This week on Fantastic Forum, we are diving into satire and the cost of perfection across comics and television.

First up is Wonder Man on Disney+, Marvel’s latest live action series spotlighting one of the publisher’s lesser known characters, Wonder Man. Starring Yahya Abdul Mateen II as Simon Williams, the show explores fame, identity, and heroism through the lens of a reluctant super powered actor. We are talking about how Wonder Man fits into the larger Marvel landscape and whether this offbeat corner of the universe brings something genuinely new to the table.

Then we turn to The Beauty, the Image Comics series created by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley. Set in a world where physical perfection can be achieved through a mysterious and contagious condition, the series blends crime, science fiction, and social commentary to examine obsession, vanity, and the hidden cost of looking flawless.

Finally, we discuss The Beauty television adaptation on Hulu and what it means to translate this provocative concept from the page to the screen. We break down the premise, expectations, and whether the series can captures the spirit of the source material. Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#WonderMan #MarvelStudios #TheBeauty #FX #NewComicBookDay

On this episode of Fantastic Forum we’re talking about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Galactic from publisher DSTLRY, and the animated movie All You Need Is Kill.

Starfleet Academy is the newest live-action entry in the Star Trek universe, premiering on Paramount+, it follows the first new class of Starfleet cadets in over a century as they train aboard the USS Athena in the 32nd century. Created by Gaia Violo and co-showrun by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, it attempts to blend classic Trek exploration with coming-of-age drama and interstellar conflict.

Shifting gears to comics, Galactic from DSTLRY is a hyper-kinetic interstellar adventure written by Curt Pires with art by Amilcar Pinna. It’s pitched as a blend of blockbuster sci-fi and lovers-on-the-run romance, following a roguish bounty hunter tasked with retrieving a runaway princess, only to find themselves tangled in a sprawling galactic war and unexpected emotional stakes.

And on the big screen, All You Need Is Kill is a striking animated adaptation produced by Studio 4°C and directed by Kenichiro Akimoto. Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s influential sci-fi novel (the source material for Edge of Tomorrow), this version tells the time-loop story following warriors trapped in death-and-reset cycles as they fight an alien threat and inch closer to breaking their endless loop.

We’ve consumed the media, let the thoughts percolate, and now we’re ready to break down what worked, what didn’t, and why each entry deserves discussion. Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#StarfleetAcademy #AllYouNeedIsKill #Galactic #DSTLRY #NewComicBookDay

Fantastic Forum is back with another week of sharp takes, wild worlds, and comics worth talking about. This episode we’re unpacking The Darkness #1 (2025) from Image Comics/Top Cow and Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast #1 from Dark Horse Comics.

In The Darkness #1, original co-creator Marc Silvestri returns to the shadowy saga of Jackie Estacado, the mafia hitman whose curse grants him dominion over demonic forces. With pencils by Ed Benes, inks from Matt “Batt!” Banning, Sal Regla, and John Livesay, colors by Arif Prianto, and letters by Troy Peteri, this relaunch blends noir-style crime and supernatural warfare as Jackie is pulled into a brutal conflict where the lines between good and evil blur into darkness itself. 

Meanwhile, Carmen Red Claw: Belly of the Beast #1 introduces a paranormal Western twist to the Hellboy Universe. Created and illustrated by Rae Allen (with co-writing contributions credited alongside Mike Mignola, colors by Michelle Madsen, and letters by Clem Robins), this four-issue miniseries follows supernatural gun-for-hire Carmen Red Claw as she investigates mysterious cattle deaths on cursed ranch land in 1870s New Mexico.

Two very different corners of genre storytelling: one steeped in shadowy bloodlines and cosmic menace, the other rooted in folkloric grit and frontier mystery. We’ve read the books and now it’s time to talk about what worked, what surprised us, and why these launches resonate beyond their covers. Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#TheDarkness #CarmenRedClaw #Image #DarkHorse #NewComicBookDay

On this episode of Fantastic Forum, we break down Escape #1 from Image and Floaters #1, the body-horror one-shot from Finish Line Comics.

In Escape #1, writer Rick Remender and artist Daniel Acuña deliver a visceral, war-torn epic that starts with a bomber pilot shot down behind enemy lines in a brutal, anthropomorphic world. Stranded in a city he once helped obliterate, Milton Shaw is trying to escape before his own side’s bomb drops and erases everyone in its path.

Then we review Floaters #1! Conceived by Edward Davis, this one-shot uses body horror to explore how something as mundane as eye floaters can morph into a nightmarish force that dismantles a person’s life.

We’ve read the books, the dust has settled — now it’s time to talk about what worked, what surprised us, and why both deserve the conversation. Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#Escape #Floaters #ImageComics #FinishLineComics #NewComicBookDay

This week on Fantastic Forum, we are heading back into the wasteland and catching up on the biggest stories shaking the comic book world.

First up is the premiere of Fallout Season 2, returning to Prime Video after a hugely successful first season. With the stakes raised and the world expanded, we talk about where the story picks up, how the characters evolve, and whether the series continues to capture the dark humor, brutal survival, and retro future vibe that made Fallout such a standout adaptation.

Then we shift gears into comic book news, breaking down the latest announcements, creative shakeups, surprise reveals, and industry buzz you need to know. From upcoming series to big creative moves, we are sorting through what matters, what excites us, and what has us cautiously optimistic.

Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#Fallout #PrimeVideo #ComicBookNews #NewComicBookDay

This week on Fantastic Forum, we are diving into the supernatural frontier and survival mayhem.

First up is The Unwanted #1 from Dren Productions. A group of teens are abducted and dumped on a secluded tropical island with no explanation, no supplies, and no way off. Left to their own devices, they must survive while discovering they are not alone.

Then we turn to The Few and Cursed #1 by Felipe Cagno and Fabiano Neves, a supernatural western that blends dusty frontier grit with eerie myth and high stakes.

Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live

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#TheUnwanted #TheFewAndCursed #NewComicBookDay

This week on Fantastic Forum, we are jumping into three big releases across comics and streaming.

First up is DC/Marvel: Batman Deadpool #1, the historic crossover one shot published by DC. Written by Grant Morrison with art by Dan Mora, this issue throws the Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth into a chaotic collision that only two universes crashing together could spark. Morrison brings the meta madness, Mora delivers the kinetic spectacle, and we are unpacking whether this landmark comic sticks the landing on one of the wildest crossovers in modern superhero history.

Then we turn to Pluribus on Apple TV, the brand new sci fi drama from Vince Gilligan, starring Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka. The show follows Carol as the rest of humanity is suddenly joined into a hive mind that seeks to amicably assimilate immune individuals into itself. Is this another hit series from Gilligan? We'll give you our take.

Finally, we dive into Star Wars Visions Season 3, the latest anthology series featuring bold, inventive animated shorts from studios around the world. From mythic interpretations to stylish experiments, we are talking about which episodes stand out, which push Star Wars storytelling forward, and which ones you will want to rewatch the moment the credits roll.

Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your thoughts. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

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#BatmanDeadpool #Pluribus #StarWarsVisions #NewComicBookDay

This week on Fantastic Forum, we are taking aim at Butterfly, both the new Prime Video series and the graphic novel that inspired it.

On screen, Butterfly brings spycraft, family secrets, and explosive action to life. Starring Daniel Dae Kim and Reina Hardesty, and created by Ken Woodruff and Steph Cha, the six-episode series follows a retired assassin whose past comes crashing back when his estranged daughter steps into the same dangerous world. Set across South Korea it is a story of espionage wrapped around the bonds of family.

Then we turn to the source material, the Boom! Studios graphic novel by Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett, with art by Antonio Fuso. Here the cold war of secrets plays out on the page with a grounded take on betrayal, trust, and survival. Whether you are streaming the series or flipping the pages, Fantastic Forum is your place to talk Butterfly. Fantastic Forum, assemble!

Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at www.fantasticforum.live to share your take.

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#Butterfly #PrimeVideo #BoomStudios #NewComicBookDay

This week on Fantastic Forum, we give you our take on the premiere of Peacemaker Season 2, streaming now on HBO Max. Showrun by James Gunn, the series returns with John Cena back as Chris Smith, aka Peacemaker, who finds himself navigating a DC Universe rebooted after Superman. Instead of cameos, we are served a meaningful multiverse twist that explores identity and belonging.

Then we fly straight into cosmic nostalgia with Uncle Scrooge: Earth’s Mightiest Duck #1, a five-issue limited series by Jason Aaron with art by Mahmud Asrar, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Ciro Cangialosi. Scrooge McDuck is not his usual miser this time. Instead, he battles the mind-bending invasion of the Connoisseurs, alien hoarders stealing Earth’s greatest treasures. Watch tonight at 6:30 pm PT and call in live at  www.fantasticforum.live to weigh in. Fantastic Forum assemble!

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#Peacemaker #UncleScrooge #DCU #Disney #NewComicBookDay