Titan's Upcoming King Kull Series

 

Conan traveled back in time to fight alongside King Kull and his stalwart Pict friend Brule in Conan The Barbarian: The Age Unconquered Vol 3. Recently, Jim Zub drew King Kull back into Conan's orbit in Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1. But Kull didn't stop there. The indomitable King of Atlantis also made inroads into Savage Sword of Conan.

Now, King Kull is getting his own series. How will Titan's upcoming Kull series differ from the King's appearances in Conan The Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan? And when can the new series appear in stores?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

KULL RETURNS IN 2027

WRITTEN BY JOHN ARCUDI, ILLUSTRATED AND COLOURED BY THE MULTIPLE EISNER AWARD WINNING TEAM MARK BUCKINGHAM AND DAVE STEWART

As announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 during the Conan Panel on Saturday 25th July, global publishers Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are thrilled to announce a BRAND-NEW comic book series, based on the literary predecessor to Conan the Barbarian; Kull!

This new comic series brings on board a stellar creative team featuring multiple Eisner award winning artist Mark Buckingham (Fables, Hellblazer, Amazing Spider-Man), as well as the Eisner award winning Dave Stewart, and writer John Arcudi (The Mask, B.P.R.D., Major Bummer)

Kull Issue 1 is due hit comic shops in early 2027. Stay tuned for more updates!

 

Here is a map of Kull's Thurian Age:

 

 

When Titan's Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Sumner, sat down with Heroic Signatures' editor Chris Butera, Kull was one of the first characters they bonded over. Like their Conan and Solomon Kane stories, the team's first Kull miniseries will number four issues. But while they are following the same format, they wanted to give the Kull series its own unique look. 

 

 

Writer John Arcudi made some of his first sales to Marvel's Savage Tales and Savage Sword of Conan. In addition to the titles Titan mentioned, John went on to work on series like Alien, Predator, Terminator, and Doom Patrol. Among artist Mark Buckingham other credits are series like Titans and Dead Boy Detectives. 

At San Diego Comic-Con, Mark Buckingham said he sought inspiration for his new Kull series from Jack Kirby and Moebius. He strives for a lean, elegant delicacy in depicting Kull's Thurian Age. Mark sought to convey the high culture of this story set thousands of years before Conan's Hyborian Age, while also showing the corruption that will eventually swallow it.

 

 

Andrew Sumner is giving the new series the thumbs-up. Hopefully, readers will too!

 

Thanks to Titan Comics, Heroic Signatures, and San Diego Comic-Con for sharing this story with us.

 

For King Kull's recent adventure, see my review of Conan The Barbarian: Scourge of the Serpent Vol 1. 

Black Cat #4 Review

 

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Gleb Melnikov

Colorist: Brian Reber

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Adam Hughes; Derrick Chew; Inhyuk Lee; Mark Buckingham & Richard Isanove

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 26, 2025

 

After tangling with the Lizard, Felicia Hardy has an epiphany as the Night Nurse stitches her arm. Spider-Man isn’t returning her calls. And instead of quelling the violence on the streets, he is increasing it. Perhaps she needs to step up and make New Yorkers feel safe enough to spend money foolishly again.

 

Black Cat’s attempt to turn her life around attracts the superheroes’ attention. As the glamorous gal gains internet fame, J Jonah Jameson publicly speculates about her love life. Then, Felicia captures Tombstone’s attention. Does Lonnie Lincoln need her expertise with a heist? Or does the new Kingpin of Crime want Felicia to define her relationship with Daredevil? Let’s grab a pinch of catnip, leap into Black Cat #4, and see!

 

Story

After foiling an interstellar drug cartel in New Jersey, Sandman surprises Felicia and punches her lights out. When they come back on, Felicia Hardy finds herself at Tombstone’s feet. The crime lord requests her manifesto. But Felicia can’t define her new war on crime. Perhaps when she figures it out, she'll feel like sharing. Like Steve Perry, Felicia is "Feeling That Way" and enjoying it. But while Black Cat works out her new shtick, she interferes with Tombstone’s big plans for New York.

 

In Black Cat #4, Sandman locks her in a room. It may not be a dungeon. Still, Felicia gives her new accommodation a 1-star rating. As Felicia ponders her life and a means of escape, the wait grows more torturous when she overhears actionable intelligence.

 

G Willow Wilson’s story highlights how difficult career changes can be. While Felicia seeks something more fulfilling than snatching the next sparkly treasure, she hasn't defined what she wants or how best to go about it. And as Boris, her person in the chair, warned, being a superhero is different from stealing rare artifacts. Despite how hard Felicia has worked to become a master thief, she's still a novice hero. Felicia's heart may be in the right place in Black Cat #4, but she cannot trust her instincts. And as she hasn’t paid her dues, Felicia Hardy has a long way to go before she gains the respect of the superhero community. 

 

 

 

Art

As Black Cat gazes up at Tombstone, he squats to study his captive. Felicia's flowing white hair and the fur hanging from her black catsuit evoke plumage. While she cannot compare with Puss in Boots, Felicia’s eyes invite sympathy. Gleb Melnikov employs vignettes to showcase confrontations in Black Cat #4. The intertwined control room conduits, along with the pipes and pumping equipment, hint at reasons why Tombstone chose the building for his temporary HQ. But as an X-Jet streaks over the building, Felicia lies on a cot, unable to investigate.

 

While Tombstone appears in matte gray and dark blue, Sandman’s vibrant green shirt and brown arms evoke the fresh start he considered at the Ravencroft Institute. As Brian Reber lavishes a loaded palette on Black Cat #4, Black Cat's suit gleams. After passing some red pumping equipment, more red pipes line a wall of her cell. As Black Cat wonders what has happened to Spider-Man, the moon imbues her suit with light-blue highlights.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna shows Tombstone's dialogue as small, uppercase words in clouds. Other characters speak larger uppercase words into dialogue balloons. Felicia’s commentary guides us through her internment, employing white letters in black narrative boxes. But after a creak and a slam herald her imprisonment, the sound of disturbed air gives Felicia hope she can resume her new career. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like Rodney Dangerfield, Felicia Hardy can't get any respect. There's no honor among thieves, the superhero community distrusts her, and J Jonah Jameson isn't interested in her crime reports. As her stumbling in the dark disrupts Tombstone's plans, Felicia discovers how alone she truly is in Black Cat #4.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Catacomb of Torment #5 Cover Preview

 

COVER A BY MARK BUCKINGHAM

 

As "Necronomicon" opens, Albert Muggaven bursts into Richard Bartell's home. His friend can tell Albert is excited, and soon learns why when Albert shows him his latest acquisition. But when Albert discovers a rare item in Richard's home that shouldn't be there, the treasure seeker pushes him out and stops taking his calls. Why is his fellow memorabilia hunter acting like he doesn't know Albert? And what other mysteries do "A Ray of Sunshine" and "Tooth And Claw" hold?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

CATACOMB OF TORMENT #5

WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER CANTWELL, EVAN DORKIN & PAUL TOBIN ART BY PJ HOLDEN, LUKAS KETNER & DAN McDAID COVER A BY MARK BUCKINGHAM COVER B BY NAOMI FRANQ EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY NAOMI FRANQ ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN Feeling the rusty shears of eager anticipation as they coarsely cut away your tendons of dread? You’ve come to the right place . . . because EC Comics is serving another tortuous session of frightful delights with the CATACOMB OF TORMENT! Prepare to be mortified—literally—as manacled writers Christopher Cantwell (Out of Alcatraz), Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden), and Paul Tobin (The Witcher) are forced to turn the crank and twist the tension-wracked fingertips of artists PJ Holden (2000 AD), Lukas Ketner (Count Crowley), and Dan McDaid (Epitaphs from the Abyss) into blood-spattered spectacle! Sound like fun? Our beloved host, the Tormentor, sure thinks so! ON SALE NOVEMBER 26th, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC     Here are more cover options:     COVER B BY NAOMI FRANQ   EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS   B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY NAOMI FRANQ

ARCHIVE EDITION (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

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

Poison Ivy 2025 Annual #1 Preview

 

 

We all have causes we care about. That we pour our hearts and souls into. Every now and then, we need to remind ourselves why we work so hard to protect what we love. What will nature teach Poison Ivy during her retreat? And how will the experience affirm her desire to protect the Green?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Poison Ivy 2025 Annual #1

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Mark Buckingham

Cover Artists: Jessica Fong, Jae Lee & Seb McKinnon

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 48 Pages

Price: $5.99

Release Date: November 12, 2025

 

Mark Buckingham joins G Willow Wilson for this special issue of Poison Ivy!

 

A tale of times past!

 

No matter what Pamela Isley does, mercy or slaughter, humanity seems dead set on betraying the Earth. Yet Ivy still refuses to let go of her own humanity in service of that which she claims to love. Hoping to discover a way forward, Poison Ivy sets out to find the living repository of all secrets—the Tree of Knowledge. But like those who have tasted the tree’s fruit before her, Ivy learns far more than she bargained for.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

EC Catacomb of Torment #3 Preview

 

COVER A BY MARK BUCKINGHAM

There are always more comics I want to review than I can find time for. So I tend to be careful when committing to issues with multiple stories. (I'm terrible at summarizing. I have to discuss each one!) Still, I find my mind keeps pulling me back to EC CATACOMB OF TORMENT #2. The stories still call to me. Hopefully, I can make the time to share my thoughts with you on that issue!

Here's the info on the upcoming issue: 

First Look: EC Comics' Catacomb of Torment #3 Reveals That The Worst Terrors Come From Your Own Mind!

This September, “Intrusive Thoughts” by Writer Joanne Starer And Artist Christopher Mitten Will Have You Questioning Your Own Brain!

 

 

 

EC CATACOMB OF TORMENT #3

WRITTEN BY J. HOLTHAM, JOANNE STARER, & RYAN HADDOCK

ART BY VALERIA BURZO, SAMI KIVELÄ, & CHRISTOPHER MITTEN

COVER A BY MARK BUCKINGHAM

COVER B BY BJÖRN BARENDS

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY BJÖRN BARENDS

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

ON SALE SEPTEMBER 17th, 2025 | $4.99 | 32 PGS. | FC

IOC: 7/26/2025

FOC: 9/17/2025

 

 

 

 

THERE’S NOTHING TO FEAR EXCEPT YOUR OWN THOUGHTS! Oni Press, the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of groundbreaking comics and graphic novels since 1997, and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. are proud to reveal a first look at the story "Intrusive Thoughts” by Joanne Starer (Fire and Ice) and Christopher Mitten (Detective Comics) from EC COMICS' CATACOMB OF TORMENT #3, which goes on sale on September 17th. WHEN WE SAY IT’S TIME TO “FEAST YOUR EYES” UPON A NEW CHAPTER OF EC COMICS’ BLOODY NEW HORROR SERIES, WE MEAN IT—LITERALLY! (Wait, you only brought two eyeballs? Not very polite!)

Breathe deep and realize: Yes, this is really happening as adamantly anti-anesthesia writers Ryan Haddock (The Brothers Flick), J. Holtham (Hulu’s A Handmaid’s Tale), and Joanne Starer (Fire & Ice) join our brutally beloved host, the Tormentor, to visit violently, vivid vivisections upon our agonizing artists Valeria Burzo (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss), Sami Kivelä (Abbott), and Christopher Mitten (Hellboy & The B.P.R.D.)! Hurry, these tales of fear and frightful persecution are fresher than the bludgeoned corpses in your quiet neighbor’s basement! Don’t keep the Tormentor waiting!

Tearing through your very soul on September 17th, CATACOMB OF TORMENT #3 contains horrifying covers by Mark Buckingham (Fantastic Four), Björn Barends (Ghost Rider), Jay Stephens (Dwellings), and Patricia Martín (Blood Type)!

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

COVER B BY BJÖRN BARENDS

 

EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS

 

B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:20) BY BJÖRN BARENDS

ARCHIVE EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY PATRICIA MARTÍN

About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.

About EC Comics

As the birthplace of TALES FROM THE CRYPT, MAD MAGAZINE, WEIRD SCIENCE, and more of the most influential and celebrated comic series ever published, EC Comics has cemented itself as one of the central nerves of American pop culture with a legacy that spans more than seven decades. From 1944 to 1956, EC – established as "Educational Comics" by founder M.C. Gaines and later rebranded "Entertaining Comics" under the leadership of Publisher & Editor William M. Gaines – led a creative renaissance for the comics industry that, for the first time, elevated the once-derided comics medium into the echelons of English literature and high art. Heralded as "one of the great explosions of vox-pop literature" by Time Magazine and "fiercely honest, politically adversarial, [and] visually masterful" by The Comics Journal, EC's line of comics books - which collectively sold more than 10 million copies annually at their peak – entertained and informed in equal measure, using brilliantly crafted tales of horror, science fiction, satire, and battlefield conflict to critique and subvert America's dark impulses toward violence, racism, inequity, environmental destruction, and war. 

Forcibly shuttered by the Comics Code Authority – a pro-censorship group specifically tasked with eradicating EC's illuminating influence from the American comic book industry – in 1956, EC's unique brand of subversive storytelling lived on through the continued success of MAD Magazine, which would fuel American counterculture through the death of Publisher William M. Gaines in 1992. EC's titles and stories have been adapted in a number of media – including the long-running HBO's long-running TALES FROM THE CRYPT franchise of television series and feature films – and continue to be celebrated by multiple generations of comic creators, filmmakers, comedians, and musicians as a seminal influence. 

Today, EC Comics' canon of classic stories can continuously be found in print through new editions at Dark Horse Comics, TASCHEN, Fantagraphics, and IDW Publishing. In 2024, EC announced a new partnership with multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher Oni Press to produce the first all-new EC Comics titles in nearly 70 years. 

Thanks to Oni Press for sharing this preview with us.

 

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 Review

 

Writer: Kevin Smith, Al Ewing, Chip Zdarsky & Mitsuyasu Sakai

Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini, Mark Buckingham, Cafu & Gerardo Sandoval

Colorist: Erick Arciniega, Rachelle Rosenberg, David Curiel & Israel Silva

Letterer: Joe Caramagna & Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Greg Capullo & Alex Sinclair; Lee Bermejo; Mark Bagley & Edgar Delgado; Scott Hepburn & Rachelle Rosenberg

Designer: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $7.99

Release Date: June 11, 2025

 

Peter Parker has a long and distinguished career as the Amazing Spider-Man. But who does he turn to when he pulls a Janet Jackson? How does Spider-Man nurture new heroes as they arise? And with new spider-heroes constantly occurring in the multiverse, what makes our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man unique? To learn these answers (and more), let’s thwip into Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 and find out!

 

Unstable: Story

Kevin Smith begins with Spider-Man taking on the Sinister Six. When he thwips away Mysterio's gauntlet, Spider-Man discovers the special effects wizard is alone. But as the cops drag Mysterio away, the illusionist gets the last laugh. So, Spider-Man seeks help to hide his "Peter Tingle."

 

"Unstable" boasts playful dialogue and suggests Spider-Man enjoys his celebrity status. The story also illustrates a temptation that police, military, self-appointed vigilantes, and anyone entrusted with a position of power should resist.

 

Unstable: Art

Erick Arciniega adorns Giuseppe Camuncoli and Daniele Orlandini’s detailed art with a loaded palette of colors. Inventive layouts enhance the story’s rockstar quality. After combating the Sinister Six, Spider-Man beholds a page packed with foes in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. The characters and setting of these introductory pages evoke recent Spider-Man movies. The crowd's reactions and Mr Fantastic’s factory remind us that perceptions often matter as much as our abilities. 

 

 

 

616 Day: Story

After Kevin Smith’s lighthearted story, Al Ewing peers into the heart of the Marvel Universe. As Spider-Man learns what makes his world tick, he also realizes how it relates to other realities in the multiverse. Wyn introduces Spider-Man to the numerology and concepts underlying the 616 Universe. Characters who have supported Marvel's popularity in comics, TV, and movies join Spider-Man on his journey into the past to save the future. Thankfully, no one sucks the joy out of everything or forces anyone to beat up grass. 616 Day celebrates the marvelous possibilities that await us as we take an active role in shaping our realities.

 

616 Day: Art

Rachelle Rosenberg paints Mark Buckingham's art with a loaded palette. The coloring grows more constrained as Wyn takes Spider-Man to the epicenter of the Marvel Universe. Buckingham’s Old School art and Rosenberg’s four-coloring mastery energize Spider-Man’s fight to save the 616 universe. A preponderance of globes, worlds, and colored circles surrounding a battle form an intriguing link with Mysterio's villainy in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1.

 

Rapid Advancements: Story

Chip Zdarsky introduces a new character who could race into readers' hearts. Roger doesn't view himself as a hero. Like Valerie Bertinelli, he takes life one day at a time. Roger works hard and cares for his family while struggling to meet his financial obligations. The chink in Roger’s armor is his father. His name is Earl.

 

Earl's focus on work evokes the lyrics to “Cat’s In The Cradle.” Roger's no "I hate everything about you" Ugly Kid Joe. Still, he can't count on his dad to be there for him, so he pushes Earl away. But when Roger discovers his father in peril, he drops everything to protect him.

 

Chip Zdarsky's story reveals the past while bringing readers up to speed with Roger and his father. After Spider-Man communicates with Roger, he conceives a plan to assist him. Roger may not regard himself as a hero. But his attempts to save his father evoke Spider-Man's race to help Mary Jane escape an alternate dimension, while Roger’s reactive nature mirrors Spider-Man’s approach to life.

 

Rapid Advancements: Art

Roger’s hair and attire evoke Tom Cruise in “All The Right Moves,” while a scene in his kitchen echoes his admonition to his father. An erupting time bubble continues the theme of worlds or globes from the previous stories. The police watch Spider-Man thwip away to investigate. His most poignant action highlights one of Spider-Man’s defining traits while echoing a similar incident in Joe Kelly's ASM #1.

 

Pink plays a significant role in Rapid Advancements, defining both Roger's costume and his father's research. A villain in green forges another link with the first story in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. As David Curiel lavishes a loaded palette on Cafu's sophisticated art, Roger's blue pants and red truck enhance this spectacular origin story. 

 

 

 

Prelude To The New Dimension: Story

Mitsuyasu Sakai provides a teaser for the upcoming Kid Venom Team-Up series. Kid Venom has traveled to the 21^st Century. Kid Venom worries about the threats facing his friends and his country, but Spider-Society doesn't know how to send him home. While grounding this prelude story with staples like Peter Parker and Miles Morales, Sakai includes popular characters from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

 

Prelude To The New Dimension: Art

Israel Silva's dark tones imbue Gerardo Sandoval's art with a haunting aspect. Kid Venom's spiky hair and blue and white coloring make him stand out from the spider-heroes. One panel reveals the threat dominating his homeland, while the characters Kid Venom meets in the final scene echo another story in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1.

 

Lettering

Joe Caramagna and Joe Sabino thwip uppercase black and colored letters into white and yellow balloons. They employ a variety of fonts, balloon shapes, and arrow designs. White words fill narrative boxes that would make Spider-Gwen jealous. Black balloons threaten a deluge. Musical notes adorn red banners. Enlarged colorful dialogue and sound effects heighten the action, humor, and explosive storytelling in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Humor becomes a weapon. Heroes succumb to “righteous” anger. New heroes arise to defend the multiverse in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1. And when they're most needed, Spidey and his iconic friends remind us why Earth-616 remains the brightest star in Marvel's sky.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.