Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro have revealed the lineup of variant covers and interior pages from the highly anticipated Energon Universe Special 2025.
First available with an exclusive cover as part ofFree Comic Book Dayon Saturday, May 3, 2025, this special serves as a perfect jumping on point for new readers and a can’t miss for longtime fans, with huge revelations in store, including the first appearance of a major character.
Discover three all new stories from the Energon Universe, with stunning revelations for the worlds of G.I. JOE, Transformers,and Void Rivalsfrom the biggest names in comics. Energon Universe talent Joshua Williamson, Robert Kirkman, and Daniel Warren Johnson pen the stories, and Andrea Milana,Conor Hughes, and Johnsonwill provide art. Andrea Milana also serves as artist for the FCBD exclusive cover.
Energon Universe Special 2025 will also be available for purchase in comic book shops on May 14, 2025, featuring the same story content as the Free Comic Book Day 2025 special with all-new can’t miss covers for collectors.
In addition to the main cover by Andrea Milana, Energon Universe Special 2025 will feature an impressive slate of variant covers by Energon Universe and top comics talent Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, Conor Hughes, E.J. Su, and Tom Reilly.
The full list of covers is below:
Energon Universe Special 2025 Cover A by Andrea Milana (Lunar Code: 0325IM287)
Energon Universe Special 2025 Cover B by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 03325IM288)
Energon Universe Special 2025 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) by Conor Hughes (Lunar Code: 0325IM289)
Energon Universe Special 2025 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by E.J. Su (Lunar Code: 0325IM290)
Energon Universe Special 2025 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code: 0325IM291)
Jason Shaw, a high school English teacher, has createdSnow Monkey a four-issue comic book series, soon to be published by Red 5 Comics, aimed at addressing the growing mental health crisis among teenagers.
The series follows 16-year-old Jennifer Gaitlin, a high school student struggling with anxiety and depression, who dons an ancient helmet that grants her the skills of every warrior who has ever worn the helmet, in the fight against her father, a crime lord,
Shaw’s goal is to provide hope and inspiration for young readers who are navigating similar challenges.
While the protagonist faces external threats in the form of her father’s dangerous students, a gang called Dragon’s Breath, she learns to manage her personal life. Through her struggles and triumphs, Snow Monkey provides a realistic yet hopeful narrative that should resonate with teens and adults alike.
Rates of anxiety and depression continue to significantly increase, with reportedly more than 30 percent of teens experiencing a mental health disorder each year. Social pressures, academic stress, and the lingering effects of the pandemic have exacerbated the crisis, leaving many teens feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
While Snow Monkey is Shaw’s first foray into professional comic book writing, he considers himself, first and foremost, a storyteller. With 35 years’ experience as a journalist, advertising copywriter and educator, he has always embraced narrative forms as a means to communicate to an audience.
Snow Monkey will make her debut in a special Free Comic Book Day 2025 title alongside other Red 5 Comics young adult series, Enigmatown and Something Beyond the Petrichor. This exclusive comic will give readers a first look at Jennifer’s world and the challenges she faces, setting the stage for the miniseries, which debuts May 7, 2025. The Snow Monkey comic series can be ordered from comic book retailers and at red5comics.com.
9x diamond-certified GRAMMY Award-nominated Post Malone, Vault Comics, and Platinum Dunes team up to bring Post Malone’s Big Rig to Free Comic Book Day 2025. An original story created by the global superstar, Big Rig is written by Post Malone and Adrian Wassel, and drawn by Nathan Gooden. The first chapter will be released exclusively at local comic shops on Free Comic Book Day 2025. Free Comic Book Day takes place on May 3, 2025.
Evil Dead meets Mad Max: Fury Road in this story set in medieval Europe, where the only thing standing in the way of the horde of demons infesting the continent is a mysterious armored 18-wheeler seemingly sent from the heavens.
Alongside the graphic novel, Post Malone, Platinum Dunes, and Vault are developing a feature film adaptation together with director Michael Bay.
The complete graphic novel will be available later in 2025, with a release date to be announced.
THEY PRAYED FOR A MIRACLE. THEY GOT 25 TONS AND 18 WHEELS OF HOLY WEAPON.
BIG RIG, created by Post Malone.
The Dark Ages…Demon hordes plague Europe as Hell invades Earth. The Six Petals, a secret sect of The Knights Templar, are in desperate need of a means to drive back the scourge and turn the tide of the onslaught. What crashes to earth is The Rig, a fully loaded tractor trailer. In the aftermath of its arrival, the only man left standing is an enigmatic former priest excommunicated from The Six Petals. He will become Trucker and lead the fight against Hell behind the wheel of a demon-slaying machine.
Written by Post Malone and Adrian Wassel. Drawn by Barbaric co-creator and Dark Knights of Steel artist Nathan Gooden.
DC is celebrating Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), Saturday, May 3, with a can’t-miss selection of free comics showcasing their 2025 All In publishing plans and two new original graphic novels for Early and Middle Grade readers, available exclusively at local participating comic shops (available while supplies last). Additionally, DC’s All In FCBD flipbook will be available free-to-read with registration on DC Universe Infinite.
First up in DC’s FCBD flipbook, the core-line DC Universe soars into Superman action with the dazzling debut of superstar writer Dan Slott alongside acclaimed artist Rafael Albuquerque and colorist Marcelo Maiolo! In this special “zero issue” installment of the forthcoming Superman Unlimited ongoing series, you will witness the prelude to the biggest Superman comic book adventure of the year, as well as an ominous new threat from the heavens that will change the course of Kryptonian life on planet Earth as we know it!
Then, on the flip side of DC’s FCBD flipbook, DC’s Absolute Universe expands in a new story by Jeff Lemire, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Stefano Nesi. Dark forces begin to gather in the shadows… forces that have been waiting a very long time to shape events and seize control. All the while, a mysterious figure watches—but who is this powerful new character, and what do they want with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the emerging heroes?
DC All In/Absolute Universe 2025 FCBD Special Edition, a flipbook written by Dan Slott and Jeff Lemire with art by Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Stefano Nesi, will be available exclusively at local participating comic shops on May 3 (available while supplies last). An additional foil variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Frank Martin will be available for purchase for $4.99 US.
In Superman’s Good Guy Gang, eight-year-old Clark Kent is pretty super: super-fast, super-strong, and super-cool! But being so super can also be super lonely, until he meets fellow super-powered kids Kendra Saunders and Guy Gardner, a.k.a. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern! Together, they’ll form a club where other supers can be themselves, test their powers, grow together, and maybe earn some good-guy points along the way. Future books in the series will include Mr. Terrific, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more as the Good Guy Gang grows!
DC’s Superman’s Good Guy Gang 2025 FCBD Special Edition includes a chapter of the new super-powered buddy comedy from the creator behind Death and Sparkles, Rob Justus, and launches DC’s Early Reader initiative timed to DC’s Summer of Superman! Fans will delight in seeing characters from the film featured in this charming story perfect for first-time readers aged 5-7.
And in Kanga-U: Tests And Tournamentsby writer Sholly Fisch and artist Yancey Labat, is Jumpa ready to hop into action? Wonder Woman’s home island of Themyscira holds many surprises…the most adorable having floppy ears and long tails! Kangas are companions and partners of the Amazons, beloved steeds and protectors of their bonded warriors. And on the island, a school exists to train the next generation of kangas for the many battles and challenges of the future.
Bonding Day, the long-awaited time when Amazons are matched up with newly trained kangas to make the perfect pairs, is finally here. This special event only happens once every 20 years, but this Bonding Day is unlike any other because this is the year when Princess Diana—the only teenager on Themyscira—will choose a kanga for the first time.
Jumpa has been training hard to compete in the Tournament of Kangas, where all the kangas get to show off what they can do. She knows she has what it takes to match with the princess. The only catch is her friends Skippa, Rooth, Goldie, and Big Red are all determined to do the same—and the competition is fierce.
When Ares arrives on the island with a threat that forces the festivities to be canceled, Jumpa must convince her friends to work together for the good of Themyscira and to protect the princess they admire.
DC’s Kanga-U 2025 FCBD Special Edition features an excerpt from the middle grade original graphic novel by writer Sholly Fisch and artist Yancey Labat. Fans will be charmed by this graphic novel suitable for readers aged 8-12.
DC has announced Superman Unlimited by Dan Slott and Rafael Albuquerque, launching on May 21, 2025. Dan Slott, known for his expansive world-building as the writer of AmazingSpider-Man, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, She-Hulk, Mighty Avengers, Superior Spider-Man and more, makes his DC ongoing comic book series debut with Superman Unlimited.
Superman Unlimited will be a driving force and key title in DC’s upcoming All In “Summer of Superman” publishing initiative, along with DC’s Action Comics and Superman comic book series, and more. It will feature limited and ongoing series starring Superboy, Supergirl, Krypto, and more, and the event will highlight DC’s deep roster of Superman-related characters. Look for more “Summer of Superman” news in the coming weeks!
The new ongoing series will launch with a 10-page prelude by Slott and Albuquerque in DC All In 2025 FCBD Special Edition #1 on Saturday, May 3, as part of DC’s Free Comic Book Day programming. This is the perfect time for both regular comic book readers and new readers to jump on board for an all-new era for Superman!
To kick off DC’s Superman Unlimited series in May, a massive extinction-level Kryptonite asteroid showers Superman’s greatest weakness down upon the earth, creating an arms race for the new most valuable resource on the planet: Green K. The greater availability of Kryptonite in the DC Universe changes the balance of power in the criminal empires of Metropolis and across the globe: Intergang, under new leadership, is on the rise, with practically all their foot soldiers carrying at least one clip of Kryptonite bullets on them. The asteroid left massive Kryptonite deposits to be mined, and it houses unlimited horrors yet to be unpacked. To survive, Superman will need to forge new alliances, new tech and new tactics if he hopes to carry on his quest for truth, justice and a better tomorrow!
Superman Unlimited won’t just provide Superman’s nemeses with near-unlimited Kryptonite: the Daily Planet gets an upgrade. A merger with a new incarnation of Morgan Edge’s Galaxy Communications expands the Daily Planet brand into a multimedia news platform with a cable news channel, website, strong social media presence, and—yes—Lois Lane is still editor in chief. Daily Planet regulars Jimmy Olsen, Ron Troupe, Cat Grant and Steve Lombard will staff satellite branches across the DC universe, creating a global network. Behind it all is the tech savvy of a new IT specialist from Gorilla City, King Solovar’s goddaughter, Tee-Nah.
Superman Unlimited #1, written by Dan Slott with art and cover by Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo, that will retail at $4.99 US while card stock variants will retail at $5.99 US.
Fans can get a first look at the major Marvel stories to enjoy on Free Comic Book Day! Free Comic Book Day is on May 3 this year, and once again, Marvel Comics celebrates this exciting day for the industry with something for every fan! Readers can look forward to seeing creators and characters from different cultures, communities, and identities spotlighted in a special Free Comic Book edition of Marvel’s Voices.
Free Comic Book Day 2025: Ironheart/Marvel’s Voices #1 is written by Justina Ireland, and more and features art by Julian Shaw and more.
CELEBRATING A YEAR OF MARVEL’S VOICES WITH A BRAND-NEW STORY STARRING IRONHEART!
Bestselling writer Justina Ireland blasts Ironheart into Chicago’s past for a story of Black innovation through the ages! And explore the past year of Voices anthologies with selections from Mystique and Destiny’s star-studded wedding issue, Patriot’s explosive return to super-heroing, the introduction of a brand-new Ghost Rider and more!
Fans can get a first look at the major Marvel stories to enjoy on Free Comic Book Day! Free Comic Book Day is on May 3 this year, and once again, Marvel Comics celebrates this exciting day for the industry with something for every fan! Readers can look forward to exploring what’s to come in the galaxy far, far away with Star Wars!
Free Comic Book Day 2025: Star Wars #1 is written by Alex Segura, Charles Soule, and Marc Guggenheim with art by Phil Noto, Luke Ross, Stefano Raffaele, and Madibek Musabekov.
LUKE SKYWALKER finds himself in a wretched hive of scum and villainy facing off against pirates! JEDI KNIGHTS QUI-GON JINN & TENSU RUN are on the hunt for the villainous CORLIS RATH! Who is the mysterious VANEE and what is his connection to DARTH VADER & KYLO REN?
Fans can get a first look at the major Marvel stories to enjoy on Free Comic Book Day! Free Comic Book Day is on May 3 this year, and once again, Marvel Comics celebrates this exciting day for the industry with something for every fan! Readers can look forward to the entry points for all-new eras of Fantastic Four and a prelude to an upcoming X-Men saga!
Free Comic Book Day 2025: Fantastic Four/Giant-Size X-Men #1 is written by Ryan North, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Chip Zdarsky. It features art by Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado, Chip Zdarsky, and Iban Coello.
In advance of Marvel’s First Family arriving on the big screen this summer, Ryan North and Humberto Ramos craft an unusual story in which the FANTASTIC FOUR respond to a most unusual interdimensional summons! And on the eve of the birth of the ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT X-MEN, there is one extra mutant in attendance. WHO is it? Only Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing can tell you! Plus, ANOTHER surprise from Chip Zdarsky! We’re simply too good to you!
Fans of the longrunning, bestselling I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young won’t want to miss out on the special Free Comic Book Day 2025 edition available in May 2025 at participating local comic book shops.
In celebration of the series’ 10 year anniversary, Young takes a stroll down memory lane providing behind-the-scenes commentary as he revisits various iconic and beloved Fairyland kingdoms—and some of Gert’s most infamous stomping (literal) grounds.
Fans may also be treated to a sneak glimpse of what new I Hate Fairyland adventures await them…
FCBD 2025 I Hate Fairyland (Lunar Code 1224IM252, Diamond Code DEC240005)will be available at participating local comic book shops on Saturday, May 3.
Plan ahead to visit a local comic shop on Friday, May 2, 2025 for Free Comic Book Day! Dark Horse Comics presents this year’s Free Comic Book Day Silver issue, which will feature two original stories from the worlds of Critical Role and Black Hammer.
Are you ready to campaign in the fantastical world of Exandria and adventure with superheroes in alternate dimensions? Then let’s dive into this year’s featured comics:
In Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins – Acquired Taste, Beau and Caleb get a tip that an individual they are searching for will be at a meeting at the Taste of Tal’Dorei in Bassuras. When they arrive, the pair are surprised to be treated to some dinner theater and decor themed around a legendary band of adventurers from the area. They get entranced by the story, even experiencing it themselves, only to be interrupted by some interesting new faces entering the restaurant . . .
In Black Hammer: To Tomorrow! Colonel Weird takes a jaunt through the ages, passing old friends and foes along the way. He travels from the beginning when pulp heroes stalked the streets, through the Golden Age of heroes, the fall of Black Hammer, and the rise of a new set of heroes. This is a look at the past and potential future of Black Hammer!
The Critical Role FCBD short is written by Sam Maggs, with art, colors, and cover art by Leonardo Cino and letters by Ariana Maher.Black Hammer: To Tomorrow! is written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Letizia Cadonici, colors by Dave Stewart , and letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot.
