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

Early on in Tillie Walden’s Clementine: Book Three, which represents the concluding chapter in her The Walking Dead trilogy, an expectant mother grabs our hero’s arm and gasps through the pain, “It’ll never end.” She’s so right, and we should all take those words to heart. Pain is never done with you. Run if you care to, but the worst life has to offer will always find you. The trick is acknowledging your relationship with it and fortifying yourself as a means of surviving until you don’t. Pain never ends. You will. Find your community and love them while you can.

We’ve adored Tillie Walden’s comics for quite some time. One of our earliest episodes was a deep dive exploration of her exceptional science fiction teen romance, On a Sunbeam. Her work is deeply personal, and Clementine: Book Three is no exception, with the narrative extending from recent events in her life.

In today’s podcast, we dig into the Clementine trilogy with Tillie Walden. We discuss how she finds herself in Clementine and how Clementine may find herself in Tillie. We talk about The Walking Dead franchise, how Clementine evolves from the Telltale game, and why horror is the most emotionally honest genre.

Clementine: Book Three is written, drawn, and lettered by Tillie Walden. Grey Tones by Cliff Rathburn. All three books are now available from Skybound Entertainment [https://www.skybound.com/clementine/comics/book-3] and Image Comics. Follow Tillie Walden through her website [https://www.tilliewalden.com/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tilliewalden].

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD [https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/subscriptions], the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla [https://idwpublishing.com/collections/godzilla?srsltid=AfmBOop48tBBfgs3Dp1MkBmM030nLZShxOHBGxZY_SiqyRipV6fbs4sv] line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/blog/hashtags/1] by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess l

Tillie Walden on Clementine: Book Three (The Walking Dead)

Toward the end of our conversation with Matt Fraction, he mentions how his upcoming Batman book with Jorge Jiménez represents where his Hawkeye series would have gone if he and David Aja had continued. What does that mean, exactly? It’s complicated, and you’ll just have to listen to this week’s podcast to fully understand. And that’s what we call in the biz, a big ol’ tease.

Our chat with Matt Fraction concludes our San Diego Comic-Con International coverage, and we’re so frickin’ excited that we get to do so with this writer and this creation. As longtime listeners know, Batman is one of our boys, and the character has never been in as many good hands as he is right now at DC. Beyond this new Batman relaunch with Fraction and Jiménez, we have stellar titles in Absolute Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman and Robin: Year One, Batman: Dark Patterns, and probably a half dozen books we’re forgetting about at this moment.

Batman, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published on March 30th, 1939. The character’s longevity makes him indestructible. He won’t break, no matter what Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez do to him. This comes with tremendous freedom, allowing Fraction and Jiménez to throw everything of themselves into the character, and their longevity on the line will ultimately be determined by us, the readers.

Having read the first two issues in the new series, we can happily report that Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s take on the character is very much our jam, and rather unique from the other excellent flavors you can find on the stand every month. Their Batman operates in a semi-one-and-done structure, embracing the medium of comics while still satisfying those who crave long-haul storytelling. Mostly, it’s a fun as hell ride that looks slick. These are superhero comics that are not afraid to be superhero comics. They’re damn proud of it, in fact.

However, before we dive into all the Batman talk with Matt Fraction, we must regale you with our recent comic shop road trip to Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia. We did it, gang. We’ve already completed our mission to visit fifty comic book shops in fifty-two weeks. We’ve learned a lot from this experiment, and we need to discuss both the wonderful and not-so-wonderful aspects we've observed in these stores. Strap in for some serious retail talk.

Batman #1 is written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Jorge Jiménez, colored by Tomeu Morey, lettered by Clayton Cowles, and published by DC. The first issue arrives in comic book shops on September 3rd.

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

 * 

Matt Fraction on Batman

The great thing about the zombie sub-genre is that every time you think it’s played out, a new creative team arrives to inject some fresh life into it. Everything Dead and Dying, the new Image Comics [https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/everything-dead-dying-1-of-5] series by Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips, imagines the last living farmer on the planet, sitting satisfied on his homestead, surrounded by his dead and rotting loved ones. The corpses he once called friends and family are trapped in the routine of their last living day, performing mundane tasks such as delivering the mail and receiving a bedtime story. If he squints hard enough, the farmer, Jack Chandler, can soldier on as if each new day is as good as the old ones were.

Everything Dead and Dying is a deliciously, satisfyingly sad zombie story, and like the best entries in this sub-genre, it has a lot on its mind and heart. The first issue is easily one of our favorites of the year, and demands attention from those already fond of walkers or those who’d rather avoid them. Brombal and Phillips have constructed a perfect zombie gateway comic.

Having recently visited the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, the site where George R. Romero shot the classic Dawn of the Dead, we were eager to chat with Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips about what drew them to this particular story engine. What do the undead offer us as metaphors, especially in a culture so near its own global catastrophe?

On this week’s podcast, we discuss their connection to zombies, why they previously never considered contributing to the sub-genre, and how Jacob Phillips built an entire town from scratch. Final Order Cutoff for Everything Dead and Dying#1 is Today (8/11), so call your comic book shop asap so you won’t miss out on reading this story when it arrives on September 3rd.

Make sure you're following Tate Brombal on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/tatebrombal.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tatebrombal/], as well as Jacob Phillips on Blue Sky [https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/thatjacobphillips.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thatjacobphillips/].

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD [https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/subscriptions], the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Go [https://idwpublishing.com/collections/godzilla?srsltid=AfmBOop48tBBfgs3Dp1MkBmM030nLZShxOHBGxZY_SiqyRipV6fbs4sv]

Tate Brombal and Jacob Phillips on Everything Dead and Dying

For the past year, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been as exciting and essential as DC’s Absolute Universe [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/scott-snyder-nick-dragotta-absolute-batman-bane-interview] or Skybound’s Energon Universe [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/transformers-volume-1-daniel-warren-johnson-interview]. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreyra have built an unmissable monthly comic, not to forget the numerous other splinter titles and crossover minis. Shortly before San Diego Comic-Con International, The Hollywood Reporter announced [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-gets-new-creative-team-1236324892/] Aaron and Ferreyra’s departure, and we were a little heartbroken. Their time on the book was too brief, but if they must go, the news that cartoonist extraordinaire Gene Luen Yang and lifelong Turtle maniac Freddie E. Williams II eased the pain some.

One of our missions for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was to return with more news regarding the TMNT baton pass between Aaron and Ferreyra and Yang and Williams. After moderating IDW Publishing’s “The New Era of Turtle Power” panel, we retreated to the Hilton Bayfront, where we had a lengthy conversation with Gene Luen Yang about his passion for the Turtles and how he would apply it to the series, starting with issue thirteen.

Also discussed at San Diego Comic-Con, Andrew Joustra, the script coordinator for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will write an arc for the newly announced Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, bringing the iconic Fugitoid character to the latest iteration of the TMNT universe. As passionate fans of Fugitoid ourselves, we had to trap Joustra in a media room for a deep dive into his take on the character and why he put so much of himself into the troubled fugitive android.

Today, you get two podcasts for the price of one. With Gene Luen Yang, we discuss where we find the Turtles when his story begins, how they’ve grown throughout the Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra run, and why a certain new antagonist was necessary for his story. With Andrew Joustra, we explore the Fugitoid concept, his relationship with the Turtles through the various franchise incarnations, and why this story is so deeply personal.

Be sure to follow Gene Luen Yang on his website [https://geneyang.com/], Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/geneluenyang.bsky.social], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/geneluenyang/], and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@geneluenyang]. Also, follow Andrew Joustra on his website [https://www.andrewjoustra.com/], Blue Sky [https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hzb2ck4ekmzmwhqfbs4zr23y], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/joustragram].

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

Gene Luen Yang and Andrew Joustra: A New Era of Turtle Power

As reported by The Beat [https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-25-winners-and-losers-of-comic-con-2025/], the Eisner-winning comics journalism website (hell yeah), Comic Book Couples Counselingkinda kicked off San Diego Comic-Con International this year with our Live Podcast Recording at Now or Never Comics [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/support-your-local-comic-shop-now-or-never-san-diego-ca] in Downtown San Diego. On Tuesday, July 22nd, we invited superstar cartoonist Daniel Warren Johnson to chat with us after a signing at the shop. With The Moon Is Following Us recently concluded, his final issues of Transformerson their way, and the Kickstarter launch of his behemoth art book [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fleskpublications/the-art-of-daniel-warren-johnson], we had a lot to discuss with DWJ.

Today’s episode presents the audio from our discussion in full, complete with questions from the audience, and a serious discussion of where The Moon Is Following Us took its readers, without spoiling the narrative for those who have not finished the comic. We also explore Daniel Warren Johnson’s relationship with comic book shops and comic conventions. What is his ideal store? Is San Diego different from the many other comic conventions across this country?

While our conversation with Daniel Warren Johnson may have launched Comic-Con for us, it represents the conclusion of our SDCC coverage. Please hit those links below to experience pop culture’s greatest gathering as we bring numerous other creator interviews to your ears.

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/].

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

 * Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/collin-kelly-jackson-lanzing-thunderbolts]

 * Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/oni-press-sdcc-hunter-gorinson-sierra-hahn]

 * Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/zdarsky-comic-news-interview]

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD [https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/subscriptions], the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Ea

Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now or Never Comics

Should Chip Zdarsky’s promotional magazine, Zdarsky Comic News, win an Eisner at this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con International ceremony? We brought the question to him directly, and as you’ll hear, he rejected the whole notion of a nomination extremely quickly. Zdarsky is having a ball working on his free periodical every month. He puts tremendous time, energy, and thought into each issue. Still, as far as the category of Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism is concerned, he wants someone else to take home the statue, and “knows” that someone else will take home the statue. We shall see the results very soon.

Zdarsky Comic News began as a lark, as most things with Chip Zdarsky do. He turned his back on social media, adamantly believing it served no positive purpose, especially when it came to promoting his comics. Zdarksy Comic News’ primary mission was to inform folks in comic shops about what he was working on and give them a little chuckle in the process.

Since the first issue, however, Zdarsky Comic News has become its own unique monster. The cartoonist is slowly building a staff around himself, and it’s time to decide whether or not to kill the beast or let it grow into something larger and more significant. Through advertising, Zdarsky Comic News pays for itself, but it might need a little more to become the next Comics Journal, or its evil stepbrother.

Shortly before the 2025 Eisner Awards [https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/], we spoke with Chip Zdarsky about his free pamphlet, and that’s all we talked about, which seemed to surprise him. If you want more Captain America talk or Public Domain conversation, you'll have to go somewhere else. We were only interested in Chip Zdarsky’s mad side-hustle and what he thinks about the current state of comic book journalism.

You can find Zdarsky Comic News at your local comic book shop [https://findyourcomic.store/], and you should also consider subscribing to Chip Zdarsky’s Substack [https://zdarsky.substack.com/p/a-confusing-pleasure-being-nominated].

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

 * Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/collin-kelly-jackson-lanzing-thunderbolts]

 * Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/oni-press-sdcc-hunter-gorinson-sierra-hahn]

This Week's Sponsors

Zdarsky Comic News, and Only Zdarsky Comic News

You don’t need to be told this: San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic convention unlike any other in the world. As yearly attendees, it’s our favorite time of the year at our favorite place on the planet, but what does such a colossal gathering of geekdoms truly mean for a publisher, and how can a company raise its voice above a million other competing screams? We presented these questions to Oni Press Publisher and President Hunter Gorinson, as well as Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn. Somehow, they’re madly in love with SDCC, and we’re eager to share with you the Oni Press 2025 Comic-Con battle plan. From their words, you can form your path to conquering Comic-Con.

This year marks the third anniversary of Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn’s time at Oni Press. You’ve undoubtedly noticed, they’ve been extremely productive. Beyond recent partnerships with EC and the NacelleVerse, they’ve recently announced dealings with Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller’s SpectreVision. High Strangeness is a five-part experiment in sequential storytelling, featuring firsthand accounts of real paranormal encounters, guided by creators such as Chris Condon, Christopher Cantwell, Christian Ward, Dave Chisholm, Zac Thompson, and Cecil Castellucci. Say no more, we’re in.

We also discuss the recently announced Crownsville from Rodney Barnes and Elia Bonetti. This supernatural twist on true-life horror is precisely what you want from the co-creator of Killadelphia, and it’s guaranteed to stir profound emotions in any contemporary reader. Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn are very excited for folks to discover what Barnes and Bonetti are brewing with this one.

Most importantly, our conversation puts you on the showfloor at San Diego Comic-Con as a publisher. The stakes are as high as the excitement that runs down every aisle. Whether you want to attend SDCC as a guest or a creator, our chat with Gorinson and Hahn will get you strategizing your own Comic-Con mission statement.

Make sure you’re following Oni Press on their Website [https://www.onipress.com/], Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/oni-press.bsky.social], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/onipress/].

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

 * Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/collin-kelly-jackson-lanzing-thunderbolts]

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD [https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/subscriptions], the greatest comic you're n

How to Win SDCC with Oni Press: Hunter Gorinson and Sierra Hahn

If you’ve read comics from the Hivemind, aka Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, then you know their specialty. Everyone goes to therapy! Whether you’re Peter Quill, Bucky Barnes, or Brad and Lisa Gullickson, if you’re in a Hivemind comic, or reading a Hivemind comic, you’re entering some kind of therapeutic discussion. Kelly and Lanzing put their characters on the couch, asking them some tough questions and listening to their answers. The results are always compelling, especially if we examine their recent run on Marvel’s Thunderbolts.

Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing recently finished their time on Thunderbolts, wrapping up their even larger Bucky Barnes story, with Doomstrike, out now as a five-issue series. As part of our San Diego Comic-Con Internationalcoverage, happening all week long on Comic Book Couples Counseling, we put the Hivemind in session with our particular brand of armchair psychology. The result, we hope, is an engaging, thorough exploration of who Bucky Barnes was, is, and will be. Not to mention all the other beautiful “heroes” brooding their way through the Thunderbolts team.

We discuss their original plan for Bucky Barnes and how that evolved throughout Thunderbolts and the One World Under Doom event. We consider how Bucky’s time as The Revolution parallels Captain America’s time as Nomad, and why the character needed to become a cause rather than simply existing as a fist...or a trigger finger. It’s a heavy conversation at times, but also one packed with joy and excitement. Just like their Thunderbolts comic.

Thunderbolts: Doomstrike issues one through five are now available from Marvel Comics. They’re written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, illustrated by Tommaso Biachi, colored by Yen Nitro, and lettered by Joe Sabino. Make sure you’re following Collin Kelly on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/collinkelly.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thecollinkelly/], and Jackson Lanzing on Blue Sky [https://bsky.app/profile/jacksonlanzing.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/foundinthewild/].

Our SDCC Coverage:

 * Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless" [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/dr-werthless-harold-schechter-eric-powell]

 * Alex Segura on Star Wars [https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/alex-segura-star-wars-interview]

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD [https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/subscriptions], the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a mo

Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts

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

Comic Book Couples Counseling Podcast