(W) Louise Simonson (A) Bernard Chang (CA) Amy Reeder Rated T+ In Shops: Aug 23, 2023 SRP: $4.99
SUPERSTAR CREATORS TAKE JEAN GREY’S LEGACY TO FIERY NEW HEIGHTS! After the events of the Hellfire Gala, Jean’s life is in shambles. Mutantkind is in dire straits – and there’s nothing this founding X-Man can do. She’ll have to save herself first. And that means looking into her past – for the moment when it all went wrong – in a desperate attempt to save her and all Krakoa’s future. Legendary writer Louise Simonson returns to the X-Men with a story full of fan-favorite moments, heartrending revelations and pulse-pounding devastation!
Since 2019’s House of X, mutantkind has thrived on the island nation of Krakoa, but could it really last forever? That question will be explored and answered in Fall of X, a new era of X-Men storytelling that kicks off in next month’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1.
Epic tragedy and unforgivable betrayals will send mutantkind away from the safety of Krakoa and into one of the darkest periods in X-Men history. A new world map graphic shows just how tumultuous things will be by pinpointing where various titles and characters will end up when Fall of X begins. Fans can also get a sneak peek at what’s to come by checking out covers and story information for September’s X-Men related titles.
UNCANNY SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 5)
Written by SI SPURRIER Art by LEE GARBETT Cover by TONY DANIEL
THE NIGHTCRAWLING WALL-CRAWLER!
On the darkest of days, he is the spark in the shadows! After the devastating events of the Hellfire Gala, Kurt Wagner is on the run – and having the time of his life?! Swashbuckling about NYC in disguise, the Uncanny Wallcrawler sets aside his mutant angst and dedicates himself to the hero’s life: saving civilians, hanging with fellow wallcrawlers, battling baddies, and hunting down the best pizza on the planet. But he can’t ignore the mutant plight forever… Si Spurrier and Lee Garbett launch a joyful, sexy series that will shake Nightcrawler to his foundations – and have a hell of a good time doing it!
UNCANNY AVENGERS #2 (OF 5)
Written by GERRY DUGGAN Art and Cover by JAVIER GARRÓN
At a time when mutant and human relations are in the toilet, the Uncanny Avengers have run smack into a new BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS, and, folks, lemme tell you — they came here to beat up Avengers and X-Men and chew gum, and they’re all outta gum. Wake up, babe, a new romance hits that will make readers froth at the mouth. Plus, Ben Urich. Always the mark of a quality and important Marvel Comic. FOOM!
ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (OF 5)
Written by ED BRISSON Art by SCOTT GODLEWSKI Cover by LEONARD KIRK
REBEL ALLIANCE!
NORTHSTAR, AURORA, NEMESIS and FANG must be stopped! But what are these former ALPHA FLIGHT heroes up to that’s unleashed the fury of DEPARTMENT H and their all-new weapon: the BOX SENTINELS?!
CHILDREN OF THE VAULT #2 (OF 4)
Written by DENIZ CAMP Art by LUCA MARESCA Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
WELCOME TO THE TOMORROWTOWNS!
The Children of the Vault will bring this world into the future – kicking and screaming! In the wake of the fall of Krakoa, the Children emerge as humankind’s greatest and only saviors, defending Earth from Shi’ar attacks and supernatural sightings alike. And humanity LOVES it. Only Bishop and Cable can see through the Children’s impossible promises – but can these two old enemies work together long enough to stop them? The explosive series continues as mutantkind’s boldest soldiers prepare for war!
DARK X-MEN #2 (OF 5)
Written by STEVE FOXE Art by JONAS SCHARF Cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
SAVE THEM ALL OR DIE TRYING!
The Dark X-Men’s first “rescue mission” ended in blood and flame, the team is already at each other’s throats, and the fallen now rise against them. Plus, Madelyne Pryor makes the worst mistake possible in a horror story: Never. Ever. Split up.
JEAN GREY #2 (OF 4)
Written by LOUISE SIMONSON Art by BERNARD CHANG Cover by AMY REEDER
THE DARKEST PERIOD IN JEAN GREY’S HISTORY!
The Dark Phoenix has haunted Jean Grey since it emerged from Jamaica Bay. But what if the Phoenix had chosen…someone else? The love story of Cyclops and Jean Grey is one of the most beloved in Marvel Comics’ history. Now witness a legendary creator break their hearts – and their minds. But this is no “what if.” Jean Grey is not where she is meant to be…and neither is the rest of mutantkind. Stunning secrets will be revealed as Jean Grey lays the groundwork for her next shocking appearance in “Fall of X”!
ASTONISHING ICEMAN #2 (OF 5)
Written by STEVE ORLANDO Art by VINCENZO CARRATÙ Cover by JESÚS SAIZ
HOME IS WHERE THE HEARTBREAK IS!
The bait is set for BOBBY DRAKE as the ELEMENTS OF DOOM target his hometown! Terrorizing the town that raised ICEMAN – but to what end? They say you can’t go home again, but if Iceman can’t save the day, he might not have a home to return to!
REALM OF X #2 (OF 4)
Written by TORUNN GRØNBEKK Art by DIÓGENES NEVES Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
PROPHECY, PERIL AND POWERLESSNESS!
With her powers still on the fritz, Magik makes a desperate move to try and recover the missing Curse – but is she playing right into someone else’s nefarious plans? Plus, tempers are ready to erupt as this powder keg of a team struggles to protect their fellow mutants from the growing conflict in Vanaheim. The date of the prophecy looms ever closer–but at this rate, will the team even make it to then or will they implode before they even get a chance to prove themselves?!
X-MEN #26
Written by GERRY DUGGAN Art by STEFANO CASELLI Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
“WE’RE NOT LOSING AN X-MAN… WE’RE GAINING AN AVENGER!”
The moment we swore would never happen—heck, the moment EMMA FROST swore would never happen—is here at last! As the Frost/Stark knot is tied in INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10, Emma’s mutant family reacts to this surprise news!
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #10
Written by GERRY DUGGAN Art by JUAN FRIGERI Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Anthony Edward Stark and Emma Grace Frost…Come join the lucky couple as they exchange vows. Attire is Hellfire formal. Orchis raid to follow. Plus some exclusive wedding extras!
X-MEN RED #15
Written by AL EWING Art by YILDIRAY ÇINAR Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
SINS OF THE PAST!
Under siege in Port Prometheus, Storm readies to hold the line against the ultimate bioweapon. Meanwhile, the Fisher King finds himself tormented by his strange new abilities…and the secrets in his memory might turn the tide of the Genesis War.
X-FORCE #44
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY Art by ROBERT GILL Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
X-FORCE NO MORE?!
X-perience the FALL OF X at its most dire! X-Force is captured – but what power could possibly keep them off the grid, and who is truly to blame? With Sage, Deadpool and Domino on the outside, will the Wolverine Sentinels beat them to their quarry, or can X-Force reunite to take down the enemies of mutantkind once and for all?
IMMORTAL X-MEN #15
Written by KIERON GILLEN Art by LUCAS WERNECK Cover by MARK BROOKS
After the Gala, we wondered – did anyone survive the experience? Now we discover the real question: How long can anyone survive this?
WOLVERINE #37
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY Art by JUAN JOSÉ RYP Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
HULK AND WOLVERINE – TOGETHER AGAIN in LAST MUTANT STANDING Part 1!
Logan’s grand tour of the Marvel Universe begins here in the only way it could – face-to-face once more with the INCREDIBLE HULK! But will they meet as friends or enemies? And Wolverine hunts down his remaining three clones from Beast’s Weapons of X, for in the end, there can be only one Logan! The perfect jumping on point as Wolverine’s new status quo in the FALL OF X kicks into high gear!
Fall of X, the X-Men’s new era that marks the potential end of Krakoa as we know it, is rapidly approaching! Over the last few weeks, fans have learned about some of the exciting new series that will launch during this dark new age of mutantkind, but one has remained shrouded in mystery… until now! This August, X-Men visionary Louise Simonson, known for her franchise-defining work on classic runs of X-Factor and New Mutants, is back with an all-new Jean Grey solo series!
Fall of X will officially kick off in July’s X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1 where epic tragedy will strike and mutantkind’s future will spiral into uncertainty. Throughout this period of turmoil, Jean Grey, the heart of the X-Men, holds the key to rescue mutantkind, but first she’ll need to go on a journey alone into the darkest periods of her history. Joined by artist Bernard Chang, Simonson will reveal senses-shattering new insights behind key moments in Jean’s past including her early days with the X-Men, her breathtaking first interaction with the Phoenix Force, her shocking confrontation with Madelyne Pryor, and more. Each chapter will be packed with heartbreaking secrets and pulse-pounding mystery as Jean discovers the truth of what’s happening and what she must do… From the ashes of Jean’s past comes the only hope for the X-Men’s salvation!
After the events of the Hellfire Gala, Jean’s life is in shambles. Mutantkind is in dire straits – and there’s nothing this founding X-Man can do. She’ll have to save herself first. And that means looking into her past – for the moment when it all went wrong – in a desperate attempt to save her and all Krakoa’s future!
Check out Amy Reeder’s fantastical cover for Jean Grey #1 now and be there when Simonson and Chang take Jean Grey’s legacy to fiery new heights this August!
The 2023 Baltimore Comic-Con will be held at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on September 8-10. The Baltimore Comic-Con has announced Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Cheung, Matthew Loux, Louise and Walter Simonson, and Thom Zahler as comics guests at the 2023 event. Buy tickets online now.
Brian Michael Bendis is a Peabody award winning comics creator, and an Amazon and New York Times bestseller most known for co-creating Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, Riri Williams, Maria Hill, Naomi, and dozens of other characters and stories that populate the Marvel, DC, and all new original universes.
The JINXWORLD line of creator-owned comics can be found at the legendary Dark Horse Comics. These titles include the new sci-fi epic Joy Operations (with co-creator Stephen Byrne), the hit action comedy The Ones (with co creator Jacob Edgar), the Yakuza romance Pearl (with Jessica Jones co-creator Michael Gaydos), the comic book industry spy thriller Cover (with David Mack), and the alternate history mob story Murder Inc. (with Powers co-creator Mike Avon Oeming).
Phenomena, the first in a new YA graphic novel series by Brian and artist Andre Lima Araujo is out from Abrams ComicArts.
Brian is Executive Producer and consultant for the Academy Aaward-winning hit Sony feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its coming sequels. Miles Morales was co-created by Brian and Sara Pichelli.
Brian won a Peabody Award for his work as the co-creator of Jessica Jones on Disney Plus. Riri Williams made her debut in Wakanda Forever and will star later this year in her own show on Disney Plus.
The announcement of Brian’s multi-faceted move to DC Entertainment after a near twenty year run at Marvel made international headlines and trended worldwide. Brian made his DC debut in the landmark Action Comics 1000 and curated Wonder Comics, featuring the return of Young Justice, Dial H for Hero, Wonder Twins, and the breakout original new character… Naomi. Naomi was adapted by Ava DuVernay and Array into a show on the CW.
Brian’s best selling Substack newsletter is currently rolling out an all new text book, Creation, a sort of sequel to the Amazon number one Words for Pictures, an intricate look at the creation of comic books and graphic novels. Substack is also home to Brian’s Masterclass and the brand new autobiography, Fortune and Glory: The Musical.
Over the years at Marvel Entertainment, Brian completed historic runs on Spider-Man (18 years), Avengers (9 years), Iron Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy, plus a 100-issue run on the X-Men franchise, along with the wildly successful “event” projects Avengers Versus X-Men, House of M, Secret War, Secret Invasion, Age of Ultron, Civil War 2, and Siege.
Brian was one of the premiere architects of Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics.
Previously, Brian was part of the Marvel creative committee which helped set the foundation of the MCU. He consulted for all of the Marvel movies from the first Iron Man all the way through to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.
Brian received an Honorary Doctorate in the Arts from the Cleveland Institute of Art and a Certificate of Excellence from the Central Intelligence Agency for his work on diversity issues. Brian has won five Eisner Awards, including “Best Writer of the Year” two years in a row, and was honored with the prestigious Inkpot Award for comic art excellence. Brian is the recipient of the Cleveland Press “Excellence in Journalism” Award.
He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Alisa, his daughters Olivia, Tabatha, Sabrina, his son London, and his dogs Splenda and Bowie.
Brian’s TED talk, MIT lecture, and appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers are available for viewing at Jinxworld.com.
Jim Cheung originally hails from the sunny land of Great Britain, and landed his first professional penciling job at Marvel UK in the mid 90s. From there, he went on to establish himself on titles such as Iron Man and X-Force for Marvel US, and in 2000, he moved to the US to co-create and launch Scion for Crossgen Comics. After Scion, he worked exclusively for Marvel Comics for over 15 years, creating titles such as Infinity, which spawned the Avengers: Infinity War movie, and the award-winning Young Avengers!
Jim is currently working on various covers for Marvel and DC.
Past credits include Justice League for DC Comics, and numerous titles for Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man: The Clone Conspiracy, Avengers vs. X-Men, New Avengers, Illuminati, and Original Sin. Further credits include work for The New York Times, ESPN, Mattel, Blizzard Entertainment, The Royal Mail, Amazon, Skybound Entertainment, Todd McFarlane Productions, IDW, The Village Voice, Dorling Kindersley (DK Books), The Daily Mirror, Dynamite Comics, The Folio Society, and Upper Deck.
Mike Hawthorne has provided the artwork for various comics, including a record setting run on Deadpool as well as Daredevil, Spider-Man, Hulk, Superman, and more. His work has been nominated for Harvey and Eisner Awards. Outside of comics, Mike has done storyboard and conceptual art for Epic Games, Marvel, Fox, Illumination, and Universal. Archaia/BOOM! Studios recently published his autobio-comic Happiness Will Follow.
Matthew Loux is the author and artist of the graphic novels Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring, The Time Museum series, Sidescrollers, and the Salt Water Taffy series. His books have been included on the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list and the Texas Library Association’s Maverick list, garnered a Panda Book Award, and been nominated for the RI Children’s Book Award. He also illustrated F-Stop and the board comic Good Night Gabbaland based on the Nick Jr. television show Yo Gabba Gabba.
Louise Simonson has, like her husband Walter, contributed significantly to the comic book industry. “Weezie”, as she is known, began her comics career as an editor at Warren Publishing before leaving for Marvel to edit titles including X-Men, New Mutants, and Star Wars. Departing the editorial role in favor of writing, Weezie has contributed to storylines in Marvel’s Marvel Team-Up, Web of Spider-Man, and Red Sonja, and was responsible for the introduction of Apocalypse in X-Factor as well as the launch of Power Pack. At DC Comics, she worked on Superman: The Man of Steel and The Adventures of Superman.
Walter Simonson has made vast contributions to comics publishing, as a writer, an artist, and even in founding publishing imprints. He was recognized in 2012 at the Harvey Awards in Special Award for Excellence in Production/Presentation and Best Domestic Reprint Project for Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor, Artist’s Edition from IDW, and in 2013 for Alien: The Illustrated Story from Titan Books for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work. He also received the Hero Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 at the Harvey Awards. Walt’s career began in the 1970s at DC Comics, where he worked on titles such as Weird War Tales, Manhunter, Metal Men, Orion, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Vigilante, and Hercules Unbound. Over at Marvel Comics, Simonson has had numerous noteworthy runs, including The Rampaging Hulk magazine, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, and Thor, on which he was responsible for the introduction of Beta Ray Bill and Thor as a frog.
Thom Zahler is a comic book creator and animation writer. He created the Line Webtoons hit series Cupid’s Arrows and Warning Label as well as the Harvey-nominated Love and Capes (recently with new volumes “The Family Way” and the Ringo-nominated “In the Time of Covid”), Long Distance, and the time-traveling wine comic Time and Vine. He also writes and draws for IDW’s successful My Little Pony series, and has written for Disney Tsum Tsum Kingdom, Star Trek Waypoint, and more. He has written for Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man and Knights of the Zodiac.
This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Sarah Andersen (Sarah’s Scribbles), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Brian Michael Bendis (Action Comics), Jon Bogdanove (The Death of Superman), Judy Bogdanove (Steel Annual), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jim Cheung (Young Avengers), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Amy Chu (KISS: The End), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Abby Denson (Uniquely Japan), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Jan Duursema (Star Wars: The High Republic), Garth Ennis (The Boys), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Mike Grell (Jon Sable), Gene Ha (Mae), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Greg Hildebrandt (Star Wars), Jeff Lemire (Black Hammer), Matthew Loux (Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring), Kevin Maguire (Justice League), Tom Mandrake (Spectre), Laura Martin (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Adriana Melo (Action Comics), Pop Mhan (Gears of War 3), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Ed Piskor (Red Room: Trigger Warnings), Joe Prado (Superman), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Steve Rude (Nexus), Jim Rugg (Hulk Grand Design), Andy Runton (Owly), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), John Workman (Wild Things), and Thom Zahler (Love and Capes).
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown.
I don’t remember the first time I read this story, but it was likely in the UK reprint magazine Wolverine Unleashed in the mid to late 90’s. That was also the last time I read it, so when I saw the collected edition at my LCS for $15 I couldn’t pass it up – now because Wolverine is a little bit more marketable than Havok, the trade was just called Wolverine: Meltdown.
Originally published in the late 80’s, Meltdown was written by Walter and Louise Simonson, with illustrations by John J. Muth and Kent Williams. The story is set around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of the mid 80’s, and finds Havok and Wolverine caught up in the midst of a plot to end the world in nuclear war from the shadows. The art has a wonderful painted look to it at times, but the artists aren’t afraid to experiment with multiple forms of media throughout the book. It’s a choice that is divisive to some – I’ll freely admit when I was younger the art did nothing for me, but I enjoyed the story a fair bit, whereas now I find myself absorbed in the art more than the writing which is a strange twist on how I usually find myself feeling when coming back to stories I haven’t read in 20 some years.
It’s easy to imagine the way this story would have felt when initially released as it presents another possibility behind the Chernobyl disaster as an intentional act to snare the X-Men. Looking back now, it’s a great premise to a story, and one that still holds up despite the very specific time setting. Admittedly, I’ve no idea or memory as to how in continuity/canon this story is within the X-Universe but the story is entertaining enough to allow you to just enjoy it as is, and seeing Wolverine and Havok team up together is still a relatively rare event even today – and while I’m probably in the minority here, I’d love to see more chances for these two mutants to come together on the page.
The main reason I wanted to talk about this book today is solely because it’s a story that I’d completely forgotten about. This isn’t one of the classic Wolverine or X-Men stories that people will talk about, and honestly nor should it be, but it’s still an enjoyable tale that still stands the test of time; admittedly it’s the artwork that will pull you in more than the story, because this is a book that just looks utterly fantastic. The art is at times risky and pushes the envelope of what comics would typically feature 30 years ago (and yet is far more common today). Do yourself a favour and check this story out if you can – it’s a four issue mini series that shouldn’t break the bank if you hunt the individual issues.
Unless the comics industry ceases any and all publication look for a future installment of Underrated to cover more comics that aren’t cracking the top 100.
(W) Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway (A) Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Butch Guice, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, more In Shops: Nov 08, 2022 SRP: $10.99
Written by DAN JURGENS, ROGER STERN, LOUISE SIMONSON, and JERRY ORDWAY. Art by DAN JURGENS, BRETT BREEDING, BUTCH GUICE, JON BOGDANOVE, TOM GRUMMETT, and more! 30 years ago, the unthinkable happened. The Man of Steel died. After sacrificing himself to stop the unstoppable global threat, Doomsday, Metropolis and the rest of the DC Universe mourned the loss of their greatest hero. To mark this monumental moment in comics, DC has reunited the complete creative team behind the original event for four brand-new stories. Led by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, the special kicks off with a new Superman story and villain…DOOMBREAKER! Followed by a series of short stories revisiting some of Superman’s greatest allies and exclusive pinups done by some of comics’ greatest artistic talent including LEE WEEKS, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and WALTER SIMONSON. • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER. • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective. • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective. • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.
(W) Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway (A) Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Butch Guice, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, more In Shops: Nov 08, 2022 SRP: $10.99
Written by DAN JURGENS, ROGER STERN, LOUISE SIMONSON, and JERRY ORDWAY. Art by DAN JURGENS, BRETT BREEDING, BUTCH GUICE, JON BOGDANOVE, TOM GRUMMETT, and more! 30 years ago, the unthinkable happened. The Man of Steel died. After sacrificing himself to stop the unstoppable global threat, Doomsday, Metropolis and the rest of the DC Universe mourned the loss of their greatest hero. To mark this monumental moment in comics, DC has reunited the complete creative team behind the original event for four brand-new stories. Led by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, the special kicks off with a new Superman story and villain…DOOMBREAKER! Followed by a series of short stories revisiting some of Superman’s greatest allies and exclusive pinups done by some of comics’ greatest artistic talent including LEE WEEKS, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and WALTER SIMONSON. • “The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER. • “Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective. • “Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective. • “Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.
30 years ago, Superman sacrificed himself to defeat Doomsday. To celebrate the special anniversary of this defining moment, DC has reunited the original creative teams of Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding; Roger Stern and ButchGuice; Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove; and Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett for The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1. Available at comic shops on November 8, the comicfeatures four all-new stories that explore the lasting impact that Clark’s death had on his family and friends as well as nine pinups and variant covers by some of the top names in comics.
Each of the original creative teams from The Death of Superman has reunited to tell a story that shows how some of Superman’s biggest allies reacted during and after his fateful battle with Doomsday:
“The Life of Superman” by Dan Jurgens (W & A), Brett Breeding (A), Brad Anderson (C), and John Workman (L) – A young Jon Kent finds out in school that his dad had died years earlier, as his parents never told him about that fateful day. In the midst of dealing with this emotional news, Jon and Clark need to team up to fight a new villain connected to Doomsday called DOOMBREAKER.
“Standing Guard” by Roger Stern (W), Butch Guice (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The epic battle between Superman and Doomsday from the Guardians’ perspective.
“Time” by Louise Simonson (W), Jon Bogdanove (A), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – The story of how the death of Superman looked from John Henry Irons’s perspective.
“Above and Beyond” by Jerry Ordway (W), Tom Grummett (P), Doug Hazelwood (I), Glenn Whitmore (C), and Rob Leigh (L) – A powerful story of Ma and Pa Kent watching their son fight Doomsday live on television and going through Clark’s photo albums with the feeling that their son always prevails.
Highlighting the milestone, The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary will feature variant covers by artists including Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Dan Mora; Ivan Reis and Danny Miki; Francesco Mattina; Dan Jurgens; and Brett Breeding. Fans can also order a premium polybag variant that features a black armband with The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary logo and the main cover inside.
DC had previously announced details of The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, which will include Superman: Day of Doom #1-4 for the first time ever and will be available at comic shops and local bookstores on December 6, 2022. DC will also be releasing Superman #75 Special Editionfeaturing the original story by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, which will be available at local comic shops on November 1.
Last week, more than three dozen comic-book writers, artists, colorists, letterers, designers, and editors announced a collection of all-new comic-book stories to raise money to aid refugees in Ukraine. Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, the benefit anthology edited by Scott Dunbier, with all proceeds going to Operation USA, surpassed an initial $35,000 funding goal just twelve hours after the campaign launched, with over $113,000 from over 900 contributors raised to date. The book will be full-color, 96 pages, 8 x 12 inches, and available in both hardcover and softcover editions, with hundreds of supporters on day one. As the campaign enters a second week of funding, it is announced that Eisner Award-winner Colleen Doran, legendary illustrator Greg Hildebrandt, and celebrated cover artist Joe Jusko have joined the project.
These three creators join the incredible roster of comics talent assembled for Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds; united under the mission of providing relief to a war-torn Ukraine, which has suffered attacks from neighboring Russia since late February. There will be multiple versions available: a hardcover with a painted cover by Alex Ross, and softcover versions by Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson, and Bill Sienkiewicz. At press time, stories will be created by a virtual who’s who of writers and artists, including Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragones, June Brigman, Kurt Busiek, Howard Chaykin, Joshua Dysart, Mark Evanier, Emil Ferris, Dave Gibbons, Rob Guillory, John Layman, Gabriel Rodriguez, Stan Sakai, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Jill Thompson, Matt Wagner, Mark Waid, and more.
Apart from hard costs (printing, credit-card fees, marketing, etc.) all of the funds raised by Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds will benefit the relief efforts in Ukraine in partnership with Operation USA, so while the initial funding goal has been met, continued support will maximize the impact on the lives of those deeply affected by the ongoing war—improving conditions for Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries via the provision of emergency grants and in-kind material aid.
Operation USA supports health and education programs to help children and families at home and abroad recover and thrive in the wake of disasters, disease, violence and endemic poverty. Every day, they strive to meet the needs of under-served and overlooked populations so that future generations may have the tools they need to create meaningful change in their own communities and lives. Working with partners around the world, they empower communities to recover, build resiliency and thrive in the face of pervasive obstacles during a time of unprecedented global need. Since 1979, OpUSA has delivered $450 million in aid to 101 countries.
Disclosure: The site founder is a part of this project handling some of the marketing for Zoop
More than three dozen comic-book writers, artists, colorists, letterers, designers, and editors have announced a collection of all-new comic-book stories to raise money to aid refugees in Ukraine. Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds is a benefit anthology edited by Scott Dunbier, with all proceeds going to Operation USA. The 96 page graphic anthology will available in both hardcover and softcover editions with multiple cover choices.
The Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds anthology features an incredible roster of comics talent united under the mission of providing relief to the war-torn Ukraine, which has suffered attacks from neighboring Russia since late February. There will be multiple versions available.
Covers:
Alex Ross
Arthur Adams
Dave Johnson
Bill Sienkiewicz
Stories:
Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Wade Von Grawbadger, Alex Sinclair, Richard Starkings – New Astro City
John Layman, Rob Guillory – New Chew
Walter Simonson, Laura Martin, John Workman – New and Exclusive Star Slammers
Howard Chaykin, Nitro Yen, Ken Bruzenak – New and Exclusive American Flagg
Stan Sakai, Hi-Fi – New and Exclusive Usagi Yojimbo
Matt Wagner, Brennan Wagner – New and Exclusive Grendel
Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, Stan Sakai – New and Exclusive Groo
Jill Thompson – New and Exclusive Scary Godmother
Louise Simonson, June Brigman, Roy Richardson, Dave Stewart, John Workman – New and Exclusive short story “The Cost of War“
Dave Gibbons, Chris Sprouse, Kevin Nowlan, Laura Martin, Todd Klein – New and Exclusive short story “Hardrada“
Mark Waid, Gabriel Rodriguez, Dave Stewart, Todd Klein – A new and exclusive short story
Emil Ferris – New and Exclusive short story “Bombings“
Additional material by:
Joshua Dysart
Pia Guerra
Peter Kuper
With the exception of hard costs (printing, credit-card fees, marketing, etc.) all of the funds raised by Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds will benefit the relief efforts in Ukraine in partnership with Operation USA.
Operation USA supports health and education programs to help children and families at home and abroad recover and thrive in the wake of disasters, disease, violence and endemic poverty. Every day, we strive to meet the needs of under-served and overlooked populations so that future generations may have the tools they need to create meaningful change in their own communities and lives. Working with partners around the world, we empower communities to recover, build resiliency and thrive in the face of pervasive obstacles during a time of unprecedented global need. Since 1979, OpUSA has delivered $450 million in aid to 101 countries.
Check out the cover by Alex Ross below.
Disclosure: I am a part of this project and act as the marketing director for Zoop.
