Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
It’s no exaggeration to say that comic creator Phillip Kennedy Johnson is one of the most acclaimed and popular writers in the industry at the moment. Among his many career highlights in recent years is his integral role in helping to revitalizing Superman and the Super Family with the epic “Warworld Saga,” a storyline that saw the Man of Steel travel to the eponymous slave planet to overthrow the tyrant Mongul and free its enslaved denizens. With the Adventures of Superman: Book of El limited series, Kennedy will not only be closing a chapter with the Superman character but also…
As we near the end of the winter break for 2000 AD, we take a look at what we can expect from the British weekly anthology and its sister magazine, the monthly magazine Judge Dredd, over the coming year. (Be sure to check out our 2025 review) Judge Dredd’s important events Three major storylines for Judge Dredd are on the horizon, starting right away in January with the return of Dredd co-creator John Wagner in “Death of a Judge,” co-starring Mike Perkins, starting with Prog 2464. Rumors have been swirling for months that Wagner might actually kill Dredd. No matter…
Image credit: Valiant Comics XO Manowar completely passed me by when this character and the series debuted in the early 90’s. I had already moved away from comics. Part of the reason was that the manga was already becoming gimmick-heavy, and that it was becoming overly mature and edgy, emphasizing style over content. However, Valiant Comics, which I rejected at the time, seemed to be going completely against industry trends. Sure, their works could sometimes turn into something edgy and needlessly violent, but for the most part they were well written and good looking from an artwork standpoint. Of course…
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…