Sabrina Annual Spectacular, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Kalevala, Sink & Afterlife Inc
Archie Comics, IDW Publishing, Ablaze Publishing & Big Punch Studios
The latest comics news and previews including:
A new one-shot from Archie Comics.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns!
News on Kalevala: The Graphic Novel.
A teaser from Comix Tribe.
And the latest from Afterlife Inc.
Archie Comics is building on its Sabrinaverse with a new one-shot comic coming - the Sabrina Annual Spectacular.
SABRINA’S NEW BIG BAD IGNITES A MAGICAL BATTLE IN A RARE THREE-PART CROSSOVER!
Mother Striga, the legendary “First Witch,” debuts in September’s SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR from Archie Comics
Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s rogues gallery is going big with a brand new villain in September! Fan-favorite baddies Amber, Jade, and Sapphire — known as The Wicked Trinity — will conjure up Mother Striga in the pages of SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR, a one-shot comic book kicking off a rare three-part crossover from Archie Comics written by Ian Flynn (SONIC THE HEDGEHOG) with art by Steven and Lily Butler (SPIDER-MAN).
"I'm a fan of the wild and magical world of Ms. Spellman, and I'm always eager to explore it in ways that are more narratively meaty,” Flynn said. “Amber is a great foil and rival for Sabrina but they’ve always been on relatively equal footing. The new evil we're introducing — Mother Striga — is on a whole other level. How will Sabrina manage when she's completely outclassed in terms of raw, magical might?"
As will be revealed in the series, Mother Striga is an esoteric witch from whom all other witches in Sabrina’s world descend. An ancient juggernaut of malefic power, she is summoned by Amber in an attempt to defeat Sabrina, her earthly adversary, once and for all. Born on the same day as Sabrina and unable to exist in the mortal realm simultaneously as a result, Amber wants to take her place — but the consequences of Amber’s actions set off a chain of events that can’t be contained in one comic. The story will continue in October with ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR and conclude with JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS ANNUAL SPECTACULAR in November.
"In Sabrina’s world, Mother Striga is the first witch, the mother of all witches, and very malevolent,” Steven Butler explained. “Mother Striga exists as the 'Darkseid' or 'Thanos' of Sabrina’s world, the ultimate evil presence who shows up to cause havoc for everyone. In designing her, I wanted her to look regal yet emaciated like an ancient mummy — she even wears wrappings like a mummy — with thick, viscous black hair that’s alive and can morph into a cloak or weapon.”
Amber Nightstone’s first appearance in 2022 sold out instantly and went to a second printing. Sapphire Gill and Jade Kazane were introduced a year later, their respective water- and wind-based powers rounding out Amber’s fire-based magic to form the Wicked Trinity and adding a note of danger to Sabrina’s world that’s further amped by Mother Striga’s power. Sabrina, one of Archie’s most popular and globally recognized characters, was the star of a Netflix streaming series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as numerous stories for readers of all ages in Archie’s current ongoing monthly comics and digest magazines.
SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR releases September 4 in comic shops nationwide, with colors by Glenn Whitmore, letters by Jack Morelli, and a cover by Vincent Lovallo, Steven and Lily Butler, and Rosario “Tito” Peña. It’s available for pre-order now.
IDW Publishing has been releasing Star Trek comics for a long time, and I’m sure fans will be happy to see the return of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Announced at San Diego Comic-Con, IDW Publishing is incredibly proud to bring back STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS in an all-new ongoing series!
After earning a prestigious Eisner nomination for their work on STAR TREK: DAY OF BLOOD - SHAXS’ BEST DAY, writer Ryan North and artist Derek Charm reunite to kick-off this can’t-miss comic ride featuring the beloved characters from the hit animated series.
This is a dream opportunity for the award-winning writer. “LOWER DECKS is my favorite STAR TREK, and I have seen every single STAR TREK there is to see, except for one episode I will never reveal,” commented North. “This raises the obvious question: will something in this comic contradict something that I missed in that one episode I never saw? Thankfully the answer is no, because the entire LOWER DECKS team - both at IDW and Paramount - has been so amazing - supportive, clever, brilliant. We're making a big funny heartfelt book with huge sci-fi ideas, important character developments, tons of that Trek flavor, and a bunch of jokes, too. If you love LOWER DECKS, you'll love this comic!
The ongoing series will feature episodic storytelling with each tale presented by a different artist. North cannot wait for fans to see how the book looks, and he’s thrilled to have Charm drawing the debut story. “I get to team up with some of my favorite artists for this book, starting with DEREK CHARM, who we last teamed up with on the Eisner-winning Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and on the Eisner-nominated SHAXS' BEST DAY. He is: the best.”
“Just when you thought we couldn't go lower… we're BACK with the first ever ONGOING LOWER DECKS series,” proudly stated IDW Group Editor Heather Antos. “Just like the fans out there, we too want more LOWER DECKS and this time we're giving it to you tenfold! Ryan North is showing us just how deep of a Trek nerd he is with these stories, and paired with the comedic geniuses of Derek Charm, Jack Lawrence and more on art duties for a rotating cast of ‘episodic’ issues, this series is a mission so fun that even the Lower Deckers themselves won't want to miss it!”
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS #1 beams into shops on November 13, 2024 and fans have until October 7, 2024 to pre-order from a local comic shop.
Ablaze Publishing has announced the upcoming release of Kalevala: The Graphic Novel.
Comics and graphic novel publisher ABLAZE proudly announces the release of Kalevala: The GRAPHIC NOVEL, a stunning adaptation by creator Sami Makkonen of the Finnish epic that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings - the foundational epic of the fantasy genre.
“…my attempt to write legends of my own to fit my private languages was the tragic tale of the hapless Kullerva in the Finnish Kalevala. It remains a major matter in the legends of the First age…” –J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 257, 1964
“You come one fine day upon the Kalevala, the land of heroes. Then you are indeed in a quite new world and can revel in an amazing new excitement…” –J.R.R. Tolkien
Creator Sami Makkonen brings the Kalevala adaptation to a whole new level, emphasizing the elements of horror in the story, which are often left in the background when the main events of the Kalevala are discussed.
“The colours, the deeds, the marvels, the figures of the heroes are all splashed onto a clean bare canvas by sudden hand; even the legends concerning the origin of the most ancient things in the world seem to come fresh from the singer’s hot imagination of the moment.” –J.R.R. Tolkien
A stunning comic adaptation of the epic The Kalevala, which inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings. It’s the foundational epic of the fantasy genre.
The story tells of the adventures and fates of wizard Väinämöinen, warrior Lemminkäinen, blacksmith Ilmarinen and other larger-than- life characters seeking love, riches, and magic in the faraway lands of the ancient North.
This is a bold approach to The Kalevala by an established talent — visually powerful and accessible.
Sami Makkonen is internationally renowned and is a recipient of the Sarjas Award for Best Fantasy Fiction. He also has been nominated for the Ghastly Awards for his horror work. His other awards include:
Sarjakuvantekijät RY award 2007 (Sarjas Award for Best Fantasy Comic)
Independent Publisher Book Awards Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary 2010
Independent Publisher Book Awards Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary 2011
USA Best Book Award Comics: Graphic Novels 2013
Makkonen is best known for his four volumes of the Eisner Award nominated Hatter M series, which has made the NY Times best-selling list. More details at: https://samimakkonen.com/
KALEVALA: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, Story and Art by Sami Makkonen · SRP: $29.99 · 312 Pages · ISBN: 978-1-68497-228-9 · For Mature Readers · Available Sept 24, 2024
Comix Tribe has released a teaser trailer of the latest issue of SINK! It looks like a great read with a fantastic team.
Big Punch Studios - with all their games and comics - has released more of the seventh volume of the excellent Afterlife Inc.
A new chunk of Volume 7: Imitation of Life is now live for your reading pleasure over at Afterlife-Inc.com - with even more content on Patreon.
Following the bombshell revelations of Volume 6, the future looks bleak for Jack Fortune and Co. But as the company fractures and the board of directors scatter to the winds, is there anything left to save?