Here are some books that will probably come out July 23.
"ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM"
DOOM'S DIVISION #5 (OF 5, last issue)
Here's the solicitation: After being imprisoned by White Fox, Doom’s Division is free--and they want answers. But White Fox won’t give up her secrets without a fight! And what does this mean for the future of Doom’s Division? This is one EPIC FINALE that you DON’T WANT TO MISS!
IRON MAN #10 (OF 10, last issue)
Here's the solicitation: Just when Tony Stark thought he had found a successful strategy in his war on Emperor Doom, a beast from below crawls back from the brink! Can the INSURGENT IRON MAN defeat IRON MONGER before it all comes crashing down?
RUNAWAYS #2 (OF 5)
Here's the solicitation: Chase is back, looking more dangerous and broodier than ever! But what happened in the future that’s got him so suspicious of Gert? And how long can the Runaways keep running away from the will of Doom?
"SUMMER OF SUPERMAN"
SUPERMAN #28
The Darkseid Legion attacks in Superman. And yes, I am very much on board.
SUPERMAN: THE CITY OF TOMORROW COMPENDIUM TP ($59.99)
Collects Superman #151-159, Adventures of Superman #573-581, Action Comics #760-768, Superman: The Man of Steel #95-103, Superman: Y2K #1, Superman: Metropolis Secret Files #1, and a story from Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1, by Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Millar, Doug Mahnke, Ed McGuinness and others
I think this is part of the Triangle Era currently being discussed.
"WE ARE YESTERDAY"
Epilogue. Is that Destiny or Time Trapper on the first cover? I assume the latter, but they do share a wardrobe.
"X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION"
X-MEN: AGE OF REVELATION #0
Here's the launch of a new X-only crossover, that I hear will briefly replace the X-line with other-named books (like Age of Apocalypse). Here's the solicitation:
X years from today: welcome to the AGE OF REVELATION! The Revelation Territories stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, a mutant land ruled over by the Heir of Apocalypse. While on the surface a kind of mutant utopia, the cracks are beginning to show-and the lie that this land was built upon stirs the flames of rebellion. Learn how this terrible future came to pass and what it means for the X-Men and the rest of the Marvel Universe in this kickoff special by Jed MacKay and Humberto Ramos! Plus a glimpse at the many titles where the events of the Age of Revelation will play out in the months to come!
ABSOLUTE COMICS
ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #5 (OF 12, DC, $4.99)
ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #10 (DC, $4.99)
INTERESTING
CALEXIT THE BATTLE OF UNIVERSAL CITY #1 (OF 3, MR, $4.99)
The president has declared that all immigrants are to be deported, and California has declared itself a sanctuary state. Federal troops occupy L.A. as the state tries to secede. This would be more exciting if it wasn't on the way to happening. Now I'm just terrified.
CRIMINAL VOL 8: MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES TP (NEW PRINTING)
Here's a new printing of one of the "Criminal" series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, which I will always recommend. Strangely, I don't thimk I've read this one.
FLASH: BAD MOON RISING SPECIAL #1
Apparently Flash's Rogues have made a deal wiht Eclipso, and are finally empowered enough to not be a laughingstock when they take on the Flash.
Seriously, have you ever taken any of the Rogues seriously as a threat? I haven't, because I knew Flash could move fast enough to have them naked in a jail cell before they blinked, and he didn't because of writers' fiat. That made it more or less a game, whether or not the writer could desperately hold up my suspension of disbelief long enough to entertain me. Dance faster, writer boy! Daddy wants a story!
GODZILLA #1
IDW is launching a new set of three interconnected Godzilla books, called the "Kai-Sei Era." I read the FCBD book with previews of each with great anticipation. Maybe I set the bar too high, but FCBD convinced me to NOT read the books. But manga style is not my favorite, so maybe it's just me. Here's a press release (from about a million years ago) and a preview.
IDW EXTENDS TOHO INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP, UNLEASHES GIANT PLANS FOR NEW GODZILLA SHARED UNIVERSE COMICS
IDW Publishing has proudly worked with Toho International, Inc. for more than a decade to publish a vast array of acclaimed comic books featuring GODZILLA and the kaiju’s stunning cast of characters. Now, the two companies have extended their partnership through 2029, and this year will see the King of the Monsters rising to even greater heights in the comic book industry.
Welcome to the Kai-Sei era, an all-new GODZILLA connected universe launching with three jaw-dropping titles, each one expertly designed to unleash completely different genres and tones for all kinds of fans.
Kicking off the new connected universe in July is the first GODZILLA ongoing series in a decade from New York Times bestselling writer Tim Seeley (GODZILLA VS. AMERICA: CHICAGO, Grayson) and amazing artist Nikola Čižmešija (TMNT: BLACK, WHITE & GREEN, Batman and Robin). In 1954, an experiment with a mysterious energy source called Kai-Sei awakened Godzilla and other terrifying kaiju. For decades, humanity has endured an onslaught of monster attacks. While Japan views these unstoppable rampages like natural disasters, the United States’ G-Force is attempting to fight these seemingly immortal titans. Now, they’ve found a boy who wields the power of Godzilla. Will he save the world… or bring about its doom?
Featuring a wild new take on GODZILLA’s universe, this upcoming ongoing series will surprise readers with a fearsome new Godzilla design, new characters with powers, and plenty of kaiju twists and turns along the way.
In addition to the upcoming connected universe, IDW Publishing will continue to release limited series that are outside of the connected universe, like the recently announced GODZILLA: HERE THERE BE ALIENS in May. Plus, GODZILLA: HEIST makes its debut in comic shops today, with the anthology limited series GODZILLA VS AMERICA kicking off next week and the first issue of the limited series MOTHRA: QUEEN OF THE MONSTERS arriving the following week.
ICE CREAM MAN #44
I've never read an issue of this. Should I be reading it, Legionnaires? Here are some creator remarks from a press release:
“Golly. I can’t believe we’ve been putting this book out for 7.5 years,” said W. Maxwell Prince. “In comic time, I think that makes us officially geriatric. And so, speaking as a veritable sequential grandpa, I’ll tell you this: I still don’t quite understand how and why we have made it this far. I mean, I am so proud of the corpus of tales we’ve assembled; Ice Cream Man is the defining artistic project of my life. (And I think I can probably say the same for my co-creators).”
Prince added: “It’s an absolute privilege to spin yarns about Rick the Ice Cream Man, his jingly-jangly truck, and, most importantly, everyday people fighting their way through the morass of adult life: grief, regret, addiction, divorce, overdue bills, sick family, sick self, the fall of democracy…it’s never-ending, that list. But I can still see that sliver of light breaking through…We somehow managed to make a ‘horror’ book that is, in fact, about human suffering, with slivers of light and hope streaked through the center of everything. Plus, we’ve gotten to perform some very wild comic-specific formal experiments: a silent, three-reality, and three-color issue; a story that's an actual palindrome; a crossword puzzle; an instruction manual; a dark recreation of beloved children’s books; an advent calendar; a telethon; an issue that is one continuous image when read in landscape orientation.”
“Ice Cream Man is the fulfilling, creative, challenging, cool, and ultimately fun series one can only dream of being a part of when having a comics career,” said Chris O’Halloran. “Having a front row seat to the inventiveness of my collaborators' hard work for almost 50 issues manages to keep me motivated and inspired with this art form, and just feel very lucky to have my name on this book and be its colorist.”
“Not sure what I can add to what Will and Chris already said, ’cause I feel exactly the same way they do, but I wanted to thank our readers, our fans!” said Martin Morazzo. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you guys, and I’m sure I can speak for the rest of the team now, we’re forever grateful!”
“THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with us for so long,” added Prince. “We’ve still got a lot of surprises in store for issues #44 and beyond, including the Ice Cream Man, Vol. 11 trade paperback! Eleven volumes to sadden your shelves, stack high as a doorstop, or if you’re in the mood, read entirely in one sitting. And this is to say nothing of our Ice Cream Man movie in development over at horror central, Sony Screen Gems, headed by Wednesday and Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, alongside our amazing producer Aaron Schmidt. Feel free to start your dreamcasting for Ice Cream Man RIGHT NOW.”
LETTER 44 COMPENDIUM
Here's a press release I've saved for months.
New York Times bestselling writer Charles Soule (Undiscovered Country, The Endless Vessel, Star Wars) and superstar artist Alberto Jiménez Alburquerque (The Bloody Dozen, The Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Venom: Funeral Pyre) present their cult classic series Letter 44 in a newly remastered edition from Image Comics. The Letter 44 Compendium paperback will collect the complete series—with reworked interior pages and featuring a new cover—and will be available in July from Image Comics.
This provocative series first launched nearly a decade ago and garnered a dedicated fandom. Letter 44 introduces readers to the newly-elected president Stephen Blades, who, on his first day in office, reads the letter left for him in the Oval Office desk by the outgoing president. It alerts him to a harrowing secret kept hidden from the world. Seven years ago, NASA discovered an alien presence in the asteroid belt and sent a stealth mission crewed by nine astronauts to make contact. The aliens' intentions are unclear, but ominous. President Blades has just become the most powerful man on the planet… at the worst possible time.
Mixing provocative political intrigue with high-stakes sci-fi action, Letter 44 is a gripping and complex look at leadership in the face of uncertainty. This is the perfect read for fans of The Department of Truth and The X-Files.
"Letter 44 was my first long-form series, and despite it being originally published a decade ago, I think its topics and themes (aliens, heroism in times of crisis, and also aliens) are as timely as ever," said Soule. "Certainly, the beautiful artwork by Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque is as powerful as the day he first put pencil to paper. Publishing the story in a single volume has been something I've wanted to do for years, and I'm grateful to Image Comics for making it happen. Letter 44 is about to find an entirely new audience, and I hope they're ready for the ride."
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INCREDIBLE HULK VOLUME 19 HC (Probably the last one)
MOON KNIGHT FIST OF KHONSHU #10
Supposedly this is legacy issue #250. Marvel was excited enough to send a press release:
New York, NY— April 22, 2025 — To celebrate Moon Knight’s 50th anniversary as well as the character’s 250th issue, July’s MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #10 will be an epic, over-sized issue!
Since its launch, Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight has become one of the most acclaimed run’s in the character’s history, redefining the lunar legionnaire’s mission and mythos for a new age! Now, the series scribe sets the stage for his most ambitious and gut-wrenching story yet! Joined by rising superstar Devmalya Pramanik, it’s a landmark issue fans can’t afford to miss as Marc Spector has a decisive showdown with new supervillain, Achilles Fairchild. It’s an explosive finale to the series’ current arc and a startling beginning to what’s next for the Midnight Mission…
Taking Moon Knight from Legacy #201 to Legacy #250 over the last few years has been an extraordinary experience,” MacKay shared. “We've been able to play out some long-running stories, develop our cast of characters in a way I've never been able to before, and connect with fans in a manner that I certainly never experienced up till now. I'm thrilled for folks to see what we're doing in MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #250 and how it will set up more Moon Knight stories to come!"
NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #2 (OF 4)
God, it feels like weeks since the last one came out!
SPACE GHOST ANNUAL #1
Dynamite is about to reboot Space Ghost, so this might be the final issue of Volume One.
TEXARCANUM #1 (OF 4, Dark Horse)
"Cowboy arcanist" Avery Belle is an expert on all the weirdness that has gone into the American melting pot from all over the world. Why things that go bump in the night would have out in rural areas, I have no idea. Lots more victims in the cities.
VAMPIRELLA: ARMAGEDDON #1 (Dynamite, $4.99)
Here's a new Vampirella series by Tom Sniegoski and Kewber Baal. Dynamite provided an interview.
Tom, fans are going to be excited to see you writing more Vampirella, as always. You've already been well past 100 issues writing the character a while ago, to our count being the most prolific creator in the character's history. How naturally does her voice and world come to you at this point?
TOM: It’s like slipping into a nice warm sweater. HA! Out of all the characters I’ve written, I seem to find her the most comfortable to write. It probably has to do with how long I’ve been writing her—over twenty-five years, off and on? I just ‘get’ her, her and the world in which she lives. It’s always a blast sitting down to come up with her next adventures.
This series follows in the path laid out by Vampirella Strikes — and to be clear the series of that name written by you launched in 2022, not the one you did in 2013 or 1995 [laughs]. Fans who want to dip into an awesome post-apocalyptic tinged vision of the Daughter of Drakulon are fine to jump right on. For that crowd, without the most nitty gritty of spoilers, how would you catch people up a bit?
TOM: This series picks up pretty much where the 2022’s Vampirella Strikes ends. We have Vampirella setting herself up as a kind of Private Investigator in a section of Sepulcher City called the Menagerie. The Menagerie is where many of the supernatural creatures that exist in the world have come to work and settle down. At the beginning of Vampirella: Armageddon, we have Vampi, and her partner, the werewolf named Dagwood, working a case of missing immigrants to the city. What’s happening to bus loads of people relocating to the great, walled city? Well, Vampirella is about to find out and it has an awful lot to do with something she’s responsible for doing during the run on Vampirella Strikes, and a war currently being waged in Hell.
As we're gearing up for this series on our ends, there is a big tease of a new threat not of this mortal plane. Can you tease readers a bit about how this new foe or opposition is coming up and what challenges they'll pose for Vampi?
TOM: We don’t have just one foe, we got a whole bunch’a foes! And people who followed my Vampi stuff back in the 90’s will get a kick out of some of the characters who are being reintroduced. What’s interesting about this series, so far, is that I keep topping myself . . . just when I think I’ve got it all figured out, BOOM! There’s another situation that develops and whole lotta new problems for Vampirella spring up! Yeah, there’s nothing like cool villains, and in this series, there are more than enough. Vampirella has got her work cut out for her.
The incredible Kewber Baal is joining the party to draw this new series. He joins the deep legacy of artists you've worked with in the franchise like Louis Small Jr., Ed McGuinness, Amanda Conner, Johnny Desjardins, Igor Lima, Daniel Maine, Jonathan Lau, and so many other greats. How excited are you to see Kewber bring your scripts to the page?
TOM: What’s been awesome about my years of writing Vampirella is the incredible bevy of artists that I’ve worked with that help bring my words to life. What I’ve tried to do with each of these series is write stories that play to the strengths of the artist that will be drawing the book. For example, when I was approached to write Vampirella: Armageddon I immediately began thinking of the artist that I wanted to work with, and how their style would shape the visuals of my story. I’d worked with Kewber on my Vengeance of Vampirella run and absolutely adored his stuff. He was the first person that I thought of when I started to plot where this series would go. His strong visual style helped me to come up with some pretty crazy concepts. The art on this book is going to blow your socks off!
One fun angle for the first issue of this series is one of the covers featuring art by superstar Mark Spears and characters from his hit Monsters series. For an issue of his title to then feature Vampirella. You've been involved in a couple of fun crossovers with Vampi. For the fun of it, are there some dream characters you'd love to clash with her?
TOM: Oh, man, there are tons of characters that I think she’d be perfect to interact with, she’s incredibly versatile. The one character that immediately comes to mind is Hellboy. I bet that would be ridiculously fun to write. Batman would be really cool too!
VOICE SAID KILL #1 (OF 4)
This is an Image book about a pregnant park ranger investigating alligator poaching in Louisiana. And here I thought Fargo used up all the "pregnant cop" scenarios! Here are some creator quotes from Si Spurrier and Vanessa Del Rey.
“I’ve waited years to make this book,” said Spurrier. “The story arrived in my brain fully formed—that never happens. This perfect, self-contained spiral of murder, moonshine and motherhood, steaming with Cajun chaos and swamp spice. What’s taken so long has been finding the right artist. In my view, the key power of the comic book medium lies in taking something outwardly familiar and infusing it with a sort of transcendent magic. In Vanesa, I’ve found the most exceptional expression of that transformative sorcery. What’s emerged is this visionary, impressionistic fever-dream, which elevates a hardboiled crime thriller into a psychedelic bayou epiphany, unlike anything I’ve ever written or read.”
“The Voice Said Kill asks the reader to step out of their comfort zone and into the darkness that lurks in the shadows of the Louisiana swamps and in the hearts of men,” added Del Rey. “I want this book to send you on a transcendental journey as if you were tripping on mushrooms in the real jungle. I can say that my own mind has been transformed, making this book possible. So please enjoy the trip, and don't forget to call your mother.”
EYE CANDY
VOID RIVALS #21
DYNAMITE
Looks like the dam has broken at Dynamite, now that they have a distributor who actually, you know, pays them.
BARBARELLA #4
CAPTAIN PLANET #2
RED SONJA ATTACKS MARS #4
SILVERHAWKS #5
THUNDERCATS/THE POWERPUFF GIRLS #1
TITAN COMICS
HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION A GUN HONEY SERIES VOL. 2 HC (TITAN, 112 PAGES, $17.99) is by Charles Ardai and Ace Continuado. Award-winning writer and co-founder of Hard Case Crime Charles Ardai returns to the Gun Honey universe in this action-packed sequel to the spin-off featuring the sultry and explosive artwork of Ace Continuado! Dahlia Racers, the ex-girlfriend of Gun Honey Joanna Tan, is a fiery redhead who, when someone’s gunning for you, will take the heat on herself – for a price. As a master of disguise and deception, she uses every trick to dupe those who want you captured or dead. When a plot surrounding biological weapon that could kill millions emerges, and a scientist’s daughter in peril needs to disappear, HEAT SEEKER Dahlia Racers is on the job! But can she beat a beautiful mercenary unable to feel heat, cold, fatigue, or pain? If you’re a fan of classic pulp fiction and crime noir, and love a strong sexy heroine, this is the book for you! Collects Heat Seeker: Combustion #1-4.
TOXIC SUPER BEASTS VOL. 2 (TITAN, 208 PAGES, B&W, $12.99) is by Artist: Nykken. Immerse yourself in a thrilling kaiju manga, where Nykken’s intense, seinen-style battles feature formidable creatures inspired by Toy(e)’s stunning illustrations, bringing these horrific beasts to life.
Replies
I believe X-Men: Age of Revelation #0 was published last wednesday, actually.
If the hooded figure in purple with red chains in the Justice League Unlimited cover is the Time Trapper (and he has been appearing in fairly recent issues of Superman at that), then there is more to him than the cover shows.
Kinda shocking that a new Iron Man ongoing is apparently ending at #10 (which, btw, is the current minimum for an ongoing, at least among the X-Books). Then again, one of the X-Revelation books seems to star Tony alongside his sometime wife White Queen, so there is that.
I believe X-Men: Age of Revelation #0 was published last wednesday, actually.
Gah! I hate not knowing what's coming with any accuracy.
The Darkseid Legion attacks in Superman. And yes, I am very much on board.
I find myself not looking forward to this one so much. (I've had more than my fill of "dark".)
I think [Superman: The City of Tomorrow Compendium] is part of the Triangle Era currently being discussed.
No, the "Triangle Era" omnibus v2 won't be released until September 30 and will include the "Death of Superman" storyline. This is a paperback "compendium" (different format). I'm not exactly sure what's in it (I didn't pre-order it, so the solicitation must not have interested me), but judging from the issues included it's from several years later.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INCREDIBLE HULK VOLUME 19 HC (Probably the last one)
Confirmed. Unlike most other MMW seires, this one went a volume too long. It should have ended with #279 (the last issue of the previous volume).
NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #2 - God, it feels like weeks since the last one came out!
Um, okay.
SPACE GHOST ANNUAL #1 - Dynamite is about to reboot Space Ghost, so this might be the final issue of Volume One.
It is. It wraps up the stotyline continued from Space Ghost (v1) #12.
I feel that there is an excess of "events" happening at Marvel. Perhaps worse, most are not even featured in the covers.
Right now, the cast of Adjectiveless X-Men is shown in a possible future in "X-Men: Age of Revelation #0". Meanwhile, Storm's inescrutable book has been showing flashforwards of Silver Surfer in some unspecified future. Today's issue of Phoenix also shows that Cable is trying to avoid yet another dystopic future from coming to be, in a plot that has just drawn the attention of the In-Betweener. Doctor Strange has just been in Asgard while events in Thor affect both the _past_ and the results of his time there. While "One World Under Doom" is still happening. Less than two months before a dozen X-Books will be transmuted by the full-blown "Age of Revelation" event. Apparently while Spider-Verse vs Venomverse takes place. And Imperial. And a mini-series running concurrently with Miles Morales' ongoing where he meets characters from the current Ultimate Universe. And a four-issue "Death of Silver Surfer", despite his appearances in the future timeline shown in "Storm".
Apparently there is no connection between the various alternate future plots ongoing. Nor is the In-Betweener reacting to the current situation of Storm being _something_ that they call an "Avatar of Eternity", nor vice-versa.
It is all just a cauldron of events that we are told to be world-shaking or more, all happening at the same time and somehow failing to notice each other.
I don't think DC's time stream was more troubled or more confusing than this during "Crisis On Infinite Earths".
I feel that there is an excess of "events" happening at Marvel.
I was reading Silver Surfer (1987 series) just this morning and a thought occurred to me. Back in the '70s, when Steve englehart was writing the "Celestial Madonna arc in Avengers, here he was taking all these diverse elements from separate stories (the Blue Area of the Moon, the Kree, the Skrulls, the Cotati, Limbo, Ultron, the Vision, the Human Torch, etc.) and linking them together in a way that was never originally intended. Blew me away, man! and here he is doing it again a dozen or so years later. Why can't today's crop of writers write stories like that (I asked myself)? Then it occurred to me: by this point, all those type of stories that can be told, have been told... leaving it up to today's writers to constantly try to one-up themselves by inventing increasing ludicrous (to my way of thinking) scenarios.