TOP 10 PUBLISHERS
NO. 1: MARVEL COMICS
FANTASTIC FOUR #12 FACSIMILE EDITION, $4.99: The last of a 12-issue run, and yes, I got them all.
FANTASTIC FOUR BY WAID AND WIERINGO : AUTHORITATIVE ACTION TP, $34.99, collects Fantastic Four #503-508, right after "Unthinkable."
MARVEL TEAM-UP OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC, $100.00: Collects Marvel Team-Up #1-30, Daredevil #103, Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1 and Giant-Size Spider-Man #1-3. I'm sorely tempted, because I remember these early MTUs and Giant-Size books as better than the later ones. But is that just rose-colored memory?
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN: LO, THIS MONSTER TREASURY EDITION TP, $29.99, collects the 1968 Spectacular Spider-Man magazine. It only lasted two issues, but I loved it! Then again, I was 10 years old, so what did I know? But these two issues were set during what I consider the peak Spider-Man era, when the Best Supporting Cast in Comics™ was still alive. And if you were reading Amazing Spider-Man in those days, you got to read the first issue of Spectacular Spider-Man without buying the magazine, because it was adapted into Amazing Spider-Man #116-118.
2099
END 2099 #1 (OF 5), $4.99: I never cared for 2099. I found Spider-Man 2099 tolerable, and the rest of the line somewhere between forgettable and I-really-want-to-forget-able. Pass.
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by IBRAIM ROBERSON
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Variant Cover by PAULO SIQUEIRA
A MULTIVERSAL WAR ERUPTS OVER 2099'S FUTURE IN THE END 2099!
The final 2099 epic arrives this December in THE END 2099 by Steve Orlando and Ibraim Roberson.
New York, NY— July 31, 2025 — The fate of 2099, Marvel’s iconic dystopian future, will be decided this December in THE END 2099, a five-issue limited series by returning 2099 creative team, writer Steve Orlando and artist Ibraim Roberson. Announced to retailers last week at San Diego Comic-Con, the saga will star the iconic heroes who have shaped 2099 storytelling since it began over 30 years ago as well as more recent breakout 2099 characters. In a war staged by Mephisto and the terrifying entity known as ABYSSUS on a distant planet, the heroes of 2099 must fight for their very existence in a secret war against an army pulled from other alternate timelines, including familiar faces from legendary Marvel storylines. Their enemies will also hail from a newly-emerging reality—the all-new 3099!
THE MARVEL WORLD OF TOMORROW FACES ITS LAST DAYS IN AN ERA-DEFINING TALE!
From the ashes of the Age of Heroes, a new generation of vigilantes, like Spider-Man 2099, Nova 2099 and Red Hulk 2099, emerged in the dystopia that followed to forge a bright new future—a future that has come to an end in the face of ABYSSUS, a horrifying fusion of a KNULL-INFECTED GALACTUS!
As the Devourer in Black descends upon the world, a deal is struck with the devil—literally—as Mephisto bets the fate of 2099 in a brutal battle of survival, pitting the warriors of 2099 against fan-favorite characters from across the multiverse--like Age of Apocalypse’s Wolverine, Cyclops and Marvel Girl from Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s era of Uncanny X-Men, House of M’s Wanda Maximoff and so many more—each battling for their own universe’s survival! It’s hero against hero in this no-holds barred war against extinction! As Marvel’s heroes past and present duke it out, only one thing is certain: the future is coming, and it’s arriving in the form of… SPIDER-MAN 3099??!!
“Every time the door to 2099 opens, it's not just an honor--it's an adventure!” Orlando said. “This is the one for it all, folks. With all existing 2099 timelines united into the one, true, Universe-2099, the stakes are higher than ever when Abyssus, the Devourer in Black, comes to dinner! But not all is as it seems! Mephisto, 2099's dark dealmaker, pivots from annihilation to a war of champions--with 2099's greatest battling Abyssus' finest, plucked from the multiverse!”
On choosing the cast, Orlando explained, “Putting together a team not just from 2099, but from all of Marvel's banquet of realities, was the best kind of challenge--each warrior from the multiverse reflects a warrior from 2099 they're meant to take down. And each warrior is a moment to celebrate some of Marvel's most iconic realities and timelines. And best of all? In the spirit of Marvel's greatest events, we're debuting a whole new Spider-Man. It's easy to say this is a spider like no other, but Spider-Man 3099 really will introduce folks to a whole new generation of heroism. Like the spider itself is a keystone species, Spider-Man 3099 is a keystone hero--the first hero in history, as far as he knows! He's never even met another Spider-Man...but meeting Miguel O'Hara will change his life forever!”
AGE OF REVELATION
IRON & FROST #3 (OF 3), $3.99
Written by CAVAN SCOTT
Art by RUAIRÍ COLEMAN
Cover by RYAN BROWN
NO HEART. NO HOPE. NO FUTURE.
X YEARS LATER, the Iron King reigns supreme – and time is running out. Emma Frost must risk everything to reach the man she once loved. Devastation in the future is guaranteed, but can a desperate gambit save the past?
LONGSHOTS #3 (OF 3), $4.99
Written by GERRY DUGGAN & JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by ALAN ROBINSON
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
EVERYBODY DIES!
X YEARS LATER, all your heroes are dead! Did you think we were JOKING? This is one of the only books where we can get away with it, so, of course, we are killing EVERYONE! But do you want to see how it all goes down? Of COURSE you do! So put your hands out in December and let your retailer put a copy of LONGSHOTS in your grubby little mitts! Oh, you ARE a retailer? Well, get to ordering! There are a bunch of feral fans waiting at your doors demanding this book! Look out! They’re busting down the glass!
SINISTER’S SIX #3 (OF 3), $3.99
Written by DAVID MARQUEZ
Art by RAFAEL LOUREIRO
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
SIX AGAINST THE WORD.
X YEARS LATER, Sinister’s Six have caught the attention of Revelation himself! Can this group of scrappers and thieves fight their way out of this? And what are Mr. Sinister’s true intentions for them?
UNBREAKABLE X-MEN #3 (OF 3), $4.99
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art and Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
ATLANTIS UNDER SEIGE!
X YEARS LATER, a grief-stricken Gambit has a mission to recover and recall several unwilling X-Men who have left the mutant life to face a creature of nightmares that can doom them all! It’s the return of several beloved mutants (and a few less beloved), coming back to try to contain the unimaginable army of the undead that threatens both Atlantis and the surface world!
IMPERIAL
NOVA: CENTURION #2, $3.99
Written by JED MACKAY
Art by ÁLVARO LÓPEZ
Cover by ALESSANDRO CAPPUCCIO
RAVENOUS! Taking a job for the gangsters of the Kree/Skrull War, Nova hunts a mysterium thief in NOVA: CENTURION #2. But business becomes personal when the trail leads to an old nemesis, and the opportunity to settle old scores going back to the Annihilation War becomes worth more than any reward. Enter the murderer of untold Nova Corpsmen: Ravenous!
ULTIMATE
ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #23, $4.99
Written by BRYAN HILL
Art and Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
ALL IS NOT WELL IN WAKANDA!
Will Erik Killmonger become the new Black Panther? What do the Vodu-Khan want with Storm? What, exactly, does the prophecy about this Child of Light entail?
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE #12, $5.99
Written by CHRIS CONDON
Art and Cover by ALESSANDRO CAPPUCCIO
WOLVERINE’S ATTACK ON THE EURASIAN CAPITAL!
After the devastation of last issue, Wolverine is out for vengeance! And he’s taking on the whole of the Eurasian Republic in this big, bad and bloody climactic issue…who will be left standing?
NO. 3: DC COMICS
DC FINEST: WONDER WOMAN — INTRODUCING WONDER WOMAN TP, $39.99, collects the first adventures of the Amazing Amazon, from All-Star Comics #8, Comic Cavalcade #1-2, Sensation Comics #1-18 and Wonder Woman #1-4. You know you want it, even if you already have the omnibus.
SUPERGIRL #8, $3.99: One of the few monthly books I'm still getting, and you can see from this story why. What Silver Ager or Bronze Ager could resist?
(W) Sophie Campbell (A) Haining (CA) Sophie Campbell
A GHOST FROM SUPERGIRL'S PAST RETURNS! Years ago, to protect her secret identity, a young Supergirl created a robot to pose as Linda Danvers while she ventured around the world saving the day. Now, after years of abandonment, this mechanical Maiden of Might has returned...in the name of vengeance! Can Kara make peace with the past before it destroys her present?
ABSOLUTE
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #15 (COVER A NICK DRAGOTTA), $4.99: Joker, meet The Joker. He's the worst among his fam-uh-leee ... (I have no idea why these covers suggested that theme song. I am not right.)
ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN VOLUME 1 WITHOUT FEAR HC, $24.99
DC K.O.
AQUAMAN #12, $3.99: Aquaman is obviously the more powerful, but Hawkman is cooler-looking.
DC K.O. WONDER WOMAN VS. LOBO #1 (ONE-SHOT), $4.99: Lobo's practically unbeatable, but who wants to spend any more time with him than you have to? So I'm in WW's camp. Besides, if that smirking, vulgar, macho man is to be beat, a woman should do it.
NO. 3: IMAGE COMICS
ASSORTED CRISIS EVENTS #7, $4.99: Heads up, crisis fans!
DARKNESS #1, $4.99: An unnecessary revival, from my POV. I Got all I needed of this character the first time around. But I will admit that Top Cow's best '90s characters were Darkness and Witchblade, so if they're going to revive any titles, it should be those.
THE LEGENDARY MARC SILVESTRI WILL RELAUNCH HIS ICONIC THE DARKNESS SERIES THIS DECEMBER
LOS ANGELES 09/18/2025 — The iconic, long-running The Darkness will return this December with as an all-new ongoing series from original co-creator and Image Comics CEO Marc Silvestri (Cyber Force, Batman and the Joker: The Deadly Duo) and published by Image Comics/Top Cow Productions. Featuring artwork by celebrated artist Ed Benes (Birds of Prey, Justice League of America), The Darkness (2025) #1 will usher in a new era for the genre-defining Top Cow Universe anti-hero, Jackie Estacado.
This new series marks Silvestri’s long-awaited return to the franchise he co-created in 1996, promising a thrilling expansion of The Darkness mythology with fresh twists to surprise even its most devoted fans.
“The Darkness has always been one of my favorite characters, and I’ve wanted to come back to it for a long time,” said Silvestri. “Fans have been asking for years when Jackie would return, and now we get to deliver something truly special. This is going to feel familiar, but it’s going to take you places you’ve never been before.”
The Darkness (2025) #1 will feature pencils by Benes with inks from Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla, and John Livesay, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Troy Peteri.
It will also launch with an eye-popping lineup of variant covers from Silvestri, Benes, and acclaimed artist David Mack, along with blank sketch options, high-ratio incentives, and ultra-rare signed and original art editions for collectors.
Fan-favorite Raymond Gay (Gunslinger Spawn, TMNT) will take up Benes' mantle on interior pencils for The Darkness (2025) #2.
Originally launched nearly three decades ago, The Darkness quickly became one of Top Cow’s most popular properties, spawning spin-off series, crossovers, and two acclaimed video game adaptations. The title built a loyal following among fans of supernatural thrillers and morally complex anti-heroes, standing alongside genre heavyweights. The new series aims to capture that same energy while pushing its narrative into even darker, more unpredictable territory.
Silvestri added: “This isn’t just a nostalgia trip—it’s a reinvention. We’re going back to what made The Darkness such a hit: its grit, its danger, its sense that power always comes with a price. But this time, we’re turning everything up to eleven. Jackie’s world is going to expand in ways readers never expected."
The story once again follows Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who inherits a terrifying gift on his 21st birthday: an elemental force known as The Darkness, which grants him dominion over creatures from another realm. As supernatural forces wage war over reality itself, Jackie must navigate a brutal conflict where good and evil are anything but clear.
Whether readers have followed Jackie Estacado from the beginning or are entering the shadows for the first time, there’s never been a better moment to embrace The Darkness.
NO. 4: IDW PUBLISHING
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS #14, $4.99: Preview.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS — THE SEEDS OF SALVATION #4, $4.99: Preview.
NO. 5: DARK HORSE COMICS
LONE WOLF AND CUB DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 1 HC, $54.99: My wife said, "You don't need that!" and I remained quiet. But inside, the imp of the perverse whispered, "Yes, you do." Pray for me. Here's a PREVIEW.
The popular Deluxe Editions of Dark Horse Manga titles have captured the enthusiasm of manga and graphic novel fans across the globe. Now, Dark Horse Manga presents the highly anticipated Lone Wolf & Cub Deluxe Editions, which will present the beloved series in stunning, oversized hardcover volumes, displaying the classic tale at a larger size. Created by the samurai genre-defining team of Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, the Lone Wolf & Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 1 arrives in December 2025, with additional volumes to follow. Translated by Dana Lewis with lettering by Studio Cutie, the deluxe editions feature the story in its original right-to-left reading format, with original Japanese sound effects.
In Lone Wolf and Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 1:
Ōgami Ittō, once the shogun's executioner, has fallen from grace after false accusations by a rival clan. With his wife murdered and with his three-year-old son to protect, he chooses the path of the ronin, the masterless samurai. Together, the lone wolf and his cub wander feudal Japan. All roads will lead them to a single destination—vengeance.
Lone Wolf and Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 1 collects the stories presented in the Dark Horse paperback collections Lone Wolf and Cub Volumes 1 and 2, and stories from Volume 3, now updated to utilize the original right-to-left format materials. Lone Wolf and Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 2 collects stories from Lone Wolf and Cub Volume 3 and Lone Wolf and Cub Volumes 4 and 5.
Experience a true classic, Lone Wolf and Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 1, when the 720-page (7” x 10”) hardcover arrives in bookstores on December 9, 2025 and comic shops on December 10, 2025 for $54.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Comic Shop Locator or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
Lone Wolf and Cub Deluxe Edition Volume 2 (hardcover, 720 pages, 7” x 10”) arrives in bookstores on March 24, 2026 and comic shops on March 25, 2026 for $54.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Comic Shop Locator or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
MISS TRUESDALE AND THE RISE OF MAN #1 (OF 4), $4.99: I should probably start reading this character, if she's going to continue. Here's a PREVIEW.
Legendary Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola and Fan-Favorite Artist Jesse Lonergan Join Forces to Continue Miss Truesdale Saga Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (August 7, 2025)—Following the success of their 2023 series Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea, legendary Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist Jesse Lonergan (Man’s Best) are reuniting to continue their acclaimed Miss Truesdale saga with Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man. Written by Mignola, with art and colors by Lonergan, and letters from Clem Robins, this four-issue miniseries will feature covers and variant covers by Lonergan.
“My ending the Hellboy world (sort of) in the B.P.R.D. series, I now find myself fascinated by the very beginnings of it,” said Mignola. “Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man is not a story I would even attempt to tell without the storytelling genius of Jesse Lonergan. For me, coming up with the story was a rollercoaster of strange surprises and Jesse has made it even stranger, more beautiful than I could have imagined. This is the deepest dive yet into the world and how it all works.”
Fans first met unassuming Miss Truesdale in Victorian England when she discovered her shocking connection to the ancient gladiator, Anum Yassa. She is thrown into her past life to battle an ancient evil and protect the future. Now in Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man, Anum Yassa wanders the forest in search of answers about her past, present, and future lives - only to discover a dark entity on her trail and threatening all of mankind.
“With Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea, we explored this past life relationship between a woman in Victorian England and the ancient gladiator she was in a past life,” said Lonergan. “Now, in Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man, those two characters are merged, a Victorian woman in this powerful gladiator body, exploring a new world and battling all manner of monsters and beasts. These travels and battles culminate in a confrontation that reveals deep truths about the Hellboy Universe.”
Here’s what people are saying about Miss Truesdale
“One of the more charming creations to populate Mike Mignola’s vast library of spiritually serious pulp stories.”—NEW YORK TIMES
“A must-read for Mike Mignola fans.”—IGN
“One of comics’ most iconic cartoonists teams up with one of this generation’s most exciting new voices to launch a whole new corner of the Hellboy Universe, and the results are everything you’d want it to be. I’d have to be physically restrained to not pick this up.” — Pornsak Pichetshote (The Good Asian, Man’s Best)
“Artist Jesse Lonergan brings a style and uniqueness that feels right at home alongside Mignola and his other collaborators, already standing head and shoulders above some of the other prequel stories. … This is the best original Hellboy spinoff in years.” — COMICBOOK.COM
“Jesse Lonergan draws gladiators fighting like a ballet and Mignola always knows how to hook me. MISS TRUESDALE AND THE FALL OF HYPERBOREA is a little history and a little mystery. I love it.” — Marco Finnegan (Calavera P.I)
“An absolute treat. It’s resulting in fun comics, a great aesthetic, and interesting action sequences. … it’s that good.” — COMICS BEAT
“A haunting tale with brilliant art and a noble hero, who is poised to join the ranks of other Mignolaverse icons, alongside Hellboy, Lobster Johnson, and the B.P.R.D.” — COMICON.COM
“For my money, Mike Mignola and Jesse Lonergan are two of the most singular comics creators alive. Combining them is a mad science experiment that results in a fascinating and gorgeous first issue of a woman split between times and lives--a quiet seeker and a brutal warrior that somehow share a spirit. Sign me up for more!” — Van Jensen (Godzilla Heist, Arca)
“Entertaining and engaging.” — SUPER POWERED FANCAST
“The endlessly eerie and infinitely imaginative Mignolaverse continues to expand with a time-traveling twist.” — DAILY DEAD
“It goes without saying that if you love the work of classic authors like Lovecraft, Smith, and Howard, as well as the work of Mike Mignola, Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea is going to be a must read for you. If you love ancient lore, secret societies, and powerful, warrior women, this one is need to be on your weekly pull.” — BIFF BAM POP
“There is depth, breadth, and breath in these peoples. We can hear them yell, we can smell their sweat…. Recommended for those who enjoy smartly presented sword and sorcery books!” — FANBOY FACTOR
“Jesse Lonergan’s easy-going style suggests the exhilaration of creation.” — COMIC BOOK DISPATCH
“Engaging and thrilling, and the illustrations mesmerize with their beauty.” — CAPES AND TIGHTS
“Though fans with a knack for lore will find this one irresistible from that perspective, it's Lonergan's style as an artist that will cement this one's place in the Hellboy history books, it's that good.” — COMICBOOK.COM
YOJIMBOT VOLUME 2: NIGHTS OF RUST TP, $19.99: Press release. Here's a PREVIEW.
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (June 5, 2025)— Dark Horse Books continues the first print English presentation of Yojimbot with Yojimbot Volume 2: Nights of Rust by writer and artist Sylvain Repos with colorist Noiry. The post-apocalyptic dystopian story, translated and localized by Matt Maden, takes readers to a world where robots reign supreme. On a Japanese theme park deserted island, a group of robots who live by the code of the samurai— The Yojimbots—choose to stand against tyranny and help a human boy in danger.
Previously in Yojimbot, aided by a mysterious robot, Hiro and the Yojimbots miraculously escaped the vicious attacks by the brutal Topu and his drones. For the last several months Hiro has been hiding out, working tirelessly to charge and repair his friends. But Hiro can’t hide forever. He must venture out once again to find a way off of the island—and this time, he has a plan. But unfortunately for Hiro and his companions, Topu has plans of his own.
Yojimbot Volume 2: Night of Rust will be presented in paperback and includes 168 pages of robot samurai action! The 7” x 10” volume will be available for purchase in bookstores November 18, 2025 and comic retailers on November 19, 2025 for $19.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Comic Shop Locator or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
NO. 6: BOOM! STUDIOS
MINOR ARCANA #12, $4.99: Here's a PREVIEW.
NO. 9: ONI PRESS
SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES 2 #1, $8.99: It's certainly the right time of year for this. It's so cold, the dogs won't go out!
(W) David M. Booher, Melissa Flores, George Northy, Ben H. Winters (A) Sami Kivela, Dan McDaid (CA) Dustin Weaver
AS IF THE HOLIDAYS WEREN’T HORRORIFIC ENOUGH?! EC Comics and Oni Press are BACK to stab your stocking for the second year running with all-new, all-terrifying tales of holiday horror and Christmastime catastrophe as SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES slays again! In this year’s giant-sized, 56-page tome of gruesomely gift-wrapped delights: We’re tying perpetual naught-listers David M. Booher (Canto), Melissa Flores (Biker Mice from Mars), George Northy (Yuletide), and Ben H. Winters (Benjamin) to the dried-out Christmas tree in the family parlor . . . and gathering ‘round as artistic Tormentors-in-training Sami Kivelä (Abbott), Dan McDaid (Shazam!), and more surprise guests throw a few lit matches their way to get this old-fashioned solstice sacrifice started in style! Yes, we know: It smells like dinner might be getting a little overdone! Never fear, because EC’s newest annual tradition also comes complete with an extra-added EC Comics classic—newly restored back to its authentic original coloring! As you sift through the charred remains, just remember: SHIVER SUSPENSTORIES is here to bring the horror back to the holidays . . . and we wouldn’t want it any other way!
MORE PUBLISHERS
LIVING THE LINE
EXILE HC, $40.00: This looks good, and I do love me some Vikings. But it's small press, and I'd have to order it sight unseen, and that has burned me before.
(W/A/CA) Erik Kriek
2023 MoCCAArtsFest Award of Excellence Recipient! After seven years of exile, battle-hardened Hallstein Thordsson returns home to Iceland, only to find that old wounds haven't healed. His stepmother Solveig and his half-brother Ottar are besieged by wood thieves, directed by her unwelcome suitor, Einar. The Exile's presence disrupts the delicate balance and threatens to tip all of Iceland into violence. A remarkable decades-spanning epic, Erik Kriek's The Exile is equal parts action “Western” and family drama, with a surprising story of violence and consequences at its core. Told in a naturalistic modern style but with tremendous fidelity to the historical period in which it is set, The Exile depicts the Viking age in all of its conflict, turmoil, and social structure, with every detail depicted vividly on the page. Hailing from the Netherlands, Kriek is an internationally-decorated illustrator known for his work on In the Pines (2015) and Gutsman. Lushly told with gorgeous traditionally-drawn brush work, and a limited palette illustration style reminiscent of the great three-color illustrators of the 1940s and 50s, Kriek's art is alternately breezy and gritty, but always stunning, whether he's depicting a full-blown Viking battle or a wearying sea voyage.
MAD CAVE STUDIOS
OUR SOOT STAINED HEART #1 (OF 4), $5.99: Is this any good? Beats me. It's a first issue from a major distributor with nice covers, so I'm posting it.
(W) Joni Hagg, Stipan Morian (A/CA) Stipan Morian
The Coalition is a city of wonder in the deep north, but it is ruled by the cruel Governor Glass and his factory lords. Coal is the lifeline of the city, and for honest workers like young Peggy Stones, life can be hard because of the nefarious quota. To get extra coal at the end of the year, you must be bad, every day! Peggy's life is thrown into chaos when she is imprisoned and sent into exile, which begins a harrowing journey to the ends of the world to find answers that could change the world!From the minds of debut writer Joni Hägg and superstar artist Stipan Morian (20th Century Men), with colorist Rope Mann and Eisner-winning letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, comes the most thrilling steampunk adventure of the winter.
POP KILL: SEASONAL FLAVORS #1 (OF 6), $6.00: See above.
(W) Dave Johnson, Jimmy Palmiotti (A) Juan Santacruz (CA) Alison Sampson
Back in print with a brand-new Seasonal Flavors cover series! This special Christmas-themed variant reintroduces the best-selling first issue of POP KILL—the fan-favorite espionage thriller about two cola empires at war. Imagine a world where the dominant soda companies, each worth billions, are owned by former conjoined twins, now bitter rivals who will stop at nothing to destroy each other. Assassins, saboteurs, and spies clash in a tale of brotherly love gone bad, and the dirty work done in their name. Story by Dave Johnson & Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Juan Santa Cruz and Brian Reber.
TITAN COMICS
GHOSTLY DARKNESS OF KANATA VOLUME 1 TP, $12.99: Press release.
Author: Noct Koike
Artist: Chika Ishikawa
SC, 224, B&W, $12.99
On sale: December 9, 2025
A gripping supernatural thriller that blurs the line between reality and the afterlife, where one woman’s obsession with ghosts leads her into a world of terror.
After a heart-stopping encounter with an unearthly apparition, a young woman becomes fixated on the spirits that linger in the shadows. Drawn into a chilling journey to confront the very essence of fear, she steps into a world where the boundary between the living and the dead fades into oblivion.
Written by Noct Koike and brought to life by the haunting artwork of Chika Ishikawa (KOBAN), Ghostly Darkness of Kanata takes you on a nerve-wracking adventure into the unknown. Every page pulses with the tension of everyday moments—suddenly infected with the uncanny, as spirits and phantoms intrude on a world that seems so familiar.
As the heroine delves deeper into the occult, her quest to understand the afterlife soon reveals that terror doesn’t always come from the unknown—it hides in the places we think we know best. The ghosts she seeks might just be the ones chasing her.
In this supernatural thriller, prepare to face your deepest fears, as the lines between life and death, safety and danger, vanish into the darkness. Will she survive the haunting force she’s invited into her life? Or will she become one with the ghosts of Kanata?
KING CONAN: THE ORIGINAL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC, $125.00: Press release.
Authors: Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, and Alan Zelenetz
Artists: John Buscema and Marc Silvestri
HC, 776pp, FC, $125.00
On sale: November 18, 2025
Volume 2 of the Conan the King Omnibus sees writers Alan Zelenetz and Don Kraar teaming up with Marc Silvestri, Mike Docherty, Judith Hunt, Geoff Isherwood and Mike Manley to bring a new era of Conan to life.
The greatest hero in sword-and-sorcery history. This is the legend of the time when Conan was KING!
ALL HAIL KING CONAN!
Conan the barbarian, the thief, the mercenary, and now… Conan the king!
Believing his favorite son, Conn, to be dead after a reckless campaign in the treacherous region of Gunderland, Conan sets out with his elite squad, the Black Dragons, determined to retrieve his son’s body. But Conn is very much alive, and his perilous journey back to his father unfolds alongside Conan’s desperate quest.
Tensions rise with Conan’s other son, Taurus, who delves into dangerous witchcraft and sorcery, plotting to seize the throne. When a flaming bird, summoned by the malevolent witch Zandra, abducts Taurus, Conan embarks on a daring rescue mission to save his rebellious son.
This is only the beginning of Conan’s troubles. He faces relentless palace intrigue, warring factions, and ominous prophecies of war and famine that drive him into a deadly conflict with Nemedia, Aros, Ophir, and the Picts, who all scheme to conquer Aquilonia. Meanwhile, sinister plots brew behind his back as Crasus and Count Barthold conspire against the indomitable king…
Written by Alan Zelenetz and Don Kraar with artwork by Marc Silvestri, Mike Docherty, Judith Hunt, Mike Manley and Geoff Isherwood.
Replies
MARVEL TEAM-UP OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC: I remember these early MTUs and Giant-Size books as better than the later ones. But is that just rose-colored memory?
I think the early ones were, apart from the Claremont/Byrne ones, better than the later ones. But since you asked, if you have the MMW collections, I'd save 100 bucks on this one.
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN: LO, THIS MONSTER TREASURY EDITION TP: I loved it! Then again, I was 10 years old, so what did I know?
Don't sell your younger self short! I have often cited "The Stone Tablet Saga" as my favorite Spider-Man storyline, but my personal favorite individual issue has been and remains Spectacular Spider-Man #2. These two issues have been reprinted many times in many different formats (most recently as a comicic book-sized single edition), and I probably have them all. Yet I'll definitely be buying this one as well because it is, IMO, the best format yet.
END 2099: I never cared for 2099.
I never even read it, not a single issue.
Pass.
Me, too.
DC FINEST: WONDER WOMAN: You know you want it, even if you already have the omnibus.
Nah. The only reason I might want it is that it puts the individual Sensation Comics and Wonder Woman issues in chronological order, but the Wonder Woman Archives series already did that. If you already have either the Archives or the Omnibus, ask yourself this: The next time I read it, which format will I choose?
SUPERGIRL: One of the few monthly books I'm still getting...
A recommendation I heartily second!
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #15: He's the worst among his fam-uh-leee ... (I have no idea why these covers suggested that theme song.)
The Flintstones...?
(I am not right.)
Perhaps not.
I don't know at what point I'm going to bring "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told" discussion to an end, but it's going to be long before this.
LONE WOLF AND CUB DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 1 HC: My wife said, "You don't need that!" and I remained quiet.
Let's examine that.
I bought all 28 of the Dark Horse paperbacks, plus a hardcover edition of the first volume which I gave to a friend (who has probably never read it) and regretted it ever since. But this "deluxe edition" is reproduced "at a larger size." Goseki Kojima himself had said that the art was meant to be reproduced at the smaller size. I bought all the the First Comics editions as well, and I wasn't sure I believed that at first, but the smaller size eventually won me over. (Plus, comparing them side-by-side, Dark Horse;s translation was better.) Now I'm not so sure I'd even want it reproduced at a larger size. Here's another matter to consider: assuming subsequent volumes will be of a similar size, we're looking at approximately eleven volumes (or $605) for the whole set. Here's another near-casualty of Diamond going out of business AFAIAC, because I had no advance notice that this was coming out, and therefore could not take advantage of my LCS's generous pre-order discount. I guess I'll have to take a look at it and then decide. (I could take advantage of the POD going forward).
SUPERGIRL: One of the few monthly books I'm still getting...
A recommendation I heartily second!
I thought I'd pick it up to see if I could figure out the latest chronology and incarnation of a character I've followed off and on. I decided on the theatre marquee cover. That first cover-- which is also the first page-- kind of wrecks the twist, to the degree that it was a twist. Great premise! I wish they had done more with it.
LW&C DELUXE EDITION v1: I ended up buying this. I wanted to look at it first, but it was shrink-wrapped. the package itself was so handsome, though, that sometimes it is possible to judge a book by its cover. I may not buy any more, but I wanted this volume in this format. Which version will I read going forward? Well, for the first 2 1⁄2 volumes, anyway, I'll read the deluxe edition.
I worry that I won't be able to read the small Lone Wolf & Cub that I have in the years to come due to poor vision; I might not be able to read it now. A larger version would eliminate that worry. On the other hand, I can probably read it online somewhere, and screens are easier to read than print. Or maybe I should accept that I'm not going to re-read everything before I die, and Lone Wolf & Cub might be one of the things I don't re-read. It's annoying when a decision on what comic book to buy raises existential issues.
I saw it listed at InStockTrades. How many volumes did you say it will turn out to be?
As to Marvel Team-Up, it launched during the couple of years I wasn't buying MMWs due to a spasm of frugality. So I didn't get the early volumes, and they were too expensive to justify as back issues. So when Marvel Two-In-One came along, I didn't get that either (to be consistent). So I don't have any MMWs of those two series (and a couple of others). I may have a stray MTU that I bought by mistake. Anyway, those might also be some comics I never re-read. I don't mind that so much as missing the forewords, which are usually pretty informative.
Oh, I should mention that I read on some comics news site that the Absolute Joker is going to be revealed as an avatar of, or might actually be, the Greco-Roman god of laughter, Gelos, in Absolute Batman #15. Which makes sense if, as the article said, Gelos tended to laugh mostly at the pain and discomfort of others. I've never heard of Gelos, but Wiki confirms his existence, so I'll be interested to see how that plays out. Absolute Batman #15 orders have exceeded sales of Absolute Batman #1, the best-selling DC book of 2024.
I'm of two minds on whether I'd want any of this concept to creep into "our" Joker. I might like it if it's only suggested, as it's already subtextual that Joker is more than human. (How else did he survive electrocution, multiple drownings, and so forth? How else can he go toe to toe with Batman, without any combat training or even the same level of physical strength? Why else would he appear to have more than one personality, to the point of seeming to be different people?) But I wouldn't like it were it made overt. My suspension of disbelief is already on edge from Batman continuing to survive encounters where he's physically outclassed, like with Clayface and Killer Croc.
I worry that I won't be able to read the small Lone Wolf & Cub that I have in the years to come due to poor vision; I might not be able to read it now. A larger version would eliminate that worry.
Then you should definitely look at that Spec Spidey TE that shipped today. It's nigh-treasury size, bigger even than the magazine-size original, and printed on better paper stock to boot!
How many volumes did you say it will turn out to be?
Eleven...? (Just a guess.)