Comics

Back in February DC Comics announced Future State: Gotham, a new ongoing series that will continue the story of Red Hood Jason Todd set in the timeline of their Future State event. Today the publisher released details and an unlettered interior preview of the first issue of the series co-written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver and illustrated

In January Marvel invited readers to vote to choose one of the members of the new X-Men team, with the new team to be revealed during this summer’s Hellfire Gala event. All this week on social media, the publisher has offered readers a glimpse of the forthcoming Hellfire Gala in a series of short comics,

Today, Vermont’s Center for Cartoon Studies and media partner The Beat are proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize: in the Print Comic of the Year category, Fights: One Boy’s Triumph Over Violence by Joel Christian Gill, and in the Webcomic of the Year category, Dog Biscuits by Alex Graham. Each

DC has announced a trio of new Batman one-shots to be published in July, including two Batman Secret Files comics and a Batman / Catwoman special, written by that maxiseries’ writer (Tom King) and illustrated by the great John Paul Leon. And we’ll get to the Batman / Catwoman Special, but first the other Batman one-shots. These two are

With Savage Hearts, Aubrey Sitterson declares he clearly isn’t done with your shelves for this year as he has a new project on the way from Dark Horse Comics – and this one has romance. Joining Sitterson for Savage Hearts will be artist and co-creator Jed Dougherty, colorist Lovern Kindzierski, and letterer Taylor Esposito. The

In Great Gatsby: Among the Ash Heaps and Millionaires by Vincent Cecil, you can step in to a beautifully realized comic adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby. Now this is a party! Like the novel, the comic is set in 1920s New York, and the story follows Nick Carraway, who becomes

Cover art by Jen Woodall. In the novel Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King, a small Appalachian town is thrown into chaos when the women who inhabit it begin to become cocooned in mysterious gauze as they sleep… and waking them becomes a deadly proposition. Now, the novel has been adapted to the

Ed Piskor is the ultimate cartoonist’s cartoonist. An auteur with a highly developed and distinctive style, Piskor has been part of a modern vanguard of alternative creators who take on every aspect of their work. From writing to lettering, coloring, and being the ultimate arbiter of what goes into the final project, Piskor’s comics stands

On the heels of one symbiote-centric storyline reaching its conclusion last week, another begins with the launch of Chip Zdarsky and Pasqual Ferry’s Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow! The four-issue alternate reality series begins a new line of What If…? titles from Marvel — does it get off to a strong start? We’ve got a review of

In his online newsletter a few weeks ago, former Captain America writer and Winter Soldier co-creator Ed Brubaker expressed “mixed feelings” over The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney+ series, and over Marvel and Disney’s treatment of the creators behind their cash cows. On Monday night, Brubaker appeared on the Fatman Beyond podcast hosted by Kevin

It’s been a little while since Marvel took a meta look at its characters via spectacular art. But Amazing Fantasy by Kaare Andrews is here to fill that gap with a what looks to be a pulpy what-if that harkens back to primordial adventure. For those who like old school pulp comics, the first cover screams

It’s Wednesday, which means your weekly dose of the Small Press Spotlight! This installment focuses on indie publisher Cast Iron Books. The fresh company offers graphic novels, illustrated books, and experimental fiction as well as a philosophy that centers on “empowering writers and artists to create stories that stay with a reader long after the

Home #1 Writer: Julio AntaArtist: Anna WieszczykColor Artist: Bryan ValenzaLetterer: Hassan Otsmane-ElhaouCover Artist: Lisa SterlePublisher: Image Comics Superhero books have long reflected the social and political challenges of their times. The X-Men were initially inspired by the Civil Rights movement. Superman has fought for issues from prison reform to helping the environment. In the first

Have you always wanted to see Eisner Award winning cartoonist Tillie Walden draw characters from The Walking Dead universe? That dream and many more are coming true in SKYBOUND X, a five-issue mini-series anthology that also features Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley,  Donny Cates, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, James Harren, and Daniel Warren Johnson.  It’s also

THIS WEEK: Look, I am as surprised as you are but it’s time to talk about The Joker #2 because this series is excellent so far. Note: the review below contains spoilers.  If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdicts. The

In MPLS Sound by Joseph P. Illidge, Hannibal Tabu, Meredith Laxton, Tan Shu, Troy Peteri, and Ryan Lewis, with a cover by Jen Bartel, readers follow the musical journey of Theresa Booker, the front woman for the fictional band Starchild. The graphic novel is available at your local bookstore today, April 13th, 2021, and at

The Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning have announced their nominees for 2021. Leading the pack in nominations is Montreal-based publisher Drawn & Quarterly, with four nominations in all, including three books nominated in the Best Book category. The Doug Wright Awards have annually taken place during the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) weekend. This

The Beat is a proud sponsor of Comix Experience’s Graphic Novel of the Month Clubs, which bring comics fans a curated mix of the best of new release graphic novels and conversations with the creators who make them.  Each month, the staff of Comix Experience votes on two sets of upcoming books they are most

One of the signature elements of the Riverdale TV series has been the noir-soaked narration of actor Cole Sprouse‘s Jughead Jones. In Riverdale: The Ties That Bind, the first original graphic novel set in the world of the hit CW series, Jughead takes center stage for one of the book’s four interconnected stories. Today The Beat

A Man Among Ye begins its second story arc in summer 2021 from Top Cow/Image. What this means: female freebooters are back on the agenda! Changes are afoot though, as writer Stephanie Phillips will team up with new interior artist Josh George for the returning series. George replaces original series artist Craig Cermak. The publisher’s

We all have parts of our lives that we’d consider doing over. Whether you want to revisit high school (no thanks) or you’d avoid saying that horrible thing you said in that heated argument you had, the opportunity for a second chance is tempting. In Rebirth, turning back time and changing your past is actually

BOOM! Studios is adding another magical series to its BOOM! Box imprint. The publisher today has announced Mamo, a new five-issue series written and illustrated by Sas Milledge. The series, the first both written and illustrated by Milledge, follows a young witch who encounters unexpected challenges upon her return to her hometown. Here’s how BOOM! describes Mamo: Orla

In The Good Asian #1 by Pornsak Pichetshote, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge, and Jeff Powell, arriving May 5th, 2021 from Image Comics, readers will be introduced to Detective Edison Hark. FOC for this intriguing new series is TODAY, April 12th, 2021, so be sure and call your local comic shop NOW to reserve your copy! Check out this never-before-seen variant for The Good

It’s Saturday once again, and that must mean it’s time for Weekend Reading 55! As always, we’re spending the weekend inside Stately Beat Manor, reading. What will you be paging through this weekend? The Beat wants to hear from you! Let us know in the comment section or on social media @comicsbeat! Weekend Reading 55:

Welcome to The Beat’s crowdfunding round-up: a collection of some of our favorite campaigns from the week including one-shots, on-goings, anthologies and everything in-between. This week, we’re checking out the pre-commercialization holiday anthology, Yule, the English publication of Urban Tails, and more. Let’s get started! Dragons by the Yard Creators: Kelly Swails (author), Paola Amormino

Black Mask Studios is gearing up for the debut of their new comic title Alice in Leatherland, which is scheduled to hit shops on April 21. Created by real-life couple Iolanda Zanfardino (writer) and Elisa Romboli (artist) during their pandemic lockdown together, the new mini-series offers a diverse sex comedy and a modern romantic comedy all in one, “celebrating

In today’s exclusive preview of I BREATHED A BODY #4 — due out April 28 from AfterShock Comics — the (body) horror continues. Since this series launched at the start of the year, it’s been one of the more fascinating monthly comics within the direct market, seeking as it does to mash-up Silicon Valley tech/business

This week, Marvel‘s latest massive crossover comes to a conclusion with the final issue of King in Black! Does the symbiote-soaked storyline’s swan song satisfy or stall out? We’ve got a review for King in Black #5, as well as a Rapid Rundown of other new releases from the House of Ideas, all ahead in this week’s

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a particularly significant date given the disturbing rise in violence against Asian Americans.  Skybound and Image have just announced that May will see a series of new variant covers to mark the event, all penciled by creators of Asian or AAPI heritage. In addition, all proceeds from the

Sunday Haha Is there any better feeling than unfolding the full-color page of Sunday newspaper comics? When you sign up for Sunday Haha, you’ll get an email that delivers that feeling right to your inbox each and every week! Sunday Haha’s first issue was released on May 10th, 2020. Now, nearly a year later, there