On August 26, Ram V and Mike Perkins reunite for Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1, the start of an all-new six-issue recurring DC Vertigo comic book series. Wizard spies in the UK navigate a global cold war over sorcery, revealing a hidden world of occult power! And in the shadows between diplomacy and the arcane, the real war begins.
Twenty-three-year-old Darren Burroughs out of Audubon, Pennsylvania, is a “gifted” rookie sent under the guise of a diplomatic aide to train with Division Nine—an obscure, outdated, and easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that specializes in dealing with paranormal incidents. In the right sort of spy circles, they’re known by a different, more feared name…Black Tower.
It’s 2026, and in the age of cyber warfare and drone strikes, someone is plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward that has kept invading forces out of Britain. Magic and espionage collide as the Black Tower’s band of misfits, led by the enigmatic Alistair Romeo, delves into a maelstrom of spells and silencers, working against time and in the shadows to fight the esoteric battles bubbling under the surface of our visible wars.
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1 is written by Ram V with art and main cover by Mike Perkins, colors by Mike Spicer, and lettering by AndWorld Design. Variant covers are by Evan Cagle, Mark Buckingham, and ACO. The 40-page debut issue is priced at $3.99 US, with card stock variants available for $4.99.
(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Stefano Raffaele, Mark Buckingham
SIMON WILLIAMS: WANTED FOR MURDER! After last issue’s shocking reveal, SIMON WILLIAMS is left to pick up the pieces. But who is truly to blame? And would Simon take the fall for someone else’s crime?
Dark Horse Comics and Mattel have revealed Masters of the Universe: Genesis, a twelve-issue comic series diving into the history of Eternia through the eyes of its most heroic and most evil warriors. Masters of the Universe: Genesis #1 comes to comic shelves on August 5, 2026 for $4.99.
The first three-issue arc will be written by Rich Douek, illustrated by Gavin Smith, colored by Fabi Marques, and lettered by AndWorld Design. Masters of the Universe: Genesis #1 will feature cover art by Mark Buckingham and a variant by Lee Bermejo.
Discover the origins of your favorite heroes and villains! In Masters of the Universe: Genesis #1, we meet Skeletor—a power-hungry demon-mage determined to seize control of Castle Grayskull, conquer Eternia, and become Master of the Universe!
Future arcs will feature stories by Cavan Scott, Nick Roche, John Harris Dunning, Giovanna La Pietra, Tiffany Smith, and more!
(W) Paul Jenkins (A) Christian Rosado (C) Matt Milla (L) Joe Caramagna (CA) Alex Maleev (VCA) Alessandro Cappuccio and Rachelle Rosenberg, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi and Romulo Fajardo Jr., Mark Buckingham and Richard Isanove
HULK VS. SENTRY! The CRYSTALLINE PLAGUE is spreading — and no one knows what it wants. Cities fall silent under frozen corpses, E.M.P. storms rage across the globe and the HULK himself is infected! As chaos escalates, SENTRY fights to keep the VOID at bay… but every battle drags him closer to the darkness inside. From a brutal showdown in the SIBERIAN WILDS to a catastrophic strike against KINGPIN’S EMPIRE, we plunge deeper into a mystery that threatens the entire planet — and the corrupted mind of its most powerful hero!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, SUPER-HERO ACTION! Simon Williams has had his ups and down, from being manipulated into villainy by the Enchantress, to being one of the brightest stars in the Avengers! But just like Hollywood, no matter how low the lows, Simon keeps fighting the good fight! But what happens when the past finally catches up to him? Enter Randolph Chancellor: Simon’s former cellmate! A true love letter to L.A. as well as the history of Wonder Man. Wonder Man #1 delivers an interesting start that feels more like a detective whodunnit that your typical superhero comic.
At this point, I have no idea what the status is for Simon Williams/Wonder Man in the Marvel comic universe. He was a hero, he was a villain, he was a pacifist. But, thankfully with Wonder Man #1 you have to know none of that to enjoy it.
Writer Gerry Duggan seems to keep things rather simple and focused with the debut issue, keeping it to the main things that really make Simon Williams/Wonder Man stand out from all of the other heroes. Duggan dips into his past as a villain and the experiments done on him to give him power. Basically, he’s kind of a screw up, that’s never quite clicked. That’s not just being a superhero but also as an actor as well. He’s had some hits, he had his moment, but now he’s more of a fixer for the individuals that manage his career.
That gets him involved with an old friend who is having a sort of good streak for his career but also might have stolen a lot of money meant for a show. Wonder Man #1 feels like it echoes a recent real story of a producer who took a lot of money for a production and delivered nothing except goods for himself.
And that’s partially what makes Wonder Man #1 interesting. It has more to do with inside Hollywood baseball and a wink and nod but also has a feel that’s more like classic detective stories, down to the dame coming into the picture.
The art by Mark Buckingham is good. With ink by Aure Jimenez, color by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by Joe Caramagna, the comic’s visuals are interesting, with a look that feels a bit like a reality show following Wonder Man. There’s a behind the scenes sort of vibe to it that’s interesting visually. That extends beyond the panel with pages whose sides look like a film reel. It all adds to the feel the comic is going for mixing superhero aesthetics with reality television. It works really well for the comic.
Wonder Man #1 is a solid start that isn’t what I expected at all. It has far more in common with detective stories than it does with modern superhero comics and is a great introduction to Simon Williams/Wonder Man. Well worth checking it out for something a little different.
SIMON WILLIAMS has had his ups and down, from being manipulated into villainy by the Enchantress, to being one of the brightest stars in the Avengers! But just like HOLLYWOOD, no matter how low the lows, Simon keeps fighting the good fight! But what happens when the past finally catches up to him? Enter Randolph Chancellor: Simon’s former cellmate!
A true love letter to L.A. as well as the history of WONDER MAN, Legendary artist MARK BUCKINGHAM joins Marvel Mainstay GERRY DUGGAN!
Return to the universe of the legendary film in the first of a series of specials!! On Earth-828, a cosmic mishap has transformed four brave astronauts into the world’s champions and protectors. They are the Fantastic Four — but one person isn’t happy about things. He’s known as the Mad Thinker, and he’s determined to get his proper due by turning the city of tomorrow against its heroic patrons!
The 2026 Baltimore Comic-Con will be held on September 25-27 at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center. Baltimore Comic-Con welcomes Mark Buckingham, Paris Cullins, Todd Dezago, Carla Speed McNeil, Kevin Nowlan, and Craig Rousseau as guests of the 2026 event! Get your tickets online now!
Mark Buckingham, who is best-known and most-celebrated for his work on the long-running Vertigo title Fables, began his career in 1997 and was first published in the USA in 1998 on Hellblazer, followed a year later by Miracleman from Eclipse Comics. After books like Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Titans, and Shade, the Changing Man, he became a mainstay at DC Comics as regular artist on Fables. His run on the popular imprint title has earned him five Eisner Awards, including Best New Series in 2003, Best Serialized Story in 2005 and 2006, and Best Artist/Penciler/Inker and Best Anthology in 2007. Having previously had popular runs on Ghost Rider 2099, Generation X, Doctor Strange (all 1990s), and Peter Parker: Spider-Man (2000s), he is currently back at Marvel Comics as artist on Fantastic 4: First Foes.
Paris Cullins is a visionary comic book artist and storyteller known for his vibrant imagination and larger-than-life energy that leaps right off the page. Rising to prominence during DC Comics’ creative boom in the 1980s, Paris is best known for his iconic work on Blue Devil, a character he helped co-create, and his acclaimed run on Blue Beetle, which helped redefine the superhero landscape with his dynamic and fresh visual style. His artistry also brought life to the epic revival of Jack Kirby’s New Gods series and Paris didn’t stop at DC.
He crossed into Marvel territory with Hyperkind, part of Clive Barker’s Razorline imprint, proving he could flex his artistic muscles across universes. Whether penciling, inking, or designing covers, Cullins brought a fresh, youthful swagger to every panel he touched.
Paris’s distinct style and storytelling earned him a devoted fanbase and critical acclaim. Across the decades, Paris has continued to inspire emerging artists and fans alike with his fearless creativity and passion for the craft. Whether revitalizing beloved heroes or creating new legends, Paris Cullins draws with the pulse of youth and the spirit of innovation — a true master of comic book excitement and imagination.
Todd Dezago is a writer best known for his work in comics. He has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Image, Dark Horse, Scout Comics, and others. His credits include scripting the adventures of Spider-Man, X-Factor, the X-Men, the Avengers, Marvel Super Hero Squad, the Justice League, Flash, Impulse, Batman, and Young Justice. Todd co-created the high-adventure fantasy title, Tellos, with Mike Wieringo and The Perhapanauts with Craig Rousseau.
Carla Speed McNeil is the author and artist of Finder. She started working in comics in 1997 and hasn’t stopped since. She has also worked on a variety of projects like providing art for Queen & Country: Operation: Stormfront from Oni Press, adapted and drew Pendragon: The Merchant of Death (based on the prose book by D. J. MacHale) for Simon & Schuster, and drawn fan-favorite Frank Ironwine for Apparat/Avatar, as well as two pages of Transmetropolitan for DC/Vertigo, both by Warren Ellis. Bad Houses was released in 2013 by Dark Horse Comics, after which she began a long series of collaborations with writer Alex De Campi, including Ashes, My Little Pony (IDW), and No Mercy (Image) beginning April 2015. Other smaller projects have included drawing Legends of Red Sonja (Dynamite), the short story “Here. In My Head” (with writer Elizabeth Genco) for Comic Book Tattoo from Image, and shorts in notable anthologies such as The Sleep of Reason and Cautionary Fairy Tales of Africa. She has won an Eisner Award, Ignatz Awards, the Kim Yale New Talent Award from Friends Of Lulu, the L.A. Times Book Prize for graphic novel in 2012, and three Stumptown Comic Arts Awards.
Finder, the science fiction series Carla Speed McNeil started in 1996, was “born” in Maryland, and so were her two kids and three cats. She and her husband were born and raised in Louisiana, but they’ve lived here longer than they ever lived there, which is a funny thought sometimes. She’s won an Eisner, several Ignatzes, and the LA Times Book Prize. She teaches comics at MICA in Baltimore, and her COVID hobb-session was making teeny tiny doors.
Kevin Nowlan is a penciler, inker, colorist, and letterer, and a 40+ year veteran of the comics industry. Credits include Batman: Sword of Azreal, Batman Black and White, Tomorrow Stories, Doctor Strange, Infernal Man-Thing, Superman vs. Aliens, and, recently, Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor. Nowlan also contributed character designs to the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, most notably the Joker, Killer Croc, The Mad Hatter, and the Man-Bat.
Craig Rousseau has been working in the comics industry for over 2 decades, working for all the major publishers, including DC (Impulse, Batman Beyond, Harley Quinn, Batman ‘66) and Marvel (Iron Man Armor Wars, Captain America and the Korvac Saga, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane). Besides Young Hellboy from Dark Horse Comics, he’s currently working on the latest adventures of his creator-owned book, The Perhapanauts (with Todd Dezago) at Black Caravan… and a few other things.
This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Jason Aaron (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Jo Chen (Runaways), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn), Olivia Cuartero-Briggs (The College Try), Paris Cullins (Blue Devil), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Trish Forstner (Feral), Chris Giarrusso (Mini Marvels), Gene Ha (Mae), Larry Hama (GI Joe: A Real American Hero), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Jamal Igle (Superman), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Infernal Hulk), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Mike Kunkel (Herobear and the Kid), Jae Lee (Inhumans), Jose Marzen Jr. (Y: The Last Man), Mike McKone (Teen Titans), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Fantastic Four), Pop Mhan (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Mark Morales (Thor), Bill Morrison (The Simpsons), Sarah Myer (TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures), Kevin Nowlan (Batman: Sword of Azrael), Patrick Olliffe (Untold Tales of Spider-Man), Ryan Ottley (Invincible), Jimmy Palmiotti (The Punisher), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), David Petersen (Mouse Guard), Tom Raney (Incredible Hulk), Afua Richardson (Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds), Don Rosa (Uncle Scrooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, courtesy of Flesk Publishing), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Matthew Dow Smith (DC’s Misfits of Magic), Scott Snyder (DC K.O.), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and the Big Hero Six), Mark Waid (Action Comics), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Rich Woodall (Sgt. Werewolf), and Thom Zahler (Long Distance).
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!
This March, the Future Foundation partners with Marvel Comics to unveil Fantastic Four: First Foes #1, the first of four additional authorized comic book one-shots retelling of the Fantastic Four’s heroism and early adventures, starting with their encounter with one of New York City’s most notorious villains: the MAD THINKER! Fantastic Four: First Foes #1 will be written by Fantastic Four aficionado and writer Dan Slott and drawn by Mark Buckingham.
Return to the world of Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the first of a series of quarterly one-shot specials throughout 2026 expanding on different characters and moments from the film! On Earth-828, a cosmic mishap has transformed four brave astronauts into the world’s champions and protectors. They are the Fantastic Four – but one person isn’t happy about things. He’s known as the Mad Thinker, and he’s determined to get his proper due by turning the city of tomorrow against its heroic patrons!
In addition to the main story, Fantastic Four: First Foes #1 will also include a two‑page “FANTASTIC SCIENCE” feature inspired by Reed Richards’ educational programming in the world of the film. Written by Ryan North, the current mastermind behind Marvel’s ongoing Fantastic Four comic book series, this short story is one fans of all ages won’t want to miss!
Get your first look at Phil Noto’s main cover and variant cover, along with a variant cover by Kaare Andrews. Preorder your own copy of Fantastic Four: First Foes before it sells out at your local comic shop today!
