End of July 2026 News and Links

It is the last day of July. We've had quite a month for popular culture-related announcements thanks to Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con being a hot spot to let folks know about your upcoming comics, movies, and so forth. A variety of interesting things were discussed or occurred, however, so let's spotlight some interesting tidbits from as of late!

To begin with, my favorite PSP (an underrated portable console) game series of all time was Lumines. In a bit of a surprise, it has finally been ported to iOS and Android, meaning your smartphone can now experience the joy of this strange music-puzzle-matching experience! "Lumines Remastered," can be bought now!

"Wonder Man," is cancelled and won't have a second season on Disney+. This is despite being a really fun show, getting rave reviews for a Marvel streaming show (a bit rare), and having a second season announced a matter of a few months ago! That said, Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Ben Kingsley were a hoot in the show as Simon Williams/Wonder Man and Trevor Slattery/the former Mandarin actor. Perhaps this is a stealthy way to fold them into a movie, one can hope? At least the star was able to not seem too sad.

A number of fly-by-night companies have those hideous AI-generated books these days where you type in some details about a child, and it spits out a, "Personalized," story you can then purchase in book form. A number of Baby Boomers apparently love these and won't stop buying them for their grandkids.

 

I wasn't particularly smitten with the first issue of the new comic, "Terminal," by Robert Kirkman, Joe Casey, and Andy Kubert. I thought it looked great, and the story had potential, but I wasn't immediately hooked. I'm in the minority for now, however, as the debut has sold 300,000 or so copies, with a second printing on the way. Kirkman might have another hit on his hands!

Speaking of Skybound/Robert Kirkman, Netflix has paid for the rights to, "The Walking Dead," franchise starting in 2027, sharing the past shows and new stuff with AMC for a cool 500 million dollars. I'd argue that while the comic and show ended with the spin-offs past their peak of popularity, there always are new fans discovering it, kind of like when Netflix scooped up, "Seinfeld," or any other popular franchise. I guess someone crunched the numbers and decided it was a wise investment.

Finally, fantastic writer John Arcudi is teaming up with Mark Buckingham on art and Dave Steward on colors for Titan Comics' "Kull," relaunch. The literary predecessory/blueprint for Conan the Barbarian, it could be interesting to see what this creative team does with the material!

Shaquille O’Neal is Involved in a Comic About a Historical Pirate. It Sounds...Good?

Look, plenty of celebrities get involved in making comic books. Quite often they are incredibly forgetful books, or the celebrity has basically zero involvement besides licensing their name and likeness to be used in the comic. Exceptions to this, "Rule," exist, of course, because Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) and his, "Umbrella Academy," comics remain an utter delight (which also received a Netflix adaptation that varied in quality from amazing and imaginative to uninspiring and tepid). Hence, when I saw a headline declaring Shaquille O’Neal was involved in creating a comic, I assumed it would be something about basketball. That, or involve someone who looks like him that also happens to named Shaq before becoming a superhero, or something. Instead, it is a historical fiction piece on, "...the West African pirate known as Black Caesar, who was active in the Caribbean during the early 1700s." That sounds pretty cool, actually.

"Vengeance Unchained: The Legend of Black Caesar," is the full title of this five-issue mini-series. Shaq isn't super involved in the comic as far as I can tell, with writer Stephanie Williams, and artist Ray-Anthony Height (and his team at Studio Skye-Tiger) doing much of the comic creation, but it is still something that says Shaq, "Presents," so I suppose without his involvement this wouldn't get made. This is the first-ever comic Shaq has been involved with, and I'm not sure if he brought the idea of the book to Archie or they asked him about it, but he discussed in a press release about the book, “Growing up, I always loved stories about warriors who refused to quit. Black Caesar starts as a king, loses everything, and takes his freedom back on his own terms. That’s the kind of story I want to help tell. We built something that’s going to entertain you and make you think. I’m ready for the world to see what we created with Archie Comics, an iconic brand I have been a big fan of for many years. Archie has such an incredible legacy of storytelling, and being able to collaborate with a brand that has meant so much to generations of fans made this project even more exciting for me.”

The real Black Caesar doesn't have a ton of documentation, but enough is out there to confirm he did exist. He was (apparently) a war chief who became enslaved before joining in piracy and serving under Blackbeard up until that infamous pirate was killed. Black Caesar was arrested and faced trial, but he was acquitted, and then what happened to him next remains a bit of a mystery. I just think it is cool to see a celebrity known for a variety of other things (basketball, sports commentary, a tiny bit of acting, a short rap career) engaging in a comic about a random-but-quite-interesting subject. I'll check out the first issue this October!

My Friends Over at Magnitude 10 Comics Have a Giveaway to Celebrate Their Two Year Anniversary!

Magnitude 10 Comics is run by my friend, Jeff. It is celebrating having been in existence for two years by running an anniversary giveaway! Yes, via the Magnitude 10 Comics YouTube channel, there will be, "...a special Livestream Event, Sunday August 16th 2026 at 3pm CST." The prize is a McFarlane Toys Joker statue, which would look quite snazzy in your place of residence, I'd bet!

Registering is easy with a variety of options. You can comment on one of the YouTube videos, send an email, or text 573-810-3889 to indicate your interest in the giveaway! If you aren't local to the Saint Louis area, do keep in mind you'll need to provide a mailing address if you win. In the meantime, while we wait for the event next month, go check out the Magnitude 10 Comics YouTube channel and enjoy some great videos!

You (Won't) Be Shocked How Much Clickbait Annoys Me/How a Seemingly Simplistic Practice Leads to Conspiracy-Level Problems--Plus, a Review of the Stellar Book, "Uncover Up," Too!

I've been at this blogging thing for over 15 years now. I've written opinions I later changed my mind about and ones I still stand by. I've admitted when I was wrong and been eager to point out when I was right. One thing I've tried to never do, however, is make annoying clickbait headlines. I started thinking about this when I saw an article today that announced, "‘American Pickers’ fans praying for Mike Wolfe after tragic news: ‘Heart is shattered’." That sounds horrific, doesn't it? Well, his dog died. That is sad, and I'm sure some dog-lovers out there are praying for Mike, but such a headline is just utterly crass considering Wolfe did lose a former co-host and friend (Frank Fritz) in 2024. I didn't link to the article because I refuse ot give them more clicks, but that's a tacky way to essentially trick someone into visiting your site and getting you ad revenue or such.

To give some other examples I refuse to be too specific about or link to, as I don't want to give the sites any exposure, one common trick is to make people worry a show has been cancelled by saying, "The fate of SHOW NAME has been announced," which sounds ominous because saying, "SHOW NAME renewed for another season," is less likely to inspire a panic-click. Oh, and there is the old chestnut where you say how, "This actor from SHOW NAME has sadly passed!" while showing a picture of the main cast...before revealing it was someone who played a bit role in a handful of episodes.

A Punisher movie? Oh, wait, misleading junk.

One site I will actually name, as it needs to be called out as often as possible, would be The Direct. Their headlines often are written in a misleading way, full of absurd theories, or flat-out lies designed to rile readers up. For example, saying something like, "Marvel Studios Unveils Its First-Ever Punisher Movie Poster," before you click the link for it to clarify, "Marvel Studios Unveils Its First-Ever Punisher-Featured Movie Poster," and revealing a Chinese movie poster for, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which happens to have the Punisher on it. Basically, you get folks shocked/pumped at a headline hinting some kind of Punisher movie is coming only to go, "Ah, no, we totally just meant he's on a poster for the new Spidey flick. Barely. In another country. Ahem." This is pretty much the Standard Operating Procedure for the absolute hacks at The Direct. 

I mean, I'm critical of other sites such as Bleeding Cool, who have plenty of folks who hate them, but Bleeding Cool does get legitimate leaks/scoops/and so forth, with its owner, Rich Johnston, embracing the fact that some people find him an abrasive asshole. Bleeding Cool is a site prone to tabloid-style reporting, but they do not make stuff up. If Rich called me and said, "Hey, David, I'll give you a fat check to write some pieces for Bleeding Cool," I'd probably say, "First of all, how did you get my phone number? Oh, that time I emailed you I mentioned it? Fine. Second of all, if that check truly is juicy, you've got a deal." There are not enough zeroes you can put on the end of a contract for me to ever want to go near a site like The Direct (not that they want me, but the point stands). Considering how much misinformation, hearsay, and sheer bullshit that exists on the internet, posting misleading clickbait or outright guesses like, "The Batman 2 Set Photo Confirms Key Nightwing Easter Egg Connection In Sequel," because a photo from the set showed a van mentioning the city of Bludhaven (seriously, that's it), is moronic at best, malicious at worst.

Before clickbait, we had supermarket tabloids with eye-catching headlines. To the credit of my favorite tabloid ever, "The Weekly World News," it was an intentional parody of sensationalistic news, satirizing what the media and the rise of the internet would become before it could even realize how ahead of its time it was (it isn't totally dead thanks to an often funny website that unfortunately uses some AI imagery). TWWN knew it was a joke, though, and (almost) everyone reading it was in on it, knowing Batboy didn't actually help lead the troops to Saddam Hussein's Spider Hole or that P'Lod, an alien ambassador to Earth, did not exist. He also was not having an affair with Hillary Clinton (something she actually acknowledged and laughed about with Jay Leno). Now, however, people do believe all kinds of wild conspiracy theories, with AI deepfakes only making it worse. Now you don't just claim Barack Obama was born in Kenya (for whatever random reason you believe such nonsense); you share some AI slop video of a, "Doctor," confessing he delivered Barack Hussien (you always gotta mention the middle name for dogwhilste-esque reason) Obama in an African hospital. You see how it is a bit of a metaphorical snowball that grows into an avalanche of falsehoods. We've gone from (relatively) harmless claims about Elvis being alive and working in Burger King or some actor being rumored to appear in the next Marvel flick to someone reading that the vaccine for measles is more dangerous than the disease and going, "Yeah, I'll believe that." Clickbait is arguably a hop, skip, and a jump to conspiracy theories, after all. Which shifts us into my next segment of this short piece that grew into a bit of a long diatribe, my thoughts on, "Uncover Up: How to Think Clearly in an Age of Conspiracies."

Written by Lee Kuhnle and Nathan Radke, "Uncover Up," is releasing to all finer bookstores today. I was able to read an advance copy by my own request to the publisher, ECW Press, when I saw it solicited in their upcoming releases some months ago. It is a superb book that goes in-depth not as to what conspiracies are out there, but why conspiracies gain a following and grow in power. From casual reasoning leading us down rabbitholes of falsehoods to how the simple act of changing our minds when confroted with facts contray to what we believe is just so damn hard, I found, "Uncover Up," a superb read, whether it was diving into conspiracies from decades ago with Roswell, the Kennedy assassination, and the Moon Landings or looking into the Satanic panic of the past and more modern-day equivalents (like the Momo Challenge hoax). If you've ever looked at a conspiracy theory and wondered, "How could anyone believe that?" this is the book for you! On the flipside, if you've ever examined a conspiracy theory and said, "Wait, why do I maybe believe in this? What's going on with me?" then again, this is the book for you! 

I'm not saying falling for a simple clickbait article is going to turn you into someone who believes that the Earth is flat, but as page 175 points out, "Weirdly, as scientific evidence for a spherical Earth became overwhelming, the origins of the modern Flat Earth movement were starting to take root." The more evidence there is that something is patently false, the more fascinating it is when more and more people start to believe it, with the ideas only getting crazier. Okay, Zack Snyder is coming back to direct the DC Cinematic Universe any day now. Yeah, raw milk cures all kinds of medical ailments. Sure, the Democrats somehow stole the Presidential election in 2020 when Trump was President and his party controlled a ton of the government--yet, then Trump won in 2024 when the Democrats were in a position of power because we've got to, "Trust the plan." Whether we're dealing in questionable headlines that claim an innocent person gunned down by ICE for the, "Crime," of asking proof the agents were actually law enforcement was somehow a domestic terrorist or spending hours trying to prove that Jewish space lasers caused wildfires, it's turtles all the way down. "Uncover Up," is a great way to explore conspiracy theories, why they're so popular, and I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. A book such as this is a great way to try and gain an understanding of why we fall into conspiracies and how to avoid them (while acknowledging that some contain more than a kernel of truth as well). In closing, if any of these conspiracies are true, then why have I not been given my own space laser? Is the fact that I am more culturally Jewish and relatively unobservant a big disqualifier? If I need to keep Kosher in order to get my own space laser, I will strongly consider it. Maybe. Ah, I'm lying; I love bacon too much.

Trump Already Wants to Steal the Midterms and is Plotting at 2028 Run as a, "Joke," Now

The other day, Trump put a hat on his head that, "Joked," to a bunch of news correspondents that he wanted to run a fourth time for a third term and continue to serve as President, in open defiance of many laws and the bedrock of our nation, the Constitution--the 22nd Amendment is pretty clear. The headlines from many major news sources emphasize the, "Joke," part. Not enough people are pointing out that he isn't joking, and those who are have to essentially scream it and are being dismissed. This is a man who has made it clear he will put aside any laws or facts to push his own agenda and beliefs. He continues to push the obvious lie that he won the 2020 Presidential election. 

Anyone who dares to challenge his claims of ending wars, fixing economies, or other flights of fancy is dumb (don't forget the B) for calling him out. Trump's version of reality is one where he always wins, and if he ever loses, it is because the other person cheated somehow. Meanwhile, he keeps trying his hardest to fix these, "Games," in his favor. After repeated efforts to make it harder to vote via various proposed laws/acts/and so forth, Trump is pushing the Supreme Court to let him make mail-in voting harder under the guise of, "Protecting," elections. He wants to consolidate and secure power, not for the Republican Party (that's a mean to an ends for him) but so that the Party can help him defy the rule of law and find some way for him to keep being President/ruler until the day comes when that last Big Mac does him in or JD Vance batters Trump with a freshly-humped couch cushion in the hopes he can get the top position of power he's been angling at for some time. Trump was never joking about his first run for President. He wasn't joking about undoing Roe v Wade, getting rid of USAID, installing himself as the head of the Kennedy Center, or anything else. 

Trump keeps saying things, and people go, "Oh, that Donald Trump loves being silly," as if he isn't looking us dead in the eyes (with his own dead eyes) and telling us his actual intentions. The only time Trump seems to like saying the truth is when it is delivered as if it is a joke. When someone at your job comes to your office, shows you a knife and, "Jokes," with a shockingly straight face about stabbing you next week, it really is your own damn fault if you're surprised when seven days later you take a knife to the hand during your budget presentation. Trump is showing us his weapon in the form of  a, "Silly," hat and isn't even trying to be subtle in his efforts to bring harm with his fascist rule. If Trump truly does want us to giggle, it is only so we're distracted whilst he delivers the killing blow to democracy and his MAGA cult cheers it on. We've had years to realize that you downplay his danger to society at your own risk, yet it is a lesson much of America refuses to learn. Watch this year's midterms, as it'll serve as the blueprint for what Trump attempts in 2028.

I Enjoyed the Spector Club Comic Show for July 2026

Some of the showfloor as setup was occurring.

I attended the Spector Club Comic Show today and had a superb time. Clarkson decided to wake up early and go with me; he enjoyed being wheeled around in the cart he always likes chilling in whilst we saw many awesome friends and enjoyed looking at a wide variety of comics. The Spector Club always is full of comic vendors with stuff from very old Golden Age comics to the hottest Modern Age books. Whether you like your comics to be almost a century old or more recently published, it is always a superb mix!

I started off the show thanking Spike Forester (of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles) and Dave Schmidt from All American Collectibles as they always put a ton of work into doing such an awesome event. I caught up with John from Bigfoot Comics and chatted with David from Callisto Comics as well. Bruce Reynolds had brought a fun mix of stuff, as had Geoff and my chums from Tatertot. The friendly Tim Metzger had an immense amount of dollar books that were fun to pick through. I enjoyed browsing Nate's comics, and Jeff from Mangitude 10 Comics brought a smorgasbord of titles. As Clarkson and I looked about, I acquired a fun copy of, "Green Lantern," #25 with the Green Lanterns fighting the Sinestro Corps back in the 2000's as well as a third printing of the first issue of, "Absolute Batman." Give them a look:

Some other terrific folks I had a chance to visit with included Wayne Judge (who didn't have a table this time but always makes delicious stuff), Dan, who was showcasing a cool assortment of comics, Crypt of Heroes were showing off their awesome series, and CoMo Comics had a ton of books available as well. I also was pleased to see the talented Lorenzo Lizana at the show! I've named only some of the vendors who were present, which goes to show just how many stellar comic (and collectible) vendors can be found at the show's new home for 2026, 4690 Lansdowne Avenue (in the American-Czech Educational Center). I am excited for the next event on October 11th and would encourage anyone who is able to attend it to be sure and do so!

Yeah, Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider and David Jonsson as Black Panther Sounds Cool

Yesterday I was discussing how Marvel's comics are struggling and I don't see much of note with their cinematic slate besides the immense hope that, "Avengers: Doomsday," is a hit. Well, Marvel did hold an event today in the fabled Hall H of Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con and whilst it occurred, Ryan Reynolds appeared in a gray Deadpool suit (like from, "Uncanny X-Force,") and that was fun, but two other announcements really perked my ears up. Ryan Gosling will be the new Ghost Rider in the MCU and David Jonsson is set to be the grown-up son of T'Challa (who was portrayed by the sadly deceased Chadwick Boseman) and become Black Panther. 

Gosling is fantastic in a variety of productions, having excelled as an operator of motor vehicles before in the surrealist, "Drive." Jonsson was spectacular as a synthetic human named Andy in, "Alien: Romulus," where he pretty much played multiple roles due to a computer chip drastically altering his character's personality mid-film. Shawn Levy (who directed, "Deadpool and Wolverine,") will be directing the Ghost Rider flick and Ryan Coogler will return as Director yet again for, "Black Panther 3." Both movies are set to arrive in 2028. So yes, fine, Marvel has me feeling a twinge of excitement for their movies again. Still no update on a new, "X-Men," film, though.

DC Announced a Bunch of Cool Comic-Book Stuff Today! As for Marvel...

DC announced all kinds of things today at Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con, with a lot of it involving their comic-books. The comic line of DC is on fire right now compared to a struggling Marvel, so I was curious what might be coming down the pipeline from the company. We've got a new Static (Shock) series on the way, and Vixen is getting an ongoing solo book as well, with DC challenging, "...the long-standing stigma that 'Black comics don’t sell,'" with two fan-favorites. Plus, Michael Walsh writing and drawing Jonah Hex as a horror-filled Western sounds like it'll be rad. Speaking of horror, James Harren doing a book on Etrigan The Demon, has my attention. One big crowd-pleaser was the announcement of, "Batman of Two Worlds," which will have Matt Fraction's Batman of the standard DC going through a parallel story with the Batman from the Absolute Universe that Scott Snyder will be writing (I have no idea if they'll meet and chat/fight, but we'll see). It'll feature, "Two stories, one crime." It'll come out on Saturday, September 19th, for Batman Day. This all looks quite exciting!

We get a new, "Venom," #1 every few years or so.

As for Marvel and their comic announcements as of today, um, well...let's see here. Eddie Brock is going to be Venom again after other people have been wearing the suit--Mary Jane most recently, because why not? Also, the evil/"Infernal," Hulk is going to have a bunch of one-shot fights with various heroes. Plus, Deadpool and the Punisher are going to have a crossover, as they do every now and again. Uhhhh, plus Mary Jane is getting another ongoing comic with J. Scott Campbell doing a cover for it, as he always seems to enjoy drawing her. Look, I was a huge Marvel fan for years, and some of my favorite stuff came out from them 2000-2015 or so, but this is all pretty uninspiring. I'm sorry; don't shoot the messenger. Let's just hope that, "Avengers: Doomsday," is a hit and injects some form of life into one division of the company because the Marvel Universe of comics is a bit dull. We're getting an, "Indiana Jones," comic in a different continuity than the superheroes and the, "Marvel Midnight," stuff looks a little interesting, but the Main/616 Universe has a handful of writers doing stories I like and little else popping off. Unless you're chomping at the bit for the Punisher to randomly join the Avengers or Iron Man to be in trouble with the law for the umpteenth time, shit's bleak. Again, let's just be cautiously optimistic about, "Avengers: Doomsday," and see how that (in December) and the Spidey movie coming out (in a week or two) go. As it stands, DC is bringing a lot more fire this year to the show while Marvel seems to be mostly hints of a spark and a lot of fumes.

Polly Pocket and My Little Pony Are Teaming Up to Provide a Nostalgia Overload. Can We Bring Back Mighty Max, Too?

In the 1990's you saw a huge number of kids playing with Mighty Max and Polly Pocket (both owned by Mattel since 1998). Max was geared more towards boys with creepy monster playsets, and Polly towards girls with mansions, boutiques, and such. However, when I was a young warthog ("Lion King," reference), I noticed the figures were about the same size, and I would use my creativity to play with both. I'd have Polly Pocket go explore a haunted mummy tomb while Max chilled by the pool at a hotel. I'd concoct these elaborate stories about them and have a lot of fun with both products. Hence, seeing Polly Pocket back in the news gave me a little nostalgic jolt, and hearing she's teaming-up with, "My Little Pony," doesn't get me too excited, but I'm sure some people who enjoyed both Polly and the Ponies are positively foaming at the mouth hearing about a new playset with the mouthful of a name, "My Little Pony Polly Pocket Compact."

The MLPPPC, for short(ish), is not yet for sale anywhere. You cannot even buy it at Comic-Con International/SDCC, whose announcement it is intended to overlap with. That said, it is on display at the show to build hype for when it does land in stores for a suggested retail price of $30. If Hasbro, the owners of, "My Little Pony," and Mattel (who own Polly Pocket) can team up for this cool collaboration, it isn't that far-fetched to think Mattel can use another of its own properties with Mighty Max and give me an official crossover with Polly Pocket to send my Millennial self into a nirvana of nostalgia.

"Avengers: Armageddon," #2 and, "Captain America," #13 are Two Comics by the Same Writer Yet Have Such a Tonal Difference

Chip Zdarsky is a fantastic writer. There are not too many folks writing comics at Marvel right now I get excited to pick up the work of, but they include Jed MacKay, Jonathan Hickman, and good ol' Chip. Last week, he had two comics come out that take place within the same Universe, a part of the same event (to a degree), and are just so different it is astounding. You've got the second issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," which is full of geopolitical intrigue, arguments about how to utilize militaristic power in the name of affecting change, and so forth. Then, Captain America was brutally injured by the Red Hulk/Thunderbolt Ross before, "Avengers: Armageddon," and his comic follows him in some surreal iteration of Hell, leading damned souls and some demons to overthrow Mephisto. It's good, but weird.

One comic is doing an interesting take on, "Powerful hero questions why the other heroes do so little," concept, which has been riffed on by everyone from Alan Moore (Miracleman) to your friend who complains, "Why won't Batman just kill the Joker?" This questioning is being done with by a newer character, David Colton, who appeared in the start of Zdarsky's run on, "Captain America," in a flashback arc (to establish he's been around in continuity but just hasn't been seen much) and then got some extra powers due to a magical Origin Box from the Ultimate Universe...yeah, it is a bit confusing, comics can be wacky. It is still interesting and slightly grounded in reality with its exploration of if, "Might makes right," and how much justification America has to put its forces in other countries--be they superheroes or the military.

Meanwhile, we've got the same writer taking the, "Captain America," comic that had the same vibe but suddenly segued us into Hell. As for why Captain America went to Hell, Doctor Doom kinda ended up there too when he died in his recent, "One World Under Doom," comic (he's got some beef with the Devil, as past comics established) and used his magic to get Steve Rogers dragged down there too upon being mortally wounded. This is not a metaphorical or symbolic Hell, either; this is a literal Hell, full of mystical monsters and fire. The shift from, "Riffing on real-world politics with fictional superheroes," to, "Hey, let's take a big journey through Hell," brings some tonal whiplash for sure, but Zdarsky is a skilled enough writer that it isn't too jarring. Plus, again, comics can be wacky! Both comics are great reads, and this isn't a review so much as me discussing how strange comics can get. Chip Zdarsky knows how to spin a good yarn, though, and I congratulate him on his, "Stillwater," comic getting a T.V. series order, as well!

CCI/SDCC Starts Tomorrow with the Preview Night

Starting tomorrow, Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con will have the Preview Night. There are no big panels, but if you bought the special badge that includes it or such, you can enjoy wandering around the show floor and (generally) doing some shopping. Then, once it is Thursday, the show starts in full force with tons of attendees, panels, events, and all that good stuff. I'm sure a large amount of news will emerge from the show about upcoming comics, television shows, movies, games, toys, and anything else in popular culture with a fanbase because this is such a huge event! I know I'll be staying tuned to any news feeds for any interesting updates when I'm not busy checking out some other cool local shows this weekend. It is always interesting to see what ends up being the biggest story of/from the show, that's for sure.

The First Full Trailer for, "Avengers: Doomsday," Appears Nifty

I watched the first (of probably a couple) full trailer for, "Avengers Doomsday." Besides a bit of a teaser here and there, little has been shown/revealed. In the trailer, released yesterday, we hear what sounds like Robert Downey Junior with an accent speaking as Doctor Doom about a major threat. Then, we get a bunch of scenes of much of the MCU gathering together whilst a voice-over from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) discusses how the current threat facing everyone scares him more than anything he'd ever faced--and back then he had other friends by his side too...who died (one would assume this references Iron Man and Captain America, not so much the MCU's Pietro/Quicksilver). Have a look:

The footage gives us a good look at some Multiversal iteration of the Avengers fighting an X-Men team where Channing Tatum's Gambit is present (odd, but I'm not complaining) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) wears more clothing (which does have some of the internet that favors a nothing-but-blue-paint-style complaining). I mean, we get more James Marsden as Cyclops, and he's in a comic-style suit, so I'm happy about that and am fine with the other tweaks too--Magneto's got some long locks! I would imagine much of the movie is centered on the Avengers taking on this X-Men-verse as we saw with, "Incursions," when Jonathan Hickman wrote, "Avengers," and, "New Avengers." That eventually ended with Doctor Doom kind of saving the day and creating a new Universe in the 2015 version of, "Secret Wars," which also happens to be the second part of this filmic duology with, "Avengers: Secret Wars." 

The trailer got me curious enough about the movie I'd maybe check it out in theaters, even if the Chris Evans' Captain America return had already been spoiled before the trailer's reveal. I haven't really been able to say that about a Marvel production since the horror stylings of the Sam Raimi-directed, "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," got me to buy a movie ticket. If I'm considering seeing this in theaters, I guess mission accomplished? Plus, it gives Marvel plenty to talk about this week at Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con!

"Terminal," #1 Advance Review

The debut issue of "Terminal," arrives in comic shops in two days. Skybound (an imprint of Image), putting out this new series, was kind enough to send digital copies out for the purpose of review more than a month before the book was set to hit stands (with the request that all reviewers wait until the Monday before its release to share their thoughts). Written by Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey, those two names have a lot of skill and a number of hits under their belt. This first issue is illustrated by the also extremely talented Andy Kubert. That makes it interesting that I wasn't disappointed in this first issue, but perhaps one could say slightly underwhelmed with a hint of optimism?

"Terminal," features two secret groups fighting to seemingly either save or doom Earth. The people involved have powers, there are long-lost siblings, weird otherworldly beings, and other concepts you've seen in many other stories. Kubert's art is fantastic, but I found myself waiting the whole time I was reading for the story to really hook me in. Outside of a bit of a twist regarding who I thought would be the main character for the book, there wasn't much meat here. Still, "Invincible," didn't really get going with its reveal about Omni-Man until around the seventh issue and, "The Walking Dead," needed a chunk of issues before really picking up steam. This goes to say that I somewhat expect there is more to, "Terminal," than the first issue indicates. Kirkman is known for his slow-burn style with some stories and Casey is excellent as spinning a yarn full of twists and quirks as well (his, "Uncanny X-Men," run remains underrated and his, "Codeflesh," is a grim and surreal masterpiece). It wouldn't surprise me if, "Terminal," manages to, well, surprise me! For now, it has a good-but-not-great first issue and has me at least a bit curious where things could go next.

3 out of 5 Stars.

I Saw Jim Gaffigan Perform Yesterday and it Was a Hoot!

Samii and I saw Jim Gaffigan perform stand-up comedy yesterday as part of his, "Everything is Wonderful," tour. It was a fantastic show! Gaffigan discussed a variety of topics from some darker humor (a bit about selecting your menu options and filling out a survey for a last meal before an execution had Samii cracking up) to his usual relatable wit about other subjects--he observed when he sees someone running in an airport because they're late he legitmately thinks, "I hope they don't make it so they learn a lesson." I always enjoy comedy shows, and when you know the person performing is going to be hilarious, that's always great as opposed to going to an event where you know little about the act/acts. Jim Gaffigan has been doing comedy since the 90's and remains as engaging in his craft as ever. If you have a chance to see him anywhere else whilst he's touring, I'd encourage you to go!

The First Issue of, "Moonjiggle," is Spicy, Clever, and Hilarious

Space Between Entertainment is a smaller independent publisher I am familiar with, as I've followed the work of creator Pat Shand for years and he does a lot with them--which makes sense as he founded and owns the company! SBE recently released print and digital copies of a new series, "Moonjiggle." It is written by Dave Franchini with art by Bamburat. It is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek satire that heavily mocks concepts of censorship through sci-fi metaphors. A regime dedicated to eliminating concepts of pleasure and free love known as The Puritanus (a bit of clever wordplay with that name), is after a ragtag group made up of sexy (and often horny) space folk due to how they've got an artifact capable of directing the holder to a galaxy full of romance/pleasure/etc. It is a fun parody of old sci-fi that isn't outright pornographic (there are plenty of non-sexual moments and jokes) but has some panels that are definitely explicit. Don't let the action-packed or titillating moments overshadow the fact that this first issue is packed full of clever symbolism, however. One could easily use the lens of our present-day society and its views of sexuality in any form beyond what is heteronormative and, "Traditional/vanilla," as our current-day society has its own, "Puritanus," forces.

Bamburat's art is superb, whether providing readers with quite detailed examples of gentilia, fights breaking out, or spaceships rocketing to safety. "Moonjiggle," is the perfect blend of having a vintage, "Sexplotation," sci-fi vibe (gotta love a classic like, "Barbarella,") mixed with some sharp political satire. Should that sound like a good time, I'd highly recommend getting a copy in digital or physical form for yourself!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Next Weekend Has Two Cool Shows in the Region

Fun stuff happens in this bi-state area!

Much of next week and the weekend will have Comic-Con International/San Diego Comic-Con in the news. A lot of folks will be traveling there and enjoying what is (usually) the biggest comic/television/movie/pop-culture event of the year. However, if you're going to be around my neck of the woods, two cool comic events are happening on the 25th and then the 26th that I'd recommend checking out.

On July 25th, the awesome folks over at Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles will be doing the Airbase Treasure Chest Event. It'll have comics, coins, and all kinds of collectibles. The American Legion Mascoutah will be holding it as the above flyer illustrates. This is the first time it has been held, and it looks to be a lot of fun! I'm not sure I'll be able to make it out there due to some other family obligations, but I'd encourage anyone able to get over ot Mascoutah to head on over.

July 26th will mark the latest Spector Club show. This one is always a fantastic event to find cool comics, and it is continuing to be held at its spacious and very nice new location, the American-Czech Center at 4690 Lansdowne. If you're able to attend both shows or even just one of these, you're sure to have quite a fun time next weekend. It illustrates how you don't have to go all the way to San Diego in July to find some stellar comic shows--even though it might be fun to go out there someday if I can get anyone to cover my travel and lodging expenses to do a write-up!

I Appreciate Joe Casey Discussing Some Companies Generally Paying Less Royalties Than They Should

Marvel seems to do this thing where if you create a character under their work-for-hire system and they use it in a movie/show, they'll give you a check...but are very careful about it. They aren't giving you a royalty; it is $5,000 and an invite to the premiere of the thing with your character...as long as you signed some contracts too, where they're protected from you suing for more money or speaking out about things too much in a critical manner. I mean, Ed Brubaker got more money for filming a cameo in, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," than what he made on the character being in the flicks (yes, yes, there is some argument about how he took an established character such as Bucky and did Winter Soldier, I know). Joe Casey has done quite well with a number of projects and didn't feel like he needed to sign any paperwork for Marvel using America Chavez in, "Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness," or now for William Metzger (being played by Tramell Tillman) in, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Metzger was created by Casey and Steve Rude back in the 1999-ish mini-series, "X-Men: Children of the Atom." He just feels that if a character is being used a good deal in a production, perhaps the millions being spent (and made) can have a decent check go to the person who actually invented this (hopefully) profitable property.

Casey isn't outright enraged at Marvel; he still works with them on occasion. Still, Casey feels, "For me, it’s not about money. It’s not even about the respect. I would never expect to be respected by a corporation...If I’m in a position where I can afford not to take their insult of an offer, and be able to talk about it, maybe the next guy — where that kind of money could change their life — would get a fair shot of receiving that money.” An honorable sentiment from a creator who can turn down a smaller check and talk about thanks to other successful projects (he and Joe Kelly did well with, "Ben 10," for sure, to name one thing). It goes to show that when you're doing work-for-hire in the comic industry, you could make something insanely popular and barely see much extra scratch for it. At least if something creator-owned fails to strike a chord in the market, you still have ownership.

Film Friday: "Digger," Looks Intriguingly Unhinged

I've written plenty of times about how I don't much care for Tom Cruise as a person whenever I've read about how he's quite unpleasant, egocentric, and so forth. That said, I will never deny that the man can act. That is quite on display in the trailer for the upcoming dark comedy, "Digger." Cruise plays an elderly and deranged oil tycoon whose company's actions put the safety of our planet at risk, so he's got to save us all from the problem he created. Give the trailer a view:

Cruise is the main attraction, but the supporting cast is nothing to ignore either, with John Goodman as the President of America looking to be a hoot as well. "Digger,' hits theaters October 2nd. Between this, "Street Fighter," and, "Clayface," there are three movies I want to see in theaters that month!

Marvel's Comic Division to Relocate to California; Steve Wacker to be New EIC

A big chunk of, "Marvel," as we know it, is currently in California. The movie stuff (Marvel Studios), the owner of the company (Disney), and so forth. Marvel Comics has been in New York City (in some form before it was even Marvel as well) for over 100 years. Just as DC found itself consolidated in California, Marvel plans to relocate everyone in NYC to Burbank over the next year (whoever is willing and won't otherwise quit), having it all switched over by July 2027. It makes sense from certain financial and logistical standpoints, but it definitely marks the end of a long and storied era. Marvel had some shakeups earlier this year, and it was clear something was going to be shifting at Marvel. We're now seeing the first big changes.

In addition to the relocation, Steve Wacker will be returning to Marvel, having worked there in various capacities before, now serving as the new Editor in Chief. He'll be replacing CB Cebulski, who has served in the position since late 2017. Cebulski will be moving into a position as Marvel's new Asia Originals Editor--a job located in Tokyo with an emphasis on manga and other projects with Marvel characters. I haven't seen anyone particularly mad or happy about Cebulski leaving, outside of those who remember the, "Akira Yoshida," controversy. It seems he did a solid job as EIC and will be relatively missed, although Wacker has a lot of fans pumped for him to take over at Marvel--with some who have long memories warning to just keep him away from social media (I wrote about that PR mess in 2012). It is going to be an interesting next 12 months for Marvel between this for the comic division, "Avengers: Doomsday," having a lot riding on it for the cinematic aspect, and so forth!

Okay, so Lettuce is Giving Everyone Uncontrollable Diarrhea?

America has been facing a large number of cyclosporiasis cases. It is a parasite that makes someone really sick to the point they have explosive, watery, unstoppable diarrhea. Not a fun time, in other words. People have been hospitalized due to how sick they've gotten, and enough Taco Bell restaurants have been liked to cases that in various locations they have stopped putting certain vegetables in their meals--and that's a restaurant generally associated with blowing up the toilet! It seems the culprit may be lettuce and other salad greens that were contaminated. Basically, if you needed an excuse to pass on the salad and instead dig into a bag of potato chips, here you go.

In all seriousness, the fact that our current government has massively cut funding to the CDC, and parasite monitoring as well makes it less-than-surprising that it has taken a bit of time for anyone to get much of a lead on this. Everyone likes to say certain government programs/initiatives/whatever are pointless and we should save money by getting rid of them. Then, lo and behold, something that certain people said was a waste of cash turns into a huge issue (hello there, screwworm). Public health is like an escalator, in some ways. You don't particularly take note of it when everything is working as intended. Then, somebody decides not to worry as much about maintenance, the escalator breaks, and we all become very aware of it being an issue as we trek up the stairs that should be carrying us up. Things may only get worse, I worry, as the results of things that, "Aren't important," getting cut continue to become apparent.

Television Tuesday: The Upcoming, "Crystal Lake," Show Has a Teaser

The series, "Crystal Lake," was announced a number of years ago when the rights to, "Friday the 13th," and the (generally) main character, Jason Vorhees, were in a bit of a legal limbo. Then, it was in a sort of development Hell as the showrunner/s kept changing and such. However, everything eventually got figured out and we're getting all eight episodes of, "Crystal Lake," this October 15th. The last, "Official," flick with, "Friday the 13th," branding was a weak remake/reboot back in 2009, but this prequel show is prepped to take us to the 1970s, and it seems other, "Vintage," horror is ready to come back ("Nightmare on Elm Street," has a new flick planned, we'll see when it is set, though). Everything old is new again, and we're going to meet Linda Cardellini's take on Pamela Vorhees soon! Anyone who has watched the first movie knows that Jason is hardly in it as he is instead talked about fondly by his mother (Pamela) as a young boy who drowned when counselors weren't paying attention...before it is revealed she's murdering folks. Hence, a prequel show all about the town and its camp set a year after Jason died, and Pamela has not yet developed a taste for killing, maybe, does sound like a fun mix of horror and thriller genres. An official teaser dropped, and it doesn't show much, but there is enough to pique my interest:

I mean, Cardellini is a fantastic actress, I've got Peacock (where it'll be streaming), and I'm a fan of the franchise. Hence, yeah, I'll watch it. Hell, it doesn't even have to be great, considering that this franchise has some real stinkers of entries, I'll settle for decent/good. We'll see what we get come October 15th.

DC Has Warned Retailers Not to Price Their Exclusive Variants Too High

Retailer-exclusive variants have been around for some time. A store buys the rights to make their own variant for a (potentially) popular comic, pays an artist to create some cool artwork, and then seel a number of copies--often one that has the text/"Trade Dress," and one with just the artwork/a "Virgin," cover. It's a thing that has exploded lately with, "Absolute Batman," however. Some stores release quite limited variants with pretty high prices compared to the, "Cover price," of a comic if it were a standard, "A," cover. Something that's normally $4.99 gets sold with the variant cover for $50-$100, depending on the material (cardstock, foil) and any signatures or such--with remarques/little drawings on the cover causing prices to sometimes get astronomical! Apparently, DC has concerns about being associated with any accusations of, "Price-gouging," on these Absolute Batman titles as they're beginning to warn retailers they should only, "Upcharge," a certain amount higher for any retailer variants (around 5 times for unsigned and 10 times for signed and such). In other words, if the cover price on a carstock variant comic is $4.99, they should only ask $25-ish for the comic. A foil that's priced at $8 shouldn't generally exceed $40, and so forth.

I see this from various angles, as do others. I mean, if you don't want to spend too much on a special variant cover...don't buy it. You can always buy the standard, "A," cover of a comic and completely disregard special store variants, even if they've got snazzy artwork. I also know stores need to pay the artists who make the cool covers a, hopefully, good paycheck. Then again, is manufactured scarcity with ultra-limited and high-priced covers going to be healthy for the comic-book market, or will this be something that contributes to a potential new bubble reminiscent of the 90's? DC's Absolute comics have been fantastic for the comic-book industry in terms of great stories for readers, steady/solid sales for stores, and just getting more folks excited about comic-books in general. It makes sense retailers want to capitalize on this any way they can to not just survive, but hopefully thrive in a field that can be like a rollercoaster in terms of successes and failures. I understand that, but I also don't think milking the fans who are the lifeblood of this industry for every dollar they have is wise. I suppose we will see how retailers react to what DC said and if it stands firm, offers some leeway, or how this all develops.

Lindsay Graham Died, Sam Neill Died, and People Think the GOP is Faking Mitch McConnell's Alive ? What a Week!

This week marked the sudden passing of Senator Lindsay Graham, and not too long later, the unexpected passing of Sam Neill. Graham's passing resulted in a ton of jokes and vitriol. Everyone pointed out how much he hated Donald Trump and seemed to have principles...before suddenly becoming one of Trump's biggest cheerleaders and excusers when it served him to keep his political power. Also, the supposedly open secret that he was gay in his personal life, whilst in his political career, pushing an extremely anti-LGBTQ agenda, has been covered extensively. 

Few seemed to mourn him, while Sam Neill's passing had a ton of folk upset. He had shared a cancer diagnosis some years ago, but was in remission. He'd discussed how he wasn't afraid of dying but it would, "Annoy," him. Neill was, by all accounts, a really nice person and skilled actor who wasn't afraid to lean into the humor about how he was, "The Jurassic Park guy," with that being one of his most beloved roles. I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, but I will say I'd hope that when I die, people react more in a manner like with Neill than Graham.

While all of this has been going on, the internet has, for a handful of weeks, been debating if Mitch McConnell is alive and healthy, on life support, brain-dead, or simply dead, period. He had a mystery health scare and didn't appear in public or say anything for weeks. Fellow members of the GOP, friends, and aides claimed they had chatted with him on the phone for 20 minutes or more, and he was perfectly fine...but then freaked out when asked to give Mitch a ring. Rumors swirled this was to stop a special election or such, and once we hit August, then it would be revealed Mitch had, "Suddenly," died. With Graham's passing the jokes got even crazier about it being a conspiracy/distraction or proof that Mitch must be fine because how could his death be hidden if Graham's went public so fast? From riffs on, "Weekend at Bernie's" and more, everyone has been cracking wise, with a supposedly, "Casual," photo of McConnel feeling perfectly fine after needing some hospitalization due to a simple fall (with a recent newspaper just happening to be nearby), only inadvertently egging the jests on more.

The one thing I, personally, find hilarious is anyone in the GOP acting offended at these, "Mean liberals," stating hurtful things about Graham or McConnell. Anytime someone Donald Trump disliked has died he wastes no time in saying despicable things about them. Rob Reiner was mocked and Robert Mueller's death was greeted with the statement that it was, "Good," that it happened. When your party's poster child says worse things online than even the meanest high school bullies, you can't exactly clutch your pearls when people quip about Graham's funeral being, "Open closet," or put an AI video of a zombie McConnell dancing to, "Thriller," on TikTok. 

It goes to show just how bad the reputation of Republicans has become when people don't even believe the party stating one of their Senators is recovering just fine and chilling in a hospital bed as opposed to a slab in the morgue. I mean, Trump tells more lies than truths while at the same time having no filter, so maybe ask him about it so he can say, "Oh yeah, Mitch is doing fine, such a shame he's dead though. Oh, did I tell you about my latest cognitive test?" and that'll settle the mystery. For now, we know Graham and Neill are dead, and the public had very different reactions. As for McConnell...stay tuned?

Check Out My Friend's Doctor Who Club

I'm friends with Wayne Judge and his son, Victor. They are both big fans of, "Doctor Who," and have taught me a bit about the franchise, as I know very little about it compared to other fun sci-fi. A club dedicated to, "The Doctor," will be meeting this coming Sunday, July 19th, at the Saint Louis City Library Buder Branch from 1:30 PM-4:00 PM--at no cost to attend! If you have any questions, you can send an email to vhjudge@gmail.com and learn more!

The July 2026 ToyMan Show Was Stellar!

Today was another superb ToyMan Show, and they are always incredible fun and full of cool stuff. I started the show by chatting with my friend Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics and then checking out the snazzy comics for sale by Tim Metzger. 

I caught up with Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, then looked at some of Nate Nauert's awesome comics! I also saw Larry from Bug's Comics, who had an, "Absolute Batman," comic for a solid price I picked up. Check it out:

As the show went on, I stopped by the table of my friend Tom Millister, and we talked about how life had been. Tatertot Comics and Collectibles was selling a bunch of interesting items, Jacqueline James had her fun books in the upstairs area, and 573 Collectibles had a mix of comics I enjoyed digging through, too. My friend Bruce Reynolds had a whole bunch of cool books for sale, and talented author Jessica Mathews had a new book for sale, which I excitedly got to give Gibson for his birthday, "Ninjas the Beach." Here it is:

Whenever I go to a ToyMan Show I'm astounded by the sheer volume of interesting items for sale. Trading cards, Funko Pops, Legos, die-cast cars, comics, Funko Pops, movies (in all formats), retro toys, newer gadgets, and viny/cassettes/CDs are present and keep the crowd busy admiring all the awesome wares. At this show, there were some vendors with tents outside near the entrance, as well, for the crowd to check out. That was neat! I'd encourage anyone close enough to make sure they visit the next ToyMan Show on August 23rd. It'll be a cool way to conclude a hot Summer!

Gibson Turns Three!

Today is Gibson's third birthday. He has really grown a lot in the past 12 months, having quite a burst of speech starting back in January of this year, and since then getting more and more verbal. He loves to identify colors, talk about the weather, ask questions about the tiny bugs he sees outside, point at the wild rabbits in our yard to talk about the, "Bunnies," declare when he needs a snack, ask for milk (his favorite drink), and otherwise is a sweet little guy. 

Gibson continues to love eating almost any food item he's offered and eagerly will discuss the Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, or Bluey with folks. He's extremely friendly and gets excited to say, "Hello," to other kiddos. We're working on toilet training even though the big potty can, "Be scary," and he's getting skilled at brushing his teeth. Gibson loves his mom, dad, and big brother Clarkson, whom he calls, "C," very much. Happy birthday to Gibson, he's an awesome little dude!