Dick Grayson is front and center in a stunning collection of some of the most compelling cover art to grace his solo title over the years! Art by Dexter Soy, Jim Lee, Dan Mora, Jamal Campbell, Travis Moore and others.

This title is currently in comic book stores. 

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The terrifying tale of six internet celebrities who accompany a superstar survivalist on a one-week trip deep into the remote Canadian wilderness...

After their plane crashes, the influencers and their guide are stalked by a mountain man of local legend — Skinner. When the celebrities mount a desperate counterattack, they discover that there is much more to the skinner myth than any of them could have imagined. Will the celebrities survive, or be permanently canceled?

Be honest, if you've ever wished (even privately) for a gruesome end to annoying Instagram influencers or those "reality TV survivalists" who really aren't in any danger whatsoever, then Skinner maybe a blood-soaked dream come true.

The book blends elements of the "survival horror" genre popularized in video games like Resident Evil, with real life serials killers like Robert Hansen (a.k.a. "Butcher Baker" — who hunted his victims in the Alaskan wilderness), to the perils of internet influencers always looking for the next dangerous and shocking thing to put on their feeds. 

​This graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics was released in May and is written by horror aficionados Micky Neilson (World of Warcraft, Diablo lll: Morbed) and Samwise Didier (The Last Winter, Blizzard Entertainment). The intricate and atmospheric pen and ink illustrations are by Polish comic book artist Piotr Kowalski whose other titles include Bloodborne, Where Monsters Lie, and The Witcher.

PURCHASE >>

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THERE BE SPOILERS HERE.

The first thing we learn about Cade Muñoz is that he loves horror movies. His family thinks it's a weird obsession, but Cade sees his life as a kind of horror movie — especially when he finds himself working on a horse ranch in the middle of rural Texas. Welcome to Northranger, an LGBTQAI+ graphic novel written by Rey Terciero and illustrated by Bre Indigo.

Although Cade, a city boy with no farm experience whatsoever, initially has a miserable time on the Tyler Ranch, one thing gives him hope — the owner's youngest son and fellow horror aficionado, Henry Tyler. Cade's more than a little attracted to Henry, but has difficulty figuring out if Henry feels similarly.  Certainly the rural community in which Henry was raised doesn't seem particularly welcoming to queer people — or people of color! When some men in a convenience store hurl racist epithets at Cade, Henry launches into a rage.

"I hate small-minded folks," he tells Cade. "Can't believe there are still bigots in this day and age. Hating people 'cause of what? The color of their skin, what God they worship, who they love..."

​​Okay, so Henry's gay-friendly — but is he gay? The longer Cade knows Henry, the more obvious it becomes that the older boy is hiding some secrets beyond his sexuality. The skeletons in the Tyler family closet really begin to rattle when Cade's invited to the clan's lakeshore home known as Northranger. Rumors about a series of mysterious deaths — including Henry's mom — help amp up a boy who already sees the world through a horror movie lens. How and why did all these people die? Why is one wing of Northranger off limits? Why is Henry so angry all the time — to the point where he beats the shit out of his older brother in a parking lot?

As the book progresses, so do Cade's feelings for Henry and his resulting paranoia over what Henry's not telling him. But is it all real... or just Cade's fantasy life running wild?

Northranger is a thoughtful, well produced story. It doesn't necessarily say anything new or different about homophobia, but seen through Cade's eyes the book provides some interesting parallels between the horror movie genre and how many LGBTQAI+ people must view their lives. The ending is also a clever twist on how horror movie plots are often filled with misdirection and red herrings. This one's definitely worth a read!

PURCHASE>>

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The movie was a dud... but that doesn't mean they isn't some life still left in the Borderlands... at least in graphic novel form.

If you've played Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, or Borderlands 3, you're probably familiar with Tiny Tina, the emotionally unstable and morally ambiguous fourteen-year-old who loves to make things go BOOM! When not blowing shit up, Tina also enjoys a lively game of Bunkers and Badasses, Pandora's equivalent to Dungeons & Dragons.

I got my first taste of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman in the late 1970s when Sandy Frank Entertainment imported the Japanese anime to the U.S. in a version known as Battle of the Planets (BOTP). The show, along with Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, was a staple of my childhood science fiction diet.

While Sandy Frank sapped the original 1972 anime of its edge, BOTP worked well for American audiences and was a huge overnight success. As an eleven-year old, I was fascinated by the show even though the storylines seemed choppy, confusing or contradictory. What I didn't know at the time was that the eighty-five BOTP episodes were cobbled together from 105 Gatchaman episodes... and nothing ran in the order in which it was created.

Since Gatchaman was a serial, with interlocking storylines and recurring characters, there were tremendous gaps in continuity when it became BOTP. To gloss over these plot holes, Sandy Frank inserted some crudely animated segments with a robotic character called 7-Zark-7, who looked a little like R2-D2's inbred cousin. 7-Zark-7 provided both connecting exposition and comedic relief as the original anime was very serious and sometimes downright grim. To be fair, I don't know that the original show would've have been shown in the U.S. in the late 70s without these alterations.

For example, the second episode of Gatchaman, entitled "Demonic Aircraft Carrier," was retooled into a BOTP episode called "Rescue the Astronauts." The story starts with an Apollo-era space module splashing down in the ocean. It is quickly captured by Galactor (in BOTP, these are the evil minions of the truly evil Zoltar from the planet Spectra) and taken to an underwater base. The Galactor commander is after the "Earth Compact System," which contains the locations of valuable natural resources including uranium. 

Uranium and nuclear power are a recurring theme in Gatchaman as they are in lots of Japanese science fiction. No one suffered more than the Japanese at the dawn of the nuclear age, and the atom is dually-represented as a source of unlimited energy and horrible destruction. This also underscores Gatchaman's emphasis on serious world issues such as dwindling natural resources, protecting the environment, loss, war, violence, and tyranny. In BOTP, almost all of these themes are either gone or heavily diluted.

For this particular episode, Sandy Frank's people altered the plot into a simple rescue mission where the astronauts have been abducted because they have telemetry about Zoltar's hidden bases. But there's a problem with the Gatchaman source material... The astronauts don't survive. In fact, their bodies are displayed before Ken (renamed Mark in BOTP), who thinks they are still alive and surrenders in order to secure their release. Once Ken is in custody, the Galactor thugs let the bodies fall to the floor.

"Even corpses are useful sometimes," the Galactor Commander chuckles.

Ken recoils and mutters, "How awful..."

You said it, Ken. But then again, later in this same episode, you savagely beat the Commander until his tells you the location of Earth Compact System... So, you know, don't be a total hypocrite. 

Can you imagine any of that running on a children's show in America in 1978?

Because BOTP had to be kid-friendly, the astronauts also had to survive. The dialogue is reworked. We never see any dead bodies. We never see an actual rescue but Mark later informs the team that the astronauts are recovering in sick bay.

Now the Science Ninja Team is back in comic book form from Mad Cave Studios. Gatchaman was reintroduced to American audiences during Free Comic Book Day this past May with an ongoing core series, a series of one-shots focusing on solo missions, and a miniseries focusing on villains.

Learn more about this series here.

OTHER GATCHAMAN GOODS:
Funko Pops: Ken Washio  |  Joe Asakura  |  Jun

SYNOPSIS: While Dick connects with the ghost of his past, Nightwing takes to the streets to defend his honor. But how can he be in two places at once? And what shocking revelation does Dick learn when confronted with the truth behind his parents' deaths? The Heartless saga continues in the penultimate chapter of this celebrated run!

If you've been following along with the adventures of Dick Grayson, you know he's been having some issues. He was framed by Heartless so the people of Bludhaven think Dick himself was the serial killer. Even worse, the superhero without any superpowers has lost his most valuable asset — his fearlessness when it comes to heights. Desperate to reclaim this gift, and avoid a meaningless prosecution, he heads off to Tibet to get his groove back with the help of the very amusing Deadman.

While some of Dick's fear is chemical — Heartless poisoned him with a fear toxin — so much more of it is psychological. After all, Dick has always had a little more than his fair share of survivor's guilt after watching his parents plummet to their death and then discovering they were murdered. As he, with Deadman's help, slowly identifies the roots of his paralyzing fear, Dick is also about to make an unbelievable discovery about what actually happened at Haly's Circus the night his parents died. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you what it was. 

This has been a slow burn storyline for the past two years and we're finally getting to the final chapters. I can't wait to see how it all goes down and how Nightwing — along with Oracle, Batman, the Bat Fam, and the Titans — finally unmask Heartless.

A great book with the stylish and starkly beautiful artwork of Bruno Redondo.  

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Next month, The Joker takes his unique brand of madness and mayhem on a world tour, with Joker: The World, a 184-page hardcover anthology. 

Like DC’s bestselling and critically acclaimed Batman: The World, this can’t-miss anthology will feature Joker stories by creative teams representing 13 different countries, including renowned storytellers such as Geoff Johns, Satoshi Miyagawa, David Rubin, German Peralta, Alvaro Fong Varela, Jason Fabok, and others. With stories tailored to the authentic style, tone, and cultural sensibilities of different nations around the world, Joker: The World highlights how DC’s most popular super-villain has inspired chaos on a global scale. 

What does The Joker do when on holiday in Spain? How has he inspired others to follow in his footsteps, creating Joker duplicates in Germany and Turkey? How does a Joker in Cameroon find inspiration? Only the top writers and artists from each country can provide the answers, in unique stories celebrating one of the most compelling characters in pop culture. 

PREORDER FOR SEPTEMBER 17, 2024, SHIP DATE  >>

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Frank Herbert's Dune was originally published six decades ago, but this timeless science fiction series continues to enthrall and amaze new fans.  This epic science-fiction masterpiece is set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar society. It tells the story of Paul Atreides as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis only to be brutally betrayed and drawn into an interstellar war.

Now the story is being transformed into a graphic novel series, with the third book, The Prophet, released in July 2024. 

Dune: Graphic Novel: Book 1 
Dune: Graphic Novel: Book 2, Muad'dib
Dune: Graphic Novel: Book 3, The Prophet

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Before Watchmen, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book The Swamp Thing. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history. With modern-day issues explored against a backdrop of horror, The Swamp Thing stories became commentaries on environmental, political, and social issues, unflinching in their relevance. 

Created out of the Swamp by a freak accident, Swamp Thing is an elemental creature who uses the forces of nature and wisdom of the plant kingdom to fight the polluted world's self-destruction. Alan Moore took the Swamp Thing to new heights in the 1980s with his unique narrative approach. His provocative and groundbreaking writing, combined with masterly artwork by some of the medium's top artists, made Swamp Thing one of the great comics of the late twentieth century. 

The first volume begins with the story "The Anatomy Lesson," a haunting origin story that reshapes Swamp Thing mythology with terrifying revelations that begin a journey of discovery and adventure that will take him across the stars and beyond. 

In this second volume, The Swamp Thing says goodbye to the illusion of his own humanity after learning that he is 100% plant, meets a crew of benevolent alien invaders inspired by the classic comic strip Pogo (also set in the swamp), and consummates his relationship with Abigail Arcane as only he could. 

The third volume is brimming with visceral horrors including underwater vampires, a werewolf with an unusual curse, the hideous madman called Nukeface. Best of all, this volume features the comics debut of John Constantine, Hellblazer, who launches Swamp Thing on a voyage of self-discovery that will take him from the darkest corners of America to the roots of his own long-hidden heritage. 

Volume four brings Swamp Thing's quest for self-discovery with the mystic John Constantine to its shattering conclusion. A harbinger of doom has been released with the sole charge of waking an evil beyond comprehension, and Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, Etrigan the Demon, The Spectre and other masters of the occult must unite against the dark forces that threaten to eradicate Heaven's light. 

The fifth volume begins as Swamp Thing returns from his sojourn to hell, only to learn that his girlfriend Abby is being persecuted for their "unnatural relations." When she skips town for Gotham City, he follows and runs afoul of Batman, Lex Luthor, and the Gotham City Police Department. 

The sixth and final volume collects Moore's entire run, reprinting issues #57-64 and features the classic stories "Loving the Alien" and All Flesh is Grass."

PURCHASE: All the groundbreaking Saga of the Swamp Thing graphic novels by Alan Moore, the writer of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, in a gorgeous slipcase box set!

They say you shouldn't trust a person who doesn't like animals. I'm not qualified to psychologically unpack the validity of that saying, but it's probably valid enough to be a guideline even if you don't make it a hard and fast rule.

At the very least, someone's probably a shit-poor superhero if they're not willing to see the value in non-human life. Enter the Super-Pets — the non-human, supercharged companions for the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, etc. Probably the first of these was Krypto, Superman's high-powered dog first introduced by DC Comics in 1955. One of the newest is Haley, Dick Grayson's (Nightwing) three-legged puppy who was introduced in May 2021. Haley can't fly or shot heat rays out of her eyes, but she is quite adorable and maybe ready for a promotion? 

In Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1, Haley finds herself to be a fish out of water when she arrives on Kent Farm and meets Krypto. As the big-city mutt tries to adjust to country living, she's shocked when Krypto introduces her to a kennel of courageous critters awaiting her!

This one-shot also features miscellaneous stories dealing with the dark side of the dog bed and the many pets of Damian Wayne, famous animal lover and people hater.

This comic  is only available through comic book stores, but if you want more about the Super Pets check out these book titles:

DC Super Pets: Character Encyclopedia

DC League of Super-Pets (DC League of Super-Pets Movie)

DC Super-Pets Origin Stories

DC League of Super-Pets: The Great Mxy-Up

Battle of the Super-Pets

DC League of Super-Pets: The Official Activity Book

Tails of the Super-Pets 

How to Draw DC Super-Pets Manga!

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