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The trailer for the upcoming Netflix series V-Wars promises blood-curdling action combined with intense character interaction, much like The Walking Dead. And much like the zombie series, V-Wars is also based off of a multimedia franchise that includes novels and comics, which are published by IDW Publishing.

Since 2012, Johnathan Mayberry’s V-Wars anthology series has detailed the spread of a vampiric virus and the various ways that it manifests itself across different cultures. To get caught up to speed before the series premiere in a few weeks, we're taking a look back at this multimedia franchise and everything we know about the show.

The first entry in the anthology detailed some of the first encounters with the world’s new vampire infestation. In a partial homage to John Carpenter’s The Thing, the origins of the series see a mysterious virus being released in the Arctic. This triggers dormant genes in humanity to transform many of the world’s denizens into blood-suckers, but with a twist. Each vampire is essentially genetically molded into how vampires are represented within their particular culture, which makes each vampire drastically different. The stories contained in this volume deal with the first infected modern vampire patient, as well as cells of vampire terrorists.

The second volume in the series, set one year after the rise of vampirism around the world, sees uneasy political tensions come to fruition. The vampires vie for their own nation, and the begrudging acceptance of the world’s governments is shattered when the Vampire Wars begin anew.

The third and fourth volumes in the series, published in 2015 and 2016, showed the vast difference between the Vampire Wars and the human wars of the past. Whereas those were fought on battlegrounds with weapons, the stories contained here have neighbors, friends, and family members turning on each other and even turning into vampires at a moment’s notice. This gives rise to biological prejudice, and a very tangible cultural shift caused by the paranoia surrounding vampires. The series also began introducing more diversity among the various vampires, both in culture and abilities.

The anthology series continued on in 2014 as an IDW series by Mayberry, Alan Robinson and Marco Turini. The first of storyline, "Crimson Queen" gave a different look at the first Vampire Wars, as well anti-vampire police forces and a group of supposedly non-violent vampires who attempt to settle in a small town.

That series also introduced Big Dog, a member of anti-vampire force V-8. The second storyline in the comic series took on a less episodic format, and had protagonists Big Dog, Luther Swann, and Joe Ledger searching for the plans for a device that screens vampire DNA.

The upcoming TV show adapting the series will take an ongoing storytelling format, as opposed to the mostly anthological format of the books. As in the source material, the origin of vampirism comes from a virus being released in the arctic, resulting in different cultures developing distinct forms of blood sucking monsters.

The main character, Ian Somerhalder's Dr. Luther Swann, is from the novels and comics, and will be fighting to broker peace with the growing vampire factions while he tries to develop a cure for the condition. This is strained further by his former friendship with Adrian Holmes's Michael Fayne, another V-Wars comics character who leads a rising group of vampires. The synopsis so far hints at the show bringing to life the first Vampire War, as well as the boom in vampire terrorists around the world.

Arriving on Netflix Dec. 5, V Wars stars Ian Somerhalder (Dr. Luther Swann), Adrian Holmes (Michael Fayne), Jacky Lai (Kaylee Vo), Peter Outerbridge (Calix Niklos), Kyle Breitkopf (Dez), Laura Vandervoot (Mila Dubov) and Kimberly-Sue Murray (Danika Dubov). The debut season will run for 10 episodes.

NEXT: Why Streaming Services Should Move Away From Bingeable Releases

In "Reason to be Excited," I spotlight things from modern comics that I think are worth getting excited about. I mean stuff more specific than "this comic is good," ya know? More like a specific bit from a writer or artist that impressed me.

Today, we look at how well Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester exploit the expansive narrative power of body horror stories.

Now, before I get into some of the more high-falutin' stuff, let me note that clearly the catchiest thing about body horror stories, and probably the most notable reason for why they are so popular to do, is because of the obvious relatability to these types of stories. Without exception, we all have bodies. Thus, it is freaky as heck when we see something horrific happen to someone else's body, because we can instantly connect to it. It's why the iconic Marathon Man scene works so well, because we almost all have teeth and so we KNOW what it feels like when you mess with someone's teeth and so that scene reverberates inside of us all. It's the same reason body horror stuff lands so well.

However, due to its universal application, that means it is also extremely well suited to be used in a more expansive way. What I mean to say is that body horror stories are some of the more elastic types of stories - you can fit in all sorts of existential dread into a body horror comic that doesn't come across the same way as, say, a slasher tale or a zombie tale.

When I did my 31 Days of Horror Comics feature last month, Phil Hester's suggestion (which was also the suggestion of a bunch of other artists, by the way, Phil just got there first) was Charles Burns' Black Hole.

In Black Hole, a sexually transmitted disease is spread among a group of teens in the Seattle area during the 1970s and so Burns uses these body horror mutations to explore themes of teenage isolation and the fear of growing into a whole other being (namely, an adult)...

Throughout their respective careers, Jeff Lemire and Phil Hester have been proving just how diverse body horror comics can get and here, the combine on Family Tree (with Hester being inked by Eric Gapstur and colored by Ryan Cody) to use body horror as a symbol of the sort of existential dread that parents face when something endangers their children. Lemire did something similar during his great run on Animal Man, but here, it is even more pronounced when a single mother (in 1997, so it is similar to Black Hole in that sense, which came out in the 1990s and was set in the 1970s) is forced to go to her son's school when he gets busted with weed (which appears to have come from her own stash). She brings her young daughter with her, who has developed a bizarre rash.

Later, at dinner, things get crazy (I suppose I should warn you about spoilers, but well, come on, you have to expect a spoiler here now, right? And again, this is the whole concept that the book is based on, so it's not like a twist is being ruined, hence it being the featured image, as well)...

Again, as I mentioned before, body horror works in a great sense because, well, HOLY CRAP, HOW FREAKY IS THAT!?!

So that's awesome, as Hester, Gapstur and Cody really sell the creepiness of that branch growing out of her lower back beautifully. Damn, that's impressive.

But that's where the parental instincts kick in and suddenly it's not, "Holy crap, there's a branch growing out of my daughter," but more, "Holy crap, there's a branch growing out of my daughter - what do I have to do for her now?"

Of course, things go progressively worse (we have been prepared since the book opened that this was the start of the end of the world) and some more crazy things happen, but the center of the comic is that anxiety that a mother feels for the safety of her children.

It's a very strong first issue spearheaded by two top of the line comic book creators and I look forward to a whole lot more of this.

Okay, this feature is a bit less of a reader-interactive one, as I'm just spotlight stuff in modern comics that specifically impressed ME, but heck, if you'd like to send in some suggestions anyways, maybe you and I have the same taste! It's certainly not improbably that something you found cool would be something that I found cool, too, so feel free to send ideas to me at brianc@cbr.com!

Today, we look at how well Erik Larsen has used the character of Captain Tootsie in the pages of Savage Dragon in the last year.

Captain Tootsie was a superhero created to, you guessed it, sell Tootsie Rolls!

He had many of these comic book style ads in all different comic books throughout the 1940s and into the 1950s.

Captain Tootsie even had a brief ongoing series where he and his Secret Legion (a group of adventurous kids) traveled the stars together...

Years later, Herb Trimpe would use Captain Tootsie's costume as an inspiration for his design for Doc Samson's costume...

Erik Larsen has often worked public domain superheroes into Savage Dragon, although most of them were just brief appearance, while some of them (like the original Daredevil) became recurring characters. In last year's Savage Dragon #241, Larsen prominently featured Captain Tootsie, who had been in suspended animation for sixty years. Larsen, of course, homaged Trimpe's Hulk cover...

It appeared as though Captain Tootsie came to Canada to take Savage Dragon down, but it was all really a ploy to find a way to get back to his Secret Legion friends, who have aged little in their sixty years in space...

A cute bit in and of itself, but surprisingly, Larsen has since made Captain Tootsie a recurring character in the series, and he's used him to great effect by having him serve as a naive contrast to Malcolm Dragon's modern sensibilities.

Like recently, Malcolm has been besieged by some killer sex robots and here, Captain Tootie naively reprograms one and gives her an adorable name...

He then naively gives Malcolm her as a maid...

Funny bits, and as a comic relief character, Captain Tootsie would be fine (sort of like Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy), but Larsen has cleverly gone in a different direction in the most recent issue of Savage Dragon, #246 (written/penciled by Larsen, colored by Niko Koutsis - flats by Mike Toris and lettered by Ferran Delgado), where the two heroes team-up to take on the deadly Scourge.

Along the way, there's some interesting contrast stuff, like the whole "Isn't it weird to be hanging out with a bunch of little kids?"...

The Scourge was one of those bad guys where things sort of got out of hand, but Malcom and Tootsie insist that he must face the legal repercussions of his actions....

And then some stuff happens that I won't spoil, but suffice it to say, Malcolm and Tootsie's world viewpoints on this topic are diametrically opposed to each other and it was very clever to see their contrast go from strictly comic relief stuff to something more substantial (not that the comic relief stuff wasn't good, as well, as it was).

As anyone who studies history can tell you, truth is often stranger, more visceral, and more exciting than fiction. While well-known periods of conflict in American history like the Civil War are fertile ground for epic storytelling, it may surprise some readers that the events leading up to this nation-defining period were just as contentious.

Such a moment in time is captured by Wilfred Santiago as he tells the tale of John Brown, legendary abolitionist, in Thunderbolt: An American Tale, Vol. 1. Using a varied, sensual, and even lurid style, Santiago brings the struggles and battles of John Brown and the abolitionist movement to life with an epic combination of surrealism and violence.

Thunderbolt opens by setting a combative historical stage for the conflicts that will soon follow. Important events from 1856 like the public caning of anti-slavery Senator Sumner by Preston Brooks and the sacking of Lawrence, which sparked the Bleeding Kansas period, reveal an America so divided that discourse has been supplanted by aggression.

Santiago’s depiction of these events is cartoonish in one moment and grotesquely exaggerated the next, serving as a sobering reminder of the country’s past as it faces political divides as contentious as those the United States is experiencing in the present day. Santiago interprets the past through a modern lens, as his characters sometimes speak in dialogue that sounds eerily like something that could be heard in 2019.

The outlandish historical events of the story push John Brown to action as he, his large family, and his abolitionist allies begin their crusade to fight slavery and demand its defenders pay for their sins against God and their fellow men in blood. The story first erupts during the Pottawatomie massacre, where John Brown and his entourage drag pro-slavery men from their homes and slaughter them.

The double page spread of John Brown busting down the door of his first victim, knife in hand and a murderous countenance upon his face, is particularly memorable. It’s a sequence reminiscent of earlier crime and horror comics, complete with an extreme close up of a victim’s eye. Santiago unflinchingly depicts the savagery of his protagonist. It’s an ugly situation set during an ugly time in American history where slavery existed and men fought and died over the issue even before the nation split apart. John Brown as depicted in Thunderbolt is both hero and villain, a man of strong convictions even if he might have taken them too far.

It is in these moments of violence that Santiago’s varying style is most prominent. On some pages, the artwork is gritty and loose, while others are colored like a van Gogh painting. The massacre concludes with a memorable sequence where the artwork bleeds away into a page of red watercolor, juxtaposing the beauty of nature with the barbarism of violence. Again, Santiago presents these garish events in an engaging manner but manages to do so without celebrating them.

Volume one of Thunderbolt ends at a lull in the action before Brown’s infamous raid on Harpers Ferry. However, if the next installment is anything like the first, it’s sure to be a wild ride. Fans of this work can also listen to the free soundtrack composed for the book at johnbrownbook.com.

Thunderbolt: An American Tale Volume One is available now from Mad Creek Books.

NEXT: 10 Best Historically Themed Anime, Ranked

One of DC's best-selling titles this year, DCeased, gets an intense new trailer for its collected edition.

To promote the release—compiling the entire miniseries by Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano and Rain Beredo—DC has shared an animated trailer teasing the rising undead, with the Earth's greatest heroes and villains joining their growing ranks.

The trailer is the latest animated promo released by DC, with earlier clips teasing Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman's monstrously undead transformations over the course of the story.

DCeased is an out-of-continuity horror story that sees a zombie virus spread across the DC Universe, infecting many of its iconic heroes and villains. Launched this past spring, the story features Darkseid unleashing an insidious version of the Anti-Life Equation upon his death, resulting in a mass rising of ravenous undead. A critical and commercial success, the creative team behind it will reunite this February for its sequel, DCeased: Unkillables, showing the surviving characters attempt to move on after losing their greatest heroes.

DCeased is written by Tom Taylor and illustrated by Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano and Rain Beredo. The collected edition is on sale now from DC.

The upcoming Harley Quinn animated series will offer a whole new take on Batman villain Bane.

In an exclusive interview with CBR, the creators of the new DC Universe series discussed the show's approach to villains. Not only will the likes of Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom be joining Gotham's worst, but the series won't shy away from tweaking some core characters.

"What we do with the Bane is far afield of past representations of Bane," Schumacker said. "We really focus in on Bane's softer side, his easily wounded side. He's the butt of a lot of jokes at the Legion of Doom. Joker kind of bullies him. So really just seeing a vast collection of villains that the show is able to portray. I mean, they gave us the entire sandbox to play with."

Over the years, Bane has shifted back and forth from villain to anti-hero, but a soft and sensitive side isn't something we've seen. Of course, Harley Quinn is a comedy, so it's hardly a surprise. That comedic license will also allow the creators to add plenty of interesting characters from Batman's rogue's gallery, as Schumacker revealed: "Kite Man, of course, plays a shockingly a huge role in the show."

DC Universe's Harley Quinn stars Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Diedrich Bader, Alan Tudyk, Rahul Kohli, Christopher Meloni, Tony Hale, Ron Funches, Wanda Sykes, Natalie Morales, Jim Rash, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander and J.B. Smoove. The series premieres Friday.

Today, I spotlight Mark Russell's excellent Red Sonja series, which is an epic war story, but with a distinctive Russell spin on it all.

Before I start, let's just take a moment to applaud Dynamite for the talent they've collected over the years on Red Sonja since they've got the license. We're talking Mike Carey, Mike Avon Oeming, Gail Simone, Amy Chu and now Mark Russell. Holy cow, that's a ton of really good writers!

But anyhow, we're talking now about Russell's current run on the series, which is up to #10 (along with a pair of one-shots tying into the story and giving some background on the epic). He has mostly been working with the excellent art team of Mirko Colak and Dearbhla Kelly, with Bob Q doing some important work here and there, as well (I believe Bob Q will be taking over in Year Two). The first year is almost finished and it's looking like quite the doozy.

The other day, I wrote about an awesome Russell Sinestro one-shot and I explained what really sets Russell apart is how he comes at stories from an out of the box approach. Imagine turning a satirist's eye on to everything? That sort of explains Russell's work, in general. However, that should not be confused for a guy who does only satire. Not at all, but what it means is that he has that sort of eye towards situations, so right in the middle of an otherwise straightforward war tale, he can surprise you with some sardonic awesomeness. It's really a delightful combination and it makes his writing a treat.

The main antagonist of this current volume is Emperor Dragan the Magnificent, who is stuck with the problem that all emperors face. If your whole deal is based on constantly expanding your empire, then what do you do when you hit a land that you can't conquer? One of the kings whose kingdom he just conquered warns him against trying to take over Dragan's next target...

Dragan is such an amazingly absurd character. You can tell Russell has a lot of fun writing him.

Red Sonja, meanwhile, has returned to her homeland of Hyrkania at a low point in her life. She arrives to learn that she is now the Queen of Hyrkania, which she learns is because the previous rulers found out about Dragan's impending invasion...

Sonja being Sonja, though, she is not about to bow down to Dragan, leading to the war storyline that is still continuing now and has been a real blast.

One of the things Sonja was shocked to find out is that she still had a living cousin in Hyrkania, and so that added a new dimension to her willingness to stand up for this land. In a hilarious bit, we learn that there is a special contest for the "most honest Hyrkanian" and the "winner" is force to be on Sonja's council, because the thought is that he/she will not lie to Sonja...

After goading Dragan into taking his forces into Hyrkania, we see that Sonja has sent her cousin around the way to attack and capture Dragan's supply wagons, instantly sending notice that Sonja will not be fighting the typical battles that Dragan is used to...

We see that in #5, as well, when Sonja, sick of Dragan's invaders setting torch to Hyrkanian land, begins to instruct her people to burn the land FIRST, so that the invaders can't use it before they burn it themselves...

It's this sort of clever, out there stuff that you expect from Russell and he's delivered it here and then some. There are also multitudes of flashbacks to Sonja's past, where we see her influences and how they shape her current actions. It's very clever, heartfelt stuff. Red Sonja has been one of the ongoings I look forward to the most this year and I believe that Year Two might be even MORE right up Russell's alley.

Jon Favreau, the showrunner of Disney +'s Star Wars series The Mandalorian, posted on Instagram an on-set video of Baby Yoda tilting his head repeatedly while standing in what looks like a cloth bucket or carrier in front of a busy exterior background.

Favreau also shared it with Phil Szostak, the Creative Art Manager of Lucasfilm, encouraging him to use the video in case Thanksgiving celebrations got too agitated, who reposted it on his Twitter account.

Baby Yoda already wields the uncanny power of uniting the Star Wars fandom, and in a matter of weeks, he has become a pervasive (if adorable) meme, bringing news of a Galaxy far, far away even to people that don't usually engage with the Skywalker saga.

Baby Yoda is a toddler of the same unknown species as Master Yoda, who was Luke and Obi-wan's teacher; and just like his predecessor, he is almost entirely portrayed through practical effects. Baby Yoda's body is an animatronic puppet developed by Lucasfilm, slightly smoothed over with CGI.

Up until Ep. 3 Season 1. his main mode of transportation was a floating egg-shaped pram, but that crib was recently destroyed -- so the cloth bucket in the video might be a backpack that allows human-sized characters to carry him around.

Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. The first three episodes are streaming now on Disney+.

KEEP READING: The Mandalorian May Hint At the Dreaded Return of Midi-Chlorians

With multiple spin-offs and stories over the years, Dragon Ball remains one of the most expansive worlds in anime. However, it can be a little confusing between so many shows like Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball GT. And that isn't even taking into account the various manga spin-offs. Do the Dragon Ball Heroes manga or Dragon Ball Xenoverse canon? What's up with Dr. Slump or that manga where a fan wakes up as Yamcha? And what even is Neko Majin Z?

With all of that in mind, it's no surprise that many Dragon Ball Z fans may have skipped over or never even heard of Dragon Ball Minus, a manga that explores the past of the DBZ universe in a fairly controversial way. Now, we're taking a closer look at Dragon Ball Minus to see what it's about and figure out whether or not it's part of the franchise's canon.

Dragon Ball Minus: The Departure of the Fated Child is a 2014 special chapter that ties into the plot of Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, another Akira Toriyama manga that Dragon Ball Super fans know is, in fact, canon to the main Dragon Ball Super timeline. The story follows Bardock, Goku's father, who is sent back to Planet Vegeta by orders of Frieza. Frieza has decided to eradicate the Saiyans once and for all in order to stop a Super Saiyan God from forming.

Bardock meets with his wife, Gine, and contemplates the future, in particular the future of his three-year-old son, Goku. Suspecting the worst will happen, Bardock steals a Saiyan escape pod and sends Goku off into the stars. At the same time, we also learn that Vegeta, Nappa, and Radditz are off on a far-away planet on a mission, keeping them far from Planet Vegeta when Frieza eventually decides to blow up the planet. In fact, Vegeta actually ignores Frieza's signal to return home.

Jaco, the Galactic Patrolman, learns of Goku's pod being sent to Earth, and is dispatched to arrive on Earth to protect the planet from the Saiyan threat. He travels there, though, as we learn from the events of his manga, arrives far, far later than intended.

Dragon Ball Minus brings a lot of important elements to the table for Dragon Ball lore. First of all, this manga is the first major appearance of Goku's mother, Gine, who until this point had never appeared. Many fans of the series has long theorized that Fasha (or Celipa, depending on your translation) from the Bardock - Father of Goku TV special was Goku's mom, but this special proved them wrong.

This manga also marks the first appearance of Kikono, one of Frieza's top scientists, who would later appear in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. He appears here unnamed, trying to assure Frieza that the story of a Super Saiyan God is completely unfounded. However, Frieza, reasonably, doesn't listen.

Dragon Ball Minus also manages to align plot points from old Z mythology to modern Super ideas, weaving in new pieces of lore to the old continuity in order to establish a more even even continuity. It's a retcon that serves a purpose: making sure fans understand that the new pieces of lore have always been a part of Z.

It doesn't take a hardcore fan, however, to spot a few major issues with Dragon Ball Minus. The biggest of all of them is how much it retcons from the original canon. Bardock - Father of Goku served as an anime prequel exploring the life of Goku's father. It presented Saiyan society as an apathetic, cruel race of warriors with no familial ties. Bardock barely remembers Goku exists mere days after his birth. He is cursed with the ability to see the future, which, in a way reminiscent of Cassandra in the Trojan War, means he knows exactly what disaster will befall Planet Vegeta, but no one will listen.

This is entirely unlike the Bardock in Dragon Ball Minus, who is in a loving romance with his partner, cares about Goku's future, and seems generally like a nice guy. Many fans were not happy with this depiction, since the original television special is often regarded as one of the high points of the original anime.

This is the one of the big controversies surrounding the Bardock special. The other is that the TV Special, Episode of Bardock, featured Bardock traveling back in time as a result of Frieza's attack, which somehow sending him back to the origins of Planet Vegeta and resulted in him kick-starting the legend of the Super Saiyan that would lead to Frieza destroying Planet Vegeta. This episode, thankfully, is non-canon.

For awhile, Dragon Ball fans doubted if Dragon Ball Minus was canon, since it directly contradicted the far more beloved special from the 90s. But confirmation of Dragon Ball Minus's status as canon came in the form of one of the most widely seen Dragon Ball properties in years: Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

The theatrical film features direct references to Dragon Ball Minus, adapting segments of the manga into its running time. Most notably, it confirms that, Bardock and Gine did send Goku out from Planet Vegeta at that particular time, and that Frieza did indeed speak to his head scientist about the Super Saiyan God myth.

This confirmed, without question, that the events of Dragon Ball Minus are canon and that the events of Bardock - Father of Goku are non-canon. For long time fans, this news might be disappointing. Still, with the ever-evolving nature of Dragon Ball canon, it's vital that fans understand that just because something is non-canon doesn't mean it stops existing. After all, Dragon Ball Super: Broly also erased all the Dragon Ball Z movies featuring Broly from the canon -- though, that said, the movies were never canon to start with. Regardless of whether or not stories like these are part of Dragon Ball canon or not, all of these stories can have a major influence on whatever happens next in the Dragon Ball universe.

KEEP READING: Dragon Ball GT's Ending is Brilliant (But the Rest of the Series Isn't)

Although Young Justice will see the new Wonder Comics hero Naomi join their ranks, that doesn't mean DC is done making additions to the team.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis has revealed the first look at artist John Timm's cover to March 2020's Young Justice #14 on his Instagram account, featuring the four young heroes Arrowette, Spoiler, Aqualad and Sideways.

Bendis captioned the cover reveal with the message, "Exclusive! Young justice 14 cover by @theartofjohntimms @gabeeltaeb #dcwondercomics #wondercomics #youngjustice #yourewelcome."

Arrowette made her animated debut on DC Universe's Young Justice: Outsiders; Spoiler was a cast member of James Tynion IV's Detective Comics and has guest-starred in Young Justice flashback scenes with Tim Drake; Aqualad was a member of the Teen Titans during DC Rebirth and has joined Kelly Sue DeConnick's Aquaman; and Sideways was one of the new characters created for the "New Age of DC Heroes" publishing initiative.

While it is possible all four heroes won't join Young Justice on a full-time basis, we at least know they will star in issue #14.

The covers and solicitation for February 2020's Young Justice #13 can be found below.

written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and DAVID F. WALKER
art by JOHN TIMMS and MIKE GRELL
cover by JOHN TIMMS
variant cover by MIKE GRELL
Another Wonder Comics extravaganza kicks off with Young Justice searching for Conner Kent as the teen Superboy find himself trapped in the mysterious world of Skartaris, the home of legendary DC character Warlord! Wonder Comics curator and Young Justice writer Brian Michael Bendis welcomes writer David F. Walker to the team alongside rising-star artist John Timms!
ON SALE 02.05.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.

KEEP READING: Young Justice Heads To A Long Forgotten Corner Of The DC Universe

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Angel #7 by Bryan Edward Hill, Gleb Melnikov, Roman Titov and Ed Dukeshire, on sale now.

BOOM! Studios' new incarnation of the Buffyverse has been growing larger, since each new chapter of the Hellmouth crossover seemingly bringing another classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer character into the updated take on the franchise.

Sometimes this has led to the reintroduction of potential allies, while many major enemies have also been teased by the title. Angel #7, the newest issue of the crossover just did both, introducing the fan-favorite ally Lorne, as well as one of the most dangerous agents of Wolfram and Hart, Lilah Morgan.

Most of the issue takes place away from the Hellmouth and the chaos that is growing underneath the Earth. It alternates between two groups - Spike and Gunn meeting with Lillith, and Fred being taken into a mysterious location in Los Angeles. Lilith is able to convince Spike and Gunn to work together to try and find Fred, hinting at the full magical potential importance present in the young woman. To do this, she requires the pair of them to head into a special spot inside Los Angeles.

Namely, they arrive at a karaoke bar where they meet the owner, Lorne. Once he reads their good intentions, he agrees to help them find Fred. Meanwhile, she's ended up in the custody of Lilah Morgan, a mysterious woman who seems to know more about Fred's potential than she does. She also seems to serve a demonic force known as the Wolfram and Hart. She's a devout follower of the demon and spends the issue trying to convince Fred to give into whatever magical connection she has.

In the original series, Lorne was a green-skinned demon from another dimension. Ending up in the main reality, he discovered that he loved the way humanity had developed art. Lorne was born in the dimension of Pylea. He was an outcast in the barbarian warrior world because of his gentle soul. When a dimensional rift between his world and our own opened up, he found himself in Los Angeles. There, he learned to read the auras of others - if he heard someone sing a song, then he was capable of reading their intentions. Finding a home for himself, Lorne adjusted to modern society.

He opened a karaoke bar in Los Angeles called Caritas, creating a safe haven for the various demons, humans and other beings who lived in the city. Although he was initially reluctant to take part in the seemingly endless war Angel and his allies found themselves in, he provided them with sanctuary and assistance. But when Caritas was destroyed by Daniel Holtz during his crusade to destroy humanity, Lorne ended up living with Angel and his allies. Eventually pushed to perform worse and worse acts in the name of saving lives, Lorne left the group on bad terms at the end of the original series, although he played a role in the follow-up comics as a benevolent lord of Hell on Earth.

This new version of Lorne seems very similar to the original one, especially at this early point in the story. His first interaction with Spike even references his earliest moments with Angel in the original show, forcing the vampire to sing a song in front of the entire karaoke bar.

Lilah was different in the show from her comics incarnation, however. Wolfram and Hart was a law firm that specialized in controlling the modern world through the legal system. She was one of the chief lawyers of the Los Angeles branch and served as one of the chief antagonists for many of the early seasons of Angel. But she was never portrayed as a true believer in the purity of evil. While other members of Wolfram and Hart were dedicated to the demons at the core of the law firm, Lilah was there more for the advantage it gave her in the world around her. She proved to be a consistent frenemy to Angel and his allies, even eventually forming a romantic relationship with Wesley after he had a falling out with the rest of the group.

When the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart was destroyed by the Beast summoned by Jasmine, Lilah ended up fleeing to Angel Investigations as the sole survivor of the office. But her time there was short-lived, as the Jasmine-possessed Cordelia ended up taking Lilah by surprise and murdering her. But because she'd signed on to Wolfram and Hart, her deal with the law firm continuing even after her demise.

The new Lilah is shown to be much more of a true believer in the demonic ideals at the core of the company. Wolfram and Hart is also shown to be more of a cult than a law firm. This makes Lilah more of a straightforward villain and less of the complex antagonist that she was in the original series. However, it remains to be seen how either of them will affect the events of the future in this new Buffyverse.

Hellmouth #3 releases on Dec. 11.

KEEP READING: Buffy The Vampire Slayer One-Shot Will Reveal All-New Slayers

Disney+ has its first original hit on its hands with Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian, though The World According to Jeff Goldblum is also pretty awesome. This live-action Star Wars series is set after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi. It follows an unnamed Mandalorian bounty hunter, who is sometimes referred to as Mando, as he attempts to collect the bounty on a target that has broken the internet in real life.

Like most Mandalorians, Mando wears a suit of armor loaded with weaponry and is trained to use it all proficiently. However, how he stacks up against the rest of the Star Wars universe remains to be seen.

10 DESTROY HIM: Emperor Palpatine

It's probably not fair to put Mando in the mix with one of the greatest Sith Lords in the history of the galaxy but the former has proven he won't back down from a fight. The Emperor's power flows from the Dark Side of the Force and he is incredibly adept at using it. He's no slouch with a lightsaber, either, coming out on top against the likes of Yoda and Darth Maul.

Despite carrying gear designed to take down Force users, Mando has no counter to the Emperor's raw power or skill. But Mando would go out in a blaze of glory, trying to avenge the horrors visited on Mandalore during the Emperor's reign.

9 BEAT: Count Dooku

The Emperor's apprentice during the Clone Wars, Count Dooku led the Separatists on behalf of his master against the Jedi and the Republic. Whether Dooku actually knew Palpatine was playing both sides for his own gain is debatable. Like his master, Count Dooku is incredibly adept with a lightsaber and the abilities given to him by the Dark Side.

Dooku lacks his master's raw power, though. Using the weapons designed to take down Jedi and his fighting skills, Mando would eventually defeat Dooku. Someone would certainly pay him a hefty bounty for that one.

8 DESTROY HIM: Chewbacca

Let the Wookie win. No truer words have ever been spoken and Mando would be wise to heed them. Wookies are a large and powerful species, as skillful a warrior as you will find anywhere in the galaxy. Chewbacca is no exception to this. His expertise with his bowcaster combined with his raw strength and unbridled rage in combat would overwhelm Mando.

It would be similar to what the Mud Horn did to Mando when trying to get its egg for the Jawas. While he doesn't often get the chance to show it, Chewbacca is one of the best warriors around.

7 BEAT: Bossk

A fellow bounty hunter, its hard to imagine Bossk and Mando going head to head. Well, unless they're chasing the same bounty. Or one has something the other wants. Or one gives the other a funny look. Like Wookies, Trandoshans are known for their size and power.

Unlike Wookies, most Trandoshans seem to lack compassion and a strong moral compass. They enjoy the hunt more than anything else, which is likely why Bossk became a bounty hunter. Bossk is a strong fighter and can handle a blaster but Mando would take him down. Trandoshans are tough but they're not Wookie tough.

6 DESTROY HIM: Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker was one of the most powerful Jedi of all time, so it's no surprise that he made a powerful Sith Lord. He all but exterminated the Jedi and enforced the Emperor's will across the galaxy for decades. Ultimately, it was Vader who took the Emperor down, a move that ultimately destroyed the Empire.

Darth Vader is a large, imposing figure whose skill with the Force in combat makes him a fierce adversary. This is not a fight Mando is going to win. Hopefully, the bounty hunter would be smart enough to take a powder and walk away from the whole situation.

5 BEAT: Darth Maul

Emperor Palpatine goes through more sidekicks than Batman. Darth Maul got the rawest deal, being cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi before he got the chance to show the galaxy what he was made of. Fortunately, he got that chance in both The Clone Wars and Rebels. That included a brief stint as the ruler of Mandalore, which didn't go particularly well thanks to the Emperor.

While Maul is a proficient fighter, Mando is better. He has more than enough in his personal arsenal to combat Maul's skill. Darth Maul, as so often happens, would come out on the losing end of this one.

4 DESTROY HIM: Ahsoka Tano

The padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was a key figure in the Clone Wars before walking away from the Jedi Order. She reappeared in the early days of the Rebellion as a full-grown Force user that wasn't quite a Jedi.

The last time she was seen was after the Battle of Endor when she left to look for Ezra Bridger. Ahsoka became one of the most deadly fighters around, capable of taking on virtually any foe. That includes Mando. Her acrobatics combined with her fighting skills and inventive combat sensibility would allow her to take down the guy in the Jedi hunting armor.

3 BEAT: Asajj Ventress

The journey of Asajj Ventress was a difficult one. Born a Nightsister of Dathomir, Ventress was taken away as a baby. She ended up being trained by both Jedi and Sith, serving as Dooku's apprentice for a time. When he tried to kill her, she went back to the Nightsisters, a move that would unintentionally lead to the return of Darth Maul and the end of her clan.

Ventress is an effective fighter, often wielding twin lightsabers in combat. Her problem is her outward arrogance that masks her crippling self-doubt. Her enemies often take advantage of this in battle and defeat her. Mando would do the same.

2 DESTROY HIM: Jango Fett

The genetic source for the clone troopers used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars, Jango Fett holds a legendary place in Star Wars lore. The Mandalorian bounty hunter fought the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi to a standstill and was regarded as the best mercenary in the galaxy for a reason.

In the end, he was killed by Mace Windu during a battle on Geonosis. As great a fighter as Mando is, he would be outclassed and outgunned by Jango Fett. Plus, Jango has a jetpack and Mando doesn't. Mando seriously needs to get one of those things. Sabine Wren was a lot happier when she finally got one. Just saying.

1 BEAT: Boba Fett

This is a fight Mando wins, hands down. Boba Fett quickly became a fan favorite in the original trilogy, probably because he looked awesome. The prequel trilogy told fans a bit more about him, specifically that he's a young clone of Jango Fett that the bounty hunter was raising as a son when he was killed.

Boba grew up during the Clone Wars and became a renowned bounty hunter like his father. At least that's the impression fans are given. The only thing he really gets seen doing on screen is being launched into a Sarlacc Pit by a virtually blind Han Solo. Boba Fett is a lot of hype while Mando has won a lot of fights. Simply put, Boba would be another notch on Mando's armor.

NEXT: 10 Star Wars Facts That Will Make You See The Mandalorian Differently

Today, we look at the interesting (but bizarre) friendship between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider).

In case you're unfamiliar with Ghost Spider, she is the Gwen Stacy from another dimension who became Spider-Woman in her dimension. Sadly, her Peter Parker died. Naturally, you're all familiar with the fact that the Gwen Stacy of the main Marvel Universe died a number of years ago. This version of Gwen Stacy is also a bit younger than Peter Parker, so she's just starting out in college.

More recently, Gwen's identity was revealed as Spider-Woman in her dimension, making it difficult for her to go to college there. So in a clever twist, she has enrolled in Empire State University on the main Marvel Universe, with her commuting back and forth between the dimensions the way that a student would commute on the subway. Since there's a Spider-Woman on this world, Gwen has adopted the name Ghost-Spider.

Peter Parker is currently a teaching assistant at ESU while he finishes out his graduate degree (he had passed it, but it was when Otto Octavius was in control of his body and since it was finished using Otto's work, Peter's degree was invalidated) and he helps Gwen get enrolled at ESU in Ghost-Spider #1 (by Seanan McGuire, Takeshi Miyazawa and Ian Herring. Rosi Kämpe soon joined the creative team as the inker on the book) and while this is a bizarre deal (she's a younger version of his dead girlfriend and he's an older version of her dead friend) it somehow works...

I like Peter's help with her current symbiote suit...

Later, we see some of the confusion over their worlds...

In the second issue, things are relatively awkward when Gwen meets...Professor Parker!

It's just such a pleasant use for Peter as a supporting character in another book, a role that Peter is not exactly accustomed to, but here, it is really PETER PARKER who is the supporting character and not Spider-Man, which is a clever twist that I think really works well in the series.

I look forward to more differences in their different dimensional cultures!

Heroes aren't always back and white, they have several shades of grey as well. Heroes usually embody heroism, known to have qualities such as nobility, bravery, selflessness, benevolence, forgiveness. Some (unusual) heroes may lack in a few of these traditional heroic qualities. However, they aren't villains either. They may be brave, but may not be benevolent and so on. These unusual heroes fight evil solely because they have a selfish motive behind it. There is no such thing as a 'selfless deed' in their world. Everything must be done for the sake of self-preservation. Such men and women are typically referred to as anti-heroes.

In the words of Deadpool from a rival universe, Marvel, "I may be super. I am definitely not a hero." In the DC universe, mercs, bounty hunters, sidekicks, vigilantes, etc. exist as anti-heroes. Here's our list for the most violent of them.

10 ARSENAL (ROY HARPER)

Roy Harper was originally Oliver Queen's sidekick, fondly known as Speedy. He possessed superhuman strength on account of being injected with Mirakuru, a Japanese serum made during World War II. He broke bad when he masqueraded as the Arrow and faked his death.

After leaving Team Arrow, he became Arsenal. He wasn't the same Speedy that fans knew. On account of his superhuman strength, he went on a bloody rampage against every enemy of his, like for example, the ones responsible for killing his daughter Lian Harper. In the New 52 retcon, Arsenal was a depressed alcoholic who was constantly misused by his mentor Green Arrow. He was sentenced to death for his war crimes by the end.

9 AMANDA WALLER

Amanda Waller, a government bureaucrat took to cold-blooded vengeance after she lost her husband and two children. There are two variations to Waller, a slender woman with a pixie cut and another, a short stout woman. Both these variations are ruthless women and master tacticians who anyhow get their job done.

After Amanda's personal tragedy, she left behind conventional crime-fighting methods. She worked endlessly as a bureaucrat and found a black-ops team called Task Force X. Waller eventually went on to form the Suicide Squad of incarcerated villains to fight crime. And when the Suicide Squad was set-up, things could be the same again.

8 JOHN CONSTANTINE

John Constantine is a sorcerer who relies on magic to gain favorable outcomes. Probably the most intriguing one in the list; theft, manipulation, lying, the use of his death wish, are some of the acts that define Constantine.

So, why's he a hero after all? Because his motives are still doubted. It's not clear if John takes to sorcery to just seek revenge or to selflessly deliver justice when all else fails. John's exorcism will never come without fatal consequences. John's conscience has known to suffer in the process.

7 JASON TODD (RED HOOD)

When fans couldn't take Jason Todd's retcon anymore, DC decided to conduct a call-in vote to determine his fate. In Batman: A Death In The Family (1988), the Clown Prince of Crime killed Jason Todd with a crowbar.

Decades later, in Red Hood (2005), Jason Todd was resurrected as a vengeance-seeking anti-hero. Brought back to life as Red Hood, Jason Todd went into an all-out revenge-seeking campaign against his enemies. His days of Robin vigilantism were far over, and this Todd would employ lethal force. Apparently his mind had suffered in the resurrection process and he was hinged by the fact that Batman let Robin live.

6 DEADSHOT

Deadshot started out his career as a Batman antagonist. Deadshot suffered years of childhood abuse by his father, until one day he decided he had enough. Intending to kill his father, Deadshot accidentally shot his brother. And that was that.

Deadshot worked to become the finest gun for hire there ever was. Not only did he join Amanda Waller's gang of incarcerated supervillains, but he also helmed the Suicide Squad with aplomb. He was rewritten in The Man Who Replaced Batman as a new savior of Gotham city. With a mission to upstage Batman and also to become Gotham's number 1 crime fighter, Deadshot's morality confuses an average fan.

5 THE COMEDIAN

Edward Blake aka The Comedian is known to deliver his own brand of justice. He's a vigilante in the strictest sense of the word. He's fought crime for the longest duration. His name first appeared in Watchmen #1 (1986) as a government-sponsored vigilante, Comedian.

A crimebuster and a molester, The Comedian is your standard anti-hero. He attempted to rape Silk Spectre backstage during one of their gigs. Later, in the 1960s, he joined Crimebusters with the intention of fighting crime but set everything on fire during their very first meet!

4 JONAH HEX

Ah Jonah Hex from the wild wild west. Sold as a slave in childhood, Jonah Hex made his first appearance in Earth-One as a bounty Hunter. His exceptional talent as a sniper came in handy in the American Civil War. Jonah joined the Confederate States Army and quickly rose through the ranks. A loner and hideously disfigured, people didn't want to mess with the likes of Jonah.

However, just as any anti-hero, Jonah's dilly-dallying morality played its part. Jonah oftentimes found it difficult to go on a murder spree. Like for example, he surrendered to the Union Army during the American Civil War. Jonah's conscience didn't let him fight the abolitionist, those seeking to end slavery.

3 BLACK ADAM

Mighty Adam aka Teth-Adam was created by the wizard Shazam in ancient Egypt. Originally meant to be a savior of humanity, he quickly corrupted. As a result, Shazam imprisoned him and renamed him, Black Adam.

Black Adam returned in the modern-day as the ruler of Kahndaq. Having spent time with both the Justice and the Injustice society, Black Adam chose his own brand of justice. He believes he is the beholder of righteousness. Hence his means justify his ends. Black Adam has mercilessly orchestrated murder sprees against his enemies.

2 BATMAN

Generally considered as a hero, Batman does act like an anti-hero from time to time. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is one example, to begin with. To start off with, he's broken his "no-kill" rule many times, particularly in his early days. In Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman, Batman was shown as a standard anti-hero. This rendition of Batman was lethal as he ran over his enemies. And it is just one of the many lethal Batman renditions.

Batman breaks rules from time to time, he's avenged Damian Wayne's death by killing the Heretic, he bombed a monastery in Batman Begins and so forth. He may 'refrain' from using guns, but if need be, he will go to the extent of hanging a mental patient from his helicopter.

1 HARLEY QUINN

What can be said about Harley Quinn who ever since her retcon has had an ambiguous relationship with morality? Pre-52 Harley joined teams with Joker and furthered his terror mayhem far and wide.

In the New 52, Harley emerged as an anti-heroine fighting for the law. Fans may not have always agreed with Harley's anti-heroine avatar. But the way she confronted the Joker in #52 and aided the Suicide Squad proved her redemption arc was a success. Who knows, someday Harley could emerge as a hero in her own right.

NEXT: 5 Things That Joker Can Do That Batman Can't (& 5 Things That Batman Can Do And Joker Can't)

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Frozen 2, in theaters now.

The first Frozen film told the story of newly crowned Queen Elsa fleeing the kingdom of Arendelle -- and her sister, Anna -- for fear that her powers would become destructive to humanity. Eventually, the sisters solved their issues and realized they were stronger together. They promised they would no longer keep secrets from each other, try to solve problems on their own or run away.

However, as Frozen 2 thaws out, we realize Elsa was all talk. She didn't learn anything from the first film.

After Anna and Elsa were victimized by the duplicitous Hans, Elsa finally realized that love was the key to her controlling her powers. When Anna risked her own life to save Elsa from Hans, it became clear the sisters were meant to face their destinies hand-in-hand, with Elsa on the magical side as a tether to Anna, an avatar for humanity. But Frozen 2 throws this out the window when Elsa once more adopts a do-it-yourself attitude.

Anna keeps insisting they explore their family's past together in the Enchanted Forest, and the Arendelle trolls warn Anna to look out for Elsa's stubborn ways. But as she tries to fend off the Fire Spirit alone leading Anna to chase after her to help, it's clear that Elsa is back to her old ways. The sisters' division doesn't further their cause. Going it alone has never worked out for Elsa, yet she persists in doing so and endangers Anna, who just wants to protect her, in the process.

Anna wants to solve the mysteries of their heritage and Elsa's powers together but Elsa can't let go of her insecurities, alienating those who love her. This is what almost allowed Hans to kill Anna and take over the throne of Arendelle, so it's no surprise that going down the same path again almost costs Elsa everything. If she learned from her past mistakes and worked with her sister, it'd be easier and safer for everyone.

Yet again, she shoos Anna away with her powers and treks across the Dark Sea alone to Ahtohallan, demonstrating a lack of trust and respect for her sister. After all, Anna deserves to learn about their family's dark past just as much as Elsa. Elsa treats Anna like she's a helpless little child, and while we know she cares, it doesn't show any growth.

This is what drove Anna into Hans' arms in the first movie, and in Frozen 2, Anna's left scrambling to figure out what Elsa discovered in the mystical realm on her own. Even though Anna begs Elsa not to leave her behind, the ice princess isolates herself once more for no reason other than drama.

And again, Elsa's irresponsible and selfish actions have dire repercussions. She almost freezes to death and this leads Anna to decode and interpret the message about their grandfather the wrong way. Anna gets the Rock Giants to break the dam in the Enchanted Forest down, thinking once it washes Arendelle away, the sins of her treacherous people would be forgiven.

Elsa has to race back to stop the tidal wave, which would have flooded and destroyed the city. Elsa arrives in the nick of time but all this could have been prevented had she understood the concept of teamwork, and more so, family. When Elsa was freezing to death Olaf also nearly died, reinforcing that Elsa still has a lot of growing up to do if she's to truly safeguard the world as the fifth elemental spirit.

In theaters now, Disney's Frozen 2 reunites directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and producer Del Vecho with voice actors Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. Returning musical talents include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

NEXT: Frozen 2 Is An Animated Rehash of The Fifth Element

Today, we look at Daniel Kibblesmith's brilliant parody of the adult Calvin comic strips.

Let me start off by saying that I admit it. Daniel Kibblesmith got me. He totally got me. Hook, line and sinker. When my pal (and Comics Should Be Good co-founder) Joe Rice shared a terrible "Adult Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip, I believed that it was legit. Joe thought it was legit, too, as did many others, so it's not just us, but as a guy who is all about being skeptical, I was taken in. That's just how good of a job Daniel Kibblesmith did with his script for this comic.

The iconic Calvin and Hobbes comic strip by Bill Watterson ended nearly 25 years ago (like, we're talking VERY close to 25 years ago exactly) and there has been nothing but book collections of the characters since, which is how Watterson wants it. When he speaks of merchandising, he says that it would "violate the spirit of the strip, contradict its message, and take me away from the work I loved."

When it comes to doing a movie version, he explains, "The visual sophistication of Pixar blows me away, but I have zero interest in animating Calvin and Hobbes. If you've ever compared a film to a novel it’s based on, you know the novel gets bludgeoned. It’s inevitable, because different media have different strengths and needs, and when you make a movie, the movie’s needs get served. As a comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes works exactly the way I intended it to. There’s no upside for me in adapting it."

This is a guy who wants the character's story to be finished and he luckily (for him) has the control to do so.

However, this has led to a veritable cottage industry of mawkish unofficial comic strips featuring adult Calvin. I'm not talking parodies, as parodies are always fine. I'm never going to say, "Don't parody something," as that's obviously always a respected part of art and culture. But that's not what these things are, they'e just trading off of our affection for the actual Calvin and Hobbes for some cheap sentiment.

Well, Daniel Kibblesmith, who just wrote the excellent Loki series for Marvel, decided to take things to extreme in September by writing the ULTIMATE terrible Adult Calvin comic strip script. Here it is in all of its horrible glory...

Twitter user Leaujacques drew it as a strip...

And, of course, because of Poe's Law, which reads that "without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of the views being parodied," this parody has begun being shared and APPRECIATED earnestly. Joe shared it with me (and others) to be angry at how bad it is and instead, we eventually learned (I assume my pal Loren Collins figured out) that it came from Kibblesmith and now, instead of anger, there is only appreciation for him.

Well done, sir!

With the final issue of Superman: Year One having been recently released, the question inevitably turns to what could come next. For artist John Romita Jr., there is no real preference as to what kind of villain Superman might encounter. Instead, he would want to root it in a much more relatable, human narrative -- one that is then heightened by the involvement of an enemy threat.

"You know, Batman's got the Joker, and I guess you could say that Lex Luthor is Superman's foil... I would go with what is needed according to the smarter people in this project," Romita Jr. told CBR in an exclusive interview. "I don't have any preference of a villain, but I would love for it to not necessarily hinge on the villain and have it hinge on more of the difficulties of aging and approach it the same way we did with the youth, only do it as a middle aged guy and add that to the villain. So it's a double story. You have the villain that's looking at world domination or whatever, and at the same time, Superman is struggling with a prostate examination. I don't know, I'm joking! But you can imagine."

Romita Jr. confessed that, although there were no real plans in place for him and writer Frank Miller to return to their version of Superman, he would happily embrace coming back to the comic book if there was demand for more.

All three issues of Superman: Year One, by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr., are now on sale from DC.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Shazam! #8 by Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins, Michael Atiyeh and Rob Leigh, on sale now.

When Billy Batson first became Earth's Mightiest Mortal in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Shazam! during the New 52, it wasn't long before the young superhero tapped into his most powerful ability and shared his powers with his foster brothers and sisters. Then, there wasn't just one Shazam but six of them: Billy, Freddy, Eugene, Pedro, Darla and Mary, who now comprise the modern Shazam Family.

After DC Rebirth, Billy and his family continued their adventures when they discovered a train station in the Rock of Eternity that allowed them to travel to the seven Magiclands. As we learned more about the mysterious mythology of the Wizard and the Rock of Eternity, it was revealed there were seven original Champions -- which meant that the Shazam Family was still short one member.

Now, in Shazam! #8, Billy finally shares his power with a seventh member: his father, C.C. Batson, who instantly becomes DC's newest superhero... or did we just witness the creation of Shazam's next nemesis?

The seventh seat on the Council of Eternity is a much-coveted spot. In fact, we learned as much when King Kid, the self-proclaimed ruler of the Funlands, attempted to trick Billy into naming him the seventh Champion of his family. Thankfully, Billy didn't fall for his deception, but since then, there has been a certain amount of anticipation as we wondered who would become the newest Shazam.

The answer finally came in the series' latest issues after Billy's biological father C.C. was thrown to his death by the Seven Sins. Before he can hit the ground, however, Billy shares his power with him, bestowing upon his father all the abilities that come with being a member of the Shazam Family. Now, C.C. has the powers of super-strength, flight, electricity blasts and more.

Plus, he's got his own costume to match with the rest of the Champions. As we all know, each member has his or her own signature color: Pedro has a green costume, Mary has a red one just like Billy, Freddy's outfit is blue, while Darla and Eugene's costumes are purple and grey, respectively. Now, C.C.'s costume adds a new color to the Shazam rainbow: yellow. In fact, his outfit appears to be a reverse of Billy's colors, with yellow as the primary color and red highlights.

However, it's this very color scheme that has us worried. After all, supervillains in DC are notorious for sporting costumes that directly reflect the opposite of the superhero they're associated with. For an example, look no further than the Reverse-Flash, whose costume is the exact opposite of the Scarlet Speedster's.

Of course, Billy's father isn't a supervillain... yet. The truth is, we don't know all that much about him as the character first appeared seven issues ago. All we know is he's spent the last 10 years in prison following a bank robbery. He explained that his bad choices were done to help his family, and now that he's out, he just wants to reunite with Billy and his mother. However, there might be more to his story as well. Since he is already a felon, it's possible he might see potential in his new powers -- potential to wreak havoc and get what he really wants.

For now, we'll have to wait and see what C.C. Batson does with his powers, but in a superhero family led by Billy, there just might not be room for another Batson, and least of all an adult.

Feminist perspectives on the works of Joss Whedon have shifted over the years. It's generally accepted that 20 years ago, he was ahead of the curve when it came to writing strong female characters on television. The times have changed, however, and Whedon's writing hasn't necessarily evolved with them, his weaknesses more glaring than ever. Even so, Whedon's female characters have left a long-lasting impression on fans.

Firefly: The Sting, a new graphic novel available from BOOM! Studios, centers around the women of Whedon's cult sci-fi Western series Firefly as they go on a heist together. Those fans who've grown skeptical of Whedon's handling of his female characters over the years will be pleased to hear that this book wasn't written by Whedon, but rather Delilah S. Dawson, a sci-fi/fantasy author perhaps best known for bringing depth to the most underwritten Star Wars character with her Phasma novel.

The Sting is a stand-alone graphic novel that doesn't require knowledge of the previous Firefly universe comics from BOOM! Studios and Dark Horse in order to enjoy. Continuity-wise it takes place between the events of the TV series and its 2005 movie continuation Serenity after Book left the crew.

Zoe, Kaylee, Inara and River are enjoying a ladies-only spa day when the femme fatale Saffron, one of the TV show's few recurring antagonists, recruits them for a job. If Saffron's promise of a huge pay-out doesn't to get everyone over their natural distrust, then a little bit of blackmail in the form of a direct threat to the Serenity is enough to force their hands. The job entails robbing the owner of a diamond mine at a religious cult's big annual party. And as the story's genre dictates, it also entails some major twists and double-crosses.

The book is divided up into five chapters, though they're not labeled as such on the page. After the team gets recruited in the first chapter, the remaining four chapters each focus on the perspective of one of the Serenity's four women. The characterizations are strong, both in terms of presenting each individual's personality as well as demonstrating the emotional bonds between them.

The different chapters also have different artists. The five art styles aren't so radically dissimilar from one another to make a clear artistic statement in their differences (it's not as if one style or another particularly "feels" more Kaylee or more River). However, it is nice to see all these artists' takes on the story, and the art is generally strong throughout. The one caveat to this praise is that while the characters are identifiable, the likenesses to the original actors aren't always especially strong.

This is a fun read for Firefly fans who just want to spend more time with the series' female characters. This isn't some big groundbreaking narrative in the 'verse, but it is an entertaining adventure. The graphic novel also contains a brief preview for Greg Pak and Dan McDaid's Firefly: The Unification War: Part One.

Firefly: The Sting is in stores now.

NEXT: EXCLUSIVE: Firefly One-Shot Introduces Mal's Mother, Ma Reynolds

Tesla unveiled the new Cybertruck and reactions were mixed, at best. Soon after images were released, the internet did what it does, and memes of the vehicle were everywhere. Not to be undone or left out, the always ready LEGO tweeted its own version of the "cybertruck," with a little good natured trolling thrown in for good measure.

Most of the pushback against Tesla's Cybertruck has do to with its design, and the people at LEGO thought it looked a little familiar. Clearly, they are also teasing Elon Musk and the Tesla company, calling their version "guaranteed shatterproof."

This is certainly a jab at last week's demonstration when Musk urged designer Franz von Holzhausen to chuck a large metal ball through the window. While the purpose was to prove the truck's indestructibility, quite the opposite happened when the windows immediately shattered on impact.

In spite of the initial problems, Musk has said that there are over 250,000 customers who have put a (refundable) deposit on the truck, so the teasing doesn't seem to be hurting market-place interest.

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