Your DC KO Reading Order Checklist!

Posted on July 22, 2025 | by Super Robot Lifeform

It may not be THE list everyone is buzzing about right now, but we’re pretty excited about it! This October, hold on to the edge of your beanbag chair as DC’s DC KO crossover event gets underway! As the Heart of Apokolips ravages the Earth, Darkseid says “GET OVER HERE!” to the heroes of the DC Universe when he challenges them to a deadly tournament to decide the fate of the world! Who will live? Who will die? Who will get the streaming rights? Don’t miss a panel with this handy DC KO reading order checklist!

Here’s what we have so far. Check back for updates. Release dates are subject to change.

DC KO READING ORDER

1. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #11

EVE OF DESTRUCTION!

Something strange is happening on Earth…and the Justice League is powerless to stop it! It began with a horrific volcanic eruption in the heart of the villainstronghold nation of Zandia…and quickly spread to Count Vertigo’s neighboring kingdom of Vlatava. The parademons that the JLU faced before are only the tip of the iceberg–the entire planet is now in peril! What signal does this point to in the Quantum Quorum’s tournament? Do not miss this pivotal next chapter in the All In saga!

On sale 9/24/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/1/2025.

2. AQUAMAN #11

A KING’S DESCENT INTO MADNESS!

Mera and the mystery of Atlantis unravels, even as Andy moves towards her ultimate goal and Arthur contends with the power of the Blue! But is this power too much for even a KING to contend with? An oceanic onslaught unloads on the king of the seven seas, and the connection between the DARK TIDE and DARKSEID is at last revealed!

On sale 11/12/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 10/20/2025.

3. JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE OMEGA ACT SPECIAL #1 (ONE-SHOT)

IT’S ALL BEEN LEADING TO THIS!

A special oversize prologue to DC’s biggest event of the year. Everything since DC All In Special #1 has been building to this moment! Time Trapper is on the run from Darkseid’s Legion. Racing through time to learn how to stop Darkseid’s conquest, he witnesses how the future is already lost and the only hope of survival lies with the Justice League! The Time Trapper has a plan to save the DCU, but it means making an impossible offer to the League…

On sale 10/1/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/8/2025.

4. DC K.O. #1 (OF 4)

DC’S MAJOR 2025 EVENT IS HERE! SCOTT SNYDER AND JAVIER FERNANDEZ WELCOME YOU TO THE SLUGFEST OF THE CENTURY!

The Heart of Apokolips has transformed Earth into a hellscape in preparation for the return of Darkseid! The end of the DC Universe is here! The Justice League’s only chance to defeat Darkseid is to enter a deadly tournament, an epic and over-the-top battle royale that will surprise you! The World’s Greatest Heroes fight to become the champion to enter the ring against Darkseid, but there’s a catch… the closer you get to the Heart of Apokolips, the more it corrupts you, changes you into something dangerous. Which DC character has what it takes to make it to the end? Who is willing to do what it takes to win it all, even if it means taking down their friends and family? You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts!

On sale 10/8/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/15/2025.

5. TITANS #28

THE TITANS RACE TO EVACUATE EARTH!

Spinning out of the world-shaking events of DC K.O.! Before the heart of Apokolips terraforms the planet into a hellscape, the Titans lead the evacuation of the Earth! While the team splits up to save as many people as possible, old friends and new allies join the fray to save humanity from extinction. The next major Titans storyline starts here!

On sale 10/15/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/22/2025.

6. SUPERMAN #31

SUPERMAN… MAN OF APOKOLIPS?!

Superman and his allies have been thrown into a dangerous game to capture the Heart of Apokolips at the center of Earth. But what is the Heart of Apokolips? And how are its origins tied to Krypton?! And why doesn’t Darkseid’s Legion want Superman to find out?!

On sale 10/22/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/29/2025.

7. THE FLASH #26

WALLY AND IMPULSE RACE THROUGH TIME—WITH MARK WAID AND CHRISTOPHER CANTWELL!

As the chaos around the DC Universe erupts during DC K.O., Impulse has an idea how to fix it: Impulsepoint—a terrible move that could wipe out everything unless the Flash can catch up with him as they race through time!

On sale 10/22/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/29/2025.

8. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #12

THE TERRIFIC TEN ARE ON A DO-OR-DIE MISSION!

As the tournament begins and the transformation of Earth GROWS MORE DIRE, a strange signal is detected at the heart of darkness at the core of the planet–a Terrifictech device?! Michael Holt must put together an elite Justice League squad of the most powerful time-displaced heroes from We Are Yesterday to unravel the mystery–and this mission is a oneway ticket. Get ready for a mission to hell and back in this epic tie-in to the DC K.O. event!

On sale 10/22/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 9/29/2025.

9. DC K.O.: KNIGHTFIGHT #1 (OF 4)

SUPERSTARS JOSHUA WILLIAMSON AND DAN MORA TEST BATMAN LIKE NEVER BEFORE!

Experience Batman’s epic journey during the explosive DC K.O. event! The Dark Knight is forced to take a different path in the tournament for the Heart of Apokolips–one that has turned Gotham into a deadly arena where Batman must battle against the Batmen of the future! Who are these Batmen? Stay tuned to find out! Get ready for the greatest fight of Batman’s life in this over-the-top crossover miniseries!

On sale 11/5/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 10/13/2025.

10. TITANS #29

THE TITANS STAND BETWEEN HUMANITY AND APOKOLIPS!

The Towers have lifted, and Earth’s evacuation is complete! As the Titans take to the stars to save humanity from the oncoming apocalypse, trouble can’t help but follow them! Our heroes are scattered across the galaxy–and across dimensions–each discovering that new worlds mean new dangers, something Starfire knows all too well as she ends up cornered by an Apokoliptian blockade!

On sale 11/19/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 10/27/2025.

11. DC K.O. #2 (OF 4)

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

The tournament is in full swing. Heroes have fallen. Darkseid is near. The 32 champions have been chosen, and now they must compete to earn the Heart of Apokolips. The first challenge? Battling across a deadly arena to acquire new weapons of war. The greatest powers of the DC Universe are up for grabs, and whoever holds them will advance to the next level. Superman has his doubts that the Justice League is doing the right thing, but there are others who have no problem killing to get what they want…

On sale 11/26/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/3/2025.

12. SUPERMAN #32

LEX LUTHOR ENTERS THE FRAY!

Lex Luthor is back! But how did he get into the deadly tournament? Can Superman and Lex work together to learn about the Heart of Apokolips and how to stop it? And who protects Metropolis as it transforms into a raging firepit?

On sale 11/26/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/3/2025.

13. THE FLASH #27

THE SPEEDSTER CHASE THROUGH TIME CONTINUES!

After Impulse’s shocking decision, the Flash races through the time stream before Impulse’s irrational actions can potentially doom the DC Universe. But someone is just a step behind the speedsters, while the Flash and Impulse run right into a shocking reunion!

On sale 11/26/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/3/2025.

14. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #13

THE TERRIFIC TEN ON A DO-OR-DIE MISSION!

The Earth opens up to swallow the JLU! Parademons swarm the Watchtower! The Time Trapper lies near-dead at Metamorpho’s feet? Any one of these things is catastrophic, but all three simultaneously? Can Armageddon be far behind?

On sale 11/26/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/3/2025.

15. DC K.O.: KNIGHTFIGHT #2 (OF 4)

BATMAN VS. BATMAN FOR THE SOUL OF GOTHAM CITY!

The stage is set, and Bruce Wayne’s battle through a gauntlet of future Batmen is on! Each former Robin has shaped Gotham City into their own vision of justice, and if Bruce can make his way past Dick Grayson, he’ll face the darkest one yet. Will he survive the most violent aspects of his own legacy? Or will Batman’s greatest failure destroy him and the city he’s sworn to protect? It’s a literal battle for the cowl–and for the fate of the DC Universe–as the all-star creative team of Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora turns up the heat!

On sale 12/3/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/10/2025.

16. DC K.O.: SUPERMAN VS. CAPTAIN ATOM #1 (ONE-SHOT)

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 7 OF 8!

A fight you never expected but are dying to see!

On sale 12/3/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/10/2025.

17. AQUAMAN #12

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 2 OF 8!

Friends become foes in a battle with cataclysmic consequences!

On sale 12/10/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/10/2025.

18. DC K.O.: WONDER WOMAN VS. LOBO #1 (ONE-SHOT)

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 3 OF 8!

Witness the ultimate smackdown as two heavy hitters fight for the crown!

On sale 12/10/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/10/2025.

19. TITANS #30

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 4 OF 8!

Grab yourself a ringside seat and get ready for the latest round of K.O. carnage!

On sale 12/17/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/17/2025.

20. DC K.O.: HARLEY QUINN VS. ZATANNA #1 (ONE-SHOT)

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 5 OF 8!

It’s all-out chaos as Harley Quinn faces off against a surprise opponent!

On sale 12/17/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/17/2025.

21. THE FLASH #28

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 6 OF 8!

It’s the match you never saw coming!

On sale 12/24/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/24/2025.

22. SUPERMAN #33

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 7 OF 8!

A fight you never expected but are dying to see!

On sale 12/24/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/24/2025.

23. DC K.O.: RED HOOD VS. THE JOKER #1 (ONE-SHOT)

DC K.O. ALL FIGHT MONTH: ROUND 8 OF 8! FINAL ROUND!

Welcome to the most ruthless fight in all of DC K.O. This one is personal!

On sale 12/24/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/24/2025.

24. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #14

THE FALL OF MR. TERRIFIC!

As the time-displaced heroes fight for their lives against the towering might of the demonic neron, Mr. Terrific descends into the cold vacuum of space! But this time it’s by his own design… can Michael Holt team with the rogue agent behind Justice League Red to purge all emotion and coldly calculate the fate of humanity? Grab the tissues, everybody–this issue’s about to break some hearts!

On sale 12/24/2025. Don’t Miss Out Date 11/24/2025.

25. DC K.O.: KNIGHTFIGHT #3 (OF 4)

JASON TODD. TIM DRAKE. DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR BATMAN!

All-star creators Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora deliver the next pulse-pounding chapter of Batman’s journey during DC K.O., giving us the Dark Knight’s greatest challenge yet. Jason Todd is Batman. Tim Drake is Batman. And to complete his mission, Bruce Wayne will have to fight both of them. The former Robins aren’t giving up without a fight, and it will take everything Batman has–and then some–in order to defeat them. Does Batman have what it takes to defeat both of his pupils, or have the students become the masters?

On sale 1/7/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 12/1/2025.

26. DC K.O. #3

THE ELITE EIGHT REMAIN–AND ALL HELL IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE! IT’S TAG-TEAM TIME!

As the Omega Tournament reaches its endgame, the final eight combatants are put to the ultimate test–confronted with a decades-long stay in their own personal hell! Emotions run high as heroes falter, villains revel, and the Heart of Apokolips eyes its new King Omega. In the end, only the final four will remain…

On sale 1/14/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 12/1/2025.

27. AQUAMAN #13

QUEEN MERA RISES!

As Arthur continues to duke it out in the major DC K.O. event, the hidden kingdom of Atlantis at last emerges! But all is not well, and Queen Mera finds herself face-to-face with the deadliest foe to attack their fair kingdom yet! New threats, new drama, a trip to the throne of Kahndaq, and the return of Black Manta!

On sale 1/14/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 12/1/2025.

28. TITANS #31

THE EARTH: REBORN!

Something has gone wrong in the Omega Tournament, and the planet’s transformation into New Apokolips has accelerated! Darkseid’s forces arrive on Earth to witness his rebirth, so it’s up to Donna Troy and Roy Harper to hold them back! But can they survive against Grail, the daughter of Darkseid?

On sale 1/21/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 12/15/2025.

29. DC K.O.: GREEN LANTERN—GALACTIC SLAM #1 (ONE-SHOT)

KYLE RAYNER BRINGS THE COSMIC REINFORCEMENTS!

As the K.O. tournament rages on Earth, the cosmos holds its collective breath as the heroes of our planet fight for the survival of the very universe. But the cavalry is on the horizon! Kyle Rayner, in a bid to provide cover for his fellow Green Lanterns, has found himself pummeled across the galaxy and into the ring of… a wrestling federation?! Oh no… oh dear heavens no… is Omega Bam Man about to enter the DC K.O. fray?! Oh mah gawd! An entire cavalcade of brawlers is right behind him! Are there tables? Somebody get the tables!

On sale 1/21/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 12/15/2025.

30. SUPERMAN #34

ROCK OF APOKOLIPS!

Darkseid’s plan worked! Earth has been transformed into Apokolips. His Dark Legion prepares the Earth for his imminent arrival. If Superman is locked in the tournament, who can stand up and defeat them?

On sale 1/28/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/5/2026.

31. THE FLASH #29

A RACE AGAINST THE DARK LEGION!

The Dark Legion chase the Flash and Impulse to a pivotal moment in Flash history: The moment when Barry Allen was struck by lightning!

On sale 1/28/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/5/2026.

32. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #15

THE FALL OF MR. TERRIFIC!

The plot Neron set in motion is revealed at last—and the consequences will spell the end of heroism on planet Earth! As powered-up villains ravage what’s left of the planet, the Terrific Ten is whittled down to a handful of survivors who can’t possibly withstand the fires of Hell!

On sale 1/28/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/5/2026.

33. DC K.O.: THE KIDS ARE ALL FIGHT #1 (ONE-SHOT)

CAN JON KENT STOP GRANNY GOODNESS?

Jon Kent always wanted to be a Titan when he grew up, but now that he’s working alongside them in the effort to evacuate Earth, he didn’t think he’d be stuck babysitting young sidekicks! When the kids sneak off to enter the fray and stop Granny Goodness, Jon will have to show these young heroes the ropes so they can save the day and prove there’s no age requirement to being a superhero–and you won’t want to miss the SHOCKING finale!

On sale 1/28/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/5/2026.

34. DC K.O.: BOSS BATTLE #1 (ONE-SHOT)

TO SAVE OUR WORLD, THEY MUST BATTLE THE CHAMPIONS OF OTHER WORLDS!

Unexpected fighters from beyond the DC Comics enter the arena! Wait… What? WHO?! As the remaining champions in the K.O. tournament prepare for the final rounds, they discover that there isn’t enough Omega energy left to crown the winner a King Omega. To have any hope of stopping Darkseid, they’ll need to engage in combat with the champions of other worlds beyond our own including Annabelle, Homelander, Sub-Zero, and more! This shocking, star-studded crossover sets the stage for the final chapters of the epic DC K.O. event and features matchups you never imagined possible. The ultimate battle is only beginning!

On sale 2/4/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/12/2026.

35. DC K.O.: KNIGHTFIGHT #4 (OF 4)

FOR BATMAN TO WIN, DOES DAMIAN HAVE TO LOSE?

Bruce Wayne became Batman to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, but he never imagined a world where Gotham City would be so safe it no longer needs its Caped Crusader. But when he arrives in a Gotham where Damian achieved that very peace, will Bruce destroy everything his son has built to overcome the Heart of Apokolips’s test and re-enter the K.O. tournament?

On sale 2/4/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/12/2026.

36. DC K.O. #4

THE FINAL FOUR ARE PUT TO THE ABSOLUTE TEST!

Three mysterious new Omega-charged fighters have entered the tournament… and this trinity of the Absolute will change the face of the DCU forever! It’s all down to how far the final four are willing to go to win in the penultimate chapter of DC K.O.! Plus: Booster’s true allegiance revealed, Darkseid’s return foretold, and a bonkers last page that will bring the battle to the next level!

On sale 2/11/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/19/2026.

37. AQUAMAN #14

RAGE OF POSEIDON!

Andrina’s true nature is revealed as Aquaman is confronted by Poseidon himself! Mera has one chance to help her true love, but its action could destroy the avatar of the blue forever!

On sale 2/11/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/19/2026.

38. TITANS #32

THE TITANS ARE EARTH’S LAST LINE OF DEFENSE!

Jinx is terrorizing Gemworld, Cyborg is gone, and the Titans are spread across the galaxy. With their backs against the wall, Arsenal and Donna Troy prepare for battle as the last line of defense against Darkseid’s forces! Is this the Titans last stand… or is it the beginning of something new?

On sale 2/18/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 1/26/2026.

39. SUPERMAN #35

THE END IS NIGH!

Superman’s time in the tournament has taken its toll. And now Darkseid’s Legion plans to make a massive sacrifice for their lord, and Time Trapper is too late to stop them. Only three unlikely heroes can show the corrupted Legion the light… The end of this issue sets up the end of DC K.O. but also massive status quo changes for Superman!

On sale 2/25/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 2/2/2026.

40. THE FLASH #30

SPEEDSTERS FROM THE PRESENT MEET DARKSEID FROM THE PAST!

The Speedsters’ race through time has led them to an encounter with a Darkseid from the past, and their escape leads them to a shocking reunion!

On sale 2/25/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 2/2/2026.

41. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #16

MR. TERRIFIC IN HELL!

As the Earth’s mass evacuation continues, in order to save millions, Mr. Terrific and (what’s left of) his Terrific Ten must march through Hell to confront its ultimate ruler, Neron–and expose the traitor in their midst!

On sale 2/25/2026. Don’t Miss Out Date 2/2/2026.

There’s Always Next Week: March 22, 2024

Posted on March 22, 2024 | by Super Robot Lifeform

_{by Paul}

Tough week for Bill Skarsgård, huh? Even our UPS guy is coming in and dunking on this new Crow trailer, and for what? I thought it was fine. He’s fine in it. And if he wasn’t, it’s not like he would even be the worst Crow ever. Edward Furlong played the Crow like he was being held hostage by a drug cartel. Marc Dacascos looked like he was dressed as Brandon Lee for an office Halloween party, but he gets to live his life. So what gives? Is it that, by having the gross effrontery to survive the filming of this Crow re-make, Skarsgård punctures people’s romantic notions surrounding the first movie and Brandon Lee’s death? Lee was so young and un-formed as a celebrity persona when he was accidentally killed on the set of The Crow that it’s only natural that our perceptions of him would harden around that character, a murdered man cut down in the prime of his life alongside his fianceé. Because the news of his death was the first time most people became aware of him, and because storytelling is a way we’ve coped with life’s injustices since the dawn of time, I think a lot of people ascribe Brandon Lee’s death on the set of that specific movie to a kind of grim destiny. By surviving the filming of this re-make, Bill Skarsgård suggests that maybe Lee’s death wasn’t romantic, or fate. Maybe it was just a freak accident that ruined a lot of people’s lives for no good reason, and life is really just a complex web of overlapping coincidences that add up to one big mess. Maybe The Crow was just a regular movie this whole time. Maybe we like it for the wrong reasons. But chin up, Bill Skarsgård! Though today you may be tempest-toss’d by life’s YouTube commentors… There’s Always Next Week!

There's Always Next Week: March 22, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

FERAL #1

Art: Trish Forstner | Story: Tony Fleecs (Image Comics, $3.99)

As we discussed last week with Man’s Best, I really am an abysmal chump when it comes to stories about plucky animals in danger. They don’t even have to be good. Replace any human in the most risible, hackneyed scenario with a sad-eyed dog or wisecracking cat and see how dewy my eyes become instantly.

No surprise, then, that Trish Forstner’s Stray Dogs is my favorite comic from the last few years. She draws the way I wish I could draw, wringing every drop of pathos and anxiety out of the adorable Don Bluth-esque dogs she’s placed in the home of a serial killer. It’s twisted, subversive stuff. Now she’s back again with Feral, about a trio of housecats adrift in a world beset by a rabies outbreak, and I cannot wait. I’ve looked forward to this for months. Buy it, read it, read it again.

PRE-ORDER IT: Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Main Cover | Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Variant | Blank Sketch Cover | 1:10 Trish Forstner & Tony Fleecs Variant | 1:25 Sweeney Boo Variant

PRIMER #1

Art: Gretel Lusky | Story: Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski (DC Comics, $3.99)

It might be controversial to say it, but DC’s superhero comics for the last two decades or so have often been, in my opinion, in questionable taste. My opinion! Yes, I am a creampuff who gets gooey over cartoon animals, but DC heroes are always getting their arms torn off or raped or burned to death or their moms killed or their girlfriends killed and it happens more often than I would like. Where DC reigns supreme, though, is the YA superhero book. They have this on lock. Gabriel Picolo and Kami Garcia’s Teen Titans books are all winners, and Yoshi Yoshitani’s I Am Not Starfire is a classic.

I’ve never heard of Primer before, because I am, as longtime readers know and new readers must suspect, a clod. This is a four-issue re-print of a graphic novel from 2020 (maybe that’s why I don’t remember it). The premise—an artistic girl comes into possession of a set of body paints that give the wearer superpowers—is brilliant, and Gretel Lusky’s art makes you want to crawl into her panels and live there. If you don’t buy it, I will, and I work here so I’ve got the edge. Make your move.

PRE-ORDER IT: Gretel Lusky Main Cover

SAM AND TWITCH: CASE FILES #1

Art: Szymon Kudranski | Story: Todd McFarlane (Image Comics, $2.99)

The last time I read an issue of Spawn, it was about a guy named Paul getting crushed to death by spiked walls for twenty pages while Spawn looked on. I said, “Well! I never!” and went to find a comic about a cuddly animal. Now here’s Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1. I can’t relate the two things. They’re just part of the pageant of life. I take my hat off to Sam and Twitch, though. They’ve stuck it out long enough to have their own Wikipedia entry. They’ve been drawn by great artists like Ashley Wood, Alex Maleev, and now Szymon Kudranski. In silhouette they kind of look like Drew and Varun as detectives. Varun’s leaving us in two weeks and we’ll miss them. Come by the shop and say good-bye while you have a chance.

PRE-ORDER IT: Kevin Keane Main Cover

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

MOON MAN #2

Art: Marco Locati | Story: Kyle Higgins, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi (Image Comics, $3.99) | FOC: 3/25

As Ramon tests the limits of his new abilities, the astronauts return to Janus for more assessment—and the world begins to react to the news of a real-life superhero.

Marco Locati Main Cover
Erica D’Urso Variant
Greg Tocchini Variant

NINJA FUNK: B.A.D. MUSIC #1 (OF 4)

Art: Alessandro Micelli | Story: JPG (Massive/Whatnot, $4.99) | FOC: 3/25

Following the battle at the Ninja Funk Dojo and capture of BB, B.A.D. Music retreats to their headquarters at The Nexus. With the love of Lazerwolf’s life as irresistible bait, there’s no doubt in Queen B.A.D.’s mind that her nemeses will come knocking, and she’s ready for them…

Will Lazerwolf, JPG Mcfly and Wolfgang see the trap for what it is, or run headlong into disaster? Find out in Ninja Funk: B.A.D. Music #1!

David Mack Main Cover
Alessandro Micelli Variant
Tyler Kirkham Variant

SLASH PRESENTS: DEATHSTALKER #1

Art: Jim Terry | Story: Slash, Tim Seeley, Steven Kostanski (Vault Comics, $4.99) | FOC: 3/24

The cult-classic warrior-hero Deathstalker bursts into the comics scene from an all-star lineup of creators including Slash (Guns N’ Roses) and writer-director-creature-FX-wizard Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, The Void)! Deathstalker finds himself once again caught between forces larger than himself—a virgin worshiping cult, a sorcerer hell-bent on saving the world through mad science, and the pissed-off army of the Abraxeon kingdom… not to mention his ex-lover, Princess Evie. Monsters, magic, and mayhem abound… can’t a guy just swing his sword anymore?

Nathan Gooden Main Cover
Jim Terry Variant
Conor Boyle Variant
John Patrick Ganas Variant
Dan Panosian Variant
Boris Vallejo Variant
Angela Wu Variant
Boris Vallejo/Slash Signed Variant (Allocations May Occur)

There’s Always Next Week: March 15, 2024

Posted on March 15, 2024 | by Super Robot Lifeform

_{by Paul}

Welcome back to There’s Always Next Week, my weekly feature that hasn’t been posted in a few weeks! I did my best to keep it up, but between putting up all of the March 2024 pre-orders and shipping out an overwhelming amount of books (thank you all so much for trusting us with your orders!), I haven’t been able to get back to it the way I hoped. I’ve shuffled around my work week so that I have more time to write this, so going forward we should be weekly again. And if I do have to miss one for whatever reason, I’ll keep my head up, tweak the formula and try again. After all… There’s Always Next Week!

Before we delve too far into next week’s releases, I want to share the news that starting with all May-shipping titles, you can save 10% on all pre-orders (except for special order items) with our Early Bird Discount. The discount lasts through final order cut-off, after which titles can only be purchased at full price, so order early! The expiration date for each title’s discount can be found at the bottom of its product entry.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #25 (DAN MORA WILLIAM SHATNER CAMEO VARIANT)

Art: Dan Mora, Steve Pugh | Story: Mark Waid (DC Comics, $5.99)

I’ve never spotlighted a specific variant of a title before, but Batman/Superman: World’s Finest found an interesting niche for itself a few years ago when someone realized that Dan Mora can draw flattering pictures of elderly Boomer celebrities that are still true to the way they look now in their dotage. He did it first with Jerry Seinfeld early in the run, and then later drew a fun Christmas cover featuring Paul McCartney singing karaoke with Superman, a character who I suspect has Spotify’s This Is Matchbox 20 playlist on repeat at all times. Now here’s William Shatner, drawn unmistakably as himself in old age, taking a momentary pause from posting wrongheaded observations on social media to look commanding next to Superman and Batman. I predict this cover will become the basis of future caption contests in which the text of Superman’s speech bubble is replaced with things like, “Green Lantern, remember when you said the only book you ever finished was Tekworld?” Send your best caption to admin@ashavecomics.com and I’ll send you a special discount code.

PRE-ORDER IT: Dan Mora William Shatner Cameo Variant

NACELLEVERSE #0

Art: Diogenese Neves, Francis Portela, Rahmat Handoka, Rhoald Marcellius | Story: Melissa Flores (Oni Press, $5.99)

With Skybound’s Transformers and associated Energon Universe proving to be big successes, Oni Press and the Nacelle Toy Company^™ have dug deep into the toybox and come up with a bunch of old favorites sure to have many 80s kids saying, “I think my cousin had one of those.” I was kind of tickled when I saw they were doing this. Top-billed Robo Force is obviously the star property here, and most people upon seeing that name again will be thinking, “What the hell is Robo Force?” I remember having one or two of these guys and they were great. They were these kind of Robbie the Robot-looking characters and the gimmick was that you would stick them on something, push a button on top of their heads, and they would suction to the surface. They all looked like household appliances from The Jetsons and were predictably trounced by the likes of Transformers and Go-Bots. I liked the ones I had though. I always used them as things like space librarians when the Transformers and Go-Bots and Voltron needed information for some kind of quest, or space waiters when they needed to go somewhere to eat. Robo Force were kind of your average-Joe workaday robots. The Sectaurs I never liked, because they were gross bug guys out of some nightmare and I wanted no part of them. I knew a kid who had a Sectaurs creature that was a giant fly that haunts me to this day. The Biker Mice from Mars I remember a little bit as one of the cartoons that was marooned on Sunday morning during church, so it always seemed like a treat to get to watch it when I got to stay home sick even if I didn’t really like it. They were TMNT clones, I think. Power Lords and The Great Garloo are things I have never heard of in my life. If this Nacelleverse thing goes down the tubes, they’ll probably get blamed. But it’s the Sectaurs, I tell you. They’re horrible.

PRE-ORDER IT: Marco D’Alfonso Main Cover | Logan Lubera Variant | InHyuk Lee Variant | Livio Ramondelli Variant | ~~Blank Sketch Variant~~

MAN’S BEST #1

Art: Jesse Lonergan | Story: Pornsak Pichetshote (Boom! Studios, $4.99)

I’m not a person who’s given to cry very much, and only one comic has ever gotten me to tear up: We3, by Frank Quitely and Grant Morrison, about a cat, a dog, and a bunny rabbit who escape a lab where they’re being turned into cybernetic war machines and try to find their way home. Even thinking about those little guys gets me choked up. Now here comes Man’s Best by Jesse Lonergan and Pornsak Pichetshote, and I already have the feeling I’ll need to read this series late at night after my wife falls asleep so that no human eyes witness the single manly tear roll down my cheek while I read about these four-legged friends fighting for their lives in heavily-armed mech suits. I have a good feeling about this series.

PRE-ORDER IT: Jesse Lonergan Main Cover | Trish Forstner Variant | Jae Lee FOC Reveal Variant

DAWNRUNNER #1

Art: Evan Cagle | Story: Ram V (Dark Horse Comics, $4.99)

Since losing the Star Wars license (mostly), Dark Horse has made a good go of things by pursuing video game adaptations. Dawnrunner sounds like an adaptation of a video game that hasn’t been made yet. The plot is kind of a re-hash of Pacific Rim (no bad thing, I love Pacific Rim) with an Incan twist. Humans piloting giant robots vs. giant monsters. The big draw here to me is Evan Cagle’s art, which looks like it has the right amount of mechanical detail without becoming overwhelming. Looking forward to this.

PRE-ORDER IT: Evan Cagle Main Cover | Matias Bergara Variant

ON FOC THIS WEEK

Click here to see all titles on FOC this week.

HERCULES #1

Art: George Kambadais | Story: Elliott Kalan (Dynamite Entertainment, $4.99) | FOC: 3/18

THE CHAMPION OF OLYMPUS RETURNS!

The Greek gods don’t really get why Hercules chose a mortal life over the opportunity to join them on Mt. Olympus, but since he proved his mettle as a hero many times over, they’re happy to enlist his help with missions that require interventions in the earthly realm. So when Aphrodite grants an artist’s wish that his sculpture be brought to life, Herc gets the call to clean things up when the newly conscious artwork proves to be more bone-crushingly lively than expected!

But after discovering that the rogue statue is just misunderstood, and a little rambunctious (much like himself as a youth), Hercules returns to explain the situation to Aphrodite – only to find her temple empty and abandoned. Is the goddess of love just pouting, or is something more sinister afoot? If you know anything about classic mythology, you know it’s going to be the latter!

GET READY FOR A WHOLE NEW HERO’S JOURNEY!

George Kambadais Main Cover
Matteo Lolli Variant
Francesco Tomaselli Variant
Alessandro Ranaldi Negative Space Variant
George Kambadais Foil Variant
George Kambadais Foil Virgin Variant
Blank Authentix Variant
Francesco Tomaselli Limited Edition Virgin Variant
Matteo Lolli Metal Premium Variant

MOON MAN #2

Art: Marco Locati | Story: Kyle Higgins, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi (Image Comics, $3.99) | FOC: 3/18

As Ramon tests the limits of his new abilities, the astronauts return to Janus for more assessment—and the world begins to react to the news of a real-life superhero.

Marco Locati Main Cover
Erica D’Urso Variant
Greg Tocchini Variant

UNCANNY VALLEY #1

Art: Dave Wachter | Story: Tony Fleecs (Boom! Studios, $4.99) | FOC: 3/18

Oliver is a seemingly typical 12 year old boy… except for a mysterious family history that seems to start and end with his mother, and unexplainable powers, that is.

He can do things other boys can’t, to the point of landing him in some trouble. Baffled by the surreal cartoonish nature of his abilities and followed by a murder of peculiar crows, the mystery behind Oliver’s family history finally unfolds!

Written by fan-favorite writer Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs, Local Man) and illustrated by acclaimed artist Dave Wachter (Punisher, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), discover what makes Oliver special and strange as he searches for his place in the world.

Dave Wachter Main Cover
Tony Fleecs Variant

There’s Always Three Months from Now: February 16, 2024

Posted on February 16, 2024 | by Super Robot Lifeform

^{by Paul}

There’s Always Next Week needs a breather this week, so we’re going to the bullpen and bringing in its sister feature to throw some heat. Say hello to… There’s Always Three Months from Now! This is a semi-regular feature you’ll get to enjoy whenever a distributor’s new catalog comes out, typically on a Friday, the same day I write this column. I try to get all of the new catalogs up on the site the day they come out, which means spending the day hunched over the computer pouring over endless spreadsheets, much like Batman does in the Batcave. Yes, that is what he’s doing down there. They don’t dwell on it too much in the comics, but his greatest crimefighting tool is Microsoft Office. He uses Robin’s student I.D. to get a discount on the license. Just because he’s a billionaire doesn’t mean he’s not cheap.

Since I, like Batman, am buried up to my codpiece in spreadsheets, let’s use this opportunity to take a whirlwind tour of some of the exciting books you’ll be able to read in three months from DC, DSTLRY, Image, Magma Comix (?), and others. You can pre-order them now, here, on this very website! In fact, here’s a little secret—don’t tell Drew this—but you can save 10% on purchases of $25.00 or more on all pre-FOC titles by using the code PREFOC10 at checkout. If you order $50.00 or more of pre-FOC, you can save 15% by using the code PREFOC15 at checkout. If you order $75.00 or more of pre-FOC, save 20% with the code PREFOC20. And at $100, you get free shipping! You can’t afford not to!

COMING IN MAY 2024

There's Always Three Months from Now: February 16, 2024 - Ash Avenue Comics

BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #3 (OF 4) JAMIE HEWLETT VARIANT

How many money trucks did DC back up into Tank Girl and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett’s driveway to get him to do this variant? I was stunned when I saw this. Has he done anything like this before? I don’t remember it if he did.

ONE FOR SORROW #1 (OF 3)

This is Jamie McKelvie’s new project from DSTLRY and I am psyched. Everything DSTLRY has published so far has been an amazing package, and we haven’t seen McKelvie stretch his wings like this in a while.

TOXIC SUMMER #1 (OF 3)

Derek Charm, who did some fun Archie stuff, brings us this new horror series from Oni that reminds me of one of those late-80s campy USA Up All Night horror movies, like Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama. This one will be on my pull list.

GROMMETS #1 (OF 7)

Rick Remender’s team-up with Andy Samberg on The Holy Roller has worked out pretty well, so he’s decided to roll the dice with another chucklehead—Brian Posehn, this time, who is not a stranger to comics—for Grommets, a book about how kids were awesome 40 years ago compared to the sucky phonesters of today. That’s probably reductive. It’s an 80s coming-of-age tale. Love that cover.

THE BOY WONDER #1 (OF 5)

I was surprised to see this—it’s a kind of fairy-tale take on the Robin story by Juni Ba, whose Monkey Meat series from a couple years ago I really enjoyed. People love Robin. Any Robin. I think this will be very popular, with reach beyond the normal comics crowd.

THE SCALE TRADE #1

“In a modern-day world one step removed from our own,” reads the solicitation for The Scale Trade #1, “dragons are a highly respected—and highly endangered—species, but poaching is an existential threat.” That is a lot of steps removed from our world, Scale Trade makers! Dragons! I ask you. Megan Huang, who’s done some nice covers lately, teams up with Steve Orlando from Marvel’s Marauders here. Could be fun.

There’s Always Next Week: February 9, 2023

Posted on February 9, 2024 | by Super Robot Lifeform

_{by Paul}

We offer this statement on behalf of the Overwhelmingly White Comics Retailers of America (O.W.C.R.A. for short. How’s that for irony?) : We really blew it when it came to ordering Ultimate Black Panther #1. There was an appetite for this comic and local comic shops slept on it. Drew probably ordered twice as many copies as most retailers and it still was not nearly enough. Mea culpa. Final order cut-off for the second print of UBP #1 is Monday night, and we’ll order accordingly, but if you want to be absolutely sure to get your copy, or copies, please place your orders before then (links are at the bottom of the page as well). In the meantime, we can’t promise this situation will never happen again, but we can promise we’ll sure as hell try harder to anticipate demand from all corners. We had some Ultimate egg on our faces this week, but we’ll learn the lesson and try to do better, because… There’s Always Next Week!

SINISTER SONS #1 (OF 6)

Art: David Lafuente | Story: Peter J. Tomasi (DC Comics, $3.99)

I thought this was a nice one to highlight for Valentine’s Day because it’s about Sinestro’s son doing stuff. Sinestro’s son. He found a woman to have his baby. He has a grown-up daughter, too! So it happened twice, decades apart. Please please please let it be consensually, or I’ll get such mail. (I read his and his daughter’s Wikipedia pages and the word “wife” got thrown around a lot, so I think I’m on safe ground here. But I’ll take my medicine if I need to.) There are a lot of strikes against him. He has poorly-judged facial hair. He has a face like an old catcher’s mitt, at least on this cover. If he’s not neurodivergent, no one is. His name is Sinestro. “I can’t put my finger on it, Sinestro, but sometimes I feel like you don’t have my best interests at heart.” But there was still someone out there for him. You just have to keep putting yourself out there, like I assume Sinestro did. I really hope it’s not a gross story, how he had his kids. I just remembered Geoff Johns wrote a lot of Sinestro stuff and now I have beads of sweat breaking out on my forehead. But I’m at least confident that David Lafuente and Peter J. Tomasi won’t mention anything like that in this book. They’ve both carved out niches for themselves doing these kinds of kid-hero stories, so we should be in good hands here.

NIGHT THRASHER #1

Art: Nelson Daniel | Story: J Holtham (Marvel Comics, $4.99)

This week Marvel welcomes back Night Thrasher, a character best known for recklessly causing the fiery deaths of hundreds of innocent people, including a busload of schoolchildren, in pursuit of footage for a reality television series. If I so much as accidentally cut off a schoolbus in traffic, I would agonize over it for weeks because something bad might have happened. I guess that’s why I’m not a hero.

I mean, you would imagine the loved ones of all the people burnt to a crisp that day, upon hearing that Night Thrasher is back on the streets with no supervision or accountability, would say, “Excuse me. Can we re-visit this Registration idea again?” For that matter, it’s hard to imagine they would ever stop. That’s the problem with doing a story like Civil War. For it to work, after months or years of anonymous masked lunatics fighting amongst themselves, causing incalculable amounts of property damage and probably loss of life, the everyday citizens of the Marvel Universe, like a dog who’s been blinded in one eye, all have to look at each other and say, “Well, I guess this is just our lives now,” when the status quo is restored. As if they would have nothing to say about it.

It’s crazy that Night Thrasher—who died in that explosion, let’s remember—was brought back to life at all. Other Marvel superheroes went to a lot of trouble to bring him back. Time travel, all sorts of things. What about everyone else who died in that explosion? I assume they’re all still dead. So Night Thrasher deserves to live and they don’t? Maybe this series will reveal that all the civilians who died were psychopaths who murdered their families at the breakfast table that morning, so actually, it’s a good thing they were all killed. I mean, what in the world.

It’s Black History Month, of course, and this book is likely timed for release with that in mind. But even though there aren’t nearly as many Black superheroes as there ought to be, there are still more than there used to be—enough, anyway, that it might have been better to let one with Night Thrasher’s baggage rest.

IF YOU FIND THIS, I’M ALREADY DEAD #1

Art: Dan McDaid | Story: Matt Kindt (Dark Horse Comics, $7.99)

I single out this one because it has my favorite title of this week’s releases (rivalled only by Sweetie: Candy Vigilante Vol. 2, disqualified on the grounds that we didn’t order any copies) and because it’s a non-standard trim size (about 8″ x 11″ from the look of it). I am a big mark for comics in weird sizes, which can appear anywhere at anytime in my house because I have no clue where to put them. If You Can Find This, I’m Already Dead has a cool premise about an embedded war reporter who has to fend for herself in some kind of sci-fi setting after the unit she covers is wiped out. It sounds like one of those cool oversized Epic Comics GNs I used to pick up for cheap in high school and read to death. Dan McDaid’s cartooning has a cool, inky Paul Pope kind of line that I really respond to. Looking forward to this one.

THE DISPLACED #1 (OF 5)

Art: Luca Casalanguida | Story: Ed Brisson (Boom! Studios, $7.99)

The Displaced explores what happens when all traces of evidence that survivors of a missing Canadian town exist vanish. Spoilers: It suuuuucks. Say good-bye to your budding influencer career, because you are never getting those followers back. Say good-bye to talking about your budding influencer career to anybody, because everyone who humors you because they love you doesn’t remember you anymore. Tik Tok doesn’t remember what you like so you keep getting fed clips of people with affectionate lizards. The HBO Max works about the same, though.

ON FOC THIS WEEK

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 (SECOND PRINTING)

Art: Stefano Caselli | Story: Bryan Hill (Marvel Comics, $5.99) | FOC: 2/12

NIGHT PEOPLE #1 (OF 4)

Art: Brian Level | Story: Barry Gifford, Chris Condon (Oni Press, $4.99) | FOC: 2/11

TORPEDO 1972 #1

Art: Eduardo Risso | Story: Enrique Sánchez Abulí (Ablaze Publishing, $3.99) | FOC: 2/12