AIPT Comics

NEWSDark Horse and Mignola cut ties with Scott Allie following sexual assault claimsDC pulls Warren Ellis Dark Nights Death Metal shortVault cancels Hundred Wolves due to Myke Cole misconductCharles Brownstein has resigned from the CBLDFDC's Event Leviathan: Checkmate by Bendis and Maleev postponed indefinitelyRick Remender reveals The Scumbag for OctoberDC Solicitations for SeptemberMarvel's Tom Brevoort launches comics editor RPG - play as DC, Marvel, or ImageVault is kicking off a horror imprint with new series The AutumnalSkybound celebrates 10 years with virtual Skybound XpoKieron Gillen announces Marvel’s Warhammer 40,000 booksOur Top Books of the WeekDave: Marvels Snapshot (2020): Captain America #1 (W: Mark Russell, A: Ramon K. Perez)Suicide Squad (2019) #6 (W: Tom Taylor, A: Bruno Redondo)Forrest: Marvels Snapshot: Captain America #1 (W: Mark Russell, A: Ramon K. Perez)That Texas Blood #1 (W: Chris Condon, A: Jacob Phillips)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: The Goddamned: The Virgin Brides #1 (W: Jason Aaron, A: R. M. Guera)Forrest: Olympia #5 (W: Curt, Tony Pires, A: Alex Diotto, Dee Cunniffe)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Red Sonja #16 (Jae Lee)Forrest: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #15 (Becca Carey)Segment: Interview: Ryan StegmanYour podcast Steg-Man and His Amazing Friends has surpassed 100,000 downloads after 44 episodes, what inspired you to take to the internet-air-waves?As a podcaster, has the show helped your comics career connecting with fans and creators? Recently a debate has sprung up on Twitter about the function of a comics writer and artist and their differences and similarities. How would you describe your collaborative process with different writers across the industry? How frequently do you and Donny Cates meetup or get on a call to discuss the development of Venom? Are your discussions more focused on issue-to-issue details or long term storytelling?How has your view of Venom and by extension Eddie Brock as a character changed throughout working on this story? What contribution to the world of Venom are you most proud of making to-date?Free comic book day questions…Do you miss con season?What books, movies, games or other media most inspires your work generally and more narrowly for Venom? Do you make moodboards or any other sort of diagram to help establish tonality or style?Can you tell us about one panel or moment that was surprisingly difficult to nail? one that came to you surprisingly easy?If you could develop a prestige graphic novel for any character, no holds barred, who would it be and why?Many folks are struggling to keep their creative juices flowing right now, do you have any tricks or means of getting your creativity flowing?What did you want to be when you were little?What comics are you reading right now?What one writer that you haven’t worked with would you like to work with most?Off TOPIC TOP SHELF - Ryan Stegman - Video games, Studio Ghibli movies, and more

NEWSSeveral claims of misconduct and grooming were made against Cameron Stewart and other creators including Warren Ellis, with DC pulling a yet to be released book by Stewart and Martin Morazzo pulling a Stewart variant cover with that money going to Safe HorizonX of Swords is 24+ issues, X-Office releases reading guideImage and Marvel solicit books with “Back the Comeback” labelsECCC, Keystone Comic Con, PAX canceled + shifting to digital events What is DC FanDome?HBO Max comics...Vault partners with Heavy Metal to sell merch and comicsNorman Osborn is BACKKKKKK...after only 2 yearsMarvel’s The Pull List reveals September books to look forward toAscender and Descender optioned for TVDark Nights: Death Metal Marylin Manson video!Empyre: Aftermath Avengers #1 announcedOur Top Books of the WeekDave: Ant-Man (2020) #5 (W: Zeb Wells, A: Dylan Burnett)Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Greg Capullo)Forrest: Wynd #1 (W: James Tynion IV, A: Michael Dialynas)Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Greg Capullo)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1 (Lots and lots)Forrest: Captain America Marvels Snapshot #1 (W: Mark Russell, Kurt Busiek, A: Ramon K. Perez)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1 (Liam Sharp)Forrest: Batman The Smile Killer (Andrea Sorrentino)Segment: Interview: Primer DC OGN - Thomas Krajewski and Jennifer Muro - SPOILERS!How long has Primer been in the works from idea to creation? What sparked the original pitch?This world is vibrant, colorful, and most notably more kind than most depictions of Gotham, can you tell us a little bit about the creation of Ashley's view of Gotham and how you pushed those ideas in the narrative and the art?Primer tells a story that’s very accessible to younger readers but also relevant to older ones. Can you speak about the creation of a cross-generational story like this?Primer’s powers are those that are so full of life and creativity I could see a kid come up with them, but dropping after the crayons run out, what other media or life events inspired this story?About midway through the book we see an extensive list of all the colors and their associated powers, one notable reference is the color Scarlet allowing Ashley to make illusions, are there any other secret references or nods there?When it comes to color Theory how would Ashley Rayburn do?Themes around adoption, abuse, a parent who is incarcerated, and finding a new home can be heavy, what lead you to use these for your story?Many folks are struggling to keep their creative juices flowing right now, do you have any tricks or means of getting your creativity flowing?What did you want to be when you were little?What comics are you reading right now?We would be remiss to not mention Primer’s cliffhanger ending. Is there already a larger universe or story in the works? In an ideal world does Primer become a weekly comic or do you think it will always work best as a graphic novel?Off Topic Top Shelf - Jennifer: Gardening Thomas: Fallout 4, Borderlands, What We Do in the Shadows

NEWSFCBD moves to July from MarvelJupiter’s Legacy getting TPB reprints in prep for Netflix show this fallGeoff Johns teaching a course at the Kubert SchoolDeath Metal getting 3 one-shot stories in September and Snyder details the releaseDC is Anthology crazy:SUMMER SIZZLEDetective Comics 144-pagerOh and JOKER WAR ZONEMarvel collection info details:Reprinting X-Men: Evolution tie-in comics for 20th anniversaryMarvel's U.K. super-team The Union forges ahead with 2020 debutBendis is wrapping up his Superman run...but what does this mean!?Bendis introducing new Superman villain this SeptemberHellblazer Rise and Fall - a 3-part series by Tom Taylor coming in SeptemberSDCC is set for July...virtuallyNew Iron Man suit and series creative teamDC and Diamond make a short term planOur Top Books of the WeekDave: Batman Secret Files #3 (W: Dan Watters, Vita Ayala, James Tynion, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Mariko Tamaki, A: Sumit Kumar, Andie Tong, Riley Rossmo, John Paul Leon, Victor Ibanez)Batman #92 (W: James Tynion IV, A: Guillem March)Forrest: Undone By Blood Or the Shadow of A Wanted Man #3 (W: Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, A: Sami Kivela)No One’s Rose #2 (W: Zac Thompson, Emily Horn, A: Alberto Jimenez-Alburquerque)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Greg Capullo)Forrest: Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Greg Capullo)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Ludocrats #2 (Jeff Stokely)Forrest: Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #3 (Daniel Warren Johnson)Segment: Interview: Wynd limited series - James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas the-all-ee-nass - Out June 17

NEWSComic book artists support Black Lives Matter with commissionsGail Simone launches #ComicWritersChallenge to help raise funds for Black Lives MattersMarvel and DC/Warner Bros. express support for black community, is it enough?Marvel donates 5 millionMarvel comments on use of Punisher logo#BlackOutTuesday - The Comics Beat reposted content that spotlights black voices and issuesMan-Bat is the latest DC title to fall to COVID-19Eisner Awards 2020 nominations are inDC cuts ties with Diamond - Going with Lunar Distribution and UCS Comics DistributorsComic shop owners reactOur Favorite BOOKS by Black CreatorsDave: The Wrong Earth by Jamal Igle and Tom Peyer, Naomi by Jamal Campbell and Brian Michael Bendis - Far Sector Jamal Campbell & N.K. Jemisin - ‘Black Panther & the Crew: We Are the Streets Ta-Nehisi Coates and Butch Guice Nick: Postal (and Postal Deliverance) by Bryan Edward Hill (writer) - Farmhand is written and drawn by Rob GuilloryTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Decorum #2 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Mike Huddleston)Nick: Daredevil #20 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Marco Checchetto)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Bitter Root #8 (Chris Visions)Nick: Pandemica Vol. 1 (Esteban Salinas)OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Nick - NOS4A2 season 2

You can back Chip's Kickstarter here.NEWSVault Bound initiative continues/expandsMARVEL Cancels 53 Variants, Three Themed ProgramsDC and Diamond...not a good first startSteve Geppi makes the case for the Diamond monopoly New Marvel “Digital first” titles announcedMarvel celebrates new comic book day with videos from creatorsDC announces Instagram-exclusive Batman comicsMarvel bringing back ‘Marvel Mini-books’, smallest comics of their timeTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveAvengers #33 (W: Jason Aaron, A: Javi Garron)Alienated #3 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Chris Wildgoose)ForrestAlienated #3 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Chris Wildgoose)Doctor Aphra #1 (W: Alyssa Wong, A: Marika Cresta)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #6 (9.8)Fan: Suicide Squad #5 (8.9)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Far Sector #6Forrest: Swamp Thing Giant #4JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1 (1940s Adam Hughes Cover) *Forrest: Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 (Scott Hepburn)Segment: Interview: Chip Mosher - Blacking Out (with Peter Krause), working at Comixology as Head of ContentBlacking Out is already funded, congratulations! Your Kickstarter states this work is 3 years in the making, but when did the bud of the idea start?What specific goals did you have when establishing the Blacking Out Kickstarter? What made Kickstarter feel like the right platform for this project?What one piece of advice would you give to comics creators conceptualizing or launching their own crowd funded projects?To say your background in comics is robust is an understatement. Working at Oni Press between 1999 to 2005, Marketing at sales at BOOM! in 2007 to 2011 and now 8 years at Comixology as Head of Content, from your perspective what is something surprising to see emerge in comics over the years, what is something not so surprising?What is it about gumshoe detectives and muscle cars that will never go out of style?What is your approach to creating a mystery, how do you come up with twists, turns, and seeding the story with details that will matter later?Blacking Out has a sleek visual style marrying the 70s and modern aesthetics, can you tell us how yourself, Peter Krause, and Tom Muller developed the look of the book?What other media (Books, movies, television) informed the development of Blacking Out?Many folks are struggling to keep their creative juices flowing right now, do you have any tricks or means of getting your creativity flowing?What did you want to be when you were little?What comics are you reading right now?OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Chip Mosher - Genealogy

NEWSBOOM! Surprise Announces Wynd as limited seriesNew details emerge around Tom Taylor’s Seven SecretsDCeased gets a digital-first series starting this week running 14 chaptersMarvel Comics releases full July schedule with a return to weekly single issuesDuncan Jones’ Moon trilogy to close out as graphic novel on KickstarterMega Man comic announced for AugustJackpot...MOVIE?!Furloughs turn to layoffs at IDWAugust Solicitations at MarvelDC Announces DC Connect - Solicitations for AugustTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDavePlunge #3 (W: Joe Hill, A: Stuart Immonen)Star #4 (W: Kelly Thompson, A: Filipe Andrade, Javier Pina)NathanHawkeye: Freefall #5 (W: Matthew Rosenberg, A: Otto Schmidt)Red Sonja #15 (W: Mark Russell, A: Bob Q)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: 9.2 Lost on Planet Earth #2 (W: Magdalene Visaggio, Claudia Aguirre)Fan: 9.2 Hawkeye: Freefall #5 (W: Matthew Rosenberg, A: Otto Schmidt)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Venom #25 (W: Donny Cates, A: Mark Bagley)Nathan: Doctor Aphra #1 (W: Alyssa Wong, A: Marika Cresta)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Batman Beyond #43 (Francis Manapul)Nathan: Rogue Planet #1 (Andy MacDonald)OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Nathan Simmons - Blood Machines (film and album)June 8 - Silver Linings PlaylistUpcoming episodes of The Stage Moms and Two Drinks & A Haunting

NEWSDiamond announces “comeback” plans for May 20DC eliminating preview days for LCSDC's GENERATION Event Absent from JULY ScheduleDC releases July scheduleBatman: Three Jokers set for AugustDark Nights gets 2 tie-in issues, additional 7th issue, and a September breakSupergirl #42 is going digital-onlyRose City Comic Con Cancelled James McAvoy, a dozen other stars join Sandman audio dramaJeff Lemire bringing Sweet Tooth back to DC, RDJ bringing it to NetflixMarvel starts revealing August/September scheduleMaestro is getting an origin storyX of Swords is coming...in SeptemberMark Waid + Neal Adams collaborating on FFAIPT BOOKCLUB: Upgrade Soul by Ezra Claytan DanielsThe Story So Far: Molly and Hank Nonnar, a lovingly close elderly couple, undergo a cloning/physical perfection process called Upgrade Cell under the care of a legally shaky and potentially unethical group of scientists eventually coming face-to-face with a different, seemingly perfected version of themselves. Philosophically, dramatically and narratively dense Upgrade Soul touches on what it means to be human, beauty, family, intelligence, science, transhumanism, and ultimately love in a deft equally horrifying and beautiful story that eschews the common “what if you could be your best self” question of Superman comics and instead asks “what if you met your best self”What Works: Body language and set dressing, hidden intentions, lettering, balance of horror and beautyWhat Doesn’t: Frequent flashbacks confuse narrative structure, don’t see much of Molly/Hank’s younger life Favorite Artistic Moment: Molly visiting Manuela, 4 grid comparing the twoFavorite Narrative Moment: Henry at grave, Where We Think This is Going: Optioned for a movie, Daniels now working on BTM FDRSSegment: Interview: Chris Arrant - Newsarama Editor1. Walk us through a day in the life of a Newsarama editor.2. Can you think of a time in comics that have been as tumultuous today and with news changings so quickly? How do you keep all the different things straight?3. The 5,000 dollar question...where do you see comics for the second half of 2020? How about 2021?4. What do you think the comics industry can learn from overcoming this hurdle? How would you like to see publishers, distributors, and retailers react and change? 5. What did you want to be when you were little?6. If you could interview one comic creator living or dead for as long as you wanted, who would it be? 7. If you could choose one comic to come out regularly during quarantine times, which would it be?8. What comics are you reading right now?9. You’re super active on Twitter and I’m curious, is that part of being editor at Newsarama, or is that a private endeavor?OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Chris Arrant - Gardening, magazine reading

NEWSNew Marvel Comics coming NEXT WEEKDigital comics shop shutting downRosenberg comments on Hawkeye being one of the booksAdvance copies of Black Widow out with no release dateDC Comics going big in JuneOver $950,000 going to comic stores via BINC May 12thDiamond says May 20 orders “Better than we thought”Tom Taylor teases:Superman?DCeased: Dead PlanetSeven SecretsHumanoids working with Hero InitiativeMad Cave showcasing virtual conventionMarvel extending free access to some stories in Marvel Unlimited through June 2Image Comics June solicit updateAIPT BOOKCLUB: Nextwave by Warren Ellis and Stuart ImmonenThe Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment: Favorite Narrative Moment: Where We Think This is Going:Segment: Interview with Gene Luen Yang - Superman Smashes the Klan debuts May 12.Superman Smashes the Klan is inspired by the 1940 radio drama “Clan of the Fiery Cross”. Did DC provide you with recordings of those shows or transcripts? What was the research like for dipping into this specific period of Superman stories.Obviously and unfortunately, the fight against racism is timeless and that made this story a good candidate for adaptation, but was there anything in the original content you intentionally excluded? What do you think is the quintessential Superman story? Is that also your favorite?I love your concept of the boy scout in Superman and he wears these bright colors due to his immigrant status and make everyone around him know he’s a good guy. It makes sense even if it was subconscious. I’m curious, why the black within the logo?Speaking of Super-Man...might you know when might we see Kong Kenan back in a DC Comics book?I’m incredibly excited for your Shang-Chi series set for a June release. It’s your Marvel debut, congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about your love of the character, what era of the character you’re a fan of, and how excited you are for the movie?How does your process differ writing for different publishers and established properties versus creator owned projects? Do you prefer one over the other? What did you want to be when you were little?What comics are you reading right now?What one artist that you haven’t worked before do you most want to work with?Pie in the sky, what one character would you like to work on you haven’t yet written?Off Topic Top Shelf: Gene Luen Yang - Holo Man

NEWSDC Explains Why It Began Distributing Through Others During DIAMOND ShutdownDiamond CEO Steve Geppi talks and talksSays DC made things awkwardMentions Fox News...Diamond lists titles to be released May 20 from most publishers, DC releases May 19 and 26 release listMarvel clarifies new comics coming the 27thExplains rationale behind delayed releases, full line coming July 15BOOM! Revises May and June solicits March 2020 comic book sales figures are inAWA signs exclusive distribution deal with DiamondComics displays going into 3,000 Walmart storesDan Slott ending Iron Man runAIPT BOOKCLUB: East of West vol 1 by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta (issues #1-5)The Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment: Favorite Narrative Moment: Where We Think This is Going:OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: David Brooke - The Last Dance

NEWSDC Comics announces new slate of digitally available comics 7 days a weekFirst week of titlesDC Comics releases Daphne Byrne #4, Batman Giant #4, The Dreaming #20Diamond refutes DC’s claim about canceled ordersJim Lee debuts 20th sketch on AIPT in his 60 days of 60 sketches to benefit comic shops.No new marvel comics next weekKodansha signs on with InkyPen app, adding Attack on Titan, Parasyte, others to Nintendo Switch ReadingBill Sienkiewicz shares risque reference photo, artists take it and run with #billsbuttchallengeAIPT BOOKCLUB: Swamp Thing by Writer: Alan Moore Artist: John Totleben 1982 (SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING BOOK ONE collects issues #20-27)The Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment:Favorite Narrative Moment:Where We Think This is Going:OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Forrest - Nvidia Shield TV

NEWSDC Announces new distribution model Batman #93 shipping in JuneMarvel continues to announce no new books on MondaysDiamond targets mid-May to start regular shippingSan Diego Comic Con cancelledNew Vault series Giga announcedBOOM! and Netflix kissing in a tree, K.I.S.S…..TODD McFARLANE Calls for Unity, Crossovers, DIGITAL To Combat Coronavirus Comics DownturnNew Writer/Artist Takes Over IDW's SONIC THE HEDGEHOG - But Without Saying WhenJim Lee is on day 19 drawing 60 sketches for 60 daysEd Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vicente release new post-YA horror series released on WednesdayAIPT BOOKCLUB: Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice! By Jeff Lemire and Michael Walsh (released in collected format April 8)The Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment: Favorite Narrative Moment: Where We Think This is Going:Segment: Interview with Mark Russell Billionaire Island, Captain America: Marvels Snapshot #1, Flintstones, Wonder Twins, and Second Coming.I was incredibly excited to read Captain America Marvel Spotlight this month, hopefully we get it sooner or later, can you talk a bit about how that project got off the ground with Kurt Busiek curating? Since we can’t actually see the book can you talk a bit about what RAMÓN PÉREZ is doing with the art? What is your relationship like on the project?How are things going with comics currently on hold, are you working on anything, or is it pencils down right now?Mark, I simply loved your DC Year of the Villain one-shots, they always seemed to go a subvert the idea that many of the one-shots brought and took a different course like with Harley Quinn being a commentary on award shows, how Riddler didn’t get powered up by Lex, and Sinestro’s story feeling like an incredible sci-fi story not needing the even itself to work. When developing these three wildly different stories did you pitch all 3, were there any that weren’t picked up?It seems like every day we’re learning about the US government enriching the rich, helping them with back channel bills and what not, which makes Billionaire Island even more important and poignant. Issue #1 is out, can you tell us a little bit about that series’ creation and whether or not the current pandemic is inspiring the series to change as you script future issues?You’ve written across pretty much every facet of the comics industry including for the big two, the indies, etc. How does your process differ when writing for established properties versus indie? Do you prefer one over the other? What did you want to be when you were little?You’ve probably been asked this a thousand times but...Flintstones was an inspiration of a series. Would you ever want to take on another property and put your spin on it in a 12 issue series?What one artist that you haven’t worked before do you most want to work with?OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Mark Russell: Stoicism

NEWSDiamond To Resume Paying Publishers With Partial Payments, DeferralsHumanoids shifts books to September and fallMarvel still releasing collections digitallyDAN DIDIO's Biggest DC Regret is Not Spending Enough Time Developing the NEW 52SDCC Announcement Coming Soon On This Year's Event due to Coronavirus PandemicKEVIN EASTMAN Hosting Online Hangout to Celebrate TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1's Anniversary (36 years since they got the books from the printer)Nominate your favorite comics for the 2020 Ringo Awards nowAIPT BOOKCLUB: All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison/Frank QuitelyThe Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment: Favorite Narrative Moment: Where We Think This is Going:Segment: OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Tales From the Loop - Amazon

NEWSDiamond stops paying vendorsMarvel pauses work and publishing on 1/3rd of May and June releasesMeanwhile, DC donates $250,000 to retailer charityBoom! Halts physical and digital single issues, will release tradesDC releasing books digitally, exploring “multi-distributor” dealMarvel to halt digital release of new comics...for nowPublishers have worked out temporary distribution method with ComicHubNevermind about that ComicHub thing actuallyBad Idea postpones launchLION FORGE LABS Closed, All Employees Laid OffAIPT BOOKCLUB: Venom by Donny Cates/Stegman. We break down the ongoing run with these categories:The Story So Far: What Works: What Doesn’t: Favorite Artistic Moment: Favorite Narrative Moment: Where We Think This is Going:Segment: Frank Gogol Interview: Coming in June, NO HEROINE #1 Ringo Award-nominated writer Frank Gogol (Dead End Kids), father-daughter art team Criss Madd and colorist Shawna Madd, with letters by Sean Rinehart, and cover by Ahmed Raafat. (Gogol also wrote GRIEF, and Dead End Kids)No Heroine is a story about addiction, a protagonist with a checkered past, and vampires, how did you get to this developed story and how long has it been in development?It seems like American history has had a few different periods where vampires were hugely important in pop culture. Do you think it’s time for a another streak? Why?We’ve seen vampire hunters take out the bloodsuckers in a variety of ways and No Heroine #1 offers up a few new ones. What goes into creative kills?Frank, you seem to hustle a lot to get the word out on comics. What are some things you learned when it comes to getting the word out on your comics?Talk about a unique time to be in the comics industry, how’s it looking out there from your perspective?How impacted are you with conventions closing due to the pandemic? What is it about small town america that appeals to you in your stories? I understand Dead End Kids and now No Heroine seem to be set there. When you were little, what did you think you’d be when you grew up?OFF TOPIC TOP SHELF: Gogol makes his picks which include Resident Evil, James Bond, and more.

NEWSDiamond Comics Distributor to halt all comics and product shipments until further noticeAWA moving comics online during Diamond delayDC writes letter to freelancersDC will ship Gotham High to book storesMarvel working on “Larger scale plan” Dark Horse reducing line, offering returnability, Vows Not to Release New Comic Books Digitally Until Print Distribution ResumesValiant engaging readers with Valiant Hero of the WeekTKO offering 50% profits to LCS’Manga publisher Viz still shipping via Simon and Schuster, othersKodansha Comics & VERTICAL Debut on izneo Online PlatformAbrams Spider-Man book delayed - 20 weeks overdueKUBERT SCHOOL Opens To Students Worldwide with New Online ProgramSEGMENT: Anniversary Issues: While Nancy Drew celebrates the legendary character by killing her -- What is our ideal anniversary/milestone issue?TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveHellions: (W: Zeb Wells, A: Stephen Segovia)Justice League Dark #21 (W: Ram V, James Tynion IV, A: Alvaro Martinez)ForrestNo One’s Rose #1 (W: Zac Thompson, Emily Horn A: Alberto Jimenez-Alburquerque)Hellions #1 (W: Zeb Wells, A: Stephen Segovia)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW, 9.5)Fan: Immortal Hulk #33 (Marvel, 9.7)INTERVIEW: STEVE ORLANDO (Wonder Woman, Darkhold, Martian Manhunter, Kill a Man from AfterShock)Can you give us a brief introduction to Kill a Man (on sale June 3) and why AfterShock felt like the right publisher for this specific story?How does your writing process differ working for the big 2 versus indie publishers? Do you prefer one over the other?You were the main writer on Wonder Woman when her big #750 anniversary issue hit, can you tell us a bit about spearheading that project and what you hoped to accomplish for the character?When you introduce the “Invisible Starfighter” in Wonder Woman #754 as you called it in a recent tweet, do you need to dig into the long boxes to see if it has been done before?Kill A Man focuses on the careers and relationships of two boxers, but according to your Twitter you’re also a pretty big professional wrestling fan. Which wrestler would you most want to write a comic for?There seems to be a reoccurring theme in your work, recently you mentioned in an interview with screenrant, “villains also work when they are dark reflections of a hero” and Darkhold’s solicit reads, “To save them all, the Scarlet Witch must gather the world’s greatest heroes...and unleash their inner darkness.” What is it about inner darkness that appeals to you?Darkhold is your first book at Marvel, what are some of your favorite Dr. Doom stories?Your Martian Manhunter series with Riley Rossmo was a deep dive on one of the most overlooked quote unquote main characters at DC. What Marvel character would you like to do the same for?When you were little, what did you think you’d be when you grew up?Coming off Wonder Woman #754 this week and only a week ago announced you'll be writing at Marvel Comics series I can only imagine your point of view on comics right at this moment is unique. There's a lot to capture all at once! How are you coping and what is your thoughts on the current state of affairs?Segment: Off Topic Top Shelf: Ni No Kuni, Castlevania, Carb Smart Tortillas

NEWSImage announces measures to help retailers during pandemicPublishers are postponing certain comicsMarvelWeird Enough Productions, national comics non-profit, makes materials freeDiamond coordinating retail/publisher Coronavirus responseFree Comic Book Day PostponedVampire: The Masquerade returns to comics at VaultNew details on New WarriorsJames Tynion fed up with social media creates own message boardMarvel June solicitations, any surprises?TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDavePlunge #2 (W: Joe Hill, A: Stuart Immonen)Spider-Woman #1 (W: Karla Pacheco, A: Pere Pérez)ForrestAlienated #2 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Chris Wildgoose)BANG! #2 (W: Matt Kindt, A: Wilfredo Torres)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: The Resistance #1 (AWA, 9.8)Fan: The Resistance #1 (AWA, 9.2)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: X-O Manowar #1 (W: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum, A: Emilio Laiso)Forrest: Batman: Creature of the Night (W: Kurt Busiek, A: John Paul Leon)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: X-Men #9 (Leinil Francis Yu)Forrest: Killing Red Sonja #1 (Christian Ward) SEGMENT: Interview - John Allison Giant Days writer has Wicked Things #1 out this week from BOOM! StudiosEveryone loves a good who-done-it, what are some of your favorite detective stories and were there any you read or watched to prepare for Wicked Things?If you had to pitch Wicked Things to 18 or 19 year olds, how would you describe it? The plot of Wicked Things #1 revolves around an awards ceremony for detectives. Having won an Eisner, did you approach this issue from your own experience with that award show, or maybe others you’ve attended?The lead character, Charlotte "Lottie" Grote, was first introduced (if I’m not mistaken) in Scary Go Round in the story the Estate January 28, 2009, and while the character is 19 in Wicked Things she’s technically 11 in real people years. That’s a long time for the character to live inside your head and while we’ve seen her in Giant Days and elsewhere, how has she changed--or maybe she hasn’t-- in those 11 years?When crafting a murder mystery detective story are there storytelling elements that take a back seat to the mystery itself? Worldbuilding, for instance, seems a touch harder when the audience is focusing on the detective and their work.I love the little details in Wicked Things #1, from the text on a magazine cover to the name of Charlotte’s gummy bears, are these things right in the script, or do they evolve when making the book?The Tackleverse, or Bobbinsverse as I’ve seen it written, is an incredible thing. You’ve built an entire universe of characters. Are there any inherent pros and cons of building a universe? Might we see you create an entirely new one someday?Originating as a webcomic creator, are there elements of webcomic creation you miss, and things you are happy to leave behind?When you were little, what did you think you’d be when you grew up?What do you hope to see in the comics industry in the future?What comics are you reading right now?Off Topic Top Shelf: John Allison’s pick - Horror Stories: A Memoir: Liz Phair, Bakuman, The Sopranos

NEWSBad Idea starts rolling out which stores will carry their books.Mariko Tamaki is the new Wonder Woman ongoing writerSteve Orlando is going to MarvelCoronavirus cancels Kansas City's PLANET COMICON, Wondercon, Boston ACE Comic Con, NYC MOCCA, Diamond Publisher conferenceComics direct market expected to take a COVID-19 hit, publishers encourage visiting your LCSPAJAMACON, Funko Virtual Con, others taking the place of ECCC - ECCC rescheduled for AugustSuperman Vs. the KKK podcast in the form of old radio shows incomingShang-Chi #1 coming this JuneFebruary sales are in!SEGMENT: What comics are on your self-quarantine catch-up list?Dave: Chrononauts Vol. 2, TKO books: Sara and The BanksNate: The Sandman Universe, MMPR/TMNTTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveMarvels Snapshot: Sub-Mariner #1 (W: Alan Brennert, Kurt Busiek, A: Jerry Ordway)Thor #4 (W: Donny Cates, A: Nic Klein)NathanDecorum #1 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Mike Huddleston)Cable #1 (W: Gerry Duggan, A: Phil Noto)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Hawkeye: Freefall #4Fan: The Dollhouse Family #5TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Plunge #2 (W: Joe Hill, A: Stuart Immonen) (Alienated #2...too? Si Spurrier, Chris Wildgoose)Nathan: X-Ray Robot #1 (Mike Allred, Laura Allred)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Batman #91 (Jorge Jimenez)Nathan: Robin 80th Anniversary Spectacular (Yasmine Putri cover)SEGMENT: Elsa Charretier (char-tee-air) artist on November, The Unstoppable Wasp, writer AND artist on Infinite Loop, and MoreYou just had a successful Kickstarter get funded back in November (with your artbook shipping in February, congratz!) and also have an Etsy store where you sell comics. What has the journey been like to move away from traditional comic book publishing to a digital approach on platforms like Kickstarter and Etsy?What would you say are the essential things a creator must know or commit to before launching a Kickstarter?Would you say launching a Kickstarter changed the relationship you have with fans? How so?How do you approach working on creator-owned projects versus work for the big two?Do you generally find it easier to illustrate your own projects or projects in collaboration with another writer? How does your creative process shift for the difference between writing and art?Can you tell us a little about your Star Wars work for IDW? How did the project come about, and what’s your approach to working with characters that have such far reach and recognition?November Book Two Vol. 2 comes out this May, what can fans expect from this sequel series by you and Matt Fraction?What do you hope to see in the industry in the future?Infinite Loop got a sequel starting in 2017, might we see a trilogy some day?What comics are you reading right now?Off Topic Top Shelf: Elsa Charretier’s pick - Reading plays, Good Omens, and more

NEWSEMPYRE gets a column, by us! EMPYRE STATE OF MYNDMultiple publishers, creators drop out of ECCCC2E2 news!Jim Lee talks Didio!DC story details and notesVenom villain named Virus - NOT a symbioteSean Gordon Murphyverse?Iron Cat incoming!Neil Gaiman will narrate new Sandman Audible series for AmazonFormer DC Executive Creative Director, David Ewing named publisher of Heavy MetalSEGMENT: Polygon asks DC and Marvel creators about the past, and next decades in comics. TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveStrange Academy (2020) #1 (W: Skottie Young, A: Humberto Ramos)Aster and the Accidental Magic #1 (W: Thom Pico, A: Karensac)ForrestKing of Nowhere #1 (W: W. Maxwell Prince, A: Tyler Jenkins)Spider-Man Noir #1 (W: Margaret Stohl, A: Juan Ferreyra)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Decorum #1 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Mike Huddleston)Forrest: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #1 (W: Ethan Sacks, A: Paolo Villanelli)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Decorum #1 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Mike Huddleston)Forrest: New Mutants # 9 Off Topic Top Shelf: Dave is getting into Devs

NEWSMore details on Dan Didio’s departureDC Cancels C2E2 'Meet The Publishers' Panel Following DIDIO ExitBad Idea expanding launch in comic shops from 20 to 50Coronavirus concerns hit con seasonC2E2 latest news: Silk is back!'X of Swords' announced at C2E2 X-Men panelUltraman cover revealThor vs. Galactus (Thor goes blind?) and moreFCBD revealed: Venom gets attacked by “War Machine” yellow symbol and Vulture fights Black Cat and Spider-ManMike Del Mundo dazzles with Threshing Place interior artEmpyre - Marvel universe goes to war plus gladiator fights?Ari Bard covering the con for AIPT, yahoo!TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveGrimm Noir #1 (W: Gerry Duggan, A: Ron Garney)Far Sector #4 (W: N.K. Jemisin, A: Jamal Campbell)ForrestGrimm Noir #1 (W: Gerry Duggan, A: Ron Garney)X-Men #7 (W: Johnathan Hickman, A: Leinil Francis Yu)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Invisible Kingdom #10 (Dark Horse, 9.4)Fan: John Constantine: Hellblazer #4 (DC, 9.7)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Strange Adventures (W: Tom King, A: Mitch Gerads, Doc Shaner)Forrest: Strange Academy #1 (W: Skottie Young, A: Humberto Ramos)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Daredevil #19 (Del Mundo Spider-Woman Cover)Forrest: Harley Quinn #71 (Guillem March)SEGMENT: Co-writers Zac Thompson & Emily Horn on their new Vault series No One’s Rose “every rose has a thorn!” March 25 Vault ComicsOff Topic Top Shelf: No One’s Rose team: Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener + Crash by JG Ballard

NewsDan Didio out as DC publisherDC will reveal ‘hidden history’ with Generation(s) comicsDark Horse Comics producing “original” Predator comicHumanoids announce Mark Waid as publisher and new push for classic titlesSandman universe expands with The Dreaming: Waking HoursLocke and Key joins the Sandman universeDC Cancels Supergirl at issue 42Joker’s new sidekick, Punchline, is a hitMarvel Comics May 2020 solicitation surprises?TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveSkulldigger and Skeleton Boy #3 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)Plunge #1 (W: Joe Hill, A: Stuart Immonen)ForrestBANG! #1 (W: Matt Kindt, A: Wilfredo Torres)Skulldigger and Skeleton boy #3 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Superman Smashes the Klan #3 (DC, 9.7)Fan: Daredevil #18 (Marvel, 9.2)SEGMENT: January 2020 Sales - how are pubs starting off the new year?TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Tomorrow #1 (W: Peter Milligan, A: Jesus Hervas)Forrest: Fantastic Four: Grimm Noir #1 (W: Gerry Duggan, A: Ron Garney)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost #1 (Russell Dauterman)Forrest: Avengers #31 (Gerardo Zaffino)SEGMENT: Chris Hassan on Jean + Emma week SEGMENT: Superfight - Jean vs. Emma - The Quiet GameOff Topic Top Shelf: Forrest - Professional Wrestling

NEWSMARK WAID Relaunches SQUADRON SUPREME Out of EMPYRE, plus Celestial MessiahMarvel’s Pull List reveals new details on a few upcoming May 2020 books.The Marvels #1 gets a full solicitBleeding Cool has new deets on Death Metal.Tom King shares details from canceled New 52 Superboy Abrams' Final Two SPIDER-MAN Issues Postponed Four MonthsTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveAlienated #1 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Chris Wildgoose)Batman’s Grave #5 (W: Warren Ellis, A: Bryan Hitch)ForrestAlienated #1 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Christian Wildgoose)Undone By Blood #1 (W: Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, A: Sami Kivela)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Green Lantern Season Two #1 (W: Grant Morrison, A: Liam Sharp)Fan: Hawkeye: Freefall #3 (W: Matthew Rosenberg, A: Otto Schmidt)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Joker: Killer Smile #3 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)Forrest: Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #3 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Ghost Spider #7 (Paul Pope)Forrest: The Red Mother #3 (Jeremy Huan)SEGMENT: Si Spurrier Alienated from BOOM! Studios Chris Wildgoose Superfight: E.T. vs. Alien vs. Alienated “superpredator”: Mud wrestlingOFF TOPIC TOP SHELF - Si Spurrier and Chris Wildgoose: Fortean Times, PUBG, and Jamie Oliver

NEWSBad Idea, a new way to sell comicsCullen Bunn authors lengthy Twitter thread about being accused of hiring Ghost-WritersStrange Adventures is rebranded as DC Black Label.Donny Cates hypes new Image “event” series.Tom King Says That Alfred’s Death Will Set Up The Events Of 5GFantomex to appear in Giant Size X-Men issue (to clear up Xavier confusion?)X-Men and Spider-Man FCBD covers revealed vs DC FCBD blunderJuggernaut #1 announced.TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDave X-Men + Fantastic Four #1 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Terry Dodson) After Realm Quarterly #1 (W/A: Michael Avon Oeming, C: Taki Soma)Forrest X-Men + Fantastic Four #1 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Terry Dodson) The Immortal Hulk: Great Power (W: Tom Taylor, A: Jorge Molina)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Martian Manhunter #12 (DC, 9.9)Fan: Daphne Byrne #2 (DC, 9.8)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Undone by Blood (W: Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, A: Sami Kivela)Forrest: Alienated #1 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Christian Wildgoose)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Dawn of X Vol. 1 (Tom Muller)Forrest: Doctor Strange #3 (Kev Walker)SEGMENT: Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler Undone by BloodCan you tell us a little about the world of Undone by Blood and the stories or other media that inspired it? Zac, you often make mood boards for your projects - what did this one look like?How did you land on the two-story structure for Undone By Blood? Do you have different notes, design documents, research for each half? How do you split up the work for a co-written title? Do you two bounce ideas off of either for your solo titles (Black Stars Above, The Replacer)? Where do you personally feel the “co-creator” line starts?Top 3 westerns (book or movies)?Is there a significance to one of the plots taking place in 1971?Does the title or genre of a book often come before the plot of the story (i.e. you have an idea of where you want to tell a story but not necessarily what story) or vice versa?Is it easier or harder to sell genre stories? What was the original pitch for Undone By Blood?What do you like about revenge stories?There’s some impressive layout work here, for instance, the gutters also serve as prison bars in issue #2...do you have a treasure chest of layout ideas you think up and save for later, or is this something that’s more organic working with the artist? Yondu exit interview...how do we feel about your 5 issue mini?!Do you see thematic or narrative cross over between Undone By Blood and other works like Yondu, Black Stars Above, etc. or do you actively work to avoid similarities?Last but not least, how do you think Yondu would fare in the world of Undone By Blood?OFF TOPIC TOP SHELFZac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler: Death Stranding and T.S. Eliott

NEWSDC begins teasing Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s next eventROBIN 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR Postponed a Week...does this reoccurring “spectacular” going to have legs?AARON & GUERA's GODDAMNED to Return This MayFree MARVEL SAMPLER Coming to Stores KICKSTARTER Launches BLUESTOCKINGS COMICS FEST to Showcase Queer and Trans CreatorsMarvel Introducing new villain, a “maligned” Steve Rogers Fan called The NaturalMadelyne Pryor returning to X-Men comics in Hellions Eddie Berganza and Eric Esquivel launch new publisher Alternate Empire to massive backlash (“latinx empowerment”)TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDave Thor #2 (W: Donny Cates, A: Nic Klein) Justice League #39 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Jorge Jimenez)ForrestDoctor Strange: The End (W: Leah Williams, A: Filipe Andrade)Protector #1 (W: Simon Roy, Daniel Bensen, A: Artyom Trakhanov)ComicBookRoundUpBlack Stars Above #3 (Vault, 9.2)Thor #2 (Marvel, 9.6)SEGMENT - Breaking down the difference between comic cover and contentTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: X-Men + Fantastic Four #1 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Terry Dodson)Forrest: Dark Agnes #1 (W: Becky Cloonan, A: Luca Pizzari)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Star Wars: Darth Vader #1 (Mike del Mundo)Forrest: Butcher of Paris #3 (A: Dave Johnson)OFF TOPIC TOP SHELFDave: The Gentlemen by Guy Ritchie

NEWSBuffy comics to add “most important new character in 20 years”Newsarama releases a list of the 10 best Marvel stories as voted by fansOnly two comics sold over 100k units in DecemberDan Didio vows to fix Black Label delaysOni's RENDER Postponed Indefinitely After Artist Suffers Health IssuesWATTERSON, BECHDEL, HECK, SIMONSON, More Nominated for EISNER HALL OF FAME only 4 can win! JEN BARTEL and PUMA Join Forces for BIRDS OF PREY SneakersTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEKDaveThe Runaway Princess (Johan Troianowski)Guardians of the Galaxy (2020) #1 (W: Al Ewing, A: Juann Cabal)ForrestJohn Constantine: Hellblazer #3 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Aaron Campbell)Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (W: Al Ewing, A: Juann Cabal)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: The Kill Lock #2 (IDW, 9.4)Fan: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel, 9.1) SEGMENT - Trending Now: How much is too much for new X-Men booksTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKDave: Justice League #39 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Jorge Jimenez, Daniel Sempere, and Juan Albarran)Forrest: Shadow of the Batgirl (W: Sarah Kuhn, A: Nicole Goux)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Thor #2 (Olivier Coipel)Forrest: The Weatherman #6 (A: Nathan Fox)Segment: April 2020 Solicitation RoundupMarvel April 2020 SolicitationsIMAGE COMICS April 2020 SolicitationsDARK HORSE COMICS April 2020 SolicitationsDC Comics SolicitationsValiant SolicitationsOFF TOPIC TOP SHELFForrest: Gunpla

News:Empyre teasers drop all week.New blue costumes?!Top-selling graphic novels of the decade are...Catwoman 80th anniversary!5,395 comic books were released in 2019 Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson talks about the industry with NewsaramaChris Claremont and Brent Anderson returning for new story in GOD LOVES MAN KILLS special editionDark Horse will publish a comic adaptation of the original Alien scriptLemire and Del Mundo releasing their own take on Immortal Hulk in The Threshing PlaceTHE PUNISHER VS BARRACUDA #1 - Ed Brisson & Declan ShalveyTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveSkulldigger + Skeleton Boy #2 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)Batman's Grave #4 (W: Warren Ellis, A: Bryan Hitch)ForrestVenom: The End (W: Adam Warren, Chamba Cruz)Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy #2 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic) ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Rai # 3 (9.0)Fan: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #7 (9.5)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: The Runaway Princess (Johan Troianowski)Forrest: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (W: Al Ewing, A: Juann Cabal)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Once and Future #6 (Dan Mora)Forrest: Batman Beyond #40 Variant (Francis Manapul) INTERVIEW: Johnnie Christmas and Jack T. Cole talk about new series Tartarus (out February 12, 2020)SUPERFIGHT: Christmas and Cole determine who would be the worst president, Tetsuo or Zorg (from the Fifth Element).Off Topic Top Shelf: Johnnie Christmas and Jack T. Cole let us know what they're into right now that's not comics related.

News:Wraith getting his own book in April, one-shotIDW and Smithsonian launch a joint publication programGLAAD announces comics awardsComics sales and orders were up 2.0% in 2019, approaching $500 millionInterview: Lonnie Nadler talks Black Stars Above, Yondu at Marvel Comics, and more!Segment: Our Best Comics of 2019!‘Gone too soon’ Best canceled seriesDavid: LokiForrest: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-ManBest WriterDavid: Jason AaronForrest: Si SpurrierBest ArtistDavid: Bilquis EvelyForrest: Tradd MooreBest Cover ArtistDavid: Alex RossForrest: Julian TedescoBest ColoristDavid: Matthew WilsonForrest: Ian Herring (Ghost-Spider)Best LettererDavid: Joe SabinoForrest: Hassan Ostmane-ElahouBest NewcomerDavid: NK JemisinForrest: Darcy Van PoelgeestBest Single Issue (structured as a one-shot)David: Doctor Strange #18Forrest: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #6Best Non-2019 comic we read for the first time this yearDavid: Hit-Monkey by Daniel WayForrest: DorohedoroBest Graphic NovelDavid: Swimming in DarknessForrest: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With MeComic we wish we spent more time with/were caught up onDavid: Action ComicsForrest: Conan (+ tie ins)Best Single PanelDavid: Avengers: No Road Home double-page splash of all the heroes by Sean IzaakseForrest: Absolute Carnage #1 page 2: history of Venom spreadBest Comic for Younger ReadersDavid: Dear Justice LeagueForrest: Harley Quinn: Breaking GlassBest MangaDavid: Vinland Saga Vol 11Forrest: Gou Tanabe’s At the Mountains of MadnessBest Genre ComicDavid: Powers of XForrest: Gideon FallsBest Miniseries (1-6 issues)David: Spider-Man: Life StoryForrest: Batman: UniverseBest Maxiseries (6-12 issues)David: Peter Cannon ThunderboltForrest: CodaTop 3 Favorite comicsDavid:The DreamingJustice LeagueHouse of XForrest:Martian ManhunterCodaSilver Surfer: Black

This is an extra-long episode with categories predetermined and agreed upon. Here are the nominees...Best comic to show a lapsed fanHouse of X / Powers of XBlack HammerHellblazerGreen LanternThe Immortal HulkMiddlewestBiggest DisappointmentFallen AngelsBatman: Damned2099Spider-Man by AbramsReturn of WolverineLast Knight On EarthInvisible KingdomBest Comics TrendTeam listed as Co-CreatorsSexploitation characters are now written by fabulous writers (Red Sonja, Deja Thoris)taken seriouslyMajor publishers embrace horror/genreGrand DesignALPHA / OMEGA issuesKitschy properties are being given fun and clever books (Six Million Dollar Man, Barbarella)Worst Comics TrendSolicitations Too Far OutToo Many Event Tie-InsConstant Re-SchedulingCreator’s rights in jeopardy (Watchmen)Political AvoidanceAn overabundance of Elseworld Batman stories (Last Knight on Earth, Bat-dad in King’s run, Curse of the White Knight)Biggest Surprise:DC Restructures into age bracket modelVertigo shutteredYoung Animal returnsDC Zoom and Ink a success!X-line complete relaunchMarvels are annotated and BACKConan under Marvel and in every bookBiggest SurpriseX-Men ImmortalityHot claws NO MOREWalking Dead ends abruptlyBlack Hammer & Justice LeagueDoomsday Clock finally completedBest PublisherMarvelDCImageVaultDark HorseBest #1John Constantine: HellblazerSilver Surfer: BlackCaptain Marvel #1ACTS OF EVIL: PUNISHER ANNUAL #1Best OngoingImmortal HulkJustice LeagueVenomThe DreamingThorBlack Hammer (+ various tie-ins)Gideon FallsBest EventWar of the RealmsHoX & PoXAbsolute CarnageLeviathanYear of the VillainBest RebootThe X-Men LineYoung JusticeDaredevilFantastic FourBatman/SupermanBuffyHellblazerMost Memorable Retcon (bad or good)Moira XWolverine and the Infinity StonesXavier and Magneto working togetherDoomsday ClockVenom creates children on purposeBest RomanceGambit and RogueKrakoa PolyamoryBatman and CatwomanSpider-Man and MJHarley and Poison IvyBetsy and Blob (X-Tremists)Best HeroVenomXavierMiles MoralesDora (The Dreaming)Doctor StrangeHum (Coda)Martian ManhunterBest in-comic TeamExcaliburMaraudersThe Marvelous X-MenYoung JusticeDoom PatrolBest VillainMister SinisterKnullMorbiusLeviathanLex LuthorBatman Who LaughsBest CostumeCaptain Britain (Betsy Braddock)Batman Who LaughsCaptain Kitty PrydeGreen Lantern Sojourner “Jo” MulleinSkulldigger and Skeleton BoyDark Captain MarvelBest Series DebutLittle BirdSilver Surfer: BlackSpider-Man: Life StoryThe Batman’s GraveFar SectorPeter CannonDieSandman Presents: Hellblazer

THE NEWS:FCBD 2020 titles get teasedWonder Woman #750 launching with over 20 coversSpider-Woman gets a new costumeMarvel Comics March 2020 solicitationsTRANSFORMERS vs. TERMINATOR in 2020 EventJonathan Hickman & Mike Huddleston's DECORUM #1 out in MarchBatman and Doomsday Clock EndTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveJoker: Killer Smile #2 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)The Low, Low Woods #1 (W: Carmen Maria Machado A: Dani, Tamra Bonvillain)ForrestWonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 (Daniel Warren Johnson)Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: King Thor #4 (9.8)Fan: Basketful of Heads #3 (9.5) SEGMENT: 2020 Predictions - one good thing and one bad thing that will happen in comics or the comics industry next year and whyDave: X-Men will get an event and it’ll bleed into Marvel Studios hype / At least one major writer from DC will jump to MarvelForrest: Neil Gaiman will make a full-scale return to comics / More celebrity editorial linesTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Spider-Ham (W: Zeb Wells, A: Will Robson)Forrest: Incoming! #1JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Doctor Strange #1 (Phil Noto)Forrest: Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham (Wendell Dalit) INTERVIEW: The Low, Low Woods writer Carmen Maria Machado and artist Dani join us for an interview to talk horror, the new series, and Hill House Comics. Can you tell us a little bit about how the creative team came together on the title?Did you learn anything when creating this series and its first issue?Why is the comic book medium right for this story?Dani, you're so good at making the somewhat ordinary interesting and scary (I'm thinking of the trash outside the house early in the book as the girls ride their bikes, or the girls trying to remember what happened and their heads are made up of hands, parrots, and other things), how do you approach something static and give it life?When it comes to character creation where do you start, Vee and Eldora feel so real!So Rob Reiner directed Sea Dogs (we see his name on the marquee outside the theater), which also happens to be the backup story in this first wave of Hill House Comics. Why Reiner?Carmen, I had to write this down, "babies were born with placentas black as soot...their mothers were birthing coal itself" god that is horrifying! When working in a visual medium do you need to strike a balance between prose style horror like this and visual horror?The use of color by Tamra Bonvillain is fabulous, what goes into creating a color palette for a series?I'm always curious, was there a working list of titles for Low, Low Woods?Who is on your mount rushmore of creators you'd like to work with?Joe Hill was on the podcast 7 or so weeks ago and I asked him to describe Low, Low Woods, and he said it's the perfect mix of david's, 50% david cronenberg and 50% david lynch. Would you agree, or maybe you'd have other directors in mind?Do you have any personal heroes in the creative arts?Favorite moment or issue in the series so far?Off Topic Top Shelf: Carmen and Dani give us their picks!

THE NEWS:Marvel hosting midnight launch parties for new books‘The Pull List’ reveals March solicits early and Savage AvengersDC comments on removal of Batman: Golden Child ad from TwitterGrampa and Miller comment on Batman art use in Hong KongDC advertises Dark Knight with Joker/Trump imageJohn Ridley rumored to take over Batman at issue #100Christopher Priest says Damian Wayne was originally Deathstroke’s kidX-men 5-7 postponed, Abrams Spider-Man finale pushed back 11 weeksHeavy Metal names new CEOBernie Wrightson Frankenstein cover sells for 1.2 million, highest everTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveAnnihilation: Scourge - Beta Ray Bill #1 (W: Michael Moreci, A: Alberto Alburquerque)Batman: Curse of the White Knight #5 (W: Sean Murphy, Color: Matt Hollingsworth)ForrestThe Red Mother #1 (W: Jeremy Huan, A: Danny Luckert)Morbius #2 (W: Vita Ayala, A: Marcelo Ferreira)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Rai #2 (9.6)Fan: Punisher: Soviet #2 (9.5)Segment: TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 (W: Charles Soule, A: Will Sliney)Forrest: Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 (W: Hallum, Cates A: Shaw)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Suicide Squad #1 (Francesco Mattina)Forrest: Wonder Woman #83 (Jenny Frison)INTERVIEW: The Red Mother writer Jeremy Haun (The Beauty, The Realm) talks writing horror, his future projects in 2020, comics creator self-care, and more!Segment: Superfight: Jeremy and Dave determine who would win a staring contest: Samara from Ring vs. Candyman, vs. The Red Mother.Off topic top shelf: Jeremy Haun talks whiskey and his Patreon Comics and Cocktails.

THE NEWS:New dysfunctional X-Team announcedStrange Academy in the works for some timeVault introduces pay-what-you-want holiday sale this seasonDiamond Distributors dig into November sales figuresTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveExcalibur #3 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Justice League (2018) #37 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Jorge Jimenez)ChrisX-Men #3 (W. Jonathan Hickman, A: Leinil Francis Yu)Doctor Doom #3 (W: Christopher Cantwell, A: Salvador Larroca)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Die #10 (W: Kieron Gillen, A: Stephanie Hans)Fan: The Dreaming #16 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Marguerite Sauvage)Segment: Piracy NOW!TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Red Mother #1 (W: Jeremy Haun, A: Danny Luckert)Chris: X-Force #3 (W: Benjamin Percy, A: Joshua Cassara)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Undiscovered Country #2 (Francis Manapul)Chris: X-Force #3 (Dustin Weaver)Segment: Behind X-Men MondayOff topic top shelf: Chris - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

THE NEWS:DC Social Media Ad Accused of Endorsing Political Change in China - ReportFormer MARVEL CCO Joe Quesada's New Title ConfirmedDark Horse Feb 2020 solicits, Bang #1, Hidden Society #1, Tomorrow #1New Mutants name drops upcoming X-men book Three Jokers artist says ending is the “gutsiest” thing DC has done with Batman in 80 yearsTom King makes a “controversial” statement about Batman on Twitter.Black Mask Returns in Feb 2020 solicitsTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveX-Force #2 (W: Benjamin Percy, A: Joshua Cassara)Venom #20 (W: Donny Cates, A: Iban Coello, Jose Carlos Silva)ForrestJohn Constantine: Hellblazer #1 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Aaron Campbell)New Mutants #2 (W: Hickman, Brisson A: Rod Reis)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Batman #84 (W: Tom King, A: Jorge Fornes) Forrest: Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #2 (W: Mariko Tamaki, A: Gurihiru) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Annihilation: Scourge - Fantastic Four #1 (Josemaria Casanovas) Forrest: Buffy #10 (Rebelka) Segment: Interview Dan Slott, writer of Tony Stark Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and coming soon Iron Man 2020 I recently got the chance to read the Spider-Man Magazine (Spider-Man Radioactive) collection and you have two stories in there, one featuring Mirage and another featuring Mesmero, were those characters you wanted to write or did they ask you to use them?How do you go about generating new ideas or angles for storied characters like Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four? Do you have a strong memory of any particular story that made you think “I can’t believe nobody else has touched this?” Dawn of X has taken the world by storm and I have to ask, if you had a choice in a title/team would you take the job and what would it be?Is the current story “Point of Origin” a story you’ve had in your cap for years?At Fan EXPO Boston you showed me a few of the superhero designs for characters that defend Spyre, and now they’re out there. What’s it like creating a character that may (or may not depending on your story) last for decades in the Marvel universe?You’re working with Christos Gage again on Iron Man 2020, I’m always curious how two writers collaborate whether they split up pages, or one does dialogue and another plot, what is your working relationship like?Spider-Geddon, last year’s sequel to Spider-Verse, was drafted by Christos Gage from an unfinished script of yours and his. How much of that event’s DNA would you say is your original vision and how much is new?As the writer of FF, do series like FF: Grimm Noir need to be approved by you?If you had the opportunity to do the inverse of a Superior Spider-Man style story where a hero becomes a villain, which would it be?What is your workspace like? What time of day do you typically do your writing? Is there something on your desk that inspires your writing?Has social media changed the way you write or think about comics?Do you ever shift a story or idea after gauging feedback you might read on the internetLast but not least, is there anything you can tell us about Iron Man 2020? Off topic top shelf: Dan Slott talks Mandalorian, The Crown, Ducktales and streaming services.

THE NEWS:Marvel Comics has struck a partnership with Japanese media company Tsuburaya Productions to create new Ultraman comic books for American markets.Batman #85 - it will now include a two-page "prelude" of incoming writer James Tynion IV's runAfterShock Comics offers new commitment to comic shopsHARLEEN Finale Postponed 3 Weeks, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2 Pushed Back 2 Weeks, DC Cancels Third DAMAGE Collection, BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #5 Coming a Week EarlyMarvel produces first Braille Comic Inspired by Football Player with Blindness,DC Rush-Solicits New BIRDS OF PREY GIANT TitleMarvel Quietly Cancels Loki seriesMarvel solicitations!TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveExcalibur (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Gwenpool Strikes Back! #4 (W: Leah Williams, A: David Baldeon)ForrestOlympia #1 (W: Curt Pires, A: Alex Diotto)He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1 (W: Tim Seely, A: Dan Fraga, Richard Friend)Trending now - 2099 Debuts. What brought the series back and do we need it? TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Basketful of Heads #2 (W: Joe Hill, A: Leomacs) Forrest: New Mutants #2JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: X-Force #2 (Gerardo Zaffino)Forrest: Supergirl Annual #2 (A: Jonathan Glapion Viktor Bogdanovic)Segment: Interview Tim Seeley and Dan Fraga (pencils) about HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE MULTIVERSE #1Superfight: Beast Man vs. Orko, beauty pageantOff topic top shelf: Watchmen and Social Media Algorithims - Tim Seeley, Dan Fraga

THE NEWS:Daredevil adds second artist to publish twice monthlyNew series from AHOYLemire finishes new OGNDCeased unkillables sequel comingTask Force XChristos Gage and Todd Nauck Debut New Gwen Stacy OriginBendis Compares Leviathan to MagnetoTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveGideon Falls #18 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)Morbius #1 (W: Vita Ayala, Art: Marcelo Ferreira)ForrestFamily Tree #1 (W: Lemire, A: Phil Hester)The Dollhouse Family #1 (W: Mike Carey, A: Peter Gross, Vince Locke)Comics Check-in - Dawn of X, the first 6 are here!RankingForrestNew MutantsExcaliburMaraudersX-MenX-ForceFallen AngelsDave ExcaliburMaraudersX-ForceNew MutantsFallen AngelsX-MenTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Excalibur #2 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Forrest: Olympia #1 (W: Curt and Tony Pires, A: Alex Diotto)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Gwenpool Strikes Back #4 (Terry Dodson)Forrest: The Witcher Omnibus - Mike MignolaSegment: Interview - M.R. Carey and artist Peter Gross to talk about their upcoming Hill House Comics title, THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY #1. Questions: There’s a rich tapestry of story and character as soon as you open the book. What is your process like creating this world of characters?There’s a layering of the story here, from the cutting between time to the dollhouse itself, what went into building this world, where do you start?Is there a lot of detail the reader will never see that helps you create? Peter, the different periods of time require you to draw very different clothing among other things. Is there any approach you take to differentiate the periods?If you don’t mind my asking, what prompted you to address domestic abuse in this story?Can you talk a bit about your workspaces?There seems to be a source of ancient and maybe even alien evil at work here. I can’t help but think of the monster It, and its origin, is there any connection there?Joe Hill was on the show 2 weeks ago and described The Dollhouse Family as “intelligent British horror” and said it was specifically like a kind of horror film from the early 70s that is scary but intelligently written like the Wicker Man. Would you liken it to Wicker Man, or any other horror be it movie or novel?Superfight: The kid from the Omen vs. Carrie - who wins a marathon?Off topic top shelf: Mike and Peter give us their go-to entertainment lately

THE NEWS:DC shutters Vertigo earlyDC War Giant and Teen Titans Go postponed indefinitelyFolklords #1 gets 3rd printingAbrams’ Spider-Man significantly delayedUNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 is Image's Second-Biggest Selling Launch in a Decade, Going Back for 2nd PrintingCHEW's John Layman Returns with 'Butterfly Effect Noir' SeriesOctober Sales ReportMcFarlane Partners with CGC for mail in signing of Spawn 300 - $89TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveSwimming in Darkness (W/A: Lucas Harari, Translator David Homel)Addams Family: The Bodies #1 (W: Zoe Quinn, A: Philip Murphy)ForrestSpider-Man and Venom: Double Trouble #1 (W: Tamaki, A: Gurihiru)New Mutants #1 (W: Hickman, Brisson A: Rod Reis)Trending Now - BOOM! Studios series keep getting third printings...before they even come out. HUH!? Something is Killing the Children, Once & Future, and now Folklords.TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Morbius #1 (W: Vita Ayala, A: Marcelo Ferreira)Forrest: The Batman’s Grave #2 (W: Warren Ellis, A: Bryan Hitch)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Morbius #1 (Kyle Hotz)Forrest: War Children #1 Second Printing (Bill Sienkiewicz)Segment: Interview - Matt Kindt and Eric Harburn about Folklords, a new series about a young village boy who's plagued by visions of a modern, tech-based world and on his 18th birthday, sets out on a forbidden quest to find the legendary Folklords for answers, starting a chain of events that will change the very fabric of his existence from BOOM! Studios.Questions:When you turned 18, what was the quest you gave yourself?Fantasy can get however big or small depending on your take, can you talk about your process of coming up with the world we are introduced to in Folklords?Do you ever struggle with readers, or even yourself, comparing your work to what has come before, for instance, I ponder how Narnia may have influenced your narrative?There is a great moment where we hear all these quest ideas, and I have to ask, were there any that didn’t make the cut?I’ve heard said fantasy is largely about power be it monarchs, military might, or magic, would you agree and is that something you explore in this series?Information warfare seems to be a constant threat these days, and the themes like forbidden knowledge and finding your own journey or quest are aspects of Folklrods, what inspired this focus in the series?Of the five issues is any single issue your favorite?Does Folklords share some themes or DNA with your previous books like Ether, Dept. H, etc or did it feel entirely new to draft?Superfight: Worst Boss: Gollum vs. Wicked Witch of the WestOff topic top shelf: Matt Kindt - boardgames - Wingspan

THE NEWS:YONDU is 'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Meets THE NICE GUYS in Space'JOE BENNETT No Longer Drawing IMMORTAL HULK #28...is doing Shazam...DRAMADC owning leaks, showing off Dan Didio’s Ultimate TimelineTom King Predicts anger and tears at final Batman issuesFinal two issues of The Beauty pulled by Image, no resolicitTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveHellboy and The B.P.R.D.: Long Night at Goloski Station #1 (W: Mike Mignola, A: Matt Smith)Joker: Killer Smile #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)ForrestExcalibur #1 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman #1 (W: Jeff Loveness, A: Brad Walker)Trending Now - Marvel Comics keeps teasing covers and details of books a month or more beyond what we know from solicits!TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: The Infected: King Shazam #1 (W: Sina Grace, A: Joe Bennett)Undiscovered Country #1 (Snyder, Soule, Camuncoli)Forrest: Strange Skies Over East Berlin #2 (W: Jeff Loveness, A: Lisandro Estherren)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Grendel: Devil's Odyssey #2 (Gabriel Ba)Forrest: New Mutants #1 (Bob McLeod Hidden Gem) Segment: Dawn of X check-in?ExcaliburMaraudersX-MenNovember releases ($39):New Mutants #1 11/6/2019X-Force #1 11/6/2019X-men #2 11/13/2019Fallen Angels #1 11/13/2019Marauders #2 11/20/2019Excalibur #2 11/20/2019New Mutants #2 11/27/2019X-Force #2 11/27/2019Fallen Angels #2 11/27/2019Off topic top shelf: Dave - Castle Rock season 2

THE NEWS:London MCM Comic Con - X-Men February 2020 news, Wolverine pages on AIPT, Giant-Sized X-Men, Franklin Richards’ own book…Aphra relaunching in 2020JORGE JIMENEZ Exiting JUSTICE LEAGUE With SCOTT SNYDER, Something 'Bigger' ComingTom King and Clay Mann’s Batman/Catwoman #1 delayed past January2019 RINGO AWARD WinnersFull Marvel solicitations revealedSpider-Man Noir out in MarchDoomsday Clock FINISHEDTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveAmazing Mary Jane (2019) #1 (W: Leah Williams, A: Carlos Gomez)King Thor #2 (W: Jason Aaron, A: Asad Ribic)All in all this book feels incredibly important even though it takes place in the far future and there isn't a single Marvel hero outside Thor to be seen. That's saying something!ForrestMarauders #1 (W: Gerry Dugan A: Matteo Lolli)Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle (See Credits)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Martian Manhunter #9 (9.4)Fan: Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4 (9.2)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Joker: Killer Smile #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)Forrest: Excalibur #1 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Venom #19 (Kyle Hotz)Forrest: Silver Surfer: Black #5 (Cian Tormey)Segment: Interview with Joe Hill to talk Basketful of Heads and Hill House Comics LeomacsBasketful of Heads opens on September 1983, is that year and month significant to you or the story?The character acting in this story is exceptional as it tells us so much about every character. How much detail goes into detailing a facial expression, or body language in your script?There’s a good mix of wholesome summertime Americana against a seedy, gross underbelly in Basketful, how did you go about crafting the tone and do other books in the Hill House line explore similar balances?Reading the first issue I felt like there are details everywhere to pick on. It feels dense, like the American flag covering the heads in on the opening page and in the sampler, or information that is weaved into dialogue, is there an art to placing details to be picked up on later?How important are your surroundings when you write? Can you tell us about the music, movies, or other books that inspired the tone or visuals of Basketful and the line in general?I don’t want to spoil anything, but could one expect Hill House Comics to continue the shared universe theme we saw in NOS4A2?Do you think about which of your books will last in the public consciousness? Word association (word that comes to mind when I read the title):THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY from Mike Carey (LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER, The Girl with All the Gifts) and Peter Gross (LUCIFER, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, THE UNWRITTEN)THE LOW, LOW WOODS by Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) and Dani (2000 AD, Coffin Bound, Deep Roots)DAPHNE BYRNE by Laura Marks (TV writer and producer, playwright of Bethany) and Kelley Jones (SWAMP THING, DEADMAN, THE SANDMAN)PLUNGE by Hill and Stuart ImmonenBasketful of Heads and Leomacs

THE NEWS:Kevin Feige named Marvel Chief Creative OfficerROB LIEFELD Exits MARVEL After Tweeting About 'Shady Business PracticesNew Dawn of X book announced in Captain Marvel lettersDC’s Jan. 2020 SolicitationsScott Snyder leaving Justice League with issue #39TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveTales From The Dark Multiverse: Batman: Knightfall #1 (W: Scott Snyder & Kyle Higgins, A: Javier Fernandez)Gideon Falls #17 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)ForrestX-Men #1 (W: Johnathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Immortal Hulk #25 (W: Al Ewing, A: Joe Bennett, German Garcia)Forrest: The Amazing Mary Jane #1 (W: Leah Williams, A: Carlos E. Gomez)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Immortal Hulk #25 (Alex Ross)Forrest: Marvel Action: Spider-Man #10 (Meyers)Segment: Interview with Scott Snyder and Kyle HigginsGreat timing for this book gang, it has such great creepy horror vibes!What was your collaboration like working on Tales from the Dark Multiverse?There are a few great ideas at work here making the story feel layered, was there a starting point where you worked backwards or forward from?Was there a reason this needed to be the first story in the Tales from the Dark Multiverse line?Do you ever find yourself thinking up Elseworlds tales you could never tell in main continuity and save them for later?This book has a strong horror vibe. The body horror with Bruce Wayne, for instance, is intense. Do you feel horror elements like body horror, and nihilism, areIs there anything freeing about telling a one-shot story not necessarily connected to continuity? Follow up, is there anything harder about this format?This isn't your first foray writing Batman, of course, and I'm curious, when you've been able to write the character over so many years do you ever look back and think about which of your stories will last and linger with fans?AiPT! is celebrating 31 days of Halloween this month, anything you do in particular to celebrate Halloween?Off topic top shelf: Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins geek out over Sega Genesis

THE NEWS:Everything we know about DC’s rumored 5G planX-Men Monday - Hickman answering questions and X-Men Week"Following the events of House of X and Powers of X, Marvel’s mutants have entered an all-new, all-different era. It is the Dawn of X. To celebrate, AiPT! Brings you X-Men Week--seven days of original interviews with past and present X-Creators. Pax Krakoa!"New Jinxworld creator-owned on the wayBATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 Pushed Back 5 Weeks, Adds PagesMARVEL Launches 2nd Prose Book Line DealMarcello Ferreira signs exclusive Marvel dealTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveJoker/Harley: Criminal Sanity #1: (W: Kami Garcia, A: Michael Mayhew, Mico Suayan)Gwenpool Strikes Back! #3 (W: Leah Williams, A: David Baldeon)ForrestThe Batman’s Grave #1 (W: Warren Ellis, A: Bryan Hitch)Powers of X #6 (W: Johnathan Hickman, A: R.B. Silva)SEGMENT: PoX and HoX Wrap up!TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: X-Men #1 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Leinil Francis Yu)Forrest: Superman Smashes the Klan (W: Gene Luen Yang)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Absolute Carnage #4 (Ryan Stegman)Forrest: Something is Killing the Children #2 (Ian Bertram)Off topic top shelf: Forrest - Nick Cave

THE NEWS:Marvel Next Big Thing NYCCThe endGuardiansThorStar Wars #1 drops in January featuring Charles Soule as writer set after Empire.New mature Harley Quinn series coming in 2020 by Amanda Conner and Jimmy PalmiottiDC Is Creating an Ultimate UniverseHill House Comics thingyTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveFantastic Four #15 (W: Dan Slott, A: Paco Medina)Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1 (W: Al Ewing, A: Filipe Andrade)ForrestHouse of X #6 (W: Johnathan Hickman, A: Pepe Larraz)Strange Skies Over East Berlin #1 (W: Jeff Loveness, A: Lisandro EstherrenTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Joker / Harley: Criminal Sanity #1 (W: Kami Garcia, A: Mike Mayhew and Mico Suayan)Forrest: Ghosts: Classic Monster of Pre-Code Horror Comics (IDW)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Detective Comics #1013 (Tyler Kirkham)Forrest: Black Hammer / Justice League #4 (Gabriel Walta)SEGMENT: Matt Singer - Marvel’s Spider-Man from Amazing to SpectacularCan you give us the elevator pitch for your new Spider-Man book?Can you tell us about your personal history with Spidey? Are you a lifelong fan or a more recent convert? How did the idea of the book come to youwhat personal elements do you think you’ve introduced to the narrative?What new fact or trivia did you find the most interesting?Who is your favorite Spider-Man writer/artist?Best on-screen spidey?Best spidey villain?MJ/Gwen/Felicia?What underused or unvisited storyline, villain, item, etc. would you like to see brought back to the comics or movies?Over at ScreenCrush, you frequently eat the entire promotional menu for various movies at Denny’s. What do you think a Spider-Man menu would entail?Insight Editions Marvel's Spider-Man: From Amazing to Spectacular out October 15th, have you ever fantasized about being Spider-Man and was as recently as yesterday?Off topic top shelf: Matt Singer - Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler

THE NEWS:New York Times bring Graphic Novels back to bestseller listJim Shooter is “bringing” [read: plagiarizing] a series to ImageIDW cancels Marylin Manor and Black Crown imprint shuttersChris Claremont says the direction of New Mutants: War Children was an editorial mandate7 Named for Harvey Awards ahead of NYCCJamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson have a space project for 2020TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveFearless #3 (W: Seanan McGuire, Zoë Quinn, Alyssa Wong A: Claire Roe, Marika Cresta, Alti Firmansyah)Amazing Spider-Man #30 (W: Nick Spencer, A: Ryan Ottley)ForrestNew Mutants: War Children (W: Chris Claremont, A: Bill Sienkiewicz)Superior Spider-Man #11 (W: Christos Gage, A: Mike Hawthorne)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: The White Trees #2 (9.5)Fan: The Plot #1 (9.8) SEGMENT: Trending now: Non-comics writers taking on the industry (JJ Abrams Spidey)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Fantastic Four #15 (W: Dan Slott, A: Paco Medina)Forrest: Absolute Carnage: The Immortal Hulk (W: Al Ewing, A: Filipe Andrade) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Doctor Strange #20 (Alex Ross Marvels 25th Anniversary Cover)Forrest: The Punisher #16 (Greg Smallwood) Off topic top shelf: Dave - Jim Gaffigan, Secrets And Pies Tour

THE NEWS:James Tynion is taking over Batman with #86 through #100Marvel solicitations revealed!DC’s Birds of Prey Cancelled, Re-solicited as Mature TitleDC ends Co-Op Advertising ProgramArchie Comics buys Comic Book Legal Defense Fund membershipTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveAbsolute Carnage #3 (W: Donny Cates, A: Ryan Stegman)Lex Luthor Year of the Villain (W: Jason Latour, A: Bryan Hitch)Hitch’s art gives this an event feel while the story is fun in ways only comics can achieve thanks to Latour’s imaginative ideas.ForrestHouse of X #5 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Pepe Larraz)Absolute Carnage #3 (W: Donny Cates, A: Ryan Stegman)Scary, subversive and surprisingly silly this is the strongest Marvel event in years.TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: The White Trees #2 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Kris Anka)Forrest: The Plot #1 (W: Michael Moreci, Tim Daniel, A: Josh Hixson) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Powers of X #5 (Mike Huddleston)Forrest: New Mutants: War Children #1 (Bill Sienkiewicz)Segment: JOKER/HARLEY Interview - Kami Garcia - ARTISTS MIKE MAYHEW AND MICO SUAYAN October 9th - Joker/Harley: CRIMINAL SANITYFirst off, I got a glimpse at the first issue and it’s stunning. The art is of course, but also the depiction of Harley Quinn. She isn’t silly or offbeat, but deadly serious about her work. What went into writing Harley in this way?This series is largely about serial killers and about the why what in what they do, I’m curious, why are we so fascinated with the most evil of people?When profiling a character like Joker do you tend to think of serial killers, say someone like Ted Bundy, and combine them, or do you develop it in a different way?Harley takes on different roles we’ve never seen for her, like being a professor. What went into building on Harley and what we’ve seen before?When writing a crime series as this do you ever have to get into the headspace of a killer? I ponder whether a ritualistic murder might be 100% getting in the head of a killer, or maybe if it was researched?I can’t help but make connections between Joker/Harley and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos since both delve into the early days of a character. Here it’s Harley of course, but with the novel, it was Fox Mulder.Can you talk a bit about splitting the art between Mayew and Suayan?Off topic top shelf: Kami Garcia talks Mindhunters and cooking.

The News:Powers of X - Red Diamond - Sinister Secrets?Suicide Squad confirmed for Tom TaylorMarvel The Pull List reveals December solicitsPowers of X #4 sparks job opportunityThey are already making an Undiscovered Country movieComic Sales...FLATFrank Miller Returns to THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS for THE GOLDEN CHILDTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveKing Thor #1 (W: Jason Aaron, A: Asad Ribic)Loki #3 (W: Daniel Kibblesmith, A: Oscar Bazaldua)ChrisAmazing Spider-Man #29 (W: Nick Spencer, A: Francesco Manna)Powers of X #4 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: R.B. Silva)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Spider-Man #1 (W: JJ Abrams, Henry Abrams A: Sara Pichelli)Chris: House of X #5 (W: Jonathan Hickman A: Pepe Larraz)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Flash Forward #1 (Evan Shaner)Chris: House of X #5 (Pepe Larraz)SEGMENT Interview: comic book writer Daniel KibbelsmithHow did you first fall in love with comics and have they been a constant presence in your life ever since?Did you always want to write comics? Getting a gig on a major TV show seems like a very interesting way to break in.Loki has been a wild series with each issue offering imaginative ideas and clever turns, but the pacing has struck me as particularly good. Do you consciously think about pacing while writing your scripts?There are some big ideas in Loki, so big it makes me wonder, do you have a Marvel event in you and if so who would be the lead character?Similarly, you have serious opinions about the world based on your Twitter. Do you see yourself doing more serious comics in the future or will comedy always find a way into your scripts?Do folks geek out on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?What has been your proudest moment in comics?You keep up with politics… if you could have any character in the Marvel Universe jump into the 2020 election, who would it be?Superfight: Superfight - Best at escaping a temple full of booby traps after stealing a sacred idol, Batgirl or Cyclops.Off topic top shelf: What is Daniel Kibblesmith into right now that is not comics-related.

In the news this week we discuss Mayor Marvelo Crivella of Rio de Janeiro issuing a statement censoring and banning the 2010 Marvel Comics story Avengers: The Children’s Crusade from the city’s Bienial Do Livro book festival which runs from August 30 to September 8, Scott Snyder confirming the JSA team in Doomsday Clock and Justice League #31 are one and the same, Spawn #300 introduces She-Spawn, Image United dead is dead, Tom King hinting at Alfred not being so dead, how China tarrifs may screw the industry, Tom Taylor hinting at his newest DC series, and finally Gary Frank reveals the release date for the final issue of Doomsday Clock. TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Justice League #31 (W: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, A: Jorge Jimenez) Fantastic Four #14 (W: Dan Slott, A: Paco Medina) JJ Something is Killing the Children #1 (W: James Tynion IV, A: Werther Dell’edera) House of X #4 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Pepe Larraz) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.: Dave: Batman Eternal (Omnibus) (Dustin Nguyen) JJ: Absolute Carnage: Symbiote of Vengeance #1 (Philip Tan) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK: Dave: Riddler: Year Of The Villain #1 (W: Mark Russell, A: Scott Godlewski) JJ: Coffin Bound #2 (W: Dan Watters, A: Dani) SEGMENT: Interview: David Pepose about Going to the Chapel #1 (out this week) with art by Gavin Guidry. Thanks for being on the show David. On the cover of the issue it reads, “Love is the ultimate hostage situation” and David I have to ask...who hurt you?! You’re relatively new in the comic book publishing realm, but so damn successful at it. Can you talk a bit about how you got to where you are? The response to Going to the Chapel is so great, congratulations. Patton Oswalt recommended the book dude, how cool! How have the last couple of days been for you? Your comic book work has lived in the realm of crime drama/thriller, are there any other genres you’d like to tackle? I’ve asked you about comic book reviewing before in an interview we did years back but I have to ask again, how do you approach reviewing, do you like it, and any advice for reviewers out there? Superfight: Who would win at jousting: Rocket Raccoon or Cyborg! Off topic top shelf: What is David Pepose into right now that is not comics-related.

THE NEWS: Marvel Comics #1000 redactions and edits made to stay apolitical C.B. Cebulski hoping for return of John Byrne and Neil Gaiman Final two infected revealed Venom Island?!??! C.B. Cebulski teases return of Black Knight and Moon Knight Brian Wood accused of sexual misconduct TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Batman Curse of the White Knight #2 (W/A: Sean Murphy, Color: Matt Hollingsworth) Doctor Strange #18 (W: Mark Waid, A: Jesus Saiz) Forrest Absolute Carnage #2 (W: Donny Cates, A: Ryan Stegman) Spider-Man: Life Story #3 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Mark Bagley) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Doctor Strange #18 (9.3) Fan: Ice Cream Man #14 (9.4) SEGMENT: Powers of X and House of X - a closer look TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK: Dave: Something is Killing the Children #1 (W: James Tynion IV, A: Werther Dell'edera) Forrest: The Amazing Spider-Man: Going Big #1 (W: Erik Larsen, Gerry Conway A: Mark Bagley) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.: Dave: Something Is Killing The Children #1 (Jae Lee, June Chung cover) Forrest: Berserker Unbound #2 (Andrea Sorrentino) SEGMENT: Interview Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh How much free reign did you have when you approached writing and designing these familiar characters? Harley is such an emotive character filled with life and an almost instantaneous reaction to the world outside of her. Is it challenging at all to write and draw a character like Harley? Outside of enjoying a great Harley story, which it is, what do you want readers to take from the work? Steve, your color work is astounding. Was it your intention to have the color transition from mostly black white and blue to much more striking use of color from the beginning or did it evolve as you progressed in the creative process? The ice cream shop scene is possibly my favorite and Harley’s friend is positively electric. So electric I have to ask, are these characters modeled after real people? And Steve, did you take any inspirations from real life people in your designs? The drag queen karaoke cabaret is fabulous and feels right at home for Harley. What are the chances we get a tie-in comic or series to further their adventures? I won’t spoil a thing here, but is there any chance for a sequel? This ending is so perfect for one! Is there a hero from DC, or any other publisher, that deserves (or you’d like to work on) a young adult high school graphic novel? Are there any other projects you’re working on you’d like to talk about? Superfight: Who would win a surfing competition, Black Panther or Catwoman? Mariko and Steve tell us what they think!

THE NEWS: 2099 is back baby! CAPTAIN MARVEL Out to 'Kill the Avengers' in New Dark Arc G. WILLOW WILSON Exiting WONDER WOMAN for 'Bucket-List-Dream Project' STEVE DITKO Play Coming to NEW YORK for NYCC Tie-In Dates 2019 Ringo Awards nominations are announced Once and future gets 5th printing Batman #77 features a major death TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Absolute Carnage vs. Deadpool #1 (W: Frank Tieri, A: Marcelo Ferreira Deadpool Annual #1 (W: Dana Schwartz, A: Reilly Brown) Forrest Powers of X #3 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: R.B. Silva) Superior Spider-Man #10 (W: Christos Gage, A: Mike Hawthorne) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Middlewest #10 (9.5) Fan: Powers of X #3 (9.4) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK: Dave: Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (W: Mariko Tamaki, A: Steve Pugh) Forrest: Spider-Man: Life Story #6 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Mark Bagley) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.: Dave: Absolute Carnage #2 #1 (Marcos Martin) Forrest: Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chosen Ones #1 (Evan Cagle) SEGMENT: Interview James Tynion IV & Eric Harburn - Something is Killing the Children #1 (Out September 4th) Something is Killing the Children might be my favorite horror-anything title ever. At what stage did the title get thought up? James, I know you’ve said previously this story has been percolating in your head for awhile, once Werther Dell'Edera came on as artist how long did it take to hash out the style, the characters designs, stuff like that? What are your biggest horror influences? The color palette is gorgeous in this book, there are these blacks and blues in the night time scenes, then bright bright whites in the day scenes. Can you talk a little about that choice and what you were going for? Something that was so striking to me was the use of gore in the book. Is there a science to how much and when it drops in the story? Erica Slaughter is an instantly likable character even though she’s a bit weird in her own way. Also, I totally see folks cosplaying as her soon. I almost think her favorite book growing up would be Where the Wild Things Are, but she was reading it in a different way. Can you talk a bit about this character? Do you remember the moment you fell in love with comics? What has been your proudest moment in comics? Seeing as this is an idea that has been living in your head for awhile, are there any more (how many) horror stories that you are tinkering with? **Segment: Superfight: **Krampus vs. Jigsaw - worst roommate Off Topic Top Shelf: James Tynion - New wave of horror films

This week special guest comic book writer Karla Pacheco joins us to talk about next week's Fearless #2, talks about comic book writing, her Acts of Evil Punisher Annual story, and more! We also go over the news which includes which infected DC Comics heroes that were revealed, Marvel announcing new Deadpool, Morbius, Yondu, and Scream books, how 20 copies of Absolute Carnage carried one of a kind Mark Bagley sketches, that Greg Capullo renewed his DC contract and will start a secret project with Scott Snyder, and finally, Jonathan Hickman responds to House of X plagiarism accusations. TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Gwenpool Strikes Back #1 (W: Leah Williams, A: David Baldeon) White Trees #1 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Kris Anka, Matthew Wilson) Forrest Miles Morales: Spider-Man #9 (W: Saladin Ahmed, A: Javier Garron) Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety (W: Clay McLeod Chapman, A: Brian Level) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK: Dave: Pretty Violent #1 (W: Derek Hunter, A: Jason Young) Forrest: Ghost Spider #1 (W: Seanan McGuire, A: Takeshi Miyazawa) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.: Dave: Fearless #2 (Yasmine Putri) Forrest: Bloodborne #14 (Morgan Jeske) Segment: Interview with comic book writer Karla Pacheco! Off Topic Top Shelf: Karla Pacheco picks her favorite bourbon!

THE NEWS: Jim Lee says DC digital sales are “plateauing” and “disheartening” Dan Didio concerned about nostalgia powering the comic market DC Plans to Reinvent Digital Strategy As Sales Continue to Flatten DC Promotes Marie Javins, Batman Editor Jamie Rich will take over Justice League titles Publisher Eidelweiss lists collection of super rare X-Men comics coming Feb. 2020 Recap Fantastic Five TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave House of X #2 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: Pepe Larraz) Sea of Stars #2 (W: Jason Aaron, Dennis Hopeless Hallum, A: Stephen Green, and Rico Renzi) Forrest Absolute Carnage #1 (W: Donny Cates, A: Ryan Stegman) DCeased #4 (W: Tom Taylor, A: Trevor Hairsine) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Harley Quinn #64 (9.4) / House of X #2 (9.4) Fan: House of X #2 (9.5) SEGMENT: Sales review for July, 2019 TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK: Dave: Once and Future #1 (W: Kieron Gillen, A: Dan Mora) Forrest: Collapser #2 (W: Shaun Simon, Mikey Way A: Ilias Kyriazis) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.: Dave: Silver Surfer: Black #3 (Tradd Moore) Forrest: Scream #1 (A: Michael Allred) SEGMENT: Trash it or Treasure it: Ghost Rider Off Topic Top Shelf: Forrest - Dragon Quest

THE NEWS Wildcats delayed! Copra to return in October. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Legacy Edition to Collect Out-of-Print Stories Powers of X reveals all X-Men stories have happened in 10 years BLACK WIDOW Screenwriter Will Skip 'Comic Book Canon' That's 'Discriminatory' Terrificon 2019 coverage coming soon! TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Fantastic Four: Fantastic Origins (W: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, A: David Marquez) Red Sonja Lord of Fools (W: Mark Russell, A: Bob Q & Katie O’Meara) Forrest Powers of X #1 (W: Johnathan Hickman, A: R.B. Silva) Manor Black #1 (W: Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt A: Tyler Crook) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Sabrina the Teenage Witch #4 Fan: Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 - 22 reviews Segment: Cast This, Fantastic Four TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Dave Justice League #29 (W: Snyder/Tynion, A: Bruno Redondo) Forrest Absolute Carnage #1 (W: Donny Cates, A: Ryan Stegman) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave House of X #2 (A: Pepe Larraz) Forrest Daredevil #9 (A: Julian Totino Tedesco) SEGMENT: Adaptation the wrong way: What film should become a comic. SEGMENT: Off topic top shelf: Dave picks The Boys GOODBYES LIKE REVIEW SUBSCRIBE

THE NEWS Dave’s SDCC thoughts The Dawn of X revealed! Unpacking the X-Men reboot Recounting the Eisner winners (and our bet) King and Gerads reveal Strange Adventures Robert Kirkman has no plans for Negan Spin off TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK: Dave Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 (W/A: Sean Murphy, Color: Matt Hollingsworth) Forrest History of the Marvel Universe #1 (W: Mark Waid, A: Javier Rodriguez) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Wicked + Divine 44 (9.5) Fan: House of X #1 (9.5 - 61 reviews!) SEGMENT: Spider-Man: Who is the best non-Peter Parker spider? TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Dave Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Greg Capullo) Forrest Powers of X #1 (W: Jonathan Hickman, A: R.B. Silva) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave Death’s Head #1 (Nick Roche) Forrest Stranger Things: Six #3 (Caspar Wijingaard) SEGMENT: Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum interview covering Spider-Man: City at War, past works like Spider-Woman, and his new series with Jason Aaron Sea of Stars. SEGMENT: Superfight with Hallum SEGMENT: Off topic top shelf: Dennis Hallum GOODBYES LIKE REVIEW SUBSCRIBE

WELCOME AND INTROS THE NEWS DC returns to Dark Multiverse for a new Death of Superman story Marvel will reveal Dawn of X at SDCC Black Cat #1 was the best selling book of June, and not by a small number Dan Didio on Vertigo retirement Tom King and Mitch Gerads react to Heroes in Crisis backlash Marvel announces new Spider-Verse book TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK Nathan Blade Runner 2019 #1 (W: Michael Green, Mike Johnson, A: Andres Guinalado) James Bond 007 #9 (W: Greg Pak, A: Eric Gapstur & Robert Carey) Forrest Superior Spider-Man #9 (W: Christos Gage, A: Mike Hawthorne) Collapser #1 (W: Mikey Way, Shaun Simon A: Ilias Kyriazis) ComicBookRoundUp Critic: Silver Surfer Black #2 (9.5) Fan: Collapser #1 (9.8) SEGMENT: Spider-Man - Who is Peter Parker’s one true love? TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Nathan Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 (W/A: Sean Gordon Murphy) Forrest History of the Marvel Universe #1 (W: Mark Waid, A: Javier Rodriguez) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Nathan Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 (Variant Cover, A: Sean Murphy) Forrest Mars Attacks! (A: Chris Schweizer) SEGMENT: Casting the next Spider-Man MCU villain Off Topic Top Shelf: Nathan - He Is Legend’s new album, “White Bat”

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS THE NEWS TMNT introduces female turtle, Jennika Marvel announces Fantastic Four: Grand Design Venom, Luke Cage, others tied to Weapon Plus Joker JOKER JOKER. John Carpenter DC's Year of the Villain - John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing) Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2) Philip Tan (Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man) and Marc Deering (Black Order, Doctor Aphra) on The Joker: Year of the Villain for DC Comics. The Joker: Year of the Villain #1 goes on sale October 9. The 40-page one-shot comic will retail for $4.99. Joker: Killer Smile Jeff Lemire and writer Jeff Lemire and artists Andrea Sorrentino - October 30 Comic Con International extends deal with San Diego for 3 years TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK Dave Second Coming #1 (W: Mark Russell, A: Richard Pace) Giant-Size X-Statix #1 (W: Peter Milligan, A: Mike Allred) Forrest Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8 (W: Saladin Ahmed, A: Javier Garron) Venom #16 (W: Donny Cates, A: Juan Gedeon) ComicBookRoundUp Wonder Twins #6 (9.2) Second Coming #1 (9.5) SEGMENT: Ranking the Spider-Man villains TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Dave Spider-Man: Life Story #5 (W: Chip Zdarsky, A: Mark Bagley) Forrest Age of X-Man Omega #1 (W: Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, A: JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave Spider-Man: City At War #5 (David Nakayama) Forrest Silver Surfer Black #2 (Marcos Martin) SDCC 2019 SEGMENT: What is Dave gonna cover, what should you see, omg omg! Off Topic Top Shelf: Forrest - Cold brew coffee GOODBYE LIKE REVIEW, check aiptcomics.com for SPIDER-MONTH and SDCC 2019 content!