Vampirella Archives, Hotblood! Vol. 2: The Valley of Kings, The Last Starfighter: Beta and Hammer Head #1
From Dynamite Comics and Mad Cave Studios
Here are some of the latest comics news and previews, including:
The eighth volume of Vampirella Archives.
A second volume of the hit webcomic from Mad Cave Studios.
A spinoff from The Last Starfighter.
And a new horror series begins with Hammer Head.
Vampirella's Epic Eighth Archive Coming
From Dynamite Comics is a new collection with Vampirella Archives Volume Eight.
Dynamite Entertainment invites fans to bite into another big batch of classic tales of the Daughter of Drakulon, with the announcement of the upcoming epic eighth volume of the Vampirella Archives in paperback.
The next edition includes issues #50-56 from the original Vampirella magazine series, as released originally by Warren Publishing. These stories were originally released from spring through winter of 1976.
Each of the exhilarating eight volumes so far can be read and enjoyed in any order, compiling a large slice of tales featuring the titular vampiress as well as a range of anthology yarns from horror, science fiction, fantasy, and other genres. This book rounds out to well over 300 pulse-pounding pages featuring gorgeous artwork across the board in the classic Warren tradition.
The seventh volume featured the start of writer Bill DuBay's tenure as the primary architect of Vampi's ongoing adventures, with a mix of Jose Gonzalez, Gonzalo Mayo, Esteban Maroto, and others, plus a retold origin story.
Everything kicks off in this new volume with the nearly full-length crossover issue #50, with a 40-page epic encompassing Vampirella, Pantha, Fleur and even a special cameo by an icon of comics. This chunk also features some Vampirella stories by writer Gerry Boudreau.
Other creators in these issues include Howard Chaykin, Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, Roger McKenzie, Rafael Auraleon, Leopold Sanchez, Jan Strnad, Jose Ortiz, and more.
A ninth volume to follow this one will be anchored by yet another, even bigger full issue Vampirella story by Gerry Boudreau, Gonzalo Mayo, and Carmine Infantino. Fans can also look forward to some tales of the raven-haired anti-heroine by writer Roger McKenzie, who played a pivotal role in the evolution of Daredevil.
The Acclaimed Western Fantasy Returns This September
From Mad Cave Studios, Hotblood! Vol. 2: The Valley of Kings continues the story in September 2026.
Following the acclaimed release of Hotblood! Vol. 1: The Land of Promise and creator Toril Orlesky's 2026 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award nomination, Mad Cave Studios proudly welcomes readers back to the world of Hotblood!. Written, illustrated, and lettered by Orlesky, HOTBLOOD! VOL. 2: THE VALLEY OF KINGS continues the acclaimed reimagining of the 2017 hit webcomic Zarco—a story about grief, crime that pays, and a desperate chase up the Pacific Coast.
Welcome back to the red days of the West, where centaurs and humans coexist, and nothing good lasts. When two bodies turn up in the ashes of a burned homestead, one lawman picks up a trail that leads its bloody way back to Asa and Rook.
Nine years after the events of Hotblood! Vol 1: The Land of Promise, Evander Rook is a centaur on the run. When his trail leads to two unidentifiable corpses in a burned-down house, it’s the job of US Marshal Zarco to bring him in – dead or alive. But as he gets closer to his quarry, what started as a routine investigation will lead Zarco to the edge of everything he’s ever known.
Perfect for fans of Beastars, House of Five Leaves, Starfighter, and Brokeback Mountain, Hotblood! continues to carve out its own distinctive space by blending western grit, fantasy, crime fiction, and deeply human storytelling into a haunting frontier epic.
Fans attending San Diego Comic-Con can meet Orlesky during a signing at the Mad Cave Studios Booth #2806 on Saturday, July 25, from 1:00-2:00 PM, where readers can pick up Hotblood! Vol. 1, have books signed, and celebrate one of comics' most exciting emerging creators.
Hotblood! Vol. 2: The Valley of Kings goes on sale September 8, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545829851 | $19.99). The Direct Market FOC date is August 17. Preorder now from your local comic shop, favorite bookstore, or from Mad Cave directly.
The Story Everyone Thought They Knew Changes Forever…
An interesting spinoff from Mad Cave Studios in The Last Starfighter: Beta #1 beginning in October 2026.
This fall, the beloved duplicate gets his due!, Mad Cave Studios
Following the successful launch of its first-ever ongoing The Last Starfighter comic series this Julyreturns to one of the franchise’s greatest mysteries. THE LAST STARFIGHTER: BETA finally reveals what became of the simuloid who sacrificed himself so Alex Rogan could save the galaxy.
Original The Last Starfighter screenwriter Jonathan Betuel returns alongside producer Paul Davidson for a new story arc written by Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes (Syfy's Warehouse 13, The CW's Arrow, NBC's Quantum Leap), with art by David Cutler (Marvel's Voices, Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird), colors by Francesco Segala (G.I. Joe), letters by Rob Jones, Cover A by David Lopez, and Cover B by Jessica Fong. This standalone one-shot uncovers the secret history of the unlikely hero whose story wasn't over after all.
When the Ko-Dan Armada sent an assassin to kill small-town boy Alex Rogan, it was Alex's simuloid duplicate, Beta, who saved the day, sacrificing himself to convince the Ko-Dan that Alex was dead. The move bought the Last Starfighter valuable time—enough to sabotage the Ko-Dan mothership and save the planet Rylos.
That's been the story for forty years.
Now, original film writer Jonathan Betuel joins a star-studded creative team to reveal Beta's true fate. Beta survived the Ko-Dan assault, but he's not the only alien entity left on Earth. With Alex far away, Beta is stranded and alone. Can an organic robot with no orders to execute find its own purpose on an alien planet? Not if the Zando-Zan have anything to say about it.
The Last Starfighter: Beta offers longtime fans an essential missing chapter while serving as a heartfelt standalone story that honors one of science fiction's most enduring cult classics. Equal parts action, humor, and emotional character study, the issue shines a long-overdue spotlight on the hero who made Alex Rogan’s victory possible.
“Everyone remembers The Last Starfighter for its epic space battles and groundbreaking CGI, but the real victory of that movie was its unique blend of heart, pathos and humor in an unforgettable sci-fi stew. With that recipe in mind, we've cooked up Beta—a story about the disposable, shape-shifting simuloid sent to Earth as a sacrificial decoy for Alex Rogan, who suddenly finds itself in an adventure all its own. A 'stranger in a strange land' tale about an artificial intelligence learning what it means to be human.” —Benjamin Raab
“Normally, androids on the big screen are to be feared and never trusted... But not The Last Starfighter’s lovable and trustworthy android, who made a heroic sacrifice to save Alex Rogan's friends and family and brought a tear to audiences' eyes as we mourned its loss. Or so we believed... Because now, a new adventure begins! But this time around, tears of sorrow won't be shed; instead, it'll be tears of joy, as we welcome back the android and hero called BETA in a fun and exciting One-Shot issue for all to enjoy.” —Deric A. Hughes
"Whether it's the Buffy bot or the Spider-Man clone, I've always loved a fictional fraud, especially when they stop pretending to be a hero and find a way to really save the day. The scenes in The Last Starfighter with Alex's hapless stand-in were my favorites growing up, so being a part of this book was a genuine dream. Join us in The Last Starfighter: Beta in the search for self, and maybe we can all stop feeling like copies of someone cooler." —David Cutler
Perfect for fans of Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Transformers, and heartfelt science fiction that blends cosmic adventure with deeply human questions about identity, purpose, and what it truly means to be alive.
Clocking in at 40 full-color pages, The Last Starfighter: Beta #1 goes on sale October 21, 2026, with FOC September 28. Preorder now through your favorite local comic shop or from the Mad Cave website.
Twenty Years Later, the Nightmare Begins Again
A new horror series is coming in October 2026 from Mad Cave Studios. Hammer Head #1 begins a new terror for a lone survivor!
Terror can’t be contained, and Mad Cave Studios resurrects one of horror’s deadliest nightmares with HAMMER HEAD, the brutal new five-issue series from acclaimed collaborators, writer Ed Brisson (Predator, Ghost Rider) and artist Damian Couceiro (Wolverine & Kitty Pryde, X-Force), with colors by Dee Cunniffe and letters by Patrick Brosseau.
For 20 years, Jules has been hiding from her past. As the only survivor of the Hammer Head killing spree, she carries the guilt and trauma of having watched as everyone she loved was brutally murdered. Every couple of years, Hammer Head rises from the dead to continue his reign of terror anew, and with each repeated massacre, Jules falls deeper into the warm embrace of her own dark coping mechanisms.
When she's thrown into prison with no trial and no hope, Jules finds herself part of a dark ritual built to force her back into the past that she's spent her life trying to escape.
The debut issue features Cover A by Damian Couceiro, Cover B by Justin Coffee, Cover C and Cover D by Bjorn Barends.
“When I first got into comics, my plan was always crime and horror. While I’ve managed to write plenty of crime, I’ve only managed to dabble in horror here and there—mostly in short stories in Hellraiser, Creepshow, and Hello Darkness—though I guess you could argue that my Ghost Rider run was horror-based. Still, I’ve somehow never done a straight horror project—until now.
With Hammer Head, we wanted to create something that had the same feel as an '80s slasher movie, but without feeling derivative. I wanted something that felt fresh, something that played with the tropes of 80s slashers in an interesting and new way. Something that people wouldn't see coming. Something that would horrify readers when they finally discovered what was REALLY happening.” —Ed Brisson
Blending supernatural horror with classic slasher thrills, Hammer Head is perfect for fans of Friday the 13th, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Centered on the lone survivor of an endless cycle of massacres, the series delivers a fresh take on the unstoppable killer through the lens of trauma, survival, and the horrors that refuse to stay buried.
Hammer Head #1 goes on sale October 7, 2026, with Final Order Cut-off on September 14. Contact your local comic shop to preorder your copy or order directly from Mad Cave.
