Author Archives: Graphic Policy Team

Fantastic Four: First Foes reveals the origin of Shalla-Bal from Fantastic Four: First Steps

I herald his beginning. I herald your end. I herald… Galactus!

Those haunting words uttered by Shalla-Bal spurred Marvel’s First Family into action this past summer in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This June, discover more about the Silver Surfer of Earth-828 in Fantastic Four: First Foes – Shalla-Bal #1, a comic book one-shot by acclaimed writer Charles Soule and superstar artist Mark Buckingham, returning following his work on previous The Fantastic Four: First Steps tie-in one-shots, including Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 and the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Foes #1.

Each one-shot is set in the world of the blockbuster film, expanding on its history by revealing the team’s earliest adventures as well as the origins of their legendary adversaries. Who was Shalla-Bal before Galactus appointed her with a dark, cosmic destiny? The Fantastic Four: First Steps offered an exciting glimpse, and now, it’s time to learn the entire truth!

THE ORIGINS OF SHALLA-BAL!

Years ago, in order to save her planet, astronomer Shalla-Bal gave up her freedom to become the sustenance-seeking Herald of the intergalactic Devourer of Worlds, Galactus! Now, for the first time, learn the secrets of her transformation, her journey and the horrifying decisions that she had to make!

Pick up Fantastic Four: First Foes #1 on March 25 and preorder Fantastic Four: First Foes – Shalla-Bal #1 at your local comic shop. Stay tuned in the months ahead for learn about more Fantastic Four: First Foes one-shots coming later this year!

Fantastic Four: First Foes – Shalla-Bal #1

The Biggest Megatron Story Ever Begins in Transformers #31 by Robert Kirkman and Ludo Lullabi

Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro have shared a first look at Transformers #31, the next chapter of the two-time Eisner Award winning series from the powerhouse creative team ofwriter Robert Kirkman, artist Ludo Lullabi, colorist Mike Spicer, and letterer Rus Wooton.

Transformers #31 is a standalone, unforgettable Megatron story that kicks off the new story arc of the tentpole Energon Universe series, available on shelves in comic book shops April 8, 2026

The secret of Megatron revealed!  

Megatron has a vision that will change the course of his life…and no one in the Energon Universe is safe. 

In addition to the main cover by artist David Nakayama, the lineup of variant covers for Transformers #31 includes an open-to-order cover B by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, a 1:10 incentive variant by Pye Parra 1:25 incentive variant by Manabu Yashiro, a 1:50 incentive variant by Ludo Lullabi, a 1:100 incentive foil variant by Patricia Martín, and a blank sketch cover. 

Transformers #31

The full list of variant covers is below: 

  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover A by David Nakayama (Lunar Code: 0226IM0463) 
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover B by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 0226IM0464) 
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by Pye Parr (Lunar Code: 0226IM0465) 
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Manabu Yashiro (Lunar Code: 0226IM0466) 
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Ludo Lullabi (Lunar Code: 0226IM0467) 
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover F (Foil) (1:100 Copy Incentive) by Patricia Martín (Lunar Code: 0226IM0468)
  • TRANSFORMERS #31 Cover G Blank Sketch Cover (Lunar Code: 0226IM0468) 

Limited Run Games’ MARVEL MaXimum Collection goes up for Pre-Order on March 27 Limited Run Games

Experience every pixelated punch, web-swing, and optic blast across multiple platforms. Limited Run Games hasn’t just picked a favorite version—every major console and arcade iteration is included. Whether you grew up with a controller in your hand or a roll of quarters in your pocket, the MARVEL MaXimum Collection is the ultimate tribute to the True Believers. It goes up for pre-order March 27 to be shipped later in the year.

X-Men: The Arcade Game (Arcade): 

The definitive mutant beat-’em-up returns! Experience the legendary cabinet action with full online multiplayer support for up to 6 players, including Rollback Netcode. Choose your favorite X-Men and take on Magneto’s army with the ultimate team-up experience.

Captain America and The Avengers (Arcade, MEGA, 8-bit): 

“I can’t move!” Take control of Cap, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Vision. Experience the cinematic arcade original or the unique platforming spin of the 8-bit version.

Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage (SUPER, MEGA): 

Based on the iconic comic crossover. Battle through the streets of NYC to the sound of a 16-bit rock soundtrack. Switch between the SUPER version’s rich colors and the MEGA version’s gritty vibe.

Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety (SUPER, MEGA): 

The symbiote sequel! Team up in 2-player co-op to take on the Life Foundation and Carnage’s offspring.

Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade’s Revenge (SUPER, MEGA, PORTABLE, GEAR): 

Navigate Arcade’s deadly “Murderworld.” This collection includes the handheld versions, offering a fascinating look at Marvel history on the go.

Silver Surfer (8-Bit): 

Test your skills against one of the most infamously challenging shooters ever made. Features one of the greatest soundtracks in 8-bit history.

MaXimum Features

Limited Run Games has added modern bells and whistles to ensure these classics are more playable than ever:

  • X-Men: The Arcade Game Online: Online multiplayer for up to 6 players with Rollback Netcode!
  • Archives: Dive into a digital archive featuring high-resolution scans of original box art, instruction manuals, and vintage advertisements.
  • Music Player: Kick back and listen to the iconic chip-tune scores from every version of every game in the collection.
  • Integrated CHEATS menu: Enable Infinite Lives and more in selected games
  • Rewind & Save States: Finally conquer the “Deadly Walls” of Silver Surfer or the boss gauntlets of Arcade’s Revenge with the ability to rewind gameplay and save anywhere.
  • Display Options: Play with crisp, modern pixels or recreate the Saturday morning experience with CRT and scanline filters.

“Psycho-Vision” debuts in Fort Psycho #1 – A New Leap-Forward for Comic Book Printing Technology

In 1931, Bell Laboratories introduced high-fidelity, forever altering man’s relationship to music. In 1939, Technicolor revolutionized the aesthetic of cinema – producing deeper, more immersive images on film that instantly conjured “movie magic” for viewers around the world. Now, nearly a century later, Oni Press and Flux House introduce “Psycho-Vision” – a new, wholly unique combination of print processes developed for the upcoming, August 2026 debut of Fort Psycho #1 that will maximize the power of comic book storytelling in the most aggressive and high intensity manner ever attempted on the printed page. 

Debuting first on Fort Psycho #1 and continuing across of all 12 issues of the highly explosive new maxi-series from New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt and powerhouse artist Brian Hurtt, “Psycho-Vision” will up the ante with upgrades across five distinct categories:

  • MAXIMIZED COLOR: Pantone-keyed covers for each issue by series co-creator Brian Hurtt specifically engineered to capture specific colors otherwise impossible to print under the standard CMYK process.
  • MAXIMIZED QUALITY: Heavy-duty, 10 pt. cardstock covers on each issue – so sturdy they could take a bullet! 
  • MAXIMIZED CONTENT: Each issue of FORT PSYCHO will be delivered completely free of external advertising and come packed with exclusive back matter, beginning with its double-sized 40-page first issue in August 2026. 
  • MAXIMIZED LANGUAGE: When it comes to telling the tightly wound, 12-part tale of disgraced super-spies exiled to an island prison stocked with trained killers, secret betrayals, and the long-buried truth about the mission that brought them there … things are going to get salty. FORT PSYCHO uses all the @#$%-ing words!
  • MAXIMIZED PHYSICALITY: Due to the proprietary nature of this new printing process, the complete PSYCHO-VISION experience is only available to readers of the series’ single-issue print editions in comic shops and cannot be reproduced or approximated digitally. 

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 with The Seven Seals 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.

WARNING: YOU HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 2026 TO REACH MAXIMUM SAFE DISTANCE FROM FORT PSYCHO #1 – the brand-new, ticking time bomb of comic book firepower coming soon from master storytellers Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt with covers from series co-creator Brian Hurtt, modern master Lewis LaRosa, and more to be revealed soon! 

Stardust, Stardom, and the Cost of Going Viral. Solar Sisters arrives from Amit Tishler, Elliot Sperl, Virginia Salucci, Giulia Zucca, and Taylor Esposito

Papercutz and Mad Cave Studios invite readers to blast off into a vibrant sci-fi comedy with Solar Sisters, an all-ages original graphic novel from writers Amit Tishler and Elliot Sperl, illustrated by Virginia Salucci, colored by Giulia Zucca, and lettered by the award-winning Taylor Esposito.

Phoebe Dust’s days as a child star are over. Born and raised on the moon, she’s shocked to discover her mom’s tourist trap, the Lunar Link, is deep in debt and circling the drain. Determined to save it, Phoebe hatches a plan that accidentally rockets her alien sister, Luna, into interstellar superstardom. Overnight, the Lunar Link is swarmed with tourists, the perils of fame close in, and Nova Starr, the galaxy’s most ruthless influencer, is plotting to claw the spotlight back by any means necessary. With the forces of fame, fortune, and cutthroat rivals pulling from every direction, Phoebe must keep her family’s future from being blown into stardust.

Blending colorful worldbuilding with sharp commentary on celebrity culture, Solar Sisters explores the complicated balance between ambition, identity, and the pursuit of happiness while delivering a story packed with humor, heart, and high-stakes cosmic chaos.

Beyond the graphic novel, Solar Sisters is expanding to include an original K-Pop EP, Nova Starr: Solar Cyclone, produced by Amit Tishler and music composer Alon Kaplan, and the tabletop game Stardom: The Solar Sisters Game from Lichenwood Games and 10 Forward Productionslaunching soon on Kickstarter.

Solar Sisters goes on sale October 13, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545827772 | $12.99) and hardcover (ISBN: 9781545827789 | $17.99) formats and is now available for preorder wherever books and comics are sold, including papercutz.com. Direct Market FOC is October 14.

Solar Sisters

Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara Debuts with Marvel in the Upcoming Price Special, Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron!

Musician Tegan Quin of the Grammy-nominated pop duo Tegan and Sara will write a story in Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1, Marvel’s annual Pride special hitting stands on May 27. The singer-songwriter, who makes up one half of Tegan and Sara with her twin sister Sara, will write a story starring Marvel’s own twin super heroes, Wiccan and Speed.

This year’s one-shot spotlights family with stories centered around Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wiccan, Hulkling and more. A longtime advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Tegan brings her expertise in an epic team-up tale that tackles the complex relationship between Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd, Young Avengers and twin sons of Scarlet Witch and Vision, exploring their differences and unique perspectives as they battle Ultron!

Announced last month, Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1 brings together an incredible lineup of superstar LGBTQIA+ talent and rising stars, including stories by Wyatt Kennedy, Josh Trujillo, Luciano Vecchio, Zoe Tunnell, Rachael Stott, Bradley Clayton, and more! The saga will spotlight the importance of re-centering community in times of darkness as Wiccan and Hulkling join forces with their loved ones to defeat an evil villain bent on shattering their shared happiness! 

WICCAN & HULKLING REUNITE WITH FAMILY…AND DANGER!

Wiccan & Hulkling gather their known & beloved friends and family to celebrate their wedding anniversary – but everything goes awry when Ultron arrives to reclaim Vision and Viv! Here’s what readers can look forward to:

  • The issue’s framing story by writer Wyatt Kennedy (Wiccan: Witches’ Road) and artist Stephen Byrne (What If…? Galactus)  picks up where Wiccan: Witches’ Road leaves off as Wiccan and Hulkling host an epic anniversary party at their new home, but a certain megalomaniacal robot is eager to have a family reunion of their own and an Ultron army attacks the festivities!
  • Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara joins Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist Luciano Vecchio (Uncanny X-Men) to deliver an introspective Wiccan and Speed team-up where the twins face off against Ultron while clashing about their own unique perspectives and separate journeys.
  • Writer Zoe Tunnell (Marvel United: A Pride Special) and artist Rachael Stott (Fantastic Four) bring Hulkling and his alternate universe half-sister Phyla-Vell together to bond over their shared legacy as they combine their mighty Marvelous strength to take down Ultron’s forces!
  • And acclaimed writer Josh Trujillo (Planet of the Apes vs. Fantastic Four) and rising star Bradley Clayton, making their exciting Marvel Comics debut, reunite father and daughter as Viv Vision deconstructs her own identity—and how it interacts with being a synthezoid—with her dad, Vision.

Check out Russell Dauterman’s main cover along with variant covers by Luciano Vecchio and Javier Garrón. Preorder Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1 at your local comic shop today!

Exclusive Preview: The Infernal Hulk #5

The Infernal Hulk #5

(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson (A) Kev Walker
(I) Cam Smith (C) Matthew Wilson (L) Cory Petit
(CA) Nic Klein (VCA) Giuseppe Camuncoli and Romulo Fajardo Jr., Adam Gorham and Edgar Delgado, SKAN

INFERNAL VERSUS ALMIGHTY! As Infernal Hulk prepares to deal his death blow against Earth, a being of unimaginable power descends from the heavens to save us: the Creator of the Marvel Universe himself! Everything on Earth will change after this shocking, never-before-seen battle for the ages: INFERNAL HULK versus THE ONE ABOVE ALL!

The Infernal Hulk #5

Exclusive Preview: The Sentry #1

The Sentry #1

(W) Paul Jenkins (A) Christian Rosado
(C) Matt Milla (L) Joe Caramagna
(CA) Alex Maleev (VCA) Cafu and Frank D’Armata, Francesco Mobili and Moreno Dinisio, Jae Lee and June Lee

HE’S BEEN AN AVENGER, A DARK AVENGER AND A THUNDERBOLT!

THE SENTRY IS BACK — BUT SO IS THE VOID!

From creator Paul Jenkins comes a bold, high-stakes epic about MARVEL’S most dangerous hero — the SENTRY, a man with the power of a million exploding suns– and the dark entity born from his own psyche: the VOID. When the Void resurfaces, threatening to unravel reality itself, the Sentry must battle not only cosmic forces and criminal empires, but the monster within.

Guest-starring REED RICHARDS, SPIDER-MAN and the KINGPIN in a tale of impossible choices and devastating consequences. Can the Sentry save everything when the cost might be everything he loves?

The Sentry #1

Exclusive Preview: Florent Maudoux’s Freaks’ Squeele Vol. 1

Freaks’ Squeele Vol. 1

by Florent Madoux
Hardcover, $24.99
On Sale: June 16, 2026

Imagine a universe where universities exist to not only train future masked vigilantes to manage their superpowers and develop their heroism, but to master their image in the media. This is the world of Freaks’ Squeele. You’ll meet Chance the demonette, Shadow the werewolf stuck in his animal form, and Xiong Mao, the model student who has no powers but is a hard worker. At the Academic Faculty of Hero Studies, these three first-year students will discover the joys of university life, the merciless competition of other students, sadistic professors, and the stress of exams.

Part X-Men Academy, part Dungeons & Dragons, this celebrated series by author Florent Maudoux is a unique blend of manga and Western comics, which has spawned multiple spinoffs in its native Europe and beyond.

Freaks' Squeele Vol. 1

Dive into the world of EC Comics with the EC Comics Resurrection Bundle from Oni Press to benefit the CBLDF

The name EC Comics strikes fear into the hearts of its fans for one simple reason: these tales of the undead, unexplained, and altogether unholy are unlike anything even the gnarliest horror aficionado has ever witnessed. That’s why Humble Bundle and Oni Press have collected the very best into one convenient bundle to amuse and horrify! Enjoy (if you dare) the terrors and trials of Catacomb of Torment! Travel (if you can muster up the courage) to the distant worlds and blood-soaked shores of Cruel Universe! Peruse (if you can stomach the thought) the chronicles of monsters and madness in Epitaphs from the Abyss! All of these series and more are included in this bundle of frights and phantoms, so add these horror stories to your necronomicon while you can, and support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund with your purchase. It may be your laaaaaast!

The EC Comics Resurrection Bundle has a retail value of $205 and you can get all 39 items for $18.

EC Comics Resurrection Bundle
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