Tag Archives: dave johnson

Clayface: Celebrity Dirt follows Basil Karlo’s twisted journey through fame, transformation, and self‑destruction

DC has announced Clayface: Celebrity Dirt, a new Batman universe noir horror comic book miniseries starring Basil Karlo in a twisted tale of fame, transformation, and self-destruction. The six-issue series follows the classic Batman villain as he escapes Arkham Towers, ready to stage his comeback, only to discover that someone else has stolen his name, his face, and his long-lost stardom. 

Acclaimed horror writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle teams with artist Fran Galán, colorist Patricio Delpeche, and letterer Tom Napolitano, on Clayface: Celebrity Dirt for a story that balances body horror, the studio spotlight, and Gotham City noir. Galán’s expressive and unsettling artwork brings Clayface’s shape-shifting terror to life, while Doyle explores the fractured psychology of a villain who can become anyone but still struggles to face himself. Clayface: Celebrity Dirt blends psychological suspense, body horror, and dark satire into a story only Basil Karlo could star in…a cinematic nightmare where neon fame curdles even the most carefully sculpted façade.

This new DC comic book series explores the duality at the heart of Clayface—the billboard-sized glamour Basil Karlo still craves and the grotesquerie he can never escape. Galán brings that contrast to life with bold visuals that swing between Hollywood sheen and theatrical horror, grounding the story in noir shadows while pushing Clayface’s powers into visceral, unsettling territory.

Clayface: Celebrity Dirt digs into the legacy of the Clayfaces and the long shadow Basil Karlo has cast over the DC universe. As Basil confronts a doppelgänger who has achieved everything he ever wanted, the series examines fame, self-reinvention, and the price of trying to control the way the world sees you. Doyle and Galán pull the story between spotlight-bright glamour and sewer-slick horror, revealing the toll of transformation and the danger of chasing the version of yourself you wish you were.

When Basil Karlo breaks out of Arkham, he’s ready to reclaim the Hollywood crown he lost years ago. But the world he returns to is stranger than ever: a creeping new plague is twisting ordinary citizens into clay-warped reflections of his own nightmares, and a charismatic body double has taken over Basil’s life, becoming a bigger movie star than the real Basil ever was. As a disturbing pattern begins to emerge around this new celebrity, Basil must confront the darkest parts of his past and trace both mysteries to their source. His search leads him deep into the history of the Clayface family and face-to-face with one of its most dangerously unstable members.

Anchored in noir atmosphere, Clayface: Celebrity Dirt draws inspiration from psychological horror, body-horror cinema, and the unsettling glamour of dark thrillers. The series pays tribute to classic Clayface stories while pushing the character into bold new territory, exploring what a true reckoning looks like in a world where fame and monstrosity blur together.

Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #1 features a main cover by Fran Galán, with variant covers by Mike Del Mundo and Dave JohnsonPatricio Delpeche colors the series with Tom Napolitano lettering. The 32-page debut issue arrives July 8, 2026, priced at $3.99 US for the main cover, with card stock variants available for $4.99 US. For readers who crave horror with theatrical flair, this is Clayface as he’s never been seen before, a tale where glamour fractures, monstrosity spreads, and every spotlight casts a darker shadow.

100 Bullets: The US of Anger #1 arrives in July kicking off a New Eight-Issue Limited Series

On July 1, the multi-Eisner Award-winning team of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso reunite for 100 Bullets: The US of Anger #1, the start of an all-new eight-issue limited series that brings their landmark creation back to the page with purpose and precision. This is not a return. This is a reckoning.

Not many people made it out alive from the fall of the Trust in 100 Bullets. Lono did—just barely—and the years since have taken him far from home. His onetime protégé, Loop Hughes, was the only one smart enough to walk away clean. But tragedy has come knocking on Loop’s door, and the scent of blood has drawn a dangerous stray dog back across the border. Lono isn’t back to make peace. He’s back to make trouble. Lono is home again, and he’s hunting through a landscape of good ol’ boys and militias, megachurches, millionaires, and madmen.

In Brother Lono, the titular character tried and failed to save his own soul. In The US of Anger, he becomes something far more dangerous: a catalyst for the demons already lurking in America’s shadow. As the country reaches its 250th anniversary, the world has finally caught up to the kind of story Azzarello and Risso have always told—one where violence, power, and rage collide in ways that feel uncomfortably familiar. Their new story cuts directly into the fractures of modern America, rendered for the first time in stunning black and white, bringing a stark new visual edge to a world that has never felt more timely. Vertigo was built on stories that cut deep. The US of Anger is exactly that kind of story.

100 Bullets: The US of Anger #1 is written by Brian Azzarello with art by Eduardo Risso, lettering by Clem Robins, and a main cover by Dave Johnson, with variant covers by Frank Miller, Jock, and Eduardo Risso. The 40-page debut issue is priced at $3.99, with card-stock variants available for $4.99, and is the first installment of an eight-issue limited series arriving on July 1, 2026. 100 Bullets: The US of Anger is published under DC Vertigo and carries an Ages 17+ content descriptor for mature readers.

Preview: Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Easter 2026 Edition

Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Easter 2026 Edition

(W) Dave Johnson, Jimmy Palmiotti (A) Juan Santacruz (CA) Tula Lotay

Imagine a world where the two dominant and competing Cola companies, each worth billions, are owned by former Siamese twins who are now separated and have grown to hate each other so much they hire assassins, saboteurs, and espionage personnel to meddle with each other on a daily basis. This is the story about brotherly love run afoul, and the people they enlist to do their dirty work.

Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Easter 2026 Edition

Preview: Pop Kill Vol. 1: Killing Your Thirst

Pop Kill Vol. 1: Killing Your Thirst

(W) Dave Johnson, Jimmy Palmiotti
(A) Juan Santacruz

Imagine a world where the two dominant and competing Cola companies, each worth billions, are owned by former conjoined twins who are now separated and have grown to hate each other so much they hire assassins, saboteurs, and espionage personnel to meddle with each other on a daily basis. This is the story about brotherly love run afoul, and the people they enlist to do their dirty work.

Pop Kill Vol. 1: Killing Your Thirst

Geof Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy is Staying A.I.Live

Geof Darrow returns to Shaolin Cowboy just in time to fill every fan’s heart with hope and hilarious hardcore action. Dark Horse presents Shaolin Cowboy: Staying A.I.Live, continuing the former-monk’s quest across a dangerous landscape one fist of epic fury at a time. Teaming with colorist Ian Herring and letterer Nate Piekos, Darrow explores the vibrant and highly-praised world of this new adventure with art and anachronisms in a way that is sure to keep the brainrot at bay. Featuring variant covers by Peach Momoko, Daniel Warren Johnson, Ryan Ottley, Dave Johson, Gilbert Hernandez, David Mack, Adi Granov, and Paul Chadwick!

The Shaolin Cowboy faces an icy reception when he leaves his wasteland retreat on a mission of mercy, following the considered consul of a desert swallow and a horned toad, both endangered species. But none as endangered as the wandering ex monk becomes, once again because in this typical AMERIGUNN small town he learns euthanASIA is the new import duty on foreign imports!!! 

Supporting “Shaolin Cowboy First” legislation; pre-order Shaolin Cowboy: Staying A.I.Live #1 (of 4) for when it arrives in comic shops on July 1, 2026, for $4.99. 

Crowdfunding Corner: Catching Hell, Painkiller Jane: Uncovered, Drumsticks of Doom: Queen of Queens 1-3

Welcome to our revamped “Crowdfunding Corner” rounding up some of the latest crowdfunding news. We’re going beyond just announcement projects, we’ll be tracking to make sure these projects get delivered as well as what we think the “risk” of backing them are.

We’ll be updating the format as we get a better handle of the needs of this sort of coverage, so stay tuned and check out the first round of projects!


Reggie Bannister is CATCHING HELL in New Comic Book!

Publisher: American Mythology
Creative Team: (w) S.A. Check, James Kuhoric (a) Emanuele Tommarelli
Launch Date: Currently funding – ends April 9 2026 6:00 PM EDT
Risk: Low – The publisher has run previous crowdfunding campaigns and they’ve been delivered.

Catching Hell #1 A Grindhouse Horror Comic Starring Reggie Bannister

From the Pages of a Lost Horror Magazine… Comes Pure Hellfire

This isn’t nostalgia. This isn’t a reboot. This is a blood soaked love letter to real horror icons.

In Catching Hell, Reggie Bannister doesn’t wear a superhero cape, he doesn’t need one. He’s an everyday guy with scars, grit, and a lifetime of bad decisions. When renegade demons slip through the cracks, someone has to do the dirty work. That someone is Reggie.

It’s loud. It’s brutal. It’s darkly funny in the way only true horror fans understand. And it proudly wears the DNA of drive in grindhouse films, midnight movie mayhem, and monsters that bite, not sparkle.

For over 50 years, Reggie Bannister has been a pillar of horror cinema. Most famously, he is the everyman hero Reggie from the legendary Phantasm franchise, a role that cemented his place in genre history. Fans around the world have cheered as he faced down the Tall Man and his nightmarish minions, proving that courage, heart, and stubborn determination can triumph over even the most unholy horrors.

Reggie isn’t just a name in the credits, he’s a living symbol of horror fandom, known for his grit, charisma, and everyman appeal. From independent cult classics to iconic genre films, he has earned lasting admiration from generations of horror fans.

Catching Hell puts Reggie front and center, not as a sidekick, not as a relic—but as the unstoppable, demon-slaying, witty, battle hardened hero we’ve always known he could be.


PAINKILLER JANE: UNCOVERED

PAINKILLER JANE: UNCOVERED

Publisher: PaperFilms
Creative Team: Joe Quesada, Amanda Conner, Sean Gordon Murphy, Tim Bradstreet, Peach Momoko, Jimmy Palmiotti, Rick Leonardi, Bill Sienkiewicz, Juan Santacruz, Lee Moder, Enrico Marini, Ben Caldwell, John Cebollero, Nelson DeCastro, Piere Brito, Josh Burns, Alecia Rodriguez, Dave Johnson, Scott Hampton, Justin Norman, Branko Jovanic, Rafel De Latorre, Peach Momoko, Sean Gordon Murphy, and Tim Bradstreet, and more.
Launch Date: Currently funding – ends April 2 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Risk: Low – The publisher has run previous crowdfunding campaigns and they’ve been delivered.

For thirty years, Painkiller Jane has carved out her place as one of the most enduring and explosive characters in independent comics. To celebrate her legacy, we’re bringing together an extraordinary collection of the most iconic, most requested, and most visually striking cover art and pin‑ups ever created for the character in PAINKILLER JANE: UNCOVERED

This 64‑page one‑shot is a love letter to Jane’s history, gathering three decades of artwork from some of the most influential and celebrated artists in the industry. For the first time, fans will be able to experience these pieces in a premium format, presented as the artists originally intended—logo‑free, remastered, and curated with care.at plunges readers into a world where memory, mystery, and monsters collide.

PaperFilms has earned a reputation for producing some of the highest‑quality indie comics on Kickstarter, over 25 successful campaigns, with every release printed on premium stock, using rich inks and sharp reproduction that showcase the artwork exactly as it deserves to be seen. Backers know that when a project carries the PaperFilms name, they’re getting top‑tier production values, meticulous attention to detail, and a final product built to last in any collection.

THE PROJECT:

This collection features an astonishing lineup of talent. Joe Quesada, Amanda Conner, Sean Gordon Murphy, Tim Bradstreet, Peach Momoko, Jimmy Palmiotti, Rick Leonardi, Bill Sienkiewicz, Juan Santacruz, Lee Moder, Enrico Marini, Ben Caldwell, John Cebollero, Nelson DeCastro, Piere Brito, Josh Burns, Alecia Rodriguez, Dave Johnson, Scott Hampton, Justin Norman, Branko Jovanic, Rafel De Latorre, and many more have all contributed to Jane’s visual identity over the years. Their interpretations—gritty, elegant, fierce, stylized, and everything in between—showcase the evolution of a character who has survived bullets, betrayals, and the shifting landscape of comics themselves.

But this project isn’t just about celebrating the past. We’re also creating brand‑new, ultra‑limited covers exclusively for this Kickstarter campaign. Amanda Conner, Peach Momoko, Sean Gordon Murphy, and Tim Bradstreet are each contributing new pieces that will be available only through this campaign and never reprinted in this format again. These editions are designed to be true collector’s items—rare, striking, and created by artists whose work defines modern comics.

Painkiller Jane has always thrived because of the passion of her fans and the dedication of the creators who believed in her. This project is a chance to honor that history while giving readers something genuinely special: a beautifully produced, definitive art collection that captures everything that makes Jane unforgettable. Whether you’ve followed her since the ’90s or you’re discovering her for the first time, this book is a celebration of the character’s resilience, the artists’ craft, and the creative spirit that has kept Jane alive for three decades.


Drumsticks of Doom: Queen of Queens 1-3

Drumsticks of Doom: Queen of Queens 1-3

Publisher: Part-time Comix
Creative Team: (a) Dan Dougherty, JT Molloy (w) Jon Westhoff (l) Jon Westhoff
Launch Date: Currently funding – ends April 22 2026 8:05 PM EDT
Risk: Low – The publisher has run previous crowdfunding campaigns and they’ve been delivered.

When Black Sabbath (not the Beatles) became the world’s most famous band, the universe was changed, musically and otherwise. Lost arts, like Alchemy, were made common, schools taught about transfiguration and alternate science, Demons were summoned and some stuck around.

Lana LOVES music. She has played in bands all through high school and now, in college, she still plays in her ex’s fledgling metal band. She’s convinced their drummer to play her indie songs in secret. She’s finishing up the best practice yet when they are drawn into a spiritual battle to keep metal on the top of the charts.

The first miniseries was a wild ride of Daywolves, Metal Cults and hybrid creatures.

The second arc had Lana and the crew taking the next step in their musical journey as they headed to the mysterious Silver Mountain to record their first album. The recording session is a wrap and most of them didn’t get remastered. 

The Final arc is taking the band on the road for their first World Tour, but who will make it to the encore!

All THREE issues- 20 Stunning Black and White interiors story pages- 18-19 by Dan Dougherty and 1-2 pages of added content- FINAL ISSUE 24 PAGES-Standard American size book, Full Color Covers.

Spider-Man, Punisher, and Hulk Show Each other No Mercy in Jonathan Hickman and Adam Kubert’s Spider-Man: Long Way Home

This summer, three of Marvel’s most iconic stars barrel towards a brutal confrontation in Spider-Man: Long Way Home. Crafted by Jonathan Hickman and Adam Kubert, the five-issue limited comic series puts Spider-Man, Punisher, and Hulk on a high-stakes collision course as they desperately pursue a missing Cosmic Cube. In the same spirit as 2024’s Wolverine: Revenge, the hit limited comic series by Hickman and Greg Capullo, Spider-Man: Long Way Home offers familiarity while existing apart from the main Marvel Universe, delivering a timeless, evergreen saga for all readers that’s unrestrained by continuity, scope and mercy!

A DARK HOMECOMING AWAITS…

It’s a world before the Punisher. A world where the existence of the Hulk is but a whisper of a rumor. A world where A.I.M. has just developed a Cosmic Cube in the jungles of South America. Frank Castle, Bruce Banner and Peter Parker are all on a mission to keep the Cube out of the wrong hands – including each other’s. In this three-way free-for-all for the power of the cosmos, who will come out on top?

Check out Adam Kubert’s main cover along with a special foil variant cover by Dave Johnson and a sneak peek at interior artwork. Experience Spider-Man: Long Way Home at your local comic shop this summer when it arrives June 17.

Preview: Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Valentine’s Day 2026 Edition

Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Valentine’s Day 2026 Edition

(W) Dave Johnson, Jimmy Palmiotti (A) Juan Santacruz

Imagine a world where the two dominant and competing Cola companies, each worth billions, are owned by former Siamese twins who are now separated and have grown to hate each other so much they hire assassins, saboteurs, and espionage personnel to meddle with each other on a daily basis. This is the story about brotherly love run afoul, and the people they enlist to do their dirty work.

Pop Kill #1 Seasonal Flavors Valentine's Day 2026 Edition

Pop Kill Goes Seasonal for Easter

Down the bunny trail comes the latest Pop Kill #1: Seasonal Flavors! Mad Cave Studios continues the collectible variant rollout with a springtime twist, bringing that celebrated debut back to print in a limited Easter-themed cover for collectors and longtime fans alike.

Featuring a seductively saccharine cover by Tula Lotay, this full-color collectible issue returns the acclaimed debut of Pop Kill to print. Created and written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Johnson, with art by Juan Santacruz, colors by Brian Reber, and letters by Sean Konot to round out the creative team. Logo by Rian Hughes.

Back in print with a brand-new Seasonal Flavors cover series! This special Easter-themed variant reintroduces the best-selling first issue of POP KILL—the fan-favorite espionage thriller about two cola empires at war. Imagine a world where the dominant soda companies, each worth billions, are owned by former conjoined twins, now bitter rivals who will stop at nothing to destroy each other. Assassins, saboteurs, and spies clash in a tale of brotherly love gone bad, and the dirty work done in their name.

This issue Pop Kill #1: Seasonal Flavors arrives in comic shops on April 1, 2026, with Final Order Cut-off on March 9, 2026.

Pop Kill #1: Seasonal Flavors

Doom Homage Variant Covers Glorify Marvel’s Greatest Supervillain!

No supervillain has impacted the Marvel mythos more than Doctor DOom! Now, in the wake of his global takeover in One World Under Doom, top Marvel artists will pay tribute to his epic publication history this March in new Doom Homage Variant Covers.

Across twenty one covers, see new takes on classic Doom covers from the original Secret Wars to unforgettable showdowns with the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the X-Men to more recent standouts. Each cover captures Victor von Doom’s incredible aura by putting bold and modern twists on the original artwork and reimagining various heroes inside his iconic armor. The classic cover being homaged will be presented on the back cover.

Doom’s reign may be over, but his legacy looms large over the Marvel Universe. The new Dungeons of Doom limited series, launched earlier this month, exposes the maniacal genius’ darkest secrets as forces race to control the power and technology he left behind. His fall is also key to the latest arc of Chip Zdarsky’s Captain America run which finds Doom’s kingdom of Latveria on the brink of civil war, and Cap, accompanied by the all-new S.H.I.E.L.D., deployed on a mission to maintain peace.

Check out all twenty one Doom Homage Variant Covers and preorder them at your local comic shop today!

  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #23 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY MIKE MCKONE – 75960621001502341
  • AVENGERS #36 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY CORY SMITH – 75960620426703621
  • WOLVERINE #17 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY SANFORD GREENE – 75960620841801721
  • BLACK CAT #8 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY MARGUERITE SAUVAGE – 75960621252100831
  • MAGIK & COLOSSUS #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI – 75960621452500231
  • MORTAL THOR #8 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY DAVE WACHTER – 75960621284200821
  • STORM: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST MUTANT #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY TAURIN CLARKE – 75960621445700221
  • VENOM #255 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY ANDREI BRESSAN – 75960621330625521
  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #24 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY ROD REIS – 75960621001502431
  • CAPTAIN AMERICA #8 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY KEN LASHLEY – 75960621146300841
  • CYCLOPS #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY DAVE JOHNSON – 75960621385600221
  • FANTASTIC FOUR #9 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY MIKE ALLRED – 75960621122700931
  • INFERNAL HULK #5 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY SKAN – 75960621361000521
  • MARC SPECTOR: MOON KNIGHT #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY DECLAN SHALVEY – 75960621496900221
  • SORCERER SUPREME #4 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY PAULO SIQUEIRA – 75960621179100431
  • WADE WILSON: DEADPOOL #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY IAN CHURCHILL – 75960621448800231
  • X-MEN #27 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK – 75960620920002731
  • INGLORIOUS X-FORCE #3 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY GERARDO SANDOVAL – 75960621362700321
  • KNULL #3 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY DAVIDE PARATORE – 75960621388700331
  • PUNISHER #2 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY FABRIZIO DE TOMMASO – 75960621516400221
  • UNCANNY X-MEN #25 DOOM HOMAGE VARIANT COVER BY PETE WOODS – 75960620917002521
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