Join Bob and Mike as they chat about current Pop Culture events. Superstar comic writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson will return to the SquadCast and talk about Midnight, Marvel Comics’ latest big initiative. It is sure to be a great conversation.
We hope you enjoy the conversation.
If you don’t catch it live, you can watch later.
It time that we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming on New Comic Book Day this Wednesday. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.
Holy Moley Folks! What an amazing list of new series and special editions!? There are so many must reads this week that thank goodness there is a long weekend coming to help us catch up.
We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.
We have books on this week’s list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom! Studios, Vault Comics, Bad Idea Comics, Oni Press, and Image Comics.
We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.
New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions
Archie #1BEING YOUNG NEVER GETS OLD! THE MILESTONE COMICS PUBLISHING EVENT OF THE YEAR STARTS HERE AS ONI PRESS AND ARCHIE COMICS PROUDLY PRESENT A GROUNDBREAKING NEW ONGOING SERIES FOR THE MOST JOYOUS COMIC BOOK ICON OF ALL!
A new day is dawning in Riverdale as New York Times bestselling writer, Edgar Award and Philip K. Dick Award winner, and Eisner Award nominee Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, Benjamin) joins multiple Eisner Award–winning artist Fábio Moon (Daytripper, Casanova) to reintroduce America’s favorite teenager — and begin a star-studded countdown to Archie’s 85th anniversary — with a 21st-century testament to teenage idealism and the limitless joy of Archie Comics!
For his entire life, 17-year-old Archie Andrews has had it all: adoring friends, football glory, and a natural charm that always seems to make him the center of attention. Now, through his eyes, experience the warmth and wonder of Riverdale and its near-infinite roster of residents — the popular kids, the endearing oddballs, and everyone in between — as Archie embarks on a whirlwind, all-star adventure through his town’s past, present, and future… beginning with a local film festival that’s about to turn everything upside down!
And, at the center of it all, lies an enigmatic paradox that only Archie’s pal Jughead Jones can possibly unravel…
Plus: Puzzles! Pin-ups! Bountiful bonus stories! And a veritable sweet shop of surprises that all link to the same inextricable mystery… Finally, your antidote for postmodern malaise has arrived. Welcome to the all-new ARCHIE #1!
Release Date: September 2, 2026
PCS NOTES: A new chapter in the publishing life of Archie Andrews starts here, and it is a really good start.
Black Panther / Namor: Doomed #1BLACK PANTHER AND NAMOR TRAPPED IN HELL… WITH DOOM!!!
Black Panther and Namor must investigate Hell when Wakanda and Atlantis are attacked by demons! But once there, these rival kings discover they aren’t alone, as they cross paths with the wandering soul of Doctor Doom!
Release Date: September 2, 2026
PCS NOTES: An unlikely team up may make for interesting storytelling.
Crowbound #1Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale meets Cormac McCarthy’s The Road with echoes of Kill Bill and Pan’s Labyrinth when a noncompliant mother makes a dark pact with an ancient, violent Scarecrow Queen to stop a totalitarian government from taking her daughter.
Rose isn’t special. She works in the Factory just like everyone else — a dark, sprawling monolithic structure that runs along the coast and cuts the world in two. All that’s left now are desolate settlements that exist in its shadow, made up of submerged villages, derelict woods, and deadly swamps. No one knows what’s left of the world on the other side…
But when Rose’s young daughter Ava is violently taken from their shanty town home a year before she is meant to join the work force, Rose will come face-to-face with the surreal, harrowing forces outside the Factory’s walls — including a terrifying figure called the Scarecrow Queen, who has an offer: one last chance to save her daughter, in exchange for her soul.
Release Date: September 2, 2026
PCS NOTES: When this creative team works together, magic happens. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this time. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 9/2/2026”
It time that we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming on New Comic Book Day this Wednesday. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.
This week’s list is chock full of superstar creators and super intriguing new concepts that have our wallets crying uncle.
We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.
We have books on this week’s list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Mad Cave Studios, Boom! Studios, Vault Comics, Scholastic Books, Penguin Random House, Archie Comics, Oni Press, and Image Comics.
We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.
New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions
Chachu #11979. Leila, a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian girl, stands on the cusp of adulthood, eager to experience the “real world” for the first time. With a head full of Hollywood dreams and a penchant for pulp novels, she ventures to California to connect with her estranged uncle — her “Chachu” — a middle-aged, semi-retired private eye who gained brief fame after marrying the starlet he was initially hired to find. But when Chachu’s wife goes missing once again, the two are forced on an impromptu road trip to track her down — with Leila navigating young adulthood and Chachu confronting his own mortality and regrets.
Inspired by her own coming-of-age experiences in the entertainment industry, CHACHU is the solo writing debut of superstar IMAN VELLANI (Ms. Marvel), a reinterpretation of the classic neo-noir private investigator story brilliantly illustrated by MARIANNA IGNAZZI (EXQUISITE CORPSES) and colored by JORDIE BELLAIRE (Absolute Wonder Woman).
Release Date: August 5, 2026
PCS NOTES:
Death Vigil #1The smash hit series is back! Bad news: You’re dead. Good news: You can join a band of Death Knights and help protect the world from necromancers and cosmic horror. The pay’s not great, but you’ll love your co-workers. So grab your spirit weapon and prepare for battle against the Primordial Enemy — join Death Vigil today!
From critically acclaimed creator STJEPAN ŠEJIC (STJEPAN ŠEJIC, RAVINE, APHRODITE lX, WITCHBLADE, Harleen) comes the exciting return of his creator-owned series DEATH VIGIL! The story of modern-age Death Knights locked in an ongoing war against the ever-growing power of the ravenous primordial Elder Gods. The only catch is you have to die first. Become a corporeal immortal Death Knight, and obtain reality-altering weaponry in the never-ending battle between Good and Evil.
Release Date: August 5, 2026
PCS NOTES: Fans of Death Vigil and Šejić will definitely be excited for this new release.
Fort Psycho #1WELCOME TO FORT PSYCHO — THE EXTREME ACTION COMIC THAT ONLY STOPS TO RELOAD! From New York Times bestselling writer Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT) and adrenaline-racing artist Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun, Manor Black), enter the 40-page first chapter of a powerful new maxi-series stocked with trained killers, secret betrayals, and the long-buried truth about the mission that led them to an off-the-grid island prison with no hope of escape…
Ten years ago, the nation of Singapore sank into the Pacific Ocean. The underground terrorist network known as the Seven Seals took credit for the largest act of terror in human history. In the aftermath, the United Nations created a strike team of highly trained covert operatives with one mission: locate, identify, and eliminate the Seven Seals’ secretive leader. The team’s clandestine affairs were to always remain in the shadows — until their final, explosive confrontation resulted in a large-scale tragedy too bloody to cover up and too tragic to ignore.
Disgraced and disavowed by the governments that trained them, the world’s most dangerous secret agents have been convicted for their crimes and sentenced to serve time side by side in the one place capable of holding them: their old island headquarters, Fort Cyclone — now known in the media by the derogatory nickname “Fort Psycho.”
And that’s where the official story is about to go terribly, terribly wrong…
Release Date: August 5, 2026
PCS NOTES: What a fantastically intriguing solicitation from some excellent comic creators. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 8/5/2026”
“And if California slides into the ocean like the mystics and statistics say it will, I predict this motel will be standin’ until I pay my bill.” From Desperados Under the Eaves, written by Warren Zevon
When word finally was released last week that Marvel, a.k.a. Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, Marvel Animation, Marvel Television, and Spaceballs the Marvel, is going to consolidate all of its operations in “Hollywood,” I think just about everybody had the same feeling.
“Holy shit, what took these people so long?”
However, the next thought differed from cynic to cynic. Some comments represent the chauvinism we have always seen between towns. “My city is better than your city and my dad can beat up your dad.” OK, fine. When it comes to comparing cities, it’s a matter of taste and choice. Honest, east coasters, there are good bagels in California.
Where Marvel and DC live does not dictate where the comics industry has any sort of Mecca. Combined the two publishers might have about 70% of domestic sales, and I say might because people are pretty tricky about what is a comic book and what is a children’s book. Bookstore sales take longer to track, as bookstores take returns. There’s lots of great comics to be found in that other 30% Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Go West!”
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” — Oscar Wilde.
Back in my First Comics days, I made the observation that the major difference between World War II and the Vietnam War was the Andrew Sisters. I was serious, and a surprisingly large number of people understood my reference. It’s much more easy to be culturally obscure these days.
For you young’uns out there, the Andrew Sisters were a trio of sisters — get it? — who were very patriotic and who sang pop-music-to-win-a-world-war-by. Probably their biggest hit at that time was “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and, in my opinion, it remains quite good — catchy, amusing, patriotic, and life affirming. World War II was extremely popular as wars go, even among many of those drafted to fight in it. Capitalism being a thing, the song sold millions. The Sisters made eighteen movies; their first, Buck Privates, teamed them up with the great Shemp Howard as well as some other notable comedic performers.
Amusingly, their first big hit was 1937’s “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön”. According to iMDB, that song was a favorite of the Nazis until it was discovered that the song’s composers were Jewish. Art for art’s sake, as Oscar Wilde noted.
The Andrew Sisters lasted until 1967 and were still big when the Korean War started. However, times change. After World War II we were kinda sick of war, and we didn’t want our fathers and uncles and brothers to go back into bloody combat. The Andrews were still on the radio and were big in the new medium of television, but their public did not ask them to provide the same type of patriotic war support they had the previous decade… USO shows not withstanding.
These attitudes were mirrored in American comic books. During WWII, you couldn’t pick up a 10 cent fifty-two pager without all sorts of stories about how each Nazi and each Japanese soldier was a Doctor Doom-level threat. Of course you recall the cover of Captain America Comics #1, where the star-spangled-shield-slinger punched Adolf Hitler in the face. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Gimme Them Ol’-Time War Comics”
Hey Squad Members!
New Number Ones is back! Did you miss us? We missed you. After a too long hiatus this regular column returns to your feed. Comics has continued without this weekly primer on the new debut issues, but we want to share the new comics with our readers and point out the cool stuff coming out each week.
Each week we bring you the list of new series and special editions coming this Wednesday. We are highlighting what you need to put in your cart at the comic shop or digital marketplace.
This week, there is not a huge list, but it is filled with interesting book after interesting book.
We have an alphabetical list with cover art and the official solicitation text from the publishers of some of the cool new comics that are coming out this week. Check below for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about the new comics in question.
We have books on this week’s list from: Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Mad Cave Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Fantagraphics Books, Titan Comics, and Image Comics.
We will bring you reviews of these debut issues as they come out, and don’t forget to use the comments section to let us know what you think of this list.
New Series
New One-Shots and Special Editions
Concrete: Stars Over Sand #1The Eisner, Harvey and Reuben Award-winning Concrete is back with a 5-part story of amnesia, wilderness, and suspense.
Concrete has entered the desert and not come back. Larry and Maureen are frantic. Reports come that he is wandering the nearby arid mountains, covered with blood, attacking people. Concrete, lightning-struck, confused, roams a frightening world he can’t understand. Roars tear across the sky. A strange globe rises. His body is sheathed in stone. He thinks he is being hunted. People are a threat.
His journey back to life, and his friends’ dire search against a looming deadline, is as strange and tense as any Concrete story ever told.
Release Date: June 17, 2026
PCS NOTES: What an amazing gift to have in the return of this column. New Concrete comics is a massive event in the medium. We are so excited to see what this comic has to offer new and old fans.
Gun Honey: Doubles Down #1When a botched attack on the dictator of Russia sends three identical-looking men fleeing Moscow for Siberia, Finland, and the Black Sea, Gun Honey Joanna Tan is offered $10 million to separate the real target from his doubles — and make sure the right man dies.
Release Date: June 17, 2026
PCS NOTES: This property has always been entertaining. That is because of the subversion of Charles Ardai imbedding smart crime stories in the trappings of an eye-candy comic book. We look forward to more.
Hellboy in Love: Obsidian #1Anastasia is called to Crete when an excavation team unearths a tomb with striking similarities to the engraved skull stolen from her by a witch in India. The trail for proof of the mysterious Suaren Artea society may not have gone as cold as she thought, but danger still lurks behind every turn.
Release Date: June 17, 2026
PCS NOTES: Another classic creator-owned character returns this week with a new story. The Hellboy in Love comics have been a lot of fun and this looks like more of the same. Continue reading “New Number Ones: New Comics Series and Specials Coming for the Week of 6/17/2026”
“Would you have mansions of gold in the sky… and live in a shack, way in the back? Would you have wings up in heaven to fly… and starve here with rags on your back?” From There is Power in a Union, written by Joe Hill.
“We are the workers that make Dark Horse a home to the unique comics, creators, and creative principles known around the world.” From the statement issued last week by the Dark Horse Workers United (DHWU).
Forty years ago comics store owner Mike Richardson decided to take some of the loot that passed through his cash registers and start up a comic book company (Dark Horse Comics). It was the thing to do in the Eighties, but Richardson became the guy who actually pulled it off.
By 1986, most of the so-called independent publishers were coughing up blood and the distribution system looked like it was designed by M.C. Escher after he took LSD. They say timing is everything, but there might not have been a worse time to enter the racket since the paper shortages of World War II.
But Mike did it right, and of the American publishers alive at that time Mike was the only new guy to make it. He did so at a time when Marvel Comics and, particularly, DC Comics were booming. They controlled about three-quarters of the market at the time. Archie Comics was still on the stands, but that was the year Charlton went blooie. Harvey Comics was still around, kind of, flickering in and out of business while changing hands a couple times. They finally gave up the ghosts in 2003. Fun fact: what’s left of Harvey is now owned by NBC/Universal.
So much for ancient history. Richardson slowly expanded the company into film and television production, bringing Dark Horse published properties such as Hellboy and The Mask to screens large and small — as well as a really solid documentary about Don Rickles. Don briefly was also a comic book character.
In March of 2022, Mike decided he had enough of tending to the tubes and wires of industry and he sold the operation to video game holding company Embracer Group, retaining (as is common) his positions as publisher and CEO. He was fired four years later — for the math-challenged, that’s nearly three months ago. Jay Komas became the interim CEO. I believe Mike was the longest-serving publisher in American comics history.
So it goes. As Jack Kirby said, “Comics will break your heart.” Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Thumbs In Your Hot Dog”
“History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man.” — From Godzilla, written by Buck Dharma.
If I were to make a list of what I consider the most important comic book series ever launched by Marvel Comics, The ‘Nam would make my top five with ease. Maybe the top two.
So The ‘Nam Omnibus, all 1128 pages of it and weighing in at six and one-half pounds, deserves a revisit. These humongous omnibi usually have pretty small print runs so they might be hard to find after a bit — this big dog was released last August but at $349.00 a pop you might still be able to find a copy at a friendly neighborhood comics shop. If so, they might be willing (if able) to cut you a deal.
“War comics” is something of a misnomer. Gung-ho stories about the evil enemies, be they German, Japanese, Viet Cong, or MAGAts, aren’t interesting. The white guys carry their bazookas into combat and shoot down all the snipers firing from the trees… and that’s about it. We are always the good guys, and the enemy is always bad — no matter who the enemy might have been at the time. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: Lessons Ignored”
“They hurt you at home and they hit you at school. They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool ’til you’re so fucking crazy you can’t follow their rules.” From Working Class Hero, written by John Lennon.
I am not a fan of corporate bureaucracy. It is always counter-productive. It is the enemy of creativity and productivity. Sadly, it also is as predictable as a coal miner’s cough.
There are few folks operating in the comics racket more deserving of praise and acknowledgement than Mike Richardson, co-founder and publisher, until last week, of Dark Horse Comics. He was publisher for FORTY years, which might very well be the American record. Marvel/Timely/Atlas founder Martin Goodman held his gig for only a third of a century, and whereas Bill Gaines was the publisher at EC Comics and Mad Magazine for forty-five years. I’ll leave it to those with an attention span longer than mine to determine if that makes him the longest-lived comic book publisher or just a magazine publisher with a bottomless sense of humor and a terrific appreciation of line art.
A whole slew of us started making and distributing new comic books back in the early 1980s — a time when there was Marvel and DC and Archie and Paragon… and damn little else. Great old stalwarts such as Gold Key (Whitman), Harvey and Charlton already had gone blooie at least once or, if extant, were coughing up blood. But back then the comic book store had become a real thing and publishers, old and new, could sell their wares directly to those outlets without having to take returns on unsold copies. DC Comics’ honcho Paul Levitz once stated that you’d have to be a fool to screw that up. Continue reading “Brainiac On Banjo: “What Fools These Mortals Be!””
Join Mike and Bob as they chat about current Pop Culture events, and welcome author Benjamin Percy to the SquadCast for the first time. We will talk about his career in comics and his numerous current projects, plus whatever else we can think of. Don’t miss it.
We hope you enjoy the conversation.
If you don’t catch it live, you can watch later.
