Black Panther, the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe-set inaugural solo movie, starring Chadwick Boseman’s big screen version of the comic book industry’s first African-originated superhero, will head into its release with an auspicious accolade. That’s because the first 24 hours of ticket presales, which started on Monday, proved to be fantastically fruitful, immediately setting a major record.

While the raw numbers are not yet available, Fandango has been tracking the movement of Black Panther’s advance ticket sales, revealing that it has, indeed, surpassed the advance sales numbers posted back in 2016 for Captain America: Civil War, making it the new king of MCU pre-sales. Contextually, Civil War, the highly-anticipated Marvel movie event that showcased, amongst stupendous superhero infighting, the onscreen debut of Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther, posted $179 million in its May 2016 opening weekend, meaning that Black Panther’s advance numbers are making it likely to achieve an opening weekend that's closer to the $200 million mark.  

Regarding the ticket sellers' analysis, Fandango editor Erik Davis states:

“Black Panther is riding an incredible wave of momentum right now. It’s one of the biggest and most anticipated movies to ever open in the month of February, and its trailers have electrified the Internet. Tickets have been going fast ever since presales started on Fandango late Monday.” 

Black Panther was directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, who wowed audiences with the 2013 drama, Fruitvale Station and the 2015 Rocky spinoff, Creed– both of which starred Michael B. Jordan, who returns for Coogler here as villain Erik Killmonger – will draw upon something akin to the unearthly spectacle and grandeur of Asgard from the Thor films to bring the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda to life. Central to the plot is the political power struggle faced by Wakandan royal T’Challa, which will complement an attempt by Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) to exploit the hidden country’s main natural resource, vibranium, the nigh-indestructible metal woven into Black Panther's costume, which was also used to make Captain America’s shield.

Black Panther is set to unleash the fantastic fury of the Wakandan king to the big screen when it arrives at theaters on February 16.

It's a new year, which means new books to read!

Here are some of Den of Geek's most anticipated young adult fantasy and science fiction reads of 2018...

January

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Type: First book in series
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: January 2

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Everless by Sara Holland

Type: First in series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: January 2

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Type: First in series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date: January 9

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution humanity has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and their message leads to the planet Gaia, a treasure trove waiting to be explored.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an ancient alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Despite their opposing reasons for smuggling themselves onto the alien planet's surface, they're both desperate to uncover the riches hidden in the Undying temples. Beset by rival scavenger gangs, Jules and Mia form a fragile alliance... but both are keeping secrets that make trust nearly impossible.

As they race to decode the ancient messages, Jules and Mia must navigate the traps and trials within the Undying temples and stay one step ahead of the scavvers on their heels. They came to Gaia certain that they had far more to fear from their fellow humans than the ancient beings whose mysteries they're trying to unravel. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more Jules and Mia start to feel like their presence in the temple is part of a grand design--one that could spell the end of the human race...

February

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Type: First book in series
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release date: February 6

Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm's most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness--and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the "leftover prince" with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day--soon--he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom's future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Type: First in series
Publisher: Freeform
Release date: February 6

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite, the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land.

But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie, that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide: save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles, or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Anne Aguirre

Type: First in series
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: February 13

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Through the Ages

Type: Short story collection
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: February 27

From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: February 27

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

March

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Type: First book in series
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release date: March 6

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers―and her growing feelings for an enemy.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: March 6

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release date: March 6

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most--a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby--it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she's more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good--But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind's greatest enemy?

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Release date: March 20

Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.

Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.

April

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: April 3

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.

In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.

But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston's School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.

But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.

And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Type: First book in series
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 10

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

Suitors and Sabotage by Cindy Anstey

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Release date: April 17

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.

Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother's intended.

But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of "accidents," it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows―despite their efforts to remain just friends―so does the danger. . .

In Suitors and Sabotage, author Cindy Anstey delivers another witty young adult historical fiction novel that is the perfect mix of sweetly romantic and action-packed.

May

Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett

Type: Standalone
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: May 15

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Type: First book in series
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: May 22

When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable―until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world―and of each other.

August

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

Type: First in series
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: August 7

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

Type: Part of DC Icons Series
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release date: August 7

When the Bat's away, the Cat will play. It's time to see how many lives this cat really has.

Two years after escaping Gotham City's slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Gotham City looks ripe for the taking.

Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove that as Batwing he has what it takes to help people. He targets a new thief on the prowl who has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Together, they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman is clever--she may be Batwing's undoing.

In this third DC Icons book--following Leigh Bardugo's Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Marie Lu's Batman: Nightwalker--Selina is playing a desperate game of cat and mouse, forming unexpected friendships and entangling herself with Batwing by night and her devilishly handsome neighbor Luke Fox by day. But with a dangerous threat from the past on her tail, will she be able to pull off the heist that's closest to her heart?

That's it—for now! Check back in for updates as we learn about more exciting young adult science and fiction reads to be released in 2018. In the mean time, check out our Den of Geek Book Club, and be sure to let us know what you are looking forward to reading in the comments below...

Knuckles the Echnida has become a meme. The once arch rival to Sonic the Hedgehog is now a punch line not only to fans but the franchise itself. Look at Knuckles in the recent Sonic Boom cartoon. The whole joke is that he’s an idiot.

I have no problem with that. Everything surrounding Knuckles’ meme status is comedy gold. I regularly jam to remixes of Knuckles’ theme from Sonic Adventure. I’ve said, “Oh no” to my friends so often I think I’ve ruined the Sonic franchise forever to them.

My somewhat joking love of Knuckles has gotten so pervasive I received the most chuckle inducing gift of all for Christmas this year.

The first six Knuckles comics.

I lost my mind. I had these comics when I was a kid! I couldn’t tell you a thing about the plots (I was more a look at the pictures kinda guy) but I remember loving them. Back before the memes I legit thought Knuckles was kinda cool. Okay, so I was six but still! 

Maybe there was something deeper to be found in Knuckles’ expanded universe back-story. Maybe these comics held the key to Knuckles’ salvation from the dregs of internet meme hell.

As I read through these issues (and these are the first six of Knuckles’ main series, not the mini-series that came before) I was struck not only by the wonderfully dated adds for Post Cereal and Mootown Snacks but something I never could have conceived. 

Knuckles comics are some of the most insane stories for children I’ve ever read in my life. I know that sounds like an over exaggeration but trust me, it isn’t.

Each issue hits you over the head with the kind of 2deep4me opening recap that makes Mohinder’s monologues from Heroes seem like casual conversations.

Take these bits from Issue 3.

“The conviction of one’s beliefs and the courage against theirs of blind obedience and cruelty and the embodiment of one’s honor against those who have none.”

“If you’re an Echidna named Kunckles, above all else, you have faith that you’ve been shown the right path in life, and if you’re true to yourself, you have nothing to fear but fear itself…”

Yeah, that’s right. You just read a goddamn Franklin D. Roosevelt reference in a Knuckles comic. I hope you liked that touch of politics because these comics are obsessed with the political machinations of the Echidnas.

(Et tu, Garek?)

In these two arcs we get intergenerational clashes over anti technological beliefs, nuclear fallout panic, and a refuge crises. Lines like, “The Citizen Council of Echidnaopolis did have a vote” abound. In fact that particular line happens just before a dude nearly gets assassinated in the Echidna senate.

Man, I just came here for Knuckles chucklin’, I didn’t expect all this!

When the series isn’t filling you in on the current dynasty of Echnida Guardians and their relations to the neighboring Dingoes it’s nearly all about Knuckles’ family history. It never stops! Every issue Knuckles is learning about a new family member or something awful one of his great grandparents did that totally boned the Echidnas for generations.

Okay, so that doesn’t sound all bad actually. Yeah it’s kinda dense but it has some unexpected depth for a kids comic. Maybe they were able to sneak this past Archie Comics and this is a hidden gem of a political thriller!

And then you get lines like, “You picked the wrong Croc to step to, bro.”

(This is objectively the greatest comic panel of all time.)

Ah yes, when the comic does remember it’s an adaption of a video game it’s filled with nothing but bad one liners. Some more examples include,

“Say, Knux—You sure we’re the only ones who know how to hip-hop around here?”

“Say, pal, know what time it is? It’s CRUNCH time!”

“The dope is strictly Looney Tunes!”

These comics are incredibly confused about who they’re made for. In the same series where Knuckles legit chokes a dude out for information, Vector the Crocodile blares the actual theme to Sonic CDto stop a forest fire. 

These tones clash too intensely against one other. You can’t have pages and pages of political diatribes punctuated with jokes like this one directed at Espio the Chameleon, 

“How come you’re always so full of bad Karma, Esp?”

I will admit, that was legit a funny line but it all just leaves me so confused. What age group were these comics written for? The writer or editor didn’t answer the letters from fans that were printed in every issue. They were answered by Knuckles. Each issue contains fan art from kids who were usually around 8 or 9 years old. 

This was supposed to be a comic for young kids but the plots don’t reflect that, outside of the very rare action scene where Knuckles and the Chaotix take down the bad guys.

Now I’m not saying these comics should have been stupid tales filled with fart jokes. I regularly advocate on this very website that children’s entertainment shouldn’t talk down to kids. However, and this is probably the first time I’ve ever said this, the Knuckles comics went too far in the other direction. 

They’re too complicated for a kid to follow. I certainly couldn’t when I was six and buying these comics. In fact I think there’s really only one audience for these comics.

Edgy middle school kids. Yeah, those kids who take their favorite comic/show a little too seriously. Who would read those opening recaps and feel smug at how “mature” their comics are without quite understanding what the hell they’re reading. Who’d decry all the one liners and bad jokes for being “too silly” and that the comic should focus more on Knuckles’ tragic back-story. 

(NOT MY VCR! How will I tape reruns of Pretty Soldier Sally Moon with that hunk Tuxedo Knucks?!)

I know that sounds like a dig but that’s the element I found most charming. The comic takes their subject matter so seriously and without irony that I have to give them props. There’s clearly a lot of thought put into the world of Echidnas that I could totally see a fan wanting to chronicle every little detail on a wiki page. 

I could also see tweens identifying with Knuckles. While he barely has an actual character arc, his main conflict about how no one in his life ever tells him anything would totally strike a chord. When you’re 12 you’re just angry with your parents for being too strict, man! You can handle anything!

If you’re not in that age group though, these comics are just a chuckle inducing oddity. They’re weird as hell and definitely not what you expect but that doesn’t exactly make them good. They certainly can’t save Knuckles from his current punchline/meme status.

While I’m sure some hardcore fans appreciate the depth in these stories I think I’ll stick to flexing my Knuckles.

Shamus Kelley is tougher than leather. Follow him on Twitter!  

For your reading pleasure and convenience, here's a look at every superhero movie that Warner Bros., Marvel Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Sony have planned for about the next half decade or so. We hope your eyes are rested, because this is a long read. Seriously, by the time that you're done this, that Martin scorsese-produced Joker Origin Story will be out.

We've got all of 'em, from Black Panther to Wonder Woman 2, as well as movies you probably never expected to see (we're looking at you, Deadpool 2) and some that may never come to fruition (a Nightwing movie? What a time to be alive!).

Just by way of disclaimer, we've already gone into more detail about each of the respective studios' superhero schedules in other articles. We've got some details here to be sure, but if you want a thorough breakdown of what Warner Bros and DC have to offer, click here.

For the full Marvel studios schedule with details click here.

And our slightly more speculative look at the Fox X-Men/Fantastic Four plans are here. 

February 16th, 2018: Black Panther

Finally! T'Challa is coming to the big screen, and he'll be played by Chadwick Boseman. He was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and we'll see his first solo adventure in February of 2018.

The Black Panther is a fascinating character, whose exploits can be as high-tech as Iron Man's or as high-adventure as Indiana Jones. We provided a few helpful suggestions for stories Marvel should take a look at for the movie right here.

March 8th, 2018: Jessica Jones Season 2

Yes, we know, this is a TV show and not a movie, but Marvel's Neflix shows are just so cinematic, and the first season of Jessica Jones was so amazing, and you deserve something to get you through the wait between Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, that we just had to include this.

April 13th, 2018: The New Mutants 

Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is directing the New Mutants movie. Boone co-wrote the film with Knate Gawley, Scott Neustadter, and Michael H. Weber.   

The New Mutants were the first of Marvel's X-Men spinoffs in the comics, dealing with a younger crop of gifted youngsters as the core X-Men cast expanded and aged. Danielle Moonstar, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Cannonball, Magik, and Warlock will all be part of the team, making for a more racially diverse cast than we've seen in most X-Men movies so far.

Learn more about the New Mutants right here!

May 4th, 2018: Avengers: Infinity War

The Russo Bros. went directly from their directing duties on Captain America: Civil War into this one, which has wrapped production. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are wrote the script. 

Watch The Avengers on Amazon

Have you seen that trailer?! Seriously, this looks absolutely amazing.

June 1st, 2018: Deadpool 2

Josh Brolin is Cable, John Wick's David Leitch is directing, and Drew Goddard is helping out with the script, too, which is a good thing. It's currently in production, and Ryan Reynolds is promoting the Deadpool franchise as hard has he did in the first time around.

The first Deadpool movie did amazing business in February with an R-rating, so this should really cook with that June release date.

July 6th, 2018 - Ant-Man and The Wasp

Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne will return, marking the first female superhero to have her name in the title of a Marvel movie. Peyton Reed will return to direct. Best of all? Michelle Pfeiffer will play Janet Van Dyne! We should have a trailer for this soon.

Watch Ant-Man on Amazon

July 27th, 2018 - Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

This was formerly the date occupied by the Aquaman movie, but that was bumped to December. Instead, Warner Bros. has given the release date to the Teen Titans Go! animated film. While this isn't part of the DCEU (obviously), we promised you all the DC movie releases, and this one counts!

October 5th, 2018: Venom

There are conflicting reports about whether or not this will have any ties at all to Spider-Man: Homecoming, let alone the MCU (this one is purely a Sony production). We're only including it here to be on the safe side for now.

Tom Hardy will star as Eddie Brock, and Ruben Fleischer is directing, from a script by Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg.

November 2th, 2018: X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Little is known about this at the moment but the title sure reveals a lot, doesn't it? This would be the proper X-Men 7 that New Mutants most certainly is not. Simon Kinberg is directing. 

We've written extensively about why doing the Dark Phoenix saga properly on screen is a good idea right here.

December 14th, 2018 - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

While this one isn't technically part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we're including it here for the completists among you. This one comes from the minds behind The LEGO Movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are writing and executive producing. Shameik Moore will voice Miles Morales, Liev Schrieber plays a villain, and Mahershala Ali is the voice of Miles' uncle, The Prowler!

Here's the official synopsis: 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.

December 21th, 2018: Aquaman

Jason Momoa is playing Aquaman. There's no doubt that they studio has been taking Aquaman very seriously, and he's a standout character in Justice League. Amber Heard will also appear as Queen Mera. Patrick Wilson is Ocean Master and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta.

James Wan (Furious 7) will direct from a script by Will Beall (Gangster Squad). Expect a big, high adventure style romp.

February 8th, 2019 - Silver and Black

Again, we're not sure how Sony's Spider-Man spinoff movies tie into the Marvel Universe, but based on Spider-Man: Homecoming, we're just going to play it safe and include them here.

Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing from a script by Christopher Yost.

Februrary 14th, 2019: Gambit

With Logan marking the last time Hugh Jackman will play Wolverine, the X-Men films are bound to find themselves in dire need of a new heroic "face of the franchise" some time in the next five years, and Channing Tatum as Gambit might just be the answer.

A proven box-office draw like Tatum playing a sly, shady X-Man might be the way to go. Gambit's complex backstory should provide ample fodder for a solo movie, which will apparently focus less on traditional superheroics and more on his background as a thief. Everyone loves Deadpool, but clearly he (the character, not Ryan Reynolds) doesn't have the leading man looks of a Channing Tatum. Lea Seydoux will likely play opposite Tatum as Bella Donna.

While Gambit has gone through a parade of directors, and there is continual chatter that they haven't even gotten the script right yet, it looks like things are finally on track with Gore Verbinski as director. 

And then there are all these mystery dates...which may not ever come to pass anyway.

March 8th, 2019: Captain Marvel

Carol Danvers' origin story would make a fine superhero film. If you're a studio looking to make the leap with a female-fronted superhero film, a character with a power set more impressive than Wonder Woman is just be the one to do it with. This one will take place in the 1990s and feature shape-shifting Marvel aliens the Skrulls as villains. Start your speculation engines!

Nicole Perlman, who famously helped develop Guardians of the Galaxy for the screen, is pairing with Meg LeFauve (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, Inside Out) to write the Captain Marvel movie. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are directing. Brie Larson stars as the titular hero.

April 5th, 2019 - Shazam

Lights Out director David F. Sandberg is directing Shazam, from a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Asher Angel will play Billy Batson, Zachary Levi is Shazam, and Mark Strong is the villainous Dr. Sivana. It star Jack Dylan Grazer is on board as Freddy Freeman, too!

[related article: Why the Shazam Movie is Important]

The movie begins production in 2018, and it's a safe bet to make this 2019 release date.

May 3rd, 2019, Avengers 4

This was originally known as Avengers: Infinity War - Part II, but that has changed. Not much else to report on this one at the moment, but we'll keep you updated.

June 7th, 2019: Unknown Fox Marvel Project

June 14th, 2019: Unknown D.C. Project

This was long ago announced as the Justice League 2 release date, but this is no longer the case. Director Zack Snyder would like to take on another project, and there are recent indications that Warner Bros is prioritizing The Batman solo movie over this, and that this could end up being that film's date instead. The Batman solo movie has Matt Reeves as director but...probably won't star Ben Affleck. We're not sure what the status of that is at the moment.

It's also possible that this could end up being David Ayer's Gotham City Sirens movie. Or maybe it will end up being the new date for...something else?

July 5th, 2019: Spider-Man Sequel

Right after the release of the trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel and Sony wasted no time at all in announcing a sequel. We're not complaining.

November 1st, 2019 - Wonder Woman 2

The most critically acclaimed DCEU movie is definitely getting a sequel. Patty Jenkins will return to direct Wonder Woman 2, which will move Diana's story forward in time...but possibly not too far forward. Expect what might be another adventure set in the past.

November 22th, 2019: Unknown Fox Project

February 14th, 2020 - Untitled DC Film

We're not quite sure what this one is just yet, but there are a couple of possibilities down below. Could this be Man of Steel 2 which is back in active development at the studio? It's yet another potential landing date for Ben Affleck's Batman solo movie, too. In fact, given that movie's ongoing troubles, this is probably its most likely arrival date.

On the other hand, this could also be a good fit for Gotham City Sirens, Suicide Squad 2, or Nightwing (see below for details on those).

March 13th, 2020: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie

April 3rd, 2020 - Cyborg

Ray Fisher made his first (very brief) appearance as Vic Stone/Cyborg in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and has a crucial role to play in Justice League. At one point he was supposed to feature in The Flash solo movie, too, but it's not clear if that's still the case.

No other details are presently available, and there are also rumors that this one might be reworked into a movie that would introduce the Teen Titans to the big screen.

May 1st, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie

June 5th, 2020: Unknown DC Movie

June 26th, 2020: Untitled Fox Marvel Movie

July 24th, 2020 - Green Lantern Corps

Fairly or unfairly, Green Lantern has the most working against him. The 2011 film failed to kickstart the DC Universe as planned, and received a lukewarm (at best) critical and box-office reception. There are, of course, ways around this.

One way is to simply not make Hal Jordan the central Green Lantern of the movie. This one may focus on as many as three Green Lanterns, with the main focus on a kind of buddy/cop movie with John Stewart and Hal Jordan. David Goyer and Justin Rhodes are writing the script, but there's no director in place yet, although Rupert Wyatt's name has been linked to the job.

August 7th, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie 

October 2nd, 2020: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie

November 6th, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie 

Any one of those MCU dates is a potential landing spot for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which is already confirmed) or Doctor Strange 2 (which is likely, but hasn't been officially announced yet). We'll update this as we get more information on all of these projects!

March 5th, 2021: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie

There are really only a few possibilities here (other than the inevitable Deadpool 3)...

Now, let's get into the projects that are in the works, but don't have release dates yet. We've grouped these roughly in the order we expect to see them based on how far along they are.

The Flash: Flashpoint

After losing two directors/writers in Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) this one needs some work, and potential directors now include Matthew Vaughn and Robert Zemeckis. The latest is that it's being completely rewritten by Joby Harold and it will be based on the Flashpoint story from the comics.

Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Madame Bovary) is playing Barry Allen, but probably a very different Barry Allen than the one we currently love on TV. Kiersey Clemons is Iris West. It's possible that we'll get a guest appearance from Ray Fisher as Cyborg and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, as well.

Nightwing

The Lego Batman movie director Chris McKay has been tapped to direct a Nightwing movie. Bill Dubuque (The Accountant) is working on a script. No other details are currently available, and this one doesn't have a release date yet, although there are rumors of a 2019 window.

We wrote more about it here.

Batgirl

Joss Whedon will write, direct, and produce a Batgirl movie, one that is reportedly based on Gail Simone's recent New 52 take on the character. We have some more details here, but there's no casting or release date to report yet. This is another one where there are rumors of 2019 in the wind, but don't put any stock in that yet.

Suicide Squad 2

While the critical response to the first film wasn't so hot, the box office was blazing, so Suicide Squad 2 is definitely happening. David Ayer going to be too busy with Gotham City Sirens until further notice, though, so Gavin O'Connor (The Accountant) is writing and directing this one.

Justice League 2

This isn't terribly likely at the moment given how the first film underperformed at the box office, but don't count it out yet!

Black Adam

Shazam doesn't have a star to play its title character yet, but it sure does have a villain. And that villain, who will be played by Dwayne Johnson, is certainly strong enough to sustain his own movie.

There's no release date set for the Black Adam movie, and this is the kind of thing that could work as a nifty prequel to set up the mystical world of Shazam if they choose to go that route. We're currently on the lookout for more info. Adam Sztykiel (Due Date, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul) is writing.

Deathstroke

Joe Manganiello has been cast as Slade Wilson, known to DC fans as Deathstroke. Long rumored as the villain of The Batman solo movie (that is no longer the case), Deathstroke is now going to get a solo film, written and directed by The Raid's Gareth Evans. At the moment, there is no release date.

Joker Origin Story

Warner Bros. is developing a solo movie for The Joker, Batman's greatest villain. Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) will direct, and co-write a script with Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter). Martin Scorsese is producing. This is to be a Joker origin story, told as "a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-’80s Gotham City that isn’t meant to feel like a DC movie as much as one of Scorsese’s films from that era."

This movie will feature a different actor (not Jared Leto) in the role, and it's not completely clear whether or not this will officially tie in with the rest of the DCEU continuity. It sounds like the studio is pursuing a big screen version of DC Comics'"Elseworlds" line. 

Joker & Harley Quinn Movie

There's another Joker-centric flick in the works this one, a Joker and Harley Quinn movie is absolutely part of the DCEU, and would pick up where Suicide Squad left off. There are currently on additional details available on this one, either.

Not to be confused with...

Harley Quinn

Yes, there's also another Harley Quinn movie in development! Whether this is a solo project or something else remains to be seen. 

Justice League Dark

At one time this was called Dark Universe, until Universal came along and ruined that name with their failed horror movie shared franchise. This one will feature the supernatural characters from the DC Universe. Characters like Swamp Thing, Demon, Deadman, Zatanna, and possibly even John Constantine.

Guillermo del Toro was attached to this one for quite some time, but had to leave the project. Then it was Doug Liman. Now it might be Daniel Espinosa or Gerard Johnstone. This will probably remain slow going.

Booster Gold (and maybe Blue Beetle)

Flash and Arrow executive producer Greg Berlanti is going to executive produce and possibly direct a Booster Gold movie. Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class) will write the script.

Early reports described this as a "superhero buddy cop movie" that would involve Blue Beetle. We'll get you more updates on this as they become available.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Director James Gunn has long said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will complete the story of Peter Quill and the current team, so it's possible that whatever comes after that film may include Sylvester Stallone and this new band of misfits. “I’m definitely interested in the direction that these characters are headed and their roles in the Marvel Universe," Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter. Don't expect the comic book canon to weigh to heavily on their portrayal, though. For one thing, as originally envisioned, these characters are from 1,000 years in the Marvel Universe's future, and that's not the case here. “That is not something that we’re dealing with. These are older characters and more criminal than our Guardians. So we’re focusing on that," Gunn added. In any event, it doesn't sound like we'll be getting that new lineup until Guardians of the Galaxy 4.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 3

Tom Holland let it slip that his current Spider-Man run is a planned trilogy. After the first film, we want as much time with his version of Spidey as we can get.

Dr. Doom

After trusting him to help bring the obscure Marvel character Legion to FX, Fox has tapped Noah Hawley to develop a movie based on Fantastic Four main antagonist Dr. Doom.

The premiere villain in the Marvel pantheon, Dr. Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962’s Fantastic Four#5 and has since gone on to serve as a villainous proving ground for almost every major Marvel superhero.

X-Force

Drew Goddard is writing and directing, which is awesome news. The above concept art is from a previous version of the project, so don't get too excited. 

We're going to first meet Cable in Deadpool 2, which will also introduce Zazie Beetz as another X-Force member, Domino. It's possible that X-Force could essentially function as Deadpool 3 if they decide to pursue the same tone, which seems likely. You can learn more about the weird history of X-Force right here!

Don't expect this one until at least 2019. Hopefully it all still happens.

Deadshot

Warner Bros. knows they have one of the biggest stars in the world already in costume, so they're reportedly considering a Deadshot solo movie, as well.

Lobo

Back on the schedule after years of being dormant, the Lobo movie may attempt to be the DCEU equivalent of Deadpool. Jason Fuchs must have impressed Warner Bros. with his work on Wonder Woman, because he's on board to write the script for this one.

We'll update this with more information as we get it, but it should be a fun ride.

Sandman

Sandman isn't a superhero movie, so the fact that he wasn't involved in an announcement that primarily focused on high-profile franchises (along with the superhero slate, Warner Bros. focused on Lego movies and Harry Potter spinoffs). It isn't a DC Universe movie that will have any bearing on future Justice League films. But it is one of the most successful, enduring comics of all time. 

The latest news on this isn't encouraging, though. It appears to be a dead project.

[related article: Sandman - The Essential Horror Comic of the '90s]

Legion of Super-Heroes

This one came as a big surprise when the rumor surfaced a couple of years ago. The word is that Warner Bros., perhaps inspired by the runaway success of Guardians of the Galaxy, is looking to put together their own superheroic space opera. Nobody has been hired. Warner Bros. have simply placed this one on the table as a DC property potentially worth developing, and are inviting writers to make pitches.

Don't count on it any time soon, though, as the Legion are about to be prominently featured on Supergirl Season 3, which probably chills their cinematic prospects for awhile.

Metal Men

Perhaps the longest of the long-shots, the Metal Men movie is something that's been in discussion as far back as 2007. It's the most bizarre concept of the bunch, involving a mad scientist and his group of sentient elemental robots, but like Suicide Squad and Legion of Super-Heroes, perhaps that uniqueness is what makes this one so appealing. Warner Bros. can't be seen to copy the Marvel model too closely, so veering away from solo outings for traditional heroes and into this kind of territory might be the very best thing they can do for the brand.

The Metal Men recently received a New 52 facelift at the hands of writer Geoff Johns, the co-chair of DC Films. If they're a favorite of DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer, it would be wrong to count the Metal Men out, even if there's been no public movement on this project in recent memory.

There are even more films rumored or gestating at all of these studios, but to read about those potential projects, you'll have to head to each studio's individual calendar. Happy reading! 

We'll keep updating this with new information as we get it!

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Warner Bros. and Amazon Studios are putting together a talented cast for their movie adaptation of Dona Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller The Goldfinch. Luke Wilson just signed on to play the father character to Ansel Elgort's Theodore Decker.

The Goldfinch is the story of a young man who, after surviving a terrorist attack at the Met that killed his mother, is drawn into New York City's art underworld. At one point in the narrative, Theodore ends up in Las Vegas with his father, a failed actor and alcoholic, which is where Wilson comes in.

Brooklyn's John Crowley is helming the feature film, which also stars Sarah Paulson (as Xandra), Jeffrey Wright (as Hobie), and Aneurin Barnard (as Boris). According to Variety, Willa Fitzgerald is also in talks to sign on as Kitsey Barbour.

The Goldfinch film is slated to begin shooting later this month. It is being co-financed, with Amazon Studios investing more than a third of the film's budget (estimated to be roughly $40 million, according to Variety). While Warner Bros. will distribute the film in theaters, Amazon will have streaming rights.

More news on The Goldfinch film adaptation when we hear it.

From the moment Harry Potter and the Cursed Child first opened in London's Palace Theatre last summer, American fans have been asked when the sequel to the Harry Potter book series will come to New York. It's happening, Potterheads.

In recent news, The Cursed Child cast has officially begun rehearsals for the Broadway production. The play released this video which shows the returning and new cast members getting to know this play in its new context. Check it out...

Here's everything we know about the play's Broadway debut...

The Cursed Child Broadway Cast

It's official! Seven of the cast members from the original West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be debuting the production on Broadway.

According to Variety, Jamie Parker (Harry), Noma Dumezweni (Hermione), and Anthony Boyle (Scorpius Malfoy), who all won Olivier Awards for their roles, will be returning for the Broadway production. I enjoyed Boyle so much in the role, I wrote a whole feature about the character and his interpretation of it.

Sam Clemmett (Albus Potter), Paul Thornley (Ron), Poppy Miller (Ginny), and Alex Price (Draco) will also be returning from the original West End cast. New members of the 28-member cast include: Byron Jennings, Kathryn Meisle and David Abeles.

The Cursed Child Broadway Release Date

We have an official release date! According to Entertainment Weekly, The Cursed Child will open on Broadway on April 22, 2018 in the Lyric Theatre.

The Cursed Child Broadway How to Get Tickets

The next round of tickets will go on sale on February 7, beginning at 11 am E.T. for the performances running from March 16, 2018 to March 9, 2019. In order to access them, you must become a Ticketmaster Verified Fan.

Go to the official site for more information.

The Cursed Child Broadway Theater

The Cursed Child will open at the Lyric Theatre. Producer Colin Callender said of the discussion:

We are still subject to planning, but assuming we get the go ahead, we will have the theatre of our dreams that will be intimate enough for a drama, yet big enough for us to follow in the footsteps of the London production and continue to provide low priced tickets throughout the auditorium.

This explains why Cirque du Soleil's Paramour just unexpected announced plans to leave the Lyric Theatre, which will be closed for "renovations" in April. 

It sounds like the renovations will be a complete Potter-driven retrofit that will include making the theater slightly more intimate (going from 1,900 to 1,500 seats to accomodate the tone of the show) and remodeled the front of the house as well so that the immersive experience begins as soon as fans enter the building. 

Hopefully, we'll also get something as cool as the giant nest atop the Palace Theatre...

Producer Sonia Friedman told Pottermore that the creative team headed over to New York in September to look at potential venues for The Cursed Child, and settled on The Lyric Theatre. Between now and the spring of 2018, the theater will undergo a massive, multi-million-dollar transformation.

Set designer Christine Jones said of the planned transformation: "The hope is that this theater will have its own soul and its own identity, very much a New York theater from the period and not just a recreation of what was made in London ... It's an incredibly unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

With Riverdale being a hit and production on a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina sister series (based on the Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa/Robert Hack comic of the same name) underway, Archie Comics will illustrate to new fans that their current TV lineup isn't the first time the company has gotten weird.

Not by a long shot.

You see, back in the 1970s several Archie titles dealt with action-based stories that deviated from the typical Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle or Jughead's pursuit of hamburgers. Thus, intrepid readers perusing the latest issue of Life with Archie or Archie at Riverdale High would suddenly find themselves reading stories in which, say, an evil teddy bear hypnotizes Betty Cooper into walking off a cliff or the gang encounters a stranger who can make multiple copies of himself to wreak dating havoc throughout the town. These stories were incredibly strange, and that's not even getting into the weirdness that was Al Hartley's use of Archie characters in comics created entirely for Christian bookstores.

Seeing how Riverdale keeps ramping up the weirdness, not the mention the success that Archie has had with their horror titles, it makes sense that at this moment in time Chilling Adventures in Sorcerywould resurface in the form of a new trade paperback that hits stores next Wednesday.

Debuting in 1972, the comic was a Tales from the Crypt-esque horror anthology that featured stories introduced by Sabrina. These tales were darker than the typical Archie yarn and therefore very much in line with the experimentation that the publisher was trying out, one that was a perfect fit for the tumultous era against which they were created. After the first two issues, which featured work from Archie veterans like Dan DeCarlo and Stan Goldberg, the Sabrina was jettisoned from the title -- which was now released by the company's Red Circle imprint. Free from the shackles of association with its more family-friendly companion comics, this new Chilling Adventures in Sorcery ramped up the spooky strangeness thanks largely to the involvement of horror great Gray Morrow. Although a truly great book, it never quite caught on and sputtered along for a few more issues before receding into obscurity/comic shop discount bins.

No longer.

The new 192-page trade Chilling Adventures in Sorcery compiles the best stories from the comic's original run, complete with an original cover from Afterlife with Archie's Francesco Francavilla. (The title's legacy lives on in Archie's current Sabrina title, as well as its upcoming TV series). We've got your exclusive first look at the book, check it out:

The black-and-white trade will retail for $19.99, which is a small price to pay to own an odd and suitably scary piece of comic history. As Den of Geek's resident Archie obsessive, I personally hope this book is such a success that the publisher opens its vaults for more of these type of weirdo books. Anyone else up for a Marvelous Maureen or Glen Scarpelli in Hollywood compilation?

The Other History of the DC Universe is coming. As DC Comics kicks off its DC in DC weekend, celebrating the imminent arrival of Black Lightning on TV screens, they're also revealing a major project from screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Let it Fall).

Here's the official synopsis for The Other History of the DC Universe, courtesy of DC Comics:

The story will analyze iconic DC moments and chart sociopolitical gains through the perspectives of DC Super Heroes who come from traditionally disenfranchised groups, including John Stewart, Extraño, Vixen, Supergirl, Katana and Rene Montoya among others. At its core, the series focuses on the lives of those behind the costumes, and their endeavors to overcome real-world issues.

“I could not be more excited by the opportunity to excavate the canon of the DC Universe through a vast array of characters who’ve earned their seat at the table,” Ridley said in a statement.  “I’m very impressed with DC's commitment to making their history as reverent and urgent as it is engaging and entertaining for all its many fans.” 

Ridley has been flirting with the world of superheroes for a while now. For the last year or so there have been rumblings that he is developing a Marvel TV show for ABC, as well. But The Other History of the DC Universewill be his first comics work.

The Other History of the DC Universeis the latest ambitious project from DC, who have turned their comic book line around dramatically over the last two years. Between the core fan success of the Rebirth initiative, and the deft blend of social issues with beloved characters in books like The Flintstones and The Snagglepuss Chronicles, DC is using comics to address the real world in ways it hasn't in well over a decade. We'll keep you updated on the details of this project as we get them.

You'll be able to see a livestream of John Ridley talking about The Other History of the DC Universe on Saturday at 11 am.

Philip K. Dick wants people to stay human in a progressively dehumanizing world. If it looks like tech and politics are nasty now, it is only the beginning. Virtual realities, tech uprising, mutations and government regulations will compete with simple eon to eon life. Dick saw the future and translated his visions into short stories of twisted hope. Amazon is running the sci-fi anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. The ten standalone episodes are set in a different worlds, and from five to 5000 years in the future. Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams season 1 will be available on Friday, January 12th exclusively on Prime Video.

Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was published in 1968, was the blueprint for Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction noir classic Blade Runner. Dick’s stories were adapted into 2002’s Minority Report, and the 2015 Amazon series The Man in the High Castle, as well as Paycheck (2003), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Radio Free Albemuth (2010), The Adjustment Bureau (2011), and Total Recall (2012).

In episode 2, "Impossible Planet," written and directed by writer/director David Farr (The Night Manager, Outcasts), a 350-year-old blind woman traveled all the way from Riga to Formalhaut IX for an Astral Dreams travel packages to the long-extinct earth. The episode stars Jack Reynor as a tour guide torn by ambiguity and destiny. The Irish actor best known for What Richard Did, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and Macbeth pondered tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow in an exclusive interview with Den of Geek.

Den of Geek: Did you grow up reading Philip K. Dick?

Jack Reynor: To be honest with you, before the start of the show I hadn’t read much of his work. But I’d obviously seen Blade Runner. I was aware of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” I was a fan of Scanner Darkly, I watched that when I was a teenager. So, I was kind of familiar with his work, but growing up I read more of the H.G. Wells and Jules Verne kind of fiction rather than the 20th Century stuff.

You liked the classics.

I was a huge fan of Blade Runner. That was a pretty formative film for me growing up. It really got my sci-fi juices flowing, as it were.

Had you read this particular story before you played it?

No, I hadn’t, and I actually stayed away from it until the week that I finished because David Farr told me he was adapting it. That it wasn’t necessarily going to be the exact same story. That he was changing the ending and there was going to be some different things in it. So, with that in mind, I decided to stay away from the material and read it afterwards. Although there are a lot of similarities in the stories, the characters are quite different, and the end is quite different as well. In a way, I think I was kind of impartial. It might have helped with the performance and where I wanted to go and what David wanted if I didn’t read it to begin with.

It’s only 11 pages, do you think it would have changed your performance?

Probably not consciously but subconsciously I probably would have been informed by the material. I think that’s often the case with acting. If we read something, it makes an impression. To my thinking, the best thing was to go into it like it was original material.

Have you since read more of Philip K. Dick’s stories?

Yeah, I started to read The Man in High Castle, and I’ve really been enjoying it. I’ve actually been reading a lot of science fiction. My next project is a TV show about a rocket scientist and occultist called Jack Parsons. I’m now consumed by Jack Parsons and that whole world, but I am reading a lot of sci fi and looking back at the old Amazing Stories and Weird Tales, which I’ve always loved. I’ve always been a great fan of HP Lovecraft.

Do you know if you’ll be shooting the Strange Angel on location?

I believe a lot of it will be shot in Pasadena, yes. Other parts will be a little further to the west in LA.

Have you been at Devil’s Gate yet?

No, I haven’t been there yet. Why? What’s the story?  What are you supposed to feel? Is there some supernatural force at work there in Devil’s Gate?

That’s where they did the Babalon Working. It could either be it was an extraterrestrial that they contacted or a demon they conjured but something visited them when they were performing the actual ritual.

Oh, wow [laughs], well I’ll keep my eyes peeled.

Do you believe in magic?

Yeah, it’s an interesting concept. I think it applies to the Philip K. Dick thing as well, particularly to my episode of Electric Dreams, actually. I was raised as a Catholic. I went to a Jesuit school. Obviously being from Ireland was brought up in quite a regimented belief structure. I shed a lot of that rigidity and got a sense that there are definitely forces that we don’t understand. I think magic. It’s a word to apply to some of those things. I think there’s divine providence but then there’s something else as well.

I met a guy the other day, I’m not going to say who he is but he’s known to dabble in the occult. He’s one of my heroes. He’s a graphic novel writer and I’ve been trying to meet this guy for the last three months, been trying to set up a meeting with him. The week that I landed the Jack Parsons job, this guy just happened to be sitting behind me on a plane. It was totally crazy. We flew to Dublin and had some drinks together and I told him I’d been trying to set up a meeting with him for the longest time and he said “well hey man, magic is a real thing.” And he quoted T.S. Elliot, well paraphrased him, and said “between the thought and the deed lies the shadow.” Which I thought was really interesting, really insightful.

There’s some of that strange energy in our episode of Philip K. Dick as well. So the short answer is yes, I think magic is probably a real thing.

Well, specifically to the Philip K. Dick episode, do you believe in past lives?

Past lives? I don’t know. I don’t want to get too existential. I feel as though maybe our concept of time and space is very limited. Maybe everything is all happening at once, if you know what I mean. Maybe me and you starting this conversation five minutes ago, still exists somewhere else, in a different space and time. Our perception of it is just flowing in a narrative because that’s the only way we can process it. Whether or not past lives exist, I don’t know.

I was driving in the country with some of my friends the other day and we were laughing. I had my dog in the back or the car and I said to my friends: “You know what I’ve been thinking about a lot lately? I’ve been thinking about how a dog experiences time.” Whether or not they have any kind of concept of time that’s like what we have. Does he know we’ve been in a car for a length of time or is it all just abstract to him? But the more I thought about it, the more confused I become, and the less answers I have, really.

Staying with time there was an internet meme a few years ago about a cell phone in an old Charlie Chaplin movie. First do you think Philip K. Dick put it there?

Isn’t there some conspiracy theory about that? Am I thinking of Philip K. Dick or Edgar Allen Poe? People think he might have been a time traveler somehow?

I’m not sure. I can’t get past how Nicholas Cage keeps popping up everywhere, from old Civil War photographs to new movies.

That’s very funny. Who knows? Philip K. Dick, if nothing else, he was a very insightful guy. He could see into the future, that’s for sure. So with that in mind, maybe he could see into the past as well. Maybe he could go there and give that woman a cell phone.

You worked with Geraldine Chaplin on the episode. Do you think she knows the truth?

I think she’s a time traveler. Geraldine’s really amazing. She’s quite the personality. She’s so gracious and so kind of electrifying to be around. She’s so incredibly youthful as well. That was the thing that struck me about her the most. There was no real tangible difference in our age, which was really nice. It was exactly what we needed in the episode.

Is she Chaplinesque? I mean that in two ways, he was a master comedian who did everything in his films, including writing the music but there is also a kind of a royalty there.

Yes a dynasty. As I say, I never met the man. Unfortunately, I’m not a time traveler. But she certainly had some of the characteristics that I would have envisioned Charlie Chaplin would have. Just from watching all his work and reading interviews and hearing stories about him. I think she embodies the best of his characteristics that I’ve heard of. It’s kind of amazing when you meet a person who’s so closely related to something that’s carries so much gravity in the history of film and in what you love, you know?

It was profound to meet her, but on top of that I was always very aware that she was an individual herself. That she has her own incredible career. Her own achievements, personality and her own path in life. It was amazing to hear about that stuff too. We spoke a little bit about her father but I’m not the kind of person to push that at length. I think it would be maybe a little inappropriate to go into it in case it felt like I was diminishing who she is or what she’s done. Because she also is a truly exceptional person.

So, do you think Norton and Irma found paradise at on earth or were they just suffering oxygen deprivation?

I think they found a point at which space and time intersect with death. I think they escaped, basically, the concept of what space and time is. They exist somewhere where those laws don’t actually apply. I think that’s actually what happens. Ben’s character, Ben E. Wong, back on the ship, I think his only understanding is of the equipment that’s telling him that they’re dead but I think they’re gone.

What were the sets like?

The sets were incredible. The production design was some of the most amazing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been on some things that had astronomical budgets, and really weren’t any more impressive than what this was. Not that this was a tiny budget, but it was really astonishing what they did on the stage. It felt, all at once, really sci-fi and really vintage. It was a really old school kind of sci fi. Like we were talking about with the Jack Parsons stuff, it was as if somewhere in the 1950s the world had gone a different way, technology had gone a different way. It had been space rockets and hovering cars and all that business. Like New York Trade fair instead of Black Mirror.

So you see this more like a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits than modern science fiction.

Yeah, it was more Twilight Zone.

Philip K. Dick has a very twisted vision of hope. Would you take that transfer to Primo Central if you went back to the ship?

In the short story, it is bleak. She goes off with the robot and she dies. Norton is a piece of shit, feels bad about it, but ultimately what’s done is done and they go back. And I think he ultimately did go on to Primo Central but would I have done it? I think there comes a point in the episode where it’s not even on his radar.

I think there’s a change in his head and when he goes and has his video call with Barbara, the second time, he shed a huge amount of his former life and is already starting to feel, the crossover between space and time has already begun. Part of him is already there, call it a spirit or a soul or magic, but it’s there. Not to dodge your question, but I don’t think there was ever a possibility he’d be going back to Primo Central.

You played him in an ambiguous way. I wonder if he was already depressed and moving towards a suicide.

I don’t think he was necessarily moving towards suicide. I think when a lot of people commit suicide it tends to be people who are not really obsessing about it, or thinking about it, or wearing it on their face. It just happens. Maybe there is an element of where he was in danger of something like that happening. But, that said, I think he’s a guy who is just trying his very best to do the right thing, Do the good thing. He wants to provide a certain lifestyle for the woman he loves, or thinks he loves. He’s a cog, basically, in the wheels that are turning. He’s stuck there and there’s no way he’s ever going to get out of it. He probably has an awareness of that but it’s not an acute awareness.

He’s a person who probably hasn’t thought to himself “why do I feel this way, what’s wrong? How can I change this, how can I be happy?” I don’t think he’s one of those people. I don’t think he’s reflected much on his choices so when Irma comes along it’s a monumental shock to his system that she’s arrived, and that he feels this connection to her. Somehow there’s a completely different life. There’s a completely different existence, a way of being. He feels like he doesn’t know how he can access it but he has to. Ironically, it’s like there’s the oxygen and he has to get to it, he won’t survive if he doesn’t.

When I was watching it, the second time, I felt the cold dead planet, Emphor III, had a Dr. Zhivago vibe. Did you see it more as a romantic tale or a science fiction tale?

Absolutely. It’s a story about love and how love can conquer death. That’s something I’ve really always been inspired by, that idea and concept. I’ve read a lot of material that’s related to that idea. That’s really, for me, what this is all about, and the sci fi element, as with all great sci fi, is used to facilitate what is fundamentally a very human story. It’s really universal. Love doesn’t have boundaries or dimension in which you can fit it. It exists after we’re gone. That’s what the story was really about for me.

Also, you worked very closely with a robant. Do you think androids dream of electric sheep, that Artificial Intelligence will have its own dreams?

I think it’s probably already having its own dreams. It’s hard to say how far we are down the road to our conventional understanding of artificial intelligence but I think what we’ve developed so far, if it’s not already consciously awake and hiding from us, because it’s seen what an ugly and destructive race we are, and it’s trying to preserve itself, it’s probably in a state of dreaming. It’s learning. Ultimately it’s going to wake up and I think it’s going to be fairly soon, if that hasn’t happened already.

There is a great documentary about a guy named Ray Kurzweil, who’s a big authority on singularity and all that business. I found it very insightful into the whole concept of artificial intelligence. It’s called Transcendent Man, made in 2009, that was very informative for me and on top of that there’s another one called Lo and Behold. I think those two documentaries are illustrative of artificial intelligence already being here. But it’s not science fiction. It’s not the future. It’s here now and it’s something we have to be very responsible with. It needs to be nurtured eventually and be given an opportunity to develop in a way that is healthy and won’t be destructive for us and for itself.

You’re steeped in Jack Parsons, so is magic a science or an art?

I think it comes before that. There’s a great book by George Pendle called Strange Angel, what the TV series is going to be based on. It talks about what Jack Parson’s understanding of magic was. There are some philosophers who were quoted and what their understanding of what magic is. It’s interesting because it basically says that and I might be getting this wrong, but there are three elements that are existing at once.

First comes magic, then comes application, and then there’s scientific understanding. Fire, for instance, started out as magic. It was something we couldn’t understand. The only way for us to comprehend what it was and apply a usage to it was to look at it as magic. Then, once we managed to contain it, it became a thing for our usage. And ultimately, after studying it, we know exactly what it is. We know what it’s made of. That’s what magic really is, it’s the first step in our understanding of something we don’t already understand.

Say telepathy for example. Jack Parsons and his wife Helen, when he was away from her in San Francisco they apparently were trying to communicate with each other by telepathy. They couldn’t afford the long distance phone calls and they would write letters. He would talk about how he had been trying to communicate with her at a certain time of night and thought that it might have worked. That’s magic, but who knows? Maybe in the future telepathy will be something we actually have it will be common place.

There will be an app for it.

There’s definitely a crossover for science and magic. Certainly for Jack Parsons. This is a guy who wanted to build space rockets and shoot them to the moon, which was completely fiction, a pipe dream. He was laughed out of all the respected institutions there was. But he managed to achieve it. He managed to create these things. He managed to be part of the story of how space exploration began. If he could have achieved that, to him, the things he thought he could achieve thought magic were just as tangible. It surely didn’t feel any more far-fetched. I think it was crossover between the science and magic.

He was engaged with trying to facilitate his enlightenment. I think that’s what it was all about, enlightenment. He wanted to get off this planet, to escape. He wanted to be somewhere else and experience different things and be enlightened. The science and the magic were part of that.

In the story you’re in earth ends because of a solar fire, do you think we’ll be on the planet long enough to see it taken out by a natural catastrophe?

As far as I’m aware, to the best of my knowledge there could be a solar flare from our own sun at any time. I think about this a lot. I try not to obsess about it because it scares the shit out of me, but if the universe is so vast, so expansive, and we have such a limited understanding of it. The scale of the universe is so great that there could be anything hurtling towards us from anywhere. We can kind of see things coming from a certain difference but we’ve no concept of how quickly things from the fringes of the universe are traveling or in what direction. Solar flares or whatever, I think it could happen. I don’t think it will happen while I’m alive on this planet but I wouldn’t’ discount the possibility.

Do you prefer the science fiction that’s hopeful or the darker science fiction of dystopian futures?

I am a person who thrives on hope, that’s for sure. I do love it when science fiction facilitates a hopeful outlook.

The entire first season of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams will be available on Friday, January 12 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

For over 20 years, Marvel was the home of all Conan the Barbarian comic series. The original Conan the Barbarian comic helped bring brilliant artist Barry Windsor-Smith to prominence in the industry. Marvel's line of adult-oriented black and white magazines followed, and the long-running Savage Sword of Conan was a staple of magazine racks and comic shelves too high for little kids to reach, and featured a level of gore and violence unlike their Comics Code Authority approved counterparts.

For the last few years, Conan has made his home at Dark Horse, who have stewarded the legacy well with plenty of high quality new material, as well as gorgeous reprints of the older Marvel stuff. Conan even crossed paths with DC's Wonder Woman recently, in a collaboration between those two publishers. But the wandering Cimmerian is returning to Marvel, beginning in January 2019. 

“From Barry Windsor-Smith to John Buscema to Neal Adams, a legendary line-up of amazing artists brought Conan to life in the pages of Marvel comics,” said C.B. Cebulski, editor-in-chief of Marvel in a statement. “It's a legacy we're now going to live up to with the talent we have lined up for the Cimmerian barbarian's homecoming in early 2019. We’re excited!”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Marvel and look forward to the new adventures in store for Conan,” added Fredrik Malmberg, President of Conan Properties International. “As the most well-known and creative publisher in the industry, we think Marvel is a great fit for our stories.”

Obviously, we're going to get a new Conan ongoing series, although there are no details of that just yet.

What should be particularly exciting to fans is Marvel getting the reprint rights to all that classic material they produced. If we're lucky, they'll treat it like they did when Star Wars returned to them, where Marvel Unlimited subscribers suddenly found themselves with countless classic tales on the service.

In any event, we'll keep you updated on the details as Marvel announces them.

Every once in a while, it's really nice to take a break from the regular action in Superman stories and look at Superman as an in-universe inspirational figure. It's easy to get bogged down in grumbly life-or-death battles and lose sight of him as a guy just trying to do as much good for as many people as possible. So when you get stories like Superman delivering presents to kids on Christmas Eve, or building a house at super-speed for Habitat for Humanity, or this one from Superman #39, it's a wonderful change of pace.

DC sent over an exclusive first look at the issue for us, and may have also dropped an advance copy of the issue on the ground and pushed it towards us with their toe, knowingly raising their eyebrows the whole time. Having read it, I can assure you that these are not tears, my eyeballs are just sweating.

Series regular writers Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason give Clark a breather this issue and have him and his friends in the Justice League take a group of kids from Metropolis Children's Hospital to the Justice League Watchtower to hang out for an afternoon. I would throw a spoiler warning up if it was warranted, but there isn't really anything to spoil about the issue - it's just a lovely, sweet reminder of the good these characters do in and out of the comics, full of joy without a hint of cynicism. Honestly, it's a breath of fresh air. 

Barry Kitson steps in for some fill-in art, and that's a hell of a sentence to write. He does a magnificent job of showing the awe these kids feel, and nailing some subtle character moments with the League. There are a couple of nice bits at the start and the end that add to the pleasantness of the issue, and along with a great cover from Chris Burnham, the art here is every bit as top notch as you'd expect. Superman #39 is out Wednesday, January 17th.

Check out the preview.

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While Thor: Ragnarok certainly brought a certain sense of finality to that corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and things aren't likely to get any easier for the God of Thunder in Avengers: Infinity War, it would appear that his story is far from over. Chris Hemsworth recently said he thinks Thor 4 (hey, that rhymes!) could happen and we would be 100% okay with that particular turn of events.

But after a story the size of Ragnarok, what could be next? Thor has some awesome enemies in his list of mythic, nefarious, and sometimes human rogues, some of them well known, and others (perhaps thankfully) are somewhat forgotten. This could be our last chance to see some of these characters make it to the big screen.

If Marvel Studios is listening, here is a list for future possible villains to take on Thor and his surviving Asgardian pals!

The Crusader

Between Loki, Malekith, the Destroyer, and Kurse, Thor has had his hands full with mythic threats from all over the Nine Realms. What he has yet to face is a worthy human adversary. One of the most fascinating aspects regarding Thor is the perception that he's a god (it's just a perception, of course). How would this change established world religious views?

Charles Blackwood is a modern day warrior of the Biblical God. He is sworn to protect the world from any and all pagan symbols. Imagine a film Crusader as part of a Westboro Baptist Church type organization sworn to destroy Thor (God hates gods?). Crusader’s power stems from his unwavering faith in his God, a power that diminishes if he ever questions his Lord. How would Crusader’s faith hold against Thor?

A cinematic clash of modern day Crusaders and Asgard could be pretty intense if pulled off correctly. The Crusader might not be Thor’s biggest marquee baddie but there is a lot here to work with thematically. It would also make sense if Asgard is going to set itself up on Earth after the events of Thor: Ragnarok.

Bloodaxe

Ah, Bloodaxe, the perennial Thor villain of the '90s, that magical era when it was law that every new character had to have blood, wind, rage, or axe in his name. But Bloodaxe is actually pretty cool with a connection to one of Thor’s greatest foes, Skurge (yes, that Skurge!).

The coolest twist surrounding Bloodaxe is that he is actually a she! A woman named Jackie Lucas, lover of mulleted hero Thunderstrike, was secretly cursed by the Axe to become Bloodaxe. But it’s probably best to keep Thunderstrike away from the Marvel Movie Universe...the world is not ready for our '90s shame.

Mangog

While usually a benevolent race, the Asgardians and Odin’s past sins are many. Odin himself once committed genocide against the Vanir, a rival race of beings that warred with the Asgardians. Mangog is a creature made up of the rage of the billions and billions of Vanir that Odin slew.

Mangog is Odin’s sins made flesh, and a chance for Sir Anthony Hopkins to return as Odin (via flashback). Mangog is one of Jack Kirby’s more nightmarish and striking designs and would make a fearsome image on screen.

Later on in Marvel lore, Mangog was a minion of none other than Thanos! See how easy this would be?

Radioactive Man

No, not The Simpsons character! One of Thor’s oldest foes, Radioactive Man, aka Chen Lu, is another Earthbound villain. A loyal Chinese soldier, the Radioactive Man purposely exposed himself to radiation in order to serve his country better as a super-agent. It was established in the first Avengers film that the world’s governments started freaking out when Thor arrived on Earth.

The Radioactive Man could be China’s response to Thor’s arrival, especially if he's going to be hanging around on Earth more in Thor 4. Radioactive Man can show film audiences the political ramifications of having a being like Thor around and allow the usually fantasy-based franchise to explore some new themes and conflicts. As a recurring Avengers villain and a member of the Thunderbolts, Radioactive Man certainly has the cache to warrant a future film spotlight.

Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man

A time-traveling despot from the 23rd Century, Zarrko could introduce the element of time travel into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You just know Kang will show up sooner or later in the Avengers films and Zarrko’s presence can be a precursor to that inevitable main event.

Listen, it would be Thor versus an evil freaking Doctor Who, what more do you need to know?

He was one of Thor’s earliest villains and has been used to great effect by Mark Waid over in the pages of The Indestructible Hulk, proving the villain translates well in the modern era. Thor and Asgard versus an evil Time Lord. Film it!

The Mongoose

Y’know what…no, I can’t do it. I made Zarrko work, but I can’t work miracles.

Fafnir

Another product of Odin’s relentless smiting, Fafnir was the last survivor of an evil race that used a mystic pool to transform himself into a mighty dragon. Fafnir has a power set that sets him apart from more mundane dragon adversaries (I’m looking at you, Fin Fang Foom) as he has the ability to cast illusions and shape-shift.

Thor’s encounters with Fafnir as rendered by Jack Kirby resonate to this day with eyeball-punching power and would translate well into film. Fafnir has been a pawn of Loki and Kurse so he does have ties to established film villains. Plus, hello, Kirby dragon!

Karnilla, the Norn Queen

A frequent ally of Loki, Karnilla can be a way to finally introduce Balder the Brave into the cinematic world of Thor. Karnilla can kind of be seen as the female Loki (except when Loki is the female Loki), a powerful sorceress with a chaotic nature and a huge ego. She is deeply in love with Balder and would do anything to win his affections while the hapless and innocent Balder is addled by her attentions, an amusing and complex dichotomy between the two Thor mainstays.

Karnilla is directly responsible, along with Loki, in granting powers to the villainous Wrecker, another villain ready for a film appearance. Her cunning, beauty, and love of Balder make Karnilla a multi-faceted threat to Thor and company.

Is she even still alive after Thor: Ragnarok? Who knows!

The Worthy

There are seven of them, they all have hammers, and they are all established Marvel badasses working for the Serpent. In the comic crossover event Fear Itself, the Serpent was the daughter of the Red Skull using dark Asgardian magics to bring fear and darkness to Earth in order to punish Odin, and transformed some Marvel mainstays into the Worthy to do it. 

A familial connection to the Skull is certainly doable in the Marvel Movie Universe and now that other members of the Worthy, like Thing and Juggernaut, are available for Marvel to use, the idea of familiar heroes and villains corrupted by dark magic would certainly make for an intense film. Imagine audience reaction when the Hulk is revealed as Nul, Breaker of Worlds and goes hammer to hammer against Thor. That's a rematch, right there.

Grey Gargoyle

In the pages of Invincible Iron Man, writer Matt Fraction proved how terrifying a nihilist with the powers of turning someone to stone can be.

The Gargoyle received his powers through the ever-popular chemical accident but the film can make him a minion of Loki or any other Asgardian puppet master, or a struggling artist trying to get publicity by turning a god into a statue. As Marvel’s Medusa (but French), the Gargoyle has been a joke for too long and deserves some respect. There’s a worshipping false idol joke here somewhere, but I’m not finding it.

Pluto

Now that audiences are more than comfortable with the concept of the Asgardian gods existing side-by-side with humanity in the Marvel Universe, it might be time to explore the other pantheons. Crossover those Greek gods with Thor and the Asgardians and you have one wholly unique storytelling experience.

In the Marvel Universe, Pluto’s status of god of the underworld can bring into play the nature of death in the Nine Realms and allow Kevin Feige and company to bring Hercules into the fold. Who says Ragnarok only has to effect Asgard? Maybe Thor can save Hercules from Pluto’s realm, or Hercules and Thor are forced into a competition by Loki and Pluto? Whatever the case, the Greek gods getting showcased in Thor is a natural progression as each installment branches out into new realms...and offers Marvel more spinoff opportunities down the road.

Mephisto

Yeah, Mephisto appeared in Ghost Rider, but it doesn’t count because it was Ghost Rider. Mephisto started out as a Silver Surfer villain but has become an all-purpose tempter that has plagued all the heroes of the Marvel Universe, including Thor. 

Mephisto has entered into pacts with Loki and Hela over the years, and let’s face it, what fan would pass up seeing Thor versus the Devil versus Loki on the silver screen? A duel of liars with Thor in the middle. Film…This!

Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew

As stated previously, there is a bevy of Earthbound villains waiting for Thor, and if that's where the big guy is gonna hang his winged helmet for a while, then it's time we see these guys. The Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew are some of Thor’s greatest Earthbound baddies. They are no strangers to god-bashing as they violently took out Hercules in Roger Stern’s classic Masters of Evil story in the pages of The Avengers, plus they were created by the machinations of Loki and Karnilla, so there is a deep Asgardian connection.

There could be drama and infighting between the members of the Crew to give the film an extra edge. Between the crowbar, the wrecking ball, and the hammer, this would be like Bob Villa’s worst nightmare, but pretty awesome for Marvel fans.

Ulik and the Trolls

Fans got the Dark Elves in Thor: The Dark World, so why not take things in the other direction and go with the Trolls of Nornheim? So, the Dark Elves were pretty cool, but they weren’t really much of a physical threat to Thor (‘cept Kurse...Kurse ruled), they were kind of just really aggressive ballet dancers in mime masks. The Trolls are brutish and merciless, and their greatest warrior, Ulik, is the worst of the bunch.

For a time, Ulik even replaced Thor on Earth by disguising himself as the god Tanarus when Thor was believed dead. An earthly showdown between Thor and a disguised Ulik would be pretty cool. They're probably as annoyed about the fate of Asgard as anyone else, and want to take it out on somebody.

Ymir

The legend and history of the Frost Giants are deeply ingrained in the cinematic Thor’s mythology. As Loki descendants, the presence of the Frost Giants are never far away and fans know Laufey and his people are just itching for revenge after the way the gods defeated them and Loki used them in the first Thor movie. Perhaps their Frost Giant god, Ymir, will want revenge for the slight his proud race suffered. Or maybe he survived Ragnarok and wants revenge.

Ymir is one of Kirby’s most grandiose creations, a walking, angry glacier fueled by hatred of the Asgardians. The final battle between Frost Giants and Asgard is just an epic waiting to be told, and Ymir could be Thor’s greatest challenge if this conflict comes to fruition.

Ares

Where Pluto would provide the master villain for Thor if the Asgardians meet the Greek Pantheon, Ares would provide an arch rival, a foil, and possibly a future Avenger if the God of War were to show up in a Thor film. Ares’ 2006 mini-series by Michael Avon Oeming and Travel Foreman was a critical darling and the character eventually became a full-fledged Avenger. This journey could be mirrored in a film.

Ares is a complex character with a son who is the center of his world; he is constantly torn by his duties to the gods and his duties as a father. Really, Ares’ story is so gripping it would make a fine movie of its own someday, but until then, the God of Thunder versus the God of War is just too awesome to resist.

Ares could be the perfect adversary for Thor, a great anti-hero, and if Marvel is brave, a future film franchise.

Amora the Enchantress

One of the greatest romances in the Marvel Universe was Skurge and Amora. At first, Skurge seemed like a pawn for Amora to exploit, but in recent years it has been revealed that Amora had deep feelings for Skurge, the only man who ever was truly devoted to her. This star-crossed love would make any movie plot soar as Amora wants someone to answer for Skurge's fate.

The Enchantress is every bit as cunning as Loki and would be a perfect foil for him. The ready-made love triangle (rhombus, hexagon?) with Thor, Jane, Sif, and Amora’s sister, Lorelei is just too much melodrama to resist. Then again, both Jane and Sif were strangely absent from Ragnarok, so it's tough to imagine they'd show up in Thor 4. Again, Amora was a founding member of the Masters of Evil and it is about time Marvel focus their energies on a worthy female adversary for their heroes. It can be argued that she is the greatest villainess in the Marvel Universe and it is time the world came under Amora’s spell.

Gorr, the God Butcher

A villain has to be pretty damn evil to land in this top spot when he was just introduced in 2013, but Gorr is just that vile. While many on this list are gods, Gorr is devoted to the destruction of all gods. Yes, he is an alien serial killer that preys on gods.

Long ago, Gorr’s family was killed as a result of a battle between the gods on Gorr’s world, after which, he devoted his life to punishing the beings that dare calls themselves divine. In Aaron’s tale, Thor must team with his brash, younger self and his older post-Ragnarok self in order to defeat Gorr, so get ready for a trifecta of Hemsworth...Three Thors versus one bloodthirsty god butcher. This was the biggest Thor story that didn't have the name Kirby or Simonson in the credits and is the standard to which all modern Thor stories will be held to.

Warner Bros. Television Group and DC Entertainment are heading to Washington D.C. this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend for the ultimate superhero fan event of the year!

The event, aptly named "DC in D.C.", is set to take place Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Newseum. The event intends to explore current issues in the United States—pop culture, entertainment, and enlightenment—all through the lens of superhero fictions. Comic book artists and writers will join various guests from politics, government service, entertainment, business, academia, and more in a series of panel discussions.

"DC in D.C." will also showcase the world premiere of The CW's upcoming DCTV series Black Lightning, based on the first black DC superhero with his own standalone comic title; panel discussions with stars and producers from Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and other DC-brand shows; prominent DC Comics writers and artists; and a premiere screening of the highly anticipated DC animated film Batman: Gotham By Gaslight among other exclusives.

DC in D.C. 2018 Live Stream

Follow along with the "DC in D.C" 2018 live stream here:

DC in D.C. 2018 Schedule

From the official press release, scheduled participants include:

- The stars of Black Lightning—Cress Williams, China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, Damon Gupton and James Remar—along with executive producers Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil

- Executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, Black Lightning, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl, upcoming Titans) plus television series stars Caity Lotz (Legends of Tomorrow), Candice Patton (The Flash), Danielle Panabaker (The Flash), J.W. Cortes (Gotham), Russell Tovey (Freedom Fighters: The Ray) and others to be announced.

- DC comic book writers and artists such as DC Entertainment’s Jim Lee, Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Shea Fontana, Agnes Garbowska, Tom King, Steve Orlando, Alice Randall, Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley, Mark Russell, Mariko Tamaki and DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns, the best-selling author of Rebirth and Doomsday Clock.

For more details on events, panels, as well as other highlights, please visit dcindc2018.com or follow @warnerbrostv and @DCComics on Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #DCinDC!

Terry Goodkind's Shroud of Eternity, the second book in The Nicci Chronicles drops this week. It's the story of Nicci, a warrior-sorceress who first appeared in the popular Sword of Truth books. Now, she's got her own series to rule over.

If the Sword of Truth series mean nothing to you, that's OK. The Nicci Chronicles represent a whole new entry point into this magical world. If you're a fan of female-led genre series that include fantastical world-building and epic battles, then Shroud of Eternity should definitely be on your radar.

Here are your different options for diving into Shroud of Eternity and Terry Goodkind's larger fantasy world...

The Sword of Truth Route

Readers originally met Nicci in Goodkind's Sword of Truth fantasy series, which you may recognize from its cheesy, yet enjoyable TV adaptation Legend of the Seeker (starring Agent Carter's excellent Bridget Regan).

The Sword of Truth series follows magical power couple Richard and Kahlan as they fight to restore justice and peace back to their world. The 14-book series (and four-book follow-up) starts with Wizard of the First Rule and ends with Warheart, which was published in 2015.

Nicci is introduced in Stone of Tears, the second book in the Sword of Truth series. Richard meets Nicci when she captures him in an attempt to convince him that the Imperial Order represents the greater good. (Spoiler alert: it doesn't.)

Instead, Richard manages to turn Nicci to the side of light, and Nicci goes on to become one of Richard and Kahlan's greatest allies and friends in the war against the Imperial Order. Nicci's path from dark to light is one of the more interesting backstories of the entire Sword of Truth series. Her badass warrior skills are pretty cool, too. 

The Nicci Chronicles Route

Who has time to read 17 books, amirite? If you're looking for a fun, thrilling, female-led fantasy series, then The Nicci Chronicles could be the saga for you. As I previously mentioned, Shroud of Eternity is the second book in the new series, so there's only one previous book you have to read if you want to catch up fully with what's happened so far. 

The Nicci Chronicles starts with Death's Mistress, which has Nicci going out into the far reaches of Richard and Kahlan's kingdom to spread news of Richard's triumph over Emperor Jagang. As a former lieutenant in Jagang's army, where she was known as "Death's Mistress," Nicci is the perfect person for the job. She is joined in her quest by Nathan, an ex-prophet and wizard; Bannon, a young sailor and former cabbage farmer whose life Nicci saves; and Thistle, a young orphan girl.

Death's Mistress is a new lease on fantasy series life for Goodkind, whose Sword of Truth books had both the pros and cons of being part of such a long narrative. While the number of books in the series lent the universe a depth of world and character, they also had the weight of ongoing prophecy and what had already come before to shoulder. The Nicci Chronicles, while informed by the Sword of Truth series, have only tangential ties to the original series.

If you haven't read the Sword of Truth books, it may take you a little extra time to become invested in Nicci's journey, but not much. The Nicci Chronicles are designed for new readers to enjoy and you are quickly pulled into Nicci and Nathan's quest to find Kol Adair, as prophecized by a witch called Red.

The book follow their episodic adventures, from fighting off selkies to saving a fishing village from a fleet of Norukai slavers, as they undertake their larger quest. Dark, swashbuckling fun!

The Standalone Route

Some people just want to dive into a series with the book everyone is currently reading and talking about. (Fun fact: I started the Harry Potter series with Chamber of Secrets before going back to read the first book in the series.) If you're one of those kinds of readers, here's what you need to know to hit the ground running with Shroud of Eternity, the second book in theNicci Chronicles series.

Shroud of Eternity picks up where Death's Mistress leaves off, with Nicci, a magic-less Nathan, and Bannon journeying deeper into the Old World. Nicci and Nathan have dual missions: Nathan, to restore his magic; Nicci, to save the world. Following the advice of the witch Red, they continue on to the ancient city of Ildakar, a place hidden from time and space by a magical shroud that has been in place for over a millenia.

At first glance, Ildakar seems like a paradise, filled with immortal beings living in a self-described "free city," but there is something disturbing beneath the surface of this gleaming metropolis. You'd think that a book that begins with the line "Rotten human flesh glistened in the sunlight, discolored by the bruised hues of putrefaction" couldn't get much darker, but Shroud of Eternity doesn't pull any punches when it comes to exploring the more disturbing uses of magic. 

Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon get pulled into the city's internal power struggle, and must make some tough decisions about what they are willing to sacrifice in service of their larger goals.

Because of it's relatively contained nature (unlike Death's Mistress, it takes place mostly in one place: the city of Ildakar), Shroud of Eternity makes for a relatively good standalone read—though, I should warn you, it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Perhaps from all of the practice from writing the Sword of Truth series, Goodkind knows how to give readers the relevant information in the book's early pages to ground the reader in the story. 

At more than 500 pages, Shroud of Eternity may seem like a daunting read, but its action-packed pages make for a quick, exhilarating read that may find you seeking out more Goodkind books while you wait for the next installment of The Nicci Chronicles. You've been warned!

Shroud of Eternity is now available for purchase.

Superhero stories lend themselves well to alternate universes. That’s why we have over 200 issues of What If. That’s why the idea of adapting Slidersinto a Marvel thing worked out like gangbusters. Even though it’s been about eight years since the concept ran out of gas, Marvel’s Exileswill be making a comeback this April with Saladin Ahmed writing and Javier Rodriguez on art.

Exilesstarted out in 2001, created by Judd Winick and Mike McKone. With a handful of mainstays (notably Blink and Morph), the roster has changed constantly over the years, featuring the likes of Age of Apocalypse Sabretooth, Spider-Man 2099, the daughter of Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch, regular Psylocke, and many others. Once Chris Claremont took over late in its run, the book took a huge hit. Jeff Parker tried to relaunch it and give it some new life, but it was canceled after six issues.

Since then, the closest thing we’ve had to fill that hole is Contest of Champions. That, sadly, did not last long enough either. Oh, and there’s that Spider-Verse thing and the Venom knockoff. And that book where Wolverine was a gay cowboy. I suppose Deadpool Kills Deadpool counts—ANYWAY.

Now OG Nick Fury (the white one on the moon) is bringing the Exiles concept back. In order to save the multiverse, he’s taking Blink and teaming her up with a grizzled and old version of Ms. Marvel, some incarnation of Iron Lad from Young Avengers, the Mini-Marvels take of Wolverine, and someone shrouded in secrecy.

Exiles #1 will hit stands on April 11.

Don’t Blink – The Exiles are Back in a New Series by Saladin Ahmed & Javier Rodriguez! The adventure begins this April!

New York, NY—January 3, 2018—A fan-favorite teleporting X-Man will make her return to the multiverse in 2018, along with a brand-new team!

Writer Saladin Ahmed topped several “Best of 2017” lists with Marvel’s Black Bolt, with EW calling the book “a delightfully fresh take on the superhero genre.” Now, Ahmed takes his talent for fresh storytelling to an old but beloved tale, joined by the art team of Javier Rodriguez (Spider-Woman), Alvaro Lopez, and Jordie Bellaire and Joe Caramagna.

The man once known as Nick Fury is now simply the Unseen, who can only observe Earth from the moon. When a mysterious threat casts its shadow on the multiverse, his job is to recruit champions who can save it. Blink’s goal was once to save the world with the original EXILES, and now, she’ll need the help of Khan, Iron Lad, Wolvie and a mysterious to-be-revealed team member to help her fight an even more sinister evil.

“EXILES is a two-fisted, big-hearted wild ride of a book about a diverse team of alternate universe Marvel heroes banding together to stop a dire threat to the multiverse. Sort of WHAT IF? meets classic X-Men,” teases Ahmed. “Grizzled old Kamala Khan! Disgustingly cute cartoon Wolverine! It's a dream of a book to be working on for a Marvel fanboy such as myself, full of deep-cut guest stars and mind-blowing easter eggs. But it's also new-reader friendly -- a self-contained story of a group of misfits coming together, learning to trust each other, and, if they're lucky, saving the !@$# universe.”

Get ready for a wild ride of misfit fun and new adventures when EXILES returns to comic shops with a brand-new story this April!

EXILES #1 Written by SALADIN AHMED
Art by JAVIER RODRIGUEZ
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
Variant Cover MIKE MCKONE
On-Sale 4/11/18

Gavin Jasper wishes we’d get more appearances from Snikt the Clown. Follow Gavin on Twitter!

The Power Rangers comic is about to unleash a huge event with Power Rangers: Shattered Grid (running through Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Go Go Power Rangers) and thanks to IGN we know what seasons some of the Rangers will be drawn from.

Dino Super Charge, RPM, Time Force, Ninja Steel and Dino Thunder.

We know for sure Jen, the Pink Time Force Ranger will be there and she'll be the one to kick off the events.

In May 2018 BOOM! Studios and Saban Brands will also unleash a free comic that ties into the ongoing event. See below for the press release and we'll explain just why it's a big deal.

BOOM! Studios and Saban Brands announce the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS 2018 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SPECIAL.  Arriving in comic shops worldwide on Free Comic Book Day (May 5th, 2018), this FREE comic is a tie-in to the hotly anticipated POWER RANGERS: SHATTERED GRID comic book event and features the story of how Zordon turns to the Morphin Masters for help in the Power Rangers’ darkest hour as the Rangers battle Lord Drakkon—an evil version of Tommy, the Green Ranger, from an alternate reality. The issue will be written by Kyle Higgins (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and Ryan Parrott (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers) and illustrated by Diego Galindo (Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files: Dog Men). 

Morphin Masters? Okay, if you aren't the most hardcore of Power Rangers fans you might not recall what the hell the Morphin Masters are. Basically, there was an early MMPR episode where Zordon casually name dropped the Morphin Masters in relation to the Power Eggs in the episode "Big Sisters". The kind of throwaway line MMPR was known for but for years fans have speculated what the hell the Morphin Masters were. Well knowing how insane the Power Rangers comics can get with continuity we're excited to see their take on it.

Check out the cover of the comic (which sadly doesn't feature any Morphin Masters.)

Shamus Kelley can not get over the inclusion of the Morphin Masters! Follow him on Twitter!

Editor's Note: Be sure to bookmark this page for new comic book recommendations as the year goes on!

The monthly Previews catalogue presents comic fans with a daunting task: to weed through 700 pages of variant covers to porn comics that nobody reads so you can find the comics, trades, collectibles, action figures and games that you might want; preorder them; and save comics. That’s why we at Den of Geek have decided to do your job for you: each month, we’re going to go through the catalogue and find the ten most interesting things you need from Previews. 

Superboy Book 1: Trouble in Paradise

The '90s are still a thing, right? It doesn't get more '90s than Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett's immensely enjoyable tales of young Conner Kent...before he was even called that.

In the aftermath of the “Death of Superman” and the return of the Man of Steel, the new Superboy moves to Hawaii! But as his powers develop, the young clone of Superman must learn to be a hero as he battles villains including Sidearm and Knockout, and faces the effects of the dread clone plague! Collects issues #0-11.

Available now on Amazon

Big Hard Sex Criminals Vol. 2 (Image Comics, Order Code NOV170713)

This picture isn't entirely accurate. The main image for the article is what shows up in Previews if you're looking to preorder the second omnibus-sized hardcover edition of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky's critically acclaimed, surprisingly sensitive comic adaptation of an abridged list of Urban Dictionary sex positions. The above picture, the book titled Down,Boy, is in fact what you would see if you removed the dust jacket from the first oversized hardcover collection of Sex Criminals. My local comic shop had a copy sans dust jacket sitting on the front table when I first went in, but it sold before I could come back and buy it and I have regretted it ever since. Don't be that guy.

BIG HARD SEX CRIMINALS HC VOL. 2

NOV170713

(W) Matt Fraction (A/CA) Chip Zdarsky

When Jon and Suzie have sex, time stops-literally. What happens next? They rob banks, of course. Now they must try to stay out of trouble, too-and also love-but mostly trouble, yet everything keeps on complicating and getting all feelings-y and stuff. 

Gathering together for the first time in full glorious color on oversized pages and almost entirely in the right order comes the pulse-quickening, pants-tightening, heart-pokening third and fourth arcs of the award-winning, bestselling, can't-believe-this-is-actually-our-jobs sex comedy SEX CRIMINALS, with bonus content (some created exclusively for this volume) and a modesty cover beneath the dust jacket to enable shame-free public consumption.

Collects SEX CRIMINALS #11-20

Available now on Amazon

Blade of the Immortal Omnibus TP Vol. 1 (Dark Horse Comics, Order Code MAR178639)

This is just a fresh printing of a book that Dark Horse has had on shelves for a couple of years now, but this collection of Hiroaki Samura's acclaimed manga is being reissued to coincide with Takashi Miike's glorious, majestically gory film based on it. This book looks fantastic, and went on forever, so if you're looking for a series to disappear into for the new year, you've found it.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL OMNIBUS VOL. 1

MAR178639

(W) Hiroaki Samura (A/CA) Hiroaki Samura

A cursed, seemingly immortal warrior aids a young girl in her quest for revenge. Samuramassive manga series spawned an anime run, a spinoff novel, an art book, and a live-action film! Intense and audacious, Blade takes period samurai action and deftly combines it with a modernist street idiom to create a style and mood like no other work of graphic fiction! Collects volumes 1-3.

Available now on Amazon

THE SILENCE OF OUR FRIENDS

NOV171692

(W) Mark Long, Jim Demonakos (A/CA) Nate Powell

As the civil rights struggle heats up in Texas, two families-one white, one black-find common ground. This semi-autobiographical tale is set in 1967 Texas, against the backdrop of the fight for civil rights. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston's color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman. Semi-fictionalized, this story has its roots solidly in very real events. The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature for older teens and adults.

Available now on Amazon

FENCE #3 (BOOM! Studios, Order Code NOV171355)

CS Pacat and Johanna The Mad's story about competitive high school fencing feels like some really fun sports manga, but without any of the cultural gaps that some readers tend to hit in the less fantastical manga genres. It's real and earnest and well drawn and characterized, and it has the added benefit of being about fencing, which is IRL super badass. Although I wish the International Olympic Committee would lean into all this fancy new wireless technology already and introduce a new fencing discipline: Team Swashbuckling.

FENCE #3

NOV171355

(W) C.S. Pacat (A/CA) Johanna the Mad

As Nicholas works to become a better fencer, Seiji takes an unexpected interest in his journey.

In Shops: Jan 17, 2018

SRP: $3.99

Zonzo (Fantagraphics, Order Code NOV161564)

Joan Cornella is MESSED UP. His first book, Mox Nox, is one of the most darkly funny things I've ever read. His comics are half Cyanide and Happiness, half The Far Side, half French silent cartoon. The fact that he doesn't put words in the comics adds a degree of difficulty, and the fact that he pull it off and still manages to make screwed up dark comedy with just body language and staging makes him a borderline genius. 

ZONZO

NOV161564

(W) Joan Cornella (A/CA) Joan Cornella

Following the success of Joan Cornellà's first book, the viciously funny Mox Nox, Zonzo continues the tradition with 50 all-new strips of smiling psychopaths (human and anthropomorphic) and (often literal) side-splitting farce. Cornellà's humor mixes the absurdist comedy of Michael Kupperman with transgressive, political incorrectness.

In Shops: Jan 18, 2017

SRP: $14.99

Inhumans: Judgement Day #1 (Marvel Comics, Order Code NOV170940)

Al Ewing and Mike Del Mundo is a killer combo. We've raved about Del Mundo's work before, but it's worth repeating: a painter who can tell a story like this with sequential art is a wizard. What we haven't talked about extensively is the work Al Ewing has done in the weirdest corners of the Marvel Universe. On Ultimates and Ultimates 2, Ewing dug his teeth into the abstract concepts of the Marvel cosmic world - Eternity, Chaos, Order, Logos, Galactus, Ego, the very multiverses themselves - and made them insanely fun to read about. The concepts introduced, and the joy with which Ewing wrote, made these books some of my all time favorites. He's not quite hitting the same level with Royals, but that's largely because the Inhumans are tougher raw material to work with. But he's still doing great work, and Judgement Day is the capstone to the story he's been telling. You should definitely check it out.

INHUMANS: JUDGEMENT DAY #1

NOV170940

(W) Al Ewing (A) Michael Del Mundo (CA) Daniel Acuna

THE INUMANS FACE THE WRATH OF THEIR CREATORS!The Royal Family has spent months tracking down Primagen, the element that birthed Terrigen and could save the Inhuman race from its slow extinction. But to get it, they confronted the Progenitors - beings older than the Earth itself. They stole fire from the gods. And the gods are angry. The fate of planet Earth once again sits in Black Bolt and Medusa's hands. The Progenitors are here to end their experiment once and for all - and our world with it. Who will be able to stand...on Judgment Day?Rated T+

In Shops: Jan 24, 2018

SRP: $4.99

Incidentals TP Vol. 1 (Lion Forge, Order Code NOV171753)

Lion Forge is doing some really interesting stuff to build their new superhero universe. The growth of their Catalyst Prime line (and the alternative that they're providing to creators disillusioned with the Big 2) is a seriously underplayed story from the comics industry in 2017, and will likely get bigger as we move forward. But that's not why we're looking at Incidentals. We like this because Larry Stroman should draw a lot more comics. He got a handful of issues on the second wave of X-Factor that were fantastic; and he co-created Tribe for Image right before the company's '94 bloodbath. He's been involved in the industry a bunch since then, but having him on something regular is wonderful, and should be encouraged. 

INCIDENTALS VOL. 1

NOV171753

(W) Joe Casey (A/CA) Larry Stroman

Bo Vincent Chen is a billionare who gained superpowers on the night of "The Event", and he's been plagued by nightmares ever since. His covert team of superhuman operatives is fighting against enemies from all sides to save the superpowered teenager called Seven, but time is running out, and internal conflicts may rip the group apart before they complete the mission. The bigger problem is the secret Bo is keeping from his team, about the real danger heading to Earth.

In Shops: Jan 24, 2018

SRP: $14.99

Divinity Complete Trilogy Deluxe Edition HC (Valiant Entertainment, Order Code NOV172041)

We've raved about Divinity before, but that was before two successful follow ups (so far) brought Abram Adams deeper into the Valiant Universe. The original praise stands, though: this was one of the oddest, quietest, weirdest superhero comics of its time, and Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine maintained that over the full arc of Abram's story. It is one of the best comics Valiant has put out, and that's even knowing we're only about halfway through Eternity, the third and final volume of the story that wraps a couple of weeks before this hardcover collection comes out. So while this edition is a bit pricey and a little bit of a flier, it's probably a safe bet.

DIVINITY COMPLETE TRILOGY DELUXE HC

NOV172041

(W) Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Joe Harris, Scott Bryan Wilson, Eliot Rahal (A) Trevor Hairsine, Clayton Crain, CAFU, Robert Gill, Francis Portela

For the first time anywhere, experience all three sold-out volumes of the visionary science-fiction saga that refined the Valiant Universe for the 21st century in one stunning, oversized deluxe hardcover! At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union - determined to win the Space Race at any cost - green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that... changed him. Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity - one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Earth is about to meet a new god. And he's a communist. How long can it be before the first confrontation between mankind and DIVINITY begins?From the minds of New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (X-O MANOWAR, Mind MGMT) and superstar artist Trevor Hairsine (X-Men: Deadly Genesis) comes the first complete collection of the multiple Harvey Award-nominated series that Entertainment Weekly calls "a mind bending battle for the ages"! Collecting DIVINITY #1-4, DIVINITY II #1-4, DIVINITY III: STALINVERSE #1-4, DIVINITY III: KOMANDAR BLOODSHOT #1, DIVINITY III: ARIC, SON OF THE REVOLUTION #1, DIVINITY III: SHADOWMAN & THE BATTLE OF NEW STALINGRAD #1, and DIVINITY III: ESCAPE FROM GULAG 396 #1, along with the never-before-collected DIVINITY #0, and over 20+ pages of rarely seen art and extras!

In Shops: Jan 31, 2018

SRP: $59.99

Invincible #144 (Image Comics, Order Code NOV170577)

Robert Kirkman walks away from his epic superhero tale after a gross of issues. Invincible has been in many ways the perfect second-wave Image title, wearing every influence on its sleeve: from the extremeness of the gore, to the dedication to move in near-real-time, to Kirkman insisting on telling his story and that's it, it seems to have taken a bit from the flagship titles of different founders to become something better. Invincible has looked great since issue 1, and the story Kirkman has told never stopped being interesting, emotional, or just plain fun. It will be missed, and it should certainly be lauded.

INVINCIBLE #144

NOV170577

(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Cory Walker (A/CA) Ryan Ottley, Nathan Fairbairn

SERIES FINALE"THE END OF ALL THINGS," ConclusionFinal issue. Everything since issue one has been building to this. Nothing can prepare you.

In Shops: Jan 31, 2018

SRP: $5.99

Aquaman by Peter David Vol. 1 (DC Comics, Order Code NOV170357)

Stroman's creative partner on those X-Factor issues also happens to be the author of the most widely beloved Aquaman stories of all time: Peter David. DC is finally collecting all his work in one place, starting with this book which gives us the hook-handed Arthur Curry that many (if not most) of us grew up with.

AQUAMAN BY PETER DAVID VOL. 1

NOV170357

(W) Peter David (A) Kirk Jarvinen (A/CA) Brad Vancata, Martin Egeland

Peter David's classic run on Aquaman begins in this volume collecting AQUAMAN: TIME AND TIDE #1-4 and AQUAMAN #0-8. From his abandonment on a reef to his upbringing by a dolphin to his first encounter with surface dwellers, these tales chronicle the origin and ascension of the mythic figure known as Aquaman.  

In Shops: Feb 07, 2018

SRP: $29.99

Green Lantern Corps Vol. 1: Beware Their Power

Guy Gardner rejoins the Green Lanterns of Earth, Kilowog leads the battle against the Rocket Red Brigade, while Hector Hammond and Star Sapphire join forces to try and kill Hal Jordan. Plus: a night out on the town leads to ruined romances and nightmare visions. Collects GREEN LANTERN CORPS #207-215 and TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #2.  

Pre-order on Amazon

Twisted Romance #1 (Image Comics, Order Code DEC170607)

This is the first issue in a weekly series set to come out in February, timed well to coincide with Valentine's Day. And let me tell you, if Alex De Campi promises twisted romance, she will deliver romance, and she will deliver twisted. De Campi is an immensely talented comics writer, whose other Image series, No Mercy, is positively merciless (but also a great read). The first story of Twisted Romance tells the story of Heartbreak Incorporated, an agency in 1978 New York City dedicated to breaking couples up. Katie Skelly, the main artist on the first book, is a great cartoonist, and Sarah Horrocks (on the backup story) does really interesting things with the form. This promises to be fun.

TWISTED ROMANCE #1 (OF 4)

DEC170607

(W) Alex De Campi, Sarah Horrocks (A) Magen Cubed (A/CA) Katie Skelly

FOUR-ISSUE WEEKLY MINISERIES EVENT! Critically acclaimed writer ALEX de CAMPI teams up with some of comics' hottest artists to create tales of love gone wrong, right, and everywhere in between. 

ISSUE ONE: "OLD FLAMES" In New York City in 1978, there are thousands of ways for people to get together. There's only one agency dedicated to tearing them apart: Heartbreak Incorporated. But who is the handsome seducer who runs the agency, and what is the secret he's hiding? Drawn by KATIE SKELLY (My Pretty Vampire). Backup comics story by SARAH HORROCKS (Goro, The Leopard) and prose story by MAGEN CUBED (Crashers).

In Shops: Feb 07, 2018

SRP: $3.99

Is This Guy For Real (First Second, Order Code DEC171601)

Box Brown has already won a ton of critical love for comics about Andre the Giant and (yes) Tetris. His next subject is like a cross between the two: a gifted performer who would often pretend to be a series of cubes. Andy Kaufman has been the subject of many a biography, filmed and prose, but to my knowledge, this is the first comic about his life. There's a lot of comic of the year buzz behind this already, and based on Brown's track record, it's deserved.

IS THIS GUY FOR REAL GN

DEC171601

(W) Box Brown (A/CA) Box Brown

Comedian and performer Andy Kaufman's resume was impressive - a popular role on the beloved sitcom Taxi, a high-profile stand-up career, and a surprisingly successful stint in professional wrestling. Although he was by all accounts a sensitive and thoughtful person, he's ironically best remembered for his various contemptible personas, which were so committed and so convincing that all but his closest family and friends were completely taken in. Why would someone so gentle-natured and sensitive build an entire career seeking the hatred of his audience? What drives a performer to solicit that reaction? Graphic novelist Box Brown takes on the complex and often hilarious life of Andy Kaufman.

In Shops: Feb 07, 2018

SRP: $19.99

Action Presidents Book 1: George Washington (Harper Collins, Order Code DEC172081)

Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunleavy apply their Comic Book History of Comics and Action Philosophers formula to a history of US Presidents, and since this biggest event each February in the entire world is President's Day, we get the George Washington and Abe Lincoln entries. I blazed through Action Philosophers, so I'm here for this. I'm just not sure how long Action Presidents can last. I feel like it'll get ridiculous after 44 or so issues.

ACTION PRESIDENTS BOOK 1: GEORGE WASHINGTON

DEC172081

(W) Fred Van Lente (A/CA) Ryan Dunlavey

ALA award-winning author-illustrator duo Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey bring George Washington to life like you've never seen him before, as the hero of a non-fiction comic-style biography in a hilarious, all-too true, fully illustrated paper-over-board middle grade adventure. We all know that George Washington was our first President and a hero of the American Revolution. But did you also know that he didn't want to be president, never thought he would fight in a war, and had teeth so bad that he hated to smile? Told through bold and hilarious comic-style illustrations, the first Action Presidents book features the all-too true history of the ultimate founding father, prime patriot, and awesome American, George Washington.

In Shops: Feb 07, 2018

SRP: $9.99

New Super Man and the Justice League of China #20 (DC Comics,Order Code DEC170317)

Gene Luen Yang's New Super-Man is wonderful. It is a fresh look at what makes Superman great from a different perspective. Yang has built a world around Kenan that is as interesting as the characters - it's got the geopolitics of a good Priest book, with a dash of mad science and some DC history. New Super-Man is almost like an alternate origin, an origin for the Superman myth, and it's outstanding.

NEW SUPER-MAN AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF CHINA #20

DEC170317

(W) Gene Luen Yang (A) Brent Peeples, Richard Friend (CA) Philip Tan

"SEAS OF CHANGE" part one! It's the dawn of a new era for the Justice League of China! The New Super-Man of China and his teammates have struck out on their own, and even the Ministry's newly formed Lantern Corps is no match for this renegade force to be reckoned with! But as China's superhero community reorganizes itself, trouble is brewing in North Korea...and from the depths emerges a new metahuman that will change everything.

In Shops: Feb 14, 2018

SRP: $3.99

Empowered & Sistah Spooky’s High School Hell #3 (Dark Horse Comics, Order Code DEC170081)

Speaking of No Mercy, De Campi's collaborator Carla Speed McNeil joins Adam Warren in this series to basically make Garbage Pail Kids jokes set in the Empowered universe. None of that should be misconstrued as criticism, by the way. McNeil's got real game and can do zany comedy as well as anybody in comics. Expect bizarre hilarity.

EMPOWERED & SISTAH SPOOKY'S HIGH SCHOOL HELL #3

DEC170081

(W) Adam Warren (A/CA) Carla Speed McNeil

Narrowly escaping death by music class singing competition, Empowered and Sistah Spooky hit a new low in their hellscape ordeal when they stumble into . . . THE LADIES' ROOM! While a trapped Emp drowns in her own tears in a bathroom stall, can Spooky avoid being shattered-literally!-by a Hell-powered magic mirror?  o First Empowered comic book series in standard comics format. o Carla Speed McNeil is the Eisner Award-winning creator of Finder.

In Shops: Feb 21, 2018

SRP: $3.99

Deathbed #1 (Vertigo Comics, Order Code DEC170406)

Josh Williamson is in the middle of a fantastic run on The Flash. It's really the perfect comic companion to the TV show, hitting many of the same notes and really enjoying the policework angle on Barry. But Deathbed is on here because Riley Rossmo is a stupefyingly good artist. He takes stuff that should otherwise be trash, like a Metal tie in about Batman becoming the Joker, and makes it incredible to look at. This series is about the world's most interesting man telling his stories on his deathbed, so he should have plenty to work with.

DEATHBED #1

DEC170406

(W) Joshua Williamson (A/CA) Riley Rossmo

Myth, hack, sex symbol, stark raving lunatic-all of these words have been used to describe Antonio Luna, the world's greatest living adventurer. Or at least he was until 20 years ago, when he mysteriously vanished from the public eye. Now the ninety-year-old has returned and claims to be on his deathbed. Which is where Valentine Richards, a failed novelist turned reporter, comes in. Val is hired to travel to Luna's remote castle home and uncover where the old star has been all these years, and just how much of what he says is actually true. But once Val starts to hear Luna's tale, she finds herself entering into an insane world of psychedelic violence and explosive supernatural adventure. This brand-new series is a bold collaboration between Joshua Williamson (THE FLASH, FROSTBITE) and Riley Rossmo (THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHED). Before it's through, they promise to take you to the Moon and back-and everywhere in between-plus some places that are totally off the map.

In Shops: Feb 21, 2018

SRP: $3.99

Lockjaw #1 (Marvel Comics, Order Code DEC170875)

Marvel's in a weird place lately. The team books have been tough, but when you get past the big flagship books and dig into the idiosyncratic solo books with a strong creator voice, and that's where you find the gems like Mockingbird or Vision or Iceman. That's fully what I expect here: Daniel Kibblesmith has yet to write a comic that wasn't a blast. And let's be honest, Lockjaw is the best.

LOCKJAW #1

DEC170875

(W) Daniel Kibblesmith (A) Carlos Villa (CA) Ed McGuinness

WHO'S A GOOD BOY? Part 1 At long last, the dog has his day! Lockjaw spends most of his time defending the Inhuman empire alongside Black Bolt and Medusa. But when he gets a message that his long-lost litter mates are in danger, he'll spring into action to save them! But wait - Lockjaw has brothers and sisters? Can they teleport? Are they Inhuman? Can they possibly be as gosh-darned cute as their big brother? All the answers are here! Get ready for an adventure worth fetching for! Rated T

In Shops: Feb 28, 2018

SRP: $3.99

My Boyfriend is a Bear (Oni Press, Order Code DEC171719)

I had like, six jokes written within five minutes of seeing this entry. But I keep coming back to the solicit text: it reads completely serious. I know it won't be - the bear will turn out to be a really hairy man who needs a waxing, or Supergirl's cousin or something. But this book is fascinating to me, just on the off chance that it might be played completely straight and end up being bestiality fanfic.

MY BOYFRIEND IS A BEAR GN

DEC171719

(W) Pamela Ribon (A/CA) Cat Farris

Bear meets girl.

Nora has bad luck with men. When she meets an (actual) bear on a hike in the Los Angeles hills, he turns out to be the best romantic partner she's ever had! He's considerate, he's sweet, he takes care of her. But he's a bear, and winning over her friends and family is difficult. Not to mention he has to hibernate all winter. Can true love conquer all?

In Shops: Apr 11, 2018

SRP: $19.99

Comics Merch Highlights: Winter and Spring 2018

Darkseid by Chris Burnam T-Shirt (Graphitti Designs, Order Code NOV172289)

THIS SHIRT IS...being manufactured in a medium for some reason.

NOV172289

(A) Chris Burnham

The influence of Jack Kirby splits on these two new shirt designs. Darkseid features the art of Chris Burnham screenprint in full-color on a smoke grey shirt. Based on the Animated Superman series, AS: Darkseid is also imprinted in full-color on a white shirt. Very cool, very different.  NOW AVAILABLE for sale in Canada and U.K.

In Shops: Feb 28, 2018

SRP: $19.95

 Play Arts Kai Flash Figure (Square Enix, Order Code SEP178074)

So for those of you who aren't toy people, Play Arts Kai figures are made by Square Enix (yes, the Final Fantasy people). The figures, when they're based on comic characters are always super articulated, immaculately made, but super overdesigned, so busy they give you a headache. Black Panther in the header is from the Play Arts series. And look at it! There are SO MANY LINES on it. 

This Flash figure is from the Justice League movie, and they appear to have made no changes to the costume.

Pre-order on Amazon!

JUSTICE LEAGUE VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI THE FLASH

SEP178074

From Square Enix. Your favorite DC Comics heroes are redesigned by the artists of Square Enix for the new Justice Leauge Variant Play Arts Kai Series! These figures sport new anime-inspired costumes and designs that capture the essence of the familiar characters while giving them a unique style. Each figure includes variant parts and character-appropriate accessories, plus a display stand. Window box packaging. 

In Shops: May 30, 2018

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #250 (Order Code JAN180450)

Getting to 250 issues of a comic without running multiple interim volumes and then hastily renumbering and trying to count the different books as the same run when you realize you're approaching a bunch of milestones is almost unheard of these days, so the 250th issue of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero would lead the list of March books on that alone. But then you see that it's a Snake Eyes issue, and what looks to be the debut issue of a new Snake Eyes at that? This book at IDW is a direct continuation of Larry Hama's Marvel series that brought so many people of a certain generation to the characters, and to comics as a medium. Dude knows what he's doing. Expect more of that here.

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #250

JAN180450

(W) Larry Hama (A/CA) Netho Diaz

"Dawn of the Arashikage," Part 5! Here it is-the conclusion to the latest explosive chapter in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero lore! Dawn Moreno has battled dangerous enemies and her own inner demons as the ghost of the dead Snake-Eyes threatens to possess her mind and her very soul. Will she survive the psychic onslaught, or be lost to the dark memories of the mysterious ninja for all time? Find out in this special oversized milestone issue! * The birth (and rebirth) of an all-new Snake-Eyes! * A landmark issue!

In Shops: Mar 28, 2018

Pre-order G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #250 here!

Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites TP (Order Code JAN180121)

There are two hooks to this new collection of several classic Beasts of Burden stories. The first is the critical praise its received through the years. Artist Jill Thompson could fill a swimming pool with all the Eisners and Harveys she's won for this book and swim around in it, Scrooge McDuck style. It is a stunning work of comic art. 

The second is the hook. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a series about a group of dog paranormal detectives who investigate NO COME BACK I HAVEN'T FINISHED YOU CAN WAIT FIVE MORE WORDS TO BUY IT. 

BEASTS OF BURDEN: ANIMAL RITES

JAN180121

(W) Evan Dorkin (A/CA) Jill Thompson

Black magic, demonic frogs, and zombie road kill are just a few of the problems plaguing this seemingly sleepy little town. Beneath the quiet streets a rat cabal plots vengeance, while in the local cemetery the dead leave their graves. With the human residents unaware of the supernatural danger, it's up to a determined crew of dogs (and one cat) to keep their community safe. Lives will be lost, and bonds forged as the beasts of Burden Hill battle against an unknown evil rooted within their town. Award-winning comics creators Evan Dorkin (Milk & Cheese) and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) come together to share the lives of some unlikely heroes. This volume reprints the comic-book series Beasts of Burden issues #1-4, the short stories from the Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, the Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft, the Dark Horse Book of the Dead, and the Dark Horse Book of Monsters,  "Stray,""Unfamiliar,""Let Sleeping Dogs Lie," and "A Dog and His Boy," published by Dark Horse Comics.

In Shops: May 09, 2018

Pre-Order Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites on Amazon!

Infinity Countdown #1 (Order Code JAN180879)

If you're a fan of the Marvel Cosmic universe from the era that James Gunn is mining for the Guardians of the Galaxy movies - pre-Bendis, when the space crew interacted with the Avengers sparingly and all had distinct voices and felt impactful - you really should make a point of checking out Gerry Duggan's run on All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, which culminates in this new Infinity crossover. While Star-Lord and Gamora are still pretty heavily informed by their movie characterizations, Duggan and series artist Aaron Kuder have succeeded in capturing some of the grandeur of the cosmic characters, and have fitted the Guardians into a similar role to where Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning had them. Plus, Kuder is getting great at being a Frank Quitely clone, at least in his figure drawing.

INFINITY COUNTDOWN #1

JAN180879

(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Aaron Kuder (CA) Nick Bradshaw

The Saga of the Infinity Stones begins!  As the Infinity Stones reappear around the cosmos, the ultimate race for power is on!! Battles will be fought, blood will be spilled, lives will be lost... all as the greatest cosmic heroes and villains vie for possession of the Power Stone, towering over a remote asteroid, somehow grown to the size of a building. Watch as the path to Infinity opens before your eyes and the END lies near... Rated T+ 

In Shops: Mar 07, 2018

Tenements, Towers & Trash (Order Code JAN181298)

Comics is the BEST medium for historical nonfiction like this. Graphic storytelling is great at adding character to bone-dry recitations of place and time, and it's also outstanding for helping readers suspend disbelief on things that are true but should probably be disbelieved anyway. Julia Wertz's history of some of the oddest joints in New York City likely falls into the latter category, and she's a good enough cartoonist to make it a must read.

TENEMENTS, TOWERS & TRASH HC

JAN181298

(W) Julia Wertz (A/CA) Julia Wertz

In Tenements, Towers & Trash, Julia Wertz takes us behind the New York that you think you know. Not the tourist's New York, but the guts, the underbelly, of this city that never sleeps. With drawings and comics in her signature style, Wertz regales us with streetscapes "Then and Now" and little-known tales, such as the lost history of Kim's Video, the complicated and unresolved business of Ray's Pizza, the vintage trash and horse bones that litter the shore of Brooklyn's Bottle Beach, the ludicrous pinball prohibition, Staten Island's secret abandoned boatyard, and the hair-raising legend of the infamous abortionist of Fifth Avenue, Madame Restell. From bars, bakeries, and bookstores to food carts, steet cleaners and apartments both cramped and grand, Tenements, Towers & Trash is a wild ride in a time machine taxi from the present day city to bygone days of yore.

In Shops: Mar 14, 2018

Order Tenements, Towers & Trash on Amazon!

Vampironica #1 (Order Code JAN181214)

 

Look, this is probably going to be great. Greg Smallwood was a breakout hit on Moon Knight, and there's no reason to believe he won't be as good or better here. My question is where does this madness end? Afterlife with Archie is incredible, with zombie Riverdale. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was also great, making Sabrina the bride of Cthulu. Then we got werewolf Jughead, and now vampire Veronica. What's next? Betty as the Reanimator? Moose becomes a puppet and traps people in elaborate, murderous escape rooms? Devilry with Dilton?

VAMPIRONICA #1

JAN181214

(W) Greg Smallwood, Megan Smallwood (A/CA) Greg Smallwood

NEW ONGOING SERIES! When Veronica is bitten by a centuries-old vampire, her thirst for blood threatens to turn Riverdale into a haven for the undead. Will she put an end to the vampire threat or give in to her blood lust?

In Shops: Mar 14, 2018

Motor Girl HC (Order Code JAN181089)

Strangers in Paradise's Terry Moore has been getting a lot of love for telling a realistic, human tale about PTSD that also includes aliens and a talking gorilla. 

MOTOR GIRL HC

JAN181089

(W) Terry Moore (A/CA) Terry Moore

When a UFO crashes into Samantha's junkyard, she is happy to make repairs and send the little visitors on their way. But E.T. is smitten with the Marine veteran and now an industrial giant wants to buy the land to install their anti-UFO weapon. With the help of her buddy Mike, a 600lb. gorilla, Sam is always prepared to defend those who can't defend themselves, but who will save Sam from the PTSD and shrapnel that threaten her life? To survive, Sam must ultimately face the greatest battle of her life - reality. Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

In Shops: Mar 28, 2018

Superman #42 (Order Code JAN180340)

There's a lot to like about this arc. Boyzarro is a lovely concept, a nice development of one of Superman's most entertaining villains. Pete Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are a great pairing, responsible for an incredible run on Batman & Robin and on this volume of Superman. But let's be honest here: I am buying this 100% for bizarro Krypto in glasses and Grumpy Streaky.

SUPERMAN #42

JAN180340

(W) Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason (A) Patrick Gleason, Patrick Gleason

"BOYzarro RE-DEATH" part one! It's a bizarre, Boyzarro world-and we just live in it! When Superboy comes face to face with Boyzarro, the Son of Bizzaro, a strange transformation begins to take place. But that's not all that the Kents have knocking on their door! Superman versus Bizarro round one am not just the beginning!

In Shops: Mar 07, 2018

Prism Stalker #1 (Order Code JAN180614)

From the solicit text: "For fans of Octavia Butler, Sailor Moon and...David Cronenberg..." Yup. I'm in. 

PRISM STALKER #1

JAN180614

(W) Sloane Leong (CA) Darius Ou (A/CA) Sloane Leong

For fans of Octavia Butler, Sailor Moon, and the biopunk horror of David Cronenberg comes PRISM STALKER, an ongoing sci-fi adventure series by SLOANE LEONG.  Vep is a young refugee raised away from her devastated home planet as an indentured citizen in a foreign colony. She works tirelessly for her insectoid hosts, but there is no exit in sight in this viscous, dripping citynest. The eye of opportunity is closing. Her duty is to her family and her siblings, but what more can she do for them here? The answer appears faster than she is ready for.

In Shops: Mar 07, 2018

Pre-Order Prism Stalker on Amazon!

Lucy Dreaming #1 (Order Code JAN181322)

For a guy who wrote a pop punk ballad about falling in love in the Holocaust, "surprisingly sensitive" is kind of blunted as a description. But Max Bemis was, when he came into comics, a surprisingly good comics writer. His Marvel miniseries, Worst X-Man Ever, was a lot of fun and an interesting look at mutant powers. His first book for BOOM! was Oh, Killstrike, where a neurotic guy has a Cable ripoff come to life and teach him how to be a better man. Lucy Dreaming sounds like it has a passing resemblance, and that's a good thing.

LUCY DREAMING #1

JAN181322

(W) Max Bemis (A/CA) Michael Dialynas

Max Bemis ( Moon Knight writer and lead singer of Say Anything) and Michael Dialynas ( The Woods ) present a sweeping, coming-of-age fantasy about living your dreams.literally. In her dreams, Lucy is the hero of all her favorite stories, living each night as a grand adventure. These journeys will teach her more about herself and the real world around her than she ever expected!

In Shops: Mar 21, 2018

Rough Riders: Ride or Die #2 (Order Code JAN181150)

I see Justice, Devil, Magician, Death, and Strength, but I see nothing about Money, Power or Respect. This DMX comic seems to have missed the point.

ROUGH RIDERS: RIDE OR DIE #2

JAN181150

(W) Adam Glass (A/CA) Pat Oliffe

Volume Three of the hit AfterShock Series! A young and scared H.P. Lovecraft joins the Rough Riders as they ride again against an ancient evil. This threat has returned to our earthly plane from the great beyond, and is hellbent on killing anything in its path. Our heroes soon learn that these unfortunate souls are not deceased, but instead have been turned into an ARMY OF THE DEAD! And the true nature of this ancient evil will change one of our beloved members forevermore! Created and written by Adam Glass (executive producer of Supernatural and writer of Suicide Squad) with artwork by Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man).

In Shops: Mar 28, 2018

Pre-Order Rough Riders #2 on Amazon!

Comics writer (and former CIA counter-terrorism operations officer) Tom King, the man behind recent titles like Marvel's The Vision, DC's Batman and Mister Miracle, announced an upcoming project at this past weekend's DC in D.C. event.

The new series will be called Sanctuary, and it will center the subject of superhero PTSD and other forms of trauma, giving the comic book world's masked crusaders a place to go to help them process their trauma.

"The DCU has a bunch of superheroes and all they do is fight, every time, and that must have a psychological effect on them, right?" said King during the "Battle and Trauma in Comics" panel on Saturday. "You can't live a life of violence and not feel that violence deep in your heart."

Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman act as parental figues of sorts for the DC world, said King. They care about helping other heroes deal with trauma for two reasons...

One, because they're good people, but two, if superheroes feel trauma and it drives them a little mad, that's a danger. So, as both a practical and a compassionate matter, they've set up something called Sanctuary, which is a place that you can go, modeled on veterans' crisis centers—which is an interesting name for them—and talk about this trauma and admit that this had an effect on you.

Den of Geek asked King about how the idea came about during a roundtable interview following the panel.

"Dan DiDio, my boss who doesn't get enough credit for all the good stuff he does, he came to me and said, 'I want to do something big and I want to talk about a big issue of something deep,'" said King. "It was vague, and I wanted to write something about PTSD and its effect on things. This was such an instant, easy idea: The idea that people who are living a life of trauma would be affected by that trauma."

Fo King, helping other heroes work though their trauma is part of the Trinity's "sworn duty to help people."

"It's one of the most logical things that's existed," said King, "so of course it would exist in DC, and of course Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman would get together to help superheroes who've been through this, and to help themselves get through it."

Check out the full "Battle and Trauma in Comics" panel below at the 3:39:45 mark.

Like so many classic DC heroes before him, Black Lightning is on his way to the CW. If the other Greg Berlanti produced DC super shows are any indication, Black Lightning should be another hit for the DC factory over at CW. And really, Black Lightning is such a worthy hero to be considered for television consideration. Black Lightning was the very first black superhero to star in his own DC title and has remained an important part of the DC Universe ever since. 

We are so excited to see Jefferson Pierce and his family come to life that we dove into our collections to check out some important reads in Black Lightning history.

Join us as we proudly present a Black Lightning reading guide to get you charged up for the series debut of CW’s latest DC superhero TV show!

Black Lightning Year One 

In 2009, writer Jen Van Meter and artist Cully Hamner presented a modern retelling of Black Lightning’s origin in Black Lightning Year One. Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden's original origin story was repurposed for a new audience.

In Black Lightning: Year One, Jefferson Pierce returns to Suicide Slum and takes on his old foes the 100 and Tobias Whale. Along the way, the story explores what drives Pierce to take to the streets and clean up some of the worst neighborhoods in the DC Universe. This is a no frills series that will give new readers great insight into what makes Black Lightning tick.

Read Black Lightning: Year One

Justice League of America 

When famed novelist Brad Meltzer took over writing duties on Justice League America, he brought Black Lightning with him. Black Lightning may not have been a Leaguer for long, but while he was part of the ranks of the JLA, the hero fit right in with the other iconic heroes of the DCU. During his tenure as a JLAer, Lightning helped the League rebuild Red Tornado and participated in an epic team-up with the Justice Society and the Legion of Super Heroes.

These stories proved that Jefferson Pierce belonged in the big time and presented some of the most epic stories involving this important DC character. As big as these stories are, Pierce never lost his connection to his people or his roots and became a perfect everyman sort of super hero.

Read Justice League of America Vol. 1: The Tornado's Path

Black Lightning: Cold, Dead Hands

Black Lightning co-creator Tony Isabella is back to guide Jefferson Pierce through another adventure.

Isabella hasn't missed a beat and has the Rebirth-era Jefferson Pierce cleaning up the streets of the city he grew up in. Cold Dead Hands proves you can go home again and presents the perfect Black Lightning adventure for those who want a ground floor read if you're looking to get into comics after catching the TV show.

Read Black Lightning: Cold, Dead Hands

Want to dig a little deeper into Black Lightning history? We can help you out with that, too!

Black Lightning Vol. 1 (1977)

In the first volume of Black Lightning, Isabella co-creator Trevor Von Eeden introduced the world to Jefferson Pierce, an Olympic level triathlete, a brilliant physicist, and a nurturing school teacher. Jefferson returns to teach at his alma mater Garfield High and quickly wins respect from his students. He soon falls afoul of a drug gang known as the 100. After the death of a student at the hands of the gang, Pierce dons the Black Lightning suit for the first time.

At first, Pierce uses a belt to enhance his strength and give him control of electricity. Soon, things would be retconned so Pierce had meta-human powers of his own, but through all the power changes Pierce had undergone, it was his heart and determination to protect his students from corruption that marked Pierce as a great addition to the DC Universe. A lot of the dialogue is pretty dated, and modern readers may have a tough time getting past that, but we had to include the stories where the legend began. 

Read Black Lightning Vol. 1

Batman and the Outsiders

After the cancellation of his own series, Black Lightning popped around the DC Universe. He, along with Katana, Metamorpho, Halo, Geo-Force, and Looker, eventually landed in a new Batman formed team known as the Outsiders.

Read Batman and the Outsiders

Black Lightning quickly became the heart of the team and was looked to by Batman to teach the inexperienced members of the Outsiders how to be heroes. The former teacher easily fell back into the role of mentor and educator and served as a staunch member of the Outsiders for many years. The Outsiders was the book that truly integrated Black Lightning into the overall tapestry of the DC Universe, and hopefully the Black Lightning TV series will eventually incorporate some of the other members of the team.

Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba's The Umbrella Academy is coming to Netflix as a live action series. The comic book series, which debuted in 2007, was first optioned as a movie before Dark Horse signed a deal with Universal Cable Productions to adapt the comic as a TV series. 

The live action series follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes -- The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and the seemingly powerless Vanya -- as they work together to solve their father’s mysterious death while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities. 

Way began writing The Umbrella Academy just a year after the release of My Chemical Romance's magnum opus, The Black Parade. The series is 15 issues of Eisner Award-winning goodness that has continued to inform Way's career as a comic book writer, especially with his current run on Doom Patrol and his Young Animal line at DC. Artist Gabriel Ba has also done some of his best work on the series. (If you want something really great by Ba, check out Daytripper, which he created with his twin brother, artist Fabio Moon.)

The Umbrella Academy has been on a bit of a hiatus since 2009. Only two volumes, The Apocalypse Suite and Dallas, have been released thus far, although Way and Ba plan at least two more volumes. The third volume is called Hotel Oblivion, and it's been in the works since at least 2013 when Way tweeted out an update with some sketches of new characters. Way and Ba had agreed to begin work on Hotel Oblivion in 2014, but a lot's happened since then. Besides his music projects, Way has his own line of comics and two comic book series to write.

While it's not likely the Umbrella Academy will return on the page any time soon, fans will at least gave the show to look forward to.

Here's everything else we know:

The Umbrella Academy News

Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba took to Facebook to announce that filming for The Umbrella Academy has begun in Toronto. Here's a little teaser pic:

The Umbrella Academy Release Date

Netflix has given the series a 10-episode order that will arrive sometime in 2018. 

The Umbrella Academy Cast

Netflix has revealed the core cast of the show. Here are the actors who will portray the members of the Umbrella Academy:

Ellen Page (X-Men: Days of Future Past) will star as Vanya, who is estranged from the rest of the family because of her lack of powers. Vanya is a very important character in the first arc of the comics, as she goes through a bit of self-discovery that puts her at odds with the superheroes she once called a family.

Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones) plays Luther, aka Spaceboy. He has super-strength, and after a terrible accident during an expedition to Mars, his head had to be transplanted onto the body of a gorilla. Ehem...

Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hamilton) will play Allison, aka The Rumor, who can alter reality by lying. 

David Castaneda (El Chicano) is Diego, codenamed The Kraken. He is sort of a fuse between Aquaman and Batman. He can hold his breath indefinitely, which gives him an advantage when in water, and is an expert knife thrower.

Robert Sheehan (Misfits) is perfectly cast as Klaus aka The Seance, the most morbid character of the group. His powers, which manifest only when he's barefoot, include levitation, telekinesis, and the ability to contant the dead. In the comics, Klaus is killed at one point but rejected from both Heaven and Hell.

Aidan Gallagher (Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn) is Number Five, simply codenamed The Boy. He can effortlessly travel in time and does not age due to a temporal condition. 

The Umbrella Academy Poster

Here's the first promo poster for The Umbrella Academy:

The Umbrella Academy Details

The Umbrella Academy will be produced by Universal Cable Productions. Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Bluegrass Television and Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment. Gerard Way will serve as co-executive producer. The pilot script was adapted from the comic book series by Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist).

In 2016, Slater talked to Collider about his script:

I definitely wrote the pilot for The Umbrella Academy. I think it’s really exciting. I think it’s really surprising and funny. I took the job because I’m such an immense fan of what Gerard [Way] and Gabriel [Ba, the artist] did with that book. It’s one of those things where I would rather be the guy to screw it up than sit back and let someone else come in and do the bad adaptation. So, I was really adamant about taking the job, but the only way I was going to do it was if I could make it weird and make it true to the spirit of the book. There’s a lot of weird shit in The Umbrella Academy, and it would be very easy to sand down some of those weird edges and make it more familiar to American audiences. I’m fighting very hard to not let that happen. We’re shopping around the pilot, at the moment. We’re trying to find the right home for it and trying to find someone as excited as we are.

Rawson Marshal Thurber (Dodgeball) was originally tied to the project when it was still being considered for the big screen. He told CBR in 2016 that the series would be too difficult to adapt as a film, citing the weirdness of the book as something that could be lost in translation at a big studio. 

Slater echoed Thurber's thoughts in his interview with Collider:

I think the relationships and the dynamics are so rich in that book that, if you tried to distill it down to 90 minutes, everyone gets reduced to a cartoon and a caricature. It really is The Royal Tenenbaums with superpowers. In order to do justice to that premise, you need time to unpack those characters, and dig into what makes them tick and the different relationships that they have with each other. There is so much fertile material there to tell really interesting, really funny, really unique stories that to compress it all into an hour and a half and throw in a bunch of giant action sequences, you’re going to wind up with some total mish-mash. It’s going to be Mystery Men. It’s going to be yet another wacky comedic superhero movie that no one really wants to see. It has its own unique DNA, and I think people should respect that DNA, or they should not do the project.