Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Jim Starlin is one of my favorite comic book creators. Dreadstar was probably my first exposure to his work (and I bought back issues of Epic Illustrated when I finally had my own comic shop), but I quickly became familiar with his Batman and Cosmic I really grew attached to his work as he continued to weave a tapestry of Marvel cosmic characters from The Silver Surfer to The Infinity Gauntlet. At the time of The Infinity Gauntlet, I didn’t know that he had actually begun that story almost 20 years earlier. Thanos’ first appearance was not in Iron Man…
Welcome to the 2025 edition of our 2000 AD Year in Review. This time round, yours truly -longtime subscriber and Beat contributor Dean Simons – gives an overview of the year that was. We then have a quick check in on The Beat’s reviews editor Zack Quaintance on his second full year as a weekly reader of the 48-year-old British anthology. 2000 AD’s 2025 – DEAN’s PERSPECTIVE Following a weekly anthology like 2000 AD, it is pretty much expected that there will be some things that resonated more than others over the course of a year. 2025 started off pretty…
Here’s the final part of our annual survey of the comics industry, with all the big stories, all the prognostications and all the guilty pleasures. 2925 had some very clear storylines, and they all got mentioned: Diamond DC is boffo Comics sales are boffo! Uh oh, Baker & Taylor Tariffs ugh Indie bookstores yay! It was the best of time and the worst of times….but the comics will keep coming and we’ll keep reading them. Once again, thanks to all who participated at a very busy time of the year. I’m always amazed that so many people take the time…
With less than a month until Disney+ launches, Marvel Television has released the full trailer for Wonder Man, the upcoming superhero action/comedy starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3). In the series, Mateen plays Simon Williams, an actor who learns he has superpowers when he is cast in the film Wonder Man (played by Superman’s Zlatko Buric), directed by acclaimed director von Kovac. Williams will have a buddy comedy relationship with Trevor Slattery, the actor who posed as the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. The trailer, along with…
Image credit: IDW A ragtag crew flying through space in Mechagodzilla is hired to steal monster eggs. But things quickly go south, leading to a daring escape, an out-of-control baby monster, and an enemy closer than they think. This first issue was a truly amazing adventure. This is a great Guardians of the Galaxy-style story about mismatched and charming rogues and their shenanigans. The heist, its aftermath, and everything that follows feels very high-stakes and grabs your attention right away. Chris Gooch’s screenplay wastes no time in making us understand this tale of the Age of Enlightenment. I might add…
In a recent podcast interview, Black Panther filmmaker Ryan Coogler shared some insight into his original plans for Black Panther II, which changed dramatically following the death of series star Chadwick Boseman in August 2020. The final film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, centers on King T’Challa’s death and his succession process as leader of both Wakanda and Black Panther, set during his war with Namor (Tenoch Huerta). and the army of the fictional nation of Tarokan. In the original script, Coogler notes that the war with Namor would still have taken place, but the main conflict involved T’Challa and his…
In a strong year for Marvel Comics, the publisher released some of its most exciting books in a long time, from unexpected crossovers to bold formal experiments with popular characters. So today, Beat’s Marvel Rundown staff ranks the best Marvel comics of 2025… Enjoy! Daredevil: A Cold Day in HellAuthor: Charles SouleArtist: Steve McNivenColor: Steve McNiven, Dean WhiteLettering: Clayton Cowles Some of the best books Marvel published this year were stories about dystopian futures. Perhaps it’s because we currently live in a dystopia. There’s still a creative freedom when exploring a hero’s final days that you don’t get in modern…
It’s been another great year for DC Comics. The DC All-In effort continued to provide readers with solid main stories, from continuing series like Superman and Justice League Unlimited that build toward the DC KO event, to new series like Sophie Campbell’s Supergirl, Jeremy Adams and John Timms’ Aquaman, and Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez’s Batman, which builds their own corner of the DCU. The Summer of Superman saw the launch of another new super title, Dan Slott and Rafael Albuquerque’s Superman Unlimited, with Mark Waid and Skylar Patridge’s Action Comics exploring the early days of Superboy. The Batman titles…
Let’s get rolling into 2026 with part three of our annual look at the year that was….and the year that will be in the comics industry. There’s always many newsy nuggets buried in the responses….how many can you spot? I already saw a big one! You can read all the responses here….and thanks to all who participated! (and yes, this runs through Friday so if you really want to squeeze in your response…..maybe the form is still open?) www.gopho.com Andrew Pepoy, artist/writer 2026 Projects: Several things in the works, so TBD. What was the biggest comics industry story in 2025?…
Once again we asked people from across the spectrum of the comics industry to talk about the year coming and the year past, and to give us a preview of what they have cooking for 2026. Our bonus question this year is people’s favorite comics shops – so please check out the stores that people love – and why. Comics shops are community centers and that comes up over and over again here. And check out the complete survey Right Here! Benjamin Wilgus, Writer and editor 2026 Projects: Most of my personal projects are further out. But the final book…