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Colossal Creatures Collide this Fall in Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters Collection

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Graphic Policy Team

Dark Horse Books offers another deep dive into the world of Marvel Comics with Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters. Editors and comics historians John Lind and Chris Ryall curate a 416-page compendium of stories featuring the larger-than-life creatures that established the foundation for the Marvel Age of Comics, such as the fire-breathing Fin Fang Foom, the sentient tree-creature Groot, the colossal Monsteroso, the telepathic titan Xemnu, and many more. This new collection showcases the work of the legendary Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, and Steve Ditko from classic issues of anthology titles including Tales to Astonish,

Journey into Mystery, Strange Tales, and Tales of Suspense in addition to modern monster work from acclaimed creators like Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, John Byrne, Gil Kane, Eric Powell, Tradd Moore, and Arthur Adams. Accompanied by essays from comics historians, and original art from Jack Kirby, these stories show how these creatures continue to inspire creators and captivate new generations of Marvel fans.

This special oversize hardcover edition features a monster-filled wraparound cover under a die-cut belly band, designed by Ian Chalgren. Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters is the ultimate tribute to Marvel’s heritage!

Revisit the artwork in Marvel’s Mightiest Monsters when the 416-page (7″ x 10″) belly-banded, deluxe hardcover arrives in bookstores and comic shops on October 13, 2026, for $75.00. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop.

Comics

Act 4 Publishing and Skybound Reveal a First Look at The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Graphic Policy Team

Skybound, Image Comics, and Scott Dunbier’s Act 4 Publishing, revealed an exclusive art preview from The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition. Experience Steve Ditko’s true-to-size original artistry in this Artist’s Edition, arriving in comic shops on June 24 and bookstores on July 21, 2026.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition features some of the most important comics in Marvel history by Ditko including Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spidey’s first appearance) and three incredible, complete stories: The Amazing Spider-Man #20, #26, and #33—the latter of which is regarded by many as the apex of Ditko’s Spider-Man art! This massive 15” x 22” Artist’s Edition also includes dozens of classic splash pages, story pages, covers, and more, with every page scanned from the original art. Also included is a selection of scanned photocopies of Steve Ditko’s rarely seen pencil art from The Amazing Spider-Man #31, presented side by side with the published ink pages, plus scanned art from more than 20 additional issues.

Experience a unique inside look at the stunning artistry of Steve Ditko, co-creator of one of the most recognizable superheroes in the world – The Amazing Spider-Man – in this gorgeous, oversized Artist’s Edition!

An Artist’s Edition is an art book disguised as a comic collection. Although appearing to be in black and white, all the art is scanned in color, enabling the reader to see the work as close to the original as possible – ink gradients, blue pencil, and all the unique nuances that make original art so special – are all clearly visible and printed at the same size as drawn. The only better way to experience these pages is by looking at the artist’s drawing board, as they’re drawing.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition begins the next chapter of the groundbreaking releases from the Act 4 Publishing and Skybound partnership. Fans can look forward to Doctor Strange by Paul Smith Artist’s Edition, also arriving in 2026. More details are coming soon!

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition  (ISBN: 978-1-5343-3471-7| SRP $195.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and at booksellers on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition Direct Market Exclusive (ISBN: 978-1-5343-3516-5| SRP $195.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

Act 4 Publishing and Skybound Announce The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Graphic Policy Team

Skybound, Image Comics, and Scott Dunbier’s Act 4 Publishing, will release one of the most-demanded Artist’s Editions ever in 2026 – The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition, beginning a multi-book deal with Marvel Comics.

Coming May 2026, The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition will feature some of the most important comics in Marvel history from the incomparable titular hero’s co-creator/artist Steve Ditko including Amazing Fantasy #15 (the character’s first appearance) and Amazing Spider-Man #33 (regarded as Ditko’s finest work). This massive 15” x 22” Artist’s Edition also includes dozens of classic splash pages, story pages, covers, and several never-before-published images from the early 1960s done for fans, with every page scanned from the original art.

An Artist’s Edition is an art book disguised as a comic collection. Although appearing to be in black and white, all the art is scanned in color, enabling the reader to see the work as close to the original as possible – ink gradients, blue pencil, and all the unique nuances that make original art so special – are all clearly visible and printed at the same size as drawn. The only better way to experience these pages is by looking at the artist’s drawing board, as they’re drawing.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition begins the next chapter of the groundbreaking releases from the Act 4 Publishing and Skybound partnership. The previously announced releases include titles releasing in late 2025 (Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition) and throughout 2026 (Darwyn Cooke’s The Complete Spirit Connoisseur Edition, Wally Wood’s EC Stories Artist’s Edition- EXPANDED and Mike Mignola’s Hellboy in Hell Book 2 Artist’s Edition).

Future releases within the publishing partnership include J. Scott Campbell’s Danger Girl Artist Edition, Dave Stevens’ Covers and Stories’ Connoisseur Edition, Jason Pearson’s Body Bags Artist’s Edition, Paul Smith’s Leave It to Chance Artist’s Edition. Publishing details for these books will be announced in the future.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Steve Ditko Artist’s Edition (ISBN: 978-1-5343-3471-7| SRP $195.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, and at booksellers on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Comics

Around the Tubes

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Graphic Policy Team

It’s the 4th of July and we’re celebrating here at GPHQ but we still have a day packed with news! We’re kicking it off with some stories you might have missed in our morning roundup. Happy 4th!

Rolling Stone – The Secret Life of Steve Ditko: Spider-Man Co-Creator’s Family Opens Up – A great read.

Reviews

Comicbook – Absolute Power #1
Comicbook – Free Agents #1
Comicbook – Grendel: Devil’s Crucible Defiance #1
Comicbook – Spider-Man: Reign 2 #1

Around the Tubes

Marvel and McFarlane Toys team for posed figures

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Graphic Policy Team

McFarlane Toys has announced a landmark collaboration with Marvel. Through this collaboration, Todd McFarlane’s iconic Marvel artwork will be brought to life in a collection of posed figures, available in both 1:10 and 1:6 scales. It’s the first time Todd McFarlane will turn some of his own Marvel drawings into stunning 3D detail, offering fans an unparalleled opportunity to own a piece of comic book history.

The 1:10th scale posed figures will celebrate the enduring legacy of Marvel Comics and the legendary artists behind its characters. The inaugural wave features figures inspired by the artistry of Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Steve Ditko, John Romita Jr., and Rob Liefeld and showcases iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Deadpool. Each figure is based upon some of Marvel Comics’ most memorable covers and will be set within an environmental base and includes a diorama backdrop to complete the final presentation.

The debut figures recreate McFarlane’s Captain America pose from the iconic cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #323 and a Spider-Man figure, also from McFarlane’s classic Amazing Spider-Man run on the title. These figures feature a comic reprint and are mounted on environmental bases with a diorama backdrop, inviting fans to step into the pages of some of their favorite Marvel adventures.

This collection is slated for release this summer, offering fans and collectors an opportunity to own highly detailed figures inspired by Todd McFarlane’s legendary artwork. Stay tuned for more details which will be announced in the coming weeks through McFarlane Toys’ official website and social media channels.

Marvel settles with the estate of Steve Ditko over character rights

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Brett

In June 2023, Marvel settled with Larry Lieber and the estates of Don Heck, Gene Colan, and Don Rico in a copyright battle. A similar fight with the estate of Steve Ditko continued. This past week, that lawsuit was settled as well.

This past Wednesday, attorneys for Marvel and Ditko’s estate notified the court an “amicable settlement” was reached. A dismissal with prejudice is expected to be filed in the coming weeks.

In 2021 Marvel filed lawsuits as a response to copyright notices which would have reverted characters and more created by those artists and writers back to them or their estates. With Ditko settled, that ends all of them.

Ditko’s estate wanted to reclaim rights from numerous comics like Amazing Fantasy and Strange Tales. They also targeted “any character, story element, or indicia reasonably associated.” That would have included characters like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

The details of the agreement have not been made public.

Get Creepy with this collection of horror tales from Dark Horse on Humble Bundle

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Graphic Policy Team

Ring in the season of fright with the Creepy Comics Collection Comic Bundle, a massive collection of terrifying tales from Dark Horse! Within this monstrous bundle you’ll find the entire 145-issue run of the seminal horror comics magazine Creepy, established in 1964, collected here in 29 chilling Creepy Archives volumes. Featuring the work of revered creators like Gray Morrow, Frank Frazetta, Alex Toth, and Steve Ditko, this collection will take you on a twisted journey through an unforgettable era of horror storytelling. Also included is a collection of volumes from Dark Horse’s new Creepy magazine, featuring horrific tales from names like Ray Fawkes, Michael Woods, and others. Get all this and more, and help support the Hero Initiative with your purchase!