Jonathan Hickman
Jonathan Hickman exploded on the comic book scene in 2006 with The Nightly News. Since then, he has co-created books like East of West, The Manhattan Projects, and Pax Romana, and continues to be the mastermind behind superhero comics at Marvel
About Mike del Mundo
Mike del Mundo is a Joe Shuster Award winner and multiple Eisner Award nominee. His work is celebrated for its innovation, making him a respected and infl uential fi gure in the world of comic book art. Del Mundo lives happily in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and two kids.
About Mike Huddleston
An award-winning illustrator and comic book artist, Mike Huddleston currently lives in Los Angeles. His credits include The Coffin, Deep Sleeper, Mnemovore, and Decorum.
About Nick Spencer
Nick Spencer is the writer behind best-selling runs on Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America, critically acclaimed books like The Superior Foes of Spider-Man and The Fix, and early creator-owned breakout hits Morning Glories and Infinite Vacation.
It looks like Hickman's trying to start his own franchise, "Three Worlds/Three Moons," after all that great work-for-hire for Marvel, which he doesn't own. Can't say I blame him. But I haven't tried it yet.
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COLLECTIONS
THE EC ARCHIVES: THE COMPLETE PIRACY TPB
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF EIZOUKEN! VOLUME 8 TPB
STAR WARS: GALACTIC TALES OF TERROR LIBRARY EDITION HC
Deep in the Outer Rim, far from the light of the Jedi, strange creatures trade chilling stories that would terrify even the cruelest Sith Lord!
In Star Wars Galactic Tales of Terror Library Edtion:
As the twin suns set over Tatooine, Captain Vaclav finds himself dangling above Jabba the Hutt’s rancor pit! To bargain for his freedom, Vaclav regales the crime boss with three blood-curdling tales of phantom droids, alien lycanthropes, and ice-planet serpents! Is it possible to scare the cold-hearted Hutt?
On the dark and stormy coast of Kef Bir, a cloaked figure warns a young maverick named Fry about the horrors that lurk in the ruins of the Death Star: trash compactor terrors, ghostly pilots, and Imperial zombies! Will Fry heed the warning?
And during long nights on Ryloth, Twi’leks speak in hushed tones about the Nightlander. This shadowy entity haunts three generations of legendary heroes in its quest to bring despair to the galaxy! How will Anakin, Luke, Leia, and Rey quell this dark power unlike any other?
Written by master of the macabre Cavan Scott, the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle, and rendered in ghastly detail by award-winning illustrators, including Soo Lee, Nick Brokenshire, Vincenzo Riccardi, Fico Ossio, and more!
Collects Star Wars: Tales from the Rancor Pit, Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star, and Star Wars: Tales from the Nightlands #1-3 in a deluxe, oversized library edition!
THE WORLD OF BLACK HAMMER LIBRARY EDITION VOLUME 6 HC
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NO. 6: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINENT
DISNEY TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS -- THE SHIVER OF CHRISTMAS TOWN HC
FIRE AND ICE #5
VAMPIRELLA X WITCHBLADE SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)
Writer: Erica Schultz
Artist: Valentina Pinti
Two titans of comics collide as Dynamite Entertainment and Top Cow Productions unleash the fury of the Witchblade and Vampirella is this special red-hot one-shot! This incredible, extra-sized epic is brought to you by writer Erica Schultz (Daredevil, Rat City) and artist Valentina Pinti (Daredevil, Sabretooth), along with cover artists Lucio Parrillo, Francesco Mattina, Carla Cohen, Joseph Michael Linsner, John Royle, and Stjepan Sejic! When an ancient curse is unleashed on New York City, Det. Sara Pezzini — the Witchblade — is on the case. But when she herself is infected, who can defeat her?! Enter Vampirella. Vampirella has spent millennia defeating the forces of evil. Now she must come face-to-face with the Witchblade, and that is not a foe so easily defeated. This issue features a PREMIUM MYSTERY BLIND BAG which contains three limited editions of the issue selected randomly from a range of variant covers exclusive to this offering. Please Note: The number of Blind Bags is limited. Allocations may occur.
These oddball crossovers are usually more entertaining than they have a right to be.
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NO. 7: VIZ MEDIA
BLACK TORCH TP COMPLETE BOX SET
POKEMON SUN & MOON COMPLETE BOX SET
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NO. 8: BOOM! STUDIOS
HELLO DARKNESS #25
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (2026) #4
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NO. 9: KONDANSHA
I HAVE A CRUSH AT WORK VOLUME 7
WHOEVER YOU ARE, I LOVE YOU VOLUME 2
YOU CAN'T BLUFF THE SHARP-EYED SISTER VOLUME 5
***
NO. 10: ONI PRESS
ADVENTURE TIME HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1
MIND MGMT: NEW & IMPROVED #4
OPERATION: IRON COFFIN #3
SUPER MONDO MEGA MUTTS #3
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OTHER PUBLISHERS
ARCHIE COMICS
ARCHIE JUMBO COMIC MAGAZINE #2: CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA
Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Bill Galvan & Ben Galvan w/ Rosario "Tito" Peña
112-page, full color magazine
$14.99
This JUMBO-sized collection of Archie holiday stories is a special present that Santa is bringing early! Get ready for the festive season with this special edition collector’s item that celebrates not only the holliest jolliest time of the year, but Archie’s 85th anniversary!
***
FANTAGRAPHICS
MAGNIFICENT AFRICAN ADVENTURE TP
By Milo Manara
Milo Manara's famously inept adventurer returns in two engagingly absurdist adventures that absolutely attest to the existence of free will — or do they?
***
THE OUTSIDER TP (MR)
By Joseph D'Esposito
A secret history of comics, unearthed within the moving biography of legendary comic artist Bernard Krigstein. Take a walk with The Outsider.
***
HERMES PRESS
DARK SHADOWS NOIR HC CLASSIC B&W PHOTOGRAPHY
(W) Jim Pierson (A/CA) Photo
Hermes Press continues its long association with the original Gothic suspense television series "Dark Shadows" with the publication of the first-ever photographic art book devoted to the cult favorite which made sympathetic vampire Barnabas Collins a household name.
Dark Shadows debuted June 27, 1966 on ABC-TV as the first daytime drama styled in the tradition of a Gothic novel. The show was the dream of producer Dan Curtis, who brought an exciting new format to the weekday schedule of standard fare soap operas. The pages in the volume feature images shot in black and white, spanning the series’ earliest days — before ghosts and vampires, when Dark Shadows most closely resembled a 1940s noir film — through its final episodes.
As the series took a more fanciful direction, many of the plots retained an underlying tension and tone faithful to its origins, serving up a special hybrid ... Dark Shadows NOIR. Featuring 256 pages, DARK SHADOWS NOIR features stunning full-page mono-chromatic images from the legendary television program, including dozens of previously unseen images from the archive of "Dark Shadows" creator Dan Curtis Productions. For 1,225 episodes, "Dark Shadows" thrilled over 20 million viewers during its five-year run with imaginative stories devoted to hidden mysteries, lost loves, time travel and supernatural characters. Late creator-executive producer Dan Curtis drew upon classic mystery, horror and romance tales ranging from "Jane Eyre" and "The Crucible" to "Wuthering Heights" to "Turn of the Screw" to enthrall captivated audiences. The ground-break sets, elaborate costumes and atmospheric lighting depicted on the series will be on stunning display in DARK SHADOWS NOIR with all images scanned in high resolution from original 35mm negatives and vintage fiber prints for rich CMYK reproduction of superior quality. DARK SHADOWS NOIR will serve as the ultimate souvenir for the 60th anniversary of "Dark Shadows" which continues to remain extremely popular via streaming services,televised reruns, DVD and BluRay releases, new merchandising and fan conventions.
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ABLAZE
THE CIMMERIAN: XUTHAL OF THE DUSK #1 (OF 3)
(W) Christophe Bec, Robert E Howard (A) Stevan Subic (CA) Chris Regnault
ABLAZE's The Cimmerian returns! See Robert E. Howard's classic pulp tales adapted to the comics medium with all bloody, guts, and glory intact! Conan, accompanied by Natala — a slave of wild beauty — advances through the seeming infinity of a sandy desert. With water and food supplies now exhausted, and with the two stranded in turn under a blazing sun and frigid nights, it is clear that the inevitability is death. Right as Natala’s final ounce of strength leaves her, Conan spots something in the distance. It’s a city that shines like glass. It’s Xuthal …
This is "The Slithering Shadow" in everything but name. I assume they couldn't use the proper name (or Conan's name on the cover) due to copyright restrictions. Speaking of which ...
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TITAN COMICS
CONAN THE BARBARIAN #35
(W) Jim Zub (A) Fernando Dagnino (CA) Gerardo Zaffino
Conan and Valeria are pirates of the Red Brotherhood, living a life of lawless adventure on the Western Sea, but occult forces from the Cimmerian’s past have him in their sights once more and they will not rest until the barbarian’s body and soul are torn asunder!
No, you're not seeing double — two different UK companies are publishing Conan stories. Titan has the blessing of the Robert E. Howard estate (and I'm sure paid dearly for it), while Ablaze is dancing around the edges of copyright infringement.
Well, maybe. Copyright is complicated enough in the U.S., without knowing how it works in other countries. I do know there's a shorter window for copyright protection in Europe, which probably comes into play in the Ablaze/Titan situation. In the U.S., protection is for 95 years, which means he first Conan story published — "The Phoenix on the Sword" (1932) — becomes public domain next year. Pretty soon U.S. publishers will have the option to play with their own versions of the doughty Cimmerian.
***
Replies
i've read on the interwebs that this story ends with Wonder Woman #40, which will be Tom King's last.
Aw, I didn't know that.
I don't know what jiggery-pokery gets us to #1000, but it's probably close enough for Marvel Math.
I'm ambivalent about this one. I feel I probably should read it, but $10 is a lot to pay for a comic I probably won't like.
DARK SHADOWS NOIR HC CLASSIC B&W PHOTOGRAPHY
I pre-ordered this, but I didn't realize it was a photography book. (I don't remember what I thought it was, come to think of it.) I'll post something about it if it actually ships. (It was solicited for August, and Hermes Press books usually run about six months behind.)
I don't know what jiggery-pokery gets us to #1000, but it's probably close enough for Marvel Math.
Maybe they started counting all the alternate covers?
That would bring the total up to 1030-something.