[Spoiler alert for Avengers: Twilight #3.] Avengers... assemble. Decades after "Hero Day" -- a battle against Ultron that resulted in the deaths of many of Earth's mightiest heroes -- the Avengers disassembled. Their replacements are the new "Avengers" working with the totalitarian government manipulated by Kyle Jarvis -- secretly a disguised Red Skull conspiring with an A.I. Ultron -- and James Stark, the CEO son of the original Iron Man and the Wasp. In this future without heroes, Luke Cage recruited an elderly Steve Rogers to his underground resistance, the Defenders, and had his freedom fighters replicate the Super-Soldier Serum that transformed Steve into Captain America.

After "Jarvis" had the U.S. military engage the Thunderbolts to quell Captain America's Defender rebellion, Ramona Jones -- a Marine sniper nicknamed "Bullseye" -- disobeyed a direct order to fire on an unarmed Cap, who then escaped. Cap and Cage's Defenders sought help from the "world's smartest man": the visionary Tony Stark, whose disembodied head is kept prisoner in the Raft.

This week's Avengers: Twilight #3 sees Captain Americainfiltrate the prison on the East River, which the government converted into a monstrous research facility with relics from past supervillains: Doctor Octopus' tentacle-like arms, the Vulture's wings, the Green Goblin's glider, the Venom symbiote. After techie Tyler manages to transmit a distress signal that Cap calls his "Hail Mary," he flies an old Avengers quinjet to the prison surrounded by miles of icy water. Tyler accompanies the rescue mission to help Cap override the Raft's security.

At the Raft, James tells his father that he created his own Iron Man armor -- without using Tony Stark's brain. James believes he's smarter than his father and "actually saving the world," unlike his superhero parents who "just flew around punching baddies." Cap sneaks into the high-security prison turned research facility to find and free Tony, but he's caught by Bullseye: "The soldier who didn't shoot me." A soldier who has been ordered to shoot the "terrorist" Captain America on sight.

James confronts "old man" Cap and threatens to call the Avengers. As he rants about locking up dissidents and the countless rights violations under this totalitarian regime, Bullseye strikes James with an arrow -- a flesh wound to his shoulder. Before Bullseye can explain why she's suddenly switched sides, the new Iron Man calls in a security breach as the two soldiers escape with Tony's head.

Bullseye trades in her sniper rifle for a bow on "quiet missions," but alarms turn Cap's stealth rescue mission into a prison break. "You call yourself 'Bullseye'... but I know a Hawkeye when I see one," Cap tells the Thunderbolt he's just christened an Avenger. The new Hawkeye abides by Cap's no-kill rule and leads him to a room where he'll be "made whole."

"I thought it was age that made me feel incomplete," Cap thinks. "With the serum, I can lead armies. With you... I can do anything." For the first time in what feels like a lifetime, Captain America is reunited with his star-spangled shield. The Sentinel of Liberty lives again. Cap and Hawkeye make a run for the quinjet, but James -- suited up in a brawny Iron Man armor -- impedes their escape with a repulsor blast. Iron Man shoots down the aircraft and nearly kills Tyler... but as Cap says: "Nobody dies today. Nobody. Not while Captain America lives."

Hawkeye covers Cap as he rescues Tyler from the crashing quinjet, but the trio are surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s armored Iron Cops. Iron Man trades blows with the Super Soldier, telling the old man he's "the past, fighting the future." Old-fashioned as he may be, Cap reminds the young man: "No. I fight for the future." James is intoxicated on the power granted to him by his Iron Man armor. Hawkeye embraces Cap's no-kill rule as she tries to save the Raft soldiers who are collateral damage from Iron Man's recklessness.

"You want to save people? All our rules that you hate do just that," the Authoritarian Avenger tells Cap as he tries to beat him into submission. "A few examples made. A few dreamers put to sleep." Cap resists and questions what gives James Stark the right to decide who lives or dies: His money? His father's brilliant mind? James throws Tony's head into the East River and declares he no longer needs his father's brain. Hawkeye dives into the water to save the Iron Cops... and is fished out by the giant hand of Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, who lifts them to safety with Tony's head in hand.

Captain America's shield trades blows with Iron Man's armor, but he's outmatched. "I'm James Stark," the iron war monger says, "and I run the world." But Cap has met men like him. "You won't run it for long. The power resides in the people." As Iron Man fires up a repulsor blast to kill the dream, he's struck by a thunderbolt from the heavens. But it's not Cap's prayers that are answered: it's his distress signal. It's the mighty Thor, the God of Thunder, wielding his enchanted hammer Mjolnir as the skies rage with righteous fury. "It's been a wolf's age, Captain," Thor proclaims. "Shall we assemble?"

Avengers: Twilight #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk a mainstream breakout character, and Marvel Comics is keeping that momentum going with an entire new Spider-Punk series featuring Hobie.

And, like the current Spider-Gwen: Smash series, Spider-Punk: Arms Race (2024) makes it clear that Marvel fans are going to see more of Hobie's world on Earth-138, and the alternate versions of the Marvel heroes and villains that reside there!

(SPOILERS) In Spider-Punk: Arms Race #1, are quickly introduced to Hobie's team the "Spider-Band," whose ranks include: Mz. Marvel (Kamala Khan) on guitar, Daredevil (Mattea Murdock) on drums, Riotheart (Riri Williams) on keyboard, and Captain Anarchy (Karl Morningdew) on bass.

In addition to the Spider-Band, Spider-Punk #1 also introduces the Earth-138 versions of T'Challa and Shuri, who both hold the mantle of Black Panther in this reality.

All in all, the world of Earth-138 seems like a perfect fit for Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk: dingy, grungy, with a punk edge. Underneath the novelty of seeing familiar characters in punk form, the Spider-Band members are each interesting spins on the familiar Marvel characters - including a deeper look at Hobie himself. Ironically enough, this Gen-X punk aesthetic has a very Gen-Z feel and tone under the pen of writer Cody Ziglar - which should surprise no one.

Spider-Punk: Arms Race Villains

In addition to the Spider-Band and Black Panthers of Earth-138, there are also villains to the punk universe to meet.

This new series is set after Spider-Punk toppled President Norman Osborn and the people rose up to reclaim the streets. Rising up in that void we find the Earth-138 Doctor Octopus is serving as a mastermind villain, working with the likes of Justin Hammer to create Sentinels that are targeting the Spider-Band. The issue also opens with Spider-Band taking on "The Lzrdz," a gang that consists of punk versions of The Lizard, Vulture, Sauron, and a couple of other Dinosaur-themed Marvel foes.

Writer: Cody Ziglar
Penciler: Justin Mason
Cover Artist: Takashi Okazaki

ENCORE! YOU WANTED MORE! In a world without NORMAN OSBORN, SPIDER-PUNK REIGNS! This ain't no victory lap though - as HOBIE BROWN and team try to rebuild society, JUSTIN HAMMER & DOCTOR OTTO OCTAVIUS have other plans...like introducing the world to the SPIDER-SLAYING SENTINELS! Cody Ziglar (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN) & Justin Mason (SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS) reunite to bring the Brooklyn boy back with the whole crew you know and love! Grab your boots, your instruments, your amps and LET'S GO!

[This article contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #44.] To the victor go the spoils. Ever since Amazing Spider-Man #31 incited the conflict between New York's crime bosses and Amazing Spider-Man: Gang War First Strike sparked all-out war in the criminal underworld, the heroes have been plunged into a city-wide gang war. Madame Masque hired Shotgun to take out Tombstone in an attack that left the Harlem gang leader comatose, then deposed Hammerhead to seize control of the Maggia from Count Nefaria and Silvermane.

Marvel's Gang War event came down to a final battle between Madame Masque and Tombstone's daughter, the Beetle, who took over her father's territory to control everything in Manhattan north of Central Park. But when Tombstone emerged from his coma and teamed with Spider-Man to spare his daughter from becoming another casualty of the deadly gang war, he learned Shotgun was working with a government agency sent to assassinate the gang lords of New York -- and stop the growing threat posed by Beetle.

"Whoever wins today is gonna own everything. And they're gonna have to be a monster to keep it," Tombstone told Beetle before clipping her wings and removing her from the fight to end last issue. "That's not you, Janice. It's me." This week's Amazing Spider-Man #44 picked up with Team Spider-Man -- including She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, Miles Morales, and Daredevil (Elektra) -- joining forces with Beetle's Syndicate to battle Madame Masque's army: a legion of A.I.M. grunts, the technopath Rabble, and a hypnotized Nefaria and Silvermane.

But when Tombstone took control of the Syndicate from Janice, he ordered Electro (Francine Frye), Lady Octopus, Trapstr, Scorpia, White Rabbit, and Digger to turn on the heroes. "We help Spider-Man win and we're all gonna lose," said Tombstone, who was already known to be (temporarily) allied with Spider-Man. The heroes rallied with the help of reinforcements -- Mayor Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Shang-Chi, Spider-Boy, and Jackpot -- and Spider-Man defeated Madame Masque to finish the fight. The gang war was over.

Peter Parker's activist friend, Randy Robertson, was almost among the casualties: Randy was shot when Hammerhead hired assassins to kill Janice and her then-fianc?. Randy lobbied against former Mayor Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Act that outlawed superheroes (during Devil's Reign) and awoke from his coma in time to learn that Fisk's law was repealed in the aftermath of the gang war.

In an epilogue, White Rabbit told Tombstone that Beetle escaped arrest and is out of the game. The city, once full of gangsters, now belongs to Tombstone and the Syndicate. His new number two, White Rabbit, said there won't be any challengers to Tombstone's new empire -- but no one would forget that the city's reigning crime lord worked with Spider-Man. Tombstone admitted he owed Spider-Man for helping him... but his next move would be beating Spider-Man to death in broad daylight. "No one's gonna remember anything after that," he told White Rabbit. "Come on. We've got a city to run."

Amazing Spider-Man #44 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

I've previously noted that the allusions to the work of Junji Ito that Thorogood was playing with were clear from the first issue of Hack/Slash: Back to School, issue #3 takes the ball and runs with it, managing to build on the influence and then branch into its own vision. Though the reference to Ito is clear when you see the use of spiral shapes in some key gross out moments, the full reveal of the issue's big monster confirms that while Thorogood's influence is clear she's not afraid to fully embrace the nastiness that would come with such a beast and the gore that follows in its wake.

An element of Thorogood's storytelling that may go unnoticed at times, but which shines in Hack/Slash: Back to School #3, is the lettering. In addition to the regular lettering used across dialogue balloons, Thorogood delivers a variety of styles that push the narrative and even light up the imagination of the reader with the clues they offer. Sound effects take on the exact characteristics that would define them in an aural context, elevating their use in a way that proves gigantic onomatopoeia aren't always necessary. There's also a specific moment where the coloring of a text balloon is inverted to highlight the specific word being said, a fun trick that cements this key sequence as one of the coolest in the entire issue.

Naturally, Hack/Slash as a franchise is defined to some degree by sex appeal and its scantily clad hero. Thorogood doesn't shy away from this and embraces it, going out of her way to highlight cleavage, thighbrows, and every other alluring angle present in the lead characters. Though not too different on the surface from what you might see in other Hack/Slash comics, the titillating non-nudity at least comes packaged with distinct character work that defines their choices in what they decide to wear, or rather, not wear.

To make this even more integral to the overall issue, Thorogood takes it a step further in Hack/Slash: Back to School #3, centralizing the entire plot around a villain that is only after women for their specific parts. It's a great example of the transgressive storytelling that has so far been key to Thorogood's comic work. She's delivered a comic that not only has no shame in letting its characters be sexy in front of the reader but has the central antagonist of the work be someone that is only after the aesthetic appeal of their bodies.

Hack/Slash: Back to School is both gorgeous and disgusting, something that can be found in longer expository sequences and explosive action beats. But it's also sensual and personal, taking the series' sexy aesthetics and making sure to dig into the personalities of these woman who find themselves becoming weapons at a school that tries to strip them of their humanity. Zoe Thorogood was already a comics creator to keep your eye on, but her work in Hack/Slash: Back to School confirms that she's fully capable of maintaining her identity as a writer and artist even when taking over someone else's world and characters.

Published by Image Comics

On February 28, 2024

Written by Zoe Thorogood

Art by Zoe Thorogood

Colors by Zoe Thorogood and Sarah Mitrache

Letters by Zoe Thorogood

Cover by Zoe Thorogood

March is Women's History Month so it is only fitting that Marvel kicks things off with their annual Women of Marvel anthology. Generally speaking, these sorts of anthologies designed to celebrate specific groups on honorary months can be a mixed bag. They frequently highlight underused characters or stories in way that serve less to amplify them and more to offer a "feel good" for consumers while, in the larger continuity of stories there is no greater representation. While this year's Women of Marvel seems to aspire to be more than that--the issue's introduction reminds readers that some of Marvel's ladies are getting bigger stories coming in the core line soon--this year's issue is also full of stories reminding readers of the value of Marvel's roster of powerful female characters.

The issue contains five stories and it starts off with what might be the two strongest: "Malice the Mitigator" by writer Gail Simone and "Witch House" by writer Sarah Reese Brennan. "Malice the Mitigator" kicks off with what looks like a Golden Age tale featuring Sue Storm and Namor but quickly subverts itself when the women begin disappearing from the story due to the machinations of the Mitigator. Simone turns the story into a little bit of a cheeky humor. There's a great "What If" gag going on with the story. And it offers a bit of commentary on the importance of the female characters and women in general by proxy to deliver a fun team up of Marvel's heroines across eras. Lydia Rasero's art is a standout here as well, particularly with Triona Farrell's colors, in how beautifully it represents all of Marvel's time periods.

Brennan's "Witch House" is a Scarlet Witch story that takes on the idea that sometimes a woman's best defense is herself, just in magic terms. It's a charming story which sees Wanda have her own back, highlighting that women can and do take care of themselves. It's a short story and a little on the light side, but Arielle Jovellanos' art is absolutely charming and it's always good to see Wanda having her own back.

As for the other stories, they're fun reads. Writer Erica Schultz's Black Widow centered "The Favor" is mostly panels of action with an adorable reason for said action, but it seems very silly even for all its charm. The Squirrel Girl story, "The Endgame" by writer Nao Fuji is adorable, but too short; I will always want more Squirrel Girl when offered. The final story, a Julia Carpenter centered tale called "The Future is Here" from writer Celeste Bronfman isn't exactly a tie-in to the recent Madame Web movie but it's hard not to get the feeling that the timing of the issue to the release of that film was on Marvel's mind when including the character in this issue.

Like most special event or commemoration anthologies, Women of Marvel 2024 #1 is a little bit of a mixed bag. There are some strong stories, some less strong. The prose components, written by Angelique Roche, provide a good read. But the issue still feels superficial in how it celebrates the women of Marvel Comics. As the opening story highlighted, there are a lot of amazing female characters on Marvel's rosters as well women creators. Issues like this only serve to remind us that Marvel can do a lot more to utilize them in stories that aren't just feel good moments of respite.

Published by Marvel Comics

On February 28, 2024

Written by Gail Simone, Sarah Rees Brennan, Erica Schultz, Nao Fuji, and Celeste Bronfman

Art by Lydia Rasero, Arielle Jovellanos, Giada Belviso, Nao Fuji, and Leila Leiz

Colors by Triona Farrell, Brittany Peer, Giada Marchisio, Nao Fuji, and Ceci De La Cruz

Letters by Ariana Maher

Cover by Carmen Carnero and Rachelle Rosenberg

The "Ferimbia" arc of Power Girl actually began in issue #5, but Power Girl #6 feels more like a formal start, as Power Girl gets directly involved with the drug at the story's center. The drug is called Avalon, and it has been a hit with students in Metropolis. While it isn't addictive, it does cause some users to disappear, potentially being transported to an alternate dimension called Ferimbia. After going undercover at Metropolis University, Power Girl and Supergirl track the drug down to two masked dealers, who have gravity defying powers that help them escape. The two heroes at the center of the story end up recreating the mystical symbol on the side of the dealers' van, transporting them to Ferimbia, where they are rendered powerless.

This is very much the first issue of a new arc, meaning that it spends a lot of time establishing the players and the new direction. Readers get a little bit of info about the big villain, some context for how the heroes are involved in the story, and quite a lot of exposition. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as Williams does an excellent job keeping Power Girl's story moving at a brisk pace, even when unloading a lot of information onto the reader. The narration and dialogue never get bogged down, despite a lot of ground being covered.

The real strength of Power Girl #6 lies in what it sets up for the rest of the story arc, and that's good news. There are teases to the villain bringing people to Fermibia, with her sequences featuring a completely different art style than what we see in Metropolis. When Power Girl and Supergirl eventually find their way to the distant dimension, they are absorbed into this much more animated, cartoon-adjacent style.

The switch between those two styles is smooth and, more importantly, meaningful. The brighter colors and glossy textures genuinely transport you to a different world. Everything feels bigger, bolder, and altogether wackier. It's like an episode of the Justice League animated series being followed up by something out of Hanna-Barbera's heyday. Both are great on their own, but they make a more formidable one-two punch than you might expect.

Seeing how Power Girl exists in this new world is the enticing hook that sets up the rest of the arc, especially after learning that she has lost her powers. There's a lot of fun to be had as Power Girl continues, and issue #6 does exactly what it needs to in order to set up that exciting future, even if that means not being terribly exciting in its own right from time to time.

Published by DC Comics

On February 27, 2024

Written by Leah Williams

Art by Marguerite Sauvage

Colors by Marguerite Sauvage

Letters by Becca Carey

Cover by Amy Reeder

X-Men fans have their first clue as to the direction of the X-Men line following the end of the Krakoan era. Though announced last year, little has been revealed about the upcoming X-Men relaunch. The current X-Men line will end in May, with a final planned for June ahead of July's new beginning. While creative teams are still to be announced, along with the breadth and mission statement of the line, today's Women of Marvel one-shot confirms the first details about the X-Men's new status quo. Some spoilers for Women of Marvel #1 will follow in the remainder of the article.

Ang?lique Roch?'s Women of Marvel #1 introduction confirms that there will be at least two teams of X-Men in the new era. Rogue will lead one team, and Kate Pryde the other. While neither are usually the first mutants to come to mind when thinking about the X-Men's leadership (that's usually Cyclops and Storm, leaders of the classic teams up to the first big X-Men split into the Blue Team and Gold Team in the 1990s), both have leadership experience. Rogue led an unorthodox team of X-Men ahead of the Messiah Complex event and later led the Avengers' Unity Squad. Kate led the X-Men during the ResurrXion era and the Marauders during Krakoa's age.

The final story in the Women of Marvel anthology may also offer a glimpse at Rogue and Kate's respective team lineups. The story sees Madame Web getting a premonition of things to come. The visions include a shot of Rogue leading a team that includes Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and her husband, Gambit. Kate, meanwhile, is backed by Emma Frost, and some others who are too obscured to be identified. Interestingly, there's also a panel of Storm at a podium, suggesting she's giving a speech or holding a press conference, though she's not mentioned in the introduction.

With details like this beginning to make it to the public, and with solicitations releasing two months ahead of releases, it seems like it won't be long until we get the full story about the new era of the X-Men. Women of Marvel #1 is on sale now.

The X-Men Set for a Big Year in 2024

The X-Men's upcoming comics relaunch is one part of a busy year for Marvel's mutants across various media. X-Men '97 debuts in March, reviving the story of X-Men: The Animated Series, a touchstone for an entire generation of X-Men faithful. Marvel released the X-Men '97 trailer earlier this month.

The X-Men will also return to theaters in July in Deadpool & Wolverine, starring the title characters (played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively) and some other familiar faces. Marvel Studios released the first Deadpool & Wolverine trailer during the Super Bowl to record-breaking views.

The X-Men will also be a part of Marvel's new Ultimate Universe. Peach Momoko will take Marvel's mutants in a new direction in her new Ultimate X-Men series.

Savage Dragon returns this week and continues its tradition of being one of the most unpredictable superhero books in the business. With Malcolm Dragon and his family relocating to San Francisco recently, this issue marks their first real experiences in the city, since last issue centered on Angel Murphy's wedding, and didn't really leave that setting. Writer/artist Erik Larsen wastes no time establishing the place -- as well as some of new characters and concepts unique to the new setting. Among other things, the issue introduced "Super Juice," a designer drug that gives its users powerful but brief powers.

It also introduced Mickey Mouse to the world of Savage Dragon. Here, Mickey is a (possibly immortal?) movie star who appeared in the now-public domain short films Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. And if you know anything about Savage Dragon, it's likely Larsen is setting something wilder up for the Disney icon.

You can check out this month's issue of Savage Dragon at your local comic shop, or pick up a digital copy at ComiXology and other digital retailers. You should probably do that if you don't want to be spoiled on the events of the issue. Check out our commentary track (and read along with us) below!

Was the initial "who's stealing toothpaste?" a misdirect that pays off with the Super Juice, or was it both things happening simultaneously, like as a commentary on the recent shoplifting hysteria?

It served multiple purposes from establishing that items being locked away is a thing in some stores in San Francisco, to spoon-feeding us information about the drug itself--even establishing that a stash of it was found on a bus by a schoolgirl. That, and it started things off with a bang.

Do we know how Freaks would react to the Super Juice? Is this a real steroid, or just something that triggers powers?

It's gives people a temporary but powerful boost. It would likely be even more potent in the hands of somebody who's already got powers, but at this point, we've only seen how it affects normal humans.

How much does Frank know about Glum? I understand his panic, but it's a little strange he even thinks he can get Kid Angel on his side, since this is all she has ever known.

Frank was around when Glum took over the world, so he would have experienced that firsthand. In terms of the rest -- bits and pieces. Angel would have confided in him quite a bit but he wouldn't know how to operate any of his devices without the aid of the young Angel variant that Glum abandoned him with. There was the Merging of Multiple Worlds event some time back, and the memories of every variant was shared -- so, possibly there's something in the back of this Angel's head that would put her at ease.

And Glum spent hours spying on Frank and Angel through his looking glass, so Variant Angel would have seen that Frank loves his Angel. So, she knows he loves a version of her at least.

Does Glum really think programming this alternate Angel to love Frank would help? That feels like he's pretty far removed from understanding human emotions.

Glum doesn't want her to be unhappy, and he's convinced her that this is for the best. At the end of the day, he does love her and sees her as a contingency plan if things go wrong.

Do you use the same/recurring establishing shots of Dimension-X or is it just simple enough to redraw every time?

I redraw it every time. Dimension-X is pretty fun to draw so I don't often recycle anything when drawing that. I'm not above doing a bit of cutting and pasting when it's necessary but it's not necessary here.

We talked a little about how gross Glum's gambit was last time. The on-page sex is certainly getting some fans talking. Was that just about...it's not believable that in a month or several, it woudln't have happened?

There's no question that Glum's gambit here is screwed up. The sex scene this issue is visually a bit shocking but not actually all that explicit upon closer examination. We don't see any naughty bits. It's all discretely covered. It's less explicit than a certain scene from Scary Movie (you know the one).

Glum isn't especially good at keeping his poker face, though. How long can a gambit like this keep going?

He has a couple things going for him. First, he's observed Angel and Frank for months--so he's up on all of the major relationships and pet names and physical tics and whatnot. Second, he's in Frank's body. So he looks and sounds like Frank. Third, nobody knows Glum is alive. Angel believed that she saw him die and there's been no indication in the years following that he's still alive. And fourth, even if Angel did suspect that Glum was alive--she wouldn't know that he was capable of swapping minds with anybody. He'd never done anything like that in the past.

Why did you decide to do the "Maxine cosplay?" Was it just the idea of that striking cover?

There are a few schools in town with school uniforms. I thought a schoolgirl trouncing Malcolm would make for an effective cover, and it had been years since Maxine dressed that way so I foolishly thought I could just draw the same uniform and people wouldn't think it was her. In retrospect, I should probably have mixed it up a bit but I didn't want to use a real San Francisco school's actual school uniform (or school) because of what went on in the story itself.

So, ahh...do you have any opinions on the 13-month calendar, Erik? Seriously, though...did I see you talking about this on Facebook back when it was going around?

I thought it made for a decent Maxine rant and we haven't heard one of those for a while. And I can't disagree with a word of what she said.

Okay, so of course everyone is going to talk about Mickey. Why did you decide to throw him in?

Because I could. That version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain and that made him available.

Any chance we'll see him playing a bigger role, a la Daredevil or Captain Tootsie?

He'll be a recurring character for a bit. My spin on him is that he's an old actor who starred in Steamboat Willie and worked in Hollywood until his roles dried up.

This cameo might not work in a lot of books, but there's a really high degree of elasticity to the characters in Dragon. Is it helpful to know that you don't have to modify Mickey for the book in a way that could be seen as trading on Disney's IP?

I'm trying to keep him as on model as I can. This Mickey was pretty elastic in his own right, getting stretched and distorted when he was involved in any physical altercations. I'm going with that as the basis for the character. Later version's of Disney's Mickey Mouse were far more grounded and realistic in their own way. Because there's so little material in the public domain -- just "Plane Crazy" and "Steamboat Willie" -- I've had to build on that and make it my own.

Are you planning to do anything more with the viral video, or is that just a callback to show that people in the world still mostly remember Maxine from the reality show era?

These sorts of things are always sitting there, bubbling on the back burner. They're there if I need them. I'll remind readers that it exists from time to time but whether that builds to something bigger remains to be seen. It is something Maxine can't keep a lid on. Eventually her kids are going to know it exists. It haunts her.

Are we going to get to know any of these cops in San Francisco?

There'll be recurring cops, just as there was in Chicago, though Malcolm not being on the force does remove them a bit from the spotlight. But the thought is to populate their new home with various characters who will become fixtures going forward.

The Super Juice seems, a lot like Dragon blood, to have wildly different impacts on people before the crash (or, y'know -- "sput"). Is that something you are going to play with a bit going forward?

Again, it's there if I need it. It's another rake on the lawn that I could step on. I don't want to wear out its welcome and use it every issue but it's been introduced and it can exist going forward.

Malcolm obviously had a real reaction to this event. Is this just you pointing out that you're aware of the dangers the kids face/present as they start school? Or is there a broader plan at play for the next couple years?

It's a concern. We're living in a world where real kids are going into schools and murdering their classmates. We just saw the mother of one of these kids get thrown in jail for having enabled her son. That's got to weigh on Malcolm. There's no denying that there are risks sending children who are capable of tearing other kids' limbs off to a public school. At the same time, if danger does present itself and the administration is faced with a deadly menace--they're better equipped to deal with that than most swat teams.

A last thing -- Rob Liefeld told us this week that he doesn't see himself being able to keep going much longer. I know you've basically said you'll go on with Dragon as long as you physically can. What were your thoughts when Rob said he was going to be cutting way back?

I haven't given it much thought. This is actually the first I've heard of Rob scaling back. That's his decision to make, I suppose. I've still got a few more years left in me. It's something to think about, I suppose. But for the foreseeable future, I'm content to keep chugging along. And not because I have to -- but because I want to.

It's been just a few weeks since The Enfield Gang Massacre wrapped up its six-issue run in heartbreaking fashion, even though the end of the story is right there in the name. Come April, the series will be collected in a trade paperback form with an all-new short story produced just for the trade paperback. That's just one of the many things planned for Christopher Condon and Jacob Phillips, the creators behind Enfield and its predecessor, Image's highly acclaimed That Texas Blood.

We recently caught up with the duo to chat all things cowboy, including the shocking-even-though-it-wasn't-supposed-to-be death of the eponymous Montgomery Enfield.

"Oh, yeah. There was never any way out and, in fact, I realized after I wrote issue one that this might just be the saddest comic I had ever written. It's in the title, though, you know? And we also introduce Enfield in issue one as a corpse," Condon said of the cowboy's untimely demise. "That became one of the things that I found most interesting about the story, from a writing standpoint. How can I interest people if they, essentially, already know the ending? So the idea of the journey being unique and thrilling on its own really took centerstage."

Phillips added, "I find it wild that people seemed genuinely shocked by the death considering the title and the way we set up the story in the first pages of issue one. I guess that just shows how people connected with the characters Chris wrote, they were hoping for a way out for Enfield all the way to the end. I'd say that's a win."

Like the floppies already released, the trade paperback will be printed with newsprint interiors, paying tribute to the funnybooks of yesteryear in a big, uncoated way. Phillips tells us he thought of the idea when reading an issue of Superman '78.

"They used this uncoated paper that really evoked that 70s comic vibe and I thought 'Hey why don't we do that but push it even further?' And it was just a matter of good timing because when we emailed Image they were like 'Normally, no it's too expensive but we did just find this cheaper version of newsprint that nobody has used yet,'" the artist recalled. "I imagine we will be seeing way more books using this paper in the near future."

As for the future of the franchise, That Texas Blood proper is returning in 2025 one Condon and Phillips get done with a different project releasing later this year. No immediate plans for other spinoffs are in the works, though Condon tells us he'd love to tackle a story featuring one of That Texas Blood's more popular characters.

"We would love to do an Eversaul spinoff. I don't know when we would get around to that but that's definitely something I want to do," he says.

The Enfield Gang Massacre trade paperback hits the shelves at your local comic store on April 9th, while the six single issues are now available wherever comics are sold. The first three That Texas Blood trade paperbacks are also now available wherever comcis are sold.

Over the years, DC's canon has ebbed in flowed in some fascinating ways, bringing to life a wide array of superhero stories. This week, one of the most debated-about DC stories in recent memory made an unexpected return -- and it just so happened to help set up this summer's Absolute Power comic event. Spoilers for Green Arrow #9 from Joshua Williamson, Sean Izaakse, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Troy Peteri below! Only look if you want to know!

The issue finally brings Oliver Queen / Green Arrow face-to-face with Amanda Waller once again, as they confront each other amid her takeover of the Hall of Justice. Oliver tries to get an answer for why Waller has spent so long tearing his family apart, and why she has brainwashed Roy Harper / Arsenal as part of her latest initiative. Waller agrees to provide answers if Oliver does a job for her -- stealing the logs from Sanctuary.

What Is DC's Sanctuary?

The concept of Sanctuary was introduced in Tom King's Batman run before becoming a key fixture of 2018's Heroes in Crisis, as a mental health facility hidden away on a farm in Nebraska. There, heroes could work on (and record private testimonials about) their various traumas. This premise led to the events of Heroes in Crisis, in which a massacre inexplicably killed nearly all of its superhero patients, with Wally West being dubbed the culprit.

While the DC canon has largely moved on from the events of Heroes in Crisis, the existence of the backlogs of Sanctuary's testimonials does pose a unique threat -- especially with Waller expected to target all metahumans' weaknesses in Absolute Power.

What Is Absolute Power About?

Absolute Power shows how Waller will use the strategic and military might of Failsafe and the otherworldly technology of the Brainiac Queen to steal all metahuman abilities from every super hero and super-villain around the globe, a threat so dire it will take the combined efforts of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Super Heroes of the DC Universe to defeat it.

Absolute Power has been teased across the Dawn of DC initiative for several months, teasing a "Trinity of Evil" that will make a profound impact on the DC Universe. As we now know, this "Trinity" will consist of Waller, Batman's recent foe Failsafe, the recent Action Comics adversary Brainiac Queen. Absolute Power will kick off with DC's Free Comic Book Day book, which will be available in participating comic shops on Saturday, May 4th. 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition will be a 32-page comic featuring an original 12-page story by Waid with art by Mikel Jan?n, as well as a preview of Absolute Power's first issue. It will be followed by Absolute Power: Ground Zero, an official prelude that will debut in June and bridge the shocking conclusion of the Superman story "House of Brainiac" with Amanda Waller's machinations.

What do you think of DC bringing back Sanctuary from Heroes in Crisis? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Rumors are the lifeblood of the aftermarket community. Well, that and first appearances. Both propel this list as the market divides its attention between the Ultimate Universe and what's to come. The Sentry pops up once again, we get a new version of Spider-Man, AND a Galactus-level threat is preparing to decimate the Marvel Universe. Of course, Deadpool 3 news and rumors are still elevating books, as many fans are resting their hats on the project. We detail all that and more in this week's Top Ten!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

#10: CAPTAIN MARVEL #5 - RUSSELL DAUTERMAN (1:25) | MARVEL | 2024: Marvel has been hyping the Undone, a Galactus-level threat, for months. Finally, the Undone has made its debut, which didn't disappoint! Dauterman rang in the occasion with this vibrant 1:25 variant featuring iterations of Captain Marvel, both past and present. It will take their combined might to take down the Undone should they live up to the hype! We tracked it at a high sale of $165 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $145.

#9: THE SENTRY #1 | MARVEL | 2000: Poor Steven Yuen. Robert Kirkman stated he would be playing the titular character of Sentry in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie. That was shot down, with Yuen leaving the project. A cloud hung over the film for months until recently. Now that filming has begun, the secrecy surrounding the Sentry has hit new heights. We don't know if he will be in the film. The rumors he will not only appear but will be the main villain are pushing this book into the aftermarket. The Sentry is an interesting character and could be a STAR in the MCU. Fans are grabbing up his first appearance before any more news, and rumors propel it even higher. We tracked it at a high sale of $350 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $89.

#8: NEW X-MEN #114 - DIRECT EDITION | MARVEL | 2001: If you recall, you may have seen this book on this list now and again for months. The reason is that it features the first appearance of Cassandra Nova, the rumored villain for Deadpool 3. Fans have dissected every inch of the trailer and have landed on Cassandra Nova as the culprit behind the madness. There has been a heavy rumor that actress Emma Corrin will play the character since late last year, and those rumors persist to this day! We tracked it at a high sale of $160 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $15.

#7: ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1 | MARVEL | 2023: The Ultimate Universe is alive and well, thanks to Ultimate Spider-Man and the smashing follow-up that is Black Panther. Fans have begun to look to the past; however, they are returning to the launch point for the new Ultimate Universe. That falls upon this book, which features the first cameo for the all-new Maystorm, a character growing among fans rapidly. It's received less attention than the previously mentioned books, but its aftermarket has been extremely healthy. We tracked it at a high sale of $135 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $27.

#6: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 - MARCO CHECCHETTO - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: It's incredible to see this book maintaining its trajectory week after week. It speaks to fans' interest in the character, relaunch, and series. Issue #2 is hot out of the gates, which is a good indicator this series has legs. After the constant flashes in the pan, it's great to see fans and collectors warmly embrace a pillar of the comic community! We tracked it at a high sale of $248 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $84.

#5: ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 - STEFANO CASELLI - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: Despite being the hottest thing since sliced bread, this book is cooling. It debuts the new Ultimate Black Panther, a character fans immediately wanted a piece of after getting a taste of Ultimate Spider-Man. Paired with rumors that thousands of copies had been lost, the hype train for this book was at breakneck speed. It's still moving significantly on the aftermarket, but the hype has settled. We tracked it at a high sale of $42 for a raw copy and a current NM FMV of $36.

#4: SECRET WARS #5 - ALEX ROSS - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2015: From the moment it flashed across the screen in the Deadpool 3 trailer during the Superbowl, this book went bananas. It has slightly cooled as copies traded hands like lightning, and the market is growing scarcer. Still, it's been rising in value despite the community not knowing exactly what Marvel meant when they included it in the trailer. The consensus is currently leaning toward it being an easter egg and nothing more, but when this book can be had for under $30 in most cases, fans aren't willing to take a chance. We tracked it at a high sale of $285 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $32.

#3: EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #1 - SURPRISE | MARVEL | 2024: The community sure does love a surprise! While the fanbase wanted to check on the all-new Weapon VIII (8), this cover was hard to resist. It was a surprise variant that Local Comic Shops received between one and three copies for collectors to acquire. The fact it's outselling the regular cover is incredible, as it's the only variant for issue #1 to hit this list. That classic Spidey look is always a plus! We tracked it at a high sale of $61 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $49.

#2: EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #1 - CHAD WAYNE HARDIN - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: What a callback! This book and cover feature the first appearance of Weapon VIII (8), an alternate-reality version of Spider-Man. Everything about the cover, from the color scheme to the goggles to even the 'Weapon VIII,' screams X-Men. Specifically, the 90s version returning soon. We tracked it at a high sale of $22 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $17.

#1: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 - MARCO CHECCHETTO - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: So far, the love for the new Ultimate Universe has been incredible. While it would be hard to match issue #1, issue #2 is trying its damnedest. It bears the distinction of being the first full in-story appearance of our new Spider-Man and the Shocker. An interesting story is playing out within the book, causing collectors to grab it in droves. We'll be keeping a close eye on this run! We tracked it at a high sale of $30 for a raw copy and a current NM FMV of $21.

And that's your TOP 10 COMICS OF THE WEEK for 2/26/24! Want to know what your comic books are worth? COVRPRICE.COM offers the ULTIMATE price guide with LIVE ungraded (raw) and graded sales for today's market trends. Manage your collection and track your portfolio's overall value with our robust tracking systems. With a free 10-day trial and several affordable price tiers, discover the value of your comics and sign up today! CHECK OUT THE TOP 10 ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!

J.R.R. Tolkien fans are about to experience The Hobbit in a new way thanks to a graphic novel release that features art by David Wenzel paired with a story that has been "carefully abridged from Tolkien's classic novel". The 144 page paperback book will collect the the three-issue series originally published by Eclipse Comics, which has been updated with new artwork.

The image below above will give you an idea about what to expect, but the book is currently priced at only $18.47 on Amazon (20% off) so it won't break the bank to add it to your collection. The book is in stock and shipping starting today, November 27th. While you're at it, you might want to check out The History of Middle-earth Box Set #1 and The History of Middle-earth Box Set #2 on Amazon, which are currently available to pre-order with release dates of Februrary 6th and April 2nd respectively. Both are discounted at the time of writing.

The The History of Middle-earth Box Set #1 features double-sided dustjackets-one side featuring artwork by John Howe, and the original graphic treatment on the other. It contains special editions of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales reproducing the first edition text, together with the two volumes of The Book of Lost Tales.The The History of Middle-earth Box Set #2 adds The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth, and The Lost Road (Books 3-5 of The History of Middle-earth.

Speaking of Tolkien books with illustrations, a new edition of The Lord of the Rings launched in 2021 that includes illustrations, sketches, and maps from author J.R.R Tolkien himself. This was followed by The Hobbit Illustrated and the Silmarillion Illustrated Editions, all of which have been huge sellers. If you haven't picked them up yet, now would be a great time, All three books feature currently hefty discounts on Amazon:

• The Lord of the Rings Illustrated (Standard Edition) - See on Amazon (56% off)
• The Lord of the Rings Illustrated (Special Edition) - See on Amazon (41% off)
• The Silmarillion Illustrated - See on Amazon (52% off)
• The Hobbit Illustrated - See on Amazon (33% off)

A member of the Spider-Man family just found out their child has joined up with Hydra. "Gang War" is currently taking place in Amazing Spider-Man and a number of tie-ins and miniseries. One of the new ongoing series to launch out of "Gang War" is a new volume of Spider-Woman. It's been an eventful time for Jessica Drew. She was erased and then restored to the Web of Life and Destiny during the Spider-Man: End of the Spider-Verse event, which brought with it all sorts of complications for her and her son, Gerry. Now with a new villainous member of Hydra named the Green Mamba on the loose, Spider-Woman is in for the biggest shock of her life.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Spider-Woman #4. Continue reading at your own risk!

Spider-Woman #4 is from the creative team of Steve Foxe, Carola Borelli, Arif Prianto, and VC's Joe Sabino. It picks up following the surprising conclusion of the last issue, where Spider-Woman was reunited with her grown-up son Gerry. Unfortunately for Jessica Drew, Gerry is Hydra's new Green Mamba and has a bone to pick with his mother. When Spider-Woman was erased from the Web of Life and Destiny, she theoretically ceased to exist. Because of this, everyone's memories of Gerry went with her. This means Gerry's babysitter, Roger Gocking aka Porcupine, left Gerry vulnerable for Hydra to kidnap him. Gerry was then aged up, similar to Spider-Woman, and brainwashed by Hydra. Obviously, this is a huge blow to Spider-Woman, who is now making it her mission to save her son Gerry at any cost.

Across the Spider-Verse's Spider-Woman to make Marvel Comics debut

Issa Rae's Jessica Drew from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is joining the Marvel Comics Universe. The Insecure star voiced Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in the animated sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and will presumably return for the third movie in the franchise, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. This Jessica Drew is a Black woman with an afro, who proudly rode into battle pregnant and on a motorcycle. The Spider-Woman from the comics was at one time pregnant as well. Soon, fans will get to see Across the Spider-Verse's Spider-Woman adventures on the comics page.

The anthology series Edge of Spider-Verse is back with new adventures and new Spider heroes. Along with introducing readers to Weapon VIII, welcoming back Spider-Byte (another Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star), and teasing Spider-Man 2099's involvement in the Spider-Society, we also got word that future issues of Edge of Spider-Verse will feature the comic debut of Spider-Woman from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

There's a very special wedding coming up in the X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe. The X-Men are currently counting down the final days of the Krakoa era in Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X, but that doesn't mean some happy stories aren't coming for fans. Mystique and Destiny have been at the center of some of the biggest events during this period of X-Men comics, and fans will get to witness the couple's wedding in a special edition of Marvel's Voices: Pride titled X-Men: The Wedding Special.

This year's Marvel's Voices: Pride will make history with Marvel's first woman-to-woman wedding. Kieron Gillen (Immortal X-Men) will write the Mystique and Destiny story in X-Men: The Wedding Special, which features the duo renewing their wedding vows while also taking readers on a trip through Raven Darkholme and Irene Adler's storied history. One of the highlights will be seeing just when and how Mystique and Destiny tied the knot.

"They've been through hell, mainly at my pen. Finally, giving these two a happy day? How can I say no," Gillen shared.

What is X-Men: The Wedding Special about?

The description of X-Men: The Wedding Special reads, "IT'S A MUTANT WEDDING EXTRAVAGANZA! Mystique and Destiny are one of the most beloved - and longest-lasting - gay couples in comic book history. Together for over 100 years, the pair secretly married during their decades-long romance. See the event and the renewal of those vows for the first time on the page. This year, Marvel's Voices: Pride makes history with Marvel's first woman-to-woman wedding! And with a couple as complex as these two, you know there's a lot more to the story. In the classic tradition of Fantastic Four Annual #3 and X-Men #30, this anthology will be a must-read for every comics fan. We promise party crashing! Villainy! Romance! And so much more!"

Like previous installments of Marvel's Voices, X-Men: The Wedding Special will also feature a lineup of stories written and drawn by LGBTQIA+ talent, including Tini Howard and Wyatt Kennedy, plus the Marvel Comics debuts of acclaimed writers Tate Brombal (House of Slaughter) and Yoon Ha Lee (Ninefox Gambit, Machineries of Empire)! The stories will spotlight characters like Betsy Braddock & Rachel Summers, Loki, and many more.

X-Men: The Wedding Special goes on sale May 29th. Let us know your thoughts on the Marvel's Voices: Pride one-shot in the comments!

Josh Gad is entering the land of sequential storytelling. The Frozen star will soon make his comics' writing debut thanks to The Writer, a new series set for release by Dark Horse Comics later this summer. According to the publisher, The Writer will be a meta take on writing that combines creative processes with popular folklore tales.

"Teaming up with the brilliant Berkowitz brothers on 'The Writer' has been an absolute blast and an education," Gad said in a press release. "Here we are, diving headfirst into a universe where cultural folklore meets the high-octane adventures that defined our youth. It's like all those Saturdays spent watching action flicks and dreaming up stories are finally paying off. What makes this project truly special, though, is the chance to celebrate personal stories. We're talking about tales that not only entertain but resonate on a deeper level, reflecting a rich heritage and the kind of heroism that doesn't always wear a cape. The Writer isn't just a comic; it's a milestone for nerds like us, proving heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Can't wait for you all to see what we have in store!"

DARK HORSE TO PUBLISH THE DEBUT COMICS WORK FROM ACTOR JOSH GAD AND THE DYNAMIC PRODUCER DUO OF BEN AND MAX BERKOWITZ! @DarkHorseComics #comics #comicboks https://t.co/SgBmdMmfSp pic.twitter.com/jrcukVTEgb

-- Comic Crusaders(TM) (@ComicCrusaders) February 24, 2024

Gad is writing the series alongside Benjamin and Max Berkowitz, with Ariel Olivetti taking the reins on art. Frank Cvetkovic is listed as the letterer across the series. At the center of the story is Stan Siegel, a writer who inadvertently finds himself thrust into a "Nazi occult-fueled nightmare."

Max Berkowitz added, "This series is our childhood dream realized, free of Dunkin' coffee spills (we promise). It's not just a comic; it's a celebration of our storytelling, past and present, and our hope to inspire more tales of heroism and humor. Get ready for an exhilarating, laugh-filled journey through our most fantastical dreams. Trust us, you won't want to miss this adventure."

Olivetti said he took on the project because of its "unforgivable" nature.

"I've lost count of how many comic books I've drawn over my career--artists and numbers aren't exactly best friends," the artist said. "Now, I'm in the lucky position to choose projects that truly resonate, the kind that leave a lasting impression both on me and the readers. When I first read the script from Josh and the Berkowitz Bros., it was clear this was one of those rare, unforgettable projects."

The Writer #1 is set for release on June 19th.

Ramona Fradon, comics artist best known for co-creating Metamorpho with writer Bob Haney as well as her long-running work on Aquaman, has died. She was 97 years old. Fradon's death was announced by comic book art dealer Catskill Comics -- which had also announced Fradon's retirement last month -- on Facebook.

"It comes with great sadness to announce that Ramona Fradon has passed away a few moments ago," the post reads. "Ramona was 97 and had a long career in the comic book industry and was still drawing just a few days ago. She was a remarkable person in so many ways. I will miss the great conversations and laughs we had. I am blessed that I was able to work with her on a professional level, but also able to call her my friend. If anyone who wishes to send a card to the family, please feel free to send them to Catskill Comics and I'll be happy to pass them along."

Fradon was born October 2, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in New York City where she graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1950 and, in 1951, was hired by DC Comics. She began her work on Aquaman that year, going on to co-create both Aqualad and Metamorpho, the latter of which is set to make their live action debut in James Gunn's upcoming Superman: Legacy. Fradon briefly left comics in 1965 to raise her daughter but returned to DC in 1972.

In addition to her work with DC, Fradon drew an issue of Fantastic Four for Marvel and in 1980 took over as lead artist on the comic strip "Brenda Starr, Reporter" where she worked until 1995 when she retired. However, even in retirement Fradon continued working, shifting to commissioned art, which she continued doing until she announced her retirement from that in January of this year.

"After an extremely long run in the comic industry, at 97 Ramona has decided it's time for her to retire," Catskill Comics shared in January about Fradon's retirement. "She will no longer be doing commissions. She apologizes to all the fans who have been waiting patiently on her wait list to get one. She did say though from time to time she'll do a drawing or two to put up for sale on the website."

Our thoughts are with Fradon's family, friends, and fans at this time.

2024 is proving to be a big year for DC's Dreamer. Last year, the eagerly anticipated graphic novel, Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story was given a release date and then, soon after that, DC announced that the character would be taking up a major role on an even large stage with the arrival of a new Suicide Squad ongoing series, Suicide Squad: Dream Team, which will see Dreamer/Nia Nal front and center of a new Task Force X. But it's not just a big year for Dreamer; both Bad Dream and Suicide Squad: Dream Team are written by Nicole Maines, who brought Nia Nal to life on The CW's Supergirl, blazing a trail as the first transgender superhero on television before bringing the character to the pages of DC.

Ahead of the arrival of Suicide Squad: Dream Team #1 on March 12th and Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story on April 2nd, ComicBook.com spoke with Maines about the next chapter in Dreamer's journey as well as her own in taking the character from screen to page.

ComicBook.com: The last time we spoke it was for Nia's Lazarus Planet experience and now she's tangled up with the Suicide Squad. This feels like a huge evolution for the character. Where is Nia as we walk into this much bigger stage?

Nicole Maines: This whole things sort of kicked off during the Beast World event when she and Jon Kent teamed up to evacuate the alien district of Metropolis and she helped bring them all back to Parthas, her hometown which is a secret alien refugee site where they would be safe and we have the Blue Earth movement going around with all their anti-alien crap, so she was like, let's give them a safe place to evacuate to. And during the course of those events, Amanda Waller became privy to Dreamer and to Parthas and is now using that as a bargaining chip. So, as we open on the Suicide Squad, we find Dreamer, who has been running missions for Amanda and growing tired of the lesser of two evils narrative that Amanda Waller subscribes to.

There's a moment in the issue that jumps out to me as cementing the idea that we're at a turning point for Dreamer -- it's the line 'do you really think your time as a hero is best spent playing Whack a Mole". What's kind of going on in Dreamer's head at this point because this really does feel like it is do or die.

It's difficult for her because, and you put it perfectly, on this much bigger stage. She is still this inexperienced 18-year-old girl who never thought she was going to have these powers, who doesn't really know how to use these powers, and she's doing her best to live up to the legacy set by her dearly departed mother. But she doesn't know how and so she's doing the best that she can and given the information that she has and what she sees in her visions, she's trying to use her best judgment and she's trying to do the right thing and protect the most people. It's a turning point for the character because that is sort of Dreamer's whole mission and seeing the future, it's, you know, go after the big target, don't, like, little hero of the week or whatever. If you see what's coming down the pipe you have a responsibility to stop it. It's very see something, say something but yeah. Amanda Waller.

You're getting to take on some truly iconic DC characters in this, Waller, Harley Quinn.

A lot of people I've seen online have been like, 'oh, it's gonna be a Harley Quinn story' or they're like, 'oh, it's a backdoor Dreamer story' and I'm like, wrong. Amanda Waller is the main character here, make no mistake. I'm having a blast writing Amanda. She's awesome.

How do you prepare for that? Amanda Waller is a really layered character when you really dig into her. How do you even approach this?

I think the most important part for me was making sure especially as we're moving into this new territory with her where she's really becoming this major villain within the DC Universe, I wanted to make sure that we allotted some amount of time to not reestablishing or reaffirming, but I think reminding people that she's just a human woman who has had a life. She's loved and she's lost. Everything she does comes from a place of hurt and a place of fear and desperate desire for control. I think the thing that interested me the most about her when I first started thinking about this were the similarities between her and Dreamer. They're both women who, through Amanda's position and through Dreamer's powers, have both seen the world come very close to ending a lot of times. And while Dreamer is in a position where she's like apologizing for her power, and she's trying not to abuse it, Amanda has no problem being like 'yeah, I have put myself in a position where I have a tremendous amount of power. I would be stupid not to abuse it.'

In the issue you actually talk about that. Waller calls out how similar they are and Dreamer is like 'no, we're not". I thought that was interesting. We're getting to see two sides of very much the same coin.

Accurate. One hundred percent they are. And that was intentional to make these two women feel like two sides of the same coin because a whole arc for Dreamer over this series is going to be 'do I subscribe to Amanda Waller's line of thinking to defeat this person to save the future or do I have to adopt this sort of greater good, break a few eggs to make an omelet mentality. She's kind of been stumbling around in this kind of idealistic young way and I think the nature of her powers and the situation she finds herself in is kind of demanding, like 'hey girl, you need to reevaluate some stuff and you need to decide what you want to do. Is your definition of being a hero going to save the day or does that need to change?' And that's true for everybody on the Squad.

It's going to be a wild ride.

I'm excited about this series because it really is looking at what is a hero. How do you act as a hero within the confines of something like the Suicide Squad? We're seeing that with Harley, we're seeing that with Deadeye, we're seeing that with Dreamer, Bizarro, less with Clock King. And Black Alice has reached a point post Lazarus Planet that is complete nihilism so it's sort of we have the full range of how do you be a hero. Do you even want to be a hero? Is there even a point and you know, sort of weighing the consequences of going against an oppressive force.

This is juxtaposed, for me, against Bad Dream. You've promised that we would get more of Dreamer's backstory, even when you were on Supergirl and brought her to life. Now we get that more. What's it been like for you to finally get here?

I started the process of the graphic novel in 2020. This was my pandemic baby. Bad Dream is so special because that was the passion project that was so much like blood, sweat and tears went into that and the writing.

I started, I went in with a plan and somewhere around Act Two, the entire thing fell apart and it just became a situation of I'm just going to write the thing as it comes. Dreamer, especially on the show, we didn't really get to dig into her backstory and now with the comics not being tied to the Arrowverse, I was free to kind of go in whatever direction I wanted. I think the thing that I was most excited about was getting to decide first of all what Parthas looked like, what that felt like and also Naltor. What rules do they have? What was that like for the people who defended it? With her mother, giving her a little bit more of a backstory and a history aside from oh yes, she very wise. She's been through things. She's broken some rules and it is not without consequence that she's here on Earth. It was just really fun to kind of get to flesh out what Dreamer's world looks like.

These stories are kind of leaning heavily on each other. Not a spoiler because her mother's death happened on Supergirl. But she has these flashbacks to all the failures in her life that are her fault and that's the thing about Bad Dream. We can say oh poor baby, sweetie, oh this wasn't your fault. It 100 percent was. We get why she did the things that she did, but it is her fault her mother is dead. And that's just something she has to live with and something she has to try to atone for so now, finding herself on Suicide Squad is the worst-case scenario.

What I love about Bad Dream is that we're not getting like on Supergirl where we meet her and she gets these powers as an adult. It's a completely different type of character arc to develop these powers as a teenager and experience a trauma and then still be a teenager trying to apply these powers and healing.

She has the training wheels on, she's like trying to do a triathlon on a training bike and everyone's faster and she's like 'I'm just afraid". And I think that's the thing people have to remember as the stories are unfolding. She's doing her best to put on the hero front and trying to remain in control of the situation. This is scary stuff for anybody, especially a teenager. And she so desperately wants to do the right thing and is right away confronted with oh no, I messed up and I enabled something terrible and it just gets worse. She just kind of hits every single thing on the way down. But it transforms her into what Paul Kaminski and I were talking about when we first started talking about this. He was like, 'I really want to see Dreamer as this Sarah Connor character.' And that's kind of what she becomes here.

You've had this very unique experience where you have gotten to take Dreamer and shepherd this character through two versions and really create her whole cloth. What is this like for you? If you went back to talk to the Nicole who was just cast as Dreamer, what would you say to her?

First of all, I'd be like 'girl, you have no idea how big a part of your life this character becomes.' When I got cast, I was 20 and came at a point in my life when there was so much, like, I was in such a transition period that I sort of came of age along with this character. And I think she and I kind of became entwined in a way that is very profound and hard for me to describe.

This character just means a lot to a lot of people. I just want to see her do cool stuff. And I'm excited to see her in the comics. It just keeps getting better and better and it's just like something that I never would have imagined and she has grown into this character that is so much bigger than I thought likely. I'm just really grateful that I've had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people who have said yes.

What do you hope people take away from both Bad Dream and Suicide Squad: Dream Team?

I want people to come away with either a new love for Dreamer or a reinvigorated love for Dreamer. I just want people to come away with more of a demand for this character. I want people to be like, 'yes, we love this. We love her, we love what she does. We love what she can do. We want to see her go more places.' I want to see what happens next in the story of Dreamer. It's interesting that Bad Dream and Suicide Squad are coming out at the same time because Bad Dream is like her start of everything and her origin and Suicide Squad is where we are now and in stark contrast.

Suicide Squad: Dream Team #1 arrives on March 12th. Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story arrives April 2nd.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

X-Men: The Animated Series is finally coming back in a big way. The beloved cartoon ran for five seasons in the '90s, and now a new sequel series is heading to Disney+. Marvel Studios' X-Men '97 is debuting next month, and it's going to pick up right where the original series left off in 1997. A tie-in comic for the series has also been announced, and the first issue is also debuting next month. X-Men '97 #1 is the official prelude comic set between the events of the "Graduation Day" series finale and the upcoming X-Men '97 revival on Disney+. The five-issue limited series, which was created in collaboration with X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo, is written by Steve Foxe (Dark X-Men, Dead X-Men) with art by Salva Esp?n (X-Men '92). Yesterday, Marvel.com shared a new look at the first issue.

"A special first look at X-MEN '97 (2024) #1 shows Magneto terrorizing a street full of people- until he is interrupted by an optic blast from Cyclops. When he turns, he finds Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee, and Bishop as well. Wolverine leaps into action, only to meet a rebuff by Magneto. In one page, Cyclops leads the team to the Danger Room, but quickly finds himself in an argument with Wolverine. In another page, the team swings back into action against some heavily armed foes. Finally, Storm shows off her new look for Jubilee," Marvel shared. You can check out the new image below:

When Does X-Men '97 Premiere?

As for the X-Men '97 series, the show is premiering on Disney+ on March 20th. X-Men '97 features the voices of original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Alison Sealy-Smith, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Adrian Hough, Alyson Court, and Christopher Britton. The X-Men team includes Wolverine (Dodd), Storm (Smith), Rogue (Zann), Beast (Buza), Cyclops (Ray Chase), Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), Jubilee (Holly Chou), Bishop, and Morph.

"This is the first X-Men title produced by Marvel Studios," Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, said when announcing X-Men '97. "What an amazing first step to reintroduce audiences to the X-Men with a look at one of the most pinnacle eras of the X-Men comics, which was the '90s."

Added Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, VP of Animation at Marvel Studios, "As an animated show, the original X-Men was the forerunner to some amazing action series. Everyone that is making X-Men '97, top-down, is a fan. On this project, instinctually, we knew exactly what this is. To bring this series forward and pick up that baton, and not just keep running at the same pace, but to really elevate. That's the responsibility."

Are you excited for X-Men '97? Will you be checking out the comic? Tell us in the comments!

Over the years, Catwoman has taken on many different roles in the DC Universe, operating as a villain, a hero, and everything in between. The recent Catwoman ongoing series has continued to add to Selina Kyle's lore in some unexpected ways -- and in the series' latest issue, that involved giving her a set of superpowers commonly associated with a completely different corner of DC canon. Spoilers for Catwoman #62 from Tini Howard, Carmine di Giandomenico, Veronica Gandini, and Lucas Gattoni below! Only look if you want to know!

The issue largely follows Selina in a brief stint joining the Suicide Squad, utilizing one of her extra lives to help make good on a debt she has owed to Amanda Waller. Catwoman her teammates are tasked with stealing an artifact from Black Adam in Khandaq -- which gets complicated when she finds her way towards a locked vault. In it, Selina is greeted by Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats, who promises to guide her on her future journeys. Bastet is flanked by a group of cats named Sobek, Hut, Ankh, Zoser, Aten, and Mau, which just so happens to spell out Shazam!. Later in the issue, when Selina is being accosted by Waller, she calls out the word Shazam! and gets the power to escape. While it's unclear exactly how long Selina will have these Shazam! powers going forward, they definitely add a new layer to her current globe-trotting quest.

What Are Catwoman's New Superpowers?

In addition to the power of Shazam!, the "Nine Lives" arc has explored Selina getting extra lives from Bastet, in the aftermath of last year's Gotham War crossover event.

"Comics thrive on team-ups. Whether it's a team of creators or a heroic partnership, all of my favorite stories are about two strong personalities and the space between them," Howard previously said of that event. "On the page, we've got one of comics' greatest love stories: the world's greatest detective and the world's greatest criminal. And they both love Gotham City. But the course of true love never did run smooth."

Who Is Writing Shazam!?

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that writer Josie Campbell and artist Emanuela Lupacchino will be taking over the main Shazam! title, with its current creative team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora shifting focus to the upcoming Absolute Power summer event. Campbell and Lupacchino's Shazam! run will begin with April's Shazam! #10.

"Moving Day!" the synopsis for Shazam! #10 reads. "After destroying the family home during an epic battle with Black Adam, Billy has hired the gods who grant him his powers to rebuild it. What surprises await the Shazam Family as they enter their new abode?"

What do you think of Catwoman getting her own version of Shazam!'s superpowers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Catwoman #62 is now available wherever comics are sold.

Some popular comic runs featuring heroes such as Spider-Man, Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, and Thor will soon be available for fans to pick up... all for free! Looking to capitalize on the popularity of pop culture trends like the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer and Ms. Marvel's new status as a mutant, Marvel is gathering a new line of "Must-Haves" comics handpicked to get fans excited about the stories currently taking place in the pages of Marvel comics. "Must-Haves" will serve as the perfect jumping-on points for new readers, so they should be easily accessible to pick up and start reading. It doesn't hurt that they're also all free.

Marvel Must-Haves was officially announced yesterday at ComicsPRO the Comic Industry Conference. The first three issues that are going to be collected in the first Marvel Must-Haves one-shot include 2016's Spider-Man/Deadpool #1 by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness; 2023's Immortal Thor #2 by Al Ewing and Martin Coccolo; and 2023's Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 by Ms. Marvel actress Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada. The one-shot features more than 80 pages of exciting Marvel adventures and arrives at comic book shops in March.

Marvel reveals free Must-Have comic book stories

Below is a description of the stories that will be found in Marvel Must-Haves - March 2024 #1:

SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1 (2016)

• It's action, adventure and just a smattering of romance in this epic teaming up the Webbed Wonder and the Merc with a Mouth! Talk about a REAL dynamic duo! Brought to you by two Marvel superstars--Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness--it's a perfect tale for those looking forward to the Deadpool's return to the big screen.
• Dive into the full story in SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION: ISN'T IT BROMANTIC? TPB (9781302951641)
  

IMMORTAL THOR #2 (2023)

• An Elder God of the Utgard-Realm had marked Thor for destruction - and a city with him. Yet the only power that could prevail carried its own terrible price. This is the story of THE IMMORTAL THOR...and the hour of his greatest trial. Following his masterful work on Immortal Hulk, Al Ewing is breaking mythology yet again in this acclaimed new run of the God of Thunder. Featuring breathtaking artwork by superstar Martin Coccolo.
• Dive into the full story in IMMORTAL THOR VOL. 1: ALL WEATHER TURNS TO STORM TPB (9781302954185)

MS. MARVEL: THE NEW MUTANT #1 (2023)

• Resurrected back into this world of hate and fear, Kamala Khan has a secret mission to pull off for the X-Men, all the while struggling to acclimate to this new part of her identity! Co-written by the MCU's own Kamala, Iman Vellani, and Sabir Pirzada of both Dark Web: Ms. Marvel and her Disney+ series! Don't miss this exciting evolution for one of Marvel's brightest young heroes!
• Dive into the full story in MS. MARVEL: THE NEW MUTANT VOL. 1 TPB (9781302954901)

A Venom War is heading to the Marvel Universe. The next saga for Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock will take place later this year in Venom War, a battle that pits father and son against each other to see who will be the last Venom standing. Of course, Eddie Brock is famously known for being Venom ever since he bonded with the alien symbiote and they started their vendetta against Spider-Man. Since then, Venom has gone from a villain to an anti-hero and now a straight-up superhero, fighting beside the likes of Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America. However, Eddie has recently shared the Venom persona with his son Dylan, who has embarked on his own personal journey as the street-level Lethal Protector. Somehow, Eddie and Dylan Brock will come to blows, and there's new art previewing the epic battle.

Marvel released teaser art for Venom War by Philip Tan. The artwork features Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock as Venom, each leading their armies into battle reminiscent of the superhero showdown in Captain America: Civil War. On Team Eddie Brock we have Agent Anti-Venom, aka Flash Thompson, a former Venom, and Bedlam, one of Eddie Brock's most recent incarnations. On Team Dylan Brock is Red Goblin (Normie Osborn), Sleeper, and Black Widow, who is a new addition to the Venom mythos. Venom War is scheduled to take place in August, with more information to be released at a later date.

Venom co-creator David Michelinie writing new series

David Michelinie, one of Venom's co-creators alongside Todd McFarlane, is returning to the Lethal Protector to pen a throwback series. Venom: Separation Anxiety is set during Eddie's early days as a Lethal Protector, with the five-issue limited series pitting Eddie and the symbiote against a different kind of brain eater: the sinister mind-control powers of Zebediah Killgrave, the Purple Man.

"I'm always delighted to write a new Venom story in a retro background," said Michelinie, who previously returned to Marvel for another retro-set series, 2022's Venom: Lethal Protector. "With Separation Anxiety as the required theme, the problem became how to do something that's already been done -- have Eddie Brock separated from his symbiote 'other.' So I thought, what if there was a deeply creepy villain with a decidedly bloodthirsty agenda who was able to take bits of Eddie's symbiote away every time the two touched, with that enemy slowly growing stronger as Venom slowly grew weaker? And that was the nugget that became 'The King In Purple.'"

Are you excited for Venom War? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

McFarlane Toys was founded in 1994 with a mission to deliver the action figures that comic book creator Todd McFarlane wanted to see for his characters. Since then, the company has acquired licenses for huge brands like DC Comics, Disney, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Demon Slayer, Mortal Kombat and more. Of course, it all started with Spawn, so it's fitting that McFarlane Toys kicks off its 30th anniversary celebrations with a special wave of figures based on his iconic hellspawn. UPDATE 2: The figures have sold out at Entertainment Earth, but they have not gone live on Amazon at the time of this update (listed as "currently unavailable"). That could change at any moment. See the direct links in the list below.

The major highlight of the wave will undoubtedly be a 2-pack that includes a figure of Spawn based on early concept art paired with an action figure of Todd McFarlane himself. Needless to say, this set is going to be highly sought after by collectors and quick sellouts are likely. Pre-orders are expected to go live starting today, February 23rd at 9am PT / 12pm ET here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon. Additional Spawn 30th anniversary figures are also expected, and this article will be updated with those details after the launch. Stay tuned! UPDATE: The figures are live, and direct links are as follows:

• Spawn McFarlane Toys 30th Anniversary Spawn and Todd McFarlane Action Figure 2-Pack - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spawn McFarlane Toys 30th Anniversary Commando Spawn Digitally Remastered Posed Figure - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spawn McFarlane Toys 30th Anniversary Hellspawn Digitally Remastered Posed Figure - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spawn McFarlane Toys 30th Anniversary Spawn #311 Posed Figure - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spawn McFarlane Toys 30th Anniversary 7-Inch Scale Posed Figure Case of 6 - See at Entertainment Earth

"I've been with Spawn now for over 30 years. I know that seems like a long time," McFarlane explained in our interview, which you can check out here. "I've been with my wife for 45 years, and I think I still got another 40 with her, so I don't know. When you enjoy doing what it is you're doing, it's not work, it's easy. And I've said before, I need it in my life because I deal with so much other stuff, especially on the toy side where I deal with corporations and getting people's approvals and getting people to sign off. I need my little creative paradise that is all mine, that I can just wake up, come up with whatever is in my head and do it, and not need anybody's approval. It's my chicken noodle for my soul. I know people go 'Todd, how do you do it for so long?' I think I'd be half crazy if I didn't have it, in all honesty."

Is Spawn Getting a Movie Reboot?

Another facet of the Spawn franchise that fans have been excitedly following is the long-awaited Spawn movie reboot. Spawn will follow the journey of Al Simmons (portrayed by Jamie Foxx), a man who makes a deal with the devil and is reborn as a Hellspawn-turned-vigilante. The new Spawn movie has been in the works since early 2015, with McFarlane initially planning to write and direct it himself. In the years that have followed, Brian Tucker, Scott Silver, Malcolm Spellman, and Matthew Mixon have all been brought on to rewrite the script. Blumhouse's Jason Blum has previously told ComicBook.com that the film is targeting a 2025 release date.

"It's in very very active development," Blum explained in an interview last year. "What needs to happen is that my fellow friends the writers and the studios need to figure out their differences and get back to writing, but we've got a great group of folks putting it together, and my hope is that that movie -- my prediction is maybe we'll actually see a Spawn movie in '25. No promises, but that's my prediction."

The summer of Wolverine and Deadpool heats up with a new story running through a series of Marvel comics. The duo will famously team up for Deadpool & Wolverine, the first official X-Men movie to launch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film reunites Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, with the first Deadpool & Wolverine trailer dropping during the Super Bowl. Along with May's Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII, July will see the release of a Weapon X-Traction backup story starring Wolverine and Deadpool teaming up across eight Marvel titles this summer.

Written by Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and drawn by Javier Garr?n (Avengers), Weapon X-Traction will begin in July's Incredible Hulk #14. As an added bonus, Marvel isn't raising the prices of these comics with the Wolverine/Deadpool backup stories, so readers get to enjoy the extra action at no additional cost. At this time Marvel hasn't announced the other titles participating in the Weapon X-Traction story. A piece of promotional art by Javier Garr?n features Wolverine and Deadpool face-to-face, with Wolverine brandishing his Adamantium claws, and Deadpool holding a pistol in each hand.

What is Wolverine and Deadpool's WWIII project about?

"The most intensely mismatched team-up in comics and pop culture, the best there is and the merc with the mouth, undergoes a radical change in an all-new three-part, globe-spanning saga for the ages in Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII #1. On stands this May, acclaimed writer Joe Kelly makes his return to Deadpool in the new series alongside legendary artist Adam Kubert," a description of Deadpool & Wolverine: WWIII reads.

"The mysterious Delta believes in change. Change is good. But as he sets his sights on Deadpool, and Wolverine is caught up in the plot, is the third time really the charm, or the curse? Get ready for WWIII to erupt on the scene with the wildest duo in comics from legends Joe Kelly (Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men) and Adam Kubert (Wolverine, Uncanny X-Men)!"

"There were so many factors that made me say yes to writing this book," Kelly recently told IGN. "Adam Kubert was number one. I worked with Adam during my early Marvel career and have been a fan of his ever since - both as an artist and a human. So, working with him again? No brainer, yes please."

"The second reason was Wolverine," Kelly continued. "As much as this is a buddy-book, Logan is the entry point to the story, which gave me a chance to explore this character I love. His voice, his perspective on the world, all of it gave me a unique way to approach an epic team-up... And then, big number three... there's the body horror. Deadpool and Wolverine together allow for a bloody playground of a story. A tale of self-examination and introspection as told through some seriously jaw-dropping nastiness thanks to Adam's deft hands. It's a dark, funny, messy ride I hope everyone enjoys as much as I do."

Deadpool & Wolverine reveals first poster

The first poster for the freshly-titled Deadpool & Wolverine piggybacks on the name change of the film. Super Bowl LVIII finally delivered the highly-anticipated trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, featuring the reunion between Ryan Reynolds' Merc With a Mouth and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Deadpool & Wolverine is the first X-Men-adjacent movie produced under Marvel Studios, officially bringing Deadpool into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans will be digesting every second of the trailer, Marvel Studios also revealed a Deadpool & Wolverine poster that reminds everyone how close the two of them really are.

"Wait till you see the Deadpool popcorn bucket," Ryan Reynolds wrote on X (formerly Twitter) when the Deadpool & Wolverine poster was unveiled. The poster features a split image of the Deadpool and Wolverine mask logos in the shape of a heart. The Deadpool side has the word "Best" while the Wolverine portion says "Friends." The bottom of the poster has the words, "Come Together" as well as the July 26th release date of Deadpool & Wolverine.

Marvel and DC have shaped the landscape of superhero media in some massive ways, and some of their greatest collaborations yet are about to head back into print. Earlier this month, DC and Marvel announced plans to print two new omnibuses of their previous crossovers: DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus. Both DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus will be available at participating bookstores and local comic book shops on Tuesday, August 6th.

Now, as part of DC's presentation at the ComicsPRO Comic Industry Conference, some of the collections' covers have been revealed. This includes art by George Perez for the Mass Market versions of DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus, as well as the pencilled version of the Direct Market version of DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus from Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair.

What Is DC Versus Marvel Omnibus About?

Who would win: Superman versus Spider-Man? Batman versus Captain America? The X-Men meeting the Teen Titans? DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects crossovers between the core DC and Marvel characters, from 1976's Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man to 2000's Batman/Daredevil. Included are stories from some of comics' most revered talents, namely Dennis O'Neil, George P?rez, Dan Jurgens, Chris Claremont, Walter Simonson, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Bagley, Gerry Conway, John Romita Jr., and more. DC and Marvel fans alike can't miss these thrilling pieces of unearthed comic book history!

DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects Batman/Captain America #1, Batman/Daredevil #1, Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1, Batman/Spider-Man #1, Daredevil/Batman #1, DC Special Series #27, Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger #1, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1, Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1, Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights #1, Silver Surfer/Superman #1, Spider-Man and Batman #1, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1, and Superman/Fantastic Four #1.

What Is DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus About?

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus features stories, first told in 1996, of the two superhero universes fused together into a new Amalgam Universe, combining DC's and Marvel's heroes, villains, and mythologies. The result was a series of unforgettable one-shot comic books starring the likes of Dark Claw (Batman and Wolverine), Super Soldier (Superman and Captain America), Iron Lantern (Iron Man and Green Lantern), and many more! These stories, from creators such as Peter David, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid, Dave Gibbons, Ron Marz, Jos? Luis Garc?a-L?pez, Gary Frank, Bill Sienkiewicz, Claudio Castellini, and more, represent one of the most fun and unlikely periods in comic book history, and now are available in one omnibus. Included in this volume are the historic DC Versus Marvel miniseries and its sequels, perfect for fans of both DC and Marvel!

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus collects DC Versus Marvel #1-4, DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4, Unlimited Access #1-4, Bat-Thing #1, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Bullets and Bracelets #1, Challengers of the Fantastic #1, Doctor Strangefate #1, Iron Lantern #1, Legends of the Dark Claw #1, Lobo the Duck #1, Speed Demon #1, Spider-Boy #1, Super Soldier #1, Thorion of the New Asgods #1, X-Patrol #1, and more, plus a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material.

What do you think of these new DC and Marvel omnibus covers? Which one will you be picking up? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

As mentioned above, DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus will both be released in participating bookstores and local comic book shops on Tuesday, August 6th.

Dragon Ball Super has finally come around to bringing Gohan back into the mix, after leaving him sidelined for years after Dragon Ball Z. Gohan made the jump to Dragon Ball Super power levels in the recent movie/manga arc Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which saw him unlock a radical new form called "Beast" when fighting a rematch against the Red Ribbon Army's Cell Max android.

Since Gohan's Beast form made its debut, the Dragon Ball fandom has been in heavy debate about how Gohan's power level now compares to his father Goku, or his "uncle" Vegeta. Both of the elder Saiyans have spent the time of Dragon Ball Super's run unlocking revolutionary new forms that go beyond Saiyan pride to touch divine powers only held by the likes of angels (Ultra Instinct) or Gods of Destruction (Ultra Ego).

In Chapter 102 of the Dragon Ball Super manga, Goku transports from Lord Beerus's planet back to Earth, after sensing the power output of Gohan's Beast form across the galaxy. Goku invites Gohan for a friendly sparring match to test out Beast - but Earth simply isn't viable. Goku ends up transporting himself, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and the last of the Red Ribbon's leaders, Carmine, to Beerus's planet. After Gohan warms up sparring with Goten and Trunks, he and Goku have a first-round match, pitting Ultra Instinct against Beast - with father and son ending up pretty evenly matched.

However, during Gohan's sparring matches, the topic of his teachers is brought up. Gohan confirms that it was Goku who originally inspired the concept of a sudden and exponential jump in his power level, as Goku taught Gohan to always "be ready to fight at a moment's notice, and I finally got the message."

However, Gohan makes sure to let his "dad" know that it was Piccolo who taught him the actual method of control for harnessing it. Dragon Ball fans get the meta humor at that moment, as the debate of whether Goku or Piccolo has been more of a father and/or mentor to Gohan may never be settled.

But now that he's reached Beast, there's a big looming question...

Does Gohan Need A New Teacher?

The truth is, no one who has mentored Gohan to this point truly understands the full scope of his abilities, or how to harness them. Gohan's latent abilities and his "Ultimate Mode" (official name) are embodiments of the limits on his growth: Old Kai unlocked Gohan's potential in Dragon Ball Z's Buu Saga, while Goku and Piccolo have helped re-access it (before the Tournament of Power) and harness it.

However, it's clear from the wild aura it generates that Beast is still a version of Gohan wrestling with more power than he can control or fully apply - its raw power like Broly, just housed in a more mindful person, as Gohan is as intelligent as he is strong.

If Goku and Vegeta can reach literal godly levels of power, Gohan - who has been clearly positioned as stronger but less trained than them - can too. More to the point: Gohan could have power that threatens a god, which is even more reason that someone from the ranks of gods and angels would come to him as a teacher - if only to ensure that power gets aimed the right way.

That's all to say: it seems pretty clear that Gohan's next arc in Dragon Ball needs to be following in Goku and Vegeta's recent paths - namely, going off on his own and seeking his own unique form of training from a new instructor. It would be truly exciting to see what Beast evolves to after that.

DC is about to shake up the comic book industry once again. On Thursday, as part of their presentation at the ComicsPRO Comic Industry Conference, DC announced plans to move back to a Wednesday release schedule for their new weekly comics. This move will take effect on Wednesday, July 3rd, and will only affect single issues. New collected editions and graphic novels from DC will still be released on Tuesdays.

DC initially pivoted to Tuesday from the industry standard of Wednesday in 2020, amid supply chain disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That initial decision also came amid the company's distribution move from Diamond Comics to Lunar Distribution and Penguin Random House, with other publishers like Marvel and IDW soon following suit.

What Is DC's Summer 2024 Event?

Also announced at ComicsPRO, this summer will bring the launch of Absolute Power, a new event miniseries shepherded by writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora, who have partnered on DC series such as Batman / Superman: World's Finest and Shazam!.

Absolute Power shows how Amanda Waller will use the strategic and military might of Failsafe and the otherworldly technology of the Brainiac Queen to steal all metahuman abilities from every super hero and super-villain around the globe, a threat so dire it will take the combined efforts of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Super Heroes of the DC Universe to defeat it.

Absolute Power will kick off with DC's Free Comic Book Day book, which will be available in participating comic shops on Saturday, May 4th. 2024 Absolute Power Free Comic Book Day Special Edition will be a 32-page comic featuring an original 12-page story by Waid with art by Mikel Jan?n, as well as a preview of Absolute Power's first issue. It will be followed by Absolute Power: Ground Zero, an official prelude that will debut in June and bridge the shocking conclusion of the Superman story "House of Brainiac" with Amanda Waller's machinations.

Is DC Reprinting the Amalgam Universe?

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that DC and Marvel will be joining forces to print two new omnibuses of their previous crossovers: DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus. Both DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus will be available at participating bookstores and local comic book shops on Tuesday, August 6th.

As the title suggests, DC Versus Marvel Omnibus will reprint a number of iconic issues originally co-published by both DC and Marvel, which have united some of their characters and teams over the years. DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus, meanwhile, will reprint portions of the fan-favorite Amalgam Universe, which fused DC and Marvel's characters into some surprising combinations. Many of these stories have been out of print and hard to find for decades. This is the second time in recent years that DC and Marvel have joined forces to reprint a beloved crossover, after a limited run of JLA/Avengers with the help of Hero Initiative, to celebrate legendary creator George Perez.

What do you think of DC moving its New Comic Book Day back to Wednesdays? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy, the two earliest Mickey Mouse cartoons from Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, fell into the public domain on January 1, and in the weeks since, the Disney mascot has been up to all sorts of shenanigans -- most of which involve being murderous. Now, his trail of blood is leading him to San Francisco -- specifically, the San Francisco of Savage Dragon, where Mickey appears to be the antagonist in an upcoming issue of the series. Erik Larsen took to social media to share the issue's cover, along with a teaser that fans can expect the story in June, suggesting that the series is getting (more or less) back on a monthly schedule after an uneven couple of years.

Bringing in public domain characters is nothing new for Larsen, who previously incorporated the Golden Age Daredevil and even Captain Tootsie into decent-sized roles in Savage Dragon. Mickey makes his first appearance in Savage Dragon #268, which is available in stores now.

"He'll be a recurring character for a bit," Larsen told ComicBook.com. "My spin on him is that he's an old actor who starred in Steamboat Willie and worked in Hollywood until his roles dried up."

In the first appearance, Mickey makes a pass at Maxine and Malcolm Dragon, suggesting that he's open to swinging with the couple. While it doesn't appear they are interested...well, it's hard to put anything past Maxine sometimes.

"I'm trying to keep him as on model as I can," Larsen said of the character. "This Mickey was pretty elastic in his own right, getting stretched and distorted when he was involved in any physical altercations. I'm going with that as the basis for the character. Later version's of Disney's Mickey Mouse were far more grounded and realistic in their own way. Because there's so little material in the public domain -- just Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie -- I've had to build on that and make it my own."

Whether this cover is a misdirection, or if Mickey will be an actual villain, is anybody's guess. There are certainly power-enhancing substances in the world of Savage Dragon that could explain the "you know how dangerous he is" word balloon, if that's something that is to be taken literally.

Savage Dragon recently underwent a change of venue, with the lead characters moving back to the United States following several years in Toronto. They didn't return to Chicago, where the comic took place for its first 25 years or so, but instead moved to San Francisco, Larsen's own stomping grounds.

Savage Dragon #269 will continue the story in March.

Spawn got a new look at the end of the latest issue of his comic, and after years of being without a ruler, somebody new sits on the throne of Hell. The twist? Due to some of the cosmic shenanigans that have happened during Hell's years without a king, Spawn and the Scorched are seemingly left without functional powers by the end of the issue. That jives, we suppose, with a somewhat simpler look for Spawn. The version of the character we see at the end of the issue looks a lot like he did when the series started, and Al Simmons was just starting to figure out the whole "agent of Hell" thing.

Meanwhile, the new ruler of Hell has plans that seem like they're going to be very bad news for the rest of the world. Weird, we know -- you'd think being the ruler of Hell would make you a pretty chill person!

You can see Al's new look below.

McFarlane recently told ComicBook.com that Spawn #351 will have a short time-jump, picking up about six months after this issue and giving fans a clearer idea of the new status quo for the world of Spawn. The throne has been vacant for literally decades, and now that it's filled, that's going to set some things in motion -- and probably make a lot of people (and demons) pretty upset.

"We're not just going to go, 'Oh, okay, somebody's on the throne,' and then status quo," McFarlane explained. " Not going to be that easy. We're just saying that there's a cause and effect of all of this. And so now you saw leading up to #350, and then #350, you saw the cause of it, and now moving forward, you're going to see some of the effect of it. So, again, I've said before, I don't want people to have to feel like they're obligated to buy all the books to make it all make sense. So, it's sort of big sort of overarching thing that happens that affects everybody."

You can get Spawn at your local comic shop today. The Final Order Cutoff for Spawn #351 is coming up on Monday, so if you want to get in on the ground floor of the new era of Spawn, you have a few days left to do it.

Marvel is assembling the mightiest heroes of the Ultimate Universe for a new volume of Ultimates. Back in 2002, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch collaborated on Ultimates, transforming the way superhero stories were told. Their influence can be felt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal of Nick Fury coming straight from the Ultimates. Hitch and Jonathan Hickman came together to usher in a new wave of Ultimate comics in Ultimate Invasion, and the Ultimate Universe #1 one-shot laid the foundation for new launches like Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Black Panther, and next month's Ultimate X-Men. Now, it's time for Ultimates to join the roster of Ultimate titles.

Marvel has officially announced Ultimates #1 from writer Deniz Camp (Children of the Vault) and artist Juan Frigeri (Invincible Iron Man). The first issue launches in June and directly spins out of Ultimate Universe #1. "Months ago, Tony Stark sent Peter Parker a radioactive spider to set him back on the course to become Spider-Man," a description of Ultimates #1 reads. "Since then, Iron Lad (Stark), Captain America, Doom, Thor and Sifhave begun to do the same for other lost heroes, building a network of super-powered heroes hungry for change... Now they must band together to destroy the Maker's Council and restore freedom and free will to a world ruled from the shadows!"

Marvel reveals roster of new Ultimates team

"The new Ultimates line is the most exciting super hero comics event in years, and it's humbling to be a part of it!" Camp shared. "We are reinventing these classic characters and archetypes to be as surprising and vital as when they were first introduced. Our Ultimates is an evolution not just of the Avengers, but of the whole super hero team concept; from the grand and operatic to the small and personal, THE ULTIMATES will feel like no Avengers or Ultimates comic ever before! That's our ambition, anyway; tune in to find out if we succeed."

"On a personal note, my first big break in comics was winning the Millarworld talent competition, so there is a strange, sweet symmetry to taking on the title Mark and Bryan pioneered 20+ years ago," Camp added. "We're doing everything we can to live up to the 'Ultimates' name, and the high bar set by Jonathan, Marco [Checchetto], and all the Ultimate creative teams so far!"

A special sneak peek at Ultimates will be included in Free Comic Book Day 2024: Spider-Man & The Ultimate Universe #1, on sale for FCBD being held on May 4th. The cover by Dike Ruan features the new Ultimates team, which consists of Tony Stark's Iron Lad, Captain America, Doctor Doom, Thor, Sif, Ant-Man/Giant-Man, and Wasp. Fans got to see the majority of these characters interact in Ultimate Universe #1, but so far Ant-Man/Giant-Man and Wasp have not made appearances, so perhaps Ultimates #1 will be their official introduction to the Ultimate Universe.

Ultimates #1 goes on sale June 5th.

A Marvel Comics series by a fan-favorite creative team is nearing the end of the road. It's very rare to see a new franchise crop up in the Marvel Universe, considering the foundation of the publisher is built around titles such as Spider-Man, X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. It's also harder to introduce new characters that readers will actually care about and spend their hard-earned money on. But that doesn't mean creators aren't trying to break new ground, which is what we're getting in G.O.D.S. from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Valerio Schiti.

G.O.D.S. has promised to revolutionize the science and magic corners of the Marvel Universe, and so far each issue has delivered on that promise. However, things may be ending in May just as they were starting to get interesting. Marvel released a teaser for May's G.O.D.S. #8, with the teaser reading, "To All Things, An Ending... For Now." The cover by Mateus Manhanini features Wyn, an avatar of The-Powers-That-Be, in a sword duel with a knight while also dodging gunfire from a gun-slinger. A biking character can also be seen, and they all appear to be variants of Wyn since they share the same hair color and white streak.

Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti revamp Marvel's Gods

One of the more interesting things to witness in Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti's G.O.D.S. is how they've redefined the visual look of a lot of Marvel cosmic beings, such as the In-Betweener, Living Tribunal, Oblivion, Master Chaos, Lord Order, Infinity, and Eternity. By the time G.O.D.S. ends, if it is truly an ending and not restarting with a new #1 issue, there should be a new status quo for a lot of these entities.

"One of the things we wanted to do was to take the universal abstracts and do a more street-level version of the character," Hickman explained in a special G.O.D.S. retailer conference. "That's the idea behind Valerio's redesigns. Valerio tweaked the massive god-like aspect of each of these celestial abstracts and then he also made a version of the character that is a more mundane version. So I guess in Marvel Universe terms, there's the Peter Parker version of all these character and then there's the Spider-Man version of all these characters now. And it's a very effective storytelling mechanism. It works very well in the way that we're using it. My belief is that it will make these characters more useable and more frequently appearing in other Marvel books as well."

"We already saw the Marvel gods a lot of times in the past, no surprises here. Or are there?" Schiti teased. "Maybe we saw what they wanted us to see, what our human brains can contain and understand without going insane so maybe there are different, weirder and scarier forms? And if they can change shape and size, what's stopping them from walking among us, hiding in the crowd, using a human form?"

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com to stay up to date on the future of G.O.D.S.

The Ultimate Universe is still reigning supreme! Black Panther and Spider-Man return with their cover A variants. They also bring in a BossLogic variant and a second printing cover. Also, the Ultimate Universe book that started it all returns to the top ten. The villains are also returning, as The Joker and Cassandra Nova appear in this week's list due to the new Deadpool trailer. The Deadpool & Wolverine trailer also drove attention to a comic book that was featured in a quick scene. The significance of this book is still unknown. Marvel also made a huge announcement about the casting of the Fantastic Four. Ironically, the family portrait created a ton of interest in a character that has yet to be officially cast. Read on below to find out which FF character is getting their own little spotlight!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

#10: BATMAN #142 - GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI - FOIL | DC | 2024: In the large ocean of Joker covers, a few immediately catch the collectors' interest. Fans of the Joker immediately wanted to collect the foil cover by Camuncoli. The sudden interest caused this book to surge in value and sales. The aftermarket is still chasing this cover, potentially making it another iconic cover of the Clown Prince of Crime. We tracked it at a high sale of $35 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $22.

#9: ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 - BOSSLOGIC - ULTIMATE SPECIAL | MARVEL | 2024: BossLogic has an enormous following, totaling over 2 million followers on Instagram. A huge following collected his artwork once he started producing official comic covers. This book was already trending because of the appearance of the new Ultimate Black Panther. Given that Cover A's are hard to find, collectors are opting for other variants, and who better to collect than BossLogic? We tracked it at a high sale of $50 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $29.

#8: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 - MARCO CHECCHETTO - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: This Spider-Man book is ceasing to slow down! While it is no longer in the number one spot, it is still selling enough to remain in our top ten. Marvel released the second print this past week, proving to be just as popular. This cover A still remains one of the highest-valued covers out of the set. Its value is nearing that of the 1:100 cover at a current FMV of $73 for a raw NM copy! We tracked it at a high sale of $203 for a CGC 9.8 copy.

#7: NEW X-MEN #114 - DIRECT EDITION | MARVEL | 2001: Now that the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer has been out for a week, fans have dissected it, analyzing every scene, and many fans noticed an ominous figure that may be the teased villain, Cassandra Nova. Emma Corrin is the rumored actress who will be portraying the role of the villain. Even with the new trailer, we still do not have official confirmation that this rumor is true. Even so, fans are still banking on her appearance and are picking up copies of her first appearance! We tracked it at a high sale of $190 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $16.

#6: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 - R. B. SILVA - 2ND PRINT | MARVEL | 2024: The 2nd print of this book has opened to a fast market. It immediately moved to the aftermarket, and fans could not get enough of Ultimate Spider-Man! The other ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 variants have fallen off the top ten, making room for this newcomer. This book will likely reappear next week as well. However, it is important to note that a 3rd print is on the way and will arrive on March 6th. The pre-sales for the virgin incentive cover have already started increasing in value! We'll see if the 2nd print will remain in the top ten once the next printing drops! We tracked it at a high sale of $24 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $12.

#5: ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1 | MARVEL | 2023: As everyone is collecting the Ultimate Universe, an early book returns to the top ten. This book is starting to get notoriety due to being the first cameo appearance of Maystorm and the new Ultimate Black Panther. This book may have been overlooked when it was first released. However, since the popularity of the two characters has surged, this book deserves a second look! We tracked it at a high sale of $48 for a CGC 9.6 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $29.

#4: FANTASTIC FOUR #209 - NEWSSTAND | MARVEL | 1979: This past Valentine's Day, Marvel took to social media to casually announce the cast for Fantastic Four. Fans entered a frenzy with the project's first official news. One detail that fans noticed was the inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E. in the family portrait. While the first appearance of the Fantastic Four is a grail that the majority cannot afford, the first appearance of H.E.R.B.I.E is well within most collector's reach. The newsstand copy is currently selling fewer copies than the direct edition, which may be due to the difficulty of finding a newsstand copy over a direct edition. We tracked it at a high sale of $63 for a CGC 9.2 copy and a current raw VF FMV of $10.

#3: ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 - STEFANO CASELLI - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2024: The new Ultimate Black Panther has been generating tons of heat. The book itself was already a hot cover before its release, thanks to the massive success of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1. There was also a rumor that a publisher had lost thousands of copies of this first issue. This rumor hasn't been verified or corroborated, but it was enough to keep the aftermarket buzzing. We tracked it at a high sale of $148 for a CGC 9.8 presale copy and a current raw NM FMV of $57.

#2: FANTASTIC FOUR #209 - DIRECT | MARVEL | 1979: H.E.R.B.I.E is here! While casting for the first family's robot was not announced, the family portrait included H.E.R.B.I.E. This led many fans to believe that the casting announcement also announced the inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E in any future Fantastic Four productions. Although there isn't any official announcement for the ever-loving robot, fans are still banking on his appearance by picking up copies of this issue. The direct edition seems easier to obtain, as it sold nearly twice as much as the newsstand edition. We tracked it at a high sale of $350 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw FN FMV of $16.

#1: SECRET WARS #5 - ALEX ROSS - REGULAR | MARVEL | 2015: This book has a small key appearance of Night Machine, an alternate version of Nikola Tesla. However, this isn't the reason the book is trending. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted this cover in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer. There hasn't been any official information about this easter egg, so purchase it with caution! We have no idea if this book was there to reference a specific storyline or simply a nod to the title "Secret Wars." Until we get official clues as to the purpose of this book, buying it at the current prices is a gamble! We tracked it at a high sale of $249 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $28.

And that's your TOP 10 COMICS OF THE WEEK for 2/19/24! Want to know what your comic books are worth? COVRPRICE.COM offers the ULTIMATE price guide with LIVE ungraded (raw) and graded sales for today's market trends. Manage your collection and track your portfolio's overall value with our robust tracking systems. With a free 10-day trial and several affordable price tiers, discover the value of your comics and sign up today! CHECK OUT THE TOP 10 ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!

Todd McFarlane has spent a lot of years since 1997 trying to get another live-action Spawn movie off the ground, and the character has gotten some pretty wild ideas for adaptation along the way.

ComicBook.com's The Collectibles Show got to visit McFarlane Studios recently - Todd McFarlane's production house, workshop and and personal playland. Of the many, many, wonders of geek and pop-culture history that host Chris Krillian saw, one of the most memorable (for better or worse) were the alternate designs for Spawn that some movie-makers considered going with!

As you can see in the video above, the concept art for these Spawn movie characters to some VERY big detours away from Todd McFarlane's artwork in the comic books - concepts even McFarlane describes as being "funky ideas." McFarlane described the "organic" look that a lot of movie-makers wanted to go with for Spawn, with some concepts going as far as looking like something out of the Alien franchise, with its horrific take on what forms "organic life" can take.

Even more striking are the concepts for Spawn's first nemesis Violator and his alter-ego the Clown. The concepts ranged from very comic-accurate versions of violator, to versions that look like the belong in legitimate serial killer and/or horror films. Not so much the lovable rascal version of Violator, played by John Leguizamo in the original film....

New Line Cinema is name-dropped as the studio that was entertaining some of these particular designs, but no breakdown on the artists was given - and really, at this point, that info is probably lost to obscurity. WATCH the FULL VIDEO interivew with Todd McFarlane below:

No doubt a lot of Spawn fans' eyes are going to gravitate toward the more horror-themed designs in artwork portfolio we see here. The 1997 Spawn film went with a superhero blockbuster movie approach - or at least what qualified as a "superhero blockbuster" at that time. Most subsequent discussions of a Spawn reboot film have angled toward the hope that it is much more of a supernatural-horror film than a "superhero" film; for his part, Todd McFarlane has spent over a decade pitching and developing the project as a mystery-horror film, with series policemen Sam and Twitch investigating what turns out to be the demonic figure of Spawn. That film is still currently in development, with Blumhouse Pictures in the scripting stages, as of earlier this year.

Issa Rae's Jessica Drew from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is joining the Marvel Comics Universe. The Insecure star voiced Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman in the animated sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and will presumably return for the third movie in the franchise, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. This Jessica Drew is a Black woman with an afro, who proudly rode into battle pregnant and on a motorcycle. The Spider-Woman from the comics was at one time pregnant as well. Soon, fans will get to see Across the Spider-Verse's Spider-Woman adventures on the comics page.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Edge of Spider-Verse #1. Continue reading at your own risk!

The anthology series Edge of Spider-Verse is back with new adventures and new Spider heroes. Along with introducing readers to Weapon VIII, welcoming back Spider-Byte (another Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star), and teasing Spider-Man 2099's involvement in the Spider-Society, we also got word that future issues of Edge of Spider-Verse will feature the comic debut of Spider-Woman from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. A creative team for the short story will be revealed at a later date, but it should be fun finding out more of the background of Issa Rae's character.

Web of Spider-Man previews future Spider-Man stories

Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and more Spider-Verse heroes will be tangled in the Web of Spider-Man. Marvel Comics announced it will preview the next era of Spidey stories in the new Web of Spider-Man #1, laying out upcoming storylines in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and Spectacular Spider-Men, the next team-up comic starring Peter and Miles. The new giant-sized one-shot relaunches Web of Spider-Man, which originally ran for more than 100 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second volume that ran for another 12 issues in 2009.

Featuring a cover by artist Greg Capullo (Batman), Web of Spider-Man #1 includes Spider-stories from current Amazing Spider-Man writer Zeb Wells, Spider-Men writer Greg Weisman, Spider-Woman (Vol. 8) writer Steve Foxe, and Edge of Spider-Verse (Vol. 4) writer Alex Segura, and artists Ed McGuinness and John Romita Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man), Greg Land (Symbiote Spider-Man), and Salvador Larroca (Uncanny X-Men).

Web of Spider-Man #1 "invites hardcore Spidey fans and new readers into the world of Spider-Man comics with special stories that lay out all that's to come for Marvel's web-swinging icons," per the official synopsis. "Current and future Spidey scribes and artists team up to kickstart their most impactful storylines, spotlight the villains and Spider-Heroes who everyone will be talking about, and introduce the threads that will shake up the Spider-Verse in 2024."

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Deluxe #83.] "The thing to keep in mind about other people's children... they're not our children." With those words, Rick Grimes seemingly suggested abandoning Alexandria on the final page of The Walking Dead #82. Alexandria was overrun after its walls collapsed from the pressure of a massive walker herd, leaving the survivors holed up in a house -- Rick and Carl Grimes, Michonne, Maggie, Sophia, Denise, and Jessie and Ron Anderson -- with no way out.

"I don't mean to sound so insensitive... but if I have to choose between my child or someone else's child, I'm going to choose mine every single time," Rick elaborated in the first panel of issue #83, explaining they would evacuate and find a way to help the others still trapped by the horde. Rick then chopped up a roamer and turned sheets into guts-covered ponchos to disguise the living from the dead, a tactic that would allow the group to push through the zombie masses.

Maggie and Sophia stayed behind, leaving Rick, Carl, Michonne, Denise, and the Andersons to shamble through the horde. But when Ron (younger than his teenage TV counterpart) froze in fear, he drew attention... and was devoured by walkers. Jessie didn't let go of her son and nearly dragged Carl to death as she was eaten alive, forcing Rick to hack off her hand with his hatchet.

After escaping their clutches, Carl and Rick made a run for it... only for a swarmed Douglas Monroe to fire a stray bullet that shot out Carl's eye.

It was a bloody, brutal issue -- one made more horrific when printed in color for the first time in this week's The Walking Dead Deluxe #83. Series creator and script writer Robert Kirkman reflected on Jessie and Ron's deaths in the latest installment of "The Cutting Room Floor":

"This is the 'Carl-gets-his-eye-shot-out' issue. When I have a HUGE event like that in an issue, it's all just a matter of building to that moment," Kirkman wrote. "Also, I've got the Jessie and Ron deaths... which are ROUGH, possibly the saddest and most brutal deaths in the series. I mean, she sees a guy she trusts hack her hand off to kill her to save his son. Sheesh! Top 10 at least, right?"

The horror wouldn't end there. Carl's gunshot wound -- a full panel spread of Rick's son with a chunk of his head missing -- was inspired by Todd McFarlane's '90s Spider-Man run that depicted the aftermath of Kraven the Hunter's suicide by shotgun.

"I wanted to show a CHUNK missing out of Carl's head. A horrifyingly visible GAP, that was the idea," Kirkman wrote. "My inspiration for this moment? The 'Torment' storyline that ran through Spider-Man #1-5. In that story, Kraven has a giant circular void in his head where his eye once was. It, to my thirteen-year-old mind, was the craziest thing ever. So I wanted THAT visual, but I wanted it to be somewhat realistic."

Kirkman envisioned "Carl with his head turned with the wound away from us a little so we could see the gap but still assume there was enough head back there to keep the brain intact." But artist Charlie Adlard drew the straight-on shot that made it into the final issue (and the television series).

"Which honestly, we both know looks like a wound that is impossible to survive," Kirkman continued, "but it was so striking, powerful, and haunting... I just had to keep it unchanged ... I just love the shock and awareness of Carl's face. He KNOWS what happened, and he's terrified."

The Walking Dead Deluxe #83 is on sale now from Image Comics.

Todd McFarlane's Spawn has carved out a unique space in the comic landscape, building a massive mythology in the decades since its debut. The Image Comics series has not only birthed movies, an animated series, and multiple video game appearances, but a record-breaking 350 issues of sequential comics. During a recent interview on ComicBook.com's That Collectibles Show, McFarlane spoke about the tenure he has had on Spawn thus far, and outlined just how difficult it would be for any creator to surpass his current record.

"My first Spider-Man I ever bought, Amazing Spider-Man. I started collecting late, right?" McFarlane explained in our interview, which you can check out above. "I was like 16. The first Spider-Man I ever bought [was] Amazing Spider-Man #167. I have clarity of exactly where I was when I bought it. So #167, that means that comic book had only been around for like 14 years, 13-14 years. By the time I got to draw it, I had to grow up, teach myself, break into comic books, make my chops, and then be able to get to Amazing Spider-Man. And my first issue was #298 and now I'm at #350 with Spawn. So Spawn has got fifty more issues than when I, basically, did my first issue, or it's over double what it was when I bought the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man. And I thought Spider-Man had been around forever at those points. And I go "Wow, time is passing by." And given that we started in 1992, you just do the math, right? I now know that any human being on this planet who's 31 or younger has never spent a day on this planet where my character didn't exist."

"We're going to do math," McFarlane continued. "Let's do the math. You do 120 [issues] every ten years, okay? So at #360, I'm at 30 years. So if I go another 30 years, which I plan on doing it, then I'll be up to over 700 issues. So somebody needs to beat that record. You have to start at twenty [years old]. I don't even know who this, I don't even know who this 20 year-old is that exists. They have to be sitting there right now saying 'I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna do it until I'm 81 years old, and I'm not gonna stop, and then I'll beat Todd."

Will Todd McFarlane Leave Spawn?

In a previous interview with ComicBook.com to promote Spawn #350, McFarlane indicated that he does not plan on leaving the book anytime soon, and argued that his ownership over the character provides a unique creative outlet.

"I've been with Spawn now for over 30 years. I know that seems like a long time," McFarlane explained in our interview. "I've been with my wife for 45 years, and I think I still got another 40 with her, so I don't know. When you enjoy doing what it is you're doing, it's not work, it's easy. And I've said before, I need it in my life because I deal with so much other stuff, especially on the toy side where I deal with corporations and getting people's approvals and getting people to sign off. I need my little creative paradise that is all mine, that I can just wake up, come up with whatever is in my head and do it, and not need anybody's approval. It's my chicken noodle for my soul. I know people go 'Todd, how do you do it for so long?' I think I'd be half crazy if I didn't have it, in all honesty."

Is Spawn Getting a Movie Reboot?

Another facet of the Spawn franchise that fans have been excitedly following is the long-awaited Spawn movie reboot. Spawn will follow the journey of Al Simmons (portrayed by Jamie Foxx), a man who makes a deal with the devil and is reborn as a Hellspawn-turned-vigilante. The new Spawn movie has been in the works since early 2015, with McFarlane initially planning to write and direct it himself. In the years that have followed, Brian Tucker, Scott Silver, Malcolm Spellman, and Matthew Mixon have all been brought on to rewrite the script. Blumhouse's Jason Blum has previously told ComicBook.com that the film is targeting a 2025 release date.

"It's in very very active development," Blum explained in an interview last year. "What needs to happen is that my fellow friends the writers and the studios need to figure out their differences and get back to writing, but we've got a great group of folks putting it together, and my hope is that that movie -- my prediction is maybe we'll actually see a Spawn movie in '25. No promises, but that's my prediction."

What do you think of Todd McFarlane's new comments about Spawn? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Spawn #350 is now available wherever comics are sold.

Marvel's Daredevil is giving new meaning to "sins of the father." Father Matt Murdock was born again as a Catholic priest after sacrificing his life to save the souls of his friends trapped in Hell by the Hand cult, mysteriously returning to life with little memory of his past as the horn-headed vigilante Daredevil. Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder's Daredevil run then pit the hero of Hell's Kitchen against the demonic entities of Hell: the Seven Deadly Sins. The demon Sloth possessed Matt's ex-wife, the assassin Elektra; Envy corrupted his friend, newsman Ben Urich; and Gluttony consumed his ally, She-Hulk. Father Matt exorcised those demons... and now, the sorcerer Doctor Strange must help fight Daredevil's demons.

This week's Daredevil #6 begins with Father Matt praying for forgiveness. "I've been slothful in my duty. Envious of others' happiness. Sought escape in gluttony. And I've sinned against God in ways I've yet to recognize," he confesses. "I pray you'll help me root out those sins and repent of them. I've failed miserably at doing so myself." Father Javi gives Matt his penance: James 2:13.

"Mercy triumphs over judgement," Matt recites. And then, his prayers answered, Stephen Strange tells Matt he's come to remind him of his previous life as Daredevil. "You know exactly what trail these diabolical entities followed to get to Hell's Kitchen," Strange says, using his magic to show Matt that his demons followed him out of Hell. "And it seems they're here to drag you back."

Matt considers that he deserves to be damned, but the demons aren't just punishing him: Elektra, Ben, and She-Hulk all suffered from Matt Murdock's sins. "Why would God allow that?" he questions. Matt then questions why the Sorcerer Supreme can't exorcise the demons with magic, and the answer is that they're Matt's devils. Matt holds the key. Strange can only show him the door.

Strange conjures a mystical door that will only open when Matt names the one who summoned his misery. With a prayer -- "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" -- Matt says, "The sinner these devils followed out of Hell to torment the Kitchen, the man responsible for all of this... is me."

Matt unlocks his memories as Daredevil. The triumphs, the tragedies, the loves, the losses. Battlin' Jack Murdock. Foggy Nelson. Elektra. Karen. Stick. Kingpin. Bullseye. The accident that blinded him. The radioactive liquid that enhanced his remaining senses to make him the crusader for blind justice: Daredevil.

He's entered a place that is "Hell's Kitchen, but it's not," a realm that may be an illusion, or a vision, or a pocket dimension. In this hellish domain lorded over by a towering Devil, Matt is confronted by his tormentor: "FIRST CAST OUT THE BEAM OUT OF THINE OWN EYE. THEN SHALT THOU SEE CLEARLY," the Devil says. "DELIVER SUCH AN ONE UNTO SATAN FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FLESH, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED."

Matt falls into an abyss and faces the worst version of himself: the one who fears. This demonic Daredevil drags Matt into the dark depths of his soul, telling him that God has banished him to darkness. But Matt remembers that mercy is greater than judgment and expels the demon with the words: "God is light!"

And then... let there be light. Matt is reborn again as a purified Daredevil clad in an all-white costume. (Daredevil's newest white costume is a cleaner and sleeker version of the white suit he wore as "the hand of God" in Chip Zdarsky's "Red Fist Saga," which burned with flames of righteousness.) "In Him there is no darkness at all," Daredevil exclaims. God saved him from Hell, but the rest of Matt Murdock's mortal sins are still out there: Lust, Greed, Pride, and Wrath.

"Starting tonight, I'm driving the devils out of the Kitchen. Those born of Hell... and those born of Earth," Daredevil says, leaping into action to combat The Heat gang that have been running Hell's Kitchen during the city-wide Gang War. Daredevil tracks down The Heat's lieutenant to The Bar With No Name, a place where Matt Murdock has indulged in his Wrath more than once.

And so, too, has the next demonically-possessed sinner: a wrathful Wolverine, his unsheathed adamantium claws covered in blood.

Daredevil #6 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

There was a time when Wolverine almost got a new costume from creator Todd McFarlane. The co-founder of Image Comics is still chugging along with Spawn, as the title reaches its milestone 350th issue today. McFarlane rose to fame as an artist for Marvel Comics, with a fan-favorite run on Spider-Man as one of his many highlights. Even though fans typically think of McFarlane's Image Comics co-founder Jim Lee when it comes to the X-Men and Wolverine, McFarlane reveals he was still tasked with coming up with a new costume for the Canadian X-Man.

Todd McFarlane was a recent guest on ComicBook.com's That Collectibles Show, where he showed off never-before-seen concept art for a new Wolverine costume he created. Marvel decided not to use the costume, but McFarlane still kept a design sheet he came up with. "At one point they wanted to revamp Wolverine's costume," Todd McFarlane said. "They said, 'Hey Todd, you wanna take a wack at a costume?' They never took it up, but that's what I sent to them." McFarlane held up a large sheet of artist paper revealing the Wolverine costume, and while it's only partially shown, you have to wonder how the artist changed Wolverine's classic look.

Inside the artist's studio, you can see some of his classic covers, including the cover of Spawn #1 which was released back in 1992. You can check out That Collectibles Show's full interview with Todd McFarlane in the video below:

Todd McFarlane talks Spawn #350

Ever since Al Simmons killed Malebolgia in Spawn #100, nobody has managed to take permanent control of Hell yet. After 250 issues, that's set to change -- and it's going to chart a new course for the foreseeable future of the Spawn family of titles, from creator Todd McFarlane. The series, which holds the Guinness world record for the longest-running American comic book, is starting 2024 with some big things planned.

Spawn #350 hails from writers Rory McConville and Todd McFarlane, with artists Carlo Barberi and Brett Booth (Booth's inks provided by Adelso Corona). Jay David Ramos provides colors for the issue, with Tom Orzechowski on letters.

"I think it's going to be in keeping with what I've done in the past; you're going to get a thick issue," McFarlane told ComicBook.com. "You're going to get terrific artwork. Brett Booth is coming on, he's going to be the new artist on the book. Carlo Barberi, who's been giving me years of his life, he's going to do one of the chapters on that before moving over to [Gunslinger Spawn]. So, visually, it's going to be a hell of a book, right? And then there's going to be... I don't know if it's a true twist ending, but hopefully there'll be a surprise to the end of it that people will go, 'What? Okay, cool.' But that surprise then, although it's a weird one, that although the story sort of culminates this 250 issues of Hell's Throne being vacant finally being filled, right? That's the punchline of the story. It gets filled."

During a tour of his studio for ComicBook.com's The Collectibles Show, artist and executive Todd McFarlane gave a look at a piece of art that had been censored at Marvel -- and apparently was the last straw before he decided to strike out on his own. Speaking with Chris Killian, McFarlane showed off a page from his Spider-Man/X-Force crossover with fellow Image Comics founder Rob Liefeld. It was a page that, according to McFarlane, wasn't meant to be a big statement, but ultimately ended up being one, after Marvel nixed it from publication based on their understanding of the Comics Code Authority's guidelines.

The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 as a self-censoring organization meant to prevent comics from being regulated by the U.S. federal government following a series of high profile controversies. Most mainstream publishers adhered to the code for around 50 years, with Marvel sticking with it until 2001.

"You would have thought I killed a baby or something like that," McFarlane said. "All of a sudden I'm on the phone with like five editors, and a bunch of people going, 'Todd, you can't do it, you can't do it?' and it's like, why? And they said, 'Becuase it's in the Comics Code.' I said, 'The Comics Code? I've been asking for the Comics Code for three years. Why didn't somebody send me the Comics Code? What is the Comics Code? Is there even a copy, or are you guys just making this up?' And they were like, 'Well, we just don't think it'll work,' and then the absurd conversation I had...they just went, 'Todd, you can't stab people.' I can't stab people? What are you talking about? I just bought an issue of Frank Miller, and the cover is Bullsyee gutting Elektra through the gut. 'Ohh, well, you can do it in the stomach, you're doign it in the eye.'"

You can see the complete interview below.

McFarlane pantomimed various other locations around the body that it was or wasn't okay to stab a character, and then delivered the most important part of the story.

"So, I go, 'Here's what's going to happen -- I'm a couple of days from having the baby. I'm going to be a father; I don't know how much that's goign to eat my time....I'm done. I'm done."

McFarlane and Rob Liefeld have both long enjoyed sharing the story of how they marched into Marvel one day to announce they and five other superstar artists were leaving the company to go start their own comics publisher. Of Image's seven original founders, McFarlane has arguably had the most financial success post-Marvel, starting his own toy company as well as publishing comics. A feature film was made based on Spawn -- a comic McFarlane owns in full -- and a few years ago, DC started subcontracting the production of their action figures to McFarlane Toys.