There’s zero doubt, Absolute Batman Annual #1 will be one of the year’s most talked-about comics. Featuring three stories by Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, James Harren, Dave Stewart, Meredith McClaren, and Clayton Cowles, this hefty comic centers on the early Absolute Universe adventures of Bruce Wayne, revealing how that chonky Batmobile came to be, and just how Black Mask’s party animals first encountered the Dark Knight. We read the comic a couple of weeks back, and the instant we flipped that last page, we were compelled to get Daniel Warren Johnson into a Zoom room. Thankfully, he obliged.

Johnson’s untitled story makes up the bulk of the Absolute Batman Annual. It propels Absolute Batman against a white supremacist horde, showcasing some of the most brutal action from the ongoing series so far, while doing so in a way that questions that violence’s effectiveness. As Daniel Warren Johnson has showcased in other comics like Murder Falcon, Do a Powerbomb!, and his recent run on Transformers, badass, jaw-dropping visuals are only half his might as a creator. DWJ breaks hearts as often as he breaks bones.

“It’s in my blood and it’s boiling, and I have to get it out.”

In an exclusive conversation with Comic Book Couples Counseling, Johnson explains how his tale in the Absolute Batman Annual came to pass. We discuss his reluctance to contribute to the world so expertly crafted by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, and how one single image eventually caused him to put everything he had into this character and universe. Daniel Warren Johnson tells us why supplying only compelling, catastrophic action isn't enough for him as a storyteller. He requires more than an exclamation point to climax his stories. He needs a question.

Absolute Batman Annual is now available from DC Comics. Make sure you're following Daniel Warren Johnson on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/danielwarrenart.bsky.social], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/danielwarrenart/], and his Website [https://www.danielwarrenart.com/].

This Week's Sponsors

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com [http://2000ad.com/] and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster

Exclusive: Daniel Warren Johnson on Absolute Batman Annual

We all crave a good meal. The challenge is savoring it once it's placed before you. Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner have wickedly, and delightfully, discovered a way to make Bram Stoker’s Dracula not one good dish, but three...and possibly four and five.

For the last several years, they’ve transformed the classic vampire novel into a feast impossible to gobble down in one sitting. By taking throwaway sentences in the book and building two graphic novels out of them (Dracula Book I: The Impaler, Dracula Book II: The Brides), they’ve miraculously extended their love affair with Vlad, and ours in the process as well.

Now, with Dracula Book III: The Count, which only has a week left on Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/draculatheimpaler/dracula-book-3?ref=7ay2c1], Jones and Kelley properly excavate Bram Stoker’s book. This third entry tackles the iconic plot, but only from Count Dracula’s perspective. We all know this story from Jonathan Harker, Mina, and Van Helsing’s point of view, but how did the vicious beast at the center of their fear experience the whole endeavor? No more letters. Only the Count’s singular, hungry howl of self.

We’ve read and watched many Dracula adaptations, but none as exhaustive and creative as this. As a result, this week’s podcast had to match Jones and Wagner’s studious passion. All together, we dig deep into their previous entry, Dracula Book II: The Brides. We discuss how, in chaining themselves to Dracula’s perspective, they create unparalleled empathy for the monster and his godless pursuits. Is there danger in that?

Again, Dracula: The Count only has seven days left on its Kickstarter campaign. Please visit the crowdfunding project by clicking HERE [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/draculatheimpaler/dracula-book-3?ref=7ay2c1]. You can continue the conversation with Kelley Jones by visiting his Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kelleyjones1art/]. You can follow Matt Wagner on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5yrpvzokw5pahov5ubkq52ps] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattwagnercomics/].

This Week's Sponsors

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/blog/hashtags/1] is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring

Kelley Jones and Matt Wagner Make a Feast Out of Dracula

Transplanting the Doughboys from one medium to another demands collaborators with a firm grasp on both worlds. Podcasters Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger know their realm, but require a few comic book maniacs to hurl them confidently into the sequential playground. Enter writer Alex Firer and artist Fred C. Stressing (also, colorist Meg Casey).

Not only did Firer and Stresing grow up stewing in comics, but they’ve spent the last several years working together on the Rick and Morty books from Oni Press. They bring with them a strong passion for Harvey Kurtzman, Grant Morrison, and Krazy Kat. They’re equally pickled in Doughboys lore, and after a little back and forth with Mitch and Wiger, could decipher the podcast into the epic quest called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths.

Last week, we spoke with Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger about how they found their way into a comic book, and this week, we’re speaking with Alex Firer and Fred C. Stresing about how they helped make that wild fantasy a reality. Also, as a result of hosting the Harvey Awards at New York Comic Con last weekend, we’re stewing in Harvey Kurtzman’s world ourselves, and his influence is easily identified in the Doughboys Comic Book. It’s a joy to discuss madcap comedy, especially the funny book variety, with these two.

Make sure you’re following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here [https://headgum.com/doughboys]. Follow Alex Firer on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/alexfirer.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/alexfirer/]. Follow Fred C. Stresing on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/fredcstresing.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fredcstresing/]. You can purchase Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths on BeOurKids.com [https://beourkids.com/].

This Week's Sponsors

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com [http://2000ad.com/] and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I

Alex Firer and Fred C. Stresing Cook a Tasty Doughboys Soup

The podcast crossover event no one was expecting is here. The Doughboys, Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger, arrive on Comic Book Couples Counseling ready to examine their feelings and suss out why they’ve propelled their podcast life into comic book form. Collaborating with writer Alex Firer, artist Fred C. Stresing, and colorist Meg Casey, Mitch and Wiger boil down their obsession with fast food and chain restaurants into a delicious four-color stew.

It’s a six-issue series called Doughboys: The Comic Book - Mitch and Wiger Chew America - Crisis on Infinite Girths. Everything you need to know about the vibe is right there in the title. The book is comic book-y, and a Where’s Waldoquest for Wednesday warriors, as well as longtime fans of the podcast. You can nab the first issue here [https://beourkids.com/].

For ten years, Mitch and Wiger have met weekly to battle it out over Red Lobster, Steak n Shake, and Taco Bell, usually inviting fellow comedy maniacs like Jon Gabrus or Lauren Lapkus to weigh in. The Doughboys comic book operates in a similar fashion, but cranks everything to eleven. Demonic and heavenly forces are at play here, friends.

We return from New York Comic Con with the perfect episode. We discuss with Mitch and Wiger what drew them to comics, what they’ve learned about themselves while spending years talking about food, and how insignificant you can feel when sitting in a football stadium or the New York Javits Center.

Make sure you’re following the Doughboys on your favorite podcast app, or just click here [https://headgum.com/doughboys]. You can also follow them on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/doughboys.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/doughboyspodcast/].

This Week's Sponsors

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/blog/hashtags/1] is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to

Cults Are Bad. The Doughboys Are Good. An interview with Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger

Weeks ago, we told you to keep an eye glued [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/exclusive-john-j-pearson-macabre-valley-cover-art] to the Macabre Valley #1 Kickstarter from writer Zack Quaintance and artist Anna Readman. Now, you have only one week left to back the project and secure yourself a copy of this fiendishly fun comic. Based on Quaintance’s own experiences reporting along the American/Mexican border, Macabre Valley tells a viciously recognizable story, energized by Anna Readman’s gnarly creature designs and trippy sequential storytelling.

You can even support the project knowing you’ll receive your comic soon, as Macabre Valley has surpassed its funding goal spectacularly. To celebrate and encourage last-minute stragglers, we’re thrilled to have Zack Quaintance back on the podcast this week to discuss the werewolf priest at Macabre Valley’s center, and he’s even joined this time by his talented collaborator Anna Readman (making her podcast debut, no less).

We discuss what makes the best werewolves and how both creators relate to the real-life horror that surrounds the fantastical horror throughout Macabre Valley. The conversation considers uniforms, from the lawful to the hirsute, and the influence they have on those who wear them. Finally, it leaves the listener imagining a wild, wonderful alternate reality where Cormac McCarthy wrote for EC Comics.

Again, Macabre Valley #1 is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zackq/macabre-valley]. It’s written by Zack Quaintance, illustrated by Anna Readman, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Becca Carey. Please follow Zack Quaintance on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/zackquaintance.bsky.social]and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/zackq23], and follow Anna Readman on her Website [https://annareadman.com/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annareadman/].

This Week's Sponsors

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get a print subscription to the Megazine and it’ll arrive through your American mailbox every month – or get a combi subscription and receive 2000 AD each week as well! If you subscribe digitally, you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com [http://2000ad.com/] and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today!

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inven

Zack Quaintance and Anna Readman on Macabre Valley

When Francis Ford Coppola shoots you an email asking you to transform his new movie into a comic book, you say yes and worry about the details later. Chris Ryall got the email. Once he got over the shock ot it, he immediately knew who to contact next: Comic Book Couples Counseling regular, Jacob Phillips. They couldn’t have possibly understood what an undertaking they were committing to during those early days, but nearly five years later, they have the Megalopolisgraphic novel in their hands. It’s something special.

As you’ll hear on this week’s podcast, Francis Ford Coppola wanted Ryall and Phillips to make the comic their own. If that meant chopping up the script or fabricating the designs, so be it. Jacob Phillips approaches the likenesses the way he would any corporate comic character. If he were on Batman, he’d do his version of Batman. So, he’d apply the same logic to Adam Driver. The actor is the design, but the pencils and inks belong to Phillips. The magic is in how the movie and the comic, crafted independently of each other, aligned so well together.

Chatting with Ryall and Phillips allowed us to celebrate both artistic mediums. We discuss the challenges of translating cinematic ideas onto panels, the need for repertoire stories, and the hope within Francis Ford Coppola’s humanism.

Before all that, however, we also discuss the new documentary, Shopping for Superman [https://shoppingforsuperman.com/]. Directed by Wes Eastin, the film travels across America, from one comic book shop to another. It’s a must-watch for every comic book reader, as it honors the industry while contemplating where it’s all going in the wake of Diamond Comic Distributors' destruction.

Megalopolis, the comic, is published by Abrams ComicArts [https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis] and arrives in shops on October 7th. Make sure you’re following Chris Ryall on his Substack, Instagram, and Blue Sky. Also, follow Jacob Phillips on Instagram and Blue Sky.

This Week's Sponsors

Launching this October, it’s the latest entry in IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/]'s Kei-Sei line of Godzilla comics: Starship Godzilla, a cosmic adventure. It’s written by award-winning scribe Chris Gooch (of In Utero fame) and illustrated by inventive artist Oliver Ono (I mean, come on, did you read their Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp? Insta-Classic). The Kai-Sei Era is the only ongoing Godzilla story of its kind, crafted for comics readers who have never bought a Godzilla book and Godzilla fans who have never read a comic. Starship Godzilla #1 is out now wherever rad comic books are sold.

Judge Dredd Megazine turns thirty-five years old this October, and it’ll be celebrating with a very special issue perfect for first-time readers! Featuring the return of the critically acclaimed series Dreadnoughts and Megalopolis, this 100-page issue is a brilliant way to jump into the crazy world of 2000 AD. You’ll also find incredible new stories featuring Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson, and much more inside! Get

Jacob Phillips and Chris Ryall: Making Megalopolis with Francis Ford Coppola

Not again! Chip Kidd and Michael Cho are the latest comic book creators to find their way, literally, into comics. The Avengers in the Veracity Trap, published as part of the Marvel Arts imprint of Abrams ComicArts [https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/the-avengers-in-the-veracity-trap], propels the titular superheroes from their dimension into ours, revealing that Kidd and Cho control their free will. The oversized original graphic novel is a stunning-looking comic, thanks to Michael Cho making magic with sequentials, taking a short break from his usual stellar cover work.

What is it about comics? Read enough of them, and suddenly you want to be in them. The medium invites invasion, calling folks like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and others to throw themselves upon the panels. Maybe it’s because, as children, we wrap this flatland universe around us like a blanket. It’s comfy and protective. It’s where we want to go when the third dimension reveals itself as too damn physical with our soft little bodies.

Chip Kidd joins the podcast this week to discuss how he once again wormed his way into comic book panels (yeah, this is not his first offense. See also, Batman: Death by Design and Alex Ross’s Marvelocity). We discuss how "The Veracity Trap" has become a valuable concept for us personally as we struggle with the strings that direct our movements these days. As usual, the conversation gets philosophical, breaking down free will and the troubled waters between artist and audience.

The Avengers in the Veracity Trap is now available wherever rad comics are sold. Make sure you follow Chip Kidd on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chip__kidd/].

This Week's Sponsors

Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic [https://2000ad.com/]! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!

For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September, IDW Publishing [https://idwpublishing.com/products/street-sharks-1-2025-sdcc-exclusive-sampler?variant=52472220844396] launches a brand new five-issue Street Sharks mini-series from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Ariel Medel. The new series celebrates the JAW-SOME characters you already love while exploring new depths to their souls and universe. So, get ready to return to the chaotic street

Chip Kidd in the Veracity Trap

Every few months, the discourse turns to comics journalism. What is it? What’s its value? Does it even exist anymore? Of course, if you read SKTCHD [https://sktchd.com/] or listen to Off Panel [https://sktchd.libsyn.com/] every week, these questions are easy to answer. For years, David Harper has been our go-to source for what’s happening within the comics industry, and due to recent events in his own life, he’s upped his game and committed to comics journalism in a fashion he previously has not. Can the industry sustain him? That all depends on us.

This week, we chat with David Harper about his total immersion into SKTCHD/Off Panel. We confront him about his pivot to video, the state of comics journalism, and how he ignores the recurring Chicken Little screams of “The sky is falling.” It’s not all so dire, though. We also discuss his ideal comic book shop and the books he’s absolutely loving in 2025.

Stories and storytellers are vital to human existence, but for various, always frustrating, reasons, we must continually be reminded of this. You, dear listener, are already fighting the good fight, but how do we get others to join us? Share, baby, share. Below you’ll find links not only to David Harper’s good work, but also to the good work of others working within the field of comics journalism. Give them your clicks, give them your eyes, and maybe, just maybe, if you can afford to do so, give them your dollars.

Support Comics Journalism

 * Subscribe to SKTCHD [https://sktchd.com/subscriptions/]

 * Become an Off Panel Patron [https://www.patreon.com/c/OffPanel/posts]

 * Become a Patron of The Beat [https://www.patreon.com/comicsbeat]

 * Become an AIPT Patron [https://www.patreon.com/aiptcomics]

 * Get Your Copy of The Comics Courier [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tiffanybabb/the-comics-courier-a-comics-criticism-journal-issue-3]

 * Support a Journalist on his Journey to Creator [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zackq/macabre-valley]

 * Become a Comic Book Couples Counseling Patron [https://www.patreon.com/c/cbccpodcast]

This Week's Sponsors

Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic [https://2000ad.com/]! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive throug

Can David Harper Survive on Comics Journalism?

Toward the end of this week’s episode, Jesse Lonergan says, “With Drome, it feels like I’ve done...something.” Since he arrived on the scene, the cartoonist has bashed upon the medium, seeing if he’d be the one to break comics. The art form didn’t shatter; it became stronger under Lonergan’s pressure. Books like Hedra, Faster, Planet Paradise, and Man’s Best [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/mans-best-pornsak-pichetshote-jesse-lonergan]electrified readers, showcasing what could only be done in comics. Now, in Drome, Jesse Lonergan whales harder upon the medium than he ever has before, and the result is a smashing celebration of comics and creation. Jesse Lonergan has done...something. He is not the artist who started Drome. We are not the readers we were before the first page.

A quick flip through Drome and you’ll witness a civilization with champions of order raging against champions of chaos. The visuals recall Jack Kirby and Robert E. Howard. Gods watch their toys in their sandbox. Violence everywhere because life is a violent act. It’s the best-looking, sword-and-sandal fantasy adventure you can find at your local comic shop.

To begin and end your conversation about Drome with its plot is a catastrophic mistake. With Jesse Lonergan, process is the theme. The color story matters. Form is the point. So, let’s get real damn nerdy about it.

On this week’s episode, we excitedly welcome back Jesse Lonergan and, together, tear our way through one of the year’s best comic books. We discuss the first images that eventually became Drome. We talk about the CMYK color model. We embarrassingly reveal the names we gave his characters, and celebrate those other artists, such as Geoff Darrow and Matt Lesniewski [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/matt-lesniewski-new-york-comic-con], who seem to give everything they have to comics.

Drome is now available from 23rd St Books [https://23rdstbooks.com/]. Make sure you follow Jesse Lonergan on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:77qdefn5idvmefya2t5tzsv3?ref_src=embed], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jesse.lonergan], Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/jesselonergan/posts], and his Website [https://www.jesselonergan.com/].

This Week's Sponsors

Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic [https://2000ad.com/]! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!

Jesse Lonergan on Drome

“Do you see?” We never imagined discussing an Event Horizon comic on the podcast, but the moment the notion was floated, we were enthralled. The original 1997 movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, struck a chord back in the day, but it was also a movie that was obviously jumbled about and fumbled in the editing room. And since the story relied on the device of a spaceship lost in a black hole/literal hell for decades, it so easily allows for prequel expansion. All that’s required are the perfect creators to expand the material. Maybe even mend some of it.

Christian Ward and Tristan Jones are the perfect creators for Event Horizon. If you’ve read their work, especially Ward’s time on Batman: City of Madness [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/batman-city-of-madness-christian-ward-spoilers-interview] and Jones’ time on Aliens, you’re probably already subscribed to the new prequel series from IDW Publishing. Event Horizon: Dark Descent tells the story of the original starship crew who ignited the Gravity Drive, popped into the space between spaces, and found their damnation in the abyss.

It’s always a pleasure to have Christian Ward on the podcast, but this week, that’s especially true because we’re all geeking out about the original movie, discussing how it influences all of his work, and why prequels are a damn good narrative delivery system. Yes, we talk about trauma and therapy, but also demons and personifying hell in the most joyful comic booky fashion. Event Horizon: Dark Descent is the best book you didn't expect in 2025. Let’s all go to hell together.

Event Horizon: Dark Descent is written by Christian Ward, illustrated by Tristan Jones, colored by Pip Martin, and lettered by Alex Ray. Variant Covers by Jeffrey Alan Love. Issue 1 is now available from IDW Publishing, and FOC for Issue 2 is Today (9/1/25). Call your shop and get subbed. Also, continue this conversation with Christian Ward by visiting his Website [http://www.cjwardart.com/] and following him on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/cjward.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/cjwardart/].

This Week's Sponsors

Looking for sci-fi comics that go further than you’ve ever been before? Then you need  2000 AD – it’s the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic [https://2000ad.com/]! Whether you’re a new or returning reader, September is the perfect time to try out 2000 AD, with the launch of 2000 AD issue 2450 -- a jump-on issue with a fresh start for every story! Featuring a terrifying new Judge Dredd story by Rob Williams and Henry Flint, the issue also has a major new Rogue Trooper story from the team of Alex de Campi and Neil Edwards! Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive through your letterbox every week, and your first issue is free. Or, subscribe digitally and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10!

For thirty years, Street Sharks has remained a fan-favorite franchise, but the fearless Bolton Brothers have been cruelly absent from comic book shops. Until now. This September,

Christian Ward on Event Horizon: Dark Descent

Join married couple Brad and Lisa as they explore the various dynamics of comic book relationships throughout pop culture and publishing history.

Brad Gullickson

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