Category Archives: Spotlight

Warner Bros. Discovery Sets the Shareholder Vote Date for Paramount’s Takeover

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WBD Vote

Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23, 2026 at 10am Eastern as the date and time when stockholders will vote on Paramount Skydance‘s $111 billion proposed takeover of the company.

The Warner Bros. Discovery board has recommended shareholders vote for the merger and proxy statements are currently being mailed to shareholders.

The deal, if approved would be expected to close in the third quarter of 2026 but needs to pass the shareholder vote as well as regulatory approval. The Ellisons, who are driving the deal, are friends with President Trump so it is expected to pass with little pushback from the Department of Justice.

The acting head of the DOJ’s antitrust division, Omeed Assefi, said the deal would “absolutely not” be fast-tracked due to political reasons, but we’ll believe it when we see it.

WBD shareholders will receive $31 per share in cash for each share of WBD common stock. Paramount will assume $33 billion in debt on WBD’s balance sheet leaving Paramount-WBD with an estimated $79 billion in long-term debt.

If the deal goes beyond September 30, 2026, Paramount will pay WBD shareholders a 25-cent-per-share “ticking fee” for each quarter missed until closing. That’s about $650 million in additional costs per quarter.

The deal will have a major impact on the comic industry as DC Comics, Wonder Comics, and Milestone Media, are all owned by Warner Bros. Discovery or have deals with it.

We’ve detailed how the Ellison and Skydance takeover of Paramount has led to a more conservative bent in CBS News, and it’s expected that a similar shift will happen with the WBD takeover and CNN, though they’ll claim they’re being “neutral.” Larry Ellison also has a stake in the purchase of TikTok by US interest giving the Ellisons key news sources for all three major demographics, and they’ve shown their willingness to bend and censor news.

We haven’t seen a shift in tone in the entertainment division of Paramount, yet, but the purchase is so new, that likely won’t shake out for years.

We recently discussed on our Comic Shoot podcast how the entire deal is on shaky grounds putting numerous divisions, including DC, in a precarious position if things begin to topple like we’d expect.

There’s also the ethical questions poised about supporting a comic publisher, and properties, whose owner has clear malicious intent and is a partner of the current Trump regime.

Midjourney Files a Motion to Compel against Disney and Warner Bros. in AI Fight

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While the comic world is mainly focused on the court drama that is Diamond’s chapter 11/chapter 7, we’ve also made sure to keep track of other major cases making their way through the courts. One that may have just as big an impact on the world of comics is the lawsuit by Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery against Midjourney.

In June of 2025, Disney and Universal launched a lawsuit against Midjourney over what they called its “bottomless pit of plagiarism” that generates “endless unauthorized copies.” Warner Bros. Discovery launched their lawsuit in September for similar reasons, and those two separate lawsuits were combined in November.

Marvel and DC Comics are both named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit with characters from each being used as examples of Midjourney’s theft.

The parties have been figuring out discovery in the case, the part where they each hand over relevant documents to each other so they can go over evidence. Documents can be relevant emails, text messages, memos, etc. Discovery has been a bumpy process with a place hashed out in February and then a dispute happening March that went before the judge.

Now, Midjourney has filed to compel the complainants to produce further documents in response Midjourney’s Requests for Production (the process of getting the documents during discovery).

In other words, Midjourney believes Disney, Universal, and/or Warner Bros. Discovery are holding back documents or there’s more documents than what they’ve received. Midjourney is asking a judge to step in to make them hand over more documents to Midjourney. This is a pretty big action, much like going to a teacher to settle a dispute you should be able to have handled yourselves.

In the world of discovery, this is potentially a big deal and shows this court case might be having some drama and animosity behind the scenes.

Below is the main motion and we’ll update with more supporting documents when we can.

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Happy 18th Birthday to Graphic Policy. Thank you all!

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18th birthday

At 5:23:42pm on March 26, 2008, Graphic Policy launched with its first article ever. Yes, it was a rather random time, but it began a journey that’s now eighteen years in the making. It’s been a hell of a ride that’s taken me to places I’d never imagine, meeting people I never thought I would, and opportunities I never contemplated. It led to this site, podcasts, a YouTube channel, and spinoff site focused on games, Board Game Today (which is now back as a part of this site). It’s been an adventure that has been exhausting but worth it.

We’re over 117,000 posts in 18 years. That’s around 18 articles/posts a day since the beginning. There’s over to 22 million minutes watched of GPTV on YouTube. That’s over 15,337 days of watched video, around 42 years! We’ve aired 589 episodes of Graphic Policy Radio resulting in hundreds of thousands of listens. Those Two Geeks is at 330 episodes, we also have a podcast focused on tabletop gaming Ready Nerd, Go!, Ink and Imagination exploring the history of comics, as well as Comic Shoot which launched this year. And all of this from visitors from around the world.

I want to say thank you. Thank you for the millions that have visited the site, the millions that have viewed us on YouTube, the tens of thousands that follow us on social networks. From the bottom of my heart thank you. Without you, there’d be no point in doing all of this (it’d just be a journal for ourselves).

Beyond the readers and community, I want to thank the publishers, the public relation teams, the creators who have spent time with us, given us the time of day, worked with us, and trusted us to cover you all. Without you as well, this site would be much more difficult to do and honestly probably too costly to do properly.

And to the contributors. There’s been dozens of you over the years and every one has brought something unique and special to the site with a view that I have found interesting and a voice that I’m proud to have helped get out there.

The site has helped stock a little library, donated to local libraries, and run a afterschool club focused on comics for elementary kids. It has helped spread the joy of comics to others. It has helped raise funds for charities and just attempted to do good, not just promote comics. It has gotten folks excited about comics and discover there’s something for everyone.

One of the focuses of this site has been community. I like to support comics, creators, publishers, and enjoy talking to fans. There are many great places to have conversations with fans and share our love and there are places that are downright toxic. One thing I’m proud of is keeping that toxicity away from this site. We’re here because we love comics and I hope that shows.

It’s been eighteen years and thank you for being a part of that. Here’s to eighteen more and beyond.

Brett Schenker
Founder/Blogger in Chief
Graphic Policy

Exclusive Preview: Alien: King Killer #1

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Alien: King Killer #1

(W) Saladin Ahmed (A) Carlos Nieto (CA) David Yardin

When humanity has already lost the war against the Xenomorphs, what remains? Set on a planet overrun by the savage alien species, the dregs of humanity cling to the protection of the mysterious siblings known as the Three Kings. But these warlords have a fourth sibling who is out for revenge — and the humans’ remaining protectors are harboring secrets deadlier than the aliens outside their gates. The first chapter in one of the most epic — and darkest — eras of the ALIEN universe!

Alien: King Killer #1

Exclusive: Magik shines in Jay Anacleto’s X-Men #32 Variant Cover

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While the X-Men’s rescue mission was compromised by the identity of the mutant they were tracking, it’s now completely shot to hell by the intervention of Department H! Normally, not a problem for the X-Men, but the Science Team wasn’t a group assembled for battle.

From writer Jed MacKay, art by Tony S. Daniel, color by Fernando Sifuentes, and lettering by Clayton Cowles, X-Men #32 arrives June 24, 2026.

We have the exclusive reveal of Jay Anacleto‘s variant cover featuring Magik striking a hell of a pose.

X-Men #32 Jay Anacleto variant cover

Applications for Binc’s Kamil Writers Prize Open March 25, 2026

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Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation

Thanks to the Susan Kamil Emerging Writers Prize administered by the Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation, five aspiring writer-booksellers or creator-comic retailers will each receive $10,000 to focus on a full-length manuscript. The application period for the final year of the prize will start March 25 and run through April 22, 2026. You can learn more about eligibility.

Any writer working on a full-length manuscript, graphic novel, or comic who is currently employed at a physical book or comic store in the U.S. and has been for a minimum of three months is eligible.

The prize was established by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and bestselling author Charles Duhigg and his wife, Liz Alter, a professor of biology at California State University Monterey Bay. Kamil was executive vice president and publisher of Random House when she died in 2019. Her publishing career, spanning more than 40 years, began in the 1970s working in the children’s book division of Macmillan Publishers. Over those years she was known for recognizing new literary voices and introducing them to the public.

The following panel of judges will award the writing prizes:

Emma Aprile works as a copyeditor of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for independent presses, and as a part-time bookseller at her local independent bookstore, Carmichael’s Bookstore, in Louisville, Kentucky.  

Gayle Brandeis is the author of nine books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, most recently Drawing Breath: Essays on Writing, the Body, and Loss (Overcup Press.) She and her husband Michael opened Secret World Books in Highland Park, Illinois, in 2024.

Cal Crosby, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is an owner of The King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and serves as executive director of Brain Food Books, a nonprofit providing books to under-recognized communities. He has served as a juror for the National Book Awards and the Kirkus Star Prize.

Jeanne Joesten has been a bookseller for 26 years at the first Borders Bookstore and then Literati Bookstore, both in Ann Arbor, and worked at the Borders Corporate Office in the Store Operation Department. Jeanne “retired” from Literati but still does the frontlist university press ordering.

Erika Mantz spent more than 20 years in public higher education communications and marketing after working as a daily newspaper reporter. She joined Binc in 2023 as communication coordinator and is an avid reader and advocate for bookstores and libraries.

Christie Roehl began her bookselling career at B Dalton, moving to Borders after college. She was a member of the Borders Group Foundation board as well as a long-term Binc board member. She currently works for the non-profit SME and volunteers on the Binc Program Committee.

CBCS is Shutting Down this April

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The collectible grading market has been an interesting one this past year with an underlying rumbling where you can’t see something exploding/imploding soon. Rumors of corruption, theft, and scams are regularly debated by groups involved in that space. One issue is the consolidation of the space like the purchase of Beckett by Collectors in December 2025 which led to a call for an investigation by a member of Congress.

Now, CBCS (Comic Book Certification Service), which is owned by Collectors, has announced they are shutting down as a distinct comic book grading entity following its acquisition by Collectors, the parent company of PSA, a competing service. CBCS was acquired by Beckett in 2017.

Collectors announced that in their acquisition of Beckett that it would remain an independent brand within Collectors and operate on its own. That included customer experience, standards around grading, marketplace, marketplace, magazines and price guides. The brand remains, just part of their service is closing.

CBCS will stop accepting new comic submissions on April 17, 2026. All submissions received before that date will be processed as normal.

It’s stated the reason for the closure is for Beckett to shift its focus on its core brand and consolidating grading services.

CBCS

The Book Industry Charitable Foundation Celebrates 30 Years

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Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation

The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation is celebrating 30 years as the only nonprofit in the country dedicated to assisting book and comic people in their greatest time of need. In those years more than 12,000 store employees and owners have been helped with over $14 million in assistance. In addition, 1,070 scholarships were awarded and 950+ mental health referrals were made.

To celebrate and ensure Binc’s longevity for the next 30 years, an anniversary gala will take place in May at the Prince George Ballroom in New York City. Thirty percent of the net proceeds from the gala will be used to build an endowment, allowing Binc to continue providing life-changing support for store owners and employees at a time when their work has become increasingly challenging. 

The gala features Sourcebooks CEO Dominique Raccah as honorary chair and best-selling author and co-owner of NYC’s Books Are Magic Emma Straub as emcee. Binc’s author ambassadors Amor Towles and Ann Patchett will be honored, and George Mrkonic will receive the Founders Award and Marco Davanzo the Unsung Hero Award.

You can see a list of the event sponsors and honorary hosts that recognize books matter, bookstores matter, booksellers matter—and Binc matters, because it ensures that the people who make these spaces possible are supported when it’s needed most. Book and comic people need your help now more than ever; please consider donating in recognition of Binc’s 30 years.

Exclusive Preview: Dungeons of Doom #3

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Dungeons of Doom #3

(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Benjamin Percy (A) Justin Mason, Robert Gill, Carlos Magno, Georges Jeanty, Karl Story
(C) GURU-eFX (L) Travis Lanham
(CA) Leinil Francis Yu, Romulo Fajardo, Jr. (VCA) Carlos Magno and Espen Grundetjern, Junggeun Yoon

DOOM’S SECRETS EXPOSED! The doors of Doom’s Dungeon have been thrown open, and his darkest secrets are unleashed! As Red Hulk’s surviving soldiers are infected by the mutant horror known as WHISPER, will Red Hulk be forced to KILL THEM before they condemn the entire planet? Meanwhile, the Hammer of Treachery and the Eye of Khonshu empower and punish all who try to wield them! What will happen when an Asgardian-cursed Hydra agent faces Wakandan agent UMBRA, empowered with the mysterious SKULL-SHAPED HERB? Many will die in this shocking conclusion… and the few who survive will not be the same!

Dungeons of Doom #3
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