Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1 Review

 

Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1 Review

Writers: Stephanie Williams & Leah Williams

Artists: Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira & Belén Ortega

Colorists: Romulo Fajardo Jr & Triona Farrell

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artist: Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey

Variant Cover Artists: Kyuyong Eom, Guillem March & Leirix

Editors: Marquis Draper & Brittaney Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US/Variant $6.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

Her mother, Emilie, battled Diana for the right to represent Themyscira on the world stage. Her father, the Sovereign, quietly ruled the United States behind the façade of democratic institutions. Lyssa succeeded her father as the Matriarch of the United States. And then she killed everyone who opposed her.

 

How did the girl Diana raised become such a brutal killer? And what happened after Diana defeated the Matriarch in the Temple of the Moirae? Let’s leap into Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1 and see!

 

Story

After Diana’s fist hurled her through a stone pillar, Lyssa awakens in a boat. Unlike Steve Trevor and Elizabeth, no Ferryman steers her course. And instead of gliding along the River Styx, her wooden vessel floats on the bloody currents of the Phlegethon.

 

While no one travels with her, Lyssa is far from alone in Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1. As the boat carries her toward Tartarus, shades of the heroes he killed rise to meet her. And as in life, Lyssa must decide how to confront them.

 

Stephanie Williams and Leah Williams intersperse Lyssa’s journey through the Underworld with key events from her past. These scenes chart Lyssa’s journey from her childhood on Themyscira to grasping for something that Hippolyta warned Diana she must avoid. But by the time she reaches adulthood, deviating from her Amazons’ code of conduct has become the rule of Lyssa’s life.

 

She may have lost her power ring. Still, Lyssa has someone who travels with her. It’s someone she has not listened to as much as she should have. Instead, this person has become a stranger to her. But after crashing through the barrier of death, this still small voice regains its strength. And unlike in life, Lyssa can no longer repress her conscience in Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1.

 

Art

When she awakens in the boat, no ring adorns her gloved hand. As she rises, Lyssa stands in the middle of the boat between two lamps to light her way. Like Diana in the Colosseum, Lyssa dodges projectiles. When her journey grows rough, Lyssa clings to the boat instead of a Kanga. As dark figures arise, red streams down their heads and backs. Yet when Lyssa meets this test of her strength and skills, no red trickles from her palm when she clenches her fist. Yet as Lyssa remembers how her path diverged from the Amazons, one person reaches out to help another when she falls.

 

As Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira, and Belén Ortega show Lyssa in black and white on a red river, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Triona Farrell adorn the Matriarch’s past with a vibrant palette. Red mixes with violet and lavender when Lyssa and Elizabeth's paths diverged. The colors return later to convey how far apart they have grown. Blotchy red borders frame gray, brown, and green panels of love and loss. Yet, orange tinges more tragic memories of how Lyssa demonstrated her worth in Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1.

 

While Lyssa sees the Underworld as she viewed the Earth, her uppercase white thoughts appear in black narrative boxes. She cannot vanquish small, lowercase white letters in black boxes. Black uppercase dialogue in white balloons grows bold to convey inflection and shrinks when voices lower. While Clayton Cowles’ sound effects may be few, Lyssa’s dialogue grows progressively larger as the trials grow more difficult. Still, beige uppercase letters in blue boxes force Lyssa to remember the needless pain she has caused. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Every decision we make empowers us. Yet no matter how much they help us accomplish, our decisions also limit us. As Lyssa looks back on her life choices, she measures the narrative she has spun. But if she wishes to act "so that all that will be might not be again," Lyssa must cut the threads binding her to her former life in Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War—The Matriarch Special #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

To look inside see Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War –The Matriarch Special#1 Preview.

For Steve Trevor and Elizabeth's return to Themyscira, see Wonder Woman #37 Review. 

For the second half of Steve's story about falling in love with Diana, see Wonder Woman #36 Review.

For the first part of Steve's tale, see Wonder Woman #35 Preview. 

For Diana's battle with Lyssa in the Temple of the Moirai, see my review of Wonder Woman #34.

For how Diana, Steve, and Elizabeth enter the Underworld, see my preview of Wonder Woman #33. 

For Tammy's interview with the Matriarch, see my review of Wonder Woman #32. 

For how The Wonder War began, see my preview of Wonder Woman #31. 

 

Conan The Barbarian #35 Cover Preview

 

Cover A: Gerardo Zaffino

The Red Brotherhood ruled the seas. But when a storm swept the Briney Wren into its grip, a specter with red eyes attacked Conan during the night. In the morning, Captain Quinn steered his wrecked ship to the shores of a mysterious island where a crystal pillar embedded with Human skeletons met the crew's weary gaze. But that was only the beginning of their problems. 

Now, Conan watches a cult in black robes carry his surviving shipmates through the jungle. Can he rescue Captain Quinn, Valeria, and the rest of the survivors? And why do the servants of Jaggta-Noga want the Cimmerian?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics: 

 

Conan The Barbarian #35 Cover Preview

Writer: Jim Zub

Artist: Fernando Dagnino

Cover Artists: Gerardo Zaffino, Nick Marinkovich, Ashleigh Izienicki & Benito Gallego

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

 

Captives on the Island of Death!

 

 

Conan and Valeria are pirates of the Red Brotherhood, living a life of lawless adventure on the Western Sea. But occult forces from the Cimmerian’s past have him in their sights once more. And they will not rest until the barbarian’s body and soul are torn asunder!

 

 

Here are more covers to collect:

 

 

 

Cover B: Nick Marinkovich

 

Cover C: Ashleigh Izienicki

Cover D: Benito Gallego

Cover E: Gerardo Zaffino Virgin Cardstock

Cover F: Ashleigh Izienicki Foil

Cover G: Ashleigh Izienicki Virgin Cardstock

 

Available from local comic shops. For UK & Europe visit Forbidden Planet

 

For more details, visit Titan Comics.

 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

For the Red Brotherhood's first day on the Island of Death, see Conan The Barbarian #34 Review.

 

For Conan's battle with a specter with crimson eyes, see Conan The Barbarian #33 Review.

 

For how this series began, see my review of Conan The Barbarian TP Vol 1.   

 

 

Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War –The Matriarch Special #1 Preview

 

Her mother, Emilie, battled Diana for the right to represent Themyscira. Her father, the Sovereign, quietly ruled the United States behind the façade of democratic institutions. Lyssa succeeded her father as the Matriarch of the United States. And then she killed everyone who opposed her.

 

How did the girl Diana raised become such a brutal killer? And what happened after Diana defeated the Matriarch in the Temple of the Moirae?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

 

Wonder Woman 2026 Annual: Wonder War –The Matriarch Special #1 Preview

Writers: Stephanie Williams & Leah Williams

Artists: Eduardo Pansica & Belén Ortega

Cover Artist: Daniel Sampere

Variant Cover Artists: Kyuyong Eom, Guillem March & Leirix

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Price: $5.99 US/Variant $6.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

 

Matriarch’s Inferno!

 

 

After the shocking events of Wonder Woman #34, the Matriarch must crawl her way through Hell and back to the land of the living to stop Steve Trevor and Trinity from changing the past. The only thing that stands in her way is a river filled with the souls of heroes and villains alike that perished by her hand. Retribution is coming for the Matriarch. Will she survive it, or is she doomed to fate?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For Steve Trevor and Elizabeth's return to Themyscira, see Wonder Woman #37 Review. 

For the second half of Steve's story about falling in love with Diana, see Wonder Woman #36 Review.

For the first part of Steve's tale, see Wonder Woman #35 Preview. 

For Diana's battle with Lyssa in the Temple of the Moirai, see my review of Wonder Woman #34.

For how Diana, Steve, and Elizabeth enter the Underworld, see my preview of Wonder Woman #33. 

For Tammy's interview with the Matriarch, see my review of Wonder Woman #32. 

For how The Wonder War began, see my preview of Wonder Woman #31. 

 

Quiet GN Review

 

Quiet GN Review

Writer: Kim-Joy

Artist: Alti Firmansyah

Letterer: Sara Linsley

Editor: Allison O’Toole

Graphic Designer: Cindy Leong

Publisher: Comixology

Kindle Price: $6.99 US

Release Date: September 22, 2026

 

Mary Odette Casper likes Ms Emuka. She seems to care about her. And while she has sparkle and personality, she doesn’t overwhelm Mary. Still, some of her fellow students make Mary uncomfortable. So, as her math teacher explains how to solve the day’s problem, Mary keeps an eye on the clock. Why does Mary struggle at school? And can anyone make her school days easier? Let’s leap into Quiet and see!

 

Story

Mary dislikes all the noise of public places. She cringes when people talk excessively. Multiple voices fill the air with a sonic storm. But worse is when people pay attention to her. Mary tries to turn away from her classmates. She seeks to escape people who annoy her. But Toby, Shivan, and Jessie sense weakness. So, when they see Mary, they attempt to make her miserable.

 

Mary lives in Manchester, United Kingdom, 34 years from now, in Quiet. As Mary navigates her difficult school days, plagued by noise and bullied by classmates, Ms Emuka notices her distress. Her mother thinks Mary is shy. But her math teacher believes there is more to it than that. So, as she keeps an eye on her troubled student, Ms Emuka suggests a way to help Mary adjust to the world around her.

 

As Kim-Joy's graphic novel focuses on Mary's anxieties and what brings her peace, Ms Emuka gives her silent student a friend. A prototype robot, or Serenibot, looks for ways to help Mary be more social. At first, Mary finds the robot’s intended helpfulness annoying. But then she realizes that the robot, not governed by a sense of morality, can make her life easier in Quiet.

 

Art

Large circular glasses hint at the big personality hiding behind Mary’s demure features. While she wears her school uniform and braids her hair, Mary watches as Ms Emuka teaches using holograms instead of a whiteboard. Mary also enjoys generating holograms on her personal computer. But when she tries to resolve her problems, Mary pens a letter on ruled paper.

 

Alti Firmansyah enhances today’s recognizable world with futuristic technology, such as Mary’s sleek, hovering Serenibot. While Mrs Redfern, the school’s head teacher, and Mr Bell, the baking instructor, have conventional appearances, Ms Emuka showcases youthful energy and diversity. Yet as Mary gets to know her, she realizes that her math teacher also reveres technological marvels of past eras.

 

While Alti Firmansyah shades her Black-and-White art with gray, color occasionally creeps into Quiet. Mary’s features turn green as she compares herself to her contemporaries. Her robot also produces a rainbow of colors to protect Mary and signify that no member of society should be singled out for their differences.

 

Sara Linsley places uppercase letters in white balloons. Dotted balloon borders accompany lowered voices. Sounds like a sigh, or the conversations filling a room appear in panel backgrounds. “Sid,” Mary’s Serenibot companion, asks questions using white letters in black fields or black letters in rectangular balloons. Yet sound effects highlight Mary’s discomfort with a world that demands she speak, when she’d much prefer to be Quiet. Thanks to Comixology and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Mary has a good heart. She wants to take part in the world around her. Still, the noise and the bustle of society push her away. So, when a robot designed to help her integrate into society attempts to alleviate her discomfort, Mary struggles with the sense of empowerment it gives her in Quiet.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see Quiet GN Preview. 

For more from Kim-Joy and Alti Firmansyah, see Turtle Bread Review.

Poison Ivy #48 Preview

 

The Parliament of Trees wanted her blood. Gotham turned against her. The Order of the Green Knight elected a new leader. Even Janet from HR admitted that she was thinking of abandoning her. So Poison Ivy turned defeat into victory the only way she knows. She delivered Gotham to the Parliament of Trees. Then she dialed plant growth up to 11.

 

Can anyone talk Poison Ivy into giving Humanity a second chance? Or will she let a superbloom make Earth uninhabitable to anything but plants?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Poison Ivy #48: Bad Seeds Week 6 Part 1 Preview

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Marcio Takara

Cover Artist: Jessica Fong

Variant Cover Artists: Noobovich, Dan Mora & Manny Vincent Carbonilla

Dark Knight Returns Variant Cover Artist: Hayden Sherman

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: Alexander Lozano

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $6.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

 

Meet Your Master.

A Batman: Bad Seeds Tie-In!

 

 

With Gotham City firmly in Poison Ivy’s grasp, the verdant villainess’s powers are at an all-time high. Now that Batman’s forces and Ivy’s traitorous former allies are all ground down to a pulp beneath her, is there anyone left to stand in Ivy’s way? Absolutely not. It’s time to get in line or die.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For more of the Bad Seeds Event, see

 

Poison Ivy #47:A Batman: Bad Seeds Prelude: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1 Preview 

 

Batman #13: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 1 Preview 

 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 2: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1--Bad Seeds Week 3 Part 1 Review 

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Review 

 

Detective Comics #1113: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 2 Preview  

 

Catwoman #91: Week 4 Part 3 Preview 

 

Nightwing #142: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 4 Preview  

 

Harley Quinn #66: Bad Seeds Week 5 Part 1 Preview  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

 

Superman: Kingdom Of Zod Special #1 Preview

 

Zod didn’t ask for Ursa’s older self to appear and validate Jor-El’s prophesies of doom and gloom. But when he saw Supergirl and young Superboy bearing the symbol of the House of El, Zod realized that his enemy was right. When they arrived on Earth, and Superman welcomed him as a friend, Zod wanted to pool their resources to save Krypton. But after losing his way in the time stream while trying to correct Darkseid’s damage to the future, Superman asserted that attempting such a monumental change to the past could do incalculable damage to the present.

 

Zod is used to destroying anyone who doesn’t fall into line. But can Superman and Zod forge a compromise? Or will Zod and Superman confirm Presidente Eduardo Castilho’s fear that the war isn’t over, and El Caldero has become a battleground for aliens?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

 

Superman: Kingdom Of Zod Special #1: Kingdom Of Zod Part 9 Preview

Writers: Joshua Williamson, Mark Waid, Dan Slott & Sophie Campbell

Artists: Paolo Villanelli, Bruno Frenda, David Messina & Sophie Campbell

Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Variant Cover Artists: Kyuyong Eom, Karen S. Darboe & Nathan Szerdy

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

 

The Startling Conclusion 

to Kingdom Of Zod!

 

 

This is it! The startling conclusion to “Kingdom of Zod.” The Kryptonite Kingdom has fallen. The only way to stop the war comes with great costs and shocks! Supergirl versus Ursa! Superman versus Zod! The Super-Force against Zod’s army! The Super-Family will never be the same after this issue!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For more in the Kingdom Of Zod storyline:

For General Zod's rise to power, see Action Comics #1100: End Of Reign Review. 

For the mission to El Caldero, see Supergirl #16: Kingdom Of Zod Part 1 Review. 

For the battle in El Caldero, see Action Comics #1101: Kingdom of Zod Part 2 Review. 

For how Superman takes the fight to Zod, see Superman Unlimited #16 Review.

For Zod's revival of Ursa see Superman #41: Kingdom Of Zod Part Four Review 

For Ursa, Kara, and young Clark's arrival on Krypton, see Supergirl #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 5 Preview 

For what happens when Ursa, Kara, and young Clark meet Zod on Krypton, see Action Comics #1102: Kingdom Of Zod Part 6 Preview. 

For how Superman saves the world, but perhaps made more enemies, see Superman Unlimited #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 7 Review.  

For why Zod hated Jor-El, see Superman #42: Kingdom Of Zod Part Eight Review 

 

Superman #42: Kingdom Of Zod Part Eight Review

 

Superman #42: Kingdom Of Zod Part Eight Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Pencillers: Eddy Barrows & Eduardo Pansica

Inkers: Eber Ferreira & Júlio Ferreira

Colorist: Ulises Arreola

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artist: Lucas Meyer & Giuliano Peratelli

Variant Cover Artists: Mark Spears; Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey; Marcio Takara; Christian Ward

Editors: Jillian Grant & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: September 23, 2026

 

After traveling through time to repair the damage Darkseid did to the future, Superman returned to find Earth drastically changed. Saving the Earth necessitated further changes. His son, Jon, now calls himself Tomorrow Man. Clark Kent's childhood friend, Lana Lang, no longer wields superpowers. As for Presidente Eduardo Castilho, his beloved kingdom of El Caldero is no longer an economic powerhouse.

 

Although he doesn't realize it, Superman's troubles are far from over. A younger version of Dru-Zod is traveling to Earth. He holds Superman's cousin and his younger self hostage. And this Zod is more ambitious and armed with Ursa's knowledge of the future. Can Kal-El and Kara Zor-El's Super Force defend Earth against Zod and Ursa? And, with the aid of Booster Gold's Time Bubble, can Superman find a way to preserve his homeworld? Let’s leap into Superman #42 and see what happens!

 

Story

Good news travels fast. While heroes in orbit realize that Zod’s weaponized Green-K has lost its sting, superheroes in El Caldero discover they can turn the tables on their oppressors. Amid the celebrations, those imprisoned or separated during the fighting enjoy reunions. Yet Martian Manhunter confirms Jon Kent’s assertion that young Clark and Kara are no longer in El Caldero.

 

Superman may not be the world's greatest detective. Still, Clark Kent must piece together what happened to Supergirl, his younger self, and General Zod in Superman #42. Lena Luthor's inventions failed to protect the Super Force as she had hoped. So, she's anxious to help. But while Superman investigates, Presidente Eduardo Castilho struggles to come to grips with his failure. He believed he had the stranglehold on the most valuable resource on Earth. Instead, Zod used his gift from the stars to attack the rest of the world. Then the man who gave Eduardo the means to protect El Caldero took it away.

 

As everyone adapts to the new normal, they must decide how to resume their lives in Joshua Williamson's story. But once again, the question of Krypton looms. While Dru-Zod uplifted El Caldero to transform Earth into a new Krypton, Booster Gold's Time Bubble gave Ursa and Zod the potential to save Krypton. No one wants Krypton to die. But Zod and Ursa are perfectly willing to destroy everything and everyone in their way to get what they want in Superman #42.

 

Art

While Red Tornado watches events on monitors in the Justice League Watchtower, the inert El Calderan Green-K continues to aerosolize. Rectangular panels portray the captives locked in their cells in the Kryptonite Castle. Yet when Princess Shark barrels through the translucent barrier, the panels resemble shards. A splash page of Superman confirms the prisoners' suspicions. But nothing heralds the return of normality like superheroes filling the skies above El Caldero.

 

As Eddy Barrows, Eduardo Pansica, Eber Ferreira, and Júlio Ferreira showcase Superman’s search for young Clark, Supergirl, and Zod, Ulises Arreola fills Superman #42 with a vibrant and nuanced palette. Green dominates backgrounds and tinges scenes as Zod's Green-K continues to lose color. The gold surrounding Superman's attempt to free the imprisoned evokes the streaks of light that filled the skies across the globe.

 

While the Krypto-Knights' armor foretells the violet and indigo of the time stream, Princess Shark’s attire remains violet as she frees captives, protects civilians, and assists with the cleanup. Conner Kent and Superboy-Prime have struggled to get along. Yet, their red, gold, and dark blue costumes underline their evolving relationship. Still, as Presidente Eduardo Castilho confronts the future dressed in red and yellow, his former source of wealth echoes Lois Lane’s blue slacks and white shirt.

 

White letters with blue outlines identify locations, while black and colored uppercase words fill white balloons. Uppercase letters in colored narrative boxes convey offscreen dialogue. Princess Shark and Zod speak forcefully with dark letters in white balloons outlined in red. Giant dialogue accompanies a cry for help. Still, sound effects enhance the fight to free the imprisoned, an arrival that forces Superman to make difficult choices, and a battle to save billions. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Ursa has seen too many failures. Young Zod is ambitious and unused to failure. Superman wants everyone to be healthy and happy. Still, he must decide if he's willing to compromise for the good of all in Superman #42.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Superman #42 Preview. 

 

For more in the Kingdom Of Zod storyline:

For General Zod's rise to power, see Action Comics #1100: End Of Reign Review. 

For the mission to El Caldero, see Supergirl #16: Kingdom Of Zod Part 1 Review. 

For the battle in El Caldero, see Action Comics #1101: Kingdom of Zod Part 2 Review. 

For how Superman takes the fight to Zod, see Superman Unlimited #16 Review.

For Zod's revival of Ursa see Superman #41: Kingdom Of Zod Part Four Review 

For Ursa, Kara, and young Clark's arrival on Krypton, see Supergirl #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 5 Preview 

For what happens when Ursa, Kara, and young Clark meet Zod on Krypton, see Action Comics #1102: Kingdom Of Zod Part 6 Preview. 

For how Superman saves the world, but perhaps made more enemies, see Superman Unlimited #17: Kingdom Of Zod Part 7 Review.