AIPT Comics

1. The Big Three

6–7 min

Cover the three most consequential stories of the week, ranking them and giving your personal reaction.

• Patrick Stewart has passed away
• February 2027 Marvel Midnight Universe title details revealed
• Fantagraphics announces ‘Visiting America,’ graphic memoir about British cartoonist’s 19 days in ICE detention

2. Rapid-fire reactions to three or four additional announcements.

3–4 min

• Tiny Onion announces ‘Humbucker,’ a music-fueled crime thriller from Eric Harburn and Simon Gane
• Exclusive Marvel preview: ‘Fugitive X-Force’ #1 brings back Freedom Force and a long-lost mutant
• BOOM! Studios announces slasher horror series ‘The Carvers’ for February 2027

3. What the Press Release Isn't Saying

3–4 min

Dig into one announcement and offer an editorial perspective that listeners won't necessarily get from reading the headline.

• DC extends 'Absolute Catwoman' to 12 issues, continuing Selina Kyle's story through 2027

• Absolute was in Rolling Stone Magazine

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1 (Kelly Thompson, Mattia de Iulis)
• Batman: Bad Seeds - Gotham General #1 (Greg Rucka, Rosa Ekedal, Steve Lieber)

Alex:

• Absolute Wonder Woman #25 (Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman)
• Fireborn #5 (Curt Pires, Timmy Heague, Franklin Jonas, Patrick Mulholland, Brian Andane)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Satanic Panic #1 (Matt Miner, Clay McCormack)

Dave: Amazing Spider-Man #1002 (Pepe Larraz, Joe Kelly)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Dave: Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman #1 (Pornsak Pichetshote, Alberto Ponticelli)
• Alex: Archie in Hell #1 (Patrick Horvath, Tyler Crook)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Spider-Woman #1 (Mark Brooks Virgin 1:100 Cover)
• Alex: Lone Gunman Martin Simmonds Variant

Archie in Hell - Patrick Horvath - Tyler Crooke (Issue #1 out November 4th)

• Guys, welcome to the AIPT Comics podcast. To kick things off, this interview will be heard on Halloween day, but as of today, we’re just entering the spooky season, as two creators who work within the realms of horror, how do you celebrate Halloween at home?
• Archie has been put through the horror wringer plenty of times at this point, but Archie in Hell starts with perhaps the most wholesome version of Archie imaginable, collecting food for charity, and uses that goodness against him. Patrick, was the idea of Archie being targeted specifically because he’s such a good person the key that unlocked this story for you?
• AIPT: Solicit hounds will know this story jumps back in time to 1690, where Riverdale suddenly becomes this bleak Puritan community. What excited you both about taking characters and relationships we associate with this colorful, almost timeless American town and filtering them through that period of history?
• AIPT: Tyler, Riverdale has such an established visual language that readers can recognize these characters almost instantly. Once Archie lands in 1690, how do you preserve enough of that familiarity while making this version of Riverdale feel genuinely unsettling and historically removed from the place we know?
• AIPT: The first issue brings Sabrina into the story as someone who immediately understands that something much darker is happening. Archie horror has made her an incredibly useful bridge between everyday Riverdale and the supernatural. When you were building this story, how did you decide what Sabrina knows and how powerful she should be without letting her become an easy solution to Archie’s nightmare?
• AIPT: The Order of A’ldarax and the Elder Gods push this toward occult and cosmic horror, while 1690 Riverdale opens the door to religious paranoia, accusations, and fear of the devil. What kinds of horror were each of you most interested in playing with here, and are there horror movies, books, or comics that helped set the temperature for the series?
• AIPT: Patrick, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees showed how effective horror can be when it invades a world that initially feels cozy and safe. Archie has that quality built into its DNA. Does horror become more potent for you when readers already have an emotional sense that this is a place where terrible things simply shouldn't happen?
• AIPT: The title makes a pretty enormous promise: Archie in Hell. Yet we're starting with cults, Elder Gods, time travel, and a very different Riverdale. Without giving away where you're ultimately taking us, how literally should readers be interpreting the word “Hell,” and just how bad can things get for Archie from here?
• AIPT: Since this is our Halloween episode, I have to end with something appropriately important: the Riverdale gang is trapped overnight in a genuinely haunted house. Who survives until morning, who makes the absolute worst horror-movie decision, and who turns out to be having way too much fun?

1. The Big Three

6–7 min

Cover the three most consequential stories of the week, ranking them and giving your personal reaction.

• DC announces 'Year of Wonder' for 2027 with Louise Simonson and Stephanie Williams taking over 'Wonder Woman'
• 'Exquisite Corpses: Book of the Dead' reveals the killers' bloody origins in January 2027
• Marvel reveals Bucky Barnes and Nick Fury Sr.'s next chapter in 'Immortal Soldiers' #1

2. Rapid-fire reactions to three or four additional announcements.

3–4 min

• Dan Watters brings romance and impending doom to 'The Terminator' this January
• DC turns humanity into the enemy in 'Green Lantern: Doomed Cosmos' #1 this January
• 'Gehenna: Lust for Conquest' brings more blood-soaked chaos to Image Comics in January 2027

3. What the Press Release Isn't Saying

3–4 min

Dig into one announcement and offer an editorial perspective that listeners won't necessarily get from reading the headline.

• Mister Miracle becomes Highfather in 'DC All In Saga: The New Gods' #1 this January

OTHER NEWS

• Dan Watters brings romance and impending doom to 'The Terminator' this January
• Sean Gordon Murphy and Corin Howell team up for 'The Lost Bones of Lake Totem' at Image Comics
• DC January 2027 solicits

• DC celebrates 50 years of Black Lightning with anniversary special in January 2027
• DC turns humanity into the enemy in 'Green Lantern: Doomed Cosmos' #1 this January
• DC announces 'Year of Wonder' for 2027 with Louise Simonson and Stephanie Williams taking over 'Wonder Woman'

• Marvel Comic solicitations January 2027

• ‘X-Men ’92’ vs. ‘X-Men: Evolution’ gets new variant covers for Marvel’s ‘Incursions’ one-shot

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Doomquest #5 (Ryan North, Francesco Mobili)
• Creepshow: Vol. 5 #2 (Various)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Dave: Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy #4 (Tyler Boss, Dylan Burnett, Jordie Bellaire)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Dave: Absolute Batman #25 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives #1 (Mattia De Iulis Cover)

Interview: Jordan Blum · Tim Seeley, Artist: Scott Koblish The Big Shakedown #1 - September 16

• AIPT: The Big Shakedown takes the post-apocalypse and keeps it remarkably local. The rest of the world is still out there, but Los Angeles has essentially been abandoned. What made that more interesting to you than destroying civilization altogether?
• AIPT: LA already has this mythology built around reinvention, wealth, entertainment, and people coming there chasing something. What happens to that identity when the city is physically destroyed, and much of the country decides it isn't worth saving?
• AIPT: Avalon stepping into the vacuum left by the government feels like a very modern evolution of the company town, while gangs and cartels have essentially become neighborhood governments. How did you figure out who would actually hold power five years after the earthquake?
• AIPT: Ester has been a cop, a private investigator, and even a consultant on a Hollywood police show. How much fun was it creating a noir detective who has actually watched Los Angeles turn its own version of her profession into entertainment?
• AIPT: Ester desperately wants out of LA, yet she's also trying to excavate something buried beneath the old city. Without giving away what she's looking for, what does that contradiction tell us about her relationship with the life she had before the earthquake?
• AIPT: In the first issue, the 2018 Lakers on VHS to make things feel "more like then, less like now" is such a specific detail. How important is nostalgia to this story, especially for people living among the literal remains of their old lives?
• AIPT: You describe the series as being in the vein of Chinatown and The Long Goodbye, but by the end of #1 we've got cult-like language, conspiracy, and this ominous reference to the "twilight child." How far did you want to stretch the boundaries of noir once Ester starts pulling at this mystery?
• AIPT: Scott Koblish has to sell recognizable Los Angeles, a city devastated by an earthquake, and this heightened pulp-noir world all at once. What did the three of you establish visually that made this still feel unmistakably like LA five years after "The Big One"?
• AIPT: Finally, you've destroyed Los Angeles, abandoned it, divided it among corporations and gangs, and filled it with cults and conspiracies. So let's say the three of you are stuck there for a weekend. Who survives the longest, who immediately gets into trouble, and who's somehow still complaining about the traffic?

For our milestone 400th episode, Rick Remender joins the AIPT Comics Podcast for a candid conversation about his creator-owned comics, why he turned down opportunities to write Batman and the X-Men, and what drives his most ambitious work yet. From Escape and The Seasons to The Sacrificers and Hammerfist, Remender opens up about storytelling, artistic freedom, and the future of his career. Plus, we break down the biggest comics news of the week in our full weekly recap!

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

400 episodes: big moment picks:

Dave: 2019: Doomsday Clock finally concludes

Chris: The “resistance” against AI.

Alex: House of X/Powers of X and more!

NEWS

• NYCC: What we missed

• Barbie gets a comic series
• Dinobots return!

• IDW announces ‘Godzilla vs Everything’ crossover event for March 2027
• Daniel Warren Johnson's 'Chainkata' #1 scores a whopping 116 retailer exclusive covers
• ICV2 Numbers are in

• DC continues to CRUSH each quarter
• Somehow Batman still beats ASM 1000!

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Legion of Super-Heroes #2 (Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman)
• The Nice House by the Sea #12 (James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno)

Chris:​​

• The Karman Blade #2 (DVP, Ian Bertram)
• Hammer Head #1 (Ed Brisson, Damian Couceiro)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Regicide #3 (Patrick Kindlon, Ludovic Lalliat)

Dave: Wolverine: Paradise #1 (Dan Panosian)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: The Twilight Zone #11 (Mark Russell, Victor Alpi)
• Dave: Avengers: Armageddon #5 (Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy #4 (Dylan Burnett Polybagged With Collectible Card) (and Tyler Boss’ is good too)
• Chris: Amazing Spider-Man: Halloween Special #1 (Paco Medina Variant Cover)

Interview: Rick Remender Creator Spotlight

The Seasons #12 out October 14 (and artist Paul Azaceta)

Hammerfirst #3 is out October 28th (and artist Steve Epting)

Escape #10 is out November 3 (and artist Daniel Acuna)

• Rick, this is our 400th episode, so I wanted to start a little bigger than usual. You’ve been making comics for decades now, from Marvel and DC to building Giant Generator and this huge library of creator-owned work. When you look at the comics you’re making right now, do you feel like you’re in a distinctly different creative era than you were five or ten years ago?
• With Hammerfist, you spend a surprising amount of time convincing us we’re reading this grounded crime noir before you really let the superhero and supernatural elements loose. Was holding that back always essential to the concept, and how much did having Steve Epting drawing the book give you the confidence to wait?
• Steve Epting is so associated with grounded espionage and superhero storytelling, and Hammerfist gives him room to do both. When you finally got the opportunity to build a creator-owned book together, what did you specifically want to write that would take advantage of what Steve does better than almost anyone?
• Mike Denton is a killer, an addict and a pretty terrible father, but Hammerfist keeps dangling the possibility that he could become something better. Now you’re heading into “Black Noon,” and the solicitation is asking whether this “dirtbag killer” can take one final swing at redemption. Is Hammerfist ultimately a redemption story, or are you more interested in asking whether some people actually deserve one?
• One thing that fascinates me about Escape is how differently Milton and Flynn process the same war. Milton has gradually learned to recognize humanity in the people he was taught were monsters, while Flynn seems to be moving in the opposite direction. How much of the series was built around seeing what war does to two people who begin from roughly the same side but emotionally end up somewhere very different?
• The solicitation for Escape #10 puts Milton in this brutal position where survival, loyalty and protecting civilians may all require different choices. You've written plenty of characters who survive terrible things but don't necessarily come through them intact. With Escape, is getting home actually the victory, or has the question become what part of yourself you can still bring home with you?
• Then you have The Seasons, which is operating in a completely different visual and emotional language. Issue #12 reunites the sisters in a world where people are consumed by these self-reflecting mirrors showing them only the world they want to see. That feels like an incredibly pointed idea for 2026. How much are you using this fantastical world to talk about the way people increasingly construct their own versions of reality?
• Between Hammerfist, Escape, The Seasons and everything you're building through Giant Generator, you have a lot of very different books happening simultaneously. For our 400th episode, I want to end the main interview looking forward: What do you still want from comics? Is there a type of story, collaboration, or creative swing that you feel like you haven't taken yet?

The AIPT Comics Podcast returns with episode 399! This week, David Brooke sits down with cartoonist Leah Hayes to discuss her haunting new graphic novel, Identical, from Fantagraphics. Inspired by her experiences as an identical twin, Hayes explores family, identity, and the unsettling possibilities of artificial intelligence. We discuss the story's personal inspiration, her distinctive art style, and plans for a potential film adaptation.

Before the interview, David and co-host Alex Schlesinger break down the biggest news from NYCC 2026, including Grant Morrison's James Bond series, Marvel's Webtoon shakeup, and major announcements from Marvel and DC.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• NYCC news!

• Grant Morrison takes on James Bond in new IDW comic series ‘Sunbreaker’
• WEBTOON and Marvel launch new Marvel Comics app November 16 as Marvel Unlimited shuts down

• Exclusive: ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ is coming to WEBTOON

• NYCC 2026: Marvel announces new ‘Captain Marvel’ series, ‘Daredevil’ #700, and more at Bullpen Bulletins panel
• NYCC 2026: Marvel reveals terrifying new X-Men designs, Midnight Doctor Octopus, and more
• Marvel teases mysterious June 2027 event with ‘Tomorrow Is One Day Away’ at NYCC 2026
• IDW Goes Darkin 2027 with horror takes on TMNT, Sonic, Godzilla and more
• Stan Sakai and Soo Lee team up for ‘TMNT: The First Ronin’ in March 2027
• NYCC 2026: DC Black Label/Vertigo reminds fans there’s more to DC than Batman
• NYCC 2026: DC announces ‘Absolute Justice,’ teases major Batman twists and more
• NYCC 2026: DC Next Level reveals new Starfire, Swamp Thing, and Superboy-Prime comics, plus major Batman updates
• EXCLUSIVE Ignition Press Series Announcement: ‘The Caretaker’ #1

• Gates McFadden to write ‘Star Trek: Crusher’ comic for IDW
• Oni Press resurrects ‘Dr. Syn’ for new series from Michael E. Uslan and Steven S. DeKnight

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Halloween Special #1 (Various)
• Dinner Date #1 (Joanne Starer, Khary Randolph)

Alex:​​

• The Demon #1 (James Harren, Dave Stewart)
• Midnight X-Men #1 (Hickman, Matteo De La Fonte)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Luther Strode #1 (yes, I know it’s an anniversary reprint, but still)

Dave: Midnight Spider-Man #1 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, ScieTronc)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: It Demands Sacrifice #1 (Phillip Gelatt, David Yarovesky)
• Dave: DOOM All-On-One #1 (Al Ewing, Alessandro Cappuccio)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Black Cat #15 (Josemaria Casanovas)
• Alex: Sicko #3 (Sebastian Fiumara)

Interview: Leah Hayes - Identical - September 15, 2026.

1. Identical’s main premise is about AI-assisted fertility, but very quickly becomes an intimate story about family and identity. Did the concept start with the speculative technology, or with your own experiences as an identical twin?

2. This is your most personal work to date. After years of illustrating other people's stories, what made this the right time to tell one so deeply connected to your own life?

3. One of the book's biggest mysteries is that readers aren't immediately sure which twin is artificial. How did you approach building that uncertainty without turning the story into a traditional mystery?

4. The graphic novel raises fascinating questions about what makes someone "real." Did your own relationship as an identical twin influence how you think about identity, individuality, and what separates one person from another?

5. The artwork is strikingly minimal. Many pages contain only one or two panels, and the limited blue-and-white palette, combined with the paper-like textures, creates an almost dreamlike atmosphere. What led you to such a restrained visual language, and how did you decide that less would ultimately say more?

6. The emotional connection between the sisters feels almost supernatural, even before the AI elements enter the story. How did you balance the science fiction with the emotional truth of what it's actually like to be an identical twin?

7. The mother makes a morally complicated decision out of love, and the bioengineer believes he's advancing humanity. The book rarely presents easy heroes or villains. Was it important to you that every character believe they're doing the right thing?

8. The sparse pacing gives readers a lot of space to sit with each moment, almost like poetry. Did you always envision Identical moving at this quiet rhythm, or did you discover that pacing through revisions?

9. The ending reframes the story in a hopeful way, with the narrator embracing who she is instead of fearing it. After exploring questions of identity, motherhood, technology, and sisterhood, what do you hope readers are still thinking about after they close the book?

Pornsak Pichetshote is having one hell of a year. He’s helping expand James Tynion IV and Michael Walsh’s Exquisite Corpses universe with Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman, while over at DC, Absolute Green Arrow has given him the chance to build a very different kind of mythology around one of comics’ most familiar mantles.

Today, the AIPT Comics Podcast brings you an unedited conversation with Pornsak. We dig into Lone Gunman, what happens to a final girl after she survives, the history behind that mysterious golden mask, the 13 Families, and how the series expands the world of Exquisite Corpses. Pornsak also talks about what working with James Tynion IV has taught him about writing comics and creating memorable new characters.

Then we get into spoiler territory for Absolute Green Arrow, including the Merlin reveal, why the original mystery was designed to resolve in six issues, and how the back half of the series operates almost like a sequel to that opening story. Pornsak also teases why Merlin was the right choice once we learn who makes up the other half of Green Arrow.

Plus, Dave and Alex recap the week in comics with reviews and news!

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• IDW teases two major reveals for NYCC 2026 panel, reveals full signing schedule
• Dark Horse Comics reveals NYCC 2026 signing schedule and booth plans
• ‘Something is Killing the Children’ #50 gets blind bags with mystery covers and trading cards
• Zoe Thorogood and Joe Whiteford sink their teeth into ‘Vampire on Aisle 6’
• Marvel reveals bloody new ‘Midnight’ art as universe tops 1 million orders
• 'AMAZING SPIDER-MAN' #1000 VARIANTS ALLOCATED
• Joshua Williamson and Bruno Redondo announce ‘Batman: Justice Year’ at SDCC Málaga

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Tomb of Apocalypse #2 (Ashley Allen, Domenico Carbone)
• Amazing Spider-Man #1000 (Various)

Alex:​​

• Smart Division #2 (Zack Kaplan, John Pearson)
• Aliens vs X-Men #1 (Gillen, Geraldo Borges)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Uncanny X-Men #36 (Gail Simone, Luciano Vecchio)

Dave: Queen in Black #5 (Al Ewing, Iban Coello, Paco Medina)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: All the Midnight #1s!
• Dave: Demon #1 (James Harren Cover)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Batman: Bad Seeds - Streets of Gotham #1 (Javier Rodriguez Card Stock Cover)
• Alex: Mike Mayhew Midnight X-Men #1

Interview: Pornsak Pichetshote - EXQUISITE CORPSES LONE GUNMAN #1 (OF 5) FOC Oct 12 - Release Date: Nov 4 - Day 2 Newsletter

Artist: Alberto Ponticelli; colors: Jordie Bellaire

• You’ve described Lone Gunman as “Season 1.5” of Exquisite Corpses. What did you realize you needed to explore between the end of the first series and the beginning of Season 2 that made this story necessary?
• Laura won the game, but surviving twelve killers doesn’t exactly mean she gets to live happily ever after. What interested you about treating the “Final Girl” as the beginning of a story rather than the end of one?
• The golden mask was such a striking piece of the Lone Gunman mythology in Season 1. How much does digging into its history change what we thought we understood about the Lone Gunman and the game itself?
• Two years have passed for Laura, Xavi, and Jason. They have money and seemingly escaped the Families, but they're still carrying what happened to them. How differently has each of them processed surviving that night?
• You mentioned bringing lessons from Absolute Green Arrow into Lone Gunman. Those seem like very different books on the surface, so what have you learned writing Green Arrow that unexpectedly became useful when writing a horror story like this?
• You’re working with Alberto Ponticelli again after Unknown Soldier, alongside Jordie Bellaire. Alberto has talked about bringing roughness, textures, and “dirty marks” to this world. What are those two bringing visually that makes this chapter of Exquisite Corpses feel distinct from Season 1?
• For one fun one to wrap up: If surviving Exquisite Corpses earned Laura an actual two-year, all-expenses-paid vacation with absolutely zero killers, billionaires, or golden masks allowed, where would you send her, and what would she do with herself?

Ryan North has a knack for giving superheroes problems that their powers cannot easily solve. This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we’re running our full conversation with North as he catches us up on a busy year and a half that has included the end of One World Under Doom, the launch of Doomquest, his jump to DC with The Flash, and his continuing adventures with Marvel’s First Family.

North digs into the unlikely fever-fueled origin of Doomquest, why the series became a Doctor Doom character study, and the freedom that comes with dropping Victor into different moments in history. We also get into Wally West’s increasingly dangerous ability to prevent disasters before they happen, why joy remains essential to North’s take on the Flash, and how the Fantastic Four continue to open doors to wonderfully strange science-fiction stories.

The conversation goes even further into the challenges of writing ridiculously powerful heroes, North’s approach to continuity, superhero horror, his desire to make more creator-owned work, and the novel he’s been quietly working on. Plus, we somehow end up debating Doom, Reed Richards, and Wally West in an escape room, which sends North down a wonderfully bizarre escape-room rabbit hole.

Interview: Ryan North

Sep 23, 2026, The Flash #37

Releases Oct 21, 2026 Doomquest #5

Releases Sep 30, 2026 Fantastic Four #17

• AIPT: The last time we had you on was back in February 2025, and quite a bit has happened since then. One World Under Doom has come and gone, Fantastic Four has kept rolling, and now you’ve added The Flash to your plate at DC. Looking back at everything that’s happened since we last talked, what’s the past year and a half been like for you creatively?
• AIPT: Doomquest has almost felt like a series of tests for Doom, dropping him into different points in history and asking whether he can outthink everyone who came before him. But issue #4 does something crueler and gives Victor the chance to live a genuinely happy life with Valeria. Was confronting Doom with happiness always one of the destinations you wanted this series to reach?
• AIPT: What I find fascinating about Doomquest is that Doom keeps getting opportunities to prove he's the smartest or most capable person in the room, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's becoming a better person. When you're writing him, where do you draw the line between Doom actually growing and Doom simply finding new evidence that he was right all along?
• Why center your Star Trek story on the Pakled?
• AIPT: Over in The Flash, Wally's "Flashes of Insight" have evolved to the point where he can glimpse what is about to happen and potentially prevent accidents and crimes before they occur. That sounds wonderful until you start thinking about the implications. Is the danger here less about whether Wally can save everyone and more about what happens to someone who starts believing he should?
• AIPT: Your Wally is someone who genuinely loves being the Flash, which feels important because superhero comics can sometimes make being a hero seem completely miserable. How important is that joy to your version of Wally, especially as his ability to see and prevent disasters starts putting more responsibility on his shoulders?
• AIPT: In Fantastic Four, you've been able to go from enormous cosmic and scientific problems to wonderfully strange ideas like the Future Foundation returning and Doom's technology leaking into the wider world. After writing these characters for this long, what still makes you stop and think, "I can't believe nobody has done this Fantastic Four story before"?
• AIPT: You're currently writing Reed Richards, Doctor Doom, and Wally West, three characters who can approach impossible problems from very different directions. Do you find yourself thinking about them differently when constructing a story, or is there a common Ryan North rule for writing someone who can potentially break your plot if you give them five minutes to think?
• Danger and Other Unknown Risks a fab creator owned title, do you have anything similar or in the creator owned realm in the works?
• AIPT: Finally, something silly: Doom, Reed Richards, and Wally West are trapped in an escape room together. Who actually solves it, who insists they solved it first, and how quickly does the escape room regret letting these three people inside?

Earlier this week, AIPT revealed that Tom King and Daniel Sampere’s Wonder Woman run is coming to an end with issue #40 this December. Now, you can hear the full conversation behind that interview on the AIPT Comics Podcast.

Nearly two years after we last spoke with King and Sampere about their ambitious plans for Diana, the creative team returns to reflect on how those plans changed and what it means to finally approach the last page. King discusses an original vision that could have stretched to 100 issues, while Sampere looks back at how drawing Diana changed his approach to storytelling, particularly the quieter acting, expressions, and gestures that define her character.

The conversation also digs into Trinity’s evolution, Steve Trevor’s death and return, the Sovereign and Matriarch, and the qualities King and Sampere believe define Wonder Woman after spending years telling her story. With Wonder Woman #37 beginning the final stretch and issue #40 set for December 16, this is the full audio chat about bringing their run home.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Marvel NYCC Plans
• DC NYCC Plans
• DC December 2026 solicitations

• Wonder Woman arc ends with #40

• ‘Fantastic Four: First Foes’ finale introduces the Wizard and Frightful Four
• Marvel unveils ‘Black Widow: Black, White & Red Room’ for December 2026
• Marvel reveals Miracleman’s new era with two ‘Avengers: Armageddon’ covers
• Miracleman joins the Avengers for November 2026 relaunch
• Exclusive: ‘The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror’ gets complete 3-volume omnibus box set
• Disney’s beloved 1973 animated classic returns 50 years later for ‘Robin Hood’
• Exclusive: Francesco Francavilla sets sail with ‘Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar’ cover
• 'The Princess Murders' ble nds slasher horror, dark comedy, and fairy tale satire

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Avengers: Armageddon #4 (Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar)
• Ofiusa #1 (Guillem March)

Chris:​​

• Regicide #2 (Patrick Kindlon, Ludovic Lalliat)
• The Patron #2 (Christian Ward, John Pearson)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Exquisite Corpses: Fox Mask Killer #1 (Che Grayson, Adam Gorham)

Dave: Avengers: Armageddon #4 (Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Star Trek #1 (Christopher Cantwell, Dennis Menheere)
• Dave: Muppets Take the Marvel Universe #1 (Various)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man #4 (Mike Del Mundo Cover)
• Chris: Marvel Mangaverse: Ghostlocke #1 (Yuji Kaku Main)

Interview: Wonder Woman - End of Tom King and Daniel Sampere’s run

• With Wonder Woman #40 officially ending your run on December 16, how much of that final issue resembles the ending you envisioned when you first started the book? Were there pieces of the finale you already knew back at issue #1?
• One thing that has defined this run is Diana’s ability to be incredibly powerful without losing her compassion. In #37, she’s fighting a giant monster while calmly teaching two babies a lesson. What did you identify early on as the essential qualities of Wonder Woman that you never wanted to lose?
• Daniel, knowing #40 is your final issue, did you approach drawing it differently? Was there a feeling of, "This might be my last chance to draw Diana doing this," that pushed you toward certain images or ideas?
• Steve Trevor’s death hung over the book for a long time, so seeing Diana finally reunite with him in #37 carries a lot of weight. How did you approach that reunion after keeping Diana and Steve apart for so long?
• Trinity has gone from a mysterious new character to someone deeply embedded in Diana and Steve’s story. Looking back now, what surprised you most about who Trinity became compared to the character you originally imagined?
• The Matriarch is literally going through Hell in the upcoming special, while #39 brings the Sovereign back before the finale. How does the Matriarch’s relationship with her father reflect or complicate what you explored through the Sovereign earlier in the run?
• When readers close Wonder Woman #40 on December 16, what do you hope they understand about your version of Diana that perhaps wasn’t as clear when the run began? Is there something about the run that you think will take on a different meaning once the full story is known?

This week, Michael Walsh joins the AIPT Comics Podcast to talk Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death, his new DC Next Level series launching October 7. Walsh digs into bringing horror to the Old West, exploring an older Jonah Hex wrestling with his past, building new supernatural mythology into the DC Universe, and the influences behind his take on the legendary gunslinger. We also get into Exquisite Corpses, including how the writers’ room shaped Walsh as a storyteller, his role overseeing the current spinoffs, and some early teases about what he and James Tynion IV are cooking up for Season 2.

Before that, Dave and Chris Coplan break down the week’s biggest comics news, including the Amazing Spider-Man #1000 preview and DC extending The Fury of Firestorm. Then it’s our favorite comics of the week, standout KAPOW moments, the books we’re most excited about next week, and Judging by the Cover Jr., featuring some of the best cover art hitting shelves.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Marvel reveals ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #1000 preview with Aunt May shocker

• And TRIPLE H is writing a story!?

• Symbie’s origins will be revealed in upcoming one-shot
• DC extends ‘The Fury of Firestorm’ through issue #15
• Rob Liefeld gets in on Midnight Universe gimmick with ‘Avengelyne’ #1 Midnight Variant

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• The Forever Home #1 (Christian Ward, Sami Kivelä)
• Doomquest #4 (Ryan North, Francesco Mobili)

Chris:​​

• The Karman Blade #1 (DVP, Ian Bertram)
• Chachu #2 (Iman Vellani, Marianna Ignazzi)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Hellraiser: Resurrections — The Onanistic Ritual #1 (Zac Thompson, Gavin Mitchell)

Dave: Spawn '77 #1 (Mark Spears, Todd McFarlane)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Batman Day 2026: Batman of Two Worlds #1 (Matt Fraction, Javier Fernandez)
• Dave: Exquisite Corpses: Fox Mask Killer #1 (Che Grayson, Adam Gorham)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: A Mischief of Magpies #2 (Matias Bergara 5 Copy Cover)
• Chris: The Patron #2 (John Pearson Variant B)

Interview: Michael Walsh - Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #1, out Oct 7, FOC Sept 14

AIPT: You’ve described yourself as a horror creator, but Jonah Hex isn’t traditionally the first DC character people associate with horror. What did you see in Jonah that made you think he could be a genuinely great horror character?

AIPT: This is an older Jonah Hex whose days as a bounty hunter seemingly ended some time ago. What interested you about meeting him at this stage of his life instead of telling another story about Hex in his prime?

AIPT: The solicitation describes Jonah’s life as one of “bloodshed, pain, and guilt,” and redemption seems central to this story. Does Jonah actually believe he deserves redemption, or is taking on this threat more about finally finding something worth dying for?

AIPT: The evil arriving in Ashecott is described as something older than the town and from beyond the world its residents know. How do you introduce something truly supernatural without losing the dirt, grit, and grounded quality that makes a Jonah Hex Western feel like Jonah Hex?

AIPT: We’re still waiting for season two of Exquisite Corpses, so I have to sneak one in. After building that world collaboratively with so many creators, did anything about that experience change the way you approached writing, drawing, or surprising readers on Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death?

AIPT: Finally, Jonah Hex gets dropped into an Exquisite Corpses-style killing competition. No guns allowed. What completely inappropriate weapon are you giving him, and how far does he make it?

This week, Eisner Award-winning writer Saladin Ahmed joins the AIPT Comics podcast to talk about three very different heroes currently occupying his writing desk: Cheetara, Wolverine, and Bishop.

With ThunderCats: Cheetara launching September 9, Ahmed discusses taking one of Third Earth’s most mysterious heroes into her own ongoing series, the troubling visions that challenge what she knows about ThunderCats history, working with artist Andrea Arcari, and the freedom Dynamite has given him to push and reshape the mythology.

The conversation also returns to the X-Men universe, where Ahmed’s working on Wolverine and Bishop. We dig into where both characters currently stand, the distinct challenges of writing two veteran mutants, and what Ahmed is building toward in each series.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Indiana Jones hunts Marvel’s greatest artifacts in new variant covers
• Batman vs. Absolute Batman: DC reveals its big Batman Day 2026 special
• Boom-Boom takes charge as Marvel announces ‘Fugitive X-Force’ #1
• Curt Pires and Jok unleash time-traveling monsters in ‘Creature Corps’

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman)
• Superman: The Stranger (Wes Craig)

Alex:​​

• The Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (Joshua Williamson, Hayden Sherman)
• Crowbound #1 (Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Captain America #15 (Zdarsky, Schiti)

Dave: Doom Patrol #1 (Darcy Van Polgeest, Nico Henrichon)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: The Forever Home #1 (Christian Ward, Sami Kivelä)
• Dave: Six of Us #1 (Tom King, Gabriel Hernández Walta)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Black Cat #14 (Josemaria Casanovas)
• Alex: The Karman Blade #1 (Ian Bertram)

Interview: Saladin Ahmed - ThunderCats: Cheetara (FOC August 10, out September 2)

1. Cheetara has always been one of the more mysterious ThunderCats because of her visions. What excited you about making those visions the engine of an ongoing series rather than just a supporting trait?

2. The solicitation mentions voices that contradict the Book of Omens and even praise the Mu'Tants. Were you interested in exploring how faith or certainty can be challenged when someone suddenly has conflicting truths?

3. One thing I've always liked about Cheetara is that she's often the calmest person in the room while everyone else is reacting emotionally. How did you approach giving her an internal journey that still feels true to that personality?

4. This is your first project with Dynamite and your first time writing ThunderCats. What surprised you most once you started digging into the mythology? Was there a corner of the universe you found yourself unexpectedly fascinated by?

5. Andrea Ancari is relatively new to American readers. What did you see in his storytelling that made him the right artist for a book balancing action, visions, and psychological mystery?

6. ThunderCats has existed across cartoons, comics, and multiple reinterpretations over decades. Were there specific versions of Cheetara you found yourself drawing inspiration from, or did you intentionally try to build your own voice for her?

Wolverine / X-Men questions

1. One thing I've really enjoyed in your Wolverine run is seeing Logan genuinely vulnerable again. Between the broken claws and now the healing factor failing, what opportunities does a weakened Wolverine create that an invincible Wolverine simply can't?

2. Wolverine #21 was almost a bottle episode, with Logan and Nightcrawler just trying to relax before everything goes wrong. How important are those quieter character issues when you're writing someone who's usually defined by violence?

3. Julius Ohta has become a fantastic collaborator on the series. Are there moments where his storytelling or acting has changed the way you approached later scripts?

Bishop / X-office question

With both Wolverine and Bishop, you've been working inside a very interconnected X-Men line. How much collaboration happens behind the scenes?

Bonus fun question

You've now written everything from Miles Morales to Wolverine, Daredevil, and now Cheetara. Is there a dream character or franchise that still sits on your bucket list where, if the phone rang tomorrow, you'd immediately say yes?

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Hickman’s ‘Midnight X-Men’ is a ‘mutant, vampire epic’ with Krakoa-era DNA

• Midnight Previewssssss

• Marvel’s next Avengers vs. X-Men showdown is happening on the hockey rink

• Whatever this news is it sounds stupid

• Vault reveals ‘One Zero Zero One Saves the World’ from Jeremy Robinson and Tiago Palma
• Vault announces ‘Inanna: The Name She Lost’ from Inanna Sarkis, Tim Seeley and Ademir Leal
• Dark Horse spotlights Doctor Doom in ‘Marvel’s Most Villainous’ Volume 2
• Dark Horse and Marvel celebrate classic X-Men history with ‘The Art of The Uncanny X-Men’
• Dark Horse collects Jack Kirby’s Marvel Westerns in new three-volume series

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Operation: Iron Coffin #2 (Kenny Porter, Tyrell Cannon)
• Hammerfist #1 (Rick Remender, Steve Epting)

Alex:​​

• Fireborn #4 (Curt Pires, Franklin Jonas, Patrick Mulholland)
• Absolute Wonder Woman #23 (Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: What If… Cassandra Nova Killed Charles Xavier? #1 (Sumit Kumar, Ashley Allen)

Dave: Godzilla Conquers the Multiverse #2 (Gerry Duggan, Javier Garron)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: Crowbound #1 (Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen) & The Doom Patrol #1 (Darcy Van Poelgeest, Nico Henrichon)
• Dave: Marvel Dimensions (Alex Ross)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Cruel Kingdom #1 (Yanick Paquette)
• Alex: Legion of Super Heroes #1 (Hayden Sherman)

DSTLRY - David Steinberger (co-founder and CEO) and Chip Mosher (co-founder and CCO)

• DSTLRY has settled into its partnership with Penguin Random House, and readers are starting to see a steadier publishing cadence again. Looking back, what did that transition teach the company, and how does it position DSTLRY differently heading into the rest of 2026?
• You've said from the beginning that DSTLRY wasn't trying to become "just another publisher." Now that the initial launch period is behind you, what do you think defines DSTLRY's identity today compared to when you first announced the company?
• We've seen collections like Warm Fusion and A Mischief of Magpies join the schedule alongside new single issues. How important is building a strong hardcover library for DSTLRY's long-term vision, especially as more readers discover these books after their initial release?
• Neon Ichiban has grown quickly from a digital comics platform into something that feels much more creator-focused. At what point did you realize the platform could become more than simply a place to read comics?
• The new partnership with Scott's Collectibles brings a huge roster of creators into Neon Ichiban's digital remarques program. Why was that collaboration the right next step, and how do you see it changing the experience for fans who collect sketches and signatures?
• One of the most intriguing ideas behind Neon Ichiban is the Digital Fast-Pass at conventions. Do you see this as solving a long-standing problem for fans who spend hours waiting in Artist Alley, or is the bigger goal expanding access to creators beyond the convention itself?
• You've spent years thinking about where comics are headed digitally, first at Comixology and now with Neon Ichiban. What do you think today's readers expect from a digital comic that they didn't expect even five years ago?
• Both DSTLRY and Neon Ichiban seem to share the same philosophy: giving creators more opportunities while giving fans new ways to engage with their work. Is there a bigger vision connecting those two efforts, and where do you hope they are a year from now after another SDCC has come and gone?

Marvel’s Midnight Universe is getting ready to open its doors, and this week we’re going straight to two of the writers helping build it.

Benjamin Percy and Phillip Kennedy Johnson join the AIPT Comics Podcast for an extended conversation about Midnight Fantastic Four and Midnight Spider-Man, two of the three series launching Marvel’s new horror-infused universe on October 7. Along with Jonathan Hickman on Midnight X-Men, Percy and Johnson are helping to establish a world in which familiar Marvel characters are being rebuilt through body horror, cosmic terror, and some seriously disturbing new origins.

Percy digs into the Lovecraftian nightmare behind his Fantastic Four, why their familiar powers are closer to curses, the influence of California's strange scientific and occult history, and just how grotesque Reed Richards' elasticity can become. Johnson takes us inside his radically different Peter Parker, the role Oscorp plays in his transformation, ScieTronc's horrifying designs, and why calling this version of Peter "Man-Spider" barely scratches the surface.

The conversation also gets into the larger Midnight Universe, including how Percy, Johnson, and Hickman are coordinating their books, how carefully they're approaching other Marvel characters, plans for the universe to eventually expand, and yes, whether Hickman's beloved data pages are coming along for the ride.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Marvel November solicitations!

• Jean Grey returns!
• Marvel’s ‘Incursions’ one-shots revisit the road to ‘Secret Wars’ this November
• Marvel teases ‘Origin III’: Is Wolverine’s untold past about to be revealed?

• Official press release

• Marvel’s November 2026 solicitations reveal the post -‘ Avengers: Armageddon’ era
• Marvel retells Venom’s origin from the symbiote’s perspective in ‘Venom: POV’

• Marvel’s free ‘Midnight Universe’ ashcan reveals creepy new details
• Marvel Comics sheds light on November 2026 variant series Momo-Tone covers
• Exclusive: Benjamin Percy and Raúl Fernández launch sci-fi horror series ‘Egg Hunt’
• Exclusive: Brain Poison launches with three new sci-fi comics in shared universe
• Garth Ennis and John McCrea get weird with psychedelic horror tale ‘The Snail’
• DC Comics Solicitations for November

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Punisher Vs. Spider-Man #2 (Dan Abnett, Matteo Della Fonte)
• Thor #800

Chris:​​

• Nights #20 (Wyatt Kennedy, Luigi Formisano)
• The Last Driver #1 (Sean Murphy, Simon Gough)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Nights #20 (Wyatt Kennedy, Luigi Formisano)

Dave: Destination Kill #4 (Joe Palmer)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Minotaur #2 (Si Spurrier, Michael Dowling)
• Dave: Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1 (Matt Fraction, G. Willow Wilson, Giuseppe)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Tomb of Apocalypse #1 (Pablo Villalobos)
• Chris: Next Level: One Shot #1 (Fernando Blanco Main Cover)

Interview: Midnight Universe - Ben Percy (Midnight FF) and Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Midnight Spider-Man) - Out October 7, FOC Aug 31

• You’re both taking characters whose origins are among the most familiar in comics and rebuilding them through horror. What was the first thing each of you identified in the classic Fantastic Four and Spider-Man origins that could become genuinely frightening in the Midnight Universe?
• Since this is horror, are you inverting who is the hero? I.e. is Spider-Man the villain and hsi rogues the bad guys, same for FF, or is that giving too much away?
• Ben, the Fantastic Four have always been explorers pushing into the unknown, but here that curiosity seems potentially catastrophic. How much of Midnight Fantastic Four is about Reed Richards being unable to leave certain doors unopened, even when every instinct should tell him to stop?
• Phillip, you’ve described wanting Peter Parker’s transformation to feel like something conceived by H.R. Giger and directed by David Cronenberg. Once Peter becomes this grotesque spider hybrid, how do you preserve the humanity and responsibility that make him recognizably Spider-Man?
• Both books seem fascinated with science going somewhere it absolutely should not go. How differently do Reed and Peter respond to the realization that scientific progress has created something horrifying, and do you see them as cautionary reflections of each other?
• The solicit for Midnight Fantastic Four #2 mentions revisiting and redefining the perils of the atomic age. Ben, what interested you about connecting the Fantastic Four to that particular period of scientific optimism, anxiety, and destruction?
• Phillip, Oscorp isn't simply responsible for Peter's transformation. They're apparently using what they learn from him to create more human-animal hybrids. Does that give this version of Spider-Man a different relationship with his rogues gallery, especially characters like the Lizard and Doctor Octopus?
• Kev Walker and ScieTronc have incredibly distinct visual identities. Were there moments when their designs or pages came back and actually changed your understanding of this universe, or pushed the horror further than what you'd originally scripted?
• Horror can become less frightening once readers understand its rules. With both of you planning potentially very long runs, how do you keep the Midnight Universe mysterious and unsettling after readers have spent 20, 30, or even 50 issues living inside it?
• I know your books haven’t launched just yet, but it’s hard not to be excited for your books to somehow connect, given Spidey and the FF are thoroughly linked in the 616. Have you dreamed up crossovers yet?
• Finally, the important Midnight Universe question: if Midnight Spider-Man and the Midnight Fantastic Four were trapped together in a horror movie, who dies first, who somehow survives, and who makes the catastrophically bad decision to say, “Let’s split up”?

Jordan Morris returns to the AIPT Comics Podcast this week to talk about his increasingly packed comics slate, including the upcoming Amazing Venom. Morris digs into how Luciano Vecchio’s red-and-blue Venom design evolved into a new 616 character, why Boomerang was ultimately chosen to bond with the symbiote, and the appeal of turning one of Spider-Man’s lovable D-list scumbags into a Venom.

We also look back at Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity, including Norman Osborn’s questionable motives for training the next generation of Spider-heroes, writing the different voices and quips of its large cast, and why Spider-Gwen became a particular favorite for Morris to write. Morris also talks Predator: Bloodshed, his approach to juggling multiple monthly projects, and plenty more from his busy year in comics. Also, if you liked signed comics, buy all of Amazing Venom in advance, signed by Morris, here.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Warren Ellis returns to Image Comics with ‘Ghost Drive Station’ this November
• ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel collide for the first time in ‘Hope Assembles’ #1
• X-Men's mystical side takes center stage in new 'X-Orcists' series this November 2026
• Louise Simonson puts a Disney twist on a holiday classic in ‘Uncle Scrooge: A Christmas Carol’ #1
• Marvel reveals new ‘Midnight’ variant covers ahead of October 2026 launch
• Ghost Rider: Kushala #1 collects Spirit Rider Infinity Comic this November
• ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ #1 joins Marvel’s Midnight launch with special midnight release
• ‘The X-Files’ returns to comics with new series from Joe Harris and Riley Brown

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Of the Earth #4 (Chris Condon, Charlie Adlard)
• Absolute Batman #23 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)

Chris:​​

• Regicide #1 (Patrick Kindlon, Ludovic Lalliat)
• Yumi: 00EX #1 (Doug Wager, Hoyt Silva)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Did You Hear About Mimi Green #3 (Connor Goldsmith, Josh Cornillon)

Dave: Infernal Hulk #10 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Adam Gorham)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Nights #20 (Wyatt Kennedy and Luigi Formisano)
• Dave: Lobo #6 (Skottie Young, Riley Rossmo)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #11 (Mateus Santolouco)
• Chris: Everyone Loves a Jewel Thief #4 (Aaron Campbell Main)

Interview: Jordan Morris talks...

Speed Racer: Tales from the Road – The Rook #1 — July 29

Spider-Versity #5 — August 22

Amazing Venom #1 — September 16

Predator: Bloodshed TPB — November 24

• This has to be the most weekly comics you’ve written in your career yet. How has it been juggling so many projects?
• You're writing four wildly different books right now: the martial arts and horror of Predator: Bloodshed, the Spider-family training adventure of Spider-Versity, and, speedracer mixes cop drama with racing, the cosmic antihero comedy of Amazing Venom. What have you learned about your strengths as a writer from jumping between such different corners of the Marvel Universe and Speed Racer?
• Predator: Bloodshed drops a Yautja into an underground fighting tournament, which feels like a premise built to deliver spectacular action. Beyond the fights, what was the biggest storytelling challenge in making readers care about the human competitors?
• Bloodshed wraps up this week. Looking back on the series as a whole, was there a particular character, fight, or moment that surprised you while writing it?
• Spider-Versity puts Norman Osborn in the unusual role of teacher. What makes Norman uniquely qualified to train young Spider-heroes, and what makes him the absolute worst possible choice at the same time?
• Spider-Versity features a roster of younger Spider-characters who all have very different personalities and experiences. Was there one character whose voice came especially naturally to you?
• Speed Racer: Tales from the Road – The Rook #1 introduces a rookie cop going undercover in the dangerous world of Formula X racing. What drew you to telling a crime story through the lens of Speed Racer, and how did you balance the undercover-cop tension with the over-the-top spectacle fans expect from this universe?
• You've described Fred Myers (Web of Venom #1) as one of your favorite Marvel antiheroes. What is it about Boomerang that keeps drawing you back to the character?
• Amazing Venom pairs Fred with Passenger, who seems like the perfect source of both chaos and comedy. How did you approach building that relationship, and what makes them a fun duo to write?
• Fun question: Of all your current leads and villains—Boomerang, Passenger, Norman Osborn, Carnage, and a Predator—who would be the absolute worst roommate, and who somehow ends up being the best?

San Diego Comic-Con delivered one of the biggest news weekends of the year, and we're digging into all of it on this week's AIPT Comics Podcast. We break down DC's latest Next Level announcements, including new ongoing series for Vixen, Static, Batman, The Demon, and Jonah Hex, react to Marvel's Predator vs. Punisher, unpack Christian Ward's newly announced Pandemonium, and even talk about Ryan Gosling's surprising Ghost Rider reveal. If it made headlines at SDCC, we're giving it the full AIPT treatment.

After that, David sits down with Christian Ward to discuss Forever Home, his ambitious new Oni Press series with Sami Kivelä. Ward explains how the story grew from a simple yet unforgettable premise: a house that survives climate collapse by falling outside of time, where every 20 minutes inside equals a year in the outside world. The conversation explores the book's emotional family drama, its retro-futuristic design, climate anxiety, billionaire bunkers, and why Kivelä's storytelling elevates every page. Ward also reflects on balancing writing and art, teases what's next in his career, and shares why Forever Home is one of his most personal creator-owned projects to date.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• SDCC post-event review

• Christian Ward concludes his ‘Event Horizon’ trilogy with ‘Pandemonium’ this December
• DC unveils new ongoing series for Vixen, Static, and Batman in latest Next Level wave
• DC announces ‘Batman of Two Worlds’ #1 for Batman Day 2026
• James Harren unleashes a terrifying new era for ‘The Demon’ in DC’s Next Level line
• Michael Walsh brings horror to the frontier in ‘Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death’
• ‘Predator vs. Punisher’ pits Frank Castle against the galaxy’s deadliest hunter this November
• Marvel unveils three original WEBTOON series at SDCC, including Tony Stark romance and X-Men Korea
• Ryan Gosling is Ghost Rider

• Corin Howell’s hit horror series returns with ‘Lilith: Blood & Burlesque’ #1 this October
• 'Lost Fantasy' and 'Fireborn' collide in first-ever crossover 'SHOWDOWN'
• 'Wytches' returns this fall with expanded Pledged Edition ahead of TV adaptation
• Deadpool and Punisher's 'Big Guns' crossover expands with Bullseye, Black Hole, and new preview pages

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Doomquest #3 (Ryan North, Francesco Mobili)
• Queen in Black #1 (Al Ewing, Iban Coelo)

Alex:​​

• Is Ted Ok? #6 (Dave Chisholm)
• The Patron #1 (Christian Ward, John J. Pearson)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Horror of Godzilla #1 (Ethan Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Tristan Jones)

Dave: Queen in Black: Hela (Al Ewing, Carlos Magno)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: The Omega Book #1 (James Patrick, Pauli Junquera)
• Dave: Fort Psycho #1 (Matt Kindt, Brian Hurtt)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: The Deadman #3 - Cover D Tyler Boss
• Alex: Uncanny X-Men #33 Alexander Lozano '80s Storm Variant AND Batgirl #22 Cover B KyuYong Eom Variant

Interview: Christian Ward - The Forever Home (out Sept 9, FOC Aug 3rd) with Sami Kivelä

- Patron #1 (July 29) art by John Pearson

One of the biggest comics announcements of San Diego Comic-Con was the reveal that Matthew Rosenberg will become the next ongoing writer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and this week he's here for his first in-depth interview about the series. Rosenberg opens up about initially turning down the job before IDW came calling a second time, why his run is inspired by the raw energy of the original Mirage comics, and how he plans to put the turtles through a relentless fight across New York City. We also discuss his love of Eastman and Laird's work, collaborating with artist Juann Cabal, bringing forgotten characters back into the spotlight, and why this story will embrace every corner of TMNT history while carving out its own identity.

NEWS

• Marvel Comics solicitations October 2026

• José Andrés joins Earth's Mightiest Heroes in 'Meals to Astonish: Avengers' #1 this October
• Marvel's Trick-Or-Read program returns with 'Infernal Hulk' and 'Spidey and His Amazing Friends'
• Punisher battles Black Widow, Wolverine, and Winter Soldier in new Marvel one-shot series
• Marvel and Williams Racing team up for 'Iron Man: Racing Towards Doom' #1 this October
• Captain Britain gets 50th anniversary special

• Rob Liefeld relaunches 'Avengelyne' with artist Daniel Mainé at Image Comics this November
• Lance Briggs, Kyle Higgins, and Danilo Beyruth announce sci-fi sports graphic novel 'The Trap'
• Exclusive: Dan Watters and Brian Level launch sci-fi horror series 'Mad Science Division' at Ignition Press
• Red Sonja and Barbarella unite for first-ever crossover series this November
• Archie celebrates 85 years with oversized anniversary special featuring comics all-stars

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Godzilla Conquers The Multiverse #1 (Gerry Duggan, Javier Garron)
• Terminal #1 (Robert Kirkman, Joe Casey, Andy Kubert)

Alex:​​

• Uncanny X-Men (Gail Simone, Jim Towe, Roge Antonio, Federica Mancin)
• Sicko #1 (Tini Howard, Amilcar Pinna)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: x

Dave: Superman #40 (Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: Is Ted Ok? #6 (Dave Chisholm)
• Dave: The Horror of Godzilla #1 (Tristan Jones, Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sherida)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Rocket Raccoon: Rocket Rewind #1 (Mike Mignola Cover)
• Alex: X-Men 34 Alexander Lozano '80s Colossus Variant

Interview: Matthew Rosenberg talks taking over TMNT

• You described your run as "The Warriors meets Daredevil: Born Again" with plenty of action and humor mixed in. Those are some massive touchstones. What qualities from those stories became your creative north star for this new era of TMNT?
• Your story begins immediately after Gene Luen Yang’s "The City That Never Dies" storyline, which sounds like it leaves the city fundamentally changed. How did Gene Luen Yang's finale create opportunities that wouldn't have existed otherwise?
• One of the biggest hooks is that the Turtles are being hunted over the course of a single night. What made that compressed timeline appealing, and how does it change the pacing compared to a more traditional TMNT story?
• You said the team hunting the Turtles is assembled specifically for this mission. Without spoiling who's involved, what makes this group uniquely equipped to challenge all four brothers at once?
• 10:59
• Juann Cabal has shown he can handle kinetic action and expressive character work across Marvel and DC. What is it about his storytelling you’re excited to see in TMNT?
• You've mentioned your love for Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Mirage Studios era. Were there specific themes or storytelling techniques from those early comics that you wanted to bring back for modern readers?
• Your comics often balance brutal action with sharp humor and strong character voices. How do you approach writing the Turtles so each brother feels distinct, especially when they're under constant pressure?
• You've written everything from street-level crime stories to huge superhero events. Where does TMNT fit creatively for you, and does it scratch a different storytelling itch than books like What's the Furthest Place From Here? or your Marvel work?
• You're taking over with issue #25, which already feels like a milestone. Looking ahead, what do you hope readers say about your TMNT run after they've finished that first story arc?

If Destruction Be Our Lot #4 - Aug 19, 2026

King Spawn #58 - Aug 26th, 2026

Spawn #378 - Aug 26th, 2026

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we're bringing you the full, uncut conversation with Robert Kirkman, Joe Casey, and Andy Kubert about Terminal, Skybound's ambitious new superhero series. We dive into how the project came together, why the series embraces mystery and rotating protagonists, the thinking behind its striking character designs, and yes, the return of blind bag comics. It's a fun, wide-ranging discussion packed with insight into one of the year's biggest new launches.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Marvel Comics relocating to Burbank, names Stephen Wacker new editor-in-chief
• Marvel unveils ongoing variant cover program for Midnight Universe titles
• Sam Alexander returns to stop the Ten Rings in 'Nova: Return of the Rings' #1
• DC extends 'Absolute Green Arrow' to 12 issues following fan response
• Dark Horse Comics reveals full San Diego Comic-Con 2026 signing and panel schedule
• IDW unveils packed San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans with TMNT #300, Godzilla, Hello Kitty, Sonic, and more
• Image Comics reveals massive San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans
• Exclusive: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes returns with time-travel graphic novel and Kickstarter campaign
• EC Comics spotlights artists in new 'Artists From the Abyss' anthology series
• Bit Bot unveils first look at ‘Final Boss’ video game adaptation with official screenshots
• 'Archie vs. The Terminator' brings John Connor to Riverdale this October
• Vampirella and Morrigan collide in first-ever 'Vampirella vs. Darkstalkers' crossover
• Greg Pak headlining a bold new era for ThunderCats this October 2026
• ‘Ice Cream Man’ #1 returns with interactive “Chocolate/Vanilla Twist” edition this October
• TOP 50 COMICS - JUNE 2026

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• A Mischief of Magpies #1 (Si Spurrier, Matías Bergara)
• Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #1 (Nick Marino, Jack Lawrence)
• Absolute Green Arrow #3 (Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque)

Chris:​​

• Minotaur #1 (Si Spurrier, Michael Dowling)
• Punisher vs.The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Dan Abnett, Matteo Della Fonte)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Tigress Island #5 (Patrick Kindlon, EPHK)

Dave: Assorted Crisis Events #9 (Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Sicko #1 (Tini Howard, Amilcar Pinna)
• Dave: Giant Robot Hellboy Returns #1 (Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Uncanny X-Men #32 (Alexander Lozano '80s Rogue Cover)
• Chris: Star Trek: Red Shirts – Ghost of the 21st Century #1 (Chris Burnham variant)

Interview: Robert Kirkman, Andy Kubert, Joe Casey Terminal #1 out July 22, 2026

Terminal is going to also feature a line bag program, what we can tell you right now, in true Robert Kirkman style, it is a blind bag with three surprise books in it unlike anything we've or anyone else has done before.

• Terminal throws readers right into a chaotic, violent world. When you were building the first issue, how did you approach onboarding readers without giving too much away?
• The book opens with some striking and surreal imagery, especially the eye and the idea of Maculox. What was the origin of that concept, and how central is it to the larger mythology?
• There’s a clear tension between evolution and destruction running through the story. How did you want to frame that conflict without falling into a simple good versus evil dynamic?
• The first issue makes some bold narrative choices in terms of expectations around who the story might follow. Without getting into spoilers, should readers expect that kind of unpredictability to be a core part of the series?
• Robert and Joe, how does your collaboration work on a project like this? Are you breaking story together, dividing scripts, or building off each other’s strengths in a specific way?
• Andy, the character designs, especially on the more villainous side, feel really eclectic and distinct. What were your inspirations when developing the look of this world and its characters?
• There’s a bit of a “hidden world” structure here, where a regular person is pulled into something much bigger. What drew you to that kind of setup, and how do you keep it feeling fresh?
• The series feels like it has big, long-term potential, but also a very focused central idea. Is the plan for Terminal to be a long-running series, or are you working toward a more defined endpoint?
• For all three of you, what was the moment in developing Terminal where you realized this was something special or different from other superhero books you’ve worked on or read?

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we're joined by Scott Snyder for one of our favorite conversations of the year. We dive deep into Absolute Batman, the newly announced animated series, why he believes monthly comics need to embrace what makes the medium unique, and the creative philosophy driving one of comics' biggest successes. It's a candid, wide-ranging discussion on storytelling, the future of superhero comics, and why taking big swings matters more than ever.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• Judge Dredd and Biker Mice From Mars collide in new comic crossover and collectibles partnership
• Daniel Warren Johnson reveals new project 'Chainkata' for November 2026

• Details

• Michael Walsh's 'Universal Monsters: Frankenstein' returns in remastered black-and-white edition
• Tradd Moore's first creator-owned solo comic, 'Touch Me Someplace Nowhere' announced
• Mike Mignola's new art book 'Circus of Bones' showcases over 145 original works
• Lara Croft joins G.I. Joe in first-ever 'G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero' crossover
• Rocketship Entertainment partners with Moulin Rouge for graphic novels, manga, and tabletop games
• Meet the players of ‘Zero Instance’ where a video game boss invades the real world
• DC reveals packed San Diego Comic-Con 2026 lineup
• Skybound unveils San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans and exclusive collectibles
• Marvel reveals full San Diego Comic-Con 2026 plans with Hall H, Midnight Universe, and X-Men '97 panels

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Witness Point #1 (Nathan Fillion, Heath Corson, Soo Lee)
• Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #1 (Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Fran Galán)

Chris:​​

• Twilight Zone #9 (Juni Ba)
• Dispatched #1 (B. Clay Moore, Daniel Gete)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Did You Hear About Mimi Green? #2 (Connor Goldsmith, Josh Cornillon)

Dave: Operation: Iron Coffin #1 (Kenny Porter, Tyrell Cannon)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Minotaur #1 (Si Spurrier, Michael Dowling)
• Dave: Sonic the Hedgehog x Godzilla #1 (Nick Marino, Jack Lawrence)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: A Mischief of Magpies #1 (Bilquis Evely)
• Chris: Nightwing #140 (Jorge Fornes Main)

Interview: Interview: Scott Snyder

1. Manga storytelling influence

Joe Kelly recently mentioned how manga like One Piece can devote entire chapters to a single action sequence, something that's harder to replicate in American comics because of page counts and production realities. Is manga storytelling an influence on your work, and do you find yourself thinking about how to capture that same sense of scale and rhythm within Western comics?

2. Marvel and DC

I recently spoke with Josh Williamson about writing Iron Man, and it was fascinating hearing how he's consulting on DC projects while also becoming part of Marvel's plans. Seeing creators move more freely between publishers these days, does that ever make you want to jump back into Marvel for another major project?

3. Harley Quinn and Joker

The revelation that Joker is Harley's father completely reframes both characters. What made that the right relationship for the Absolute Universe, and what storytelling opportunities does it create that couldn't exist with their traditional dynamic

4. Designing Gotham's monsters

Body horror and transformation have become defining visual elements of Absolute Batman. What are your guiding principles when reinventing characters like Poison Ivy, Clayface, and others while still making them instantly recognizable?

8. Absolute Batman animated series

You're serving as showrunner on the newly announced Absolute Batman animated series. How does that creative role differ from making comics, and what has surprised you most about translating this version of Batman to animation?

10. Court of Owls

Finally, the Court of Owls has entered the picture. Without spoiling anything, what can readers expect from your take on one of the most important Batman concepts you've ever created?

Dave, Alex, and Chris are back for a mid-year review of the best comics of the year so far. Like any art, it's subjective as we pick our three favorite comics, biggest surprise, weirdest comic, best graphic novel, and more!

Best comics of the year….SO FAR

Alex:

Pick 3 series:

• Is Ted Ok? (Dave Chisholm)
• Fireborn (Franklin Jonas, Curt Pires, Patrick Mulholland)
• Sai: Dimensional Rivals (Peach Momoko, et al.)

Pick a graphic novel or collection: Pig Wife (Abbey Luck)

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Poison Ivy being elected Mayor of Gotham (G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara)

The "Please Never End" Award: The Power Fantasy - Kieron Gillan Caspar Wijngaard

Weirdest Comic: The Eye Collector (GMB Chomichuk, Jonathan Ball), shoutout to High Strangeness #5 from Daniel Noah/Christian Ward

Dave:

Pick 3 series:

• Absolute Batman
• Infernal Hulk
• Escape

Pick a graphic novel or collection:

Memories of Giselle

Biggest Surprise of the Year:

Absolute Green Arrow

The "Please Never End" Award:

Exquisite Corpses

Weirdest Comic:

Red Roots

Chris:

Pick 3 series:

• The Deadman
• Lobo
• White Sky

Pick a graphic novel or collection: Gigs

Biggest Surprise of the Year: Death Fight Forever

The "Please Never End" Award: Toxic Avenger Comics

Weirdest Comic: The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, writer Mark Russell joins the show to discuss The Forgotten Divine, his new graphic novel from Ahoy Comics, now available to back via Kickstarter. Russell digs into the inspirations behind the story, why he wanted to explore the appeal of cults from the inside out, and how the project ultimately became one of his most personal works yet. We also discuss creativity as a form of belief, and the challenges of telling a complete story in one sitting.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• 'Absolute Batman' is getting an animated series, with Scott Snyder serving as showrunner
• Marvel clears up confusion over 'Amazing Spider-Man' #1000's two main covers
• 'Daredevil' is a hit, gets #1-3 reprints with new 'Daredevil: Born Again' variant covers
• Eliot Rahal and Mattia Monaco launch buddy-crime comic 'Crimes Against Nature' at Image
• Who is Fox Mask Killer? New Exquisite Corpses series promises answers
• 'That Texas Blood' returns with new story arc 'Hell Comes to Allison Ranch' this September
• IDW Dark announces horror mystery 'You'll Never Leave This Place Alive' for October
• Vault announces time-traveling cryptid adventure ‘Project Perseus’ launching this September
• EXCLUSIVE: David Dastmalchian's 'The Accessories' gives horror's forgotten sidekicks their own story

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Escape #8 (Rick Remender, Daniel Acuna)
• Venom #259 (Al Ewing, Carlos Gomez)

Alex:​​

• Is Ted OK? #5 (Dave Chisholm)
• Captain America #12 (Zdarsky, Schiti)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: In Your Skin #3 (Aditya Bidikar)

Dave: The Eye Collector #1 (Jonathan Ball, GMB Chomichuk)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Alex: Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 (Deniz Camp, Javier Rodriguez)
• Dave: What If...? Secret Wars #1 (Alex Paknadel, CAFU)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Iron Man #7 (1:25 Dave Rapoza Variant)
• Alex: The Deadman #2 (Alex Eckman-Lawn variant) & The Mortal Thor #12 (Alex Ross)

Interview: Mark Russell - The Forgotten Divine Ahoy Kickstarter Link.

The Forgotten Divine digs into why people are drawn to cults and belief systems. What was the starting point for you, and what did you want to understand or say about that impulse?

Rodney feels like a very grounded, human entry point into a story that quickly spirals into something much bigger. How did you approach building him so readers stay with him even as things get more extreme?

There’s a real balance here between empathy and critique. You can understand why these characters believe what they do, even as things go off the rails. How do you walk that line without judging them or letting them off the hook?

The preview pages have some striking bits of philosophy, like “the secret to happiness is low expectations.” How do those ideas emerge for you, and are they things you believe or more reflections of the characters’ mindset?

The idea that “where you are is who you are” feels especially loaded, almost like a commentary on class, fate, and identity. Was that always baked into the concept, or did it grow as you developed the story?

When we glimpse the alien world, it feels almost overwhelming, with that massive eye and the intense color palette. What were your conversations like with Russ Braun in shaping how that world should feel versus how the “real” world reads?

You’ve done a lot of satire, but this feels like it leans harder into psychological and emotional territory. Did this project push you in new directions as a writer?

AHOY has built a reputation on smart, risk-taking books, and this is their first Kickstarter. How does that format change how you think about the book, if at all?

The story seems to ask whether there’s something real behind the visions or if belief itself is the point. How important was it to keep that tension alive rather than give clear answers?

Fun one to close: If you started having Rodney’s dreams tonight, what’s the first sign you’d think, “Okay, I might actually be starting a cult”?

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

• DC Solicitations September 2026

• ‘Batman: Bad Seeds’ livestream reveals new titles, solicitations, and Jim Lee art giveaway
• DC announces new Legion of Super-Heroes, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol ongoing series
• DC reveals 'The Wonder War' Act 2 with 'Wonder Woman' #37 and Matriarch special
• DC unveils spring 2027 graphic novels and launches Compact Comics Adventures line
• Wes Craig returns Superman to his Golden Age roots in new DC Black Label series

• Marvel's Midnight Universe gets unified launch as all three titles arrive on October 7, and only those titles
• Marvel Solicits for September 2026

• The Muppets make history in first ever Marvel Comics anniversary one-shot
• Marvel teases Deadpool vs. Punisher project with cryptic announcement
• Bullseye battles Nova, Star-Lord, and Jack of Hearts in 'Marvel Gold' '76 #1
• Steve Orlando's 'Gambit: Gone' brings two Remy LeBeaus together this September
• Doctor Doom wages war on Hell in Marvel's 50-page splash-page epic
• Black Panther and Namor journey into Hell in new 'Doomed!' limited series
• Dan Panosian writes and draws 'Wolverine: Paradise' for Marvel this October 2026
• Marvel's X-Men battle Xenomorphs in new 'Alien vs. X-Men' crossover
• Marvel launches 'Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine' ahead of Hulk War event
• Marvel reveals new 'Avengers #1' covers and True Believers Blind Bag exclusives
• Marvel reveals new 'Amazing Spider-Man' #1000 covers and story details

• USA TODAY PLAY partners with Marvel for exclusive weekly Spider-Man comic series
• Patrick Horvath invites top creators into Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees for Halloween special
• IDW Dark announces new Smile and A Quiet Place comic book series
• Todd McFarlane's original 1977 Spawn design finally arrives in 'Spawn 77'
• Guillem March returns with creator-owned romantic thriller 'Ofiusa' this September
• Steve Skroce launches superhero meta-adventure Tales of Wonder at Skybound this September
• Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen launch dark fantasy series 'Crowbound' this September
• Christian Ward and Sami Kivelä explore the end of the world in Oni Press' new sci-fi thriller 'The Forever Home'
• Dark Horse announces 'Minor Threats: Welcome to Twilight—Villains and Vignettes' anthology series

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Absolute Green Arrow #2 (Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque)
• Memories of Giselle #1 (Katia Vecchio)

Chris:​​

• Gigs (Mark Mosedale, Si Smith)
• Lobo #4 (Skottie Young and Jorge Corona)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Gigs (Mark Mosedale, Si Smith)

Dave: Absolute Batman #21 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Narco #4 (Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard)
• Dave: Blüdwire #1 (Paul Allor, Ermitis Blanco)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Superman #39 (Dan Mora) & Doomquest #2 (Alex Ross)
• Chris: Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man #1 (Maria Wolf variant)

Interview: Joshua Williamson Creator Spotlight, plus we talk Iron Man, Wolf Man, Superman, and more!

Career / Process

• You broke in around 2006, and you’re now pushing close to two decades in comics. How has your approach to storytelling changed from those early years to now?
• You’ve been at this for nearly 20 years at this point. What’s something you understand about comics today that you wish you knew when you started?
• You’re writing across multiple major franchises right now. How do you shift your voice between something like Superman, Iron Man, and G.I. Joe?
• On top of all this, you wrote a story in Creepshow Vol. 4 #5 titled Artificial Ignorance. Was that a story you had in a drawer, or…how did that come to be?

Superman / Superboy-Prime

• Superboy-Prime has always been a volatile character, but here he feels almost desperate to prove himself. How do you balance his edge with making him someone readers want to follow?
• With Manchester Black entering the picture, what excites you about putting those two characters in conflict specifically?
• Any Superman elements/tropes you want to touch?

Iron Man

• You’ve said Tony Stark is one of your favorite characters. What’s something about Tony that you feel hasn’t been explored enough in past runs?
• Madame Masque and A.I.M. feel like they’re operating at a higher level here. What makes them the right villains for this phase of the story?

Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man

• Do you have a favorite Universal Monsters adaptation?
• Do you have any favorite werewolf stories?
• This feels like a very grounded, almost psychological take on the Wolf Man. What drew you to that angle?
• Is the when of this story important to the overall experience?
• What makes the Wolf Man a character worth revisiting right now?

Rapid Fire Question Round (Stolen from Stephen Colbert so that a guest is “known”):

• Best sandwich?
• What's one thing you own that you really should throw out?
• Apples or oranges?
• What is the scariest animal?
• Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?
• What do you think happens when we die?
• Favorite action movie?
• Favorite smell?
• Least favorite smell?
• Flat or sparkling?
• Most used app on your phone?
• If you could have dinner with any three characters you’ve written before, who would they be and why?
• You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: what is it?
• Depeche
• Describe the rest of your life in 5 words?

When Skybound announced M.A.S.K. would be joining the Energon Universe, fans immediately had questions. How would Matt Trakker and Miles Mayhem fit alongside Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Void Rivals? Out this week, we sat down with writer Dan Watters and artist Pye Parr to discuss updating the classic property, designing its iconic vehicles, and why M.A.S.K. offers a unique perspective within the larger Energon Universe.

We're running the full uncut interview, featuring even more discussion on cool cars, character dynamics, action sequences, and what readers can expect from the series moving forward.

Plus, we recap the biggest comics news of the week, share our favorite new releases, and much more.

NEWS

• Absolute Catwoman #1 heads back to press as DC announces 'Absolute Cassandra Cain' one-shot
• MAD celebrates 600 issues with new material, classic favorites, and Sergio Aragonés cover
• Batman, Superman, and "Weird Al" Yankovic unite for DC's strangest team-up yet
• Marvel launches 'Amazing Venom' starring Boomerang's symbiote-powered comeback
• Marvel returns to the Mangaverse with five-part 25th anniversary event this September
• Marvel Zombies returns this September with Punisher leading a desperate fight for survival
• Spider-Woman's 50th anniversary special launches a darker new chapter for Jessica Drew
• The Rolling Stones team up with Marvel for exclusive ‘Foreign Tongues’ vinyl collector series
• David Colton's growing power takes center stage in new look at 'Avengers: Armageddon' #4 and 'Cap'
• Dark Horse launches new oversized Marvel Black & White line with Barry Windsor-Smith's landmark Weapon X
• Daniel Warren Johnson's 'Beta Ray Bill' gets oversized Artist's Edition in 2027
• ROM joins the Energon Universe in surprise comic hidden inside 'M.A.S.K.' #1 blind bags
• Mike Mignola returns to Hell with new two-issue Hellboy story alongside Cyrille Pomès
• Shredder gets extended!

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

• Skate Ali #1 (Sam Humphries, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Natacha Bustos)
• The Nice House by the Sea #10 (James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno)

Chris:​​

• Tigress Island #4 (Patrick Kindlon, EPHK)
• M.A.S.K. #1 (Dan Watters, Pye Parr)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: D’Orc #5 (Brett Bean)

Dave: Jay & Silent Bob: Jays of Future Past #1 (Kevin Smith, Giuseppe Camuncoli)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Concrete: Stars Over Sand #1 (Paul Chadwick)
• Dave: The Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Joe Kelly, Patrick Gleason)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: X-Men United #4 (Kris Anka Cover)
• Chris: Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day #2 (Phil Jimenez and Alex Sinclair Main)

Dan Watters Pye Parr - MASK #1 out June 10th

• M.A.S.K. has always had a unique place in Hasbro history, sitting somewhere between G.I. Joe, Transformers, and its own thing. What aspects of the original property were most important to preserve, and where did you see opportunities to reinvent it for the Energon Universe?
• Matt Trakker's introduction is fascinating because he's being hunted by the military, yet it quickly becomes clear he wants to be captured. Why was that the right way to introduce him, and what does it reveal about who he is in this version of M.A.S.K.?
• Miles Mayhem comes across as both calculating and completely unhinged. His fear of Transformers and extraterrestrial threats gives him a very different motivation than a typical villain. What interested you about making him someone who might see himself as humanity's last line of defense?
• One of the most exciting ideas in M.A.S.K. has always been vehicles transforming into weapons and armor systems. Pye, what was the challenge of updating those iconic transformations for modern audiences while still capturing the toyetic fun fans expect?
• Dan, after writing Destro, what was appealing about tackling another corner of the Energon Universe? Did your experience with Destro help shape how you approached M.A.S.K., or did you want this book to have a completely different flavor?
• The first issue hints at a larger arms race involving technology and weapons that may not even originate on Earth. How much of M.A.S.K. is a spy thriller versus a science-fiction story, and where does it fit tonally alongside Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Void Rivals?
• Bruce Sato and Gloria Baker are positioned as key new recruits. What qualities do they bring to M.A.S.K. that complement or challenge Matt Trakker's leadership style?
• The original M.A.S.K. comic debuted in 1987 and had a very different view of global threats and military organizations. Were there any specific elements from that era that you deliberately updated to reflect modern anxieties and geopolitics?
• Fun question: If you could each claim one M.A.S.K. vehicle and mask from the entire franchise to use in real life for a week, which would you pick and what completely irresponsible thing would you do with it?