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Wiccan and Speed Story Coming from Singer Tegan Quin

New York, NY— March 12, 2026 — Musician Tegan Quin of the Grammy-nominated pop duo Tegan and Sara will write a story in WICCAN & HULKLING: RAID OF ULTRON #1, Marvel’s annual Pride special hitting stands on May 27. The singer-songwriter, who makes up one half of Tegan and Sara with her twin sister Sara, will write a story starring Marvel’s own twin superheroes, Wiccan and Speed.

This year’s one-shot spotlights family with stories centered around Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wiccan, Hulkling, and more. A longtime advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, Tegan brings her expertise to an epic team-up tale that tackles the complex relationship between Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd, the Young Avengers and twin sons of Scarlet Witch and Vision, exploring their differences and unique perspectives as they battle Ultron!

“As a twin myself, I truly can’t think of two characters in the Marvel Universe I would have been more excited to write than Wiccan and Speed,” Quin shared. “Making my Marvel debut with this story isn’t just a thrill, it feels downright magical! And let’s just say Ultrons aren’t that different from certain folks I’ve encountered in the record industry over the years, so spending a few pages crushing one into oblivion was deeply cathartic.”

Announced last month, WICCAN & HULKLING: RAID OF ULTRON #1 brings together an incredible lineup of superstar LGBTQIA+ talent and rising stars, including stories by Wyatt Kennedy, Josh Trujillo, Marvel’s Stormbreaker Luciano Vecchio, Zoe Tunnell, Rachael Stott, Bradley Clayton, and more! The saga will spotlight the importance of re-centering community in times of darkness as Wiccan and Hulkling join forces with their loved ones to defeat an evil villain bent on shattering their shared happiness! 

WICCAN & HULKLING REUNITE WITH FAMILY…AND DANGER!

Wiccan & Hulkling gather their known & beloved friends and family to celebrate their wedding anniversary – but everything goes awry when Ultron arrives to reclaim Vision and Viv! Here’s what readers can look forward to:

  • The issue’s framing story by writer Wyatt Kennedy (Wiccan: Witches’ Road) and artist Stephen Byrne (What If…? Galactus)  picks up where Wiccan: Witches’ Road leaves off as Wiccan and Hulkling host an epic anniversary party at their new home, but a certain megalomaniacal robot is eager to have a family reunion of their own and an Ultron army attacks the festivities!
  • Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara joins Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist Luciano Vecchio (Uncanny X-Men) to deliver an introspective Wiccan and Speed team-up where the twins face off against Ultron while clashing about their own unique perspectives and separate journeys.
  • Writer Zoe Tunnell (Marvel United: A Pride Special) and artist Rachael Stott (Fantastic Four) bring Hulkling and his alternate universe half-sister Phyla-Vell together to bond over their shared legacy as they combine their mighty Marvelous strength to take down Ultron’s forces!
  • And acclaimed writer Josh Trujillo (Planet of the Apes vs. Fantastic Four) and rising star Bradley Clayton, making their exciting Marvel Comics debut, reunite father and daughter as Viv Vision deconstructs her own identity—and how it interacts with being a synthezoid—with her dad, Vision.

Reflecting on similarities she found within the characters, Quin said, “I see so much of Sara and me in Wiccan and Speed, especially in how their lives are starting to diverge. Sara and I are both married, but she has two kids, and I don’t have any, and that’s created the first real shift in how we experience adulthood—she’s living a totally different day-to-day life than I am. Still, no matter how different our paths become, the genetic bond—the experience of being identical twins—can’t be replicated or replaced. It’s something singular that binds us, and I thought about that constantly while writing this story. Half of Sara and my career success probably comes down to our banter—people love watching us tease, fight, and resolve conflict—so I definitely leaned into that dynamic on the page, hoping people might enjoy that with Wiccan and Speed!”

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Universal Releases Details on Fan Fest Nights

Universal City, California, March 12, 2026 – The continuing popularity of manga and anime will once again be integral to Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood with the addition of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe, an all-original Japanese manga and CG anime short film that originally debuted as part of Universal Studios Japan’s popular Cool Japan.

Tickets are now available for purchase to attend the Universal Fan Fest Nights, which run for a limited 12 nights only: April 23-25; May 1-3, 7-9, 14-16, 2026.

This exciting Japanese-language short film will gather guests in DreamWorks Theatre to watch a subtitled version featuring the heroine, Super Sailor Moon, as she battles an unforeseen enemy with sinister motives to acquire the Legendary Silver Crystal from Moon Palace’s enchanting ball. With her unwavering spirit, accompanied by audience support, Super Sailor Moon will prove that good indeed prevails over evil as she outwits her rival and restores tranquility to the Moon Palace.

Universal Fan Fest Nights is an after-hours, separately ticketed event that celebrates the exhilarating world of fandom through immersive, interactive in-world experiences created by the theme park’s renowned, highly creative entertainment team in collaboration with esteemed industry experts. Featuring a spectrum of inspirational categories, Universal Fan Fest Nights will welcome guests to embrace a variety of eclectic worlds that celebrate and elevate fandom favorites alongside live entertainment, character interactions, cosplay, photo opportunities, curated food, beverages, and merchandise (separate purchase required).

Universal Fan Fest Nights will feature an array of exciting experiences and activations every event night for guests to enjoy.

Universal Fan Fest Nights will also feature these in-world experiences.
 

  • Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot. This all-new, immersive walk-through adventure is designed to give guests the sensation of stepping into a live-action mystery with the Scooby-Doo gang and the Universal Monsters. Guests will travel to the destination via the Studio Tour tram, where they can walk along a movie studio backlot with Scooby-Doo himself and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy. The exciting escapade will challenge them to solve a mystery involving the most legendary Universal Monsters in cinematic history, including Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein and Wolf Man, as they navigate portions of Universal’s world-famous outdoor film sets, from the cobblestone streets of Little Europe to the iconic Court of Miracles, the original filming locations for historic Universal horror films Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941). 
  • ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show. ONE PIECE returns to Universal Fan Fest Nights, but this time as a live show extravaganza at the WaterWorld show venue. Inspired by the success of the Universal Studios Japan production, ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show will invite guests to a whirlwind performance featuring a cast of ONE PIECE fan-favorite characters. With action, comedy, and chaos taking center stage, guests will be transported to the very heart of the world of ONE PIECE – enveloped in friendship, freedom, and mayhem. 
  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Forbidden Forest: A Search for the Hippogriff. This new, unique, walk-through experience will take guests into the depths of the Forbidden Forest in search of a lost Hippogriff. With guidance from a Hogwarts Professor, they will encounter magical creatures and familiar beasts as they face a series of obstacles that will require the guests to summon their bravery and spell-casting skills to help a Hippogriff in need. 
  • SUPER NINTENDO WORLD – Colorful Yoshi Celebration. This year’s Universal Fan Fest Nights introduces a vibrant, multi-colored Yoshi celebration in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. This all-new adventure will welcome guests to explore the land, where they will have a chance to meet new, colorful Yoshis who can be found throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. 
  • DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep. This fan-favorite immersive experience returns by popular demand, with some enhancements. Inspired by the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game™, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (D&D), this epic walk-through experience will welcome guests and fans to partake in a one-of-a-kind adventure and explore the fantastic world of D&D. Guests will join the Harpers—a heroic spy network—to foil a plot by the legendary beholder Xanathar and save the city of Waterdeep.
    • This engaging experience features the legendary beholder Xanathar, uniquely created by the masterful puppeteer, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. For over 40 years, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has been a world-renowned innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation.


Tickets are on sale now, with a variety of options available. Click here to purchase tickets and for full Terms and Conditions. Details for each ticket type are subject to change.

  • General Admission: General Admission ticket to Universal Fan Fest Nights. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
  • Universal Express: Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including one-time (per day) express access to each in-world experience, ride, and attraction. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
  • Universal Express Unlimited: Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including unlimited express access (per day) to each in-world experience, ride, and attraction. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
  • After 2 PM Day/Night: Daytime General Admission to the theme park after 2 pm and same day evening General Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights.
  • After 2 PM Day/Night Universal Express: Daytime admission to the theme park after 2 pm and same day evening admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including one-time (per day) express access to each ride, attraction and seated show during the day, plus one-time (per day) express access to each in-world experience, ride, and attraction during the event.
  • 2-Night General Admission: 2-Night General Admission access to Universal Fan Fest Nights. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early access to the event.
  • Ultimate Fandom Pass: General Admission pass to enjoy for up to all event nights of Universal Fan Fest Nights (based on your selected first visit date during purchase). No blockout dates on return visits. All visits must be completed by May 16, 2026. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early access to the event.
  • Early Access Ticket: Early access, beginning at 6 pm (subject to change), to select Universal Fan Fest Nights in-world experiences prior to event opening. A Universal Fan Fest Nights admission ticket for the same date must be purchased separately.
  • Universal Fan Fest Nights VIP Tour: Enjoy VIP treatment of the event, including a shared, expertly guided walking tour of the in-world experiences, rides, and attractions, as well as a gourmet dinner (alcoholic beverages excluded) in the private VIP dining room and complimentary valet parking.
  • Pass Member Special Pricing: Pass Members can take advantage of special online Pass Member pricing on General Admission tickets to Universal Fan Fest Nights when visiting on select event nights.

Adding to the adventure, guests can also experience select theme park attractions open during the event, including “Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge,” “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™,” “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” “Jurassic World—The Ride,” “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” “TRANSFORMERS™: The Ride—3D,” “Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride” and “The Simpsons Ride™”.

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 X-Men ’97 Season Two Comic Announced for Summer

New York, NY— March 13, 2026 — The hit animated series X-Men ’97 returns this summer on Disney+, and once more, comic readers will be able to dive right into the action at their local comic shop with X-MEN ’97: SEASON TWO, an official prelude comic series! The five-issue limited series reunites writer Steve Foxe and artist Salva Espin, who previously collaborated on the X-Men ’97 prelude comic series for Season One.

X-MEN ‘97: SEASON TWO will lead directly from the end of the acclaimed first season to the start of the upcoming season two, setting the stage for the time-sprawling saga that awaits viewers, exploring the season’s biggest plot threads, and spotlighting the major new characters—and teams—joining the cast.

Extinction Day has come and gone, and your favorite X-Men are lost in time! Spinning out of Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 series, follow the X-Men left behind in a world that hunts and hates mutantkind! Can they survive? And just where – or when – are the X-Men now?! No X-Men ‘97 fan can miss this one!

“I feel exceptionally grateful that Salva Espin, Matt Milla, and I get to tell more stories fleshing out the world of X-Men ‘97!” Foxe shared. “Everyone who watched Season One knows the team left us one heck of an era-spanning cliffhanger, and our prequel for Season Two doesn’t take any cheats or shortcuts around that wild status quo.”

“We got to work closely with the series team to make sure this comic is a vital, additive experience for our mutants—what’s left of the X-Men, anyway…” he continued.

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Man’s Best by Pornsak Pichetshote, Jesse Lonergan, and Jeff Powell

If I were cynical – and I am, a lot of the time – I’d think of this book as “We 3, but with a happy ending!” or maybe, more vaguely, “We 3 in SPAAAACE!”

That might be reductive, but, really, how many other comics about three uplifted and cyborged animals fighting to save their humans can you think of? Sometimes, the precursor is glaringly obvious.

Man’s Best  is a 2024 SF comic, originally five issues long and then collected into a single book-sized volume, written by Pornsak Pichetshote, drawn and colored by Jesse Lonergan, and lettered by Jeff Powell. (I don’t usually credit letterers, but Powell is on the cover, and I try to defer to the book most of the time.)

There is a starship, heading to an alien planet to test a terraforming device. Earth, of course, is falling apart in the background, for thematically important but non-specific “people are fighting” reasons – it’s not quite the ’70s-standard population-bomb argument, but maybe a revised and updated version of that. Among the humans, there is a Captain and a Doctor, and then an undifferentiated mass of everyone else.

The Doctor – a woman, and very feminine-coded, with big fluffy hair and huge circular glasses – has three animals, said specifically to be for emotional support on this journey. (The Captain is similarly masculine-coded, all craggy features and eyepatch.) But the animals also are heavily cyborged, or maybe just lightly cyborged (one definitely has a new leg) and live inside exoskeletons that augment them. They are Athos, Porthos, and….Lovey; two dogs and a cat, with the cat as the leader in a twist that will amuse anyone who has ever met a cat.

For some reason – this really isn’t clear – the Doctor is running the animals through training sessions in what seems to be a Star Trek holodeck, in which they fight giant robots they call Klangers. This is the beginning of the story, so they do not work well together, and fail. This clearly sets up Narrative Tension for when the animals have to battle robots for real later in the book.

Anyway, the planet they’re supposed to test the terraforming doohickey on is missing, which leads to some doomy speeches from the humans. But a planet suddenly appears, and the ship crashes into it. The animals wake up, somewhat later, in the wreckage. The humans are all gone.

So they decide – not without squabbling, because we need to see them squabble a lot for aforementioned Narrative Tension reasons – to save the Doctor and the Captain, somehow, using their various technological enhancements and The Power of Friendship. (Well, they don’t say the latter.)

The planet they landed on is some kind of third-generation copy of the Well World, with various regions separated by some kind of gates – we don’t see big walls around the hex-equivalents, so it might be implemented somewhat differently, but it’s the same idea: a big planet full of sentients from lots of other planets all over the place, each in their own habitat. And, of course, there are robots that run the whole thing, which are hostile to Our Animal Heroes. Plenty of the inhabitants of the individual regions are somewhat hostile, too, so there’s a lot of running and fighting and squabbling, as the animals see their tech enhancements get degraded, destroyed, or removed along the way.

They also learn a bit about the purpose of this world, and do, of course, eventually get to the Doctor and the Captain, where there is a Shocking Revelation and a big Boss Fight with a robot that looks just like the one from their training. In the aftermath, the animals need to make a decision about The Fate of Earth, and we readers think they make a pretty good one – but it is a bit of a “Lady and the Tiger” ending as to whether their decision will work.

For all of the “Earth is doomed because people Can’t Get Along” talk and the eternally-squabbling animals, this is a fairly positive story: it does come down on the side of humanity being salvageable, which could be a bit of a stretch in a story about uplifted animals made to fight robots. I found it a bit talky but pleasant, and didn’t argue with the premises (how are these animals uplifted? they seem to be just plain shelter rescues who can magically talk to each other in clear idiomatic English and eventually communicate with humans, too) as much as I normally would. And Lonergan is a great story-telling artist, particularly for SF stories like this one: he gives the action sequences a lot of punch and energy.

I found Man’s Best to be somewhat lighter and fluffier than I think it wanted me to, but it’s just fine for what it is. And if you want cyborged-animals-fighting-robots action, it can’t be beat.

Reposted from The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.

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REVIEW: Star Trek Deep Space Nine Omnibus

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Omnibus
By Various
384 pages/IDW Publishing/$24.99

While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine may never achieve the commercial success of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, it is, for many, the best of the many series. Produced while the focus was on TNG and the development of Voyager, it allowed the series to delve deeper into characters and themes that its predecessors had not explored. It really found its point of view once the Dominion was introduced, followed by the multi-season war, which led to some of the franchise’s strongest writing. 

It’s little surprise then that IDW waited three years after acquiring the license from Paramount Pictures before publishing any DS9 material. There have been miniseries and one-shots, which are now nicely collected into this omnibus.

Collected are Fool’s Gold, Too Long a Sacrifice, and The Dog of War, along with five short stories. These have been written by Scott Tipton, David Tipton, Mike Chen, Cecil Castellucci, Cavan Scott, Dave Baker, and Thom Zahler, with artists Fabio Mantovani, Emanuela Lapacchino, Francesco Lo Start, Greg Scott, Ángel Hernández, Megan Levens, Josh Hood, Nicole Goux, and Andy Price.

Fool’s Gold (clearly set between seasons three and four) focuses on the space station being a gathering spot for thieves and bounty hunters, testing Constable Odo and Colonel Kira, and delighting Quark. Too Long a Sacrifice (set late sixth season) is an Odo murder mystery, while The Dog of War (a 30th anniversary tribute) is a delightful romp as Quark brings a corgi aboard the station. What no one noticed is that the dog has some Borg components wreaking havoc in its wake.

While this provides entertaining stories, they all lack the real feel of the series, its busy population and numerous subplots dealing with nearby Bajor, the wormhole, the mysterious Founders who dwell within it, or Sisko’s spiritual journey.

These are serviceable and respect the characters and their actors; they don’t really explore anything new or delve deeper. Certainly, the short stories work well given their length, with “The First Year” being the best of the bunch.

Much of the writing is solid and serviceable; the art captures the look and feel of the station and its varied population, along with some nice cameos from races from other corners of the franchise.

Since we’re not getting a movie or even new novels, we have these to provide us with some reading comfort, and if these are new to you, this volume does a good job packaging them together, although there are just a few bonus pages.

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REVIEW: Broadway on the Big Screen 6-Film Collection

You gotta love Warner Archive. They find interesting, thematically linked titles and place them together on an affordable Blu-ray for fans and collectors alike. Among the February releases was this one, an assortment of film adaptations of1950s Broadway smashes, each with their pluses and minuses. Collected on Broadway on the Big Screen are Brigadoon (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Pajama Game (1957), Damn Yankees (1958), Gypsy (1962), and the outlier The Boyfriend (1971). The latter alone makes this an intriguing set to own and watch.

For the record, the other sets now available feature Fred Astaire and Spencer Tracy.

Interestingly, two of these qualify as fantasies, as Brigadoon and Damn Yankees feature magical places and the devil himself. In the former, game hunters Tommy Albright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) encounter the magical town, which exists on our plane of existence once a century for just a day. It is also a wedding day, and the hunters are invited to the party where Tommy falls for the bride’s older sister, Fiona Campbell (Cyd Charisse).

In the latter, middle-aged Joe Boyd makes a deal with the devil, Applegate (Ray Walston), and is transformed into Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter), who joins the Yankees roster but is seduced by Lola (Gwen Verdon), forced to choose between his old life and a soulless one. The original production hasn’t aged particularly well, but Washington D.C.’s Arena theatre produced an updated revival that received terrific notices.

Brigadoon

Richard Bissell’s 1953 novel 7½ Cents was turned into The Pajama Game a year later, which was quickly adapted for screens. Here, workers at the Sleeptite Pajama Factory unionize, led by Doris Day. She is confronted by the new superintendent, John Raitt, and of course, they fall in love. The workplace drama goes as one would expect.

Another prose adaptation is Guys and Dolls, turning Damon Runyon’s stories and colorful characters with their unique phraseology into a fun story, Here, cash-strapped gambler Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) best big time gambler Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) that he could not romance the woman of his choice: the Save-a-Soul Mission’s Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) while Nathan’s seven-year fiancée (Vivian Blaine) pines.

The real-life Gypsy Rose Lee wrote a memoir of her life that became a best-seller, a smash Broadway show, and then a movie, starring the ultimate stage mother, Rosalind Russell, who badgers her daughter, Natalie Wood, into performing as a stripper back in the glory days of burlesque.

Guys and Dolls

The outré director Ken Russell spanned the genres as he experimented with filmmaking and storytelling. Among his lesser-remembered works is The Boy Friend, a movie centered around the world’s most famous model of the day, Twiggy (these days perhaps best remembered only for a small role in The Blues Brothers). He chose a relatively obscure 1953 British musical (instrumental in introducing the world to Julie Andrews) about an understudy (Twiggy) thrust into the spotlight just when a Hollywood director was coming to see about adapting the musical into film. MGM cut 25 minutes from Russell’s finished film, and it went on to receive good notices and profitable box office receipts. Thankfully, the cut material was restored for the disc.

You see some wonderful performances and actors, like Walston, in their prime. You can see casting misfires (Brando, Twiggy) and errors (Russell is good but the part is owned by Ethel Merman). You also see musicals as sheer entertainment, mostly lacking the heavy themes from the Oscar & Hammerstein musicals from this era. There are strong themes, to be sure, but the strongest one here, nascent female empowerment, dissolves when the romance takes center stage. At worst, they are weaker than their stage versions and at their best, can transport you to other times and places.

The Pajama Game

The discs included here are all previous Blu-ray iterations, with excellent transfers that retain the bright colors of the day. The Boyfriend is the best of the lot. Warner thankfully remastered Brigadoon in 2005, with a new soundtrack and new extras.

Equally strong is the audio quality on each disc, which is particularly important for musicals.

Here is a breakdown of the special features per film:

Brigadoon

  • Deleted Scenes: Four musical numbers—“Come to Me, Bend to Me,” “From This Day On,” Sword Dance,” and “There for You Go I!”—that were cut prior to theatrical release.
  • Trailer (3:45)

Guys and Dolls

Damn Yankees
  • The Goldwyn Touch (23:54), focusing on the Sam Goldwyn approach to filmmaking
  • From Stage to Screen (26:41) explores the adaptation process, justifying the exclusion of some Broadway songs (which I miss)
  • Adelaide (00:51)
  • Brando Dance Lesson (1:34)
  • Goldwyn’s Career (2:38)
  • On the Set (1:12) Tom Mankiewicz discusses being a kid on the set as a kid
  • Rehearsing Adelaide (1:29)
  • Theatrical Trailer (SD; 4:53)

The Pajama Game

Gypsy
  • Song Selection – Jump
  • Deleted Musical Sequence (3:02) “The Man Who Invented Love”,
  • Theatrical Trailer (3:17)

Damn Yankees

  • Song Selection – Jump
  • US Theatrical Trailer (2:31)
  • UK Theatrical Trailer (2:32)
The Boy Friend

Gypsy

  • Songs: Thought lost, these cut songs were found via a private collector and restored: “Wherever We Go” (2:39) and “You Couldn’t Get Away From Me (3:37)
  • Trailer (3:36)

The Boy Friend

  • All Talking . . . All Singing . . . All Dancing (8:40): An archival featurette
  • Trailer (2:47)
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We Are Pan Recounts Cuban Mass Evacuation of Children

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 3, 2026) – Family or freedom? Top Shelf Productions invites you to discover the astonishing history of the mass evacuation of Cuban children, leaving communism—and their loved ones—behind, with the unforgettable original graphic novel, WE ARE PAN, available June 2, 2026. This debut graphic novel from professional illustrator and storyteller Andre Frattino, with art by Yasmin Flores Montanez, beautifully captures the devastation and hope of those affected by the Castro regime in the early 1960s, and includes a foreword from a descendant, critically acclaimed and award-winning author Alex Segura (Secret Identity, Alter Ego).

We Are Pan is based on the true story of Operación Pedro Pan, a joint effort between the U.S. government and the Catholic Welfare Bureau to evacuate 14,000 children from Cuba to the U.S. between 1960 and 1962. With the rise of communism following Fidel Castro’s revolution, parents feared for their children’s future and, through this secret operation, secured passage for them to America. These children (later referred to as “Pedro Pans”) would be distributed across the U.S., mostly living in foster homes. In many cases, these children never saw their families again, and their lives would be changed forever. This is their story.

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REVIEW: Godzilla Rulers of Earth

Godzilla Rulers of Earth
By Chris Mowry, Matt Frank, and Jeff Zornow
592 Pages/IDW Publishing/$13.99

I grew up in the 1960s when the first Godzilla movies became part of the monster movies frequently found on television at all hours of the day or night. I recall being thrilled to be taken to see Destroy All Monsters because it was the monster team-up I always imagined.

But I never thought Godzilla lent itself to comic books, no matter who tried their hands at it, beginning with Marvel in the 1970s. So much depended on the iconic roar and the man in the suit. Company after company has tried, and it appears IDW found a winning formula with this particular series. It ran for 25 issues, the longest run for any Godzilla title, and remains fondly recalled by fans of the character. If you, like me, skipped this, you can now get a nicely priced omnibus of the complete series at the 6’ x 9” size.

The stories here pick up after the ongoing Godzilla as the kaiju begin appearing around the world. This typical problem is enhanced by the arrival of shapeshifting Cryogs, aliens bent on conquering the world. They form an alliance with the undersea Devonians, an ancient civilization new to the reader. 

This alliance appears to spell the end to humanity, with Destoroyah and Biollante dispatched to destroy Godzilla (as if). Meanwhile, the Counter-Kaiju Reaction Forces (CKR), led by Commander Steven Woods and a team of Kaiju Watchers, fronted by Lucy Casprell, represent the main humans involved in the story.

Across the first dozen issues. We watch battle after battle, as buildings are toppled, people flee in panic, and the CKR try to hold things together. Things look pretty bleak for mankind until the Devonians betray their alien partners, resulting in the CKR and Godzilla turning the tide.

Undaunted by their seeming defeat, the Cryogs unleashed the Trilopods, parasitic aliens that absorb the DNA and powers of any kaiju they bite, creating hybrid clones of Earth’s monsters. Now we have something new to worry about, but it sure gives artists Matt Frank and Jeff Zornow something fun to draw, and they make it work, issue after issue. Their humans are never quite right, but their kaiju and aliens are lovely.

Things are looking pretty bleak as one by one, the kaiju are defeated and trussed up in Los Angeles hives. This, of course, puts all the creatures in one place for the climactic battle in the final issue.

Chris Mowry paces things nicely, making certain his humans have things to do and feel even though it’s clear he, like the artists, does better with the kaiju and aliens. Mowry certainly has been steeped in the Toho lore, and there are some nice deep cuts for long-time fans.

If you want monsters, you get them all: Godzilla, Gigan, Rodan, Mothra, Zilla, Kumonga, Gorosaurus, Anguirus, Titanosaurus, Battra Hedorah, and Mechagodzilla. Even SpaceGodzilla gets some screen time.

Reading this took me back to the first battle royale with the monsters, and it felt nostalgic in a good way.

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REVIEW: Lucifer: The Complete Series

Prime Time Television all too often reduces great ideas to easily digestible concepts, often resulting in police procedurals of one sort or another. As a result, when the Vertigo Comics interpretation of Lucifer Morningstar was optioned by Fox in 2014, they quickly announced that the devil would be running a piano bar, like in the comics, but also partner with a policeman. I was initially turned off to the notion and was slow to sample Lucifer when it finally debuted in 2016.

A funny thing happened: the buzz was surprisingly good. The ratings were solid, and it kept getting renewed. Thanks to the miracle of On Demand, my wife and I were able to go back to the beginning and play catch-up.

For those who missed out on the initial run, can now find the entire 93 episodes spread across six seasons collected from Warner Archive as Lucifer: The Complete Series. Essentially, the individual seasons have been packaged together, unfortunately, with no new Special Features. So, if you already possess these, you can skip them. To the uninitiated, this is for you.

Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg created Lucifer Morningstar as supporting players in the acclaimed Sandman comic, and then Vertigo gave him his own series (2000-2006), written by novelist Mike Carey. The fallen angel was cast from Heaven to rule over Hell and was accompanied by one of Lilith’s offspring, Mazikeen, whose first act as his companion was to cut off his wings.

The season six cast.

On the Fox version, Lucifer (Tom Ellis) has left ruling Hell out of boredom (you’d be bored too after 10 billion years) and now runs Lux, a piano bar in Los Angeles. Throughout the series, the tension between acting on one’s desires and fate versus free will is a recurring theme explored through the regular cast and the story du jour. As devils, demons, and angels spend more time on this mortal coil and interact with mankind, those interactions force them to reexamine their core beliefs.

Fascinated after an encounter with police detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German), Lucifer pulls strings to get named a consultant and becomes Decker’s partner. The slow-burning romance between the two carries us pretty much through the first five seasons until they finally become the couple we knew they would be, but unlike many such couplings, this one burns brighter when they’re together, resulting in a very satisfying conclusion. Mazikeen (Leslie-Ann Brandt) initially objects strenuously to this diversion until she leaves Lux and becomes a bounty hunter and ultimately shares Decker’s home, leading to some enchanting exchanges between the demon and Decker’s daughter Trixie (Scarlet Estevez).

With every passing season, the cast grows and becomes more varied, enriching the interactions, especially as Lucifer seeks out Dr. Linda Martin (Rachel Harris) to process his evolving emotions and as his brother angel Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) spends more time among mortals. Add in the eternal optimist police scientist Ella Lopez (Aimee Garcia), other angles, cops, exes, and more, and the ensemble became richer. One after the other learned Lucifer’s secret, spoiling some of the mystique, but it seemed inevitable.

Ellis is just wonderful as the title character, deliciously reveling in being the devil while letting himself become vulnerable and even fall in love. The remainder of the cast is solid, with nice chemistry among them. Their work made the series tremendous fun to watch.

The series struggled in the ratings, despite positive reviews, so Fox canceled it, and the fans were loud enough to attract Netflix’s attention. They acquired it and ordered its final three seasons, which managed consistency despite the production pause during the pandemic. After meeting the angels’ mother, Charlotte (Tricia Helfer), we finally got around to meeting dad (Dennis Haysbert in the thankless role of God). This set up the final storyline as Mother and Father decided it was time to move on, and the fight for the Silvery City’s throne was on.

The discs come neatly packed in a plastic shell case and a cardboard slipcase. They are the original Blu-ray presses, with varying degrees of quality, ranging from good to very good. The 1080p, AVC-encoded BD-50s nicely reproduce the rich colors and preserve the shadows required for many of the storylines. The lossless DTS-HD MA is more consistent season to season and up to the task for comfortable home viewing.

Each season includes deleted scenes and gag reels. The first season includes four brief character profiles and the cast appearing at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. Season two’s discs have the 2016 Comic-Con panel and a look at the show’s move from Vancouver to Los Angeles in Reinventing Lucifer in the City of Angels (14:42).

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Busiek & Pérez’s JLA/Avengers Miniseries to Receive Facsimiles

New York, NY— February 25, 2026 — This summer, Marvel Comics and DC Comics join forces to bring JLA/AVENGERS, the 2003 limited series by legendary creators Kurt Busiek and George Pérez, back to comic shops! The history-making four-issue saga will be boldly re-presented in its original form as new Facsimile Editions with original trade dress and wraparound cardstock covers. Marvel Comics will publish JLA/AVENGERS #1 (May) and #3 (July) while DC Comics will publish AVENGERS/JLA #2 (June) and #4 (August). The issues will also feature all-new variant covers.

It’s the grandest Marvel and DC comics crossover of them all and an icon-packed event decades in the making! After years of anticipation, JLA/AVENGERS reunited acclaimed writer Kurt Busiek (Marvels) with his AVENGERS collaborator George Pérez – an artistic legend for both companies – to assemble every single member of Earth’s Mightiest and the World’s Greatest in one blockbuster book! Universes collide as the Justice League fights the towering Terminus and the Avengers face the awesome menace of Starro! Each team must undertake an epic quest on the other’s world, with the fate of both realities in the balance!

JLA/AVENGERS #1 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by GEORGE PÉREZ
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
Variant Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 5/27

AVENGERS/JLA #2 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by GEORGE PÉREZ
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
On Sale 6/24

JLA/AVENGERS #3 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by GEORGE PÉREZ
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
On Sale 7/22

AVENGERS/JLA #4 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by GEORGE PÉREZ
Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
On Sale 8/26

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