Vengeance Unchained: The Legend Of Black Caesar, Zenith, Three Bee Honey, and the Shortbox Comics Fair
From Archie Comics, 2000 AD, Papercutz, and Shortbox
Here is the latest comics news and previews, including:
Shaquille O’Neal teams up with Archie Comics.
From the pages of 2000 AD is a new colour version of Zenith.
Details on the upcoming Three Bee Honey Vol. 1.
And applications are open for the Shortbox Comics Fair.
Shaquille O’Neal teams with Archie Comics for pirate epic
With writer Stephanie Williams, artwork by Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger, Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris, and Matthew Gross, Shaquille O’Neal has teamed with Archie Comics to bring you Vengeance Unchained: The Legend Of Black Caesar.
Shaquille O'Neal is setting sail into the comic book world! The basketball Hall of Famer and business mogul has partnered with Archie Comics to develop VENGEANCE UNCHAINED: THE LEGEND OF BLACK CAESAR, a new original comic book series coming this fall centered on the rise of one of history’s most mythological pirates, by Eisner-nominated writer Stephanie Williams with artwork by Ray-Anthony Height and Studio Sky-Tiger. Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris, and Matthew Gross from O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions/Authentic Studios are overseeing the project for the studio.
"Growing up, I always loved stories about warriors who refused to quit,” O’Neal said. “Black Caesar starts as a king, loses everything, and takes his freedom back on his own terms. That's the kind of story I want to help tell. We built something that's going to entertain you and make you think. I'm ready for the world to see what we created with Archie Comics, an iconic brand I have been a big fan of for many years. Archie has such an incredible legacy of storytelling, and being able to collaborate with a brand that has meant so much to generations of fans made this project even more exciting for me”
Described as a grounded, character-driven pirate epic, the project charts the transformation of an African king from royalty to slavery to a feared outlaw of the Caribbean, blending historical inspiration with cinematic storytelling. The project is positioned as a sprawling, franchise-ready narrative, combining the political complexity of Black Sails, the sweeping scope of Vikings, and the character-driven storytelling of Shōgun. Insiders say the tone leans “Gladiator on the high seas,” with a focus on power, survival, and vengeance.
For Archie Comics, the collaboration marks another step in expanding beyond its traditional teen-focused roots into more mature, cinematic storytelling under CEO Jon Goldwater. One of the most influential and longest-running brands in comics, the publisher has sold more than three billion books worldwide and built a globally recognized roster of characters including Archie, Betty and Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Josie and the Pussycats, while expanding into darker fare through its Archie Horror imprint and the Dark Circle line. Its characters have also fueled a steady pipeline of screen adaptations, including RIVERDALE, CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA, THE ARCHIES (a Hindi-language feature film for Netflix), and an upcoming Archie feature in development at Universal Pictures from producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
“We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Shaquille O'Neal and Authentic Studios for this new, one-of-a-kind project,” Goldwater added. “Shaq is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but a superstar on and off the court as a sports analyst, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and overall celebrity. A partnership between two pop culture icons like Shaq and Archie is one for the ages. This project brings forth excellence in storytelling like only Archie can provide, with the expert guidance of Shaq and his team; it's sure to be the comic event of the year.”
For O’Neal, the project represents a move deeper into original IP creation, with a story that emphasizes legacy, identity, and the cost of freedom.
VENGEANCE UNCHAINED: THE LEGEND OF BLACK CAESAR is slated for release this year, with additional details to be announced at a later date.
Zenith - In Full Colour for the First Time
Zenith: The Full Colour Omnibus edition is out in December from the pages of 2000 AD and Rebellion.
The ultimate edition of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s superpowered masterpiece!
In Berlin, 1945, the Allies unleashed Maximan to take on the German super soldier Masterman. Maximan’s defeat was only kept secret by the nuclear bomb that destroyed both men.
Forty-plus years later, and twenty years after a generation of ’60s British superpowered heroes came and went, the teenage pop star Zenith is the only superhuman left. His only interests – women, drugs, alcohol and fame. So, when he is contacted about the threat from the many-angled ones and the impending destruction of our world, his first reaction is to steer well clear. But the superhumans of the past have other plans…
Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero odyssey is back and presented for the first time in full colour. The original run of the beloved 2000 AD classic series was made up of four stories, with only the final of these presented in colour – for this new edition, Books 1-3 have been freshly coloured by acclaimed new talent JP Jordan (Sink Your Teeth In), providing a new approach to one of 2000 AD’s most acclaimed stories!
Follow the bratty Zenith as he finds himself embroiled in dangers from all sides – not that he’s paying huge amounts of attention to what’s going on; there’s girls to chase and charts to top – from German supersoldiers to extradimensional threats. Zenith is one of 2000 AD’s only ventures into the familiar world of superheroes, and carries our distrust of that entire genre. These heroes aren’t out to help us, they’re just out for themselves – how can Zenith and his ragtag clutch of allies, including psychic conservative politician Peter St John and drunk firebrand Red Dragon, possibly save the country from the gravest threats it has ever faced?
Collecting the whole of Zenith from Book One to Book Four in complete colour for the very first time, The Zenith Full Colour Omnibus hits shelves this December! Alongside the standard hardback edition, we’re also delighted to unveil a webshop-exclusive hardback edition featuring an all-new cover from Yeowell and Jordan which features characters from across the full run of the series!
THAT STINGS! A lonely worker bee faces some big choices
Claire faces hive survival pressure in Three Bee Honey Vol. 1 from Papercutz.
Life in the hive is a constant buzz of pressure, endless work, and precious little room to get anything wrong.
This fall, Papercutz, the kids' imprint of Mad Cave Studios, brings THREE BEE HONEY VOL. 1, a heartfelt middle-grade graphic novel debut from writer Desi St. Amant, illustrator Jon St. Amant, and letterer Haley Rose-Lyon—all about one lonely worker bee navigating responsibility, survival, and the unexpected discoveries that come from finding connection.
Claire’s hive is in trouble! She and her sisters haven’t foraged enough food to survive the coming winter. Now Claire, a lonely worker bee, has to keep up with the growing work demands or risk starvation.
As if that’s not enough, she must also avoid the neighboring hive’s pesky drones, bee-hunting predators, and Nia, the Queen’s bossy hive deputy.
And when Claire begins training her two sisters, Hannah and Abi, the pressures only increase. But it’s through these struggles that Claire discovers what she’s capable of…and much more.
Drawing from their years teaching tweens and teens, Desi and Jon St. Amant shaped Three Bee Honey into a heartfelt story about identity, friendship, responsibility, and finding your place in a world filled with pressure and unspoken expectations. Through Claire’s journey, they hope readers come away understanding that following your passions can help lead you toward connection, purpose, and a stronger sense of belonging within your community.
Desi St. Amant shared, “The three bees reflect different sides of my personality: sassy, bubbly, and an anxiously responsible leader.”
Jon St. Amant added, “I see myself in Claire, who, like me as the oldest among my brother and cousins, felt the weight of being a role model when I was younger.”
For fans of Kayla Miller and Victoria Jamieson, Three Bee Honey Vol. 1 is a heartfelt debut graphic novel about a lonely worker bee torn between her newfound passion for music with new friends and loyalty to her endangered hive. An engaging story about family, friendship, perseverance, and finding your place in a world that expects a lot from you.
Three Bee Honey Vol. 1 goes on sale October 20, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545833469 | $14.99) and hardcover (ISBN: 9781545833476 | $19.99). Preorder from your favorite bookstore, comic shop, or from papercutz.com today!
Applications for SBCF 2027 are now open!
For fans of independent comics, the Shortbox Comics Fair is a great place to pick up some special ones. And now applications for creators are open.
All participating exhibitors are required to ‘table’ with one new, debuting comic. Details as follows:
◆Comics must be a completely new work, not published or exhibited elsewhere previously, whether digitally or in print
◆Comics must be a minimum of 16 pages (comic pages, i.e. not including covers, etc) in length. All rights to the comic are fully owned by the creator
◆Comics must be created by a single author: no writer/artist teams
◆No AI comics, covers, or anything AI at all
◆There are NO upfront/exhibiting fees. Instead, the fair takes 9% of final sales: we get paid if you get paid. Each artist receives a breakdown of sales and fees along with payment at the end of the fair
◆Once the fair is over, artists are completely free to do whatever they wish with their comic; for the duration of the fair, the comic should be available via the fair only
◆Participating exhibitors must have a valid Paypal account or a valid bank account connected to their name
◆Deadline for applications is July 31st 2026 (8pm UK time).
More details and the application are here: