New Manga Publisher, Halloween Man, New Imprints, and The Twilight Zone
From Manga Mavericks, Red 5 Comics, Time Bomb Comics & IDW Publishing
New comics and manga news including:
A new manga publisher - Manga Mavericks.
A return for the horror season with Halloween Man.
Two new imprints from Time Bomb Comics.
And classic TV comics with The Twilight Zone.
Manga Mavericks Books Announces July Release Of First 3 Manga Titles
New digital and print manga from Manga Mavericks, with 3 new titles being released!
Manga Mavericks LLC, a new manga publisher serving North America, has announced the print and digital debut its first three titles. These releases launch July 16th, with print editions now available exclusively for pre-order from the Manga Mavericks Books website. Digital editions also will be available from Amazon, Google Play, iBooks, Kobo and Nook.
BONDS is the first original full-length manga created by ZENZO, a talented manga artist who studied under Beyblade: Metal Fusion creator Takafumi Adachi. The manga was the winner of both the Japan Representative Selection and Candidate Award in the Featured Manga category for the 2019 Goku Cup manga contest.
ALTERNATIVE [SELF LINER NOTE] is a story about music, creative slumps, and letting it all out. Originally released at COMITIA 130 in 2019, creator Chiaki Yagura’s homage to music will leave readers intrigued and craving more.
ZIGOKU’S FOREMAN is an ongoing series that tells a hilarious underworld tale through manga and short prose chapters. Originally self-published by creator 9banta in 2020, the manga is now published on e-book platforms in Japan by COMPASS Comics. For the Manga Mavericks Books release, a new English logo and cover were designed by 9banta.
Pre-orders are available now at: https://store.mangamavericks.com/
Halloween Man Arrives at Dread 5 Comics!
Returning in time for the spooky season is Halloween Man from Red 5 Comics.
Red 5 Comics and Ringo Award-nominated creator Drew Edwards are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of HALLOWEEN MAN: VOL. 1, a lovingly restored collection that brings the early days of the long-running indie favorite back to print. Launching in September 2025, this brand-new volume arrives just in time to kick off the Halloween season with a thrilling blend of monsters, mayhem, and heart.
This isn’t just a collection—it’s a celebration.
Marking the 25th anniversary of the fan-favorite horror hero, Vol. 1 spotlights some of the best stories from the series’ formative years. From its scrappy beginnings as a webcomic to becoming a cult sensation in the indie scene, Halloween Man has stood the test of time—delivering horror with humor, monsters with meaning, and a heart that refuses to stop beating.
Curated and written by Drew Edwards—whose genre-savvy storytelling blends social commentary, monster-movie homage, and deeply human character work—this collection features early contributions from some of the biggest names in comics today, including:
A rare crossover with Hack/Slash, penciled by David Baldeón
Early American comic pages from Nicola Scott
Fan-favorite art from Sergio Calvet, the series’ signature visual voice
Restored and remastered pages from the original files by art director April Guadiana
A brand-new cover by Nicola Scott & Annette Kwok, reintroducing the world to Solomon Hitch in true spooky style
A brand-new introduction by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan (Penny Dreadful, Gladiator, Skyfall), offering a personal and powerful perspective on Halloween Man’s legacy
Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to the strange saga of Solomon Hitch—the undead everyman who battles vampires, mad science, and cosmic horror—this collection is both a perfect jumping-on point and a must-have for collectors.
“This book is more than a reprint,” says creator Drew Edwards. “It’s a time capsule. A love letter to the fans, collaborators, and weirdos who kept this dream alive. I’ve poured my heart into these stories, and I’m honored to bring them back with Red 5’s support and the incredible creative team who helped shape this world.”
Available now for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Simon & Schuster, and your favorite local comic book shop.
Time Bomb Comics launches new Imprints
New from Time Bomb Comics, we can expect new comic imprints - WestWords and Comic Scene - with new stories to check out!
Time Bomb Comics will launch two new creator led imprints – ‘WestWords’ and ‘Comic Scene’ – to both provide reader recognition and widen their range of titles.
‘WestWords’ will primarily feature the work of creator Dave West, best known for his WesterNoir universe of comics, a favourite amongst fans of both horror and the weird west. Originally conceived as a western horror story with artist Gary Crutchley, the story of Josiah Black is being told across 5 original graphic novels. further separate stories in the WesterNoir setting are also a mainstay of Time Bomb’s anthology comic Quantum. Notably Quantum No.10, released earlier this year, featured a crossover collaboration between WesterNoir and iconic creator John Higgins’ Razorjack series.
Alongside new WesterNoir releases, Dave intends his WestWords imprint to publish more of his steampunk Stephenson’s Robot and urban fantasy Kia Wordsmith.
“WesterNoir, Stephenson’s Robot and Kia are actually all connected,” he revealed. “Some hints have been dropped into existing issues of some of these and as time progresses readers will learn more.”
West also outlined the reason for the name of his new imprint.
“Friends and co-creators have been referring to all of my more recent books as all being part of ‘WestWorlds’. ‘WestWorlds’ then became the obvious name for my imprint. Sadly however, with a great movie and TV series called Westworld we accepted that such an imprint would simply get lost on the internet, which is not really a good start. After much struggle we came up with ‘WestWords’. Almost the same thing, but different enough to work, and kind of appropriate.”
‘Comic Scene’ is already a familiar name to anyone interested in British comics, as Tony Foster’s multi-channel platform that regularly promotes comics with websites, newsletters, annual awards and its own published titles.
Time Bomb’s second new creator-led imprint brings together Time Bomb Comics and Comic Scene: Time Bomb publisher Steve Tanner intends his new Comic Scene imprint to be something more than an avenue for his own creative projects.
“With the exception of Major Rakhana that I write for Quantum, anything new I create will now be published first under the ‘Comic Scene’ imprint, but it will also showcase the work of other creators,” Steve explained.
Steve intends to work closely with Tony Foster to develop the Comic Scene imprint, and at the same time evolving the existing Comic Scene online presence that has been championing and supporting British creators and their projects for the past several years.
The first titles to be published under Time Bomb’s Comic Scene imprint will be announced soon.
The Twilight Zone Black & White Anthology Series From IDW Publishing
Some classic horror in comics coming soon from IDW Publishing with The Twilight Zone. A mini-series with an excellent team on board.
You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Your next stop, THE TWILIGHT ZONE.”
One of the greatest television shows of all-time is returning as an all-new anthology comic book series this September from the IDW Publishing horror imprint IDW DARK. Featuring stories by some of the comic book industry’s most innovative and praised storytellers, each issue is a new tale in the vein of the iconic series that’s captivated audiences for over 60 years. And, just like the beloved show, these comics will be episodic. Every issue can be read on its own for a complete story which transports readers into the comic creators’ unique visions of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Plus, every issue will be presented in terrifying black and white, just like the original television series!
The first mind-bending issue arrives this September from Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns) and Morgan Beem (Swamp Thing: Twin Branches). “THE TWILIGHT ZONE is a genre unto itself,” stated Watters. “It’s a cultural titan and a North Star in the strangest skies revealing what science fiction, fantasy and horror can do for us: revealing uncomfortable truths about what lies in our own hearts. This is precisely the vein we hope to tap with our story; the unsettled space between angry and unnerving that is forever the purview of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.”
“I have long been a fan of all horror, but creepy stories that slowly build to unnerve you have always been first in my heart. Few series have captured that feeling like THE TWILIGHT ZONE,” remarked Beem. “Like being trapped in a fever dream or moving through a liminal space, the stories play with the feeling of wrongness, of things out of place. This is the feeling Dan has masterfully captured in our story, and which I hope, through my deep love of all things creepy, will flow through the art. It might not shock you, but you may not be able to stop thinking about it in the middle of the night.”
Following issues will feature acclaimed creators Tom Scioli, James Stokoe, Nate Powell, and Francesco Francavilla. “Ever since I was a kid I wanted to write a TWILIGHT ZONE story and wondered if it was something I was even capable of doing,” commented Scioli. “How does one go about creating a classic? THE TWILIGHT ZONE brought to television one of the established formats of comic books, the sci-fi/horror anthology with literary ambitions, twist endings, and a social conscience. It pushed the limits of what you could do in the medium of commercial television and now we’re going to push the comic book medium to the breaking point of its stapled paper and see what lies beyond. With those impossibly lofty standards in mind, I’ve created something that I humbly submit for your approval.”
“These comics are for anyone who ever wished for more episodes of the original series like me,” added series co-editor Ellen Boener. “We’re capturing the silver screen nostalgia alongside the heart-rending humanity. Every detail is a love letter to the TV show: from the full black and white design to the connected cover set to the narrative style. Each issue serves as a unique door into the dimension beyond with the most fascinating minds in comics as your guides. I can’t wait to share what these creators have discovered.”
THE TWILIGHT ZONE #1 (of 5 issues) is on sale Wednesday, September 24 with a pre-order deadline of August 18. The series will also feature a jaw-dropping set of connecting covers by Francesco Francavilla. To pre-order, you don’t need to travel to another dimension… just your local comic shop! Find a comic book retailer near you with comicshoplocator.com.
THE TWIGHTLIGHT ZONE is part of the spine-tingling horror imprint IDW DARK. A twisted blend of comic books from the worlds of blockbuster horror franchises from Paramount and fan-favorite IDW originals, find your new fear with IDW DARK.
