Image Comics has announced that the Spring 2026Image Select Retailer Award winner is:ATOM Comics in Poland. Fans can follow them on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
The Image Select Retailer Award is an initiative from Image to galvanize recognition of members of the Comic Book Direct Market retail community that are going above and beyond to serve their customers, expand readership, and grow a healthier marketplace. The previous winner of the award was ACME Comics.
Comic shops were nominated by fans via a form submission and based on on criteria such as:
exemplary customer service
thoughtful and exciting hand-selling recommendations
efforts fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere
easy-to-browse shelving
attractive and innovative displays
forward-thinking customer marketing and out-of-box consumer outreach
community engagement
robust inventory of & support for Image Comics and other creator-owned/indie comics
The Image team read and tallied thousands of glowing testimonials about stores in order to select the winner. As the winner, ATOM Comics, will receive:
a commemorative medallion to display with pride
a spotlight Q&A to be featured on Image Comics’ social media platforms and Website
the store’s choice of an exclusive variant, branded as an Image Select Retailer Award winner, with store logo (limited to 250 copies).
The Local Comic Shop is the sales backbone of the comic book industry, and sadly, the least appreciated when it comes to award recognition. The Image Select Retailer Award is a way to reward and spotlight stores that have done exemplary work expanding the audience, and evangelizing the medium to new readers. Image Comics feels that there is not enough being done to point out stores that are raising the bar, changing the marketplace, and building readership, and this award is meant as a fun way to help repair that oversight.
The next Image Select Retailer Appreciation Award nomination window will be announced soon via the official Image website, social media, and via Lunar Distribution communication, to retailers and the public for those interested in nominating their store.
Tiny Onion CEO & Founder James Tynion IV led a presentation at this year’s ComicsPRO Comic Industry Conference to reveal details about the production house’s robust 2026 publishing and media plans. The presentation, which took place last Thursday, included the first reveal ofOdin, a new original limited comic book series co-created by Tynion, Marguerite Bennett, and Letizia Cadonici, which is pure Nordic nightmare fuel.
Tynion also announced new Exquisite Corpses comics, including three new limited series about Season One killers Rascal Randy, Fox Mask Killer, and Lone Gunman, penned by Corpse Crew creators Tyler Boss, Che Grayson, and Pornsak Pichetshote. They were a core part of the writing team for Season One of the smash hit horror series and will return as writers for the upcoming Season Two.
Tiny Onion will also produceExquisite Corpses: Book of the Dead, a one-shot anthology featuring short stories about the other killers from Exquisite Corpses Season One, hitting shelves this Halloween season. Image Comics will be publishing the new Exquisite Corpses comics as well as Odin. During the presentation, Tynion also spoke about Tiny Onion’s plans for the upcoming Exquisite Corpses: The Game TCG, new comic book series In Your Skin, a new arc of The Department of Truth, a slate of screen adaptations, and a Shop Tiny Onion Something is Killing the Children exclusive merch line.
Five-time Eisner Award-winner Tynion is teaming up with Bennett, the brilliant bestselling writer of the new Witchblade reimagining and terrifying tale Mommy Blog, for new original horror comic book series, Odin.
Produced by Tiny Onion and in collaboration with Image Comics, Odin will be a nine-issue limited series debuting this May, co-created by rising star artist Cadonici, colored by Eisner Award-winner Jordie Bellaire, lettered by acclaimed artist Tom Napolitano, cleverly designed by Dylan Todd, and edited by horror mastermind Steve Foxe. Green Room meets Midsommar with a touch of The Ritual in this relentless hallucinogenic thriller that leaves absolutely no taboo unbroken.
Odin follows Adela, a thrill-seeking journalist who goes undercover to report on a band of Neo Nazis. She will do anything for the perfect story, including heading into the frozen forests of Norway with Neo Nazi punks who seek Odin to achieve their promised white supremacist destiny. But what awaits them in the woods is far older and stranger than any of them can comprehend, and no gods are coming to answer their prayers.
Odin joins Tiny Onion’s aggressive slate of publishing and multimedia projects. It was announced last month that bestselling comic book series Exquisite Corpses and short film Room Service are both getting the feature treatment as part of a two-picture deal between Tiny Onion and producing partner Lyrical Media. Blumhouse Productions has also optioned Tynion’s groundbreaking comics horror franchise, Something is Killing the Children, to adapt both for film and for an animated television series with Tynion attached to produce alongside the series publisher BOOM! Studios. Plus, Tiny Onion’s expansive development slate in animation includes an adaptation of Tynion’s Image Comics series W0rldtr33 at Netflix, an adaptation of his BOOM! Studios series The Woods, and an original adult animated comedy series developed with production company Irony Point, Tipsy Dragon.
Odin will be stunningly presented with covers by celebrated comic and album artist Alex Eckman-Lawn, who is illustrating the main Cover A for the full series. For the debut issue, Cadonici illustrated Cover B with additional variants by lauded artists Christian Ward, Martin Simmonds, and Jae Lee.
Odin #1 will be available at comic book stores on Wednesday, May 6th, 2026.
Horror masterminds Tynion and Michael Walsh are expanding their Exquisite Corpses battle royale-style realm further with four new titles and more spinning out of the groundbreaking comic book series.
Produced by Tiny Onion and published by Image Comics, Exquisite Corpses was the biggest original IP comic hit of 2025 with over 600k issues sold to date, marking the best debut comic for Tynion in over three years. Now the horror franchise is growing to include three new spin-off comic book limited series and an anthology one-shot in addition to the upcoming second arc, the feature film adaptation, and the soon-to-launch tabletop card game.
In Exquisite Corpses, every five years on Halloween, the wealthiest families in America play a game. 12 of the deadliest people in the world are dropped into a small town with just one goal: last killer standing wins. For the citizens of Oak Valley, Maine, this year’s unlucky arena, the goal is much simpler. They must survive the night. As the 13-issue Season One comes to an epic conclusion in May, more Exquisite Corpses is on the way.
Three new five-issue Exquisite Corpses limited series delve further into the history of fan-favorite killers from Season One. Rascal Randy, Fox Mask Killer, and Lone Gunman will be written by Boss, Grayson, and Pichetshote, respectively.
The first miniseries to debut, Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy, will get inside the twisted mind of the bunny mascot costume-wearing serial killer who uses his hands as his weapon of choice. Along with writing by Boss, the series will be illustrated by Dylan Burnett. The limited series will be colored by Eisner Award-winner Jordie Bellaire, and lettered by rising star Becca Carey. Boss and Bellaire are also a part of Tiny Onion’s growing Artists in Residence program, which also includes Tate Brombal and Aditya Bidikar.
Along with the comics, Tiny Onion is launching Exquisite Corpses: The Game, a social strategy battle royale tabletop card game this summer. Tiny Onion’s game website includes instructions on how to play and information about the upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Walsh is no stranger to TCGs; he has illustrated a number of Magic: The Gathering cards. Fans can beta test an early version of the game now with cards either collected from the polybagged Variant C editions of the comics (inclusive of the rare foil cards), as well as Event Cards found at Tiny Onion’s Corpse Tour, or with printables from the website.
As part of the Exquisite Corpses franchise, Lyrical Media and Tiny Onion are developing a feature film adaptation and are currently packaging it with A-list talent. Lyrical Media and Tiny Onion envision adapting the source material for animation and video games in the future. Tynion will produce the feature film for Tiny Onion with Michael Walsh joining as executive producer and Alexander Black and Arlen Konopaki producing for Lyrical Media, with Jon Rosenberg from Lyrical Media as an executive producer. Tynion launched Tiny Onion in 2023 with a seed investment from Lyrical Media, the banner behind upcoming feature films The Death of Robin Hood and Onslaught, to serve as a cross-platform incubator for his original IP.
Exquisite Corpses: Rascal Randy #1 will be available at comic book stores this July, followed by Fox Mask Killer and Lone Gunman hitting shelves later in 2026.
Announced in Robert Kirkman’s keynote address at ComicsPro, Skybound and Image Comics are unleashing the all-new comic book series Terminal this summer. The blockbuster title brings together the truly all-star creative team of writers Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey, alongside artists Andy Kubert, David Finch, and Arthur Adams, colorist Dave McCaig, and letterer Rus Wooton.Terminal also marks Robert Kirkman’s long-awaited return to the superhero genre for the first time since Invincible. The debut issue of the year’s must-read superhero event arrives in comic book shops on July 22, 2026.
There is a secret war being waged across the world by two violent forces with superhuman abilities who blur the lines between good and evil.
When Marilyn Howe’s search for her missing sister Alessandra puts her in the center of this conflict, she’ll learn that the power to save the world comes from unlocking your genetic code and giving up everything you thought you knew about yourself…if you survive the experience.
Terminal #1 will also feature a special blind bag program that allows fans a chance to get nearly all orderable covers available for the issue, intermixed at varying degrees of rarity. However, there are also three exclusive surprise items that can be found in these blind bags. It will give you a sneak peek into the world of Terminal, delivered in a distinctive Robert Kirkman style and unlike anything seen in a blind bag program before.
Perfect for fans of Invincible and classic eras of X-Men, this is the most violent and unpredictable superhero series of the year, and nothing will prepare you for what’s coming. With a murderers’ row of creators who have each redefined superhero comics in their own right and powerful storytelling on fullest display,Terminal is set to be one of the biggest comic launches of the year.
Terminal #1(Lunar Codes Coming Soon | SRP: $4.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
As announced today in Robert Kirkman’s keynote address at ComicsPro, Skybound, Image Comics, and Hasbro, will deliver an all-new addition to the Energon Universe, M.A.S.K., by writer Dan Watters, artist Pye Parr, colorist Pierluigi Casolino, and letterer Rus Wooton. Together, they’re launching the most anticipated new series of the year, where anyone–and everyone–in the Energon Universe must join the fight for humanity’s survival. The historic first issue of this explosive new ongoing series hits comic book shelves June 3, 2026.
The world is becoming a terrifying place. Matt Trakker needs your help saving it. Enter M.A.S.K. — a network of specialists ready to respond to the next global emergency. At a moment’s notice, Trakker and his agents can deploy bleeding-edge technology that converts their vehicles–and their drivers–into the ultimate weapon. But Miles Mayhem and V.E.N.O.M. are one step ahead in a secret arms race, scouring the globe for deadly weapons from this planet and beyond, ready to sell out the entire human race. Only M.A.S.K. can stop them… but will Trakker’s own secrets jeopardize their entire mission?
In addition to the main cover by Pye Parr, the lineup of variant covers for M.A.S.K. #1 includes open-to-order covers by J. Scott Campbell, Cedric Poulat, and Mark Spears, Energon Universe Third Anniversary connecting covers by Tom Reilly and Adriano Lucas, incentive variant covers by Kael Ngu, E.J. Su, Jonboy Meyers, Joshua Cassara and Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, blank sketch covers featuring M.A.S.K. and V.E.N.O.M., foil covers by Pye Parr and J. Scott Campbell, and die-cut foil mask covers by Pye Parr, Luke Preece and Andres Juarez.
M.A.S.K. #1 also features a first-ever Energon Universe blind bag program that allows fans a chance to get ANY of the solicited covers from A through K, intermixed at varying degrees of rarity. However, there are rare SURPRISE variant covers related to the Energon Universe that can be found in these blind bags. Those SURPRISE comics will not be publicly announced in advance of the issue release.
In celebration of M.A.S.K.’s arrival in the Energon Universe, Skybound and Hasbro will feature an exclusive first look at M.A.S.K. in the Energon Universe Special 2026, a Free Comic Book Day issue releasing Saturday, May 2, 2026. Thespecial issue will include four all-new stories from TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, and Void Rivals and will serve as the first official glimpse into Dan Watters and Pye Parr’s M.A.S.K.
Originally launched in 1985, M.A.S.K.(Mobile Armored Strike Kommand) became a pop-culture phenomenon with its mix of spy intrigue and sci-fi action. Brought to life through an animated series and bestselling toy line, M.A.S.K. followed Matt Trakker and his elite civilian task force as they battled Miles Mayhem and the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M. using advanced masks and transforming vehicles enhanced with extraordinary abilities. Now, M.A.S.K. enters the Energon Universe for a revolutionary new era.
The full list of variant covers is below:
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover A by Pye Parr
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover B by J. Scott Campbell & Sabine Rich
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover C by Cedric Poulat
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover D by Mark Spears
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover E Energon Universe Third Anniversary (Connecting) by Tom Reilly & Adriano Lucas
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover F Energon Universe Third Anniversary (Connecting) by Tom Reilly
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover G (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Kael Ngu
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover H (1:50 Copy Incentive) by E.J. Su
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover I (Foil) (1:100 Copy Incentive) by Jonboy Meyers ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover J (1:250 Copy Incentive) by Joshua Cassara & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover K (1:500 Copy Incentive) by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover L Blank Sketch Cover (M.A.S.K.) ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover M Blank Sketch Cover (V.E.N.O.M.) ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover N (Foil) by Pye Parr ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover O Foil) by J. Scott Campbell & Sabine Rich ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover P (Die Cut Foil Mask Cover) by Pye Parr & Luke Preece & Andres Juarez ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover Q (Die Cut Foil Mask Cover) by Pye Parr & Luke Preece & Andres Juarez ($5.99)
M.A.S.K. #1 Cover R Blind Bag by Andres Juarez ($5.99)
ComicsPRO 2026 is taking place and during the first day, DC announced two new series set in the Absolute Universe: Absolute Green Arrow by Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque, launching May 20, and Absolute Catwomanby Che Grayson, Scott Snyder, and Bengal, launching June 10. Both titles continue the imprint’s mission to reimagine iconic DC characters in bold, continuity-free stories from top creators.
Absolute Green Arrow #1 features covers by Albuquerque and Gerald Parel, Guillem March, Reiko Murakami, and Tula Lotay.
Absolute Catwoman #1 features covers by Bengal, Kaare Andrews, Manhanini, and Nakayama.
DC also teased that the first Absolute Universe event miniseries will arrive in Q4 2026, with additional details to be revealed later this year.
At the Comics PRO, Dark Horse Comics announced a collectible facsimile edition of the first-ever Hellboy comic by the award-winning cartoonist Mike Mignola. Since its inception in 1994, Mignola’s legendary Hellboy has become one of the most beloved, expansive comics universes in the history of the medium, earning both Eisner and Harvey Awards, leading to four film adaptations, and inspiring generations of creators. To celebrate the series’ legacy, Dark Horse Comics is releasing a new facsimile edition of the first-ever Hellboy comic. Co-written by Mignola and John Byrne, with art by Mignola, colors by Mark Chiarello, and letters from Pat Brosseau, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 Facsimile Reprint will include all of the original design and ads from the original edition, including comic art icon Art Adams’ “Monkeyman and O’Brien” backup story. Dark Horse will also publish a 1:25 variant edition featuring new art by Mignola with colors by Dave Stewart.
With an epic story and jaw-dropping artwork from Mignola, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 transports readers to 1944, where paranormal investigators lead a team of U.S. Army commandos to stop an occult nazi ritual that summons a young demon. What follows is a thrilling, one-of-a-kind adventure that kicks off a decades long journey for Hellboy and comic fans. From his apocalyptic origin in WWII England to the modern-day case of the sole survivor of a doomed Arctic expedition, Hellboy must battle vampire frog creatures and worse in his debut miniseries.This new facsimile reprint is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers and a beautifully designed edition to longtime readers’ collections. .
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1 Facsimile Reprint is due out on July 1, 2026.
DC closed its publishing announcements at ComicsPro 2026 with a first look at “Bad Seeds”, a Gotham City event arriving in Q3 2026. Gotham City police commissioner Vandal Savage has declared war on the Bat-Family and flooded the streets with his private, para-militarized police army. Gotham’s new mayor, Pamela Isley, deserted by her allies both political and arcane, is about to make a last-ditch power play that will leave all of Gotham decimated by daylight.
These events converge in “Bad Seeds”, spanning a long, dark night in Gotham that threatens to turn the entire city into a primeval world of hostile plant life unlike anything on Earth for millennia, at a time when its greatest heroes are hunted and in hiding. More details on “Bad Seeds” will be shared in the months ahead.
To conclude their presentation, DC reminded retailers that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. DC shared an overview of the publishing program and products planned throughout the year to celebrate Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley’s landmark series.
If you ran into someone who could look into your head and see every bad thing you’ve thought or done, how much trouble would you be in? Veteran writer Ande Parks, the co-creator of Extraction, and killer artist Dave Wachter invite you to unlock a story about a terrifying new kind of hero in Bad Thoughts. As announced at the publisher’s retailer presentation at ComicsPRO’s Annual Industry Meeting, Ignition Press will publish the new series beginning May 27th, 2026.
He knows every terrible thing you’ve done. And he’s coming for you. Jack Coates can look inside your mind and see every awful thing you’ve ever thought or done. It’s painful, but it serves him very well at his private security firm that deals with difficult situations and even more heinous people. He’s a good soldier with a good team that he trusts…but he’s about to find out what happens when you put your trust in the wrong people.
Bad Thoughts #1 is available in comic shops May 27th from writer Ande Parks and artist Dave Wachter, with colors by Brad Simpson, and letters by AndWorld Design. This issue features two open-to-order covers from series artist Dave Wachter and Fernando Blanco, along with a 1-in-10 retailer incentive by the legendary Phil Hester, inked by his longtime collaborator and series writer Ande Parks.
Vertigo is back! After the announcement of its return last year, the first titles of DC’s relaunched Vertigo line have started to hit shelves. During ComicsPRO 2026, DC gave an update on the rollout.
Following the successful launch of Bleeding Hearts, End of Life, and The Nice House by the Sea—with The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery launching February 25—DC shared updates on the forthcoming slate of DC Vertigo titles arriving throughout 2026.
Beginning this summer, Vertigo will publish 100 Bullets: The US of ANGER and Fanatic, followed in the fall by Necretatious and Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy.
Winter 2026 will see the arrival of The Crying Doll and A Walking Shadow, rounding out the imprint’s first full year of its return.
The Nice House by the Sea #7 by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno, and Jordie Bellaire: Following the survivors of Walter’s “hexagon” experiment, the series explores the terrifying consequences of escape…and the threat it poses to what remains of humanity.
Bleeding Hearts by Deniz Camp, Stipan Morian, and Matt Hollingsworth: A zombie named Poke discovers his heart beating again, threatening his place in a society where death reigns supreme.
End of Life by Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, and Chris O’Halloran: A top-tier hitman returns to his Midwestern hometown to care for his dying father…and confront his own mortality.
The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips: A noir detective tale that collides with magic, fascism, and a stolen artifact of unimaginable power.
100 Bullets: The US of Anger by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso: Lono returns to America and reignites chaos, taking the nation’s darkest impulses to their violent extremes.
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy by Ram V and Mike Perkins: Wizard spies in the UK navigate a global cold war over sorcery, revealing a hidden world of occult power.
Necretaceous by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson: Scientists attempt to time-travel to stop a zombie virus, only to land 66 million years in the past, among dinosaurs.
Fanatic by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer: A woman’s obsession with a comic book spirals into a deadly parasocial fixation on its creator.
The Crying Doll by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell: A Jekyll-and-Hyde thriller about just how far a young woman would go to protect her best friend, who may (or may not) be a killer.
A Walking Shadow by Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell: Eight strangers wake up chained to a boat in the woods. No memory. No escape. No explanation.
You can never have too many friends… and you can never have too many comic books! IDW Publishing and Sanrio have announced a partnership to bring kawaii to the comic book industry with supercute Hello Kitty comics that can be enjoyed by fans of all ages. As one of the most beloved pop culture icons in the world, Hello Kitty has been spreading friendship, kindness and joy for generations.
The new series begins with Hello Kitty: Hello World!, a brand-new comic book series featuring a classic and lovable depiction of Sanrio’s characters as Hello Kitty and Friends go on a world tour to solve a riddle. As they discover new riddles around the globe, they will also meet new characters in every single issue! From Eisner Award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and animated artist Cody Lemieux, the debut issue goes on sale July 22, 2026 – the same week as San Diego Comic-Con! Hello Kitty: Hello World! features covers by Min Ho Kim and Justine King.
Following Hello Kitty: Hello World! will be more comics – and crossovers – arriving in 2027.
