A knife-wielding zealot covered in human skin. A heartthrob with an axe. A pint-sized sociopath with a high-powered drone. The killers are descending on Oak Valley—and the body count is rising.
Story: James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh Art: Michael Walsh, Marianna Ignazzi Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Becca Carey
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
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(W) James Tynion IV (A) Jordie Bellaire (A/CA) Fernando Blanco In Shops: Jun 11, 2025 SRP: $3.99
What remains of the planet in 2049 is barely hospitable. The Undernet has won. Ellison Lane believes he finally has all the pieces to give humanity another shot at a future. But to do so, he’ll need help from the last surviving member of the original w0rldtr33 gang…
DC Pride 2025 #1 is a little different from the previous installments of DC Pride in that it’s not a collection of short stories featuring LGBTQ+ DC Comics characters, but is a single narrative centered around a gay bar that Alan Scott frequented in the 1930s and told predominantly from the POV of a new character named Ethan, who is a trans military veteran that ends up caught up a kind of multiversal/elemental saga. I applaud the scope of this comic book, which has big jam session energy as different characters end up in different pocket realities based on wishes they made at the gay bar or graffiti they scrawled. We get Apollo and Midnighter living in 1950s domestic bliss courtesy of Sam Maggs and Derek Charm, a single, psychiatric girl boss Harley Quinn from Maya Houston, Max Sarin, and Marissa Louise ; and a gorgeous sapphic romance between Jo Mullein and Nubia from Houston, Vita Ayala, and Vincent Cecil to name a few. The reading effect is like jumping from comic to comic and look at paths not trodden with some iconic queer characters and a few new or not so iconic ones.
As Tim Sheridan, Giulio Macaione, and Emilio Pilliu Alan Scott-centric frame story shows, fighting supervillains and having superpowers is a metaphor for being queer in DC Pride 2025. It might be tempting to give up and lie low, especially with the United States’ hard turn to fascism, and homophobia and transphobia promoted by folks in power, but Alan Scott, Ethan, and their companions’ actions in the comic act as a clarion call to resistance. The stuff with the Crimson Flame and Scott having his own Red Lantern is a little Geoff Johnsian for my taste, but it’s so cool to watch Alan Scott have a Sailor Moon type transformation sequence and return into action to help save the next generation of queer heroes symbolized by Ethan. I love Macaione’s use of greens to show a possible, idyllic future for Scott and a non-Red Lantern/Russian spy Johnny Ladd, but it’s a happiness based on a lie like the other possible futures in the book.
However, DC Pride 2025 isn’t all serious action and has a lot of humor and playfulness. Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Alex Moore recontextualize Golden Age Z-list Wonder Woman villain Blue Snowman coming to terms with their gender fluidity alongside nonbinary superhero Envoy in one vignette. I love how they poke fun at the restrictions of the gender binary using the classic tropes of a superhero brawl, and how even well meaning cisgender people can be just plain annoying at times. It’s so cool seeing this kind of story and voice in a mainstream, corporate comic showing that nonbinary characters don’t just have to be righteous heroes, but can be kind of messy too. DC Pride 2025 really hits the spectrum of queer identities, including asexuality with Connor Hawke getting a short story where he resists his father’s reputation as a womanizer and just wants to live his own life. I have to give a special shout out to Philip Sevy’s art in this short sequence, which seems like it’s right out of the late 1990s period where he was member of the JLA. Both the visual and character variety of DC Pride 2025 makes it an engaging read, and the book is a testament to the active work that DC Comics has done to cultivate LGBTQ+ characters in the past decade or so. (I need a monthly Midnighter and/or Apollo book though.)
After a wild and wacky cosmic adventure set in the DC Multiverse, DC Pride 2025 wraps up with a beautiful nonfiction storyfrom Jenny Blake and Sara Soler about Blake coming out as a transgender woman earlier this year. It has gorgeous soft lines and a refreshing color palette to go with Jenny Blake’s honest and humorous script about how old comics about Clark Kent switching genders had an influence on her own gender identity journey. I love how Soler inserts different DC characters into the panel to blur the line between fantasy and non-fiction with Blake’s most famous co-creation Black Lightning making an appearance as well as transgender superheroine Dreamer, who shares coffee with Blake. The story shows that you’re never too old to be your authentic self and hints at a longer graphic memoir, which I hope Jenny Blake gets to realize at DC or elsewhere.
DC Pride 2025 is an ambitious comic with summer crossover energy that tells an epic story with DC’s LGBTQ+ characters while still taking time to dig into their individual hopes, fears, and dreams. It’s a showcase of queer representation on the page and on the issue’s creative teams, and Blake and Sara Soler’s memoir is a beautiful coda and rallying cry to continue to be queer and fearless in an increasingly dark and hateful world.
Story: Vita Ayala, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Maya Houston Story: Sam Maggs, Tim Sheridan, Josh Trujillo, Jenny Blake Art: Don Aguillo, Vincent Cecil, Derek Charm, A.L. Kaplan, Giulio Macaione Art: Emilio Pilliu, Max Sarin, Philip Sevy, Sara Soler, Alex Moore, Skyler Patridge Colors: Eren Angiolini, Jordie Bellaire, Triona Farrell, Marissa Louise Letters: Aditya Bidikar, Frank Cvetkovic, Lucas Gattoni, Ariana Maher, Morgan Martinez, Jodie Troutman Story: 8.9 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.1 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
The Tetracide was a much greater threat than Wonder Woman had imagined for her first battle on the surface–but The Tetracide was child’s play compared to negotiating the complexities and evils of man’s world. The mysterious Area 41 and its Black Box Maze will be Diana’s greatest test yet…and what she finds inside will shock you!
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Wednesday’s new release of the breakout hit series Assorted Crisis Events—by writer Deniz Camp and art by Eric Zawadzki, multiple-Eisner Award winning colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer extraordinaire Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou—has sold out yet again at the distributor level. Image Comics will fast-track Assorted Crisis Events #2 for reprint in order to keep up with increasing customer demand.
This reprint will feature new cover art by Zawadzki.
Assorted Crisis Events #2 is a dizzying, heartbreaking, hallucinogenic trip through the endless slaughterhouse. Readers witness a man’s life cut up, ground down, and packaged for easy consumption! It’s another complete, standalone tale of time—and people—breaking down.
Time has no bounds in this world, and readers will follow in the footsteps of normal people who are just trying to get through a normal day, but instead have to deal with time loops and space portals, confused time travelers from different eras, and alternate dimensional versions of themselves…all while just taking a stroll down the street. Meanwhile, the overarching story dives into what caused the rules of time to suddenly shift, and if it’s possible to reverse the damage. Fans of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Black Mirror, and Doctor Who will enjoy this time-bending, clock-shattering new series.
Assorted Crisis Events #2, second printing (Lunar Code 0325IM893) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 25.
Exquisite Corpses #1 delivers an opening salvo that’s drenched in pop punk video game inspired visuals with a story that feels familiar but a hell of a lot of fun.
Story: James Tynion IV Art: Michael Walsh Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Becca Carey
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
Every five years on Halloween, the wealthiest families in America play a game. Twelve 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. Exquisite Corpses #1 delivers an opening salvo that’s drenched in pop punk video game inspired visuals with a story that feels familiar but a hell of a lot of fun.
Written by James Tynion IV, Exquisite Corpses #1 feels like a comic inspired by today’s popular video games. Fortnite with its battle to the death arena and colorful characters is the one that jumps out as inspiration to this series which delivers a flashy start that sucks you in. It’s a mish-mash of familiar concepts and stories but presents it all with a flair that has you wanting to come back for more.
The concept of families secretly controlling the world and battling it out is a concept that’s been done over and over as well as colorful characters dropped in an arena to battle to the death. It feels like the two have been mashed together as well but Tynion deftly focuses in on the flash and the characters impacted by the deadly game.
While just having a comic about random characters with message board handles killing each other would be entertaining enough, Tynion gives us something more by adding a touch of depth to the characters we meet and even the killers themselves. What makes the comic feel unique is that it takes place in a small town chosen by the ruling families to be used as a board for their avatars to battle in. Some are playing to win while others have side bets as to the kills they can wrack up. It’s eSports being LARPed with high stakes. But Tynion introduces us to residents and get us to care about them to have an emotional connection to see what happens to them next making the comic more than just entertaining kills. And, Tynion makes sure to not just give the killers entertaining extreme personalities but a little something extra as well. One at the end of the comic makes a surprising statement showing there’s more to him than just murdering others.
The art by Mirchael Walsh, color by Jordie Bellaire, and lettering by Becca Carey is fantastic. They give a style that’s both grounded at times but also feels like intro screens just before you enter the virtual battlefield. The characters all come off as creepy and deranged with a comic that bounces from grounded to extreme in its deliver. While the residents of Oak Valley are grounded, normal, and somewhat bland in a way, those battling are all caricatures or feel like downloadable avatars to PWN the noobs with. It’s a fun blend of comic infused with video game visuals.
Exquisite Corpses #1 is a solid start that seems to be having fun with its over the top concept and delivering on it in both story and art. It might feel familiar and not totally original, but it’s executed in a way that stands out from the pack.
Story: James Tynion IV Art: Michael Walsh Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Becca Carey Story: 8.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy
Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Let the Exquisite Corpsesgame begin… The twelfth and final hired killer, The Lone Gunman, was revealed. Now all 12 of the hired killers will hit the small town of Oak Valley, Maine, for this year’s bloody battle royale as fans speculate on who will be the last one standing after the gore hits.
Tiny Onion and Image Comics’ Exquisite Corpses—crafted by masterminds James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, and the “Corpse Crew” of creators—launches with the first issue hitting shelves next Wednesday, May 14, followed by the kickoff of the Corpse Tour ’25 at Revenge Of next Friday, May 16, with a Halloween-themed bash.
Exquisite Corpses will launch as an initial 13-issue story arc, but will expand with additional stories in the future. There will also be a companion trading card game launching soon, and fans can start collecting killer cards early with ones exclusively found in polybagged Cover C variants of each issue.
In Exquisite Corpses, every five years on Halloween, the wealthiest families in America play a game. Twelve of the deadliest people in the world are dropped into a small town with just one goal: the 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.
The series uniquely came together in a writers’ room led by Tynion IV and Walsh and made up of “Corpse Crew” comics superstars Adam Gorham, Becca Carey, Che Grayson, Claire Roe, Gavin Fullerton, Jordie Bellaire, Marianna Ignazzi, Pornsak Pichetshote, Tyler Boss, and Valentine De Landro. Each issue of the series will build upon the last in a true ‘exquisite corpse’ game style, with a passing of the baton, from creator-to-creator, to unfold the story in a collaborative and competitive fashion.
The first round of hitters was previously revealed, and now a new contingency of cold-blooded killers are entering the game to fill out the roster. In the spirit of March Madness, each issue of Exquisite Corpses will feature playoff brackets that track the in-world competition—and readers will be able to play along at home, guessing who they think will live, who will die, and who will ultimately win the game.
The Lone Gunman is a tall, dark, and mysterious player who never misses his mark. Here’s his official description from the confidential game dossier files:
MASSACHUSETTS selects LONE GUNMAN to wield THE GUN. Kill Count: REDACTED, Height: 6′ 3”. Highly trained and highly dangerous, LONE GUNMAN puts years of combat training to use as he efficiently dispatches his opponents—or any collateral damage who get in the way. Dishonorably discharged for battlefield atrocities now sealed in government records, LONE GUNMAN’S penchant for excessive violence has become a benefit, not a hindrance, to his performance in this tournament…
LEOPOLD STRONG: NORTH CAROLINA selects LEOPOLD STRONG to wield THE HAMMER. Kill Count: 23. Height: 6′ 5″. Some killers might be afraid that an opponent could steal their signature weapon, but not LEOPOLD STRONG. He alone is strong enough to heft the massive mallet that he wields to pound flesh and bone into so much bloodied paste. It’s unknown if he truly comes from the circus or merely likes the theatricality of the look, but what is clear is that LEOPOLD STRONG is easily the most physically imposing murderer in this year’s games. Heave ho!
RECLUSE: RHODE ISLAND selects RECLUSE to wield THE ROPE. Kill Count: 64. Height: 5′ 10″. An artist with wires and ropes, RECLUSE sets her own field of battle, drawing opponents into traps from which few leave intact. Though she’s deadly on the move with a garrote in hand, RECLUSE prefers a patient approach, lying in wait until her razor-wires snare her opponents. Some say her love of ropes borders on fetishism, but few get close enough to find out the truth.
FOX MASK KILLER: NEW YORK selects FOX MASK KILLER to wield THE SWORD. Kill Count: 87. Height: 5′ l”. Among killers-for-hire, there are a select few feared even by other assassins. The enigmatic swordswoman known as FOX MASK KILLER is at the top of that list, having achieved a reputation for completing her jobs with ruthless efficiency–and for chasing increasingly challenging targets. Whether she sees the tournament as just another paycheck, or a chance to push herself past her limits, remains to be seen.
PRETTY BOY: GEORGIA selects PRETTY BOY to wield THE AXE. Kill Count: 36. Height: 6′ 2″. Despite what Hollywood tries to sell the masses, most serial killers are charmless, asocial monsters. Most, anyway. PRETTY BOY, on the other hand, could kill with a wink and a flash of his pearly whites. He prefers an axe, though. Like many a heartthrob, PRETTY BOY takes out his pent-up rage through wanton violence, splattering his six-pack abs with gore with every swing of the axe. He has the honor of wielding the weapon that won the very first game ever conducted, but the significance is lost on him–he’s just here to look good and get bloody.
LADY CAROLINA: SOUTH CAROLINA selects LADY CAROLINA to wield THE ARROW. Kill Count: 7 Height: 5′ 8″. No one from the patron families enters the games themselves. It is simply unheard of. So when LADY CAROLINA stepped foot inside the arena, the other families were aghast. She comes from noble stock and received the best training their money could buy, but it still feels like a transgression. Is she simply seeking a death-defying thrill? Or does she have a more personal reason for aiming her crossbow at this year’s set of killers…
THE CONGREGATION: NEW HAMPSHIRE selects THE CONGREGATION to wield THE KNIFE. Kill Count: 39. Height: 6′ 0″. The only killer in the game to turn down a fee from his patron family, THE CONGREGATION feels that taking a life is a higher calling–a monk-like tribute to whatever dark gods whisper in his ears. And while he’s almost certainly a raving lunatic (you’d have to be, to cover yourself in the sliced-off faces of your victims), THE CONGREGATION’S knife has brought many offerings to his altar, and will no doubt bring many more still before his prayers are finished.
RASCAL RANDY: NEW JERSEY selects RASCAL RANDY to wield THE HANDS. Kill Count: 19. Height: 5′ 11″. There is a man inside the RASCAL RANDY costume, but that man doesn’t matter. That man has never mattered. He was no one until he put the mascot head on for the first time, until he felt the life leave someone’s body through the thickly furred gloves of the suit. The man inside the suit will wear any disguise if necessary, but his true skin is RASCAL RANDY, and god help anyone who sees him coming toward them on a dark night.
LAYLA BLAZE: DELAWARE selects LAYLA BLAZE to wield FIRE. Kill Count: 335. Height: 5′ 3″. They say some people just want to see the world burn, but LAYLA BLAZE will settle for seeing anything go up in flames. It’s unclear if the burn marks that criss-cross her body are the results of fires that got out of control…or LAYLA BLAZE running out of any other kindling. All that can be said for sure is that she burns hot in life, love, and the act of killing, and leaves only ashes in her wake.
SLATER: MARYLAND selects SLATER to wield EXPLOSIVES. Kill Count: 124. Height: 5′ 10″. Tick…tick…BOOM! The hot young thing known as SLATER has never had a problem attracting attention, but his entourages have a habit of blowing up—as does anything else in his vicinity. Under the right circumstances, SLATER might have channeled his fascinations with pyrotechnics into something productive—instead, he’s just a walking powderkeg.
NURSE PETE: VIRGINIA selects NURSE PETE to wield POISON. Kill Count: ???. Height: 5′ 6″. No one would guess that the unassuming, schlubby NURSE PETE had a body count approaching three figures, and that’s just how he likes it. A compulsive killer who endlessly tweaks his deadly cocktails of paralyzing narcotics and tests them on patients around the country, NURSE PETE is usually content to slip from hospital to nursing home to pediatric ward, changing identities just in time to avoid being noticed. But the sum offered to him for joining this game would pay for oh so many tantalizing new chemical components…
G4M3R_KlD & CALVIN: CONNECTICUT selects G4M3R_KlD to wield ELECTRICITY. Kill Count: 9. Height: 4′ 0″. Aww, c’mon—you wouldn’t hurt a little kid, would you? A product of the iPad generation, weaned on slur-filled gaming lobbies, G4M3R_KlD has no business being anywhere near an event like this, but he’s so desensitized to violence that he has no qualms piloting CALVIN, his heavily armed drone, and aiming it at any target in sight. Kill counts are just high scores to this tyke, and he wants to see his name on the leaderboard.
Exquisite Corpses #1 will be a triple-length debut issue, featuring 60 pages of story content for just $4.99, and will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 14. The Cover C variant not only features the extra-length issue, but also an exclusive Exquisite Corpses: The Game killer card within a protective polybag for $6.99.
Cover A by Walsh – Lunar Code 0325IM247
Cover B by James Stokoe – Lunar Code 0325IM248
Cover C by Walsh (polybagged with game card) – Lunar Code 0325IM249
Cover D blank sketch cover – Lunar Code 0325IM250
Cover E “stealth variant” by Jenny Frison – Lunar Code 0325IM251
Cover F 1:25 copy incentive by Alex Eckman-Lawn – Lunar Code 0325IM252
Cover G 1:50 copy incentive by Nimit Malavia – Lunar Code 0325IM253
Cover H 1:100 copy incentive by Jae Lee & June Chung – Lunar Code 0325IM254
Exquisite Corpses #2 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 18 (Final Order Cutoff deadline for retailers is May 26):
Cover A by Walsh – Lunar Code 0425IM328
Cover B by Marianna Ignazzi – Lunar Code 0425IM329
Cover C by Walsh (polybagged with Killer card) – Lunar Code 0425IM330
Cover D “stealth variant” by [to be revealed] – Lunar Code 0425IM331
Cover E 1:25 copy incentive by Riley Rossmo – Lunar Code 0425IM332
Cover F 1:50 copy incentive by Martin Simmonds – Lunar Code 0425IM333
Exquisite Corpses #3 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 23 (Final Order Cutoff deadline for retailers is June 30):
Cover A by Walsh – Lunar Code 0525IM344
Cover B by Valentine De Landro – Lunar Code 0525IM345
Cover C by Walsh (polybagged with Killer card) – Lunar Code 0525IM346
Cover D “stealth variant” by [to be revealed] – Lunar Code 0525IM347
Cover E 1:25 copy incentive by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz – Lunar Code 0525IM348
Cover F 1:50 copy incentive by Joshua Hixson – Lunar Code 0525IM349
In an extraordinary collaboration between two celebrated voices in comics, DC has announced the addition of an original story, “Master Planner” by writer Jenny Blake and artist Sara Soler with lettering by Jodie Troutman, to DC Pride 2025. This new story, like Kevin Conroy’s personal story “Finding Batman” (art by J. Bone) in 2022 and Phil Jimenez’s autobiographical story “Spaces” (art by Giulio Macaione) in 2024, is a poignant exploration of Blake’s identity, authenticity, and the universal quest for self-understanding. Blake is a co-creator of Black Lightning, along with Trevor Von Eeden, among other accomplishments.
Jenny Blake, a trailblazing figure with over five decades of contributions to the comics industry, shared her heartfelt reflections on the project:
When I came out as transgender, the comics community was overwhelmingly loving and supportive. Being asked to contribute to this anthology was unexpected and so affirming. I’ve done a lot of cool things in my 50-plus years in comics, but this story is one of the things I’m most proud of. I see myself in this story and I hope readers see something of themselves in it. I had a wonderful time writing my story, and I hope the readers enjoy it as much as I did.
The story, brought vividly to life by the extraordinary artistry of Sara Soler, invites readers into a journey that is both deeply personal and widely relatable, bridging human experiences of transformation, resilience, and belonging. Soler’s style beautifully captures the essence of Blake’s narrative, creating a perfect harmony between words and visuals.
Additionally, DC’s editorial team has selected a handful of letters, cosplay, and fan art to be published in a letters column within the pages of DC Pride 2025. Originally shared on the DC Official Discord server, fan contributions to DC Pride 2025 reflect how the legacy of DC’s storytelling has impacted, or reflected, their LGBTQIA+ identity, journey, or experience.
DC Pride 2025 will publish on June 4, available wherever comic books are sold. Contributors include writers Vita Ayala, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Maya Houston, Sam Maggs, Tim Sheridan, and Josh Trujillo; artists Don Aguillo, Vincent Cecil, Derek Charm, A.L. Kaplan, Giulio Macaione, Alex Moore, Skylar Patridge, Emilio Pilliu, Max Sarin, and Phillip Sevy; colorists Eren Angiolini, Jordie Bellaire, Tríona Farrell, and Marissa Louise; letterers Aditya Bidikar, Frank Cvetkovic, Lucas Gattoni, Ariana Maher, Morgan Martinez, and Jodie Troutman for main story “The Heart Wants”; along with Blake, Solar, and Troutman for “Master Planner.” The 96-page Prestige format comic will feature a main cover by Kris Anka and variant covers by Sozomaika, Julia Reck, and Jack Hughes (1:25), all priced at $9.99 US (card stock).
Duke vs Cobra Commander. It’s all been leading to this. And the ending no one will see coming.
Story: Joshua Williamson Art: Tom Reilly Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Rus Wooton
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
