TOP 10 PUBLISHERS
DC COMICS
ABSOLUTE
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #23
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KINGDOM OF ZOD
SUPERGIRL #16
(W) Sophie Campbell (A) Joe Quinones (CA) Guillem March
KINGDOM OF ZOD: PART ONE! SUPERGIRL RALLIES THE SUPER-FORCE!
The Kryptonite Kingdom of El Caldero has been taken over by General Zod! Supergirl gathers her own super-force to infiltrate the Kingdom! Superboy-Prime, Conner Kent, Tomorrow Man, Lois Lane, Steel, Lana Lang, Natasha Irons, Princess Shark, and more of Supergirl's wild cast! But before they can remove Zod from power, he unleashes a dangerous new force ...
What is the K-Zone?!
"Kingdom of Zod" begins, which looks like it could be an important story. Part Two is also out this week (see below). I assume Superman will be included in this crossover. It wouldn't bother me if they used it to winnow down the Superboys a bit, but I doubt they will. IMHO, Jonathan has rendered Conner superfluous, and Superboy Prime is irredeemable. I'd be happier with just a single Superboy, the one who is Superman's son, Damian Wayne's best friend and Trinity's babysitter. But we're probably stuck with all of them.
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ACTION COMICS #1101
(W) Mark Waid (A) Montos (CA) Guillem March
KINGDOM OF ZOD: PART TWO! SUPERMAN IS BACK!
Superman returned in last month's landmark #1100 issue! Now the Man of Steel crashes into the present day and finds himself thrown into the war with Zod! With a few stowaways along for the ride including...young Clark Kent?! The battle for Zod's Kryptonite Kingdom has already begun! Is Superman's return too late?
Will the seeing his future change teenage Clark Kent, or will the Legion make him forget what he's learned with a post-hypnotic suggestion? 
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VERTIGO
BLEEDING HEARTS #7
NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA #11 (OF 12)
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MORE DC
ADVENTURE COMICS #247 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by Otto Binder, Henry Boltinoff, Ed Herron and Jack Miller
Art by Al Plastino, Henry Boltinoff, George Papp and Ramona Fradon
Cover by Curt Swan
THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES!
The Legion was/is/will be founded to honor the high ideals set forth by the greatest hero of all time/a complete stranger/a friend who's trying out for membership! Time-travel can play havoc with sentence structure, but that's nothing compared to the trials Superboy must go through when three super-teens from the future extend an invitation to join their club. A friendship and legacy that will transcend the bounds of time itself starts right here--with the very first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes!
The Legionnaires were kind of jerks in this story. But aren't all teenagers jerks?
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BARBARA GORDON: BREAKOUT #4
BATMAN & ROBIN: YEAR ONE — DYNAMIC DUOS #1 (OF 12)
(W) Mark Waid, Chris Samnee (A/CA) Chris Samnee
MARK WAID AND CHRIS SAMNEE RETURN TO THEIR FAN-FAVORITE SERIES EXPLORING BATMAN AND ROBIN'S EARLY YEARS!
Batman and Robin are back in action! The Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder have been hard at work cleaning up the streets of Gotham City, and their partnership has only gotten tighter. But when a gang of street kids starts causing mischief, Batman and Robin will need to get to the bottom of where these kids came from and who is in charge! Mark Waid and Chris Samnee return to Gotham to tell another tale of the early days of the Dynamic Duo!
This is the perfect team for this story. That would be intuitive in any case, because everyone knows Mark Waid will write the perfect flashback story, and Chris Samnee's retro art is a perfect fit for that. But we know it, moreover, because they created the story that directly precedes this, Batman & Robin: Year One ... and I can't recommend that story highly enough.
- It dealt with the alarms a rich bachelor adopting an orphan would set off, to my satisfaction.
- It dealt with Batman allowing a child to accompany him in combat, to my satisfaction.
- It referenced, both verbally and visually, Batman stories of the past, including the TV show.
- It was a great story in and of itself, not just a collection of gimmicks and/or continuity fixes.
Waid and Samnee have set the bar high for this sequel!
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CLAYFACE CELEBRITY DIRT #2 (OF 6)
EMPEROR AQUAMAN #20: Oh, emperor eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society!
FURY OF FIRESTORM #5 (OF 8)
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #19
Does this look like "Nope" to anyone else? Jordan Peele should sue.
***
COLLECTIONS
BATGIRL VOL. 3: THE WAR OF SHADOWS
BATMAN BY TOM KING BOOK THREE
BATMAN DETECTIVE COMICS (2024) VOL 3 THE COURAGE THAT KILLS HC
DC UNIVERSE: THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS BY JACK KIRBY HC (2026 EDITION)
(W/A/CA) Jack Kirby
EXPERIENCE THE BRONZE AGE BY THE MASTER HIMSELF, JACK KIRBY!
In the world of comic books, few writers or artists loom as large as the legendary Jack Kirby. By the early 1970s, he’d already spent 30 pioneering years innovating and exploring the comics art form. After a groundbreaking decade at Marvel, Kirby returned to DC Comics and immediately began crafting some of his best-loved works, most notably his cosmic epic, the Fourth World. For anyone but Jack Kirby, this colossal masterpiece would have been contribution enough to the DC canon, but the King spent that same period revitalizing all corners of the DC Universe, from superhero antics to experimental horror to wartime realism, and creating such unforgettable characters as Etrigan the Demon and O.M.A.C. Pulling together more than 1,400 pages of the other Kirby comics from the 1970s and 1980s, this volume collects stories from In the Days of the Mob #1-2, Spirit World #1, Weird Mystery Tales #1-3, The Demon #1-16, The Sandman #1-6, O.M.A.C. #1-8, Our Fighting Forces #151-162, Super Powers (vol. 1) #1-5, Super Powers (vol. 2) #1-6, and many more!
These stories are all available in other collections, but I can see how having them all in one place would be irresistible to a Kirby fan.
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DEATHSTROKE VOL. 1: THE PROFESSIONAL (2026 EDITION)
ELSEWORLDS: JUSTICE LEAGUE OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC
(W) John Byrne, Peter David, Mark Waid, Various (A) Ed Benes, Dave Cockrum, Alex Ross, Various (CA) Alex Ross
In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places. This volume collects Kamandi: At Earth's End #1-6, The Golden Age #1-4, Justice League International Annual #5, Justice League America Annual #8 and #10, Green Lantern Annual #3 and #5, The Flash Annual #7 and #9, Superman/Batman: Doom Link #1, League of Justice #1-2, Guy Gardner: Warrior Annual #2, Aquaman Annual #2, Wonder Woman Annual #5, and for the first time in omnibus form, Kingdom Come #1-4.
This is an interesting idea: It appears to generally eschew offical JLA Elseworlds miniseries (most of which I have in HC) in favor of annuals which featured shorter, one-shot Elseworlds (which I own in comic book form, but probably not in any collections). That may induce me to get this, despite not needing yet another copy of Kingdom Come. The space in this omni could have been used for something that hasn't been reprinted 5,000 times. But I guess Kingdom Come is the selling point, since it's on the cover.
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JSA VOL 3: YEAR ONE
(W) Jeff Lemire (A) Gavin Guidry (CA) Dave Johnson
THE FIRST DAYS OF THE JUSTICE SOCIETY!
Their many imperfections are what will bind them together. They don't see it yet, but none of them are alone. Soon they will be drawn together by tragedy. And from that will emerge a great force. An alliance of men and women unlike any history has ever seen. Travel back to 1940 and the formation of the world's first super-team as writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Absolute Flash) and artist Gavin Guidry (The Flash, Superman '78: The Metal Curtain) explore the first days of the Justice Society of America! Collects JSA #13-18.
Philip said he'll be getting this. I hope he reviews it, as a counterpoint or supplement to all my opinionated assertions in the Golden Age JSA thread.
It's probably important to note for those who aren't reading the title or the JSA thread that this flashback alters the JSA's origin. It pushes the formation of the team back from Nov. 9-10, 1941 (DC Special #29/Secret Origins #31) to the summer of 1941. And it includes Johnny Thunder, Wonder Woman (Hippolyta), Hawkgirl and Amazing Man, but pointedly does not make them charter members, so that All-Star Comics #3 remains unaltered (in fact, if not in spirit). And it lifts Ultra-Humanite from the Superman story in Action Comics #14, and re-purposes him as the Big Bad that instigates the formation of the JSA (with the same subway scheme).
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SUPERMAN (2023) VOL 6: DC K.O. TP
SUPERMAN UNLIMITED VOL. 2: THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB ...
WONDER WOMAN (REBIRTH) VOL 2: YEAR ONE (2026 EDITION) TP
NO. 2: MARVEL COMICS
QUEEN IN BLACK
QUEEN IN BLACK: THOR #1
Writer Al Ewing
Penciller Sergio Davila
Cover Artist Pasqual Ferry
As Beta Ray Bill battles Hela at the edge of space, he considers his role as the heir of Thor's story ... little dreaming that the story continues with Sigurd Jarlson ... or that the Death Goddess has plans for the Mortal Thor.
Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer is about to face the ultimate test.
Yawn.
I hope there aren't symbiote fans reading this every week, getting angry because I say rude things. But I guess they would just leave.
This issue leads into the next issue of Mortal Thor, which is #800. That is to say, we're to believe it's the 800th issue of the main Thor title over the years, from Journey into Mystery to Mortal Thor. But I remember some other anniversary where I checked the Marvel Math, and back then, they were counting the first 82 issues of Journey into Mystery, which were defintely Thor-less. I don't know if this one does the same, but I'm not going to check. Eight hundred shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be eight hundred.
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VENOM #260
Written by AL EWING
Art and Cover by CARLOS GÓMEZ
THE LEGACY OF THE LETHAL PROTECTOR REVEALED
Months ago, Dylan Brock was killed by Carnage — and granted an audience with the Eventuality, the ultimate iteration of his father. He asked five questions and he was given five answers — hints at a dark future waiting for him. Now that future is here ...
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MORE MARVEL
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #100 FACSIMILE EDITION
Peter Parker undergoes a shocking transformation in the historic 100TH issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! As Peter makes a drastic bid to give up being Spider-Man and enjoy a normal life with his beloved Gwen Stacy, legendary creators Stan Lee and Gil Kane take the opportunity for a trip through Spidey history — and a reunion with his deadliest foes! But nothing could prepare Peter — or readers who experienced this issue the first time around — for the stunning ending. You've been given notice, and forewarned is extra-four-armed! It's one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #100.
I remember being very excited when the 12- or 13-year-old Li'l Cap'n bought this off the spinner rack in 1971, especially with that cool cover by Jazzy Johnny Romita. But when I got to the end, I thought, "Well, that's just dumb." See, at the time weird transformations was DC's schtick! It wasn't supposed to happen to Marvel characters, who were much more "realistic," and whose history was only 10 years old. But that was 55 years and a lot of weird-transformation stories ago, and nobody would say that now. In fact, one of those weird transformations is sort of in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Back then, though, I was really disappointed!
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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SPIDER-VERSITY #5
JEFF THE LAND SHARK: SUPERSTAR #2
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #1
Penciller Valentine De Landro
Cover Artist Simone DI Meo
THE NEXT ERA OF MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN STARTS NOW!
MILES MORALES is back in black (and red)! SPIDER-MAN thinks he has it allllll handled: homework, super-villains … a new school crush?? No, no— Miles is focused on what matters: helping the good folks of Brooklyn. Friendly. Neighborhood. Spider-Manning at his best! But a vengeful villain from Jeff Morales' past with SHIELD threatens to destroy not only Spider-Man--but the entire Morales family!
I'm not buying many Spider-books these days, so I'm less invested and have less of a problem with multiple Spider-Men than I used to. And New York's big enough to go around. Are there skyscrapers in Brooklyn for Miles to swing around on? I'm ashamed to say I don't know.
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STAR WARS: THE FALL OF KYLO REN (2026) #1
Writer Charles Soule
Penciller Will Sliney
Cover Artist Phil Noto
THE LEGACY OF VADER CREATES A NEW EMPIRE OF FEAR!
KYLO REN returns from devastation, wielding total fury! As GENERALS HUX and PRYDE tear THE FIRST ORDER apart with treacherous ambition, Kylo cuts through their schemes with merciless clarity. His wrath forges unity through fear and unleashes a SUPREME LEADER neither general can escape ... nor survive disappointing. A pivotal turning point for Kylo, Hux and Pryde — essential reading for every STAR WARS fan.
This guy killed Han Solo. Why should I feel anything but loathing for him? Why would I want to see hin in movies or comic books? He's not a star — he's an emo, self-pitying, petulant brat who killed his father, and then tried to emulate his mass-murdering Uncle Darth before chickening out from doing even that. Anakin Skywalker was also a petulant brat, who married his babysitter. But at least he became an impressive monster.
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COLLECTIONS
FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION: HEROES REBORN TP
Writer: Brandon ChoiPeter DavidJim LeeScott LobdellJeph LoebJames RobinsonWalt Simonson, JEPH YORK
Penciller: Ed BenesJoe BennettBrett BoothMike Deodato Jr.Jim LeeRon LimMike MillerAl RioMichael RyanTerry ShoemakerAnthony Winn
Marvel's First Family reimagined! In 1996, superstar creators of the day teamed up to reinvent and reinvigorate Marvel mainstays Captain America, Iron Man, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Seemingly killed off in the mainstream Marvel Universe, these classic heroes were reborn with bold new looks on a brave new world, their origins re-envisioned with a raw vitality and contemporary sensibility! The newly transformed Fantastic Four faces menaces from the Earth, the sea ... and the nation of Latveria! But even the Mole Man, Namor and Doctor Doom himself pale before the threat of Galactus and his Heralds! Featuring the Heroes Reborn versions of the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. and more! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR (1996) #1-12, AVENGERS (1996) #12, IRON MAN (1996) #12, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1996) #12 and material from INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #450.
Is there some reason all the final issues of the Heroes Reborn project are included? I guess they tie together in some way, but I've forgotten. In all the years I collected Marvel, this was by far the lowest point. I thought the Heroes Reborn books were mostly awful, and the Marvel Universe without the Avengers and Fantastic Four was really depressing. If I was a less stubborn man, Heroes Reborn would have chased me out of comics.
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MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE EPIC COLLECTION: PROJECT PEGASUS TP
Writer: Steven Grant, Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, Marv Wolfman
Penciller: Jerry Bingham, John Byrne, George Perez, Joe Sinnott, Frank Springer, Chic Stone, Ron Wilson
One of the all-time-greatest Thing adventures! Two-fisted fun doesn't come any finer than MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE - and the beloved "Project PEGASUS" saga stands as one of the series' greatest triumphs! When the Thing visits a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. energy installation, he's not prepared for the gauntlet ahead. Teaming up with Quasar and Giant-Man, he clashes with Thundra, battles a time-lost Deathlok and witnesses the startling transformation of Wundarr. Then the Thing unites with FF teammate Johnny Storm and witnesses "The Coming of Her" on Counter-Earth! The action only intensifies with the power of Maelstrom and the shocking return of the Serpent Crown. And it's the story you never thought you'd see: The Thing joins forces with the Yancy Street Gang! Plus: Cosmic Marvel gets its due in Thing team-ups with Moondragon, Starhawk, Adam Warlock and the Guardians of the Galaxy! Collecting MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) #53-74.
I read these back in the day, but have very little to say. I vaguely recall Marvel Two-In-One being mediocre for the most part. But at least it's better than Heroes Reborn!
***
NEW AVENGERS VOL. 2: THE OTHER WOMAN
ULTIMATES BY DENIZ CAMP VOL. 4: UPRISING
NO. 3: IMAGE COMICS
BLOOD & THUNDER #16
DEADLY TALES OF THE GUNSLINGER SPAWN #17
DIE: LOADED #8
D'ORC #7
EXQUISITE CORPSES: RASCAL RANDY #2 (OF 5)
GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #331
MALEVOLENT #6
OF THE EARTH #4 (OF 6)
(W) Chris Condon, Andrew Ehrich (A/CA) Charlie Adlard
Delusional and brandishing a kitchen knife, Gramma has disappeared.
I reviewed thre first issue of this, and found it interesting. But I didn't find the time for the next three issues, and not due to lack of interest. Next month for sure!
***
REGICIDE #1 (OF 4)
(W) Patrick Kindlon (A/CA) Ludovic Lalliat
SERIES PREMIERE
A DOOMED MARCH THROUGH TRANSYLVANIA ...
A farmhand lives a simple life until village elders insist he set out for the capital with a dangerous stranger. Their mission? Kill the murderous viceroy of Transylvania! It's Dracula meets BERSERK in this dark fantasy series full of sexy entities and betrayal.
A walk in the Transylvanian woods with a stranger — what could possibly go wrong? (Actually, the solicitation got it wrong. The story's set in Wallachia, which is adjacent to Transylvania, but separated by the Carpathian Mountains.)
Anyway, the "farmhand," named Mihas, is unusually strong and fast, which is why he was sent on this mission by his vlillage's elders. The "dangerous stranger" is Doru, who wears a metal mask "to cover some bad memories." The mission? Well, the title gives it away, as does the solicitation above. Doru means to assassinate Basarab, the voivode (leader) of Tara Românească, which is today called Wallachia. Basarab is the historical leader (and founder) of Wallachia, which later became the foundation of Romania. Doru says Basarab is poisoning Tara Românească from within, as evidenced by starvation, poor harvests, climate change, cats and dogs living together, etc. Doru says Basarab has committed many crimes and murdered his own soldiers to cover it up.
On the way, Mihas and Doru are the targets of attempted murder, and later visit the castle of a noblewoman who is not what she seems. Nor are her "men." In the battle that follows, we discover Doru is not what he seems, either, and there is apparently a history between him and Basarab.
It's an interesting story, all the moreso because Doru appears to be an unreliable narrator. What else is he hiding? What's his endgame? What is his nature, and that of his foes? (Not human, surely.) It's very likely, given the setting, that Regicide will turn out to be the basis for the Romanian vampire folkore, which would be cool. And I'll bet it's Doru, not Basarab, who is our proto-Dracula. The title of the story is "No Man Like Him," and we're to assume that's a reference to Mihas, but maybe it's really a reference to Doru.
Mention must be made of the art, which won't be to everyone's taste. The rendering is rough, and the layouts occasionally eccentric. But Lalliat is particularly good at the monsters in this story, and if he wasn't, the book would fail. So, while it's like nothing else on the stands, I give it high marks.
***
STARHENGE BOOK TWO: A KISS FOR ATTICUS #2 (OF 4)
TRILLION DOLLAR KID #2 (OF 2)
TRANSFORMERS #35
WITCHBLADE #24
YUMI 00EX #1 (OF 4)
(W) Doug Wagner (A) Hoyt Silva (CA) Nicoletta Baldari
MINISERIES PREMIERE! Yumi is in love. Yumi is lethal. When her MI6 boyfriend disappears, Yumi storms the agency — hacking their network, dismantling their operatives, and setting everything on fire. There she finds her first ally … a fully AI Lamborghini that’s built less like a car and more like a WMD. The anti-spy thriller begins here. From the writer of NARCO, PLASTIC, and I WAS A FASHION SCHOOL SERIAL KILLER.
Yumi has a love-at-first-sight experience with "Richard," an MI6 agent, and when he disappears she murders her way to the agency's head to find out where he is ... joking and pop-culture-referencing all the way.
I can see where I might have enjoyed this at one point in my life. But I don't even enjoy Deadpool any more. (Except for the movies, which has the advantage of genuine movie stars delivering the rapid patter.)
Here I found myself gritting my teeth as Yuri murdered dozens of rent-a-cops, bureaucrats and civil service workers with a joke and an emoji. Hey, these are just ordinary people, doing a 9-to-5. They don't deserve to die for clocking in, and they sure don't deserve to die at the hands of a dismissive Gen Alpha who would be just as much at home being an annoying influencer as a ... whatever she is. Spy? Assassin? An NSFW word leaps to my mind.
Some may enjoy decoding Yumi's pop-culture references, which are even more frequent and rapid fire than Deadpool's. I guess it could be fun, athough I wasn't in the mood, as I was sickened by the gleeful carnage. I got most of them, from old Bond villains to Billie Eilish, and the few that baffled me bore the stink of current online jargon. Shrug. Few things are more ephemeral. Heck, they're probably out of date already.
But, as we all know, there are horse races. My distaste for the book will certainly not be universal, and I suspect the younger you are the more apt you are to enjoy it. The art is modern, clear and clean, and perfectly suited to the material. If someone out there does enjoy the book, tell me why and I'll try to approach it with new eyes.
***
COLLECTIONS
DEATH FIGHT FOREVER TP
KICK-ASS COMPENDIUM TP
FORGED VOL 4 TP
FREE PLANET VOL 2 TP
SUNSTONE VOL 4 TP (NEW EDITION)
(W/A/CA) Stjepan Sejic
The wildly popular and wildly sexy slow-burn lesbian romance with a kinky twist continues in the fourth volume! From critically acclaimed creator STJEPAN ŠEJIC (DEATH VIGIL, RAVINE, APHRODITE IX, WITCHBLADE) comes SUNSTONE, a love story like no other. Now presented in a 6x9 edition featuring all-new cover art by Stjepan Šejic. “After all, weren’t we ... just friends?” Romance is never easy. Missed signals, passive aggression, and ego all threaten to get in the way of any budding relationship, and it’s no different for Ally and Lisa. Best friends. Roommates. BDSM practitioners. Still, Ally and Lisa’s romance is built on more fantasies than one — including the infamous lie of “friends with benefits.” When a figure from Lisa’s erotic tales finds real-life representation in new friend Anne, are a few missed signals more stress than this fantasy romance can stand?
I read the first one of these back when it first came out, then only skimmed the second and ignored the rest. Despite the soft-core porn, I found the series boring. It's all about the characters' feelings, characters who are all impossibly good-hearted, sensitive and well-meaning, but who occasionally (gasp) have a misunderstanding! The sex scenes, as frequent as they are, aren't enough to outweigh all the bathos in between. It's like Sejic was so determined to present the B&D community in the most wholesome light possible that he forgot to include any conflict. Somebody's buying it — it's gone to four volumes — but I quickly lost interest. YMMV.
***
TRANSFORMERS THE MOVIE DELUXE EDITION HC
NO. 4: IDW PUBLISHING
GODZILLA'S MONSTERPIECE THEATRE PRESENTS: ROAR OF THE WORLDS
COLLECTIONS
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: BATTLE NEXUS
NO. 5: DARK HORSE
THE BEAST OF BORIKEN #2 (OF 5)
Writer: Julio Anta
Artist: Daniel IriZarri
The thrilling new True Weird series from Tiny Onion by co-creators Julio Anta (Frontera, Home) and Daniel Irizarri (Xino, Cementary Kids Don't Die) continues!
After the mysterious attack at the construction site, Loli and her best friend Blanca dig into the history of el Chupacabra in Puerto Rico and its historical ties to the island. A visit to an Espiritista at a botánica gives Loli a far deeper understanding of the creature and some insights toward their intertwined goals and destinies.
This issue also includes a bone-chilling eight-page True Weird short story back-up!
I read the first two issues for review.
"Boriken" is apparently an old name for Puerto Rico, where the story takes place. The beast of the title, we're told, is the inspiration of the Chupacabra myth. I assume that's not mentioned on the cover because the Weekly World News has turned it into a punchline, like "Bat Boy."
There's nothing funny about it here. It's a savage, reptilian beast, a sort of anthropomorphic Komodo dragon, which drinks blood like a vampire. Our heroes, Loli and Blanca, visit a local bruja and discover what it really is. Of note is that the beast was stirred up by Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, and in-story was responsible for the death of Loli's father.
Loli and Blanca are native Puerto Ricans and anti-colonialist activists, and their antagonist is Simon Hunt, a U.S. developer intent on building a luxury beachfront resort. Loli and Simon both have encounters with the beast, and have opposite responses.
Which you can guess. The evil, greedy, Americans who want native resources and are eager to take them by force was a cliche even before Avatar used it. And Loli is an idealistic Mary Sue, beloved by all, who works tirelessly to protect the indigenous culture. So not much of the story has surprised me. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we all know how this is going to end.
The art is equally bland.
So I can't recommend the main story in Beast of Boriken, at least not yet. But I might recommend the backup strips. They're "True Weird" one-shots, a series which had its start in the back of Blue Book, and has been collected in a trade paperback.
The story in issue #1 features a young man who is secretly in love with a young woman who explores various urban legends for online content. He is basically the cameraman (phoneman?), and it seems unlikely that she is aware of his affection, or reciprocates it. The duo investigate the Seven Gates of Hell, an urban legend about mysterious gates of varying design that sometimes appear near Philadelphia (supposedly).
Which is absolutely all I'm going to tell you, except that it had a great ending that leaves you thinking. It's a story that wouldn't feel out of place in The Twilight Zone, either the original TV show or the current comic book.
The second issue features two friends who, in their teens, run across an online post from a guy claiming to be from the future. His one request is that nobody believe him. As the two as grow up, they debate whether he was real or a fraud, and the implications of his request. I won't say more, except by way of review, to say the ending didn't do much for me. I'm sure it was meant to leave you thinking, like the first one, but I found it more of a whimper than a bang.
***
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIMI GREEN? #3 (OF 4)
Writer: Connor Goldsmith
Artist: Josh Cornillon
Deep in the bowels of Answers, Mimi embraces her strange new powers as Ashley reveals the grit beneath her anxious exterior. But even together, can they conquer their own demons enough to beat back the Sour Creature and its hungry cystkin? In the outside world, Natalie fights tooth and nail to break into the labyrinth ... only to come face-to-face with its terrible architect.
Connor Goldsmith (the Cerebro podcast) and Josh Cornillon (Young Men in Love) plumb the depths of despair in the third chapter of their grisly psychological horror story.
Three issues in, and I finally have a handle on this series.
The premise is that influencer Mimi Green (spoiler: not real name) loses her career and standing due to an old blog post resurfacing, where she mocked fat people. Worse, and unknown to the public, Mimi used to be extremely overweight and has been surgically altered to be thin. She has gone to a self-help clinic, "Answers," to wait for the scandal to blow over.
While there, she and other residents start having a shared dream where they are attacked by — and I'm using the technical word here — innards. It looks like the interior muscle, fat, organs and intestines of human beings. As the dreams progress, and get more and more dangerous (and icky), Mimi's dream-self discovers she can shapeshift in defense.
Meanwhile, Mimi's lover Natalie (half of a lesbian affair that cost Mimi her marriage, which so far doesn't seem to be much of a story point) has come to find her, only to find there is no Answers, just an abandoned building. As she explores the derelict structure, she also deals with innards, before finding an evil entity (the "Sour Creature" mentioned above) at the heart of it.
The theme here, I have decided, is body dysmorphia. Mimi's internal conflict is her self-loathing for once being heavy, and what she did to "correct" it, plus her guilt for fat-shaming others. That conflict is somehow been made manifest in both dreams and the physical world.
There are some further revelations in the third issue which I won't reveal. I also can't say yet if I can recommend it. I'm going to need a lot of good explanations and a rousing finish to suggest the title to others. I hope Mimi Green #4 can provide both.
***
THE FOUNDRY #1 (OF 4)
Writer: Mike Mignola, Chris Roberson
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Meet the Queen’s own secret agency that investigates the paranormal and the mysterious! Characters from Witchfinder and The British Paranormal Society join together in this adventure series where they travel the world over seeking out supernatural-powered technologies and the stories of the civilizations that harnessed them — for good and for evil.
Longtime Hellboy universe writer Chris Roberson and fan-favorite artist Christopher Mitten reunite for this series that will take readers around the world — and hopefully back again!
This book was listed last week, but didn't ship. It's listed again this week, and I expect it will appear this time, because I've received a digital review copy.
As I expected, it's an origin story for the British version of the B.P.R.D. Given the UK's status as a superpower in the 19th century, it's natural that they would have become aware of the paranormal long before the United States, which didn't become a superpower until the 20th century. And they had an organization in place long before the B.P.R.D., which formed after World War II, to investigate the paranormal. It's called The Foundry, and initially seemed to be attached in some way to the British Army.
But it was held back by a disaster that essentially decapitated its leadership. (It's revealed in Dark Horse's public preview below, so I don't feel like I'm spoiling anything.) The narration of our protagonist, British Army officer Karam Singh, implies that The Foundry has been folded into the Foreign Office, where bureaucrats tell them what to do. The latest "minder" is named Reginald Mickelthwaite (in uniform, but no rank specified), and he does appear to be quite officious and self-important.
Before you know it, Singh is headed to the South Atlantic in a steampunk dirigible that wouldn't look out of place in John Carter's Helium (see cover). The reader is quickly introduced to Singh's team, all of whom seem interesting. Normally when a number of new characters are introduced all at once, there will be one solid character and a bunch of bland ciphers (and usually at least one of them is a traitor). But not here. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them all. They are finally getting to investigate something that might be paranormal, about which I'll say no more, except that I'm looking forward to next issue.
As to the art, Mignola has once again picked an artist whose style meshes well with his writing style. I enjoyed it, as I did the issue as a whole.
Recommended, especially for those who liked Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. and Witchfinder.
***
HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #6
SHAOLIN COWBOY: STAYING A.I.LIVE #2
COLLECTIONS
ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI'S THE WITCHER: THE LAST WISH
THE LAST HUMAN IN A CROWDED GALAXY
NO. 6 VIZ MEDIA
TSUMIKI OGAMI’S NOT-SO-ORDINARY LIFE VOL. 7
NO. 7: DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
FIRE AND ICE: DARKWOLF #2
(W) Andrey Lunatik (A) Andrey Lurevich (CA) Dan Panosian
Born from the immortal imagination of fantasy illustrator supreme Frank Frazetta, Darkwolf storms into a new era of savage fantasy — brought to life by writer Dan “Urban Barbarian” Panosian and powerhouse artist Andrey Lurevich. Dynamite’s acclaimed exploration of the world of Fire and Ice continues in this new series! It all begins when a mother and her twins flee the warlock who sired them — until a masked warrior descends from the mountains and unleashes hell upon their pursuers. But saving them is only the beginning. Violent. Mythic. Unrelenting. This is Darkwolf, and the legend begins here — a fierce, visceral rebirth of one of fantasy’s most iconic warriors.
I seem to have accidentally deleted the first issue of this miniseries in a recent digital purge, so I can't start there. The second issue will have to do.
Which is too bad, because this is my first introduction to the "Fire and Ice" world, and I don't know much about it. I'm sure not going to learn much from Darkwolf, a typically taciturn tough guy. But it appears to be the familiar sword & sorcery environment.
In this story, he protects a woman and her kids from an evil sorcerer and his minions while they're all on the road. Darkwolf is a bit more than human, strong enough to split people in two with a single swing of his axe. He's all too familiar, like a cross between Wolverine, Batman and Conan.
I like that sort of thing, so I liked this. The art's nice, very Conanesque. If you like Conan or Red Sonja, you'll probably like this.
***
GARGOYLES (2026) #1
THUNDERCATS X SILVERHAWKS #5
COLLECTIONS
ART OF GOOSEBUMPS HC (NEW PTG)
GARGOYLES VOL 2: HERE IN MANHATTAN TP
GREEN HORNET/MISS FURY TP
SPACE GHOST SEASON TWO VOL 1: UNTIL THE STARS RUN COLD HC
(W) David Pepose (A) Jonathan Lau (CA) Michael Cho
THE GHOSTS THAT HAUNT HIM!
The Guardian of the Spaceways returns for more evil-thwarting action in the first collection of his hit series’ second season — and the threats faced by Team Space Ghost are bigger and badder than ever!
- The villainous Toymaker hijacks an amusement park world!
- The unscrupulous Eclipse Woman feuds with Boss Parko!
- Tarko the Terrible emerges from his icy exile to resume his conquests!
- An assassination attempt sparks war between the Crystalline Empire and the Kingdom of the Space Sharks!
- Space Vampires attack — and Space Ghost is infected!
Collecting issues #1-6 of the stellar series from acclaimed creators DAVID PEPOSE and JONATHAN LAU, Space Ghost Season Two: Until the Stars Run Cold Vol. 1 also includes a complete cover gallery featuring work from some of the galaxy’s greatest artists!
Here's another series I have been meaning to review. The first series was interesting, although I didn't agree with all of the world-building. And the art was a little over-the-top grim 'n' gritty for a character created for Saturday morning cartoons. At least in the early issues, which are all I think I all the issues I found time to read. But it's Space Ghost, an intrinsic part of my childhood, so I will never not love it!
***
THUNDERCATS VOL 3: APEX TP
VAMPIRELLA: ARMAGEDDON VOL 1 TP
(W) Thomas Sniegoski (A) Kewber Baal (CA) Joseph Michael Linsner
THE COUNTDOWN TO DESTRUCTION BEGINS!
Return to the future world of Sepulcher City in Vampirella: Armageddon, from the masterfully mesmerizing creative team of writer TOM SNIEGOSKI and artist KEWBER BAAL! Picking up where Sniegoski’s most recent Vampirella Strikes! series left off, Armageddon opens with the Daughter of Drakulon beset on all sides by the forces of Chaos, even as a new threat arrives to add to her troubles — a threat that is not of this mortal plane!
I had planned to catch up on this maxiseries throughout its run, and just never got around to it. And now I'm out of time. It's not written by the regular Vampirella scribe, Christopher Priest, so it's probably not required reading for that continuity. But I kinda wanted to read it, and probably still will someday.
***
NO. 8: BOOM! STUDIOS
NO. 9: KODANSHA
PASS THE MONSTER MEAT, MILADY! VOLUME 10
PERFECTLY FINE ON MY OWN, SO MY FIANCÉ CAN TWIST IN THE WIND VOLUME 3
THE FRAGRANT FLOWER BLOOMS WITH DIGNITY VOLUME 14
YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE THE ONE VOLUME 1
NO. 10: ONI PRESS
ADVENTURE TIME: QUADRUPLE FEATURE #2
BIKER MICE FROM MARS: SCORCH #1
MORE PUBLISHERS
ARCHIE COMICS
LAUGH #166 FACSIMILE EDITION
(W) Joe Edwards, Frank Doyle (A) Various (CA) Harry Lucey, Mario Acquaviva
August 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' final commercial concert at Candlestick Park (August 29, 1966) and the release of their groundbreaking album Revolver (August 1966), and Betty and Veronica are ready to celebrate! This issue, from 1965, is a time capsule of ‘60s art and fashion! From plaid fads to a radio request ruckus and, of course, a little fun with the Fab Four, this is a can’t miss for classic Archie collectors! So, join us as we travel back to yesterday in LAUGH #166, faithfully reprinted in a full-facsimile edition! Artists: Harry Lucey, Joe Edwards, Dan DeCarlo, Mario Acquaviva, Vincent DeCarlo.
I'm a lifelong Beatles fan who has never seen this issue, so you can be sure he'll be grabbing the facsimile. The description says there's Beatles content inside, which is surprising (Archie covers were usually standalone gags), but exciting. What did middle-aged humor writers think of The Beatles in 1965? I can't wait to find out!
For the record, the variant covers are parodies of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.
***
HERMES PRESS
PHANTOM VOL 35: THE COMPLETE NEWSPAPER DAILIES (1991-1994) HC
(W) Lee Falk (A/CA) Sy Barry
Referred to by comic strip historian Maurice Horn as the “granddaddy of all costumed superheroes,” The Phantom was created in 1936 by Lee Falk. The strip hit the funny pages of newspapers well before the Dark Knight or Superman made their first appearances and has been acknowledged as an influence on every “masked man of mystery” since. The Phantom set the standard for action, adventure, intrigue, and romance in adventure comic strips and comic books — it has frequently been copied but never equaled. This exciting 35th volume continues the SY BARRY YEARS! Reprinted in all its black and white glory, journey with Hermes Press as we bring you five complete continuities drawn by Sy himself which continue the adventures of The Phantom, Diana, and his two children: ” Also included is a comprehensive essay and documentary materials.
I know of at least two Legionnaires who will be getting this. I just hope I live long enough to read them all! They're stacking up like crazy!
***
TITAN COMICS
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN REFORGED #6
(W) Roy Thomas (A) John Buscema (CA) Tony Harris
Brace yourself for the riveting conclusion of one of Robert E. Howard's greatest Conan adventures ever!
Yasmina is gone, taken by the vicious acolytes of the Black Circle, and only Conan can save her. But the road to their inner sanctum is treacherous, and the horrors that await Conan inside are darker than the Cimmerian can possibly imagine. The epic "People of the Black Circle" concludes in this special super-sized issue of Savage Sword of Conan: Reforged.
My cousin and I were discussing Sunday night how, in general, we enjoyed Marvel's magazine titles more than the four-color counterparts. They weren't necessarily more "mature," as they claimed to be, but it felt like more effort was put into the stories.
***
FANTAGRAPHICS
UNCLE SCROOGE: CLAN MCDUCK STORIES AND GLORIES HC
(W) Alessandro Gatti, Kari Korhonen, Giulia Lomurno, Gianmarco Paraggio (A/CA) Kari Korhonen
For generations, Scrooge McDuck's biggest fans have studied and saved classic comics by Carl Barks and Don Rosa—striving to learn about Scrooge's past in Scotland and his canny, courageous Clan McDuck. Now, for the first time, Scrooge presents (and co-stars in!) adventures starring his epic ancestors, created by fan-favorite international comics talents! In "The Lost Months of Swamphole McDuck," Scrooge's most mysterious ancestor joins the outlaws of Sherwood Forest... as a hostage! In "The Double Life of Molly Mallard," Scrooge's theatre-girl grandma battles Glasgow's richest crook — then "Matey McDuck, Corsair" faces fiendish Flameheart Glomgold on the high seas! In "For King and Bonnie Scotland," Scrooge even learns how the knightly Sir Eider McDuck became Scotland's king until scandal brought him down ... in less than a day. And more — much, much more!
My love of the Barks material doesn't seem to translate to loving Duck stories by later creators. I don't think I'm alone in that. 'Tis passing strange, but is what it is. True Scrooge fans will probably find this a treat.
***
COOKBOOKS
Not at all my thing, but it might be yours.
MARVEL'S COOKING WITH WOLVERINE HC
MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN: THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK HC
MARVEL'S BLACK PANTHER: THE OFFICIAL WAKANDA COOKBOOK HC
***
TWO MORROWS
The magazine line ships this week. Some Legionnaires might be intrigued by the Crisis Companion, if nothing else.
ALTER EGO #201
BACK ISSUE #169
COMIC BOOK CREATOR #45
CRISIS COMPANION TP
RETROFAN #46
Replies
KINGDOM OF ZOD
I read this as "KINGDOM OF ZOO", and I was like, "Didn't they already do a story where everyonne got turned into an animal?"
Cuttin' it a little close there, ain't ya, Skipper? ;)
"Kingdom of Zod" begins, which looks like it could be an important story... I assume Superman will be included in this crossover.
Here's the list:
I'm ambivalent about this one. I'll buy the first two chapters tomorrow, then decide whether on to to continue (and whether or not to continue buying Action).
BATMAN & ROBIN: YEAR ONE — DYNAMIC DUOS #1 (OF 12) - Waid and Samnee have set the bar high for this sequel!
I agree with everything you said. I'm not sure how there can be two "year ones." but y'know what? I'm not gonna worry about it.
EMPEROR AQUAMAN #20: Oh, emperor eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society!
"Cap, there's some lovely filth down here!"
Does this look like "Nope" to anyone else?
Hey, this still looks like "Sixis" to me, so maybe I'm not the one to ask.
These stories are all available in other collections, but I can see how having them all in one place would be irresistible to a Kirby fan.\
...a Kirby fan who doesn't already own all those other collections.
This issue leads into the next issue of Mortal Thor, which is #800. That is to say, we're to believe it's the 800th issue of the main Thor title over the years... but I'm not going to check.
*SIGH*
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #100 - But when I got to the end, I thought, "Well, that's just dumb."
Me, too. But it can be read from the perspective that the "transformation" was all in his mind.
This guy killed Han Solo — he's an emo, self-pitying, petulant brat who killed his father, and then tried to emulate his mass-murdering Uncle Darth
CORRECTION: "His mass-murdering Grandpa Darth." :)
Is there some reason all the final issues of the Heroes Reborn project are included? I guess they tie together in some way, but I've forgotten.
Yeah, the 12th issues of the HB titles comprised the four-part "Heroes Reunited." But the HB titles all ran 13 issues (the four-part "World World 3"), which raises the question why weren't those included? (Not that I really care one way or the other; my thoughts about HB pretty much mirror yours.)
PHANTOM VOL 35: THE COMPLETE NEWSPAPER DAILIES (1991-1994) HC - I know of at least two Legionnaires who will be getting this.
This shipped to my LCS last week.
My cousin and I were discussing Sunday night how, in general, we enjoyed Marvel's magazine titles more than the four-color counterparts. They weren't necessarily more "mature," as they claimed to be, but it felt like more effort was put into the stories.
I would say they were more mature in a non-salacious sense.
My love of the Barks material doesn't seem to translate to loving Duck stories by later creators.
Honestly, I prefer the Don Rosa stuff. Horseraces, I guess.
Is there some reason all the final issues of the Heroes Reborn project are included? I guess they tie together in some way, but I've forgotten.
Yeah, the 12th issues of the HB titles comprised the four-part "Heroes Reunited." But the HB titles all ran 13 issues (the four-part "World World 3"), which raises the question why weren't those included? (Not that I really care one way or the other; my thoughts about HB pretty much mirror yours.)
The 12th issues of the four "Heroes Reborn" books tie to each other as Galactus arrives to consume their troubled Earth, the HR heroes attempt to stop him, and three times in sequence fail but are given another chance due to Doctor Doom going back in time and warning them anew. They succeed the fourth time.
Similarly, the 13th issues featured the Marvel properties meeting characters from Image's Wildstorm studio (WildCATS, Stormwatch, Wetworks) which are now DC properties, so republishing them requires negotiating the proper permissions from DC. Probably far more trouble than it is worth. In those issues the aftereffects of all the time-travelling have the two universes merge, giving both Marvel and Wildstorm superteams unusual, one-time mixed rosters. The storyline is called "World War Three" and at the end the shared world is destroyed and rebuilt split between Wildstorm and Marvel versions.
TLDR: those issues are very expensive fanfic that was published in order to give Marvel a month more to prepare Heroes Return. I suppose it also served as something of a good will token between the two studios at the time.
Are there skyscrapers in Brooklyn for Miles to swing around on?
I haven't spent a lot of time in Brooklyn - I mostly know Manhattan and the North Bronx - but Brooklyn does have some big buildings.
An Archie parody of the Sgt. Pepper's cover sounds like fun!
I dont think "Kingdom of Zod" will rid us of any Superboys -- at least not permanently -- but it might sort them out a little better. Perhaps by keeping Jon here, sending Connor to space, and Prime to the future? (And Clark, of course, back to his own Smallville past.) Am I missing any?
I think that Jon has essentially pulled a Nightwing and won't answer to "Superboy" anymore.
Prime does not work as a regular monthly character IMO unless his concept is changed significantly; he is much too casual about the fourth wall and seems to have accepted as much.
I can't really see Connor out of Earth any time soon - he is the most socially-oriented of the current Superman-adjacent characters IMO - unless it is to become a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Or he might partner up with the young superboy from Superman Unlimited. I think I would like to see that.
VENOM #260
Written by AL EWING
Art and Cover by CARLOS GÓMEZ
THE LEGACY OF THE LETHAL PROTECTOR REVEALED
Months ago, Dylan Brock was killed by Carnage — and granted an audience with the Eventuality, the ultimate iteration of his father. He asked five questions and he was given five answers — hints at a dark future waiting for him. Now that future is here ...
Sorry, Al. But no way I want to know what one of about a half dozen apparently cosmically significant potential future versions of freaking Eddie Brock would want to say or do.
My suspension of disbelief only goes so far. Particularly with symbiotes _and_ Eddie Brock both involved.
On another note, the next-to-last alternate cover to "Darkwolf #2" is a clear homage to the cover of 1987's "Incredible Hulk #340" by Todd McFarlane.
I did not expect to like Superboy Prime this time around, but I think they pulled it off - and there are some interesting potential follow-ups too. Overall, I think "Reign of Superboys" was a fairly succesful event of the best kind - the kind that tells several different stories at once, each within its own parameters. The conclusion of Superman-Primes implies that he will make a single significant appearance in the near future, and after that we just don't know yet.
I suspected Superman's return to tie into that of the LSH and the recent Superman Annual proved me right, although that was just a prelude to the new LSH.
But trim down the poll of Superboys is not something that this event did or attempted to. To the contrary, it did not reference a couple that already existed (the Chinese one, the Phalesian children) and potentially introduced a few new ones even (in Superman Unlimited and Supergirl).
However, these days most of the core DC superheroes books are loosely tied to Justice League Unlimited, which feels to me to be a limited series of sorts leading to some sort of futher timeline shakeup down the line. Maybe I am just projecting from the last issue of Superboy-Prime's resolution, which IMO left a pretty huge dangling plot to eventually be resolved.
My love of the Barks material doesn't seem to translate to loving Duck stories by later creators.
Honestly, I prefer the Don Rosa stuff. Horseraces, I guess.
I like Don Rosa, but I grew up reading Barks. I think, as a general rule: Barks wrote kids' stories that were clever enough for adult readers to enjoy. Rosa writes stories for older fans that can be enjoyed by kids.
I don't have a problem with there being multiple Superboys. DC has had multiple characters with the same names for years. Even Marvel has multiple Spider-Men and multiple Captains America.
Similarly, the 13th issues featured the Marvel properties meeting characters from Image's Wildstorm studio (WildCATS, Stormwatch, Wetworks) which are now DC properties, so republishing them requires negotiating the proper permissions from DC.
Ah, yes. Of course. It all comes back to me now.
An Archie parody of the Sgt. Pepper's cover sounds like fun!
See for yourself:
...and here's the Abbey Road one:
I think, as a general rule: Barks wrote kids' stories that were clever enough for adult readers to enjoy. Rosa writes stories for older fans that can be enjoyed by kids.
Yes, that's a good assessment.
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