The Naruto Saga has dropped another big twist on fans, as seen in the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. The first Boruto series redefined everything we know about the Shinobi world and its great enemy, The Otsutsuki Clan, as well as the villains' true plans for Earth using the Ten-tails and Divine Tree. However, now Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has revealed that thanks to the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations' final arc, a new enemy has arisen to threaten the world - a bigger threat than the Otsutsuki may have ever been!

(SPOILERS) Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 4 picks up with Boruto tracking his foe cyborg foe Code to the lair where he's hiding a Ten-Tails. The only thing is, when Boruto and Code both look, the Ten-Tails is no longer imprisoned: it's broken free on its own and changed form, taking on a much more humanoid appearance. Code is bewildered: Boruto had warned him that his gang of pet Ten-Tails was about to break off their leash - but Code never thought that meant literally!

New Naruto Villians: The Divine Trees

Boruto reveals to Code that what he's seeing is the unexpected offshoot of whatever "enhancement" process was done to the Ten-Tails (as seen in Chapter 2). The normal process of a Ten-Tails is to devour the chakra of whatever is fed to them until they consume an Otsutsuki and become a Divine Tree, capable of siphoning the chakra of entire planets, which surviving Otsutsuki then consume as chakra fruit, extending their lives and helping them evolve their powers and forms. However, Code's changes to the Ten-Tails birthed self-awareness in the Divine Trees they form - and now those Divine Trees are alive and sentient - and hungry to consume.

There's a lot we still don't know about the years that Boruto was on the run from Hidden Leaf Village, under Sasuke's tutelage. These first four chapters of Two Blue Vortex have peppered in some pretty big clues:

• Code enhanced the Ten-Tails and used them as his own soldiers.
• Code's Ten-Tails would bite their non-Otsutsuki victims, turning them into Divine Trees wherever they stood.
• Those Divine Trees became sentient and created bodies for themselves using a hybrid of the genetic imprints of those trapped in the Divine Trees and the Ten-Tails.
• Sasuke is one of the people who was trapped inside a Divine Tree (for an unknown length of time). Subsequently, one of the living Divine Trees is a clone of Sasuke.
• Boruto and his new teacher Koji Kashin (Jiraiyas' clone) learned what was happening with the Divine Tree and tried to avert it - but were clearly too late. Koji makes it sound as if Plan B will be an all-out war against the Divine Trees, for the fate of the planet.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex releases new chapters online.

DC has finally revealed the true identity of Superman's newest supervillain threat, The Chained. And, as teased earlier in the current story arc, The Chained's identity and origin are deeply rooted in the shady history of Metropolis and its power players!

Superman #8 serves as "The Chained: Part Three" and the issue opens on a flashback of The Chained as a young boy named Samuel (or "Sammy"). However, Sam isn't just any young boy: he's the son of Sebastian Stryker, the affluent Metropolis industrialist who built the Stryker's Island Penitentiary.

Through a flashback conversation between Lex Luthor, Sebastian Stryker, and Carl Draper (aka The Master Jailer), we learn that Sebastian Stryker actually handed his son over to Lex for experimentation. The result was Lex successfully fitting Sammy with a metahuman ability: Tactile Telekinesis, the same power that would later be given to the Superboy clone Cadmus created.

However, Sammy Stryker's Tactile Telekinesis power operates at a level that Connor Kent could never imagine, and it quickly becomes apparent that Superboy's powers are just a fraction of The Chained's abilities.

During the course of the story in Superman #8, we get brushstrokes of history that make it clear there's one pivotal scene we have yet to witness: what inevitably went wrong between father and son. In his own version of "coming clean," Lex reveals to Superman that Sammy's power (and mind) became a threat. At some point, for whatever reason, Sammy and Sebastian Stryker had a falling out, which led to the son murdering the father. After that, Lex hatched a plan to bind and contain Sammy, locking him away in a cell below Stryker's Island until Luthor's mysterious old rivals Dr. Pharm and Mister Graft manipulated Superman into freeing him.

With The Chained's origin revealed, DC has given Superman a supervillain that both challenges him on a power-to-power level, but also offers a lot of ties back to the history of Metropolis and some larger Superman lore. In this origin reveal alone we see how Sammy Stryker is tied to Lex Luthor, Superboy, Stryker's Island, and The Master Jailer, quickly marking him as a pivotal and important character, even though he's just made his debut.

The end of the issue also reveals that Lex built one key weakness into Sammy Stryker: Kryptonite. That flaw allowed Superman (in a protective suit) to subdue Sammy long enough for capture - but has cost Clark Kent his on vitality. The Chained may be out of the game now, but it's clear what kind of damage he can (and probably will) do, when he inevitably gets loose again.

Superman is on sale from DC Comics. Read the synopsis below:

THE MAN OF STEEL VS. CHAINED! Powerless! Superman versus the Chained concludes! One of the biggest battles Metropolis has ever witnessed comes down to Superman doing the unthinkable and sacrificing his powers to stop the Chained. How does that impact Lex Luthor's plans...or is Lex too busy dealing with the shocking return of his mother in Superman #850?!

Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Gleb Melnikov, Norm Rapmund, David Balde?n, Jamal Campbell
Colors by: Alejandro S?nchez, Jamal Campbell
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Jamal Campbell
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: November 21, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving from those of us at CovrPrice! There was a lot to be thankful for for comic fans last week! The trailer for Madame Web finally dropped, propelling several books to high spots on this list. Robert Kirkman may have let a little secret out that has fans buzzing about the Sentry. Fans are still seeing Captain Marvel, causing multiple books to trend. Clarity has arrived regarding a future 'Alien' project, along with some casting news for the Authority. A new king graces the pages of Black Panther, and the fanbase is all in! Dive into this week's Top Ten for all the details that emerged last week and why these books are trending!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

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#10 BLACK PANTHER #6 - DOALY (1:25) | MARVEL | 2023 When fans saw the solicitation for this book, their attention was immediately on King M'Teli. This 1:25 variant from Doaly was the king of the pack, featuring an exceptionally regal M'Teli gracing the cover. We tracked a high sale of $167 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $110.

#9 THE SENTRY #1 | MARVEL | 2000 Robert Kirkman recently appeared on a livestream with David Finch and remarked, "My good friend Steven Yuen is playing the Sentry in a movie." There was some other context behind it, but you get the point. Fans immediately hit up the aftermarket in search of a copy! We tracked a high sale of $350 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $109.

#8 YOUNG AVENGERS #1 | MARVEL | 2005 *POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR THE MARVELS* This book was going gangbusters during the incredible hype that WanaVision produced. It has done so again, partly due to the end credit scene in The Marvels teasing the Young Avengers. We tracked a high sale of $350 for a CGC 9.8 and a current raw NM FMV of $70.

#7 X-MEN #164 | MARVEL | 1982 ***SPOILER ALERT*** This comic book is tied directly to the end-credit scene of "The Marvels" movie. This book features the first appearance of Carol Danvers as Binary. The mention of Binary in the end credit scene has significant implications for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As a result, this book has gained a lot of attention. The highest sale was for a CGC 9.8 copy, selling for $250, and a raw VF copy is $27.

#6 THE AUTHORITY #1 | DC | 1999 This book is significant because it features the first team appearance of "The Authority." It experienced a surge in demand when Gunn made his announcement and has surged again thanks to James Gunn confirming Mar?a Gabriela de Far?a's casting as the second Engineer in the upcoming "Superman: Legacy" project. This version of the Engineer first appeared in this comic, causing it to skyrocket in aftermarket demand. The highest sale was for a CGC 9.8 copy, which sold for $300, and the current fair market value for a raw NM copy is $46.

#5 MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS #7 - DIRECT | MARVEL | 1984 This book features the first full appearance of the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter. We have a distinct shot of Sweeney rocking the famous costume in the trailer. It appears we will get a trio of Spider-Gals in the film, and since this rumor first circulated, Sweeney as Carpenter has been the one the fanbase wanted. It appears we may get just that! We tracked a high sale of $250 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VF FMV of $16.

#4 AMAZING FANTASY #1 | MARVEL | 2004 This book popped off when the initial Madame Web rumors began to swirl. The community had it pegged from the get-go that Isabela Merced would portray Arana Corazon, who first appeared in this book, in the film. With the trailer finally dropping, we saw the character in action, albeit briefly, and sporting her iconic goggles like she does in the comics. The community has their eyes on the character and this book! We tracked a high sale of $180 for a CGC 9.8 and a raw NM FMV of $34.

#3: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #210 | MARVEL | 1980 The last time this book hit our list (in the newsstand edition) was after Sony announced plans to move forward with a Madame Web solo film. Subsequently, her first appearance started seeing some heat in the aftermarket. We tracked a high sale of $975 for a CGC 9.8 current raw VF FMV of $81.

#2 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #30 | MARVEL | 2001 Sony confirmed a 2022 rumor that Ezekial Sims would appear in Madame Web, and he's being marketed as the movie's villain. His first appearance was in this comic book alongside Morlun. This issue is significant for several reasons. The fanbase is becoming increasingly interested in the Spider-Totem aspect of the story told within this book. The highest sale was for a CGC 9.8 copy, which sold for $200, and the current fair market value for a raw NM copy is $47.

#1 THE ALIEN LEGION #1 | MARVEL | 2001 Per The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Miller, of Deadpool fame, is set to adapt Alien Legion and grow it into a space opera franchise. Prices are rising thanks to the level of entry, prevalence, and the quickly dwindling market of cheap copies. We tracked a high sale of $158 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw FN FMV of $10.

And that's your TOP 10 COMICS OF THE WEEK for 11/20/23! Want to know what your comic books are worth? COVRPRICE.COM offers the ULTIMATE price guide with LIVE ungraded (raw) and graded sales for today's market trends. Manage your collection and track your portfolio's overall value with our robust tracking systems. With a free 10-day trial and several affordable price tiers, discover the value of your comics and sign up today! CHECK OUT THE TOP 10 ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!

To say that Batman stories could use something fresh and at least a little out there is an understatement given that many recent stories in the core Batman line of comics have been less than engaging. There is only so much one can do with the Dark Knight and Gotham. And it is with that in mind that Batman: Off World #1 arrives. Written by Jason Aaron with art by Doug Mahnke and Jaime Mendoza and colors by David Baron, the comic book feels both like a very Batman spin on Superman's recent Warworld adventure and a wild take on a Justice League style adventure--those frequently see more out-of-this-world type tales for Batman--but with a fresh twist that makes the story all the more engaging and just a bit more human.

The story, in a sense, centers around that twist: Batman: Off World #1 takes place very early in the vigilante's career, just a year into his efforts and as a result sees Batman out of his depth when confronted by an alien enforcer for the mob boss he's currently chasing. It's Batman's inexperience and, in a sense, optimism, that leads him to head off world on an experimental craft to fight aliens, something that has unexpected consequences when he's kidnapped by slavers in another galaxy.

What works about this comic book is just how weird it is. While Batman fans know the character has a long history filled with some truly bonkers adventures, there's something about it being Batman in the hands of slavers that feels so wildly out of place as to be fascinating. It also opens up the door for the story to be as unserious as possible, providing space for Aaron to explore the more ludicrous aspects of not only the character, but the larger landscape of DC's rather fantastic overall universe in a way that Earth-bound and "gritty" Gotham stories simply don't make room for. There's also the vulnerability of Batman given his inexperience that makes the story easier to invest in. This is not the World's Greatest Detective who never fails. This is a character still growing into that role.

Unfortunately, it's the growing-into-the-role aspect of things that doesn't quite land in this issue. Granted, with this being a first issue, there's room to grow and space has clearly been provided for that, but there's a lot of flash to this issue that leaves things light on characterization. For fans who have been following Aaron's work at Marvel--specifically his Avengers run--the issue will feel familiar in how formulaic it is. If you like that approach, it works, but it does seem to lack something keeping this comic from rising to greatness and settling for good. Artwise, however, this is a fantastic comic book at every turn. There's beautiful action, bold colors, and deft details that make the issue a visual feast.

This is a very promising start to a story. While there are elements that feel at times too familiar--the similarities to Superman's Warworld story, the formulaic nature of Aaron's storytelling--and the lack of depth at times feels a bit like style over substance, the comic book is a fun read and certainly unlike anything occurring in contemporaneous Batman comics. It's entertaining and has obvious room to grow and, if nothing else, the art is out of this world - pun intended.

Published by DC Comics

On November 21, 2023

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Doug Mahnke and Jaime Mendoza

Colors by David Baron

Letters by Troy Peteri

Cover by Doug Mahnke and David Baron

Remember when Carnage was a simple character? Sure, there's always been the alien symbiote of it all. That always amounted to little more than a superpowered serial killer, a being on the far end of the altruistic-hero-to-murderous-villain spectrum anchored by Spider-Man at the other pole and with Venom somewhere in the middle. The last few years have seen the character ascend to new heights of power and convolution. We won't try to untangle the web of continuity that differentiates Cletus Kasady from Carnage from whatever an "Extrembiote" is. However, since Marvel has already explored what happens when Carnage and Cletus stop getting along in the "Carnage Reigns" event, this new Carnage series takes the opposite path, exploring what happens when Carnage and Cletus work together in their quest for godhood, adding some compelling wrinkles to an often one-note antagonist.

What readers need to know (and the issue does a decent job of explaining) is that the Carnage symbiote has been acting independently to try to fully achieve godhood, purging traditional symbiote weaknesses from its system. With that done, the symbiote is forced to ask, "Now, what?" To answer that, he needs Cletus and retrieves his host by surprising and disgusting means. Carnage and Cletus, together, try to find the next step on the path to godhood.

The answer comes from another question: "Who would worship a god like Carnage?" Through this methodically paced first issue, Torunn Gr?nbekk begins to unpack the question. The first clue comes when Carnage meets a server who enjoys true crime podcasts, fixated on the "mystery" of violence.

It's a strong opening hook, but digs too deep, too fast. The scene predicates itself on Carnage exploring his divinity, but also presents him as self-assured and confident in his actions and their meanings even as each one further muddies things for the reader. Carnage does what Carnage does. He goes on a murder spree. The issue lingers on some victims, explaining their fixations on death and violence. Others get silently offed in a montage. The final murder, in which Carnage elevates his work to something like performance art, further muddies the thematic waters as it seems to bear little resemblance to earlier victims. The issue, at one point, suggests that Carnage may become an avatar for all the awfulness of the 21st century but doesn't define what that means beyond vague abstraction.

Carnage isn't the only symbiote/host pairing featured in the issue, as it parallels his search for purpose with that of Flash Thompson, host to Anti-Venom. Flash has no delusions of divinity to wrestle with. His feelings are more human and familiar. The former high school football star, military man, and superhero is now working in a dull security position he's overqualified for and realizing that his friends don't seem to miss him when he's gone. This loneliness and lack of purpose puts him on edge, and he and Carnage seem destined for a meeting when Carnage touches back down on Earth.

Artist Pere P?rez and colorist Erck Arciniega do solid work, especially in pulling off the issue's stranger moments, like the "birth" of the new Cletus Kasady. However, the artwork doesn't match the story's dark tone, running too close to the standard Marvel superhero style. It isn't too far afield, but longer, darker shadows and stronger emotion, especially on the sinister side, would go a long way toward removing that dissonance.

But the visual restraint seems symptomatic of an unwillingness to commit to the bit that plagues Carnage #1. The issue raises some interesting questions but seems unsure about how to answer them. Casting Carnage in his godhood as a reflection of those fascinated by what he represents is a high concept worth exploring. Gr?nbekk, P?rez, and Arciniega seem to be recasting Carnage as a 21st-century Corinthian, which is a bold move. However, this issue gets too caught up in the sensational aspects of Carnage's bloodlust, losing sight of that overarching theme. Carnage #1 is on the cusp of something worthwhile but hasn't fully invested.

Published by Marvel Comics

On November 22, 2023

Written by Torunn Gr?nbekk

Art by Pere Perez

Colors by Erick Arciniega

Letters by Joe Sabino

Cover by Paulo Siqueira

Somna #1 introduces readers to life in a small unnamed village set amidst England in the early 17th century as witch hunts terrorize the countryside. Ingrid is married to the local bailiff and witchfinder Roland, who ignores her in favor of his official duties, even as she is plagued by increasingly frightening dreams. The entire affair--weaving together historical fiction, eroticism, and the supernatural--is presented in a pristinely prepared package in which every page, title, and effect is considered, much like Cloonan's exquisite By Chance or By Providence.

Cloonan and Lotay divide artistic duties between Ingrid's waking and unconscious hours. The issue opens on a dream sequence in which Ingrid captures fragments of imagery before settling her gaze upon a dark figure with lustful intents. Lotay's style matches this dreamscape splendidly and offers readers insights into the manner in which Ingrid dreams. Soft figures and blurring lines portray a sense of unreality without ever losing clarity; fragments from a possible drowning on the first page are all the more effective because the details are distinguishable. But overlapping and non-typical layouts combine with a regularly changing point of view to differentiate this space from the harsh realities of life in the late Elizabethan era.

This contrasts splendidly against Cloonan's portrayal of the waking world. Sharp lines, rich inking, and solid grids ground every moment spent in Ingrid's village with the dull realities of peasant life lacking the blurred effects of tantalizing dark dreams. Whereas Lotay's work portrays Ingrid's inner desires and emotional complexity, Cloonan's figures provide emotions on their faces and frames with unerring accuracy. Ingrid's yearning for her husband and his cold rejection provides a rich subtext suggesting deeper motives within both of them.

Even as the narrative relies more upon these waking sequences to dispatch with dialogue and exposition, Cloonan utilizes dense grids filled with details to compress information and make each new panel a rewarding reading experience. It's this density that makes Somna #1 read as a much more satisfying installment than most serialized comics. By the issue's end there are a clearly defined set of characters with complex motivations and relationships in a fully realized setting. Adding the supernatural intrigues offered at night atop all of this produces a first issue that's as satisfying as the best pilots on television.

There will doubtless be a space (and need) to discuss the marital intrigues, erotic temptations, and gendered power dynamics of Somna; the first issue alone is rich with thematic subtext drawing readers into a setting far beyond but undeniably connected to their own. But the wonder of Somna #1 lies in how that place, its people, and the story they have to tell are introduced. Meeting Sigurd's friends and her husband's victims in the village while lapsing into her dark dreams at night offers both aesthetic and literary pleasures that are best found on the page. What's undeniable is the talent and ambition on display in this first issue making Somna a series all keen-eyed comics readers will want to seek out.

Published by DSTLRY

On November 22, 2023

Written by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay

Art by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay

Colors by Lee Loughridge, Dee Cunniffe, and Tula Lotay

Letters by Lucas Gattoni

Cover by Becky Cloonan

Superstar comic book artist Greg Capullo is officially back at Marvel Comics. Capullo confirmed the news via his Instagram account, where he revealed a look at the page he's currently working on, which features The Thing from the Fantastic Four. Capullo's words teased that he may be working on a Fantastic Four project. "I'm OFFICIALLY back at Marvel. I just signed my contract today. Let's go!!!" Capullo posted. Marvel previously teased Capullo's return to the company by revealing his covers featuring Deadpool and Wolverine. Marvel even surprised retailers with a free Capullo-drawn Wolverine #37 variant cover earlier this year.

Marvel revealed the artwork for that Wolverine variant at San Diego Comic-Con, alongside artwork for Capullo's Deadpool: Seven Slaughters cover. It seems now that Capullo's work at Marvel will go beyond covers and could involve Marvel's "First Family."

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Greg Capullo's Marvel Comics History

This isn't Capullo's first time working for Marvel Comics. His career began at Marvel in the 1990s after getting the publisher's attention with his small-press horror comic Gore Shriek.

During his first run at the company, Capullo worked on titles like Quasar and What If...?. The latter provided him an earlier opportunity to draw the Fantastic Four in the What If...? Issue that asked, "What if the Fantastic Four had lost the trial of Galactus?" He also worked on X-Force, including chapters of the popular X-Men crossovers "X-Cutioner's Song" and "Fatal Attractions.

Greg Capullo After Marvel

After his Marvel work, Capullo went to Image Comics. There, he collaborated with Todd McFarlane and became one of the best-loved artists to work on Spawn (after McFarlane himself, of course). Capullo then launched the creator-owned series, The Creech.

In 2011, Capullo jumped to DC, teaming with Scott Snyder on The New 52 Batman relaunch. Capullo remained at DC for a decade, where his work on Batman and the Dark Nights event series cemented his status as one of the defining artists of the 2010s.

Marvel's pursuit of Greg Capullo

According to Capullo, Marvel has been eager to get Capullo back to work at the "House of Ideas" for some time. He explained as much on the Mark Millar Time podcast.

"Marvel's been approaching me forever, I run into CB (Cebulski, Marvel's Editor-in-chief) a lot. I said just to get started you know, we'll do a project but I'll do some covers," Capullo said. "I have discussed a particular project because I'm 60 now, I don't want to do runs anymore. I told everybody. DC, Marvel, whoever, three to six issue run and that's it. I can't keep getting locked in because I want to do a few things before I hang up my pencil. My intention is to do some covers while I'm working on Creech, do a project with Marvel, and then what happens after that, I'm not sure. I talked with Scott about an original idea I have, we'll probably do something like that at some point."

Throughout the first four issues of Titans, Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott have thrust the team into a variety of situations. Now DC's most prominent team as the Justice League no longer exists, the group has dealt with both a blood-thirsty cult and a corporation that's been razing wildlife across Borneo. The latter plot has now led directly into the Titans' newest member, and it's a surprising addition at that. Light spoilers up ahead for Titans #5. Proceed with caution if you've yet to catch up.

Beast Boy has taken it upon himself to fix the charred Borneo jungles. To do that, he convinces the rest of the team that they need to reach out to Swamp Thing to help restore The Green on the island. They soon teleport of the apartment of Levi Kamei, the publisher's latest iteration of Swamp Thing, and convince him to help out.

Once the green begins growing again--much to the thrill of the Titans--they officially extend him a membership offer, which he quickly accepts. Kamei agrees to join the group on the condition it's a part-time membership, meaning readers probably shouldn't expect to see him around in every issue, but it's likely the character will be back before too long at all.

It's also excellent timing on DC Comics' part as DC Studios is actively developing a new Swamp Thing movie from filmmaker James Mangold.

"Basically, the second I heard DC was going through some leadership convulsion and James was taking over, I just saw it as an opportunity to throw my hat down in the most -- I mean I just called them and I said, 'In all the stuff you're doing, if the idea of me making a gothic horror film, origin story of Swamp Thing fits in, tell me,'" Mangold previously said of the film on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

He added, It's no different speech than anyone else gets with me; I don't have any agenda for a universe, I'm not building towards someone joining in some future. Have at it, but I'd just be interested in telling, I've always been interested in doing a version of Frankenstein, basically, and, yet, I feel, 'It's alive!' has been done enough, but Swamp Thing always occurred to me as this wonderful version of a Frankenstein story, much in the way one of my favorite pop films of growing up, RoboCop, the original one. This guy who just wakes up and he's been turned into, he finds he's become this machine, was also something I was fascinated with with Logan, obviously."

Titans #5 is now available wherever comics are sold.

It looks like DC will be returning to the halls of Gotham Academy very soon. Earlier this month, DC unveiled the solicitations for their February 2024 books, including the forthcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10. The description of the issue reveals that the main story, a three-parter written and drawn by Karl Kershl, will feature the return of Gotham Academy students Maps Mizoguchi and Tristan Grey. This will be the second recent DC story that Maps factors into, as an older version of her from the future, nicknamed Meridian, is currently teaming up with the Birds of Prey.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #10

• Written by KARL KERSCHL, TORUNN GRONBEKK, DELILAH S. DAWSON, DAN WATTERS
• Art by KARL KERSCHL, FERNANDO PASARIN, and RICARDO LOPEZ ORTIZ
• Cover by SIMONE DI MEO
• Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
• Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
• 1:25 variant cover by KELLEY JONES
• $7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
• ON SALE 2/27/24
• Gotham Academy is back in session in the first part of Karl Kerschl's thrilling three-part Batman adventure, guest-starring Maps Mizoguchi and Tristan Grey! Kirk Langstrom, formerly Man-Bat, now clean of his serum for years, is teaching at Gotham Academy. But Man-Bat is menacing the city. Has Dr. Langstrom fallen off the wagon, or is there a deeper, far more sinister, plan afoot? Plus, get ready for a conspiracy only Lois Lane could solve, a tale of rip-roaring adventure starring Artemis, and a Batman Black & White tale from Dan Watters and Ricardo L?pez Ortiz!

What Is Gotham Academy About?

Originally published in 2014 as part of DC's New 52 continuity, Gotham Academy chronicled the goings-on of an eclectic group of students at the titular prestigious Gotham prep school. Characters on the series included Olive Silverlock, Mia "Maps" Mizoguchi, Pomeline Fritch, and Heathcliff Ray. The series ultimately ran for over thirty issues, and even crossed over with Boom! Studios' beloved series Lumberjanes. While elements of the series have bled over into larger DC canon -- particularly in Maps briefly being established as one of Batman's Robins -- Gotham Academy has not had any new published installments since August of 2017.

"When we started out with Gotham Academy, we knew a lot of influential touchstones we wanted to hit," Cloonan explained in a 2017 interview with ComicsBeat. "Batman mysteries, Harry Potter, Nancy Drew; it gave us a flavor of the world we wanted to create and then it became a matter of what tale we wanted to tell. Olive Silverlock became that story and other characters, Maps and Kyle, fell into place around her. Maps, in particular was created as a foil for Olive, she represents her true north."

"I think these characters just fit well in the Batman universe as we created them," Kershl added. "Not so much on the surface but Olive and Maps are almost a good analog for Batman and Robin or like Holmes and Watson. But after you see how things pan out after issue #8 those analogs might not be accurate anymore."

What do you think of DC's newest Gotham Academy story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Superboy's Powers Explained - Tactile Telekinesis

Back in the 1990s "Death of Superman" story arc, four new versions of "Superman" appeared on the scene. Of those four, the one who was the biggest embodiment of the era was no doubt Superboy - aka Connor Kent (now known as "Kon-El"). With his leather jacket and John Lennon-style Ray-Ban sunglasses, Superboy was clearly not cut from the exact same cloth as Superman - a fact driven home when the young hero discovered that he didn't actually have "superpowers" like Superman.

Connor would eventually learn that Project Cadmus couldn't actually clone Superman, so they made him a mix of Superman and Lex Luthor and fitted him with a power that could simulate all of Superman's abilities: Tactile Telekinesis. With his TT field, Connor lifts weights and hits as hard as Superman; and moves himself through flight or at enhanced speeds - while doing things Clark Kent/Kal-El never could, like protecting himself with a force field or firing force blasts that are stronger than heat vision.

(SPOILERS) In Superman #8 "The Chained Part Three" we finally learn the true origin of Superman's new superpowered nemesis, The Chained. As it turns out, "The Chained" is actually Samuel Stryker, the son of Sebastian Stryker, the man who built Metropolis's infamous Stryker Island Penitentiary. As a young boy, Stryker let Sammy was revealed to possess the metahuman power of Tactile Telekinesis. Not only was Sammy quick to master extending his TK aura field beyond the need to touch things physically - he also began to stumble into theories of using the power to "expand the field out further and further and manipulate reality" itself.

It was that evolution of his powers that eventually caused Sammy to become too dangerous; he eventually murdered his father, causing Lex Luthor to lock him away, for the good of all.

However, even though Samuel Stryker disappeared from the world, his powers certainly didn't: Luthor took a small fraction of the Tactile Telekinesis power, which was then mixed in with Connor's clone matrix. However, as The Chained makes very clear, Connor's Tactile Telekinesis is nowhere near the level fo what Sammy Stryker could do with his power - which is the only reason we need to be terrified about what could do to Metropolis and the Superman Family, before this fight is over.

Superman #8 is now on sale at DC Comics.

Thor is famously known for being a member of the Avengers, but there's another superteam he also leads: the Thor Corps. This group of heroes are known for each wielding their own magical hammer, and have helped the God of Thunder on a number of occasions. One of their most recent appearances came in the Secret Wars tie-in Thors. However, the time has come for Thor to call upon his comrades again to help him face a new godly threat that has the potential to destroy not only himself, but Midgard and the rest of the Ten Realms as well.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Immortal Thor #4. Continue reading at your own risk!

Immortal Thor #4 comes from the creative team of Al Ewing, Mart?n C?ccolo, Matthew Wilson, and VC's Joe Sabino. The opening run of Immortal Thor has seen our hero have to face off against Toranos, the Elder God of Thunder. Aside from being an elder god, Toranos also towers over Thor, and is an intimidating presence. This is probably why Thor is calling in backup from some familiar friends. First on his list for the Thor Corps is Storm of the X-Men. She's currently helping to rule over Arakko, but Thor summons her to the gray area of the moon to recruit Storm against her will.

Once Storm grabs Mjolnir, she is transformed into wearing the Asgardian Thors Corps armor. Which is right on time, cause Toranos has finally arrived. Loki quickly appears with Beta Ray Bill, and once they both place their hands on Mjolnir, the All-Father magic turns them into Thor Corps members as well. The final hero to join the team is Jane Foster/Valkyrie. Together, the Thor Corps stands united against Toranos.

Immortal Thor writer on new Marvel series

"Putting [Immortal] on a book I'm writing is a promise to the reader, and to myself," Al Ewing told Polygon when Immortal Thor was announced. "I was the one who pitched the title - not editorial, not anyone else - and it was basically a self-challenge. Can I do a book like that again? Can I do my end of it better this time? I have to try, because the alternative is just lie down and let the grass grow where I fell...I want to take another swing at that ball, and this time, I don't just want to knock it into the outfield, I want to hit it right out of the park and stroll calmly around the bases. I want to write something that goes as far and as hard and as powerful as the other book did, to give a similar experience to the people who supported that book and supported me through it and took something deep out of it, but with the benefit of experience."

What do you think about the new Thor Corps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

A cover for Marvel's 2023 edition of the end-of-the-year Timeless one-shot features a showdown between future versions of Moon Knight and Power Man. Timeless is the special year-ending one-shot that sets the stage for upcoming stories in the Marvel Universe. Kang the Conqueror was heavily featured in previous iterations, but the 2023 comic will put the focus on the last living Marvel superhero, Power Man. This mysterious hero will be tasked with stopping an ancient evil that's ascended to power, the Immortal Moon Knight. A look at Inhyuk Lee's cover of Timeless #1 shows Power Man and Moon Knight coming to blows.

Another interesting aspect of Timeless is it will preview shocking glimpses into the next year of Marvel storytelling, including the moments that kick off the inevitable chain of events that led to the end of the age of heroes. The future versions of Moon Knight and Power Man are a mix of different Marvel entities: the Immortal Moon Knight is a nightmare borne of StarkTech, the Eternal Machine, and the God of the Moon, while Power Man wields the unstable powers of the Sentry, Hulk, and Iron Fist.

Marvel's 2022 Timeless leads to Avengers relaunch

Following the events of 2022's Timeless #1 by writer Jed MacKay and artists Salvador Larroca, Patch Zircher, and Greg Land, Marvel relaunched The Avengers with MacKay under the helm. It follows Kang the Conqueror chasing a missing moment in time and being confronted by new characters like Myrrdin and his Twilight Court. He warns the Avengers about upcoming threats called Tribulation Events.

Captain Marvel is leading this iteration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, with the rest of the roster comprised of Iron Man, Captain America (Sam Wilson), Thor, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, and Vision. The Avengers also added a new teammate when they defeated the Ashen Combine, the first of the Tribulation Events. Their floating fortress, the Impossible City, decided to join up with the Avengers after they freed it from the Ashen Combine.

The description of Timeless #1 by writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and artist Juann Cabal reads, "All of time and space is threatened by the rise of an ancient evil. The Immortal Moon Knight - a nightmare borne of StarkTech, the Eternal Machine, and the God of the Moon - and now all of Earth bows before his overwhelming power! But one man stands against Khonshu's coming tide of chaos: Power Man, the Marvel Universe's final living super hero. But who is Power Man - and how did he come to wield the unstable powers of the Sentry, the Hulk, and the Iron Fist? What dark, deeply personal conflict underpins this mind-bending apocalypse? And at the end of the line, can the Marvel Universe ever truly be saved?"

Jason Momoa has made it clear Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom will be his final time playing the Justice Leaguer, with his eyes reportedly set on another character in the new DC Universe. Interestingly enough, DC Comics is also gearing up to release a massive Lobo comics collection amid the rumors, potentially hinting at the synergy between the film studio and comics publisher under the DC umbrella.

Lobo: Big Fraggin' Compendium One will collect much of the character's earliest stories, with over 40 issues included in the printing. The full solicitation can be seen below.

LOBO: BIG FRAGGIN' COMPENDIUM ONE

Written by KEITH GIFFEN, ALAN GRANT, and others

Art by SIMON BISLEY, KEITH GIFFEN, VAL SEMEIKS, and others

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

$59.99 US | 1,256 pages | 6 5/8? x 10 3/16? | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-578-9

ON SALE 4/2/24

Everyone's favorite bastich gets his own series of fraggin' compendiums that are just as big and bombastic as the Main Man himself! Collects Lobo (miniseries) #1-4, Lobo #0-9, Lobo Annual #1-2, Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special #1, Lobo's Back #1-4, Lobo: Blazing Chain of Love #1, Lobo: Infanticide #1-4, Lobo: Portrait of a Victim #1, Lobo: Unamerican Gladiators #1-4, Lobo Convention Special #1, Lobo: A Contract on Gawd #1-4, Lobo: In the Chair #1, Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8, Superman: The Man of Steel #30, The Demon #11-15, The Omega Men #3, profile pages from Who's Who #8, and the Lobocop #1 parody!

"Well, everyone knows I'm a comic book fan. The comic I collected the most, and I have every comic there is... you can do your research and find out what it is," Momoa hinted with us when asked if his "dream DC project" would be a Lobo film or series.

"I think with Peter Safran and Mr. Gunn at the helm now at DC, I'm very excited about that," Momoa said in a prior chat with ET Canada. "There are a lot of cool things that are going to be coming up and one of my dreams come true will be happening under their watch, so stay tuned."

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which has yet to set a release date, and Superman: Legacy, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

What part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters excites you most? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter!

Star Wars is teasing another pivotal event in the franchise canon: a showdown between Luke Skywalker and one of the dangerous extreme women who wear the face of mother, Padm? Amidala!

A preview for Free Comic Book Day 2024: Star Wars/Darth Vader #1 hints that Lucasfilm and Marvel Comics are keen on pulling new readers into the Star Wars Universe of the comic page. There have been stories building in both the main Star Wars comic series as well as the Darth Vader comic series over the last year, and few fans expected them to culminate like this in a FCBD release - but here we are!

The storyline for Darth Vader has explored what happened between Vader and Emperor Palpatine following the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and Vader's attempt to recruit Luke to his side, to overthrow the Emperor. Palpatine took that betrayal in stride, stripping Vader of all his cybernetic enhancements and forcing him to prove his worth as a Sith Lord all on his own.

A minor war between the Emperor and the Crimson Dawn syndicate (led by Lady Qi'ra) resulted in the entire Force being disrupted, with both Vader and Luke left with faulty connections to dark and light sides, respectively. Luke has had plenty to deal with while trying to re-establish his own connection - and a tour of the galaxy is about to make him collide with Sab?, the most militant and dogmatic member of th Padm?'s handmaidens.

Sab? has been a supporting character in Vader's comic series for the last year; her arc has see her discover the connection between Vader and Anakin Skywalker, and use it to try and exert some measure of control over the Sith Lord, by tapping into lingering feelings of love he felt. Of course, Vader has resisted the attempts to pull him out of the darkness and suffering of a Sith Lord - but in addition to learning he is really Anakin, Sab? was also shown a vision that let her know his son Luke is out in the galaxy...

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2024: STAR WARS/DARTH VADER # 1 PREVIEW

Writer: Charles Soule & Greg Pak
Art: Ibriam Roberson & Ramon Rosanas
Cover: Phil Noto

Are there Rebel survivors stranded on Hoth? Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca mount a dangerous rescue mission to Echo Base! Lightsabers! Blasters! Snowtroopers! All-out action amongst the wreckage of AT-AT walkers, Rebel airspeeders, and frozen weapons of mass destruction!

Darth Vader employs a surprise character from the past to help him find Luke Skywalker. But Sab?, former handmaided of Padm? Amidala, is also on a quest for the son of Vader. Having worked for him as an Imperial Commander, Sab? has enough resources to cause chaos for anyone who stands in her path. How will this affect the Dark Lord's plans to remove Palpatine from power?

The ComicBook Nation Crew Reviews The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and talk to DC's Tim Sheridan about his new comic series Alan Scott: The Green Lantern!

PLUS: MCU Casting is ramping up with Pedro Pascal joining Fantastic Four and Invincible's Steven Yeun playing Sentry??? There's also talk about Netflix's new series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the MonsterVerse continuing with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and predictions for AEW's Full Gear event!

ComicBook Reviews The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

If you're a fan of The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is going to transport you back to Panem with great ease. The film is daring, engaging, tense, and even occasionally funny. It's no easy feat to make a prequel that's just as good, if not better, than the films that came before. However, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes manages to outshine both Mockingjay films while giving The Hunger Games and Catching Fire a run for their money. Not only is The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes faithful to the book, but it showcases one of the best casts of the year. If you have any affection for this franchise, you won't want to miss the newest installment on the big screen.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Spider-Punk, the anarchic breakout hit from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is about to star in a new solo series from Marvel Comics this fall. The Spider-Verse hero has been around the Marvel Universe for a while, but fans really took to the character when he made his big-screen debut. Hobie Brown has teamed with the other Spider heroes for crossover events like Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon, but his next adventure will see him go it alone. Spider-Punk's ax and punk-rock attitude are on full display in a new four-issue miniseries from writer Cody Ziglar and artist Justin Mason. The duo collaborated on Spider-Punk's previous miniseries as well.

"It feels so friggin' cool to dive back into Earth-138 with Justin and explore the world of Hobie and the Spider-band even more!" Ziglar said when the Spider-Punk series was announced. "There's some new additions to the Spider-Punk roster, some real dope villains, and some other cool stuff I don't wanna spoil... but absolutely cannot wait for folks! And yes, there'll 100% be a Spider-Punk Playlist Vol 2!"

What is Marvel's Spider-Punk series about?

The description for the new Spider-Punk series reads, "In a world without NORMAN OSBORN, SPIDER-PUNK REIGNS! This ain't no victory lap though - as HOBIE BROWN and team try to rebuild society, JUSTIN HAMMER & DOCTOR OTTO OCTAVIUS have other plans... like introducing the world to the SPIDER-SLAYING SENTINELS! Cody Ziglar (MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN) & Justin Mason (SPIDER-MAN 2099: DARK GENESIS) reunite to bring the Brooklyn boy back with the whole crew you know and love! Grab your boots, your instruments, your amps and LET'S GO!"

Daniel Kaluuya speaks on joining Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduced fans to even more Spider heroes than Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacy. One of the newcomers is Spider-Punk, voiced by Daniel Kaluuya. Spider-Punk is British, just like Kaluuya, which allowed the actor to harness his roots for the role.

"I was gassed," Kaluuya told Empire. "I turned to [Phil] Lord, [Chris] Miller, and Kemp [Powers] and said, 'Thank you for letting me be a part of it, because this is cool as f--k.' I'm a voice in Spider-Verse with a wicked character that sounds exactly like me, from where I'm from. Come on! You go to the younger people in your family and flex, 'I'm getting on, but don't forget!'"

This makes Kaluuya and Spider-Punk a perfect match, combining real-world history with a popular, if underutilized, comic book character.

"I'm Camden born and bred, and this character is from Camden, which is very much associated with the punk movement, so I think they wanted to lean into what they have for free with me," the actor said. "I felt really respected."

Written by Cody Ziglar with art by Justin Mason and a cover by Takashi Okazaki, Spider-Punk #1 goes on sale February 28th.

Doctor Who is bringing Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor to comics in 2024. Titan Comics has announced it will release Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor: Free Comic Book Day Edition on Free Comic Book Day, May 4th. Dan Watters (Loki, Home Sick Pilots, The Sandman Universe: Lucifer) writes the issue, which will be the comic book debut of Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and his companion, Ruby Sunday, played on television by Millie Gibson. The Free Comic Book Day issue commemorates Titan's 10th year of publishing Doctor Who comics, with plans for a Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor series to follow the Free Comic Book Day Edition.

"Doctor Who Free Comic Book Day marks the first appearance of the Fifteenth Doctor in Titan Comics and I'm so excited - it feels like we've been waiting for this new era forever!" series editor Jake Devine says in a press release. "We've got an incredible story to tell from a fresh creative team with a spectacular vision. I can't wait for fans to get stuck in!"

What is Free Comic Book Day?

Free Comic Book Day takes place yearly on the first Saturday in May. More than 2,000 comic book stores and many comic book publishers participate in the annual celebration of the comics industry. On Free Comic Book Day, readers can take home free comics simply by visiting a comic book shop. Readers can find participating stores via the Comic Shop Locator Service.

Many Free Comic Book Day offerings from publishers provide insights into their plans for the rest of the year. Marvel's Free Comic Book Day 2024 offerings include glimpses of the next era of X-Men comics, the upcoming Blood Hunt event, the next big Spider-Man story, the future of the Ultimate Universe, and what's next for its Star Wars line.

When is Doctor Who's Disney+ release date?

Doctor Who returns to television next week. After debuting as the Fourteenth Doctor in a scene made for BBC Children in Need, David Tennant will be the Doctor again for three 60th-anniversary Doctor Who specials. The first of those specials, "The Star Beast," airs on the BBC on Saturday, November 25th. The special will stream on the same day on Disney+ outside the United Kingdom.

The Doctor Who 2023 specials begin the BBC and Disney+'s partnership to turn Doctor Who into an international franchise worthy of its 60-year history. That relationship continues into "The Church on Ruby Road," the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special airing on Christmas Day. The episode will be Gatwa's first leading the series as the Doctor and Gibson's debut as Ruby Sunday.

In 2024, Disney+ will host its first season of Doctor Who, starring Gatwa and Gibson, which wrapped filming in July. Doctor Who Season 14 will consist of only eight episodes, a shorter episode count than previous, recent Doctor Who seasons, but one that returning showrunner Russell T Davies has promised will deliver great episodes, set up things to come, and ensure there are no more years without Doctor Who, as has been the case recently (Gatwa's second season of Doctor Who is already filming).

"Okay, that's fewer episodes than the last full season," Davies conceded to Doctor Who Magazine. "But give us time. We have plans, and that's a promise! It takes a while to get the empire in shape, but that's a serious plan: annual Doctor Who, no gap years, lots of content, on and on."

Doctor Who MegaBundle 2023 at Humble Bundle

Many Doctor Who comics Titan has published over the past decade are available as of the Humble Bundle's Doctor Who MegaBundle 2023, which helps support BBC Children in Need. That includes all seven volumes of the stellar Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor series for those looking for even more David Tennant Doctor Who. There are also various Doctor Who audio dramas from Big Finish Productions (including The Tenth Doctor Chronicles) and resources for the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game (including The Tenth Doctor Sourcebook and Tenth Doctor Adventures Book).

Doctor Who MegaBundle 2023 is available on Humble Bundle for another 19 days at the time of writing. Free Comic Book Day is May 4th. Doctor Who returns to television and Disney+ on November 25th. The modern Doctor Who series' previous seasons are still streaming on Max. You can make your way through using ComicBook.com's Doctor Who streaming binge guide.

DC has released their February 2024 solicitations, and in doing so confirmed a new member of the Suicide Squad. There hasn't been an ongoing Suicide Squad comic series at DC Comics in over a year, so it's not in a relaunch of the title that this will occur, instead, the pages of Catwoman #62 will send Selina Kyle into the clutches of Amanda Waller and Task Force X. It's unclear who else will be on the Suicide Squad team with Catwoman, but this will likely just be a one-issue story of her on the Suicide Squad.

Despite the countless DC villains that have been a member of the Suicide Squad this will actually mark the first time that Selina Kyle has ever been on the team. In recent years Catwoman has become more of an anti-hero and straight up superhero in the pages of DC Comics, but that still makes it a little surprising that she never took on a role with the team in her purely villain era.

The upcoming Catwoman #62 will be the fourth chapter in a new storyline titled "Nine LIves." Kicking off in Catwoman #59, the storyline sees Selina leaving Gotham and embarking on "nine deadly missions, each one set aside for their certain lethality." Apparently joining the Suicide Squad was only #4 on the list. Check out the full solicitation and covers for Catwoman #62 below.

CATWOMAN #62
Written by TINI HOWARD
Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Variant cover by MARCIO TAKARA
Variant cover by INHYUK LEE
1:25 variant cover by LEIRIX
1:50 variant cover by JORGE FORNES
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/20/24
NINE LIVES PART FOUR
Catwoman has completed three of her "impossible" heists, but her nine lives are running out faster than she thought! Little does she know, someone with a particular use for disposable lives has been paying attention to her new mission-and that someone is none other than AMANDA WALLER! Welcome to the Suicide Squad, Selina Kyle-hope you survive the experience!

Over the years, Marvel Comics' Valkyries have become a powerful and important part of the larger lore. A number of characters have weaved in and out of the group's narrative -- and that recently includes an unexpected new character. Spoilers for Marvel Unleashed #4 from Kyle Starks, Jesus Hervas, Yen Nitro, and Joe Caramagna below! Only look if you want to know!

Marvel Unleashed centers around a ragtag group of Marvel's pet-themed heroes, who are thrown into an unpredictable fight against Blackheart. In addition to Throg, Lockjaw, Redwing, Chewie, Lucky, and Bats, the ensuing battle includes D-Dog. D-Dog, who has befriended the pets across the series, is a stray dog who found Demolition Man's mask in the garbage, and was then motivated to become a superhero.

During the fight, D-Dog fights valiantly -- but dies in the process. That is far from her ending, though, as she wakes up on the Rainbow Bridge, and worries that without a human in life, she will be stuck in that limbo forever. The other pets join her and Throg opens a portal, which brings D-Dog to Valhalla. The Valkyries quickly greet D-Dog, and welcome her in as a great hero of their caliber.

What Is Marvel Unleashed About?

In Marvel Unleashed, when Kraven abducts Lockjaw at the same time a local scientist mixed up with A.I.M. goes missing, it's up to Throg the Frog of Thunder, Redwing the Falcon, Chewie the Cat Flerken, Lucky the Pizza Dog, Bats the Ghost Dog and their scrappy new ally D-Dog to save the day. But there's more to this case than meets the eye, and something infernal lurks in the shadows. Can feathers, fangs and claws stand against one of the deadliest foes in the Marvel Universe?

When Will Valkyrie Return to the MCU?

Tessa Thompson's live-action version of Valkyrie just made her big-screen return, very briefly appearing in The Marvels. The film sees Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) partnering up after their light-based powers became entagled. As they learn, the snafu is due to Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who is ripping open jump points across space and time in order to funnel resources onto Hala. This includes destroying the atmosphere on Tarnax and killing many of the Skrulls on the planet -- but Carol, Kamala, and Monica work to save as many of them as they can.

Once the dust settles and everyone is on Carol's ship, she calls up "a friend" to help get the Skrull refugees to safety -- Valkyrie, who arrives via the Bifrost. She and Carol exchange greetings, and Valkyrie remarks that Carol has finally found a team of sorts for herself, which Carol downplays. Valkyrie gives Carol a kiss on the cheek, and then transports the Skrulls away on the Bifrost.

What do you think of D-Dog making it to Marvel's Valhalla? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Diamond Select Toys has provided ComicBook.com with an exclusive first look at the Donatello Deluxe PVC diorama from their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles diorama gallery. The fourth of their four Turtles, Donnie comes with his staff out and a piece of the roof, where he and his brothers are hanging out and waiting for a fight. The designs for the Turtles owe a lot to modern comics representations, with fairly human proportions and hyper-detailed muscles and expressions.

The PVC dioramas are one of Diamond's signature products, with a number of these connected-base versions coming from things like superhero teams and movie heroes.

You can see the solicitation text and images below.

TMNT Gallery Donatello Deluxe PVC Diorama

A Diamond Select Toys release! Complete the four! Joining Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo, the Ninja Turtles' resident tech-head Donatello is the last to join the team! Now you can complete your TMNT display, either by lining them up or joining them together in a rooftop configuration! Measuring approximately 10 inches tall, this sculpture is made out of high-quality PVC and comes packaged in a full-color box. Designed by David Forrest of Kinetic Underground, Inc., and sculpted by Sandro Luis Sampaio!

Diorama SRP: $75.00
Pre-orders open 11/17 on Diamondselecttoys.com
Shipping Spring 2024

Teenage Mutans Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem stars Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon Raphael. The cast also includes Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog, Rose Byrne as Leatherhead, John Cena as Rocksteady, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Ice Cube as Superfly, Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut, Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Post Malone as Ray Fillet, Seth Rogen as Bebop, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom.

You can watch the film now on Paramount+ or buy it on Digital.

Marvel is bringing a '90s favorite back into the spotlight for his own solo series, and that returning star is New Warriors' member Nigh Thrasher. Night Thrasher is headlining a new four-issue solo series, but while the character is synonymous with the '90s, he's leaving all that behind and taking on the modern era. In addition to a new costume, Night Thrasher will also be rekindling his relationship with Silhouette. That reunion will lead Dwayne Taylor to a collision with an all-new arch-enemy known only as The O.G. and the revelation of their identity will have some serious ramifications for Taylor's future and legacy.

Night Thrasher will be written by J. Holtham (Cloak and Dagger, Jessica Jones) and drawn by Nelson Daniel, and the main cover to issue #1 will feature the art of Alan Quah. You can check out that slick new cover below, and you can read the full issue when it hits stores in February of 2024.

Discussing the series with host Ang?lique Roch?, Holtham said, "Obviously, there's a ton of nineties nostalgia floating around. It feels like a dude on a skateboard is always going to be cool and fun. I'm from the nineties and I have aged and there's a lot in this that is about, 'What's your legacy? What have you left behind?,' especially because we haven't seen him for a while."

"He had to go on a journey of self-discovery and hung out other places for a while to process that 'I was dead then I wasn't dead.' And then, 'What's the world like?' It's mostly about him coming home to deal with the crap that he has not dealt with," Holtham said. You can find the official description below.

"It's time to thrash the night! The death of a loved one draws Dwayne Taylor back to New York City, though his days as Night Thrasher are long over. But Dwayne finds the past difficult to outrun when Silhouette, his ex-teammate from the New Warriors, seeks his help against a new criminal called The O.G. And the mystery of the O.G.'s true identity and what's to come will change Night Thrasher's legacy forever!"

The New Warriors debuted in 1989 and were created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz. The core group included Night Thrasher, Nova, Speedball, Justice, Namorita, and Firestar, though they have grown to include other members and roster lineups over the years. The New Warriors were later at the center of Marvel's epic Civil War event, after the team's battle against Nitro caused a massive explosion and killed over 600 people.

Taylor was killed in that explosion, as his body was discovered after the blast, and later his brother would take over the mantle. Months later it was revealed that Taylor didn't die in the explosion, but had to fight in a Contenst of Champions in a different realm and would make a return thanks to The Ultimates. Now he's still reconciling with everything that happened, and old ties will lead him back to New York to face his past and new threats.

Iron Maiden's groundbreaking studio album Piece of Mind was released in 1983, achieving critical and commercial success while also becoming a statement from what is one of rock's greatest bands. Now Iron Maiden is bringing that legendary album into the world of books courtesy of award-winning publisher Z2. Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind is a new commemorative book packed with comics, art, and testimonials from acclaimed writers, artists, actors, and musicians, all in celebration of the iconic group, and we've got an exclusive first look at the new book before it hits stores on November 21st below. You can pre-order the new edition right here.

Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind opens with an introduction from manager Rod Smallwood, and the book also features original stories for each of the album's nine tracks. Where Eagles Dare is written by Steven Grant (The Punisher) and illustrated by Carson Thorn (Batman the Barbarian), while Revelations is written by Bruce Dickinson with Tony Lee (Doctor Who) and illustrated by Damien Worm (The October Faction).

Flight of Icarus is written by Ivan Brandon (24Seven, Viking) and illustrated by Francesco Dossena (Dylan Dog), while Die With Your Boots On is written by Emmy-winning director and screenwriter Sacha Gervasi and illustrated by Christian Rosado. The Trooper is written by Antony Johnston (Atomic Blonde) and illustrated by Staz Johnson (Rogue Trooper),

Quest for Fire is written by metal authority Brian Posehn (writer, comedian, actor) with art by Michael Avon Oeming (Powers), while Sun and Steel is written by multiple World Fantasy Award-nominee Chris Roberson (iZombie) with art by Danijel ?e?elj (Luna Park). To Tame a Land is written and illustrated by Alison Sampson (Hit-Girl).

"When the idea of a Piece of Mind 40th Anniversary graphic novel first came up, I felt it was the perfect medium to expand outside the confines of the songs and to create new storylines and new dimensions through short form narrative and imagery," says Bruce Dickinson. "With 'Revelations,' it allowed me to add more layers and dimensions to the lyrics and add a new twist."

"Equally as exciting," Dickinson continues, "was bringing together some of the top writers and illustrators in the industry who are all actual fans of the band, to add their own creative ideas inspired by the songs, Eddie, and the album itself. Z2 did a tremendous job in pulling this all together to create more than just a graphic novel, it's what I consider a work of art."

There are also original pieces of artwork by acclaimed illustrators between each story, and the talented roster includes Montos, Ghoulish Gary, Steve Chanks, Jan Meininghaus, Kyle Hotz, Jay Geldhof, Darin Hazmat, Travis Knight, Akirant and Nat Jones.

"The road to working with Iron Maiden began over 40 years ago for the Z2 staff, on both our turntables and in our sketchbooks. Iron Maiden's impact on art, music and culture is immeasurable and to get a chance to celebrate the legend and the lore of Piece of Mind with the band and management is an honor we don't take lightly," says Josh Bernstein, President of Z2. "I hope fans enjoy what has become an incredible global love letter to Iron Maiden."

Eisner and Harvey award-winning editor Rantz Hoseley put the project in context "If you had told me when I snuck out of the house at 16 to see the Piece of Mind tour in Spokane, that 40 years later I'd be working on this tribute... and getting a story from Bruce Dickinson to boot?! Well, that's one of those rare and precious moments in your creative career where you literally crash up against your youthful dreams coming true. Being entrusted by Maiden to edit this book has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime."

Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind will also have five variants available for collectors. The Trooper cover features the work of J.G. Jones (Y: The Last Man), and the Asylum Edition cover will feature artwork by Jason Edmiston. The Die With Your Boots on cover will be illustrated by Dan Mumford, and The Flight of the Icarus cover will be drawn by Martin Simmonds (The Department of Truth). There will also be an additional The Trooper Cutaway cover by Travis Knight. You can find all of the editions below.

? The standard edition graphic novel (HC) with cover art by Dan Mumford ($40.00).
? The FLIGHT OF ICARUS Edition featuring the standard edition graphic novel (HC) with cover art by Martin Simmonds - limited to only 3,000 copies and exclusive to Independent Comic Shops ($40.00).
? THE TROOPER Edition featuring the standard edition graphic novel (HC) with cover art by J.G. Jones - limited to 500 copies and exclusive to Project M/Revolver Magazine ($40.00).
? THE TROOPER Cutaway Edition featuring the standard edition graphic novel (HC) with cover art by Travis Knight - limited to 666 copies and exclusive to Rockabilia.com ($40.00).

? THE TROOPER Foil Card in sealed Collector's Case, art by Travis Knight - limited to 666 cards ($35.00).
? DELUXE Edition including the oversized graphic novel (HC) w/bonus pages and a POP-UP insert featuring cover art by Jason Edmiston encased in the Piece of Mind Asylum Clamshell box with locking Cell Door Action and three (3) Piece of Mind Art Prints Triptych set by Hydro 74, ($150.00) - website only.
? THE ASYLUM Edition includes the oversized graphic novel w/bonus pages and a POP-UP insert featuring cover art by Jason Edmiston, encased in the Piece of Mind Asylum Clamshell box with locking Cell Door Action, three (3) Piece of Mind Art Prints Triptych set by Hydro 74, one (1) 1983 Piece of Mind replica concert ticket, one (1) Die With Your Boots On Art Print, signed and numbered by Dan Mumford (only available to the first 500 orders), four (4) Iron Maiden Collectors Cards in a display case featuring the works of Dan Mumford, Jason Edmiston, J.G. Jones, and Martin Simmonds ($300.00). Additionally, The Asylum Edition includes one (1) Eddie Asylum Model Kit, which will be shipped separately.

The X-Men make an enormous splash by taking over more than half of our top ten list this week! First off, we have the first appearance of the Hellverine and Armor. Then we get two awesome covers featuring X-23 and a new X-Men character by Peach Momoko. The last two books are at the very top of our list and contain major spoilers, so read at your own risk! The Bad Batch are back at it again, and hype continues to build for Marvel's first TV-MA streaming show! Arthur Adams has gifted us a phenomenal Mary Jane cover, and a murderous bear leaves their mark at the top of our lists! Read on to find out why these books are trending!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

#10 GHOST RIDER #17 - BJORN BARENDS | MARVEL | 2023 When Marvel first announced The Hellverine, very few people took the character seriously. As Hellverine became more popular, this book became harder to track down as fans have caught wind of the cameo appearance hidden behind this fantastic cover! We tracked it at a high sale of $63 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $39.

#9 X-FORCE #46 - JEFF DEKAL (1:25) | MARVEL | 2023 Not every book must be a key to be in our top ten! Some books deliver a fantastic cover that everyone needs in their collection, like this one! Jeff Dekal illustrates a beautifully contrasting image of X-23. This cover is also a retailer incentive, making it that much more difficult to find. While the hunt continues, we tracked it at a high sale of $74 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $52.

#8 DAREDEVIL #9 | MARVEL | 1999 The first trailer for Echo has been released and generated hype over the new show. So many positives surround this show that it makes sense that Maya Lopez's first appearance is seeing its second week on our top ten list! A CGC 9.8 copy achieved an impressive high sale of $200, with the current fair market value for a raw NM copy standing at $79.

#7 STAR WARS: HYPERSPACE STORIES #10 - TOM FOWLER - REGULAR | DARK HORSE | 2023 The Bad Batch was a hit when it arrived on Disney+. This book marks their first comic book debut and is moving fast in the aftermarket! The Bad Batch has a strong fandom, and it shows a high sale of $80 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $10.

#6 ASTONISHING X-MEN #4 - BEAST COVER | MARVEL | 2004 Peach Momoko has built a huge fanbase with her artwork. Her next big project, ULTIMATE X-MEN, will feature a new X-Men team. The mutant, Armor, will lead that new team, and her significance in this series has shined a light back on her first appearance. We tracked it at a high sale of $64 for a CGC 9.6 copy and a current raw FN FMV of $3.

#5 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #37 - ARTHUR ADAMS (1:25) | MARVEL | 2023 No, this issue is not a minor or major key. It is simply great artwork and a notable artist. Aside from the great cover work, this book is a retailer variant and the return of the spidey-variant Rek-Rap. A couple of funhouse villains debut in this issue, but their importance is yet to be determined in the overarching story. In the meantime, we tracked it at a high sale of $40 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $29.

#4 BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES #1 - PATRICK HORVATH - COVER A | IDW | 2023 The cuddly serial killer bear, known as Samantha, is causing quite a stir. It is because this book is heating up on the aftermarket! The main reason for this is due to the perceived scarcity of the issue. However, recent reports have indicated that there may be more copies out there that retailers still need to release (due to the immediate hype). Please take this rumor with a grain of salt, but it is worth a trip to your local comic shop to see if any more issues have hit the racks! We tracked it at a high sale of $30 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $14.

#3 X-MEN #27 - PEACH MOMOKO - NEW CHAMPIONS | MARVEL | 2023 Last month, a series of covers was released that fell under the banner of "New Champions". Of all the covers, Maystorm was the first to be taken from concept to featured in a comic book. Momoko announced that Maystorm will be a permanent part of her ULTIMATE X-MEN series. This announcement immediately lit a fire under this book and sent it to the top of our lists as fans rushed to pick up a copy of Maystorm's first cover appearance! We tracked it at a high sale of $25 for a raw copy and a current raw NM FMV of $24.

#2 X-MEN #164 | MARVEL | 1982 ***SPOILER ALERT*** While this book is still hot, it is still trailing behind X-MEN 164 - NEWSSTAND. Collectors typically find newsstand copies of books more challenging to find and, therefore, more exclusive. In the case of this issue, the two variants are fairly neck-in-neck in terms of value. We tracked it at a high sale of $255 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw VF FMV of $27.

#1 X-MEN #164 - NEWSSTAND | MARVEL | 1982 ***SPOILER ALERT*** Everyone agrees that the end credit scenes for The Marvels were essential to the overall direction of the MCU. The scene featured an alternate universe version of Maria Rambeau, Monica Rambeau's mother as Binary. In the comic books, Carol Danvers portrays this role. The MCU has revamped characters in the past, and it looks like Binary is the latest to receive a redesign. Nevertheless, fans are excited about her future in the MCU, favoring the newsstand copy over the direct. We tracked it at a high sale of $160 for a raw copy and a current raw VF FMV of $33.

And that's your TOP 10 COMICS OF THE WEEK for 11/13/23! Want to know what your comic books are worth? COVRPRICE.COM offers the ULTIMATE price guide with LIVE ungraded (raw) and graded sales for today's market trends. Manage your collection and track your portfolio's overall value with our robust tracking systems. With a free 10-day trial and several affordable price tiers, discover the value of your comics and sign up today! CHECK OUT THE TOP 10 ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!

Based on King Spawn comic series that launched as part of Spawn's Universe expansion lineup in 2021, McFarlane Toys is undoubtedly super excited to launch this new deluxe figure set. It includes a 7-inch scale winged King Spawn figure, three Demon Minions, and an arsenal of 7 weapons. Pre-orders are available here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon now priced at $49.99.

Spinning out of the pages of the super-sized one shot, Spawn's Universe, King Spawn was the first new ongoing Spawn comic since the original series debuted back in 1992. It was followed by Gunslinger Spawn - a spin-off of the western themed Hellspawn character - and The Scorched, a team-up book of characters from the universe. Details about other recent additions to McFarlane Toys Spawn lineup can be found below.

We'll start with McFarlane Toys' glow-in-the-dark, Gold Label edition of Redeemer, which is now available to to order here on Amazon as an exclusive priced at $29.99. In addition to the glow paint, The Redeemer includes two swords, wings, a base, an art card, and a stand. There's also a certificate of authenticity, which indicates that this figure is a limited edition of 3000 units. You can also get the previously released, standard edition of Redeemer here on Amazon for $15.99 (36% off).

The sixth wave of action figures from McFarlane Toys' Spawn lineup was revealed recently, and it includes 7-inch scale figures of Reaper and Distruptor. McFarlane has also dropped the second wave of Spawn Page Punchers figures, which bundle a 3-inch figure of with a comic book. In this case, the bundles are 2-packs, with figures of She-Spawn and Curse in one bundle and Freak and Mandarin in the other. Pre-orders for all of these releases are live now, and you'll find them via the links below.

• McFarlane Toys Spawn Wave 6 Reaper Figure - See at Entertainment Earth: Reaper includes wings, a pair of alternate hands, a scythe, and a display base.
• McFarlane Toys Spawn Wave 6 Disruptor Figure - See at Entertainment Earth: Disruptor includes a pair of alternate hands, energy effects, a base attachment, and a display base.
• McFarlane Toys Spawn Page Punchers She-Spawn and Curse 2-Pack - See at Entertainment Earth: Each 3-inch figure in the pack features 5 points of articulation and come with an English only reprint of Scorched #12.
• McFarlane Toys Spawn Page Punchers Freak and Mandarin 2-Pack - See at Entertainment Earth: Each 3-inch figure feature in the pack features 5 points of articulation and an English only reprint of Scorched #13.
• See more McFarlane Toys Spawn figures here on Amazon.

Spawn Movie News

Todd McFarlane has been developing a new Spawn film for many, many years now. It has been a long process and one that has seen many different developments. McFarlane had previously intended to direct the film, but realized he wouldn't be able to secure the budget necessary from a studio as a first-time director. As of right now, Scott Silver, Malcolm Spellman and Matt Mixon are attached to write the screenplay. Silver is the most notable of the bunch having written Joker, 8 Mile, and The Fighter, but the script is currently on pause due to the writers' strike. We'll have to wait and see what comes of the film once the strikes resolve, but it does seem to be pretty far a long thanks to its writers and having already assembled a few A-list cast members.

Kasina and Adidas have been honoring the late artist Kim Jung Gi with a release of "collegiate yellow" 80s sneakers -- something that a number of artists have jumped on to honor the artist and have a little fun themselves. One such artist? Comics legend Jim Lee, currently serving as Chief Creative Officer at DC. And while he drew The Flash on the left shoe, he opted for another character he's associated with -- one that, frankly, better fits the shoes themselves -- on the right. Yeah, that's Wolverine, whose yellow-and-black ensemble and three claws scream "I'm a perfect fit for this gig, Bub."

In addition to some pretty great head sketches, Lee had some fun with the shoes, creating thematically appropriate details on each. Wolverine's are covered in blood (particularly under the three Adidas stripes), and The Flash's are scorched, presumably from friction and a rough stop. Lee shared video of him getting authentic scorches through use of a stove.

You can see the post below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jim Lee (@jimlee)

It's a "hero versus villain" thing, though -- so it's actually Reverse-Flash (also yellow, black and red after all) on the toe of the left shoe, and The Flash is relegated to the tongue (where the shoe is white). On the tongue of the Wolverine shoe is Sabertooth. There are also some fun Easter eggs around them, including some "hidden" characters. Yes, that's Jay Garrick in the heel of the Flash shoe, and Goku in the heel of the Wolverine one.

Lee says he plans to display the sneakers at the Kasina booth at ComplexCon this weekend.

Lee, who rose to fame as an artist at Marvel, is key to having shaped the audience's perception of Wolverine. He left Marvel to found Image in the early '90s, then sold his stake in Image and its related characters to DC about a decade later. Lee said at the time he wanted to focus more on his art, and took on virtually every big DC character for years after that. More recently, he has been focused on editorial and management responsibilities, with most of his art being commissions, charity sketches, and the occasional variant cover.

The big mystery heading into the relaunch of Uncanny Avengers was the identity of Captain Krakoa. Cyclops originally took up the mantle after his public "death" and secret resurrection via the X-Men's mutant resurrection protocols. But someone else has stolen the Captain Krakoa moniker in the fallout of Orchis' attack on the Hellfire Gala. This caused Captain Americato reform the Avengers Unity Squad, with Captain Krakoa gathering his own version of the Mutant Liberation Front. With a confrontation looming, it's time for Marvel to finally reveal who the new Captain Krakoa is, and the revelation will surprise you.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Uncanny Avengers #4. Continue reading at your own risk!

Uncanny Avengers #4 comes from the creative team of Gerry Duggan, Javier Garr?n, Morry Hollowell, VC's Travis Lanham, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen. The Avengers Unity Squad gets the drop on the MLF at Camp Lehigh. The heroes make quick work of the MLF and learn Captain Krakoa hid a nuclear bomb on the campus of Empire State University. Meanwhile, Captain Krakoa tries to take out Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich for sticking his nose in Orchis business. Captain America squares off against the mysterious Captain Krakoa as the issue ends with the startling discovery that Captain Krakoa is really Hydra Cap from Secret Empire.

Who is Hydra Captain America?

The Hydra-themed Captain America was an alternate version of Steve Rogers that debuted during Nick Spencer's run on Captain America. This Steve Rogers was secretly a Hydra sleeper agent, and helped the evil organization get control over over the United States. Using the sentiment Cosmic Cube named Kobik, the world started being rewritten into a more fascist regime.

The real Captain America was able to rejoin the remaining heroes in taking down Hydra's Secret Empire, with Hydra Cap being taken into custody. He hadn't been seen since, but now it appears Orchis was able to break him out to serve their anti-mutant agenda.

How does the X-Men Krakoa era end?

Marvel announced more details on the end of the X-Men's Krakoa era at the Next Big Thing panel at New York Comic Con. Three series will be the focus point of the storytelling: Gerry Duggan and Lucas Werneck's Fall of the House of X, Kieron Gillen and R.B. Silva's Rise of the Powers of X, and Al Ewing and Luciano Vecchio's Resurrection of Magneto.

Fall of the House of X features Cyclops on trial and facing the death penalty as mutantkind prepares to make its last stand against Orchis; Rise of the Powers of X takes place in a future where Orchis is victorious, but Nimrod and Omega Sentinel have other plans for ascension beyond mutants and humans; and Resurrection of Magneto forces Storm to make a choice. Does she go against Magneto's wishes to bring the master of magnetism back from death? And will he survive the shock of what has happened to mutants since his death if she does?

What do you think about Marvel's big Captain Krakoa reveal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Last week, Boom Studios launched the Boom Direct Reserve crowdfunding campaign for The Amory Wars: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. II: No World for Tomorrow. The 12-issue series is the culmination of The Amory Wars, the space opera conceived by Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez, told first through the lyrics on most of the band's albums. Boom launched the campaign to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the release of the album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, as the comic adapts that portion of the larger The Amory Wars story, its grand finale.

Boom set an initial funding goal of $25,000 and achieved it almost instantaneously. A week later, the campaign has raised more than $750,000. In an interview over Zoom, Sanchez tells ComicBook.com that he finds the response encouraging after becoming frustrated with The Amory Wars' distribution to comic shops and bookstores.

"I feel great," Sanchez says from his home, having recently returned from Coheed and Cambria's latest round of tour dates. "It's nice to see this sort of reception in any arena. What I love about it is that it quantifies the excitement. This is something I talk about a lot is, I go into retailers all the time, and whether they're my local comic shop or a Barnes and Noble, I never see The Amory Wars. Maybe 5% of the time I might stumble upon In Keeping Secrets. For me, this sort of situation is a way to quantify that excitement to maybe educate retailers that there is an interest in this title that they might not necessarily know about. A lot of our distribution is direct to consumers. We take all our titles, whether they're related to the Coheed and Cambria arc or not, out on the road with us, and they are so welcomed in that arena that sometimes it's hard to see that excitement from anywhere else. And so, this is a way to do that and that excites me."

I joke that becoming frustrated with comic book distribution is a telltale sign that he's become as much a comic book creator as a rock star. He accepts the notion with pride.

"That makes me feel so good because, for years, I've been such a fan of the medium," he explains. "There were moments where I would get upset when I would see, this is years and years ago, a movie star decides to break into comics. I'm like, 'Oh, well, they see it as either a stream of revenue or an easy way to try to pitch a movie,' because when I started doing this 20-some-odd-years ago, the Marvel movies weren't a thing. When some of the fanbase found out that Coheed and Cambria had a concept with it and it was a comic book concept, we probably lost some fans because, at the time, some people thought comic books weren't for adults, if you will. So, to see that I'm still doing it and now to see it's become a thing, companies taking other musicians' IPs and making them, it's a little bit of a stretch, but know what I mean? I feel like I had a hand in that. But I've always respected the medium so much that I would get this distaste, and now it's become a thing that everybody's doing."

Sanchez and I spoke for a while about what it means to finally complete The Amory Wars in comics, plans for the prequel Year of the Black Rainbow, and the future of The Amory Wars with the ongoing Vaxis pentalogy. That conversation follows.

Do you feel like the excitement that's infusing this campaign transcends comics? Do you feel like you can point to this and be like, "Look at how excited people were for this comic. Why don't we make an animated miniseries or short film or whatever?" Do you feel like that excitement goes beyond?

I think so. At one point, the Coheed audience started this petition to adapt The Amory Wars, whether it be a live-action or an animation. Coheed -- and myself -- didn't necessarily want to back it, put the Coheed and Amory Wars machine behind it. We let it do its thing and let the audience build it, but this is an extension of that. Yes, I think it does. I think it's a way for people to see it because, like I said, I go into retail and it has no presence, absolutely none, and it's upsetting. I know the fever for the title. I've done comic conventions now for almost 20 years, probably over 20 years when I think about it. Our first comic convention, I think, was in 2003, 2004, at San Diego.

Just like the band, it's always been this grassroots, DIY mentality, and it's grown and grown and there's an excitement that continues to grow. We never stop selling the books. When we're on the road, I'm like, "At some point, these books are going to stop selling." But no, they don't because the audience grows and the interest in the concept grows.

I'm thrilled because, in a way, like I said, it kind of quantifies the excitement because in other arenas, we can't. We don't SoundScan, like a record, the books that we sell on the road. I guess you could see what we've printed and then get that number, but it's too much work. We're in a rock band.

How has the crowdfunding experience been? Seeing the success you've had here, could you see yourself returning to a crowdfunding model for other projects? Amory Wars action figures, for example, or something like that?

Possibly. It's always been a thing that's been brought up to me, and the only time it's made sense is in this moment because again, I wanted a number. I wanted something that people could see to help take the story seriously. When it was first pitched to us, it was a different situation, but as the idea evolved, it became something that wasn't the right time to do. But being that it's the 20th anniversary for this arc being the conclusion of the Coheed and Cambria portion of the story, it made sense to do this. And again, it helped me get the number that I was looking for.

But the idea that I would love to do is something that we're still toying with and potentially, maybe, we'll come back to a crowdsource situation, but we'll see. Again, this wasn't my idea, it was Boom's, and I just saw an avenue to get something else out of it.

It's been five or six years since the first volume of Good Apollo finished. You've been living with this story for a very long time, but how long has it been since you started working on page one, panel one of the script for the No World for Tomorrow comic?

Oh, that's a great question. It's been a couple of years, my wife and I, because at the time we were also juggling the stories that accompany the new records that we're putting out that are a part of The Amory Wars story arc, the Vaxis pentalogy. There'd be moments where we would get into scripting No World, but then we'd get pulled away from that and then move into drafting the novellas that would accompany those records. And the same goes for right now. We've had all 12 issues scripted for a while, but I like to go back and refresh for continuity. And so, we've gotten halfway through the scripts and now we're at #7-12 and Vaxis III is now becoming a reality, so we're shifting over to that and outlining that story. But we've had it now for some time, I almost want to say three or four years, but at least the outline's been around for quite some time because it's always something that you're thinking about as you're piecing together the other parts.

What form is it in now? The BackerKit isn't entirely clear about the state of the art. I think Rags Morales' name appears on some of the placeholder covers and then other ones say "Artist TBA." Are you waiting to get the funding to then put the artist to work, or is it already basically done? Where's it at this point?

Before the BackerKit, we started moving into illustrations, and we got three issues deep -- pencils, inks - and they're great, but at the same time, as we were looking at it objectively, we saw an aesthetic that didn't match with what had happened previously in the book, so we had to put it to a halt. In that respect, we have three issues illustrated, but now we're going back to square one.

Right now, I think today, we choose our interior artist. But again, that's the thing, we get all of these samples and everyone is great but it just needs to be right and fit in the mold of what we've already created with the previous stories. I think we're just about there. Once that happens, illustrating will happen immediately after.

No World for Tomorrow has stood for a while as the one part of The Amory Wars without a companion, meaning no comic and no novella to tell the story. And so, fans have been interpreting what exactly the lyrics mean for the past 20 years. Does that add extra pressure to crafting this particular comic, or does it feel more like, finally, it's all going to be out there?

It is a little stressful because yeah, you want to find that happy medium where the lyrics converge with continuity of stories previously. You want to tie everything up. I think we did a good job, Chondra and I. I'm so thrilled with this story because it does have a little bit of everything for if you're a fan of The Amory Wars, and I mean from the novel of Year of the Black Rainbow. This is going to be such a payoff because there are a lot of cool surprises. There are a lot of cool things that get tied up, and there are enough questions and answers in this that I think are compelling and thrilling and it's going to make for a great end. I'm so very excited for it to come out.

We just did a cruise. Coheed now has this thing that we're doing, it's now becoming this biannual thing. This was our second year, and The Amory Wars has a big presence on it. We had characters dressed up from the story -- Gibney, Mayo, the Crowing, Wilhelm Ryan, and so on - but one of my favorite parts of the cruise was my wife had this coffee hour in the mornings. She does it twice on the cruise, and the second day they did a reading of issue one of No World for Tomorrow, and she did it with her friend Gina. I had so much fun listening to them read this comic and do the voices. It got me excited. I don't know why I just kind of went into that detour.

I will note that audio drama, and scripted podcasts, are burgeoning mediums if you're looking for somewhere else to put The Amory Wars.

Right. And my wife, she does one, and we talked about, "Maybe we should do this, maybe the two of you, and I can sit there and chime in every once in a while." Because I enjoyed it so much. Like so much so that I was supposed to be pulled away to do something, and I was like, "Can we please, I just want to watch this."

You mentioned Year of The Black Rainbow. This story is the finale of The Amory Wars, but the BackerKit also calls it the penultimate chapter. Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but is that an indication that you want to go back and turn Year of the Black Rainbow into a comic also, even though that novel already exists?

Yeah, absolutely. I don't think I'm spoiling anything. I've said I think it needs that treatment because, ultimately, one of the ideas I've had, and maybe this goes with the original idea or the evolved idea before it became The Amory Wars 20th Anniversary Edition is in the story of The Amory Wars, there's a bible that talks about this riddle and the coming of the Crowing, which is God's hand that's there to destroy all of Heaven's fence, which is the solar system, which the story plays out on, and it's called the Ghansgraad. I would love to do something called "The Ghansgraad Edition" where we collect all the stories, one through five, Year of the Black Rainbow to No World, and do something really special. I remember as a kid, and I'm not all that religious, but my mother had this enormous Bible, and that's the thing that plays out in my head is some compartment that houses all these additions in this ornate rendition of the Ghansgraad.

That gets me wondering about Year of the Black Rainbow, which is a prequel, and then there's stuff like The Afterman, and then Vaxis is a sequel. For somebody who's trying to enjoy The Amory Wars story, do you recommend going in chronological order, or even starting as far back as The Afterman, or are you a release order person? This is a very George Lucas question, but also, is there a difference depending on if they're reading the story or listening to the albums, since the albums have the added factor of Coheed and Cambria's progression as band? What is your definitive order to experience the story?

When I started the idea in '98, it was like, "Oh, I'm a Star Wars fan." So, to me, the idea of the prequel was such an interesting thing, so I was like, "I'm going to start with Part 2, and we're going to go back and tell the origin of the characters, Coheed and Cambria." And that was a mistake [laughs] because Second Stage without the legs of Year of the Black Rainbow can be confusing. If you don't suspend disbelief, you're like, "What the hell is this?" But there's enough interesting stuff in there, clearly, that it's gathered its following that's super invested in it. As much as I find it maybe wasn't the right thing to do, there's something right about it.

I would say Second Stage, but if you could get your hands on Year of the Black Rainbow, I would say Year of the Black Rainbow is 1, and that's the fun part. I've said this in the past, but every story has some sort of numeric value to it -- "Year" being singular, that would be Part 1, Second Stage, 2, second, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. So there is a numeric order placed, not vaguely, but in an interesting way in the stories. If you can get your hands on Year of The Black Rainbow, I would suggest Year of the Black Rainbow, but if you're into being perplexed, I would start with Second Stage Turbine Blade.

Has your experience working on the comics affected your approach to how you present some of the newer music? I've noticed that the Vaxis music videos, they're visual, they're direct, they use some art from the books. Are those videos fulfilling a similar purpose to what the comics do for the previous Amory Wars albums, or is it just something cool and new for you guys to do, and maybe eventually you'll do comics for those? Is there a creative feedback cycle there?

I think when we were younger, we tried to incorporate the comics into the videos. "Devil in Jersey City" was the first time we tried to incorporate Coheed and Cambria, and it worked for that moment, but I think at the time, as a band, this was my idea, and I'm not so sure everybody else was on board at that time. It felt a little uncomfortable to try to force those sorts of elements in every output we did. I didn't want to make anyone else feel uncomfortable, and I knew that I did. But I think as time went on and the strength of The Amory Wars grew and the excitement for characters, one can only be so lucky to find an audience that finds a character in a story that they've created and bonds with that character, and that's what The Amory Wars is doing. I think at that point it's like, "Oh, well, it's not such a bad idea to incorporate this stuff in a visual way with the music."

It's fun. There are moments where it is literally a representation of what happened in the story, but then there are some moments that aren't, like for example, "Old Flames" was really kind of a play on the characters and me being the creator and a part of their crew. There are little ways to play in the sandbox, but also you're not totally pushing it where we're trying to make the full-on adaptation in this three to four-minute exercise, if that makes any sense.

You talked about how you'd bounce back and forth between scripting No World for Tomorrow and making the story for Vaxis. Is it tricky trying to go back and forth between working on this story that you conceived of 20 years ago and then coming back to this new story that you're working on? Is there a challenge in that or is it pretty easy to keep the two separated?

It's challenging, but I love it because it helps remind myself, and my wife, of things that we can then connect, try to be cognizant of the thread. We're not sharing these moments with characters from the Coheed Amory Wars, in the atmosphere, maybe there's a way to do that. You're reminded of these things, and I think it's fun.

I think I had said in a little interview that I did for Boom that what makes No World so exciting to see now come out is its connection to subsequent stories like Vaxis III and the first story, Year of the Black Rainbow, as well as the connection to The Afterman because the last record has that Incredible Hulk #180 ending, where you have the Wolverine silhouette in the doorway, but this is the Afterman making an appearance at the end of Vaxis II in a very Wolverine fashion -- though not a silhouette, you see him but it feels like that to me. All these stories are now going to make so much sense when they come out once No World starts and Vaxis III happens, and with the idea of adapting Year of the Black Rainbow, everything is going to connect so much more than it's ever before. That's thrilling to me because it's going to be a domino effect of "this is all making so much sense to me" and I can't wait to see how it ends with Vaxis IV and V.

I'd be remiss if I let you go without asking, generally, what's next for Coheed? I know you said you're working on Vaxis III. What should fans be looking forward to next?

Vaxis III is very much percolating as well and next year we'll probably do some preliminary touring that'll lead to a release. I'm not sure exactly when that release is, because there still is a lot of work to do in terms of recording it and illustrating the novella. We've started down those paths, but they take some time, as well as writing the novella, of course. Things are going to happen hopefully in the next year or so.

The Amory Wars: No World for Tomorrow crowdfunding campaign continues on BackerKit through the month of November. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Even if you aren't familiar with Dark Leonardo, you have to admit that this new Previews Exclusive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Funko Pop looks pretty fantastic. It's based on the IDW comics, specifically the City Fall arc from Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz that saw Leonardo become a villain when he was brainwashed by the Foot Clan.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dark Leonardo PX Exclusive Funko Pop is available to pre-order here at Entertainment Earth while it lasts. You can keep tabs on more Funko Wednesdays drops right here, and details on another recent PX Exclusive Funko Pop from the TMNT comics can be found below.

IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin miniseries was a massive hit when it launched in comic shops in 2020. This dark take on the Turtles from TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird with Tom Waltz and Andy Kuhn has was followed by the launch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - Lost Years this past January. There's also the potential for a video game adaptation in the near future. And let's not forget about all of the collectible items out there, including this Previews Exclusive Funko Pop.

The Last Ronin Funko Pop features the lone ninja warrior with his sai and katana. It sold out in its limited run, but you can still order one here on Amazon via a 3rd party.

"The foundation and evolution of the story that would become The Last Ronin took 30 years to naturally and organically arrive at the proper place to be told. That time is now," Eastman said when the series was first announced. "Buckle up, TMNT fans -- it's going to be one hell of a ride."

"As much as The Last Ronin is a love letter to past TMNT iterations -- from Mirage to IDW, and everything in between -- it's also a love letter to the millions of folks who continue to cherish this ageless property in all its diverse forms and renditions," Tom Waltz, who partnered with Eastman on the story and script, said at the time. "At its core, TMNT is always about family first... both in the fictional stories being told and the real-life engagement between the creators and the amazing fans who support them. The Last Ronin is no exception."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin takes place in a future New York City far different from the one we know today, where a lone surviving Turtle goes on a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. An epic five-part miniseries, The Last Ronin is based on an unpublished 1987 story concept by Eastman and Laird, with script by Waltz, layouts by Eastman, pencils and inks by Esau and Isaac Escorza, colors by Luis Antonio Delgado, letters by Shawn Lee, and edits by Bobby Curnow. You can grab the series in hardcover here on Amazon.