You pretty much had the same books I would have picked.
I totally forgot to order my books too…I was going to grab an X-men 17 cover A and that Star Trek variant cover.
Ill be back this week.
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Week of 6/22/25
Happy Summer everyone! I assume everyone checking in here is in the northern hemisphere, but I could be mistaken. Give a shout if Winter has begun for you? Curious how many of our fans reside in southern lattitudes.
COVERS
This was a tough pick this week, and I flip flopped on this. I’m going to give the slight edge to Dekal on this one. Dekal did some great Catwoman covers, but I think this Black Cat tops them. And unlike some artists he’s going for a bit of a subtle sexy look, and yet it works! This is just a different Black Cat cover than we’re used to seeing. So letting that be the decider here for Dirty D Cover of the Week!
So hard to choose! We’ve seen D.O. do Spidey covers like this in the past, so that was the deciding factor for me in a tight race for #1 this week. And I think many likely will disagree and that’s ok. It’s a sweet cover. I will be grabbing both for the PC.
I’m not sure if Bloop and Bleep are trying to hide Tara from view, or just hogging the view for themselves…
A malevolent force has been set upon the world - a being of pure darkness who wants nothing more than evil and destruction, darkness that lurks in the most seemingly innocent and sunny of places. Beware the evil known as SHADOW JEFF!Jeff met his shadow last issue who looks to be a future arch nemesis (full appearance, btw). This is the first cover appearance.
REPRINTS & FACSIMILES
Damn…they’re going to get me again. I think this cover would look great foil-ized though.
I said I was going to keep buying these mashup Sonic character/DC Hero covers if they made them…I’m not backing out now! Popular character Knuckles as Superman here.
Probably could have done without the cleavage shot on this one…but hey, if old sagging hags are your thing…
FIRST APPEARANCES
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Round two has begun! But who was able to make it? Now that blood has been spilled, the webs are off as Spider-Man and friends face off yet again against Venom and the symbiotes! But not before TWO new champions are added to the roster! Who could these warriors be? And will they add to the slaughter that has now unleashed among the competitors, or will they betray their own team to avoid the conflict?We know the drill well by now. New Spidey = potential spec. It also means that these new characters may also be one-and-done. Buyer beware! I like the cover, though (is that Swamp Thing in the background…?).
READS
SAY GOODBYE TO BIZARRO WORLD! Up is down, left is right, and red is green–but danger is still danger as Batman and Superman awaken on Bizarro World with no idea how they got there–or why they’re being hunted by one of the most dangerous beings in the universe! Even if they survive, can they find their way home from a backward planet in time to save their friends from danger?I’m a sucker for a good Bizzaro story (or am I not a sucker for a bad Bizzaro story…?). And I like Dan Mora’s cover A.
An exclusive new action series from rising star **LUDO LULLABI **(TRANSFORMERS, Battle Chasers) about forgotten heroes, cutthroat food trucks, and saving the world…again. Humanity survived a monstrous threat, but the world isn’t better for everyone. Every day Loloi hits the road to deliver her delicious cooking to the masses, outsmarting her treacherous competition and staying one step ahead of the massive robots “protecting” them all. But everything changes when she serves a mysterious warrior named Ash, whose secrets might just save the world…if his superhuman strength doesn’t destroy it first.Cover A shown. There are some sexy variant covers as well. Does everyone remember the Dunkin Donuts Ghost Pepper donut during Halloween a few years back? I really liked that. Hopefully this is as good.
MINISERIES PREMIERE. Courtesy of master artist JAE LEE and GERRY DUGGAN . THIS ENDS TONIGHT is the kick-off of three interconnected tales of bloody revenge in Las Vegas. The debut issue stars two sisters hunted by assassins for their shocking family secret. It’s an over-sized, action-packed romp, and every panel is crushed with love by JAE. The series is completed, and we’ve got some special guests, too. Stay tuned for a beautiful ADAM HUGHES variant, and a sketch edition, too…**THIS ENDS TONIGHT! ** **REGISTER PITCH: **A Thelma & Louise-like duo barrelling through classic Quentin Tarantino-esque action.The Adam Huges covers are 1:25 and 1:50 variants. They’re nice, but this pick is about the story.
INDY SPOTLIGHT
Catacomb of Torment #1Out of the ashes of EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, we usher THE TORMENTOR, a new horror host with an unhealthy interest in human anatomy into the shadow-strewn halls of EC Comics history for our next monthly horror anthology! Hold onto your head (if its still attached) . . . because no one escapes THE CATACOMB OF TORMENT! For Her Royal Travesty of Pain’s first request: Master storytellers John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.) & Tonci Zonjic (Black Hammer: Skulldigger & Skeleton Boy), Matt Kindt (BRZRKR) & David Lapham (Stray Bullets), and Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman) & Dan McDaid (Shazam!) each take turns manning the rack and turning the red-hot irons for three all-new and blisteringly brutal tales of mayhem and malice in the undying EC tradition! Plus, as an added bonus: A surprise classic from the EC vaults, painstakingly remastered and newly restored to its original coloring.Seems as though there is a lot of variants for this book. So something is up. Even Third Eye Comics has a store exclusive (below)! Did our fearless leader Anthony put them up to this (we all know he loves the old EC horror books…).
Its comic convention season! And what better way to celebrate comic cons than this extra-length anthology filled with con-related horror stories! Last year, they skewered all things Christmas on the pages of DREAD THE HALLS, and now writers CHRIS RYALL and JORDAN HART, alongside artists NELSON DANIEL, PIOTR KOWALSKI, JIMMY KUCAJ, and CHRIS ANDERSON, bring terrifying convention tales to life! Covers by MARIA WOLF, a convention-line wraparound by NELSON DANIEL, and a con-badge incentive cover by JORDAN HART! The perfect and perfectly terrifying comic to read while waiting to get into that massive convention hall!These zombies get us. Screw that CGC 9.8!
PICK OF THE WEEK
When jaded private investigator Tris accidentally kills Cupid during a botched wedding proposal, shes forced to team up with his ghost to help people fall in loveor face jail time for manslaughter. The only problem? She doesnt believe in love. LOVESTRUCK weaves humor and heart, taking readers on a journey through the streets of Los Angeles as Tris and Cupid help others find love while confronting their own beliefs about relationships. With its unique premise and character-driven storytelling, LOVESTRUCK offers a fresh perspective on modern romance that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. LOVESTRUCK has been optioned by Ryan Reynolds (aka Deadpool’s) production company Maximum Effort for development into a TV series!In a week full of mostly average stuff, this book wins the pick of the week on the count of it being optioned. It may fly under the radar. Having Ryan Reynolds tied to it is promising…we’ll see where this goes. Maybe worth grabbing a copy and putting away for down the road.
Parting Thoughts.
Yup. That’s it! Not a great week, but not a bad week for covers and reads. Spec is meh. But it’s always possible one of these Indy’s will surprise us. Have a great week!
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FOC - 6/29/25
Hey my CHU family. Been working some very long hours the past few weeks. Forgive me for this being a big rushed. Going to just dive in an get this out.
COVER OF THE WEEK
This might be the only comic I pick up for the PC this week. I like the simplicity, yet elegance of this. Lotay is hit or miss, but I think this one is a bullseye. Dirty D Cover of the Week!
GIMMICK OF THE WEEK
Collect all 13 issues to make a complete card deck set.I’m wondering if it will be “cheaper” to just buy the trading card set after all is done…but that’s not as much fun, now is it?
FACSIMILE OF THE WEEK
Ah, the Puppet-Master! Class FF villain. This classic cover has been homaged quite a few time.
READS
ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM! Using a combination of science and magic, Doctor Doom has taken over the world, which means Wyn - sole Avatar of The-Powers-That-Be (think: Magic God) - has an interest in how this happened AND how to stop it. His sworn apprentice, Mia DiMaria - a college-aged woman disillusioned with most magic, some science and definitely ALL of her job working for Wyn - is brought along, and soon finds herself at the center of a crisis that could impact Earth for generations to come. And worst of all, Doctor Victor Von Doom believes Mia has potential - especially if she were to be freed from Wyn’s control. Doom offers freedom, but all gifts from Doom come with a cost…don’t they? Science and magic collide in this oversized one-shot that brings the world of G.O.D.S. to the heart of the Marvel Universe! And if you don’t yet know the world of the GODS, this is the book for you: It is both accessible AND apocalyptic.I haven’t followed G.O.D.S. myself, but heard a lot of good things. Being a one-shot, not a huge investment if it’s a flop.
In this first issue of LOOK INTO MY EYES, readers are introduced to Cravenwood, a seemingly quiet town hiding dark secrets. When Suzy, a high school student, mysteriously vanishes, conspiracy-obsessed teen RJ Nguyen is determined to uncover the truth. But things in Cravenwood are far from normal. As RJ digs into Suzy’s disappearance, she stumbles upon the unsettling rise of Knock Knock, a wildly popular social app that seems to be taking over the town. Oh, and did we mention the sudden appearance of grotesque, many-eyed monsters lurking in the shadows? With QR codes embedded throughout the issue, you can dive deeper into Cravenwood’s eerie lore by stalking the character’s social media and exploring secret documents and hidden clues. Are you ready to uncover the secrets of Cravenwood?
THE VIRTUAL PET THAT WANTS TO KILL ‘EM ALL! PANICK ENTERTAINMENT unleashes its debut title T.A.M.A… We all had ‘em—virtual pets like Tamagotchis, NeoPets, and Digimon. But what if, after years of neglect, one returned… for revenge? When a grieving, lonely teen stumbles upon an old virtual pet system, he finds comfort. But when gruesome deaths begin to follow, he wonders—could his digital companion be responsible? T.A.M.A. mixes the nostalgia of virtual pets with the generational phenomenon of Pokémon. Interior art by Daniel HDR (Masters of the Universe), Cover A by Dustin Nguy?n (Descender, Robin & Batman).Interesting concept. I really like the 1:10 incentive that’s a Pokemon game homage (below).
MINISERIES PREMIERE Fargo meets Deliverance in a sweaty swamp-thriller from VANESA DEL REY (Black Widow, The Creeping Below) and SI SPURRIER (Coda, X-Men). The wet heat of the Louisiana bayou. Alligator poachers prowl the mudbug mire. A park ranger, heavily pregnant, raises a hateful mug of moonshine with a criminal matriarch. And one deadly sonuvabitch, out of his mind on shrooms and retribution, loads his rifle for the Human Hunt and screams down the stars. Presenting 4 extra-length issues of fever-dream cajun crime.
Melody Nelson and Jesse Harmon fell in love long ago in the tiny town of Perennial Harbor, but since they parted ways, that place has grown stranger and stranger… Everything is just as it was decades ago, and the strained smiles of its residents mask a bizarre secret. When Melody’s life begins to unravel and she finds herself slipping backward in time, she must uncover the truth behind this mystery before it destroys her And the only one she’s ever cared for.
Pick of the Week
Issue #1 - Phil Noto - Regular
THE END OF THE BEGINNING! The final battle between the Jedi and the Nihil has been fought, sacrifices have been made and the dust settles. As friends and allies gather for one last celebration, a decision is made, and a fate sealed. Guest-starring faces from across the best-selling multimedia initiative. All roads lead to Dalna.This is it. It’s all over. Well, the beginning is all over. Who knows where it goes from here.
The reason I highlight this book is because we may see a first appearance of one or more characters that may have only been in the books or maybe the Acolyte.
Parting Thoughts
That’s all I got. back to work for me on this Sunday evening. Enjoy the week everyone!
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Going to add Look into my Eyes. A writer like El Torres, I know it’s going to be good.
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El Torres did that exorcism at the Vatican comic, I think. It was a hoot.
El Torres is a beast when it comes to horror @davidbitterbaum is talking about Roman Ritual which was fantastic, he also did Suicide Forest and others.
Anybody able to find the T.A.M.A 1 cover B still for sale?
FOC Picks for 7/6/25
Hey everyone.
Going to make this short this week (again). Just when I think I have a long weekend, everything starts to break down in my house and my free time evaporates. But still found some time to put together a few books of note this week. No outright picks or drek. Just some nice covers and interesting reads.
Happy 4th to my American friends, and I hope everyone had a great weekend!
JSC OVERLOAD
If you’re a die-hard JSC fan, this is going to hurt your wallet. But not all these covers release the same week, so at least that might help ease the pain on the bank account.Hellverine still hasn’t been published that I could tell. I’ll keep an eye out and update later if it shows up.
REPRINTS
Superman #1 has been given the facsimile treatment before, as well as foil. But I believe this rendition is like the recent Detective #27 (Batman Day) and Action #1 (Superman Day) which were actually Golden Age size. At least I hope it is.
Beach Head’s first appearance is in the Marvel series #47. But for those who are fans of the character this is a cool cover.
NEW SERIES
Your phone buzzes. A message awaits. Someone you love - your spouse, your parents, your child - is in danger. And the only way to save them is to kill. Not only that, but you need to livestream it so everyone can see what you’ve done. He’s known as the Friendship Killer and this is his twisted game. But when one of his victims decides to fight back and expose the killer, it leads him into the dark underbelly of the tech industry and social media in this near-future illustrated prose thriller from acclaimed novelist Peter Tieryas (Mecha Samurai Empire) and visionary artist Mike Choi (Moths, U & I).Interesting plot. It’s also a one shot, which makes it easier to take a chance on.
New York Times bestselling writer and master of the macabre, Mike Carey (LUCIFER, X-MEN) makes his long-awaited return to comic books, combining his powers with groundbreaking fine art illustrator Jonathan Wayshak (SPAWN: VIOLATOR) to deliver a nightmarish new vision for the horror genre. What lurking evil lies hidden at the end of the cul-de-sac? Nestled in a tucked-away corner of sleepy suburbia, the Kingsley, Herriman and Ortega families seemed like any other close-knit neighbors. So nothing seems amiss when Mrs. Kingsley piles all the neighborhood kids into the family RV for their annual summer camp-out. But in the dark of the woods, she unleashes a grisly, bloodcurdling display, revealing their families’ shocking secret—their parents are vampires and they’re eager to pass on their legacy. Now the children must choose—to join them and revel in their awesome dark powers or live out their lives as mortals. But when they return home, they confront a gruesome scene—their parents dead on the floor, brutally murdered by an elite squad of vampire hunters. And the hunters? They’re looking to finish the job. Now the kids are on the run, chased by vampire hunters, the police, and even a shadowy cabal of their fellow vampires as they search for answers to unlock the secret of what they really are before their fates are sealed forever.This is from Bad Idea. So I’m expecting some type of drama or word surrounding the release.
An all-new interpretation of Tatsuo Yoshida’s classic manga/anime, MachGoGoGo, known to Western audiences as Speed Racer! Speed Racer lives for the thrill of the race, but on the underground circuit, the rules are anything goes. Dodging bullets, explosions, and dirty tricks, he’s got one goal: to prove he’s the best. But when a dangerous syndicate targets his family, Speed’s greatest challenge won’t be on the track…it’ll be on the streets. With the police closing in and a masked racer lurking in the shadows, Speed is about to learn that some races can’t be won with horsepower alone. Award-winning writer DAVID PEPOSE (Space Ghost, Captain Planet, Savage Avengers) and superstar artist DAVIDE TINTO (Ultraman: The Mystery of the Ultraseven, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters) co-pilot an action-packed reboot of the classic franchise. Start your engines!Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Goooooooo!
Speed Racer returns!! Can’t help but have that theme get stuck in my head from the 80s cartoon. And now it’s stuck in yours!!! Mwaaaa hahahahaha!!!
Parting Thoughts
Yup. That’s pretty much it. Laters!
3 Likes
Sorry, would have posted this sooner, but was waiting for Marvel to release more of the JSC covers. JSC doesn’t have any on his instagram either…just keeps posting Rogue covers…guy is obsessed with Rogue.
Dirty D’s FOC - 7/13/25
Ok, CHU Believers. It’s time again for your favorite article of the week! And boy we have a doozey this week!
More like a doozey of a dud. If it wasn’t for J. Scott Campbell, I may have taken an even longer VaCa from this article. But hey, it’s all about JSC this summer any his bonanza of variant covers on all Marvel books, it seems. So let’s start with those and get them out of the way…
JSC OVERLOAD
Matt Murdock doing his best “Stupid Sexy Flanders” impression.
I don’t know about everyone else, but Marvel needs to rethink this whole JSC cover blast if they’re not going to have these covers ready at FOC. So annoying.
Yup…so, so annoying…
So, so, so very annoying…
Wow! Another cover! Everything’s comining up Milhouse now!
Aaaaaaaand we’re back.
Look at that. The Thor, who was immortal, dies…and now there’s a new volume, starting with a #1! Man, that Marvel is slick!
And there you have it. 8 JSC covers, and only 2 of them have art released at FOC. Great job there, Marvel/JSC.
SPEAR ME
There are blue, green, red variants, plus foils and virgins and other combinations Dynamite is known for. Take your pick.
JUST THE FAX
Fan Expo 2019 Had a Virgin Foil exclusive of this cover. Now you can get it with the trade dress (which I prefer). Hopefully the UPC is on the back.
What’s most interesting is the original comic was $6, and the regular facsimile is $5. So I assume it’s not going to be “deluxe format”.
What cracks me up about this one is that there’s a blank variant…isn’t this facsimile all about the cover?? I guess someone could have either Jock or another artist draw an homage to this cover on the blank cover…
And even more bizzare is a Superpowers “toy” variant…and it’s of batman, not the Joker…Does DC know what makes this book worthy of a facsimile?
NEW CHARACTERS
THE MONK, THE DRAGON AND THE FIST: SHANG-CHI! The Ultimates return to the site of their untimely deaths at the hands of the Hulk and encounter a young boy who has been starting his own insurgency!Ultimate Shang-chi is coming.
IND SPOTLIGHT
A soldier wakes with his bionic limbs missing and finds that he’s the target of a manhunt. Fortress #1 is the beginning of a new, ongoing action sci-fi series self-published by Joel van der Knaap. Genre mayhem at it’s finest!$8 price tag may scare aware some retailers. If it’s a hit, may be hard to find a copy. Self-published is interesting.
Love is a monster. Orla Bard is an antique restorer, romance novel enjoyer and keen birder. She also believes in true love, continuing to navigate Seattle’s singles scene despite repeated disappointment. But Orla has a secret. She is afflicted with The Ick, a man-eating monstrous entity dwelling inside her, who violently emerges whenever she gets too angry or afraid. Unable to rid herself of this curse, Orla uses The Ick to save other women by removing the scummiest men from the dating pool…permanently. Hearts (and bodies) will be broken in this offbeat romcom/creature-feature mashup!There’s probably a lot of comic book nerds that give ladies the Ick…
In the slums and gutters of ancient Rome a broken ex legionary named Marcus wanders in a drunken stupor, haunted by the shame of loss and failure of duty. Suddenly, he stumbles across a young girl being chased by strange, hooded demons, and in his attempt to help he is plunged into a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy the Empire. Step into a vision of ancient Rome that moves away from the temples of marble and clean white togas and into the dirty underbelly of one of history’s greatest empires. Combining magic, myth, violence, and intrigue into a story that is equal parts HELLBOY, BPRD, and a little bit of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.Cool cover. May be interesting for those history buffs of the Roman Empire.
Drek of the Week
Fans will find inside randomly inserted foil variants featuring superstar artists such as ARTGERM, JIM LEE, and more!!!Ooooooohh. So close, DC. But a swing and a miss, for sure. Battle Beasts did it right. But some more scarce variants in, mixed with some foil covers, but charge the same price as the regular copies.
Foils are more expensive I get that…but there really is no reasonable incentive here to spend double the regular cover. It’s random, but the same art as the regular covers. There’s a possibility of getting a 1:500 or 1:1000 incentive variant, but you’d have to think that is going to be pretty rare…unless they’re not truly 1:500 and 1:1000 ratios.
These are on FOC early because it must take longer to wrap a plastic bag around them…I’m sticking with Cover A when it comes out. Maybe grab one of these for the fun and mystery of it, but don’t go crazy at $10 each.
“Blind as a Bat”…geesh. Robbing your customer’s blind, is more like it.
Do better next time, DC.
now…if there were JSC Batgirl, Poison Ivy or Harley variants… 
Parting Thoughts
Not much else to report this week. Hopefully some of these JSC covers get release…really annoying, but what can you do? See you all next week!
So many, “Cover coming soon,” yeesh.
I’m with you on the polybag being expensive and how that is a turn-off.
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I’m going to wait for the “Cover coming soon” foil variant…
We were given the worst info ever on that cover
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Be really nice if he could get the art out a bit earlier…can tell some of these are dialed in. Umm…how about do a few less perhaps…or spread them out?
(And I’m a fan typically)
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They’re all meh. Probably got more orders
Keeping them secret than revealing earlier. Might be part of the strategy.
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It’s like intentionally being crappy. Ugh.
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Hello CHU Believers! Another week has past since last FOC, and another slew of "coming soon’ JSC covers…but a few more have art released than last week. So that is good. But otherwise a pretty light week.
COVERS
With the Ninja Turtles on trial for a murder they didn’t commit, Casey Jones fighting for his life in a devastating coma, and the city overrun by Foot Patrol thugs, New York has but one hope to turn the tide: April O’Neil?JSC covers get enough attention, so I’m going to highlight a different book this week. I don’t expect this book to catch any heat on the aftermarket, but it’s just a cool cover. April O’Neil as Casey Jones (well, taking on his role). Why not? Dirty D Cover-of-the-Week!
Another Indy cover. I usually don’t highlight Transformers covers unless it’s a new character or one of the Jason Howard 2nd Prints. But this one I liked when I first saw it. Transformers has been a nice surprise run from Image.
JSC OVERLOAD
Ok, now to dive into JSC covers. Maybe some of these will get revealed before Sunday evening…not holding my breadth.
Bring on the Bad Guys: Dormammu #1
READS
The team behind the critically acclaimed Ice Cream Man comic comes to DC to apply its singular storytelling style to none other than the Man of Steel! Four new Kryptonites have been discovered in deep space, and Superman needs to know just what, exactly, they do to him–lest the colorful rocks of his home planet fall into evil hands! With Batman at Superman’s side, this DC Black Label Superman event explores the consequences of each never-before-seen variety of Kryptonite–all in the formal and boundary-pushing fashion that W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, and Chris O’Halloran are celebrated for!This could be interesting, and given it’s the team that writes Ice Cream Man, it could have some interesting plot twists. Worth picking up issue #1.
Parting Words
That’s it for this week. Except for JSC it’s been pretty quiet summary so far. Maybe next week will pick up. TTFN!!
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Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1 was a good read. Story was interesting and Im looking forward to see where #2 goes.
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