Amercian Girl, Archie: The Decision, Kardak The Mystic, My Beautiful Man and Battle Action
IDW Publishing, Archie Comics, Tokyopop & Rebellion
The latest news in comics including:
A team-up between IDW Publishing and Mattel.
A new story from Tom King.
Archie Comics adds to it’s Dark Universe!
Debut manga from Tokyopop.
The return of Battle Action.
IDW Publishing has announced a team-up with Mattel to bring us a new series of graphic novels based on American Girl.
IDW Publishing and Mattel has announced a first-ever line of AMERICAN GIRL original graphic novels, featuring all-new mysteries based on American Girl’s beloved historical characters and original modern-day characters, plus a reimagining of the fan-favorite historical introductory “Meet” books.
The first graphic novel release, JULIE AND THE BLUE GUITAR: AN AMERICAN GIRL MYSTERY, arrives on June 25, 2024. Written by Casey Gilly and illustrated by Felia Hanakata, JULIE AND THE BLUE GUITAR: AN AMERICAN GIRL MYSTERY will revolve around Emma Dhillon in 2024 as she befriends Julie Albright through her journal from 1977 and uncovers a mystery in Julie’s time. Weaving together two storylines from different eras, this original graphic novel will see the modern girl and historical character join forces to make a difference today.
"It's such an honor to contribute to the American Girl legacy, and I hope fans and new readers fall in love with Emma, reconnect with Julie, and have a wonderful time in this world,” said Gilly. “As a parent and former Bay Area resident of over a decade, my goal was to infuse our book with exploration and discovery, inspiring readers to be curious like Emma and maybe find a mystery in their own backyard. Felia's art is absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait for everyone to see how much fun we had telling this story."
"I grew up reading fun mystery novels for kids, so I'm super excited to work on this project - with such a cool team, too! There's a lot to love here, and the unique premise and setting we see through Julie's eyes are sure to inspire AG fans,” commented Hanakata. “I hope kids have fun reading this page-turner as much as I did drawing it.”
Working on these new stories is a dream come true for IDW Editor Riley Farmer. “As a girl who grew up in the early 2000s, so many of my childhood memories are centered around American Girl, from getting my first doll (Kit Kittredge), to devouring the books, to circling everything in the catalog.” Farmer knows how much these dolls and their treasured tales mean to fans and has worked tirelessly to make sure the graphic novels stay true to the magical and meaningful experiences that American Girl fans have come to expect. “American Girl has always prioritized rich, girl-centered stories that weave their characters into America's history, and IDW and our creative teams are thrilled to bring those stories, and new ones, into the graphic novel space. Readers can look forward to well researched, detailed, and diverse stories that will tug on the heartstrings of both new and existing fans.”
“American Girl is excited to partner with IDW to bring our beloved historical characters to the graphic novel format to further extend our storytelling with readers,” says Jodi Goldberg, Sr. Director Content Development, American Girl. “The exciting new mysteries across time and fun-filled retellings of our characters’ original stories provide delightful modern twists on the classics that are sure to resonate with today’s readers. There’s something for everyone!”
Arriving in 2025 will be MEET JOSEFINA (February), and ISABEL AND NICKI VERSUS THE BIGFOOT BANDIT: AMERICAN GIRL MYSTERIES ACROSS TIME (July).
Archie Comics has announced a new special one-shot featuring Archie making a big choice, written by Tom King.
Archie Andrews makes a fateful choice in the one-shot comic ARCHIE: THE DECISION this August!
Archie Comics’ flagship character, the eternal teenager Archie Andrews, has been struggling with a choice almost since his debut more than 80 years ago: Betty or Veronica? This August, he finally tackles the dilemma head-on in ARCHIE: THE DECISION, a sprawling, antic all-ages one-shot comic by bestselling author Tom King (MISTER MIRACLE, HUMAN TARGET) and legendary Archie artist Dan Parent!
"As a massive Archie fan, this is just a pure joy project for me,” King said. “I wanted to do something zany and cool and screwball and hysterical and gorgeous and harebrained and maybe a little tiny itty-bitty bit profound as a tribute to my Golden and Silver Age Archie heroes—people like Dan DeCarlo, Harry Lucey, Bob Bolling, Bob Montana, and Samm Schwartz. And who better to do that with than the modern Archie maestro, Dan Parent, who inherited and brilliantly carried on the legacy of those giants.”
“I had a chance to meet Tom King a few years ago at Comic Con,” Parent said. “I was already a super fan; he’s a writer whose work I love and had been raving about for years! The fact that he’s an Archie fan and was so complimentary to my work was such a pleasant surprise. We struck up a friendship and began to talk about a collaboration. And here we are, a fantastic story that encompasses everyone in the Archieverse!”
A frequent Archie Comics running gag is the mayhem caused by Archie’s inability to decide whom to date, whether it’s for one Friday night or forever. ARCHIE: THE DECISION opens on a historic moment: Archie has decided to put an end to all of that. Where King and Parent take him next is a joyfully tense escalating series of events that winds up engulfing the entire town, and reflects the expansiveness of today's Riverdale.
Tackling such an elemental aspect of the Archie Comics mythos is emblematic of the thoughtful character work and grand scale King brings to all his writing, most notably his fan-favorite emotionally resonant revivals of classic superhero characters like The Omega Men, Adam Strange, and The Vision. ARCHIE: THE DECISION will be his first Archie Comics title.
Parent has been regularly illustrating stories featuring every Riverdale character since 1987, including historic moments like the introduction of Archie’s first openly gay character Kevin Keller and the “Love Showdown” crossover that brought wild card Cheryl Blossom into the spotlight.
“The story contains all the elements of classic Archie madcap comedy, with a modern twist,” Parent continued. “It's an honor and a privilege to team up with the best writer in modern comics, and the fact that he’s a great guy and friend doesn’t hurt either!" King added, “This is an epic, riotous story featuring scores of Archie characters where Dan and I wrestle with the greatest dilemma in the near 85-year history of comics. I'm not sure we can solve it, but, like all of Riverdale, we're going to have a ton of fun trying.”
ARCHIE: THE DECISION releases August 28 in comic shops nationwide, with inks by Bob Smith, colors by Rosario “Tito” Peña, letters by Jack Morelli, and an open-to-order variant cover by Stephen Byrne. It will be available for pre-order on May 24.
In more Archie Comics news, but on the darker side, there is a new addition to their darker line with Kardak The Mystic in a new one-shot comics.
The Golden Age Archie Comics magician is revamped in an all-new one-shot comic this August!
Superheroics, magic, and cosmic horror converge in KARDAK THE MYSTIC, an all-new one-shot from Archie Comics in August! The new story by writer Joe Corallo (HAPPY HORRORDAYS) and artist Butch Mapa (STRANGE SCIENCE) reboots one of Archie’s oldest characters and adds to a burgeoning dark fantasy corner of the publisher’s rich fictional universe.
"One of my favorite projects is tasking creators with the ability to bring deep-cut characters from Archie's lore to life,” said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. “Kardak the Mystic is one Editorial was especially excited about, as we all have a deep love of magicians and were even more intrigued by the prospect of having a horror/sci-fi take on Kardak, where the magic can be a lot more ominous than your typical carnival fare."
The new story relates the fateful misadventures of John Cardy, a failed stage magician looking for one last chance to make it big. When he’s offered a too-good-to-be-true magic talisman, his tricks become real, and he’s soon enmeshed in a dark alternate universe, slipping in and out to increasing fame and dread. The unsettling undertones place KARDAK THE MYSTIC squarely next to recent dark fantasy releases from Archie like THE WICKED TRINITY and DARKLING, as well as BOB PHANTOM, a twisted reimagination of another Golden Age crimefighter.
"Getting to revisit the character of Kardak, whom I had the opportunity to touch on in a short for JINX'S GRIM FAIRY TALES, has been an absolute thrill!” Corallo said. “Combining classic elements from his Golden Age TOP-NOTCH appearances with a fresh, updated look and perspective on these characters will excite both longtime and new Archie fans alike!"
Kardak debuted in a story by C. A. Winter and Harry Shorten in 1939’s TOP NOTCH COMICS #1 as a superhero magician, employing tricks and mystical powers to fight organized crime and supervillains alongside his fiancée Lorna. He frequently employed the power of imperceptibility, a talent that will feature in the updated story, for better or for worse.
“Kardak the Mystic was there at the dawn of the Golden Age of comics, predating even Archie and the Riverdale crew,” Mapa said. “It's an honor to be able to bring the character back into the spotlight, and to redefine the character for a modern audience. Readers can expect a lot of spooky atmospheres, dark choices, and creepy monsters. Everyone should follow their dreams, but this issue warns us to be careful, because some of them can lead into nightmares!”
KARDAK THE MYSTIC releases August 14 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Ellie Wright, letters by Jack Morelli, and an open-to-order variant cover by Skylar Patridge. It will be available for pre-order on May 24.
Tokyopop has announced the print and digital release of a new manga series - My Beautiful Man.
Publisher TOKYOPOP delivers an enticing pair of releases as it announces manga and light novel series for MY BEAUTIFUL MAN, an acclaimed boy-meets-boy romance written by Yuu Nagira.
The manga and light novel are scheduled to debut in-print and digitally on July 16 th . Both releases follow protagonist Kazunari Hira, a high school student who—due to a speech impairment—is a social outcast, as well as Sou Kiyoi, the aloof yet beautiful class king. When Hira’s made the errand boy for the popular boys in his class, he strangely finds himself growing devoted to Kiyoi. Even though the two have nothing in common, they grow closer.
TOKYOPOP will have advance copies of the manga and light novel and a special gift for purchase or proof of preorder at its booth at the 2024 Anime Expo ahead of titles’ wide release on July 16 th .
Battle Action returns with a heavy creative team from Rebellion. I’m looking forward to reading this and seeing what comes out!
Get ready for action! Garth Ennis, Brian K Vaughan, John Wagner, Torunn Gronbekk and more head up the powerhouse creative team for the new Battle Action series – coming this summer!
Launching in August, the new ten-issue series will bring readers death-defying heroics and incredible action, delivered by a crack team of top comics creators, including a brand new revival of the controversial series ‘Kids Rule OK’ from Brian K Vaughan (Saga) and Chris Burnham (Batman), and the final story of WWII aerial ace ‘Johnny Red’ by Garth Ennis (The Boys) and Keith Burns (Out of the Blue)!
Combining stories and characters from 1970s classic comics Battle and Action, Ennis said Battle Action will deliver all the thrills that earned the original comics their hard-bitten, action-packed reputations…
“This time we’ve got more stories,” he said, “more brilliant writers and artists – some from last time, some new – and more of an emphasis on Action, with half the ten stories featuring its characters.”
Ennis and Burns will be joined on Battle Action by an all-star lineup of creators including John Wagner (Judge Dredd), Torunn Grønbekk (Thor), Dan Abnett (Warhammer), Rob Williams (Suicide Squad), John Higgins (Watchmen), Henry Flint (Judge Dredd), John McCrea (Hitman), Steve White (Rogue Trooper) and Tom Foster (Judge Dredd).
‘Kids Rule OK’ was the controversial and violent story that led to an issue of Action being pulled from shelves in 1976, now Vaughan and Burnham revisit this landmark series with a story set in a hostile future London where a young American boy runs for his life from a mob of xenophobic British Punks – but he has a secret weapon they aren’t expecting…
“Getting Brian on ‘Kids Rule OK’ is a particular coup,” says Ennis. “I personally think he’s the best writer to get into the business in the last thirty years, and his love of British comics gives this a nice sense of things coming full circle. I secured his involvement at great personal cost, namely a cheeseburger. I think it may have cost Rebellion a bit more.”
One of the most beloved characters in British comics history, Johnny Red is a fighter pilot in World War II who fights for peace and liberation. But this new story will cover a moment in his history which has never been seen before: the final days of World War II. Ennis reveals: “‘A Couple Of Heroes’ sees Johnny and the Falcons battling the retreating Germans at the beginning of 1945. The war has a way to go yet, but for Johnny it can’t end too soon – his friends are nearly all dead, the woman he loves is missing in action, he’s not far off approaching burnout. But a figure from the very beginnings of the strip reappears with an offer of work, one that sees our hero flung back into the maelstrom on the deadliest mission of his life…”
Alongside Johnny and returning heroes ‘Nina Petrova’, ‘Major Eazy’, ‘HMS Nightshade’, ‘Dredger’ and ‘Hellman of Hammer Force’, the series will expand to welcome in new takes on several other classic comics characters and stories – including killer shark ‘Hookjaw’, former-enslaved-man-turned-outlaw ‘El Mestizo’, and violent future sports series ‘Death Game’ – making Battle Action the most furiously action-packed comic on the stands!
The ten-issue series in magazine format kicks off in August with Battle Action #1, which will be available through all good comic book stores through Diamond Distribution.
You can also pre-order the series through the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webstores – including an incredible bundle deal, with each issue delivered straight to your door every month!