Image Comics Hit "Final Boss" is Becoming a Hybrid Beat 'Em Up Video Game

The comic book world and the gaming industry are about to collide in a massive way. Just ahead of Comic-Con International 2026 in San Diego, publisher Bit Bot Media dropped a bombshell announcement. They are partnering with acclaimed comic writer and artist Tyler Kirkham to adapt his hit Image Comics series, Final Boss, into an official video game.

Even better news for fans of retro gaming and modern fighters alike: this is not your run-of-the-mill adaptation. The Final Boss video game is a genre-bending experience that shifts from a retro pixel side-scroller into a 3D fighting game.

Check out the official details below, including a legendary creative team and a killer soundtrack.

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What is the Final Boss Comic Book Series?

For those who have not yet dived into the series, *Final Boss* is one of the biggest breakout successes in recent comic history. Created, written, and illustrated by Tyler Kirkham, a fan-favorite veteran known for his stellar work on *Amazing Spider-Man*, *Green Lantern*, and *X-Men*, the series was an instant hit. The debut issue sold out immediately at the distributor level, prompting quick second printings to keep up with intense reader demand.

The story follows Tommy Brazen, an ex-street brawler turned powered-up mercenary. Tommy soon discovers that his family secrets and his own violent past are connected to a massive, global conspiracy. The comic itself was heavily inspired by Kirkham's deep love for classic arcade beat 'em ups, fighting games, and over-the-top action cinema. Now, that exact DNA is being put directly back into the hands of players.

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A Unique Hybrid Gameplay Experience

Rather than sticking to a single genre, Bit Bot Media and their in-house studio, Mecanimal Games, are building a hybrid experience that mirrors the escalation of the comic.

The game supports one to four players in classic local couch co-op. It starts as a beautifully detailed pixel-art side-scrolling brawler. You and your friends will fight waves of grunts and progress through dangerous environments, channeling the energy of arcade classics like *Streets of Rage* or *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*.

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The 3D Fighting Twist

Once you reach the end of a stage, the gameplay completely transforms. Animated comic book panels transition the scene as the camera tightens up. The game then shifts seamlessly into a focused, one-on-one 3D arena fighting game. It is a brilliant way to handle boss fights, turning a chaotic street brawl into a personal, high-stakes duel.

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A Powerhouse Creative Team

Tyler Kirkham is heavily involved in the project as a key creative collaborator to ensure the game remains entirely faithful to his original vision. Joining him are some massive industry veterans:

Frank O'Connor - Serving as Bit Bot's Creative Director, O'Connor is the former Franchise Creative Director behind legendary gaming franchises like *Halo* and *Perfect Dark*.

Joshua Viola: - Bit Bot co-owner and producer, who noted that Kirkham's comic already felt like a video game waiting to happen.

Celldweller - The acclaimed electronic rock musician and Bit Bot co-owner is officially on board to compose an original, high-octane soundtrack for the game.

"Final Boss was born from my love of classic arcade games, fighting games, action movies, and comics," Kirkham shared in the press release. "Working directly with Bit Bot allows us to translate that DNA into a video game that feels authentic to the comic while expanding the world in exciting new ways."

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How to Play the Final Boss Video Game

While we do not have an official release date just yet, the hype train is officially leaving the station. PC gamers can head over to Steam right now to add the game to their wishlist.

For more updates on the project as San Diego Comic-Con approaches, you can sign up for the newsletter at the official Bit Bot website or follow their social media channels.

Are you a fan of Tyler Kirkham's independent work? Are you excited to see Tommy Brazen transition from the comic page to the gaming screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion over on our official Comic Book Clique Discord server.

Frank's Favorites, Issue #1: Planetary

Welcome to Frank’s Favorites, my own little corner of the internet where I get to share some of the comics that have meant the most to me over my three-and-a-half (or so) decades of reading. I hope that by sharing these, I help you find a new favorite book—or at least have a good time with one…

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If you told me right now to take all the comics I’ve ever read and come up with the top five or ten, I don’t know if I could do it. I’ve read a ton of great books over the years (hence this column). What I can tell you is that Planetary by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday, and Laura Martin would absolutely be on that list.

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The Elephant in the Room

Today, talking about this book is complicated. It would be irresponsible of me not to acknowledge the misconduct allegations made against Ellis by the group So Many of Us. I in no way excuse or condone the actions he’s been accused of, nor is it up to me to determine his innocence or guilt. Each of us must decide how we feel about him and his work. In the case of Planetary specifically, it is the work of multiple creators, not just Ellis—in fact, many consider it to be the late John Cassaday’s magnum opus.

I’m one of those people.

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Archaeologists of the Impossible

The elevator pitch for Planetary is that it’s about a team of “archaeologists of the impossible” who work to unearth the secret history of the world. From that starting point, the series both celebrates and deconstructs pulp and superhero fiction, often using pastiches or homages to familiar characters.

The main cast consists of three names: Elijah Snow, a 100-year-old man with memory issues and cold-based abilities; Jakita Wagner, a woman strong of both body and will; and the Drummer, a man who is never without his drumsticks and can communicate with machines. This trio has been employed by the Planetary Society under the direction of the mysterious Fourth Man, whose identity is one of the overarching mysteries for the first half of the series.

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Paradigm Shift

In a way, Planetary reminds me of the anime Trigun. For roughly the first half, the stories largely stand alone and aren’t as grim in tone. But once we hit the midpoint, things change. In Trigun, we learn the dark truth behind Vash the Stampede. In Planetary, we learn who the Fourth Man really is, and the true villains of the piece—the Four, an evil version of the Fantastic Four—move to the forefront. The characters and the overarching mission remain the same, but events move in a much darker direction overall.

Part of what keeps me going back to Planetary time and again is the sheer variety of stories it tells. In one issue, they might interact with a Man of Bronze not unlike Doc Savage, then in the next one, they’re learning the origins of the first kaiju. Through each story, we get insights into the characters, glimpses into their larger world, and commentary on the art form of comics itself.

You could take away everything else—the scripts, the characters, the colors—and leave only Cassaday’s artwork, and you’d still have a strong contender for “one of the best comics of all time.” His artwork is that good. Combine that with Martin’s colors, and yes, Ellis’s scripts, and you get a finished product that is so good it’s almost unfair to other comics that must share shelf space with it.

Cassaday draws everything with a high level of detail and a perfect combination of realism and the fantastical. He’s able to effortlessly mimic the looks and styles of countless different genres—in the first three issues alone, we get Doc Savage-inspired pulp, kaiju craziness, and a John Woo-inspired ghostly revenge story in Hong Kong. Issue after issue, he just keeps topping himself.

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Journey of 1,000 Miles

Planetary ran for a total of 27 issues, released between 1999 and 2009. Originally planned as a 24-issue bimonthly series, it was placed on hold for several years due to Ellis being ill for some time. Cassaday's commitments to other books like Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon (which experienced several delays of its own) also kept the book from maintaining a regular schedule.

If you are checking this series out for the first time now, you have a distinct advantage. You can actually read the whole thing at once and not have to wait literally years between issues (issue #27 came out three years after #26). In fact, DC Comics is releasing a softcover Compendium of the complete series, including three crossover one-shots featuring The Authority, the JLA, and Batman, on July 14. I couldn't have timed this column any better if I'd planned it, eh?

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Why It Made the List

I think by now I’ve given you enough information to decide if Planetary is for you or not. Now I’d like to talk a bit about why it definitely is for me.

Planetary came at just the right time—the years before it had definitely disenchanted me with comics overall. I had stuck it out through the entirety of Spider-Man’s Clone Saga, made it through Heroes Reborn, and watched Gotham City get hit twice by a plague and once by an earthquake in way too short a period of time. Plus, I’d gotten more into the idea of the pulps, thanks to movies like The Phantom, The Rocketeer, and The Mummy. So the idea of an original story that still had familiar-looking characters and concepts was right up my alley.

The fact that I could pick up an issue and get a stand-alone story was an absolute breath of fresh air after countless multi-title crossovers. Ellis’s anarchistic tone spoke to 19-year-old me. And Cassaday’s art, combined with Martin’s colors, absolutely blew my mind. I was chomping at the bit for more.

As time (and delays) passed, my enthusiasm wavered. There was a point where I didn’t even realize new issues had come out. I eventually realized I’d missed some, and the bonus then was that I got to read several at once. It was like hanging out with an old friend that I hadn’t seen for a while, not for any bad reason but just because we kept missing each other.

The decade between when Planetary began and when it ended included a huge explosion of talent and great comics. By the time the series finally ended, my enthusiasm had cooled greatly and I was buying way too many books every week. It wasn’t until years later, when I reread the whole series at once, that I truly realized just how special it was. Since then, I’ve owned Planetary in multiple formats and revisit it regularly. I tell anyone who will listen that they should check it out. Phrases like “one of a kind,” “ahead of its time,” and “lightning in a bottle” get thrown around a lot, but they all absolutely apply here. Despite the fact that I already own the Absolute Edition and the Omnibus, there is a good chance that I’ll be buying the Planetary Compendium too—those big hardcovers are heavy, after all—and I hope to see you at the shop picking up a copy of your own.

You won’t regret it.

Did I inspire you to check out Planetary? Did it become your new favorite, or did you wonder what the heck I was talking about? Either way, I’ll be back soon with another pick from Frank’s Favorites.

Comic Legend John Byrne Blasts Donald Trump " It Feels Like Evil Has Won."

The comic book industry is no stranger to political discourse, but legendary creator John Byrne has sent shockwaves through the community with a biting critique of President Donald Trump. Speaking to The New York Times, the influential writer and artist offered a blunt, somber evaluation of the current political landscape, framing Trump's presidency in a way that bridges contemporary news with classic comic lore.

"It feels like evil has won," Byrne stated flatly during the interview. "I look at Washington and go, oh my God, this is the [guy] who I modeled my Lex Luthor in part on, back when he was just a big noise in business in New York."

While the connection between Trump and the modern iteration of Superman’s greatest foe has long been a piece of comic history trivia, Byrne’s direct, public lashing of a sitting president marks a significant moment for both pop culture and political commentary.

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Why Byrne's Political Backlash Is Turning Heads

What makes these statements genuinely noteworthy is Byrne's long-standing reputation within the comic book industry. Throughout his decades-long career, which includes defining runs on Uncanny X-Men, Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, and She-Hulk, Byrne has frequently been viewed by fans and insiders as holding conservative or right-leaning perspectives.

While public perception does not always perfectly encapsulate a creator's private political beliefs, his traditional reputation makes his explicit, harsh criticism of Trump particularly fascinating. For many fans, this public pushback is being read as a sign that frustration with the current administration crosses traditional partisan divides, proving that the reaction to the political status quo extends well beyond standard political lines.

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The Roots of the Criticism Lies In Byrne’s View On Corporate Villainy

To understand the weight behind Byrne’s frustration, you have to look back to his landmark 1986 reboot of Superman in the miniseries The Man of Steel. Collaborating with writer Marv Wolfman, Byrne completely reinvented Lex Luthor, stripping away his silver-age "mad scientist" jumpsuits and secret underground lairs.

Instead, they realized a modern audience would find an untouchable corporate titan far more terrifying. Byrne recast Luthor as an egotistical, billionaire executive who hid his criminal operations behind the corporate shield of LexCorp. He was a man obsessed with his own public image, plastering his name across skyscrapers and demanding total adoration from Metropolis.

To build this version of Lex, Byrne pulled heavily from the prominent, ostentatiously wealthy tycoons dominating the 1980s media landscape, with Trump serving as part of the primary visual and thematic tapestry. Seeing the personification of that 1980s corporate greed reach the absolute pinnacle of real-world political power is what clearly drove Byrne’s sharp commentary to the Times.

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Life Imitates Art

The historical parallels between Byrne's work and the current political landscape feel almost prophetic. Decades after Byrne established Lex Luthor as a ruthless property mogul and corporate executive, DC Comics took the character a step further. In a famous 2000 storyline, Lex Luthor actually ran for President of the United States and won.

During that fictional campaign, DC even published a parody "unauthorized biography" of Luthor, featuring a cover design that directly mirrored the aesthetic of Trump's famous 1987 book, The Art of the Deal.

Byrne’s recent interview highlights a bizarre loop of history. A character built to satirize the ultra-wealthy, image-obsessed business culture of New York eventually saw his real-world blueprint follow the exact same path to the Oval Office. For the man who helped create that modern blueprint, seeing the reality play out in Washington has clearly elicited deep frustration.

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Sound off in the comments below! What do you make of John Byrne's blunt criticism of Donald Trump, and how do you feel about his perspective on the current political climate? Let us know your thoughts, and don't forget to share this article with your fellow comic fans!

PREVIEW: THE SMART DIVISION #1 PITS HUMANS AGAINST AI

Art for The Smart Division #1 Cover B

The Smart Division is a dark and modern sci-fi detective series set five minutes in the future. When a mysterious new predictive artificial intelligence program appears responsible for assisting someone in the perfect murder, a pair of unlikely investigators - a chaotic Gen-Z savant and a veteran FBI agent - must hunt down the killer by starting the FBI’s first AI crimes division. It is written by Zack Kaplan (Kill All Immortals, Masterminds, Port of Earth) and Eisner-winning artist John Pearson (In Bloom, The Infernals, The Department of Truth) - a reunion long awaited since their fan-favorite sci-fi horror series, Mindset.

We got a chance to look at the preview of Issue #1, and there is a lot to like about this new series. The painterly artwork and mix of chat bubbles and hand-crafted-like lettering combined create a feeling of two battling worlds, even in the comic’s fundamentals. This gives the story and its emotions more depth, placing you deeper into the down-and-dirty world of this mystery.

Its sci-fi elements expand on current technologies and problems they create, as well as where they could very possibly lead. By following a very skeptical FBI veteran, we can see how AI can threaten everything that has already been built. By having him team with a younger and tech-savvy partner, we can see the friction between a self-destructive past and a new but equally self-destructive future. 

The AI craze, along with the oversaturation of LLMs and how they can be used, is a theme tackled a lot recently and by multiple mediums.  However, a lot of these stories usually feel like a monologue of an idea.  Zack Kaplan, by choosing to partner these characters, gives the promise of a dialogue of ideals rather than a monologue of beliefs. This promises a murder mystery with a lot of food for thought.

If you enjoy detective murder mysteries and highly realistic sci-fi ideas, this story is a must read as it feels like a sci-fi philosophical twist on True Detective season one’s format

The Smart Division #1 releases on August 5th and it will be a 5-issue limited series.

🚨The Truth About Supergirl's Misguided Movie Ending: How the Writer Got the Comic Wrong

Look, we are all mature enough to understand how Hollywood works at this point. When a major studio adapts a beloved comic book masterpiece for the big screen, it is rarely going to be a perfect, page-for-page copy. Directors and screenwriters frequently use the names, titles, and basic premises of popular books while remixing the actual narrative to fit a two-hour theatrical runtime. Changes are inevitable, and usually, that is completely fine.

But for the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie, screenwriter Ana Nogueira did something entirely different. She justified a massive, controversial creative choice by making up a version of the comic book that the pages literally do not support.

To see exactly where everything goes off the rails, you first have to look at how the source material actually concludes.

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What Actually Happens in the Comic Ending

The entire comic book miniseries by Tom King and Bilquis Evely tracks Ruthye’s quest for vengeance after Krem murders her dad. It is a brutal, cosmic road trip fueled by pure rage. The story eventually jumps to the far future, where an older Kara Zor-El visits an elderly Ruthye. Kara has just let Krem out of the Phantom Zone after he spent hundreds of years locked away.

Krem is totally broken. He is reformed, terrified, and profusely apologizing for his past crimes. Right here, Ruthye has the perfect chance to finally get her revenge. Instead of killing him, she knocks the old man over and walks away. She rejects her base instincts, refuses to give into the cycle of violence, and preserves her own humanity.

Bilquis Evely’s artwork leaves zero room for debate. In the final panels, you can explicitly see Krem’s body moving on the ground. He is alive. This choice is the literal emotional and thematic payoff of the entire series.

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Flipping a Hopeful Theme Into a Casual Execution

And that brings us to the movie's massive, hidden twist…

Major Spoiler Alert!

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In the theatrical version, Supergirl straight-up executes Krem herself.

By having Supergirl kill Krem to "preserve Ruthye’s innocence," the film completely undoes the message of the source material. In the comic, Ruthye preserves her own innocence by walking away. Supergirl did not have to play executioner because the cycle of violence was broken by mercy.

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The Smoking Gun: Ana Nogueira's Wild Justification

So, why make such a radical shift? It turns out it was not a deliberate thematic subversion, but a fundamental misunderstanding. When Variety asked the writer how she crafted the movie's final battle, she dropped an absolute bomb of a quote to explain her logic:

"The ending between Kara and Krem was always in it, from the pitch - truly from the very beginning. Because the comic ends with Ruthye killing him, but in the far, far future. We knew we weren't gonna be able to do that kind of time jump, and I find it's quite a dark ending of the comic. He essentially has changed, and she kills him anyway, because she still just has this anger, and you understand there's this element of deserve, right? So, we wanted to craft a villain who would deserve this, but we also wanted Kara to really care about preserving Ruthye's innocence..."

Read that again. The writer of the film called the comic a "dark ending" because she genuinely thinks an old, reformed man got murdered in cold blood on the page.

The layer of confusion here is deep. Throughout the comic, Ruthye acts as an unreliable narrator writing a legendary, dramatized text. At one point, her stylized narration boxes explicitly claim that Supergirl plunged a blade into Krem. But Tom King and Bilquis Evely utilize a classic comic technique: the text lies, but the art tells the truth. On panel, you see Ruthye merely wallop Krem on the nose with her cane, and the final panels explicitly show his arm moving as she and Kara walk away.

Nogueira misread the book on multiple levels. She mistook Ruthye's fictionalized, in-universe narration for objective fact and attributed an action to her that she never even committed on the page. Just in case there was any lingering doubt about what actually happened, writer Tom King has been entirely explicit when asked whether Krem dies at the end of the book:

"This is not supposed to be ambiguous. Krem is supposed to be alive at the end."

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Anatomizing a Massive Lack of Diligence

So, how does a mistake of this magnitude happen on a multi-million dollar production? I decided to investigate myself using a few of the baseline “internet research” methods.

If you look into the corners of the internet, a few possibilities open up. If you ask a standard AI chatbot to summarize the book, it will often hallucinate and tell you flat-out that Ruthye killed Krem. Similarly, casual readers who skimmed right past the nuance of the unreliable narration and the actual imagery of the final panels have posted incorrect summaries online. Odds are, a quick Google search or an AI prompt led Nogueira down the wrong path early in the process, and nobody ever bothered to look at the physical book to check the math.

The truly baffling part of this entire scenario is that Tom King literally works for DC and acted as a creative consultant on this exact film. The architect of the entire narrative was right there, easily accessible, yet the production somehow managed to bypass his input on the most critical thematic moment of the story. It points to a massive lack of diligence in the scripting phase. Nogueira completely flipped the story on its head because she based a foundational pitch on a surface-level internet rumor rather than a close reading of the text. She mistakenly invented a darker ending for the comic to justify a movie where the hero commits an execution.

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A Familiar Cautionary Tale

While I dug the film, this lack of comprehension, and other changes possibly made because of a lack of understanding, is what stopped it short of greatness. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a flat-out modern masterpiece, universally highly regarded as one of the most visually stunning and emotionally profound comic books of the last decade. By completely misunderstanding its core message, there was simply no way the film was ever going to hit the majestic heights of the source material. When an adaptation completely misses the soul of its foundation, the spectacle on screen can only carry it so far.

Replacing a beautifully sophisticated, transcendent message about breaking the cycle of violence with a standard, hollow Hollywood execution leaves us with an entertaining blockbuster, but it deprives us of the cinematic masterpiece this story should have been. More than that, it serves as a glaring warning for future DC and Marvel adaptations: when filmmakers misread the core anatomy of the books they are adapting, they risk flattening complex art into generic blockbusters, teaching studios all the wrong lessons about why these stories resonated with fans in the first place.

The Best Stories I Never Read: What Comic Books and RPGs Have in Common

I’m a comic book fan.

Obviously.

I’ve read comics since I was a kid. I don’t remember exactly what age I was, but I’d guess it’s been around 40 years.

I’ve been playing tabletop roleplaying games since I was a sophomore in high school, so... about 30 years ago.

Man, I’m getting old.

What is it that draws me to both of these seemingly very different hobbies?

Let's talk about it.

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Separated at Birth: Comic Books and Tabletop Roleplaying Games

You may not realize just how much DNA comic books and roleplaying games share.

Roleplaying games—RPGs for short—are collaborative activities that generally involve a Game Master (think the head writer and director) and a number of players (think co-writers and actors), with four usually being the sweet spot.

The Game Master comes up with the setting, the basics of the plot, and portrays the non-player characters in the world. The players are the heroes and react to the story and other characters in real time.

It's a little bit like improvisational theater, really.

The biggest difference between RPGs and other forms of storytelling is that nobody—not even the Game Master—knows exactly how things are going to unfold. The players make choices. The dice introduce unexpected twists. Stories evolve naturally through collaboration.

And if you're a comic fan, that should sound surprisingly familiar.

How many times have you gotten into a lively debate with your comics-reading friends about how you would have told a story differently, or what character would win in a fight?

We’ve all done it.

Roleplaying games are a mechanism where you get to tell those stories and decide those battles. You create your own characters, tell your own stories, and play them out the way you want to.

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The Shared Universe of the Tabletop

There are comic books based on RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Vampire: the Masquerade. There are RPGs based on comics and superheroes like the Batman Gotham City RPG, Marvel Multiverse RPG, and the forthcoming DC Justice League Unlimited RPG (written by Mark Waid!).

There are also non-licensed superhero games like ICONS, HERO System, and Mutants & Masterminds.

Much like modern comics, RPGs are an embarrassment of riches.

Whatever story you want to tell—superheroes, fantasy, personal horror—there’s probably a game for it.

Think you could do a better job getting the One Ring to Mount Doom that Frodo and Sam did? Prove it.

Feel like Batman should have put the Joker down years ago and that crossing that line wouldn't make you a monster? Give it a shot.

Want to play an intelligent monkey piloting a robot and call him Furious George? Your friend wants to partner him with a metal man with super-speed called Speed Metal? Let's do it.

But the real overlap between comics and RPGs isn’t the products. It’s the way we engage with the stories.

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The Stories We Make

Think about your favorite comic runs. Something with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

I’ll go first.

One of mine is Brian Bendis’ Ultimate Spider-Man. It re-established the character for a new generation, told fresh modern stories, and had a definitive end (he died). It’s a run that will stick with me forever.

I’ve read a ton of great comics in my time, and had great conversations around them. But I’ve also participated in RPG sessions that I will genuinely never forget. Stories and characters that my friends and I came up with that just blew us away.

They weren’t just stories we read. They were stories we made.

Another story that will stick with me forever was my high school Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Dead Gods Usually Don’t Stay Dead. My old friend Chris was the Dungeon Master. The rest of us were the players, each with characters we poured our hearts into. We gave them backstories, laughed and cried with them. Not everyone survived to the end of the story, but we all played our parts. Some of those friends have moved on, but I still talk about Dead Gods with the ones I see.

Here’s one thing I’ve never forgotten about that campaign.

My character, Link Sharloe, was traveling with his betrothed and Dave’s character Azeyet. We had adjourned to our rooms at an inn when we were awakened by a shattering window. My betrothed was gone, and in her place was a battered, bloodied dark elf named Ghaundar (played by Mike). Before Link could attack, Chad’s character Drake intervened and insisted the stranger was under his protection.

So we didn’t get along.

But through our travels, we learned to trust each other. We became friends. We became family. Those characters stopped being numbers on a character sheet a long time before the campaign ended. When one of us had to sacrifice their life to save the world, we all felt it. We played that campaign for years, and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

The Power of Living the Story

That’s the power of roleplaying games. Comics have the advantage that, if I start to forget a favorite story, I can pull the issues back out and read them again. RPGs don’t have that luxury—but if the game is strong enough, like Dead Gods was for my friends and me, you won’t have to refresh your memory.

We created it. We lived it. And we’ll never forget it.

Spider-Noir Episode 1 Review: Comic Book Meets Casablanca In This Nic Cage Series

The highly anticipated live action debut of Spider-Noir has finally arrived, and the premier episode leaves us with plenty to unpack before we dive into the full series analysis on the next episode of the podcast. If you were expecting a traditional, web-slinging Marvel spectacle, you might want to adjust your expectations. What we get instead is a beautifully shot, stylized piece of hard-boiled television that feels far more comfortable in a smoke-filled room than a superhero crossover.

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​Nicolas Cage Is the Ultimate Pulp Detective

Unsurprisingly, the absolute best reason to tune in is Nicolas Cage. Playing a dry-witted, hard-boiled neo-noir detective, Cage is a perfect match for this specific pulp universe. His trademark stilted dialogue and melodramatic delivery, which can sometimes feel out of place in standard Hollywood fare, work beautifully here.

​His performance frequently brings to mind Rick Blaine from Casablanca. This version of the character is a man who used to do the right thing, but a lost love has hardened him into a cynic who is willing to turn a blind eye to the rising tide of crime around him. Naturally, a new case forces his hand, setting him on a direct collision course with his old vigilante identity, The Spider, as he relearns the classic lesson that evil prevails when good men do nothing.

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A Gorgeous World with an Elite Supporting Cast

​Visually, the show is a triumph. The cinematography is gorgeous, and watching the Black and White version is highly recommended to fully appreciate the moody, shadow-drenched atmosphere Oren Uziel has constructed.

​The cast surrounding Cage is stellar and holds their own against his massive screen presence. Brendan Gleeson turns in a highly effective performance as the local Mob Boss. Gleeson commands the screen when he is in a scene, and he possesses the kind of gravitas where his character still feels incredibly dangerous even when other people are just talking about him.

​Furthermore, Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, and Karen Rodriguez are fantastic additions to the ensemble. Even in short bursts throughout the premiere, they are incredibly engaging. They bring an immediate spark to the screen, and I absolutely cannot wait to see more of them as the mystery unfolds.

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A Noir By Any Other Name…

The biggest surprise of the premiere is the overall tone. It frequently feels like Sony’s answer to Joker, serving as a comic book adaptation in name only. There is just enough web-slinging and web-shooting thrown in to keep traditional comic fans entertained, but it is incredibly obvious that the creative team really just wanted to tell a gritty detective story starring Nicolas Cage. Frankly, who can blame them?

​However, this creative choice brings us to the biggest gripe with the series, an issue that lingered even before the first episode aired. It is genuinely baffling why they decided to disconnect this character from established lore. Why not make him a multiversal Peter Parker like he is in almost every other iteration?

Or better yet, why not tie him directly to the version of Spider-Noir we already know and love from the Spider-Verse animated films? Imagine if the first scene in Spider-Noir saw Cage as Parker, putting down a Rubix cube he got during his adventures with Miles!

Connecting the two would have given any subsequent animated appearances immense emotional weight because audiences would know exactly what he just went through in his live-action dimension.

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The Verdict

Alas, a faithful comic adaptation is obviously not the goal of this series. If you can handle a less than accurate take on a fringe Spidey comic, Spider-Noir is absolutely worth a look. You do not necessarily need to run to your television to watch it this exact second, but if you have some free time and love classic detective stories, give it a chance. At the very least, it is clear that Cage and the rest of this stellar cast are having a total blast.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

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What did you think of the premiere? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for our full series breakdown on the next episode of the Major Issues Podcast!

Looking For More Noir After Spider-Noir? Tom King's “The Human Target” Hits the Mark

So you’ve finished Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir series on Prime Video and now you want more noir. There’s a comic for that. You could try Peril of the Brutal Dark for some horror flavor, or titles like The Good Asian or Death to Pachuco for something more historical. Those are all good choices. Remember them later. Right now I’m here to talk about The Human Target by Tom King and Greg Smallwood.

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Twelve Days

Christopher Chance has twelve days to solve his own murder.

Do I have your attention now?

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Everyone and No One

Christopher Chance is more than a bodyguard. He’s called the Human Target because that’s exactly what he makes himself. He becomes an exact double of his client, taking their place to lure out whoever is threatening them. This time, he doubled Lex Luthor (yes, that Lex Luthor) and wound up poisoned for his trouble. Hence the “twelve days to live” problem. His pool of suspects? The members of the Justice League International.

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I don’t want to say anything more about the plot—I want you to experience it for yourself. So instead, let’s talk about the art for a minute.

Greg Smallwood handles the pencils, the inks, and the colors for this title, and none of it is what you’d call “traditional.” For the pencils and inks, he actually combines three distinct styles: softer rendering for faces and skin, looser strokes for clothing, and heavier lines for backgrounds. The colors are done in a striking watercolor style, often bleeding outside of the lines. The result is a book that almost looks like the covers of old crime noir novels—something unlike anything else on the shelves today.

Writer Tom King is a “love him or hate him” type of creator. Personally, I’m a big fan, although even I can admit that his miniseries are generally better than his longer runs. Compare The Human Target or Mister Miracle (with Mitch Gerads) to his Batman run, and you’ll see what I mean. Christopher Chance’s quest to find his own murderer plays right to King’s strengths, and the writing perfectly complements Smallwood’s art. Most importantly, it knows when to shut up and get out of the way.

There’s an old saying: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Here, the parts were already good enough to win Eisner awards, so the whole ends up being pretty fantastic.

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Required Reading

You can find The Human Target in twelve single issues (plus one special), two standard-sized hardcovers each collecting half of the run, or an oversized hardcover Deluxe Edition (my personal favorite). I recommend the Deluxe—the oversized pages and premium paper stock makes the art look even better. There’s really no wrong way to read this book, just as long as you read it.

Advance Look: Adrian Tchaikovsky's "The Final Architecture: Salvation's Child" graphic novel

When the Sky Fell

Aliens called the Architects came to Earth and destroyed it, driving humanity out among the stars.  The survivors scattered to colonies throughout known space.  The Architects kept coming, and the cycle continued.

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Birth of the Enhanced

In The Final Architecture novel series, Adrian Tchaikovsky tells the story of humanity after the war with the Architects has ended and the enemy has mysteriously vanished.  What the novels never explored in great detail, however, were the origins of the enhanced humans who could communicate with the enemy and help turn the tide of the war.

Enter the upcoming Comixology Original graphic novel Salvation's Child, which serves as a prequel to the larger story.  At its core is the story of Xavi, the first enhanced human, and the beginnings of events that would eventually reshape humanity’s future.

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Lost in Space

It is common in space opera science fiction for the characters to travel to many different worlds and encounter multiple alien species.  This is where Salvation's Child both shines and loses me a little bit.  There is a strong sense of design for the various spacecraft we encounter, and the alien species we meet are different and varied.  Maybe a little too varied, if I'm being honest.  I found myself having a hard time keeping up at points.

If you are familiar with The Final Architecture novels, then I think a lot of what gave me trouble here will probably make perfect sense to you.  This is definitely the kind of story you can read cold, but it's going to be much stronger if you're at least passingly familiar with the source material.

This title hits Amazon Comixology on May 26, so check it out if you're a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky or of space opera in general.  I do think it will hit harder for you if you're the former, but there's still plenty here to enjoy if you're the latter.  And hey, at $6.99 it's a pretty easy jump into this universe if you're curious.

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We'd like to thank Comixology and Cosmic Lighthouse for providing us with an advance copy of this book, and we hope you'll check it out when it releases.

🪦They’re Actually Going To Kill [Redacted] in Absolute Batman #20, Aren't They?

The rumors of a massive character death in Absolute Batman #20 are hitting a fever pitch. The solicitation of the issue reads: A TRAGIC LOSS ROCKS GOTHAM CITY! As the dust settles in the city of Gotham after the loss of [redacted], Robins enter the scene ready to hunt, and more than one secret will be revealed in this seminal issue. While the story seems to be pointing toward Martha Wayne as the big casualty, it feels like a total red herring. If you look at the board, all signs point to a different loss that would fundamentally break the rules of the Batman mythos. The real target on the chopping block is ……

……

…..

..

Jim Gordon.

⚠️SPOILERS FOR ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18⚠️

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A Man Without a Shield

In most stories, Jim’s badge is his armor. But in this universe, he doesn't have the institutional power of the Commissioner's office or a loyal police force behind him. He is a man operating on the fringes of a city that hates his integrity. That lack of a "shield" makes him an incredibly soft target for the powers running Gotham.

This vulnerability is dialed up to eleven now that the Court of Owls is stepping out of the shadows. We know Martha is a former Talon who got on the Court's bad side, making her the "one who got away" from their control. Since she is essentially an enemy of the state in their eyes, the Court isn't just going to go after her; they are going to dismantle her life. Targeting Jim is the most logical way for them to hurt her and Bruce simultaneously. In this version of Gotham, having a spine just makes you an easier target for the Owls to pick off as a warning to those who defect.

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The Double Loss of a Father Figure

In a world without the traditional Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon has stepped up as the only real moral compass Bruce has left. In the Absolute Universe, Bruce doesn't have a billion-dollar mansion or a butler to ground him. He just has his own rage and the very few people he trusts, and Jim was one of the first to comfort him after the tragic loss of his dad. Losing Jim would mean Bruce loses a second "father," mirroring the trauma of his childhood, but through the lens of his adult choices.

This kind of grief would push the Absolute Batman into total isolation. We already see that Bruce thinks Batman needs to evolve, and a tragedy like this may send him over the edge as it strips away his support system and turns his mission into a desperate struggle for survival. Without a father figure to pull him back from the edge, there is nothing stopping Bruce from going as dark as the city he is trying to save.

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Redefining the Legacy Through Rivalry

Killing Jim allows this series to completely blow up the standard "Batman and the Commissioner" trope. Usually, Gordon is the safety net that makes Batman’s life easier. By removing that friendly ear in the GCPD, the story forces Bruce to stay a permanent outsider. It keeps the stakes high by making the entire system his enemy, rather than having a buddy on the inside to bail him out.

This also sets the stage for a massive subversion of the Barbara Gordon relationship. If Jim dies because of Bruce’s crusade and Barbara finds out, we could see a version of her that blames Bruce entirely. Instead of her becoming a traditional ally, she could become a brilliant, motivated rival. Imagine a story where Bruce isn't just hunted by the Court or dirty cops, but by a Gordon who actually knows his secrets and has a personal vendetta. This replaces the comfortable GCPD alliance with a high-stakes conflict that changes the game.

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The Curse of the Secret

This brings us to the curse of the secret. In the world of neo noir, knowledge is never a gift; it is a liability. Being the person who knows the hero's identity is effectively a death sentence. We’ve already seen that Bruce’s friends who know the truth are frequently targeted to get to him, and Jim Gordon is now the biggest loose end in Gotham.

Now that Jim has finally confirmed he knows Bruce is under the cowl, his role has shifted from a mentor to a prime target. In a neo noir setting, the hero's secret usually ends up destroying those who hold it. Taking Jim out is the loudest way for the creative team to prove that in the Absolute Universe, nobody is safe, and Bruce’s mission has a permanent, lethal cost for anyone who gets too close to the truth.

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The Ultimate Catalyst for Change

Ultimately, Jim’s death is the most effective way to light a fire under the entire cast. While a parent's death is a core part of the Batman origin, Jim’s death in this universe ripples through everyone currently on the board. For Martha, seeing a friend die might be the thing that forces her to fully re-embrace her lethal Talon skills to protect what is left of her family. For Barbara, it is the spark that turns her into a radicalized warrior or a dangerous opponent.

For Bruce, this is the ultimate motivator. It proves that his mission carries a body count that includes the people he loves most. This isn't just one person’s tragedy; it is a collective trauma that forces everyone to grow up and level up fast. Jim’s absence creates a vacuum that forces the entire Gotham underground to either start a revolution or get crushed by the Court of Owls.

But what do you think? Am I off base? Who do you think is gonna fill the body bag in Absolute Batman #20> Sound off below!

🚨DC KO Spoilers: DC Prepares a Universe-Altering Event After K.O.

If you thought DC’s K.O. was wild, get ready. DC is gearing up for something even bigger. It looks like DC might be heading towards familiar territory, but with a bombastic twist that is sure to have new and old fans alike flocking to comic shops.

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Spoilers for DC KO #5 (from Bleeding Cool)

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According to Bleeding Cool, the aftermath of DC’s K.O. #5 is setting the stage for the first Absolute Crisis, a crossover mini-series that could shake the entire DC landscape.

At the recent ComicsPRO event in Glendale, Absolute Group Editor Chris Conroy said the event will be easy to jump into, friendly for newcomers, and won’t disrupt existing storylines. Don’t let that fool you. Darkseid himself hints that this will be a crisis of Absolute proportions, an event massive enough to redefine the universe.

Conroy also teased that this will be the “Absolute way,” which means crazy variant covers, huge moments for every major hero, and the possible debut of new fan-favorite arcs. From hints at new powers to universe-altering consequences, everything post-K.O. is about to get intense.

The event is expected in Q4 2026, giving fans months to speculate, theorize, and prepare for what could be one of DC’s biggest events in years. Collectors, completionists, and chaos-loving fans all have a lot to look forward to.

DC’s next chapter isn’t just another crossover. The Absolute Crisis is coming for every corner of the multiverse.

One Piece Creator & NYT Bestsellers Endorse Debut Kickstarter, Marcus Walker: Kingslayer Protocol

[Los Angeles, CA] - Walt Disney Alumni and debut writer Chris Yates, teams up with rising artist Simone Ragazzoni (Robotech: Rick Hunter, Power Rangers Universe, Dune: House Corrino) to debut a brand new creator-owned series, MARCUS WALKER: KINGSLAYER PROTOCOL. Featuring exclusive one-of-a-kind covers from NYT Bestseller Sean Murphy (Batman: White Knight Series, Tokyo Ghost, Chrononauts), Siya Oum (Neo Wonderland, Lola XOXO, Lady Mechanika), NYT Bestseller Rob Guillory (Chew, Farmhand, Mosely), and Kevin Keane (Todd McFarlane's King Spawn, Gunslinger, Rat City), launching March 3rd on exclusively on Kickstarter.

In MARCUS WALKER: KINGSLAYER PROTOCOL, a comic that explores themes of family and self-discovery through Mech vs Kaiju action, an ideal match for fans of Ultraman: Rising, Big Hero Six, and Power Rangers.

The description reads: As the war wages on between Kaijus and Kingslayer Mechs in New Honolulu City, Marcus Walker is forced into hiding under the watchful eye of his authoritative family, determined to protect him. This unexpected turn of events forces Marcus to confront the relentless dangers of his choices head on as the sinister forces dredge up old secrets from his bloodline's past and threaten his future.

"MARCUS WALKER: KINGSLAYER PROTOCOL is a heart-pounding thriller that explores the nature of trauma and the unseen chokehold of the past. A rollicking family adventure with big fights and bigger feels." - Steven Maeda (Co-Creator, Showrunner & Writer of Netflix's One Piece, Live Action)

Backers can choose from a variety of Kickstarter Exclusive reward tiers, including variant covers, deluxe digital editions, and an Artist’s Edition featuring a black and white Sean Murphy cover alongside Simone Ragazzoni’s half-tone art. Collectors and art enthusiasts will also find commissions, cover art, and original pages from the series available.

The MARCUS WALKER: KINGSLAYER PROTOCOL Kickstarter campaign launches on March 3rd, 2026, and runs through April 3rd, 2026. Fans and collectors can start to unlock stretch goals today by clicking the campaign page below. Followers will receive launch notifications and ensure access to exclusive rewards, limited-edition items, and early bird discounts.

Click here to start unlocking stretch goals and get in on the ground floor of an exclusive Kickstarter series!

The Untold Story of Absolute Batman Annual #1: An Interview with Daniel Warren Johnson

Few creators in the modern comic book industry command the same level of visceral energy and raw emotional honesty as Daniel Warren Johnson. Known for his kinetic art style and deeply human storytelling in works like Do a Powerbomb and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, Johnson has a unique ability to blend high-octane action with profound thematic depth. His involvement in any project brings an immediate sense of prestige and excitement, making him one of the most respected voices in the medium today.

In this snippet of our exclusive interview as part of Major Discourse with Comic Book Clique and Dirt Sheet Radio, superstar artist and writer Daniel Warren Johnson opened up about the intense creative friction behind Absolute Batman Annual #1. As one of the top selling single issues in recent DC history, the book has sparked intense conversation across the industry. Here is the untold story of how the issue came to be, in the creator’s own words.

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The Financial Reality of the Dark Knight

The journey began with the practical side of the comic book industry. While the Absolute Universe has become a massive success for DC, Daniel Warren Johnson initially hesitated to join the line despite the obvious financial incentives of drawing Batman.

"So this actually goes back to my priorities. You know, when you were talking about, like, money and what's driving me, it's no secret that, like, Batman art sells well. Batman comics sell well.

A lot of times it's financially rewarding, to work on, like, a Batman book. That's no secret. And my art rep knows this.

He's like, “Hey, you should work on Absolute Batman. Make a pretty penny.” That's basically was the vibe. Yeah. Not in a bad way. It's just reality.

And I was like, “Nope, I have no ideas.I don't want to do it”

And Felix said, “Well just think about it. And I was like, okay."

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The Search for an Absolute Idea

Despite encouragement from the core creative team of the Absolute line, the spark for the story did not arrive immediately. Even with Nick Dragotta and DC editorial expressing high interest, Johnson waited for a concept that felt necessary rather than just profitable.

"And I'm thinking about it, and…nothing. And he, every once in a while he'd ask me and he'd be like, “Hey, DC, I know DC is interested”.

And Nick Dragotta, the artist on Absolute Batman, was like, "Hey, if you wanted to do something at DC with Absolute, I'm sure we could work something out.” Like, everybody's super excited about the possibility of you doing something.

I was like, "Thanks so much. I have zero ideas."

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The Spark of Inspiration and the Ultimatum

The turning point came from a specific, powerful mental image triggered by current events. Once Johnson found the central visual for the story, he approached DC with a clear vision and a "take it or leave it" attitude regarding the political and social undertones of the script.

"I watched, like, the inauguration, and I watched this stuff happening for the second time, and I just got this, image in my head of that double-page spread.

Like, it just popped into my head I was like, that is enough of a powerful image that I could build a story around it. I kind of messaged Nick and I was like, “hey, I think I might have an idea. Maybe.”

And I got on the horn with the head of the Absolute Batman line, the editor, and I was talking to her and I told her my idea over the phone and I told her exactly what it was going to be.

Not word for word, like what you read in the comic, but it was like the vibes were very clear. And I said "This is what I want to do. If you don't want to do it. If DC doesn't want to touch this, no big.”

Like, I totally get it, but I'm not doing anything different. It's either you take the whole pie or you don't take it at all. And to their credit, DC was like, “Yep, we're into it. Let's do it.”"

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A Miserable Writing Experience

Even with DC’s approval, the actual production of the Annual was a grueling process. Johnson describes a period of intense self doubt where he considered softening the message of the book by replacing the antagonists with more traditional Batman villains like Mr. Freeze.

"And so it was like, full steam ahead. And it's because I had this idea that I wanted to do it. And it's funny that you mentioned, you know, zombies or, or, know, Man-Bats or whatever, because halfway through writing this thing, I was like, “What am I doing? This is so on the nose.”

Like, "Oh, my God, what have I done?” You know? I'm like, rewriting it. Being like, “Mr. Freeze's Agents...” or whatever.

I was like kind of backpedaling and this book did not want to get written. And I was kind of like, you know, because you're like, kind of putting your flag in the sand and saying like, “Hey”. And, which I don't do a ton of…you know.

I'm a pretty quiet when it comes to, like, world stuff. I'm not really yelling on Twitter or anything like that. It's just kind of my choice.

But, with something like this, I just felt very strongly that I had to do it. And, so it took me six weeks to write the issue, which is insane. Like, usually a, script like that would take me like two weeks. And I just editing and then getting stuck and then looking up like, the dirt sheets and then getting stuck. And it was an absolutely miserable experience."

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Pushing Through the Friction

The difficulty extended from the script to the drawing board. Johnson reveals that the entire project felt like it was resisting being created, though he found his footing once he reached the pivotal double page splash that originally inspired the pitch.

"The whole book was actually really tough to draw. It was tough to write. The cover was tough to draw. It just didn't want to get made. But I knew because of that initial idea, because of that spark, I knew that it was worth making.

And when I drew that double page splash, I felt like, I don't know, it was like, right in the middle of the book. And I was like, yep, this is....it's not easy, but this is right. Like, I'm on the right path.

I just felt it in my bones. And, I was actually hoping, like, as things got a little heated up with, like, the Charlie Kirk dude or whatever, I was worried maybe D.C. was going to get cold feet. And I was bracing. But to their credit, they kept it going like we did it."

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The Viral Sketch and the Fallout

Before the book even hit shelves, a simple doodle prepared for New York Comic Con set the internet ablaze. What began as a routine sketch for a convention appearance turned into a lightning rod for the intense cultural reactions that would eventually surround the release of the Annual.

"And, you know, and then when I started wrecking people's lives, I just started doing some doodles. And I didn't really think anything of it because I did that, like, ICE drawing. It's a good drawing for sure. But I was just doing it because I was going to New York Comic Con.

I was going to New York Comic Con, and I just doodle for fun in my house, and I bring a stack of little sketches that I just have for sale. That's just what I do at shows now. I don't have time to really take personalized sketches.

I just do what I have, and I bring what I have. And this is just one of the many drawings of Batman I had made. And I wasn't even really thinking about posting it. I didn't think much of it. And then my art rep posted it.

He posted, so I might as well just go all in. Yeah. And I posted it, and it blew up, and I had people threatening me. I had people celebrating me. It was absolutely insane."

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Connection Through the Art

Ultimately, Daniel Warren Johnson views the work as a form of communication that transcends social media debates. For him, Absolute Batman Annual #1 is an expression of personal feeling and a way to connect with an audience experiencing similar emotions.

"Art speaks louder than words. I don't really have to say anything, I think it's very clear how I feel. Personally. I don't necessarily believe in violence, but, man, drawing it, it's a way to have this connection with other people that are going through the same thing."

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As of this moment, Absolute Batman Annual #1 has reached a major sales milestone, contributing to the broader Absolute line that has sold over 8.2 million units. Specifically, this issue helped propel Absolute Batman to become a dominant force in the 2025 market, with the flagship series moving close to 3 million copies. This would be impossible without the determination and spirit of creators like Daniel Warren Johnson.

Want to hear the full conversation? Watch the complete interview with Daniel Warren Johnson on the Comic Book Clique YouTube channel for more behind the scenes insights into the Absolute Universe!

🚨SPOILER: Age of Revelation: Finale Reveals [REDACTED] Is ALIVE?!

⚠️WARNING: SPOILERS FOR AGE OF REVELATION: FINALE⚠️

Marvel has officially confirmed the long-term fate of Hank McCoy, and it serves as a final rejection of his redemption. In the finale of X-Men: Age of Revelation, readers discover that the original, corrupted version of Beast survives into the deep future. He awakens in a synthetic body long after the Krakoan age has turned to dust. This reveal ensures that Beast’s descent into villainy remains a permanent part of his history. It is no longer a temporary character arc that can be quietly ignored or erased by future writers.

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The Survival of the Original Consciousness

The death of Beast in X-Force #50 appeared to provide a clean slate for the X-Men. By executing the traitor and replacing him with a moral backup from his younger years, the team hoped to bury his crimes. However, Age of Revelation clarifies that the original Beast anticipated his own end. Whether through secret backups or high-concept contingency planning, the evil version of the character endured. His presence in the far future proves that death was merely a tactical setback for a man who had already sacrificed his soul for his version of the greater good.

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The Rise of the Chairman

The most chilling aspect of this reveal is not Beast’s survival, but his status. In this distant timeline, he exists in a fully synthetic form and views his lost biological body as a useless relic. More importantly, he is addressed by the title of Chairman. This title suggests a terrifying historical shift. It implies that his radical, cold-blooded ideology was not eventually rejected by mutantkind. Instead, it was institutionalized. When a new threat appears, Beast does not hesitate to seize control. His logic remains identical to his Krakoan era persona because he still believes that survival justifies any atrocity.

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A Permanent Mark on Marvel History

Marvel is making a bold choice by refusing to walk back Beast’s fall. By placing this version of the character thousands of years in the future, the editors have framed him as a permanent consequence of the Krakoa era. While the dream of a mutant utopia ended in failure, the corruption within it remained. The dark pragmatism that ruined Beast has outlived the nation that birthed it. This ensures that the damage done to the character’s legacy is a story to be reckoned with rather than a mistake to be forgotten.

What do you think of this reveal? Tell us in the comments below!

⚠️Ultimate Endgame #1: [SPOILER] Rewrites The Rules of The Ultimate Universe⚠️

This article discusses the final reveal of Ultimate Endgame #1 in detail. If you have not read the issue and want to remain unspoiled, this is your warning.

With that said, Ultimate Endgame #1 does not simply kick off Marvel’s next big event. It delivers a reveal that fundamentally reshapes how readers are meant to understand the entire Ultimate Universe.

⚠️ FULL SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE ENDGAME #1 BELOW ⚠️

HUGE SHOUT OUT to Read More Comics out of Brandon, Florida, for the EXCLUSIVE

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The Clock Every Ultimate Book Was Built Around

From the relaunch of the Ultimate line, one idea has quietly driven every series forward: the Maker is coming out of the City. That countdown has existed beneath the surface of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Black Panther, Ultimate X-Men, and The Ultimates, creating the sense that everything unfolding across this universe was happening with limited time.

Ultimate Endgame #1 embraces that tension rather than subverting it. The issue is structured around the belief that the Maker’s release is inevitable, and that the heroes’ past efforts were never about preventing his return, only delaying it.

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The Reveal at the End of Issue #1

The final pages of the issue reveal the truth behind that delay. The Maker does not emerge from the City as a prisoner finally set free. Instead, it becomes clear that during his confinement, the Maker and the City have effectively merged into a single entity.

The City was never just a container. It was absorbed, reshaped, and integrated into the Maker’s long-term design. When its barrier falls, what returns to the world is not simply the Maker himself, but a fully realized system built around his intelligence, preparation, and ideology.

This distinction elevates the threat considerably. The Maker is no longer acting from within the world alone. He has become part of its structure.

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Why This Changes the Stakes of the Ultimate Universe

This reveal retroactively reframes the pacing of the Ultimate line. What may have felt like restraint or a slow burn now reads as intentional groundwork, with the Maker using time to expand his influence rather than biding it. Every delay worked in his favor, allowing him to prepare without drawing attention.

By becoming synonymous with the City itself, the Maker places himself beyond the reach of simple solutions. This is no longer a conflict that can be resolved through a single battle or decisive victory. Any attempt to stop him now requires dismantling something that has already embedded itself into the foundation of the Ultimate world.

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The Endgame Has Officially Begun

The closing reveal of Ultimate Endgame #1 signals that this event is not interested in temporary shake-ups or easy resets. By tying the Maker directly to the City, the story commits to long-term consequences that will ripple across every Ultimate title moving forward.

The Maker is no longer a threat waiting behind a wall. He is already everywhere that wall once stood. And with that revelation, Ultimate Endgame establishes itself not just as an event, but as the defining story of this era of the Ultimate Universe.

The Captain's Kids: Steve Rogers' Secret Family Tree Across the Marvel Multiverse

The potential Avengers: Doomsday teaser showing an aged Steve Rogers with a baby has cracked open one of the biggest mysteries in the MCU and Marvel Comics: Captain America's kids. Across the Multiverse, Steve Rogers is a father, but his children are rarely normal.

They are leaders of new Avengers teams, wielders of Mjolnir, and, in one terrifying case, a murderous, armless villain. Prepare to explore the epic, tragic, and sometimes terrifying secret family of the Star-Spangled Man.

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The Multiversal Children of Captain America: A Definitive List

1. James Rogers: The Son Who United The Next Avengers

• Mother: Black Widow (Natalia Romanova)

• Debut: Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Animated Film)

• Release Date: September 2, 2008

• Creative Team: Written by Christopher L. Yost, Greg Johnson, & Craig Kyle. Directed by Jay Oliva & Gary Hartle.

• The Legacy & The Conflict: Born from the ultimate super-spy and the greatest soldier, James struggled under the weight of his parents' legendary names, often questioning if he possessed true heroism or merely inherited skill. When his parents were killed by Ultron, he was raised in secret by Tony Stark. His destiny was to lead the children of the original Avengers to avenge their fallen world, demonstrating his father's strategic mind and his mother's stealth.

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2. Ultimate Red Skull: The Ultimate Betrayal

• Alias: Toddler Rogers

• Mother: Gail Richards

• Debut (as an Adult): Ultimate Comics: Captain America #1

• Release Date: January 2011

• Creative Team: Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Ron Garney.

• The Legacy & The Conflict: The darkest mirror to Steve's legacy. This son, born to Steve's WWII love Gail Richards in the grim Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610), was immediately snatched by the government and twisted into a psychopathic weapon. He is the physical embodiment of the Super-Soldier Serum's corrupted potential, motivated by a deep-seated rage toward his father for abandoning his mother in the war. He became a brutal killer, embodying pure, destructive malice.

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3. Sarah Rogers: The Woman Who Wields Mjolnir (Crusader)

• Mother: Rogue (Anna Marie LeBeau)

• Debut: What If...? #114

• Release Date: November 1998

• Creative Team: Written by Jay Faerber. Art by Gregg Schigiel.

• The Legacy & The Conflict: Sarah is the powerful daughter of Steve Rogers and the mighty Rogue, conceived in a world where the heroes settled down after their biggest war. Due to Rogue retaining the powers and psyche of Captain Marvel, Sarah was conceived with a complex genetic makeup. Her legacy is defined not just by her strength, but by her unwavering worthiness—a rare trait that allows her to wield Mjolnir and serve as a symbol of hope for her reality.

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4. Ian Rogers: The Long Lost Prodigal Son (Nomad)

• Mother/Guardian: Adopted by Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter

• Debut (Infant Appearance): Captain America (Vol. 7) #1

• Release Date: November 2012

• Creative Team: Written by Rick Remender. Art by John Romita Jr.

• The Legacy & The Conflict: Ian's story is one of enduring love against impossible odds. Though biologically the son of the villain Arnim Zola, Steve rescued him as a baby and raised him for 12 formative years in the hellish Dimension Z. Despite being forced to fight and witness immense violence as a child, Ian chose to embrace the moral code Steve instilled in him, later taking up the mantle of Nomad to fight for freedom, a profound statement that fatherhood transcends biology.

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5. Sharon Rogers: The Next Generation of Captain America (Future Fight)

• Mother: Peggy Carter

• Debut: Marvel Future Fight (Mobile Game Character)

• Release Date: July 2016 (v2.3 patch)

• Creative Team: Created by Netmarble (specifically for the game).

• The Legacy & The Conflict: Sharon is the daughter of Steve and Peggy Carter in a timeline where Steve was never frozen and they got the life they deserved. Though a non-canonical character created for the popular mobile game, her immediate popularity stems from the fact that she represents the idealized heir to both the Super-Soldier legacy and the strategic genius of her S.H.I.E.L.D. director mother, embodying the best of both parents.

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The Avengers: Doomsday Mystery: The Baby in Steve's Arms

Is the infant in the rumored teaser one of these heroes, or a brand-new, terrifying addition? The most likely candidates for an MCU debut are:

• The tragic, adopted son Ian Rogers (Nomad), whose complex origin ties back to foundational MCU villains like Arnim Zola.

• The highly anticipated James Rogers, completing the family circle with the dearly departed Natasha Romanoff.

• A completely made-up character like Morgan Stark because…why not?

🚨Leaked Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Description Teases The Return of [SPOILERS]

If you’ve spent any time in Marvel spaces recently, you’ve probably seen the same Avengers: Doomsday trailer description circulating everywhere. Different accounts, different platforms, but the exact same story. That kind of consistency is what’s fueling the conversation.

To be clear, I haven’t seen the trailer myself, and no actual footage has surfaced publicly. What has emerged is a remarkably unified description being shared by multiple scoop and leak accounts, often word for word.

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What the Alleged Trailer Shows and How It Ends

According to the circulating description, the trailer opens quietly. A man rides a motorcycle up to a house and parks outside. He enters the home carrying something instantly recognizable: the Captain America suit. No bombastic music, no dialogue, just deliberate pacing.

The man is then shown carrying a child through the house. As the camera pulls back, the reveal lands. It’s Steve Rogers, portrayed by Chris Evans.

The trailer reportedly ends on a stark title card stating that Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday, followed by a countdown clock ticking toward the film’s release. No villain reveal. No action montage. Just the weight of that message.

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Why This Rumor Has Stuck and Why It Feels Familiar

What makes this description linger isn’t spectacle, but intention. It sounds designed to hit a very specific emotional pressure point. Steve Rogers isn’t just another character. He’s the heart of the Infinity Saga.

That’s also why the alleged reveal feels uncomfortably close to another recent Marvel swing: bringing Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom. Both moves read less like organic storytelling and more like calculated nostalgia plays, signals that Marvel is very intentionally reaching for the audience that showed up in record numbers for Avengers: Endgame.

It doesn’t automatically make the idea bad, but it does suggest urgency. A sense that Marvel knows it needs that old magic back in theaters, and fast.

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How Likely Is Steve Rogers’ Return?

Skepticism is still warranted. Chris Evans has repeatedly said his time as Captain America is over. But the MCU has also made multiversal storytelling its safety net. Alternate timelines, variants, and legacy loopholes make a Steve Rogers appearance easy to justify without fully undoing Endgame.

What’s notable is how little this leak has splintered. Fake leaks usually spiral as people add extra details. This one hasn’t.

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What It Could Mean for Avengers: Doomsday

If this trailer description is real, Avengers: Doomsday may be less about introducing the future and more about re-anchoring the past. Bringing back Steve Rogers, especially paired with other legacy moves, feels like a direct appeal to the audience that made Endgame a cultural event.

Whether that’s desperation or a smart recalibration depends entirely on execution. For now, it remains a rumor. But it’s one that makes Marvel’s current priorities feel clearer than ever.

But what do YOU think? Are you stoked to see the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan return? Let us know below!

[SPOILERS] Returns, The Comeback No One Wanted in DC KO: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1

For a brief and admittedly confusing moment, DC Comics did something few readers expected. In DC KO: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1, the New 52 version of Lobo makes an appearance, instantly triggering a mix of disbelief, anxiety, and long-buried comic book trauma for anyone who remembers that era.

Yes, that Lobo, the sleek, self-serious reinvention from the mid-2010s that fans overwhelmingly rejected and DC eventually sidelined. His sudden presence feels jarring precisely because it taps into a version of the character many assumed had been quietly erased from memory.

For readers who haven’t picked up the issue, that image alone is enough to raise alarm bells. It’s easy to wonder whether DC is testing the waters, quietly reintroducing him, or flirting with the idea of reopening a chapter that most fans were happy to leave closed. The initial shock is real, and the comic knows that, which is exactly why it works.

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Why New 52 Lobo's Return Hits A Nerve

The New 52 Lobo is loaded with context. When he was introduced in 2014 during DC’s line-wide reboot, the character was dramatically reshaped. The exaggerated, cigar-chomping space biker parody was replaced with a younger, leaner, and far more restrained assassin who took himself seriously in a way Lobo rarely had before.

The creative team behind that reinvention, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Reilly Brown, were clearly operating within the New 52 mandate to take bold swings and reinterpret familiar characters. The intent wasn’t to sabotage Lobo but to explore a different angle during a period when DC was actively encouraging experimentation. The problem wasn’t effort or execution so much as tone. For many readers, this version missed the chaotic, excessive vibe that made Lobo work in the first place, and the response reflected that disconnect.

Over time, DC course-corrected by restoring the classic version of Lobo and allowing the New 52 incarnation to fade into the background, occasionally acknowledged only through pointed in-jokes that recognized how poorly he’d been received.

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The Actual Context of Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1

Tone is everything here. DC KO: Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1 is not a dense continuity piece or a serious character study. It’s an exaggerated knockout tournament that leans into spectacle, absurdity, and comic book excess. The book thrives on heightened scenarios, visual humor, and references that reward longtime readers who know DC’s deeper lore.

Within that framework, the New 52 Lobo appears briefly and deliberately, not as a meaningful player in the story but as a knowing visual reference. His inclusion relies entirely on reader recognition and the shared understanding of how that version was received. The joke doesn’t land if the audience isn’t already in on it, and the comic trusts that they are.

Rather than elevating or validating that version of the character, the cameo uses him as part of the meta-commentary baked into the series’ tone. The moment acknowledges DC’s own history while making it clear that the creative team is fully aware of how this incarnation fits into it.

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Why This Moment Exists

This isn’t the first time DC has handled the New 52 Lobo this way. In Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, he was famously depicted as a bottled collectible, literally placed on a shelf while the narrative all but told readers he was better left there. That scene wasn’t subtle, and this appearance follows the same tradition.

The cameo in Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1 serves a similar purpose. It recognizes a strange and divisive era of DC history without attempting to rehabilitate it, using humor and self-awareness instead of revisionism. In a story built on excess and playful exaggeration, his presence feels less like a revival and more like an acknowledgment delivered with a smirk.

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New 52 Lobo Fans: Don’t Start The Party Yet

Despite the visceral reaction his appearance may provoke, this is not a signal of things to come. The New 52 Lobo isn’t being folded back into continuity, nor is he being positioned as a replacement for the classic version. His role in Wonder Woman vs. Lobo #1 begins and ends within the boundaries of the joke itself.

DC isn’t bringing him back so much as briefly remembering he existed, using that memory to enhance the humor of the moment before moving on. Once the reference lands, the story returns its focus to the characters and versions that audiences have actually embraced.

In the end, the appearance functions exactly as intended: a quick jolt of recognition, a knowing laugh for longtime readers, and a clear reminder that this version of Lobo remains firmly in the past, acknowledged but not revived, and very much not here to stay.

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SPOILERS: [REDACTED]'s Final Bloody Embrace in Ultimate X-Men Will Haunt Fans For Years To Come

​If there was ever a question about the stakes in Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men, issue #22 answered it with a sound that will ring in readers' ears for months. It was a single, sickening pop.

​For nearly two years, the tension between Hisako Ichiki (Armor) and Kageyama (The Shadow King) has been the dark heartbeat of this series. It was a story of trauma, obsession, and control. This week, that story ended not with a triumphant superhero pose, but with a mutual destruction so grotesque and intimate it felt less like a battle and more like a tragedy. SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE X-Men #22!

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​The Execution

​Trapped by the Shadow King’s tendrils, which had begun to puppet her own psychic construct, Hisako makes a chilling choice. She realizes she cannot escape Kageyama’s obsession. She can only end it. In a sequence drawn with Momoko’s signature blend of ethereal beauty and body horror, Armor manifests a second construct around Kageyama.

​She squeezes.

​The art does not shy away. There is no glorious energy beam. There is only the brutal, crushing pressure of Hisako’s will collapsing Kageyama’s physical form until his spine shatters. It is a killing blow delivered with the desperation of a girl who knows she isn't walking away.

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​A Mutual Devouring

​The horror of the scene lies in its simultaneity. Even as Hisako crushes the life out of him, the Shadow King refuses to let go. His shadow form, woven into her armor, twists the construct into a jagged and gaping maw.

​As Kageyama breaks, his shadow-jaw clamps down. The visual of the armor biting its own creator and consuming Hisako in the same moment she destroys her tormentor is perhaps the most harrowing image of the entire 2025 run. There is blood. There is the snapping of bone. And then, suddenly, there is nothing.

​No bodies are found. Only the silence of the snow and the haunting absence of the girl who just wanted to protect her friends remain.

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​The Aftermath and a Cold Christmas

​Momoko twists the knife further with the epilogue. We cut to a "Merry Christmas" scene that feels anything but. The remaining X-Men gather for a KFC Christmas feast in a nod to Japanese tradition that feels starkly melancholic here. Mei (Maystorm) sits clutching Hisako’s talisman, the only physical proof that Armor existed at all.

​The refusal to show a body leaves a sliver of hope for a spiritual return in the upcoming Ultimate Endgame, but the trauma inflicted on the team is permanent. Maystorm’s hollow expression confirms what the reader already knows. The innocent era of the Ultimate X-Men died alongside Hisako.

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​What This Means for the Ultimate Universe

​With the Ultimate Universe heading toward its 2026 finale, the death of a major character like Armor raises massive questions for the future.

​The lack of a corpse suggests a spiritual displacement. It is possible Hisako has been dragged to the Shadow Realm, setting up a potential rescue mission in Ultimate X-Men #24. Furthermore, with Hisako gone, Mei is poised to take center stage as the hardened leader of the mutant resistance. Finally, this issue solidifies Momoko’s run as a horror comic disguised as a superhero book.

​Ultimate X-Men #22 is another chapter in a continued masterpiece of visual storytelling that proves victory in the Ultimate Universe often costs everything.

But what do you think? Will HIsako and Shadow King return, or will the X-Men ride on with no Armor? Tell us below!

Corporate Chicken: Netflix vs. Paramount (and Why It's All Political)

It seems like we are getting new updates every day regarding the acquisition of WBD, so we are here to simplify what has been happening so far regarding the biggest bidding war of 2025.

The core story is simple: the media giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) faces a massive and crippling debt problem. Their CEO, David Zaslav, had to sell off the company's most valuable studios just to keep the lights on. Netflix thought they had won this Hollywood auction with a big offer—a purchase that would make them a ridiculously huge, untouchable streaming superpower.

But there is a legit reason to be concerned about this deal: the massive pushback that Netflix could "destroy the cinematic theater experience." Hollywood insiders and theater owners fear Netflix will drastically reduce the window for blockbusters like DC films and the next Dune to just a few weeks before forcing them onto the streaming app, which would starve movie theaters across the country.

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🛑 The President Stepped In (And He Has a Preference)

The minute that Netflix deal was announced, the trouble started. The big problem isn’t business, it’s politics. Because Netflix is already so dominant, President Trump immediately came out and declared the deal an unfair monopoly. The President made it clear he would personally try to block the deal, calling the size "a problem." This opposition casts a long shadow over the whole Netflix plan. Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos, is now forced into a brutal, expensive legal fight with the White House just to get his giant purchase approved.

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💥 The Rival Bypassed the Boss

This political headache is exactly why Paramount smelled an opportunity and made their aggressive move. They launched what’s called a "hostile takeover," basically going behind CEO Zaslav's back and straight to the company's owners, the shareholders.

Paramount is betting that their offer is a safer bet because they’re offering a lot more cash for the entire company, which is appealing to shareholders. They’re saying, "Forget that uncertain stock deal from Netflix; take this higher, guaranteed cash now." For Zaslav, this means he is legally forced to take this massive offer seriously, even though it ruins his initial plan.

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📰 The CNN Factor: The Real Political Prize

Now for the real power play. Paramount's bid is backed by extremely wealthy people who are close allies of President Trump. The reason this matters is that if Paramount wins, they get control of a major national news network (CNN) owned by WBD.

This is the political prize. This new ownership group, loyal to the current administration, would gain control over a network that often criticizes them. Paramount is effectively arguing that their deal isn't just better financially; it’s a safer bet politically because the White House would prefer their allies running this news channel, which means the deal is far less likely to face the government interference Netflix is dealing with.

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🚨 The Real Nightmare: Who Is Funding Paramount?

NOBODY should be celebrating this Paramount attempt at a hostile bid. Beyond the connection to the White House and the willingness to gain control over a major news network, there are MAJOR concerns regarding the financial support they have:

• Sovereign Wealth Funds: The bid is heavily backed by $24 billion from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). These are state-owned funds of foreign governments.

• Kushner's Firm: The financing also includes Jared Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners. Kushner took $2 billion from Saudi Arabia's PIF, which is controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—the person alleged to have ordered the murder of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

This is a NIGHTMARE waiting to wreak havoc on American culture moving forward... MUCH worse than the prospect of some streaming service owning movies. It raises questions about foreign, politically motivated influence directly controlling a massive segment of American news and entertainment.

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🏁 The Final Stand

So, the ball is firmly in WBD’s court. They can either try to stick with Netflix and face a long, expensive fight with the government, or they can turn around and accept the higher, all-cash offer from the politically preferred Paramount group and end the chaos much faster.

Why should you, the viewer, care? Because this high-stakes game of corporate chicken is really a fight over which side of Washington gets to decide what your entertainment looks like. Keep watching: this fight isn't over until the government—and the shareholders—finally choose a winner.