The Comic Source Podcast

Jace and Rocky break down all 10 DC releases for the week of August 5, 2026. In Absolute Superman #22, Superman risks being poisoned by Metallo's kryptonite blood because he knows reaching Christopher Smith emotionally is the only way to end the fight. In Batman #12, Verity is living up to the Pennyworth name as mention of her training and her quick thinking impresses Bruce and Damian while five highly trained killers each demonstrate their methods in a series of murders. Could their missions be tied to Gotham's newest threat? In Absolute Green Lantern #17, Jo confronts Mu as the issue adds more fascinating cosmic concepts, but seventeen issues of undefined terminology leave even the central conflict difficult to understand. But the issue does deliver the origin of Absolute Jessica Cruz and a great scene of Tomar-Re being fired like a bullet. In Adventures of Superman: Book of El #11, even though Superman has been reunited with Osul and Otho, the battle is not over. Kal-El is determined to stop Kryl-Ux even while trying to save him from himself and the grief of losing his family that has twisted his soul. In Deadman #3, Deadman travels through Hell to rescue a soul Rama Kushna says does not belong there, only for him to be shocked when Lucifer shows him proof the soul is where it belongs. The devil's got receipts. In Batgirl #22, Cassandra learns that Victoria was both her childhood friend and rival assassin. Both girls were manipulated by David Cain and Dr. Forget-Me-Not, respectively, in an experiment to build the perfect killer. The resolution for this one feels a little abrupt, but the possibility that Victoria may still be alive hints at more to come for this storyline in the future. In JSA #22, Jim Corrigan refuses to reclaim the Spectre, forcing the Spirit of Vengeance to seek a surprising new host from within the JSA. Kid Eternity fulfills her previously unknown mission to find that host, but turns down the chance to recover her memories and move on to the afterlife so she can remain with the team and continue to make a difference. In Supergirl: Survived #3, Kara's love for Kal drives her to attempt the impossible, using a Blue Lantern ring to recreate Krypton for both Kal-El and Hal Jordan. It's an emotionally powerful moment, but the issue takes an unexpected turn when an Elseworlds version of Mister Mxyzptlk arrives, shifting the story away from the hard sci-fi direction it had been building toward. In Gotham Academy: First Year #6, the final issue reveals more about Olive Silverlock, but the predetermined need to position every character for the beginning of Gotham Academy Vol. 1 leaves the story feeling paint-by-numbers. The rushed maneuvering from the end of issue #4 makes the conclusion feel both overstuffed and choppy, while surprisingly little of consequence actually happens. In 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger #2, the issue provides so little usable context that neither a new reader nor someone familiar with the original series can clearly explain who the characters are or what is happening. The series does seem to be appropriately named, though, as the anger the issue is steeped in feels all too real. While the story hasn't come together yet, the simmering anger of the U.S. reflected here feels authentic. They also give a rundown of this week's collected editions, reprints and facsimile releases. As always, all books are ranked from top to bottom and each host gives a Book of the Week pick.
 
00:00 — DC Week Overview, SDCC Aftermath & Comic Promotion 17:49 — Absolute Superman #22 35:27 — Deadman #3 43:03 — Absolute Green Lantern #17 57:44 — Supergirl: Survived #3 1:04:19 — Batman #12 1:13:51 — Batgirl #22 1:18:18 — Gotham Academy: First Year #6 1:21:19 — Adventures of Superman: Book of El #11 1:29:23 — 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger #2 1:37:20 — JSA #22 1:45:42 — Collected Editions, Reprints & Facsimiles 1:53:17 — Rankings & Books of the Week

Jeremy Adams joins Jace at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to discuss the increasingly powerful version of Aquaman currently reshaping Arthur Curry's place in the DC Universe. Jeremy explains why he keeps expanding Aquaman's abilities, how the Justice League is beginning to recognize the threat he could represent, and why the title's readers have become part of a special "Aquaman club."
Jeremy also talks about Kyle Rayner's throwback Green Lantern showcase, Kyle's relationship with Odyssey, the return of Jade and Major Force, and upcoming developments that could fundamentally change Green Lantern for years.
Finally, Jeremy previews the animated adaptation of Batman: Knightfall, including its violent tone, terrifying portrayal of Bane, appearances by Azrael and Tim Drake, and the challenge of condensing the massive comic storyline into an 85-minute movie.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction from San Diego Comic-Con
00:35 Kyle Rayner's new Green Lantern spotlight
02:15 Jade, Major Force and major Green Lantern changes
02:56 Kyle and Odyssey's relationship
04:45 Aquaman can't be stopped
07:15 Why Jeremy keeps increasing Aquaman's power
09:03 Finding Aquaman's personality and purpose
10:22 The future of Aquaman and the "Aquaman Club"
11:53 Bringing Batman: Knightfall to animation
13:20 Closing

Josh Williamson and Hayden Sherman join Jace to discuss the return of Legion of Super-Heroes.
Williamson explains the years-long process that led him to the series, his conversation with Mark Waid, why Superboy needed to return to the center of Legion mythology and why Lightning Lad serves as the emotional point of view for the opening story.
Sherman discusses designing the future of the DC Universe, creating different visual languages for the Legion's many planets and drawing inspiration from classic Legion stories, European science-fiction comics, 2000 AD, Ronin, Judge Dredd and Spider-Man 2099.
They also discuss introducing the enormous Legion cast gradually, honoring the property's passionate fan community and preserving the hope that has always defined the team.
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Chapters
00:00 Pre-Interview Conversation
00:38 Introduction
01:00 Why Josh Williamson Chose Legion of Super-Heroes
03:52 How Hayden Sherman Joined the Series
06:49 Balancing Legion with Absolute Wonder Woman
06:56 Comics, Community and Lightning Lad
12:38 Building the Legion's Character Dynamics
14:04 Designing Distinct Worlds and Cultures
16:49 The Science-Fiction and Comic Influences
19:48 Hope at the Heart of Legion
20:19 Preordering and Final Thoughts

Christopher Cantwell joins Jace during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 to discuss an ambitious slate of upcoming work spanning Gotham City, the Green Lantern universe and the final frontier.
Cantwell begins by discussing his role on the second season of Lanterns. A longtime Green Lantern reader who previously wrote Hal Jordan in Challengers of the Unknown, Cantwell describes the project as the television assignment he would have selected for himself and praises the distinctive approach established by the first season.
The conversation then turns to Cantwell's two-issue Gotham Central story within the Bad Seeds event. Gotham's police department has been compromised under Commissioner Vandal Savage, leaving Jim Gordon, Espinosa and a small collection of honest officers attempting to solve a murder while carrying out orders issued by the city's corrupt leadership.
That storyline establishes the foundation for Gangs of Gotham. Anarky is placed in Gotham's East End and ordered to unify its gangs before the district is bulldozed. Although he continues to consider himself an opponent of corrupt institutions, the promise of influence forces him to confront whether he still believes his own revolutionary rhetoric or has become another person willing to compromise everything for power.
Stephanie Brown is simultaneously operating undercover inside the Street Demons biker gang. She has risen to become the gang's second-in-command, but Batman is the only member of the Bat-family who knows where she is. Cantwell describes a Steph who remains highly capable but is becoming increasingly isolated and resentful as her messages to Bruce go unanswered.
Cantwell also explains how the series incorporates established characters including Jim Gordon, Arnold Flass, Harvey Bullock, Holly Robinson, Magpie and the Ten-Eyed Man while creating an entire ecosystem of gangs built around food, fuel, shelter, information and protection. Instead of treating the East End as interchangeable scenery, the series examines how abandoned institutions and limited resources force communities to develop their own hierarchies and systems of survival.
The discussion concludes with Cantwell's upcoming Star Trek series, which examines exploration, colonization and the psychological pressure created when a crew enters genuinely uncharted territory.
 
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Lanterns Season 2
03:47 Gotham Central and the Bad Seeds setup
05:49 How Gangs of Gotham begins
07:13 Stephanie Brown undercover
08:07 Anarky, power and hypocrisy
10:57 Jim Gordon and Gotham's honest cops
13:49 Building Gotham beyond Batman
15:18 Why Anarky matters now
18:43 Community, survival and found family
21:01 Batman's absence and Steph's isolation
23:45 Arnold Flass and Gotham's corrupt system
25:53 Holly Robinson and the East End
27:17 Cantwell's new Star Trek series
29:11 Final thoughts and preorder reminder

Marvel is laying out its future after Avengers: Armageddon, with a new Avengers series from Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, Maximum X-Men, Eddie Brock reuniting with Venom, new books for Mary Jane Watson and Spider-Woman, and several other major announcements. This week I break down what Marvel's post-Armageddon direction could mean, along with DC launching new ongoing series for Vixen, Static and Steel, the continued expansion of the Absolute Universe, and Terminal #1 reportedly selling 300,000 copies before taking the top spot on the Prana Bestseller list. I also cover the biggest announcements from Image, Skybound, Dark Horse, IDW, Oni Press, Archie, BOOM! Studios, Mad Cave, Ignition Press and San Diego Comic-Con, along with this week's hottest books, two weeks of Prana Top 10 Best Sellers, and the biggest Final Order Cutoff recommendations for August 3.
https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource
 
00:00 Marvel, DC & Terminal Headlines
01:05 Intro and SDCC Catch-Up
04:12 Marvel After Avengers: Armageddon
16:10 Midnight Universe, WEBTOON & Manga
23:22 Spider-Woman, Indiana Jones & Mangaverse
26:26 Muppets, Stormbreakers & Marvel Masterworks
30:57 DC News — Vixen, Static & Steel
36:11 Batman, Gotham & DC Next Level
44:04 The Absolute Universe Expands
54:02 Image Comics & Skybound
01:00:06 Terminal, Battle Beast & Savage Dragon
01:07:58 Dark Horse Comics
01:13:43 IDW & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
01:17:15 Oni Press & Archie Comics
01:19:32 BOOM!, Mad Cave & Ignition Press
01:27:19 Bill Sienkiewicz Documentary & Eisner Awards
01:32:03 The Warbird Movie Rumor
01:34:36 What Hit
01:37:54 Prana Top 10 — July 15
01:43:30 Prana Top 10 — July 22
01:47:56 Final Order Cutoff
01:55:24 Closing & Comic Source Weekly Shirts
 
News Sources
Marvel
https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/maximum-x-men-assemble-avengers-armageddon-aftermath-december-2026
https://www.marvel.com/articles/live-events/sdcc-2026-san-diego-comic-con-all-the-marvel-news-recap
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/chip-zdarsky-marco-checchetto-launch-avengers-1-ahead-of-doomsday/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-punisher-will-join-marvels-avengers-in-the-wake-of-armageddon/
https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/friendly-neighborhood-mary-jane-and-venom-new-comic-series-queen-in-black-aftermath
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/spider-woman-ongoing-marvel-series-by-dan-watters-andrea-broccardo/
https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/indiana-jones-and-the-sword-of-pandemonium-bold-new-era-marvel-comics-december-2026
https://aiptcomics.com/2026/07/30/marvel-webtoon/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/marvel-comics-launch-a-new-manga-line-in-japan-with-kadokawa-for-2026/
https://aiptcomics.com/2026/07/31/marvel-first-look-marvel-mangaverse-web-of-blood-ghostlock/
https://aiptcomics.com/2026/07/31/marvel-50-years-the-muppet-show-covers/
https://aiptcomics.com/2026/07/31/marvel-autumn-fall-stormbreakers-variant-covers/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-first-new-marvel-masterworks-books-from-clover-press-revealed/
DC
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/deniz-camp-reveals-details-of-upcoming-batman-shadow-of-the-bat/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-dc-announces-absolute-black-canary-and-beyond-ark-m-one-shots-at-absolute-universe-panel/
Image Comics and Skybound
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/rob-liefelds-highly-anticipated-avengelyne-comic-book-set-to-launch-this-october-series-already-in-pre-production-for-adaptation
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-robert-kirkman-talks-terminal-invincible-and-transformers-in-robert-kirkman-live/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-sanford-greene-announces-bitter-root-black-white/
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/scott-snyder-jocks-horror-masterpiece-gets-expanded-remastered-wytches-vol-1-pledged-edition-this-fall-ahead-of-tv-show-adaptation
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/jaw-dropping-savage-dragon-281-sells-out-at-distributor-instantly-rushed-back-to-print-this-week
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-image-unleashes-its-artists-for-a-frank-panel-discussion/
Dark Horse, IDW, Oni and Independents
https://www.darkhorse.com/newsfeed/dark-horse-books-presents-stranger-things-the-first-shadow/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/dark-horse-dnd-ongoing/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-26-dark-horse-mattel-barbie-comics/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/digest-072326/
Ignition Press, Awards and Industry
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/ignition-pavilion-packs-in-five-times-the-capacity-of-hall-h-at-sdcc/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/2026-eisner-award-winners-announced-at-sdcc/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/would-keanu-reeves-play-the-lead-in-a-bad-idea-comics-warbird-movie/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/produce-this-last-nights-bad-idea-comics-san-diego-comic-con-party/
https://www.comicsbeat.com/bad-idea-warbird/