In this Article:
A Week in Comic Book News
Welcome to this week in comic book news! Here the staff have read and curated every bit of relevant comic book news that is most relevant to you, our readers. It isn’t totally comprehensive. In fact, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It ranges in Comic Book News from DC, Marvel and Image right through to BOOM!, Mad Cave, Scout, Valiant, Behemoth and an assortment of indies.
The News blurbs link to detailed short and long form articles we’ve reported on and come directly from the horse’s mouth (publisher’s mouth). These comic book news blurbs are listed in order of appearance, from the start of the week right through to the end of the week.
For any corrections, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to look into it.
Steelkilt Festival Targets Undiscovered Comic Book Creators + How to Apply
The Steelkilt Media Festival, an international, competitive event for comic book writers and creators, will open submissions on April 15. Steelkilt is a launchpad for unknown and unpublished comic book writers to gain exposure and reach their professional goals in the media industry.
Steelkilt brings diverse artists and audiences together to celebrate sequential art and all things comic-related. We are a platform for unfiltered expression and unadulterated vision. We celebrate both emerging talent and established voices.
The Walking Dead Composer Takes on Radiant Black
This week’s Radiant Black #3 by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa will treat fans to a creative departure for the series and focus on main character Nathan’s writing process. As a special treat for Radiant Black fans, Sam Ewing (co-composer on The Walking Dead) composed and recorded a live orchestra track to tie-in with the recent issue’s story—one of the six planned to accompany each issue of the first story arc in the series.
Image Comics is pleased to reveal a video clip of the recording session for the piece, which is performed by a 59 piece orchestra (The Budapest Scoring Orchestra) and designed as “an exploration of a theme,” just like the issue is designed to capture the creative process.
Blue Fox Comics announce Busy Little Bees Variant by Mel Ford
Blue Fox Comics announced their VIP Newsletter members about the premiere LIMITED EDITION virgin variant cover for Busy Little Bees #1 by artist Mel Ford.
Blue Fox Comics tell us this Variant is extremely limited and only 100 being printed. They’ll be individually numbered and signed by the author Marielle Bouleau.
Bestselling Creative Team Chelsea Cain, Lia Miternique and Kate Niemczyk Reunite for MAN-EATERS
The original, unstoppable, bestselling Man-eaters creative team—New York Times bestselling thriller writer Chelsea Cain, Lia Miternique, and Kate Niemczyk—reunites for a new teen tale in Man-eaters: The Cursed. Adolescents, feminist derring-do, and supernatural hijinks collide in this new five-issue story arc out from Image Comics this July.
“This new arc revisits Maude a few years later, in a different environment, with new stakes, and new scares. She can’t rely on a girl-shaped-zeppelin to save her; she has to figure out a way to save herself,” said Cain in an exclusive on the announcement with Comic Book Resources.
BOOM! Reveals BRZRKR #2 Second Printing Cover by Dan Mora
BOOM! Studios announced today that BRZRKR #2, the latest issue of the first ever original comic book series from the iconic Keanu Reeves and New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Bang!), acclaimed artist Ron Garney (Wolverine, Captain America), colorist Bill Crabtree (BPRD), and letterer Clem Robins (Hellboy), about an immortal being’s eternal struggle with the hidden truth behind his existence, has sold out of the first printing at the distributor level!
The inaugural issue has already sold over 615,000 copies at the distributor level, making it the highest-selling original comic book launch in almost thirty years.
Giant Mech Graphic Novel THE MONUMENTS KICKSTARTER Smashes Through $30,000!
Sci-fi fantasy graphic novel THE MONUMENTS is now live on Kickstarter, was funded in 12 hours, and has now collected over $30,000 in pledges from over 750 backers!
THE MONUMENTS is a 140 page, beautifully illustrated, mystery/adventure story from Oliver Mertz (FIRST LAW OF MAD SCIENCE, MAYBE SOMEDAY), Michael S. Bracco (THE CREATORS, NOVO), and Mike Isenberg (FIRST LAW OF MAD SCIENCE, FUBAR).
Mad Cave Studios signs with Echo Lake Entertainment
Echo Lake Entertainment has signed the independent comic book and graphic novel publisher Mad
Cave. Under the deal, the management and production company will represent Mad Cave’s catalog
of IP for film/TV adaptation, including the library of titles under Mad Cave’s new and inclusive Young Adult imprint, Maverick.
A company with a focus on multiple genres, Echo Lake Entertainment has released/brought several projects to streaming giant Netflix including (but not limited to): Van Helsing (2016–), The Great (2020–), All the Bright Places (2020), The Secrets We Keep (I) (2020), Nebraska (2013), Romeo and Juliet (II) (2013), The Man with the Iron Heart (2017) and Oxygen (2021), to name a few.
Killeroo: Semper Fidelis annihilates 16K on Kickstarter
Australian comic book Killeroo: Semper Fidelis has raised over $16000 on Kickstarter which has unlocked every Stretch Reward for the beefy anthropomorphic Kangaroo killing machine.
When American soldiers are tasked with re-establishing contact with a black site nestled deep in the heart of the Kakadu National Park in Australia, soldier and outback myth will face off in the ultimate game of cat and mouse. The bodies will mount, loyalties will be tested and no one will come out of the bush unscathed.
Shazam Blasts into Four Issue Mini Series coming July
“SHAZAM!” With a single magic word, the powers of six ancient gods—the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury—are placed in the hands of teenage Billy Batson, transforming him into The World’s Mightiest Mortal! A new Shazam! four-issue mini-series from Tim Sheridan and Clayton Henry, spinning out of the pages of Teen Titans Academy, arrives July 20!
Billy Batson came to Titans Academy looking for answers, but so far has kept his Shazam! identity a secret from his new classmates. Why was the rest of his adopted family cut off from the power of Shazam!? Why are his own powers becoming increasingly unreliable? What has happened to the Rock of Eternity, where is the Wizard, and who can help Billy get his powers back to normal before these mysterious events turn into a full-blown crisis?
Daenerys herself, Emilia Clarke, has written a Comic Book, Out in July
Multiple Emmy award nominated actress Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Me Before You) will debut her first comic book series—the forthcoming M.O.M.: Mother of Madness—at Image Comics this July. This new, three-issue superhero series will be co-written by the GLAAD Media Award nominated Marguerite Bennett (Josie and the Pussycats, Angela) with art by Leila Leiz (Horde).
In M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, the mayhem begins with Maya, under-the-weather scientist by day, over-the-top superhero by night, and badass single mom 24/7.
Stunning Wonder Girl Artwork Revealed from Joëlle Jones and Jordie Bellaire
From her breakout appearances in Future State: Wonder Woman andInfinite Frontier #0, a young Yara Flor begins the search for her destiny and connection to the Amazons! In Wonder Girl #1 on May 18, acclaimed writer/artist Joëlle Jones makes a triumphant return to the character of Yara Flor!
“The story picks up with a brief vignette of Yara saying goodbye to her aunt at the Boise airport,” says Jones, “and then it’s straight on to Brazil! This trip opens up a huge world to her full of exciting characters. It’s incredibly exciting for her, but full of challenges both fun and dangerous.”
Z2 Comics adapts Legendary King Diamond Album as Graphic Novel
Z2 Comics, the leading publisher of music-inspired graphic novels reveals this fall’s jewel in the crown of the “king” of heavy metal himself; the first-ever comic written by the one and only King Diamond. White Noise Studios scribe Dan Watters and October Faction artist Damien Worm team with The King himself for a chilling new version of the story of Miriam Natias and Jonathan LaFey and an inheritance far more terrifying than even the haunted mansion in which it’s discovered.
To celebrate this unprecedented pairing, Z2 Comics will offer an EXCLUSIVE brand new Abigail graphic novel picture disc edition of this incredible album, featuring the front cover of the graphic novel and on the back side you will find both the original Abigail cover and an alternate cover painting by artist Torbjörn Jörgensen, available ONLY with the deluxe and super deluxe graphic novel package, exclusively through the Z2 website, and available for preorder now!