Cult of the Lamb: Schism Special #1 Announcement

 

CULT OF THE LAMB SCHISM SPECIAL #1 COVER A BY PEACH MOMOKO

This was another upcoming book publisher Hunter Gorinson and Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn announced at the Oni Press panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The special issue expands on their earlier series, and reminds us of the importance of taking responsibility for our actions. Here's all the info:

 

Praise The Lamb Because Cult of the Lamb is Back at Oni!

Oni, In partnership with Massive Monster and Devolver Digital, are thrilled to announce the return of one of the global video game phenomenon that inspired one of the year’s biggest comics hits in the CULT OF THE LAMB: SCHISM SPECIAL #1 – coming to comic shops everywhere in October! In the cataclysmic fallout of CULT OF THE LAMB: THE FIRST VERSE… At long last… The record-setting comic book expansion of CULT OF THE LAMB returns in a powerful new, 48-page special – perfect for longtime acolytes and new readers alike –  from acclaimed writer Alex Paknadel (Astonishing X-Men) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Troy Little (Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons)! 

In the aftermath of their first and closest follower’s sacrifice, Lamb continues the bloody quest to defeat the Bishops of the Old Faith, but they lack the conviction to tend their growing flock back at the cult. More potential followers are rescued by the day, but with no one to indoctrinate them, Lamb’s power stagnates and The One Who Waits becomes weary of his earthly vessel’s resistance to the full power and responsibility of the Red Crown. When famine strikes the cult, a challenger to Lamb’s mantle emerges, and a new struggle begins . . .

Read more at IGN.

 

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this announcement with us. 

 

 

 

 

 

Caesar's Spy Vol 1 Preview

 

Max Von Fafner's art in The Savage Sword of Conan #1 helped launch Titan Comics' new series in fine style. Here's some of his early work. Let's see what he and writer Jean-Pierre Pecau got up to! 

 

CAESAR'S SPY VOL. 1

Author: Jean-Pierre Pecau

Artist: Max Von Fafner

Publisher: Titan Comics

HC, 192 pages, FC, $24.99

ISBN: 9781787746978

On sale September 9, 2025

 

Ancient Rome has never been so visceral! Experience the ruthlessness of the coliseum in this revenge plot between a warrior and a king.

 

From famed French writer Jean-Pierre Pecau and iconic Savage Sword of Conan illustrator Max Von Fafner.

 

With a burning vengeance at the heart of his story, one man will climb the pits of the coliseum to satiate his wrath.

 

In Rome during the last days of the republic, a warrior from Gaul with a terrible desire for revenge links his destiny to Julius Caesar by becoming his spy.

 

When the Gallic mercenary Coax takes a Roman as hostage demanding ransom against his liberation, he hasn’t yet realised that he had kidnapped the young Caius Julius Caesar. Caesar doesn’t take long to seek revenge when the two men meet again. With Coax imprisoned to be sold as a slave and then as a gladiator.

 

But as fortune has it, Coax is offered the opportunity of becoming Caesar’s spy, a mercenary fit to be the gladius of the emperor.

 

From writer Jean-Pierre Pecau and artist Max Von Fafner, Caesar’s Spy tells the epic of a spy’s battle to overcome the most notorious ruler of ancient Rome.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and Forbidden Planet for the UK. 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

The Avengers in the Veracity Trap! Preview

 

Abrams ComicArts featured this during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The writer and artist were both there, and they made the story sound super-fun! Thankfully, they sent me a copy so I could tell you about it! Here's all the info from Abrams ComicArts:

 

The Avengers in the Veracity Trap!
By Chip Kidd

Art by Michael Cho

Abrams ComicArts | August 5, 2025

U.S. $25.99 | CAN $32.99 | U.K. £18.99
Hardcover | 64 Pages

8.5 x 11 Inches | Full-color illustrations throughout

Hardcover ISBN: 9781419770678 

Abrams ComicArts and MarvelArts to Publish The Avengers in The Veracity Trap

Loki Goes Toe to Toe with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Original Graphic Novel from Chip Kidd and Michael Cho

Following Alex Ross’s Award-winning, bestseller Fantastic Four: Full Circle, Abrams ComicArts is continuing its MarvelArts line with The Avengers in The Veracity Trap, an original graphic novel from Eisner Award winner Chip Kidd and acclaimed artist Michael Cho. The mind-bending, visually sumptuous saga will take the Avengers and the reader on an adventure that questions the very nature of heroism, villainy, and existence. 

The Avengers in The Veracity Trap begins with an epic battle in Asgard, as Loki, the god of mischief, comes into possession of a weapon of unimaginable power and assembles an army of otherworldly monsters in an effort to carry out his evil plans. Cue the Avengers—Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Wasp—who meet this horrifying throng of beasts head-on as a thrilling, knock-down drag-out fight ensues.

But when the smoke clears, what appears to be a typically raucous comic book take-down is revealed to be something very, very different—and very, very terrifying. This discovery threatens to destroy the Avengers in a way that Loki or any other foe never has before. Because this time the enemy is . . . the Truth.

"Writing this book was really just an excuse to see Michael Cho depict glorious, epic, jaw-dropping sequential storytelling with these iconic characters that we love so much. He more than delivered." says writer Chip Kidd. "Oh, and it was also my ultimate comics ego trip, which Abrams and Marvel actually allowed me to take. I still don’t know why, but I am beyond grateful."

"I’ve always held a special spot in my super-hero loving heart for the Avengers, especially the early Marvel age comics they appeared in. is a tribute to the wonder, the delight, and the zany 'anything could happen!' spirit of those stories," explains Michael Cho. "Chip wrote a fantastic and heartfelt story and, in drawing this book, I tried my best to channel some of the energy and, especially, the joy that crackled from the pages of those classic comics."

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

Thanks to Abrams ComicArts and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.

 

Chip Kidd is an award–winning graphic designer, writer, and editor at large at Pantheon. A three–time Eisner Award winner, he has written and designed more than a dozen books on comics, including Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, and Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art of Alex Ross. He lives in New York City

Michael Cho is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. These days you can see his art on comic book covers for Marvel, DC Comics, and other companies. He’s also drawn for Star Wars, Star Trek, Fortnite, Disney, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even the Joe Biden presidential campaign. Along the way, Cho has won a few awards for his work and published an art book of his drawings, Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes, with Drawn & Quarterly in 2012. His first graphic novel, Shoplifter, was published in 2014 by Pantheon and was a New York Times bestseller.

Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. The company continues to publish critically acclaimed and bestselling works in the areas of art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture as well as narrative non-fiction and new works of fiction for adults; children’s books ranging from middle grade to young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes brilliantly designed books with the highest production values under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Megascope; Surely Books; Abrams Image; Abrams Press; The Overlook Press; Cernunnos; Cameron + Company; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and Magic Cat. ABRAMS also distributes books for Booth-Clibborn Editions, Alain Ducasse Édition, Èditions de La Martiniére, Editions BPI, Global Golf Group, Lucky Spool, Milky Way Picture Books, The Museum of Modern Art, SelfMadeHero, Tate Publishing, V&A Publishing, and The Vendome Press.

For another great book from Abrams ComicArts see my preview of The Red Badge Of Courage Graphic Novel.

Batman #1 Advance Review

 

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, J Scott Campbell, Frank Quietly, Gabrielle Dell’Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Andy Kubert & David Aja

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99; $5.99 (card stock)

Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez: $7.99

Blind Bag Cover: $9.99

Showcase Variant Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau: $24.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Jim Gordon is no longer the police commissioner. He's just a uniform officer like his new partner. Officer Espinoza feels daunted to serve alongside her more experienced colleague. But Jim just feels old. The world goes through cycles, and his has turned upside down. Can Officer Gordon and Batman continue to protect the citizens of Gotham? Or should they bow to the winds of change sweeping through their beloved city? Let’s grab a cup of joe, leap into Batman #1, and see!

 

Story

Like Jim Gordon, Batman contemplates these questions as he surveys Gotham from high above. Dr Zeller tells him that Waylon Jones checked himself into Arkham Towers. She believes that Waylon Jones did so because he wants to embrace a better future. But as Batman looks around the room, he sees only Killer Croc’s destructive nature. Perhaps, as Dr Zeller believes, “Waylon Jones” can change. But his nature makes Killer Croc a monster.

 

When the world climbs on top of you, you reach for whatever will help you keep going. In Matt Fraction’s story, Batman keeps Alfred Pennyworth close by. He cannot touch the hologram. But hearing his voice and seeing Alfred beside him gives Batman comfort and support. The algorithm that mimics Alfred reminds Batman why he fights to protect everyone in Gotham. Rich, poor, important, or just another person on the streets, Batman safeguards them all.

 

Sadly, the new commissioner disagrees. Like Batman, Commissioner Savage sees things in black and white. Everyone must obey the law. And when situations get out of hand, it’s time to employ the nuclear option. But for Batman, protecting people also means thinking outside the box. Perhaps humanity is doomed to repeat cycles that simulate progress but are just more of the same. But that doesn't mean that he can't try to become a better version of Gotham's guardian in Batman #1.

 

Art

Birds peck at crumbs littering the pavement or flutter among the pedestrians in aging Coventry. The birds soar below Batman's feet as he gazes across the water to the towers climbing into the sky. At Gotham City Police Headquarters, uniform officers assemble before their new ruler. The people behind Commissioner Savage wear battle armor, carry automatic rifles, and hide their features behind mirrored visors. The trees and foliage in Robinson Park soften the surrounding concrete and steel with a hint of nature. Like the people who live, work, and play in Gotham, Jorge Jiménez invests each district with uniqueness. But they all belong to the city Batman strives to protect in Batman #1.

 

Yellow, orange, and mauve fill the cloudy skies as night approaches. Batman confronts this new era in blue and gray. The blue in his costume links him with officers like Jim Gordon, while the gray points to Gotham's troubled future. The streetlights and signs fill Gotham with glowing pastels when darkness falls. But as Tomeu Morey lavishes a loaded palette of colors on Batman #1, Dr Zeller meets the future adorned in white, and Commissioner Savage’s elite troops wear black.

 

Clayton Cowles fills dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black and colored uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Shouts enlarge letters and deform balloons, while white letters in black boxes locate us in time and space. Large and small white letters fill gray fields, identifying aspects of Batman’s technologically enhanced suit. Sound effects help us hear Killer Croc’s transformation and Batman racing through the streets of Gotham in his stylish Batmobile.

 

Final Thoughts

Batman becomes both hunter and hunted in a city that no longer wants him. He may not be the flavor of the month, but that won’t stop him from protecting Gotham. Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles force Batman to draw on his past to embrace a difficult future in Batman #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Batman #1.