Thanksgiving #1 Preview

 

 

The opening of Mark Russell's story reminds me of Stephanie Plum visiting her parents for dinner. No matter how conventional the setting, things can get a little crazy. Like Janet Evanovich, Mark Russell leavens his stories with humor. Yet he also weaves a strain of thought-provoking social commentary into his terrific tales. 

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Mark Russell asked, "What happens if you learn more about your family and realize you no longer like them?" He also viewed his story as a metaphor for contemporary life in the United States. How will his new story relate to your forthcoming holiday reunions?

Here's all the info from Ahoy Comics:

 

THANKSGIVING #1 (one-shot - 48 pages)

Writer: Mark Russell

Artist & Cover Artist: Mauricet

Release Date: October 22, 2025

Cover A: $7.99 

Cover B: Blood for Dinner variant: $7.99 1:3 unlock

Cover C: Turkey Death variant $7.99 1:5 unlock

Publisher: Ahoy Comics 

 

 

An intense, timely one-shot from Mark Russell (X-Factor, SECOND COMING) and Mauricet (HOWL). Thanksgiving—a day when American families come together, until the strain inevitably tears them apart. But for one family, the cruel and deadly secret of the Turkeyneck Killer binds them together in the saddest, most shameful way possible.

 

Thanksgiving: a day for American families, when the alienated, the estranged, and the politically antagonistic come together to perform unity—until the strain inevitably tears them apart. But for one family, the addition of a cruel and deadly secret—involving the continuing rampage of the mysterious Turkeyneck Killer—solidly binds them together in the saddest, most shameful way.

This fall, pull up a chair at your own risk at THANKSGIVING, a gory and timely new horror-comedy one-shot from writer Mark Russell (X-Factor, Second Coming), artist Mauricet (Howl), letterer Rob Steen and publisher AHOY Comics. The oversized 48-page issue about a family dinner gone horribly wrong will feature three grisly covers by Mauricet—a main cover, a “Blood for Dinner” variant, and a “Turkey Death” variant—and land in stores on October 22, 2025… just in time to ruin your holiday.

“Thanksgiving is a black comedy using the most American of holidays as a metaphor for what our nation is in danger of becoming,” said writer Mark Russell. “t tells the story of a nuclear family with many of the same divisions you find within our nation and how deep the rifts between people become while we aren’t paying attention. About how a monster lurks in plain sight, but we choose not to see it.”

“Welcome to the Grandts family's Thanksgiving dinner,” said artist Mauricet. “Please take a seat at the table. We are about to start serving the meal. For the appetizer, you will have a bit of dysfunctional America wrapped in cynical humor. For the main course, we offer you one of the most original serial killers the country has known. Still hungry? Expect a rather surprising dessert…”

"Mark got mad about something big and wrote this story—I think to help process it,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “I think it'll help us all process it. Whenever he gets mad, I hope he brings it to AHOY. Mauricet, meanwhile, is doing the best work of his career, but then he always seems to be."

The darkly funny one-shot THANKSGIVING #1 will land in comic shops on October 22, 2025.

For more updates on AHOY Comics, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. 

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks to Ahoy Comics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

 

 

About AHOY Comics

AHOY Comics debuted in the fall of 2018 with the bold promise for readers to expect more from its line of comic book magazines, featuring comic book stories, poetry, prose fiction, and cartoons. Brainchild of publisher Hart Seely, editor-in-chief Tom Peyer, CCO Frank Cammuso, and Ops guy Stuart Moore, the Syracuse-based indie publisher has made its reputation on witty satires, acclaimed creators, and commitment to bold and risk-taking storytelling — with critically acclaimed titles such as THE TOXIC AVENGER by Matt Bors and Fred Harper, SECOND COMING by Mark Russell and Richard Pace, BABS by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, HOWL by Alisa Kwitney and Mauricet, THE WRONG EARTH by Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle, JUSTICE WARRIORS by Matt Bors and Ben Clarkson, the quirky monster anthology PROJECT: CRYPTID, and many more.

About the creators

Mark Russell is the author of not one, but two, books about the Bible: God Is Disappointed in You and Apocrypha Now. In addition, he is the writer behind various DC comic books such as Prez, The Flintstones, and Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles. He lives in obscurity with his family in Portland, Oregon.

Mauricet is a Belgian comic book artist. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil in his right hand. His career started 36 years ago in Belgium and France working for some of the big publishers in Europe. For the American market, he has worked on such titles as Tellos, The Crossovers, Harley Quinn, The Gang of Harleys, Dastardly & Muttley, Future Quest, Star Wars adventures, Swine and Creepshow. More recently he has been steadily collaborating with AHOY Comics drawing stories for Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter of Terror and Project: Cryptid as well as the miniseries G.I.L.T. and Howl, both co-created and written by Alisa Kwitney.

 

 

The Department of Truth #0 Review

 

Writers: James Tynion IV

Artists: Martin Simmonds & Joshua Hixson

Colorists: Martin Simmonds & Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Aditya Bidikar

Cover Artists: Martin Simmonds, Joshua Hixson, Tom Muller & Tyler Boss

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 24, 2025

 

Like Janie, Hunter’s got a gun. It's an impressive rifle. Still, Stevie prefers customers to order a large pepperoni rather than discharge a firearm inside Pizza Gogo. Hunter insinuates Stevie is doing something sinister. When the rifle-toting customer points to a door, Stevie wonders why he hasn't noticed it before. And when Steve opens it and hears children crying, why does it hurt to peer into the darkness? Let's grab a flashlight, leap into The Department of Truth #0, and see!

 

Story

While Hunter's story begins in 2016, time passes quickly in prison. Still, it's a surprise when the guard leaves Hunter with government spooks. A kid eating a candy bar waxes lyrical about his vision of America. Chuckie claims that Hunter is a hero and fits in with what he's trying to do for their country. But Chuckie is a teenager. Years ago, he could have been one of the kids Hunter intended to rescue from Pizza Gogo.

 

In The Department of Truth #0, Charity Sinclair realizes her colleague isn't connecting with Hunter. She explains how her government department faltered under poor leadership. Now, the administration shares Charity's vision. Like the door that Stevie had never seen before, Charity believes that Hunter can help make her vision of America a reality. Her department is on a recruiting drive, and she wants Hunter to be a part of it.

 

All this strange talk mystifies Hunter. And when he gets confused, he gets angry. Hunter cares about others. But he tries to see the world objectively. The government has given him time to reconsider his actions. How did his threatening and menacing crimes become heroism? James Tynion IV’s story is all about the truth we perceive, and the passion and work necessary to help others embrace your worldview.

 

Art

As Hunter points his rifle at Stevie, the restaurant mascot on the wall behind the bald, muscular man evokes Eddie Valiant's investigation for Roger Rabbit. Customers watch the standoff as the room skews around them. The stairs descending into darkness recall Bilbo sneaking into Smaug's domain. Martin Simmonds intersperses the action with frequent close-ups of Hunter and Stevie. Then the two men resemble figures at a crime scene, as a pistol-wielding woman in a black suit studies them.

 

Colors swirl, spin, and surround the characters in The Department of Truth #0. Martin Simmonds often adorns people and places with contrasting colors, such as red and green, to suggest texture, patterns, and energy. Red drifts from Hunter’s rifle to bathe Stevie. The same white speckles that hover around Hunter also surround the magical door. Outside Pizza Gogo, the restaurant lights and the roof lights on the patrol car and ambulance blur amid a white ground fog. Later, a greenish haze surrounds Chuckie, Charity, and Hunter, while a yellow-and-red children’s drawing portrays how Charity views her department liaison.

 

Suspicious Minds Pt 1: Story

Hank remembers how seeing Elvis Presley in a parade affected him. Now, he must assess the King's impact on national security. In Scott Snyder’s story, Hank has failed the bureau once. He feels out of his depth. But Hank has something to prove to his director and himself.

 

This short serial installment concerns how stories influence us. These may be the stories we tell. Or they may be stories that others create about us. Stories sustained Hank during his childhood. His time as an agent has taught him that some stories can hurt others. What Hank discovers when he enters Graceland confounds everything he knows about how “truth” and “fiction” change us.

 

Suspicious Minds Pt 1: Art

Joshua Hixson shows Hank walking through the throng lining the street. Beside him, his mother uses a handkerchief amid her distress. But she waves at people she admires. Unlike the celebrities perched atop the back seats of convertibles, the King reclines on the trunk of a car with a hard top. Elvis smiles and winks at Hank's stoicism.

 

Jordie Bellaire applies beige, red, and gray to Joshua Hixson’s precision drawings in The Department of Truth #0. Inking portrays darkness and shadows as Hank slows before the wrought iron gates in his big-bodied, OAPEC-defying sedan. People merge with symbols and mythological creatures as Hank ponders his discoveries and enters the colonial revival mansion.

 

Lettering

Aditya Bidikar adorns characters with white balloons featuring straight lines and sharp edges. Large black uppercase words reveal dialogue, while small lowercase letters in narrative boxes adorn art illustrating the characters' worldviews. Small uppercase letters fill rounded white balloons in Suspicious Minds Pt 1, while small lowercase typed letters in beige boxes convey Hank's thoughts. Thanks to Image Comics and Tiny Onion for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Countries have gone to war to promote their version of the truth. Empires have crumbled because they lacked a unifying story. In The Department of Truth #0, people who believe in objective truth falter, while those who live the lie until it becomes truth gain momentum in their bid for power.

 

Rating 9/10

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Return to Skull Island #4 Preview

 

COVER A: STAZ JOHNSON

 

Charlie turned Skull Island against its Human inhabitants when he provoked Kong into fighting a giant serpent, and Kaia won't let him forget it. As the chief races to save her tribe by relocating them on a nearby island, Irene brings Mike and her daughter Annie back to Skull Island. The crew who transported them seem more inclined to go big game hunting than conduct a scientific survey. But with Kong crying out in pain as Benito administers the vapors of Februus, can anyone escape the frenzied monsters and the elemental behemoth arising from the soil and bones?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:  

RETURN TO SKULL ISLAND #4 (OF 4)

(W) Simon Furman

(A) Christopher Jones

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, 32pp, $4.99, On Sale Oct 15, 2025

 

CONTINUATION OF THE SKULL ISLAND ANIMATED SERIES! SPINNING OUT OF THE HIT NETFLIX SHOW!

 

While Kong has been recovering from his last clash, a pestilence has corrupted the island and its many monsters have grown.

 

Now, in an epic battle between two titans, Kong defends his human allies against Yuggoth. Will Kong keep his crown, or will Skull Island have a new ruler?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

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COVER B: CHRISTOPHER JONES

 

COVER C: MARCELO COSTA

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa #2 Preview

 

COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON

 

With so many folks in Cowtown going missing, Marshall Moo Montana wants to tamp down their fears. When Buffalo Bull wants to form a posse, Moo cautions, "If you go looking for trouble, you might just be the trouble." And when Deputy Terrorbull gets ripsnortin' mad that he's not the new Sheriff in Marey Quire's absence, the Marshall tells him, "If you aren't in control of your emotions, then you shouldn't be in control of anything." But with Mayor Bulloney threatening to raise taxes on his dwindling population, can Marshall Moo Montana do more than quote from The Code of the West?

(Cue the chirping cricket). 

Here's all the info from Oni Press:

 

WILD WEST C.O.W.-BOYS OF MOO MESA #2 (OF #4)

WRITTEN BY MATT HOTSON ART BY JUAN GEDEON COVER A BY JUAN GEDEON COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE HANDBOOK VARIANT BY AJ JOTHIKUMAR INTERLOCKING FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE MARSHAL MOO MONTANA AIN’T TAKIN’ NO BULL! Writer Matt Hotson (Power Rangers: The Return) and artist Juan Gedeon (DC: The Jurassic League) partner up with the West’s moo-st iconic heroes to solve the mystery that’s been plaguing Cowtown! A dark cloud has fallen over Moo Mesa in the form of the villainous Dark Horse. In this thrilling installment, Marshal Moo Montana teams up with Deputy Sheriff Terrorbull to stop the shadowy figure responsible for the recent disappearances in Cowtown. As the duo delves deeper into the case, Montana discovers that Terrorbull’s true allegiances may not exactly align with the law! ON SALE OCTOBER 15th, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

COVER B BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

 

B&W VARIANT (1:20) BY ANDREW KRAHNKE

INTERLOCKING FULL ART VARIANT (1:10) BY JUAN GEDEON

HANDBOOK VARIANT BY AJ JOTHIKUMAR

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this cover preview with us.

Blade Runner Black Lotus: Las Vegas #2 Preview

 

COVER A: DANI (COLORS BRAD SIMPSON)

This series kicked off with a high-speed train robbery, and a paraplegic given a second chance at mobility. While it showed life in Los Angeles, it also revealed conditions among those living outside the city. Even if you hadn't read the previous series, or seen the TV show, the cast all received great introductions, making it easy to follow them. The art was spectacular, pulling you into this cinematic adventure. 

Unlike Dahlia Racers, most folks don't visit Vegas these days. It's too hot from the radioactive fallout. But Elle doesn't care. She wants answers. Will she find them in Las Vegas?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics: 

BLADE RUNNER BLACK LOTUS: LAS VEGAS #2 (OF 4)

(W) Nancy A. Collins

(A) Jesus Hervas

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, 32pp, $4.99, On Sale October 15, 2025

 

This all-new series sees the deadly Replicant combat model Elle, aka the Black Lotus Killer, continue searching for answers about her mysterious past. Elle's quest takes her to the irradiated city of Las Vegas (later seen in Blade Runner 2049), a sand-choked ghost town of forgotten memories following the detonation of a dirty bomb.

 

There she finds a community of role-playing Replicants, abandoned hospitality models from the old casinos now living as embodiments of ancient Egyptian and Roman royalty. Meanwhile, Niander Wallace, smarting from his last encounter with Elle, has dispatched a seasoned kill team to bring back her head.

 

WRITTEN BY EISNER AWARD NOMINATED WRITER NANCY A. COLLINS (BLADE RUNNER: BLACK LOTUS, SWAMP THING)

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

COVER B: V.V. GLASS

COVER C: JESÚS HERVÁS

COVER D: FEDERICO SABBATINI

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1 Review

 

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Darran Robinson

Cover Artists: Amancay Nahuelpan & Louis Antonio Delgado; Danny Earls & Jão Canola; Mike Henderson & Adam Guzowski

Editors: Andy Khouri & Dave Wielgosz

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 10, 2025

 

As the moon shines down on Bear Mountain State Park, a man whistles, and his dogs charge. Each dog races to reach their target first. But when they find it and sink their teeth into its scaly hide, another whistle calls them off. The dogs move aside as their masters approach. As he instructs Simon to kill their quarry, the man assures the boy that there's nothing wrong with ending another person's life. What does this man have against mutants? And why does he equate murder with mercy? Let's grab our masks and clubs, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1, and see!

 

Story

Every time Casey goes to sleep, the nightmare returns. District Attorney Hieronymus Hale smiles as he shoots him. Tonight, Casey awakens in a sweat. But it’s not just the recurring dream. The temperature has risen in the city. Even at night, it doesn’t cool down. And as temperatures rise, tempers fray. The heat wave gives Casey the determination to do what he’s yearned to do for the last few weeks. His city needs him. So, Casey grabs his gear and heads out to protect people from aggressors in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Alex Paknadel switches perspectives amid scenes as he relates his story about a “merciful” hunter. But like the full moon, the spotlight shines on Casey through most of the debut issue. Members of Casey's former gang recognize his mask. Casey feels good enough to patrol. But he hasn’t recovered physically or psychologically from being shot. Now, as Casey seeks to protect a mutant from members of the Purple Dragons, he must also deal with their anger for abandoning them.

 

While Casey fights to protect a young mutant from the gang, he must once again decide where he belongs. Casey has found a new family with the Turtles and April O'Neil. But April has been mothering him while he recovers. He only escaped her clutches because she had fallen asleep on his couch. Casey wants to be with Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael. But he doesn't want his friends to limit him. Hieronymus Hale's attack has wounded and traumatized him. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1, Casey needs to prove to himself that he can get past that and resume the life he loves.

 

Art

Spindly, scaly fingers stretch for the shore amid white streaks. Silhouettes of hounds watch with glowing white eyes beneath the stars in the green night sky. The hounds bare their teeth as they race toward their muzzled prey.

 

When Amancay Nahuelpan transports us to an apartment, pigeons scatter outside as Casey rises. A grid of pink squares behind Casey suggests a skylight. Buildings glow yellow beyond his window. Casey clutches the white tape circling his torso as he perches on the edge of his bed. He eyes his clubs and mask leaning against the grey-blue wall. Then, Casey switches off a TV reporter interviewing a woman in a black dress attending a red-carpet premiere.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado shows Casey battling villains in the green and blue park beneath a starry black sky. Yellow, orange, and red overtake panels as weapons slash and crash, and Casey delivers flying kicks. Lights glow behind Casey as he kneels before a young mutant. She has large yellow eyes like the mutant hunted in Bear Mountain State Park. Her jaw opens wide, and her ears stand erect, as a villain delivers a savage blow that creates an orange starburst in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Darran Robinson fills balloons and colored narrative boxes with uppercase letters of varying sizes. Sound effects heighten every moment of the chase, Casey’s awakening, his battle in the park, and weapons hooking chains and spilling blood. Yet the repeated scene of Hieronimus Hale smiling and pointing a pistol between Casey's gloved, upraised hands requires no words to communicate its intent. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Casey Jones has taken a beating. But he wants to prove that he's not broken. As Casey attempts a comeback by promising to help a young mutant, he faces gangs with enhanced abilities, and The Most Dangerous Game: Mutant Edition in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.