Welcome back to The Beat Digest, a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest comics-related news stories we’ve missed every Tuesday and Friday. Is there a story out there you think we should cover? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
§ Via Fangoria, Oni Press outlined their plans for the revived EC Comics line this summer (dubbed “Summer of Fear.”) Blood Type, a four-issue vampire series spinning out of Epitaphs from the Abyss, by Corinna Bechko and Andrea Sorrentino, will launch first on June 11. It will be followed on July 16 by Catacomb of Torment, a new, ongoing horror anthology, featuring stories respectively by John Arcudi, Matt Kindt & David Lapham, and Marguerite Bennett & Dan McDaid. Cruel Universe 2 #1 (of 12) will round out the trio on August 8, with new sci-fi tales by J. Holtham, Kano, Ann Nocenti, David Rubín, and Greg Smallwood.
§ Legendary and Rocketship Entertainment launched a Kickstarter for Monarch: The Lost Adventures, a graphic novel tying into Apple TV+’s MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. It will feature five original stories respectively by James F. Wright & Amanda Perez Puentes, Paul Cornell & Drew Zucker, Tony Lee & Tony Shasteen, Marguerite Bennett & Alberto Sapien, and another, unannounced creative team, all delving further into the Randa family’s history with Godzilla, Kong et al. It is expected for release in July 2026, around the same time as the second season of the show.
§ Skybound announced Ghost Pepper, a post-apocalyptic superhero series by writer/artist/letterer Ludo Lullabi (Battle Chasers) and colorist Adriano Lucas (Destro). The comic, which marks Lullabi’s writing debut, follows a food truck owner named Loloi, who teams up with Ash, a gruff loner with superstrength, to protect her (and her cooking) from her rivals, and the robots that’ve infested the world. Issue #1 releases July 16. And in other Image news, Gerry Duggan, Kelvin Mao, Robert Windom, and Jae Lee‘s long-delayed action series, This Ends Tonight, will finally begin on July 16.
§ Mad Cave will publish Wild Animals, a five-issue crime series by Ed Brisson and Andy Kuhn, starting July 9. A revenge thriller, the book follows a man whose father was killed by corrupt cops 15 years ago, and who decides to take retribution now that his mother is dying. The publisher also announced a print editions of the comiXology releases Beneath (Steven S. DeKnight and Michael Gaydos‘s border horror OGN) and Boxed (Mark Sable and Jeremy Haun‘s dark A.I-themed romance), due out respectively on July 16, and September 9.
§ Z2 Comics unveiled GWAR: The Return of Gor Gor, a 32-page one-shot tying into the heavy metal band’s upcoming EP of the same name. Written by Michael Derks, Matt Maguire, Tommy Meehan, and the Granger Brothers, with art by Stan Yak and Matt Maguire, the book will chronicle what the band’s “pet T. rex,” Gor Gor, has been up to recently. It will be released alongside the album on July 25, 2025.
§ Dark Horse revealed Ghost Compendium, a two-volume reprint of every Ghost series to date. Created by Team Comics’ Greatest World in 1995, Ghost follows reporter Elisa Cameron, who becomes the titular heroine while investigating her own murder. The 1088-page first volume will collect the first 36 issues, and be released in paperback on October 21, 2025 (the following day in comics stores) for $59.99.
§ Marvel Studios debuted a third and final trailer for Thunderbolts* ahead of its release on May 2, set to Queen and David Bowie‘s “Under Pressure.” There’s nothing here on the same level as the spoiler the final Deadpool & Wolverine trailer had, but still, viewer discretion is advised.
§ Playbill reports the first stage adaptation of Berlin, Jason Lutes‘s historical graphic novel series, will be performed at Chicago’s Court Theatre from Sunday, April 19, until Sunday, May 11. Like the source material, the production follows various characters in the German capital from 1928 to 1933, during the rise of the Nazi Party. The play was scripted by Mickle Maher, who described the story’s relevance to today as being “glaringly obvious,” and directed by Charles Newell. For more on the project, head to the Theatre’s official website.
§ Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse, a new documentary about the creator of Maus, premiered on PBS this week, and is now available to watch on their website/app until Wednesday, May 14. The acclaimed feature-length chronicle of Spiegelman’s life, which received a limited theatrical release in February, features interviews with his family and contemporaries, including his wife, designer Françoise Mouly, plus Joe Sacco, Robert Crumb, Emil Ferris, Jerry Craft, Bill Griffith, and Molly Crabapple.
§ Finally, in an interview with ICv2, Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada (Banned Book Club, the upcoming Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit) spoke about their decision to cancel a planned four-month trip to the United States. The couple, who are respectively a Korean and American residing in South Korea, cited stories like R.E. Burke’s detention in the States as causing them to become fearful for Kim’s safety, and to opt for free virtual author visits, workshops, and talks instead. Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit will be published by Penguin on October 7.
