Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Earlier this week, DC canceled retail orders for Batman Universe: The Deluxe Edition, an upcoming hardcover collection featuring the work of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Nick Derington. It didn’t take long for the rumors to take root, and this move tied in with rumors that Bendis might be returning to Marvel in the near future. That’s all well and good, but The Beat learned that the reason for the cancellation was more mundane. The book is far from ready by its (now-canceled) February release date, according to people familiar with the story. I’ve heard that some of the…
Fantagraphics, one of America’s best-known indie manga publishers, has announced a new East Asian manga publisher, Takumigraphics. Fantagraphics entered East Asian manga publishing in 2010 with Moto Hagio’s short story collection Drunken Dreams and Other Stories. Since then, it has continued to feature many influential works by innovative artists such as Gengoro Tagame and Susumu Higa. 2026 marks Fantagraphics’ 50th anniversary. To commemorate this, the publisher has announced “Takumigraphics,” which features only East Asian manga, covering comics, comics, and manga from East Asian countries. Conrad Gross, Eric Reynolds, and Gary Gross explain the meaning behind their choice of names for…
A few months ago, Marvel teased that someone new would be taking up the mantle of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme in a new ongoing series starting in December. Today the publisher officially announced that Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, will be playing the role. This new ongoing Sorcerer Supreme series is written by Steve Orlando, who has no prior knowledge of the character, and has art by Bernard Chan. The series will feature covers drawn by Reilix as well as a variety of other covers drawn by other talented artists, including Russell Dauterman and others. The official press release is below.…
Digital comics startup Neon Ichiban made a splash this week with the announcement of its partnership with Udon and Rebellion. And they added Legend Comics to their lineup. The Legendary Comics library includes MonsterVerse titles (Godzilla vs. Kong, Skull Island), the Dune movie mythology, the world of Pacific Rim, and Legendary Comics’ original series. “At Legendary, our mission has always been to tell bold, cinematic stories in every medium,” Robert Knapton, senior vice president and publisher at Legendary Entertainment, said in a statement. “Partnering with Neon Ichiban allows us to connect our comics and graphic novels with fans around the…
This year, IDW Publishing embarked on perhaps its most ambitious undertaking in the Godzilla series with the launch of a new series of shared universe manga titles known as the “Kai-sei Era.” This month saw the release of Starship Godzilla, a new series from writer Chris Gooch and artist Oliver Ono. The series follows a team of space-travelling mercenaries who use their spaceship, the SS Mechagodzilla, to embark on monster-related missions throughout the galaxy. The Beat is proud to exclusively reveal the preview page for Starship Godzilla #2. The official recruitment information is as follows. You’ll be left behind in…
More Weight: Salem’s Story Author: Ben WickiPublisher: Top Shelf Productions – IDW PublishingRelease date: September 2025 The memory of the Salem Witch Trials remains permanently entrenched in the American collective psyche, even though it occurred before any ideas of independence began to emerge in the colonies. That explains too much about American attitudes toward truth and paranoia. It never fully heals because it keeps changing shape to stay relevant. Ben Wicke’s More Weight: A Salem Story is a monumental and thorough attempt to capture the innermost details of this foundational event and how the events it spawned have endured through…
Manga and art book publisher UDON Entertainment announced on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, that it will release Rockman Adventure Volume 1 – Deluxe Edition Hardcover, a collection of Archie Comics’ Rockman series, in partnership with crowdfunding platform Zoop. This is a collection of Archie Comics’ Mega Man series by Ian Flynn, who also served as the lead writer for the same publisher’s Sonic the Hedgehog comic (in fact, both of Flynn’s video game adaptations were so popular among readers that Archie published two books in the Mega Man and Sonic crossover series, titled Worlds Collide and Worlds Unite, respectively). At…
Marvel Comics has revealed that its ongoing Punisher series will begin in February, with a script by Benjamin Percy and art by Jose Luis Soares and inker Oren Jr. (Daredevil). The first arc, a continuation of Percy and Julius Ohta’s current miniseries Punisher: Red Band, finds Frank once again facing off against his archenemy Billy Russo, aka Jigsaw. Punisher #1 (2026) Cover by David Marquez As unflinching and uncompromising as ever, Frank Castle’s memory is damaged and he searches for both answers and the criminal. When the notoriously bloodthirsty Jigsaw returns, he’ll get more than he bargained for with both……
Albert Khuzairov Star Wars was a game-changer for the toy industry, comparable to the first appearance of Superman. Before Action Comics No. 1, comic books consisted mostly of reprinted newspaper strips and funny animals. The success of Superman changed the entire media. With dozens of new superheroes introduced every week, sales skyrocketed. The industry was reinvigorated as new artists and writers competed to create the next sensation, helping usher in a golden age of comics. Similarly, there were successful toy product lines before Star Wars. Disney merchandising was at its best since the 1940s. Mattel’s Barbie doll and Hasbro’s GI…
Grant Morrison is reuniting with co-creator Steve Yowell for a new adventure in the 1993 Vertigo comic “Sebastian O”, the writer announced in his newsletter on Tuesday. Morrison made this announcement in a larger context, saying that working on the Batman/Deadpool crossover has reinvigorated his passion for writing comics. “I thought I’d give the late-career comeback I hear so much about a try!” Morrison wrote. It seems likely that the Sebastian O sequel will be part of DC Comics’ own revitalized Vertigo slate, which announced 10 new comics at New York Comic Con this month. This work joins 100 Bullets…