The Comic Source Podcast

Jace and Rocky break down all 13 DC releases for the week of August 19, 2026. Dark Knights of Steel #2 finds Amanda Waller's machinations continuing as an illness threatens Kara and the House of El, while Barbara Gordon serves as a literal Oracle and the developing relationship between Kal-El and Lois adds another layer to Tom Taylor's expanding fantasy world. Lobo #6 sends Lobo to Hell to battle the Tooth Fairy in an intentionally ridiculous detour, but the issue feels disconnected from the characters and plot threads Scotty Young had carried forward from the previous arc, making the story feel unusually disposable. End of Life #7 sees Eddie's attempt to do something genuinely good by rescuing a kidnapped kid land him in the hands of the killers hunting him, and after escaping another brutal beating he discovers Little Cock has finally caught up with him looking for revenge over the death of Big Cock. Beneath all the absurd violence and comedy, Eddie's relationship with his dying father continues to give the series a surprisingly human core. Deathstroke the Terminator #6 escalates Adeline's revenge from murdering Wintergreen to trying to kill Rose, forcing an already battered Slade into a confrontation with his ex-wife. Slade survives, but the real damage is psychological: stripped of his identity as the world's greatest assassin, he is left wondering what remains if he is no longer a "killer for hire" and is simply a killer. Catwoman #90 finally gives Maggie Kyle the chance to confront Black Mask and use a nerve agent against the man who murdered her husband and traumatized her, but what should have been a powerful moment of Maggie reclaiming her agency feels frustratingly abrupt and underdeveloped. The conclusion also leaves the fates of Black Mask and Katarina Belova open while Carmine Falcone remains firmly embedded in Selina's increasingly complicated family story. New Titans #38 brings Static to Titans Mountain while he struggles to control his powers, Yara Flor begins experiencing visions of her Amazonian homeland and Stephanie Brown continues growing into a leadership role. There are plenty of potentially interesting threads, but with so many characters competing for space, the issue feels disjointed and several of the Titans come across as noticeably younger and less experienced than their recent portrayals. Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54 drags Batman, Superman and their fellow heroes into Hell for a baseball game against its denizens in a deliberately absurd one-and-done that recalls DC's old Super-Sports stories. Mark Waid makes the ridiculous premise work, although for an actual baseball story, Jace wanted considerably more baseball. Absolute Flash #18 keeps expanding Wally's world as Absolute Hunter Zolomon, Director Bones and Eleanor Thawne all enter the picture, while Eleanor genuinely believes the Absolute Justice League are the good guys. Ralph Dibny may also have just experienced the event that gives him his powers, setting up a potentially wild confrontation between Wally, Abra Kadabra and Hunter Zolomon. Batwoman #6 flashes back through most of its story to events before the series began, clarifying how Kate and Beth reached the point where their stories diverged, before the final pages return to the present after Kate has rescued her sister. The added context helps explain some of the confusion from the first five issues, although ending with both sisters seeing the same psychiatrist still leaves the series in an unusual place moving forward. Absolute Green Arrow #4 provides more context for Absolute Oliver Queen's values and creates a stark contrast with Hector Hammond's depravity, while a terrifying Absolute Solomon Grundy enters the picture and Dinah Lance appears increasingly close to manifesting powers of her own. The lingering question remains whether the mysterious Green Arrow can actually be Oliver at all when Hammond claims Oliver Queen died and attempts to resurrect him failed. Nightwing #131 has Dick preparing to turn himself in over the catastrophic bridge accident no one believes was caused by a witch, only for another woman to suddenly confess to being the witch herself. That apparent manipulation deepens the supernatural mystery as events from Blüdhaven's past continue reaching into the present and Nightwing remains caught in the middle. Wonder Woman #36 continues Steve Trevor's telling of the story of the woman he loves to his daughter as Stephanie Williams retells Diana's origin with strong Clayton Henry artwork. There is little here that substantially changes the familiar story, but framing it through Steve sharing Diana's history with a daughter who is equal parts Steve and Diana gives the retelling some added emotional resonance. Finally, Superman Unlimited #16 pushes the Kingdom of Zod event forward at full speed as the Superman family rallies against Zod, including the first meeting between Mark Waid's current Superboy and Supergirl. Superman and Zod eventually suit up for a battle that is still raging when the issue ends, making this chapter feel less like a self-contained story and more like one sustained piece of a much larger action sequence. Jace and Rocky also cover this week's collected editions, reprints and facsimiles before ranking all 13 books and revealing their Books of the Week.

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00:00 — DC Week Overview, Doug Wagner, Marvel & Rob Liefeld Discussion 16:39 — Dark Knights of Steel #2 22:29 — Lobo #6 25:40 — End of Life #7 32:54 — Deathstroke the Terminator #6 44:37 — Catwoman #90 51:57 — New Titans #38 57:42 — Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54 1:09:52 — Absolute Flash #18 1:20:29 — Batwoman #6 1:29:40 — Absolute Green Arrow #4 1:39:31 — Nightwing #131 1:43:52 — Wonder Woman #36 1:52:25 — Superman Unlimited #16 2:02:04 — Collected Editions, Reprints & Facsimiles 2:05:58 — Rankings & Books of the Week

Doug Wagner joins Jace on The Comic Source for an in-depth conversation about I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits, his latest collaboration with artist Daniel Hillyard.

The project began when Hillyard gave Wagner a list of supernatural things he wanted to draw — slashers, vampires, zombies and more — and Wagner eventually came to the simplest possible conclusion: why choose? Do all of them. The resulting story follows Cecil, a pacifist from the 1980s reincarnated into the body of a supernatural slasher, on a road trip alongside an increasingly bizarre group of supernatural misfits attempting to prevent either Heaven or Hell from winning a battle that would wipe humanity out.

Doug talks about why character always comes before plot in his work, how he and Hillyard keep even their most violent and absurd stories grounded in emotional sincerity, and how characters including Pavla, Yoel and the zombie truck Tuck continued evolving while they created the book.

The conversation also looks back at Wagner and Hillyard's collaborations on Plastic, Vinyl, Plush and Narco and how years of working together have created a level of trust that allows Hillyard to interpret layouts, camera angles and even character moments without Wagner dictating every detail. Wagner recalls moments where Hillyard added something that wasn't in the original script and actually changed the way Wagner understood his own character.

Then it's a deep dive into the crowdfunding campaign: the oversized hardcover, die-cut Murder Chicken slipcase, complete behind-the-scenes process companion, Chris Bachalo artwork and an Uno-inspired Murder Chickens card game Wagner unexpectedly designed and play-tested with his wife.

And before wrapping up, Doug reveals that I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits is already completely finished — and he and Daniel Hillyard have already finished their next two books as well.

🐔 Support I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloverpress/i-love-apocalyptic-zombie-misfits-ogn-by-wagner-and-hillyard?ref=9npbkr

🔗 Doug Wagner: https://shocknoggin.com/

📸 Doug Wagner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doug.wagner13/

📸 Daniel Hillyard on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielbhillyard/

🔗 Find The Comic Source everywhere: https://linktr.ee/comicsource

CHAPTERS

00:00 Doug Wagner Joins The Comic Source 02:08 I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits 07:39 Character First — Even With Serial Killers 10:43 Building an Ensemble of Misfits 13:08 How the Characters Changed 15:08 Meet Tuck — The Zombie Truck 17:45 The Origin of the Murder Chickens 20:51 Wagner & Hillyard's Creative Partnership 25:16 When Daniel Hillyard Makes the Story Better 30:07 Heaven, Hell & Saving Humanity 32:15 The Oversized Kickstarter Hardcover 35:09 The Complete Process Companion Book 37:56 Chris Bachalo Joins the Project 39:16 The Murder Chickens Card Game 41:39 Two More Books Are Already Finished 42:36 Where to Follow Doug Wagner 43:41 Letting the Book Speak for Itself 44:11 Doug Wagner's "20-Year Overnight Success" 46:23 Final Thoughts

Star Wars is finally crossing over with the Marvel Universe, Todd McFarlane is revisiting his legendary Amazing Spider-Man #300 composition for Spawn 77, and new Prana data shows comic shop revenue climbing nearly 20%. Jace also digs into Warren Ellis returning to Image Comics and the unresolved accountability questions surrounding that decision, Rob Liefeld contradicting his earlier account of Cable's origin, Thundercracker joining Superion, the expansion of Ghost Machine's Unbelievables universe, Sabrina's midnight release, Mind MGMT, Lady Baltimore, D'orc and much more.

Plus, Jace makes this week's What Hit predictions, checks last week's picks against the newest Prana bestseller data, counts down the Top 10, and highlights books readers may want to preorder before Final Order Cutoff on August 17.

Follow The Comic Source: https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource

00:00 — Comic Shop Sales, Spawn, Ellis & Star Wars/Marvel Hook 01:31 — Star Wars Finally Crosses Over With Marvel 07:31 — More Spawn 77 Collector Covers 08:44 — McFarlane Homages Amazing Spider-Man #300 12:25 — If Destruction Be Our Lot Sells Out 14:18 — Crimes Against Nature 15:57 — D'orc Reaches Seven Printings 17:57 — Tigress Island Collected 18:54 — Royals Collected 20:23 — Warren Ellis Returns to Image 28:38 — Thundercracker Joins Superion 29:24 — The Unbelievables Universe Expands 30:56 — Rook: Exodus #11 31:52 — Lady Baltimore Returns 32:42 — Sabrina Gets a Midnight Release 34:18 — Mind MGMT: New & Improved 35:55 — Skottie Young Joins It Demands Sacrifice 37:28 — Murder Chickens & Zombie Misfits 38:58 — Comic Shop Revenue Up Nearly 20% 42:21 — Liefeld vs. Liefeld on Cable 46:22 — RUMOR: Liefeld's Own Superman or Batman? 50:23 — What Hit Predictions 56:44 — Prana Top 10 Bestsellers 64:57 — Final Order Cutoff — August 17 77:09 — Final Thoughts

S.G. Blaze returns to The Comic Source at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the continuing growth of the Seven Galaxies Chronicles and reveal the newest addition to her expanding universe: Bloody Berserk Angel.

Jace and S.G. discuss the passionate community that has grown around Seven Galaxies, the rise of romantasy and the way S.G. blends science fiction, fantasy, romance, comedy and thriller elements into her stories. They also talk about expanding the universe beyond prose through the Mythical Hunters comic series and Hollow Healer animation, how different mediums can bring new readers into the world, and why connections between characters and fans remain at the heart of everything she creates.

Then S.G. introduces Bloody Berserk Angel, a new comic set on a frozen fantasy world where a blacksmith's daughter hides a terrifying secret. When that secret finally awakens, will she become a protector of the innocent—or something even more dangerous?

Learn more about S.G. Blaze and Seven Galaxies: https://sgblaze.com

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Jace and Rocky review Emperor Aquaman #20 from DC Comics. Poseidon believes Arthur Curry has no right to wield the power of the Blue, but after their battle threatens Earth, Aquaman transports them somewhere he can finally stop holding back. The guys discuss the brutal payoff, what Poseidon's surrender says about Arthur's new power level and why Jeremy Adams continues making Emperor Aquaman one of DC's most overlooked books. Follow The Comic Source on all social media with our Linktree - https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource

Jace and Rocky break down all 11 DC releases for the week of August 12, 2026. In Green Lantern Corps #19, Guy Gardner brings the Lanterns bonded to the emotional entities together around a new idea: their individual emotions remain distinct, but they may now be able to draw on the entire emotional spectrum when they need it. In Barbara Gordon: Breakout #4, Barbara finally meets one of the innocent people she entered prison to find—a cop locked up for refusing to play along with Vandal Savage—while Sparrow's murder gives the story some badly needed forward momentum. In Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #2, someone is impersonating Clayface, and his attempt to uncover who is behind it becomes much more personal when a friend he confides in is murdered. In Fury of Firestorm #5, Firehawk briefly reaches the Ronnie Raymond trapped inside the Firestorm Matrix, but Professor Stein's reaction when the sentient Matrix calls him "father" raises new questions about whether his supposed remorse was ever genuine. In Emperor Aquaman #20, Arthur moves his fight with Poseidon away from Earth so he can finally cut loose, and the God of the Sea gets a firsthand demonstration of just how terrifyingly powerful Aquaman has become. In Absolute Batman #23, Bruce's obsession with Jack Grimm has reached the point where he believes virtually every defining moment in his life was deliberately engineered, leaving his oldest friends wondering whether Batman has gone too far. The Nice House by the Sea #11, the penultimate issue of the second arc, finally delivers major answers and forward momentum for the larger mystery while still making the revelation involving Oliver land through the character drama that has defined the series. In Supergirl #16, still believing Superman is missing, Kara takes responsibility for the House of El as Zod's larger plan begins coming into focus and a female Eradicator unexpectedly enters the conflict. In Bleeding Hearts #7, Poke's growing bond with Rabbit and her mother shows him becoming increasingly human, but that fragile connection is threatened when Rabbit is grievously injured by one of the undead. In Batman and Robin: Year One — Dynamic Duos #1, a young Bruce nearly loses control when a group of kids mug him and his date, while an encounter with the Wolfpack gives him another early lesson in becoming the Batman he will eventually be. In Action Comics #1101, Lois Lane proves why she is a Pulitzer-winning reporter by getting under General Zod's skin, probing for his real agenda and deliberately keeping him talking because she knows he may be planning to kill her. Meanwhile, Superman has returned, but will it be just to face defeat at the hands of Zod? Jace and Rocky also cover the week's collected editions, reprints and facsimiles before ranking all 11 books and revealing their Books of the Week.

00:00 — DC Week Overview, Legion Reactions & Comic-Con Follow-Up 16:42 — Green Lantern Corps #19 33:40 — Barbara Gordon: Breakout #4 37:55 — Clayface: Celebrity Dirt #2 41:23 — Fury of Firestorm #5 53:34 — Emperor Aquaman #20 1:11:15 — Absolute Batman #23 1:36:53 — The Nice House by the Sea #11 1:47:58 — Action Comics #1101 1:48:07 — Supergirl #16 1:57:33 — Bleeding Hearts #7 2:01:05 — Batman and Robin: Year One — Dynamic Duos #1 2:09:47 — Collected Editions, Reprints & Facsimiles 2:13:29 — Rankings & Books of the Week

Brightburn director David Yarovesky joins Jace at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to talk about IT DEMANDS SACRIFICE, the new BAD IDEA survival-horror series he co-writes with Philip Gelatt. Yarovesky explains the wonderfully twisted premise of following a family of goats marked for ritual sacrifice, why tiny runt Bronson may become one of the most unexpected horror heroes in comics, and how working in comics gives him the freedom to put virtually anything he can imagine onto the page. He also discusses developing the story over several years, finding the right tone, working with BAD IDEA, and the collaborative process with artist Adam Pollina and colorist Dean White. IT DEMANDS SACRIFICE #1 arrives October 7, 2026.

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Morgan Hampton joins Jace at the DC booth during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to talk about his run on Green Lantern Corps and the character-first approach that has helped him put a new spotlight on Guy Gardner. Morgan explains why Guy's abrasive personality is really a mask, how digging into the character's history completely changed the way he feels about writing him, and why he wanted to explore what exists underneath all that attitude. They also dive into the ambitious landscape-format issue, the black-hole concept that allowed Morgan to experiment with space and time on the page, expanding the emotional spectrum and turning its entities into characters rather than abstract concepts, the challenge of juggling Green Lantern Corps' enormous cast and why the series could be an accessible entry point for new readers discovering the Green Lantern universe.

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00:00 – Morgan Hampton at SDCC 2026 00:30 – Green Lantern Corps Fan Reaction 01:45 – How Morgan Hampton Changed Guy Gardner 02:30 – Morgan's Personal Connection to Guy 03:30 – "The Asshole Is His Mask" 04:08 – Creating the Landscape-Format Issue 05:35 – Bringing the Emotional Entities to Life 06:18 – Making Green Lantern Corps His Own 06:50 – Building a Book New Green Lantern Fans Can Read 07:18 – Morgan's Message to Readers

Amazing Spider-Man #1000 has been delayed after a printer issue pushes Marvel's landmark issue back two weeks, while DC may have revealed the assassination of Bruce Wayne months ahead of schedule and is threatening consequences for retailers who spoil the secrets of Batman Day. Jace also looks at Baron Karza's surprise arrival in the Energon Universe, Witchblade's Image-wide cover takeover, Chachu #1 selling out, new Ghost Machine developments, the return of Ocean and Automatic Kafka, Archie in Hell, The Smart Division's breakout reception, The Hab's expanded Director's Cut, Hello Kitty's massive 75,000-copy preorder number and the latest development in the Diamond bankruptcy. Then it's time for What Hit, the Prana Top 10 and last week's Comic Source picks sweep the Top Four — followed by a huge Final Order Cutoff rundown for August 10.

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CHAPTERS

0:00 — Hook 0:19 — Intro / This Week's Comic News

2:24 — Marvel Expands Its Compact Line

3:19 — Amazing Spider-Man #1000 Delayed

4:26 — Did DC Spoil Bruce Wayne's Assassination?

5:56 — DC Locks Down Batman Day

7:34 — Celebrating Joe Kubert at 100

8:52 — Baron Karza Joins the Energon Universe

10:37 — Witchblade Takes Over Image Covers

11:31 — Chachu #1 Sells Out 12:34 — Tales of Wonder / Jorge Fornés Variants

13:01 — Ghost Machine's Next Phase

13:40 — Ocean Returns to Print 14:30 — Automatic Kafka Returns

15:14 — Archie in Hell First Look 16:12 — The Smart Division Breaks Out

17:18 — The Hab Gets a Director's Cut

17:59 — Hello Kitty Hits 75,000 Orders

18:54 — Diamond Bankruptcy Update

21:26 — What Hit

25:57 — Prana Top 10 Bestsellers

32:47 — Final Order Cutoff — August 10

40:46 — Outro

The Energon Universe isn't slowing down. At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, The Comic Source went inside the Skybound press room for an extended conversation with Robert Kirkman, Void Rivals artist Conor Hughes and Skybound publisher Sean Mackiewicz about the past, present and future of the interconnected universe.

Kirkman discusses rebuilding ROM for a new continuity, including the research he did into the character's Marvel history and why he worried ROM's damaged appearance could be interpreted the wrong way. Hughes explains why that damage represents sacrifice and "scars of war," while Mackiewicz details how ROM and M.A.S.K. became part of Skybound's larger Energon plans.

The conversations also reveal that Matt Trakker was included in Skybound's original pitch to Hasbro and was once intended to appear in Duke before Clutch ultimately filled that role. Mackiewicz and Kirkman both tease major developments beginning in M.A.S.K. #3, while Kirkman discusses the Energon Universe animated project currently in development and his hope that the comics may eventually reach their own version of the story represented by 1986's The Transformers: The Movie.

And when asked whether there's a limit to how far the Energon Universe can expand, Mackiewicz's answer is simple: "no limits."

00:00 – Kirkman Teases the Energon Universe's Transformers: The Movie

00:12 – Sean Mackiewicz on M.A.S.K., ROM & Expanding Energon

02:40 – How ROM & M.A.S.K. Fit Into the Energon Universe

05:20 – Why Skybound's Comics Are Connecting With Readers

07:20 – G.I. Joe, Lara Croft & Expanding Beyond Nostalgia

11:25 – Finding New Creators & Building Skybound's Future

12:15 – Matt Trakker Was Originally Going to Be in Duke 13:25 – M.A.S.K. #3 Has a Surprising Energon Connection

14:35 – Does the Energon Universe Have Any Limits?

15:20 – Robert Kirkman & Conor Hughes Reinvent ROM

19:15 – Kirkman Went to "ROM School"

21:20 – Building ROM & Void Rivals Together

23:40 – M.A.S.K. Was in the Original Energon Universe Pitch

25:45 – Kirkman Takes Over Transformers 27:55 – The Energon Universe Animated Series

29:20 – Could Energon Reach Its Own Transformers: The Movie?