Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Image credit: Marvel Comics The original, turn-of-the-millennium Ultimate Spider-Man was known for its stress-free pacing. An early famous example of this style had Peter Parker using his newborn spider senses to evade cars in multiple panels, devoting an entire page to doing so. The same can’t be said about the “new” Ultimate Spider-Man (at least the new one released in 2024). There’s a ton of content in this second issue (just like the first), with Peter testing out his newly acquired abilities, appearances by the Green Goblin and Shocker, and even more time spent with Ben Parker, JJ Jameson, and…
I still feel guilty. On Heavy, it becomes even more dangerous. Currently available on Kickstarter, the 28-page first issue by Trevor Fernandez-Lenkiewicz and artist Ryan Best, with lettering and design by Matthias Zanetti, centers on Andrew Atlas, a cook who is forced to investigate the supernatural disappearance of his younger brother, whom he abandoned in foster care 16 years ago. As the world’s collective guilt reaches a breaking point and people begin to disappear, Atlas must confront the weight of his past. Blending existential dread and raw emotional introspection, Heavy asks who really bears the burden of shame and whether…
Image credit: Valiant/Acclaim Acclaim’s first original series after acquiring Valiant in the mid-’90s, Troublemakers was a pretty good run, especially considering the ’90s aren’t remembered very fondly for strongly character-driven comics. The Troublemakers weren’t afraid to touch on some pretty controversial topics, like teenage sex and terminal illness in childhood. Issue #12 brings up the topic of gun violence, but rather shockingly, one of the team of super-powered teenage heroes dies before the first page even begins. Then there will be an investigation into what exactly happened, who was responsible, and why. The police interrogation is a bit clunky, the…
With this crowdfunding roundup, Beat wanted to try something new. What better way to do that than to feature Kickstarter’s annual “Zine Quest” in this week’s Top Picks? Check it out below. One Night Worlds: TTRPG ZINE Collection Creator: Brian Hazard (Writer/Creator)Goal: $500End date: February 26, 2026Merchandise: Get Tales of Clockwork & Chaos, Terminus X7Z, The Fires of Chaterra, and In Alleys Dark for $12 each. One Night Worlds Omnibus ($28 for paperback, $35 for ONW Zine Bundle, $50 for Supporter Bundle at higher levels, etc.). A collection of four one-shot tabletop role-playing zines One Night Worlds is perfect for…
Magnetic Press and Oni Press have teamed up to release two graphic novels by animator and artist Jonathan Djob Nkondo, Peaceful Remission and Wandering, via Kickstarter. Today, The Beat can exclusively reveal the upcoming project and the cover art for both books. Nkondo is known for his work on Scavengers Reign, League of Legends, and Love, Death & Robots. Peaceful Remission and Wandering explore many of the same ideas and aesthetics. Both of these sci-fi graphic novels are set in the future, but each has a very specific perspective on what the future looks like. This is the cover art…
Image credit: IDW Comics Splinter is back from the dead, but how did he come back? And why? Yes, this is a very brief overview by my standards. But there are so many exciting reveals in this issue that it seems foolish to reveal more than necessary. I’m not happy with the Turtles’ sudden detective work to figure out who Splinter has been transforming into since his return, but I can’t find any other faults, although one or two sequences suffer a little from relying too much on exposition. The information revealed here is great, the artwork (by the always…
Image credit: Marvel Comics When the original Ultimate Spider-Man was released at the turn of the century, I was there from the beginning. The Ultimate Marvel Universe was a huge success, eliminating the complex decades of continuity that dragged down the original Marvel Universe and retelling the story from the beginning with a modern, modern feel to the existing characters. Particularly with the Spider-Man titles, which were great for younger readers but were so well written and plotted that they were able to bring back older readers who had forgotten about them as well. Over the next few decades, the…
Image credit: Portal Comic A small group of talented young mercenaries try to earn a living despite the threat of bandits and rivals. Meanwhile, a dark prophecy seems to be coming true, with the ever-present danger of shifting loyalties and betrayal. In a world where magic and monsters are a reality, danger lurks around every corner and tragedy can strike when you least expect it. This first issue of a five-issue story (more issues are planned after this chapter) wastes no time in shocking readers with quick betrayal and death in the opening sequence, before a flash-forward introducing the main…
Image credit: DC Comics I’ve been slowly working my way through DC’s Absolute series of comics, and I’ve been impressed with each one so far. I started with Absolute Martian Manhunter, which was very strange, very experimental, and very clever, and then moved on to Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman. While each piece exceeded my expectations, I’ll admit that by the end of the first Absolute Martian Manhunter story arc, the straight-faced mean spirit had worn me out somewhat. Moving on to Absolute Green Lantern, this first issue is a brilliantly written and often surprising story. Hal…
Welcome to this week’s Beat’s Comic Crowdfunding Roundup! 100 FAQs about manga production Original author: Sherry Bond (writer/creator)Goal: $5,000End date: February 22, 2026Bonus: Get a digital copy for $10, a physical copy for $15, or a retail bundle for $60. Know the basics. Avoid failure. Veteran comics editor Shelly Bond brought something truly unique to Roundup with this project. The title itself speaks for itself, but doesn’t fully capture the enormous amount of work behind it. Drawing on decades of experience from the start of his career in 1987 to the present, Bond offers readers the opportunity to learn first-hand…