The Comic Source Podcast

Jace and Rocky break down all 14 DC releases for the week of August 26, 2026. Batman: Bad Seeds — Sunset #1 begins the Bad Seeds event with Poison Ivy handing Gotham over to the Parliament of Trees in exchange for immunity over the death of Bog Venus, but the spectacle-heavy crossover immediately strips away much of the nuance that has made G. Willow Wilson's Poison Ivy run so strong. Justice League Unlimited #22 briefly gives Mr. Terrific the combined powers of the Justice League while Blue Beetle quietly assembles heroes who suspect Batman, Wonder Woman and the League leadership may have been compromised by Darkseid, as the amnesty granted to supervillains creates legitimate distrust inside and outside the League. Detective Comics #1112 brings Batman, Green Arrow and Black Canary to the truth surrounding Prion's death and an emotional decision about whether that truth should ever be revealed. Poison Ivy #47 accelerates Pamela's fall as she loses Harley, alienates Janet from HR, loses Vandal Savage as an ally and watches Peter Undine take control of the Knights of the Green Order before making a desperate bargain with the Parliament of Trees. Zatanna #5 takes Zatanna into the Hidden City as Jamal Campbell continues expanding the magical rules, rituals and mythology surrounding her role as Prime Magus. Absolute Wonder Woman #23 finds Diana singularly focused on locating Barbara Minerva without realizing Barbara has willingly become the Cheetah, while Zeus calls upon a reluctant Ares as part of an unknown plan against Wonder Woman and Veronica Cale's daughter becomes increasingly important to the larger mystery. Absolute Catwoman #3 reunites Selina with Holly and Helena Bertinelli as the story moves between their present-day mission and their earlier days as the Calicos, including a mysterious list connected to Cain and the reality-altering technology known as the Yarn. The Flash #36 has Wally expanding his attempt to prevent crime before it happens into Metropolis, prompting Green Arrow to finally confront him over how invasive and dangerous that level of intervention has become and quietly gather other heroes to discuss whether Wally has crossed a line. Green Lantern #38 forces Kyle Rayner to confront the amnesty granted to Major Force before swinging into a bizarre battle involving Condiment King, FEAST and Big Belly Burger's corporate mascots, while Hal Jordan's separate space storyline with Jana continues. Superman: Father of Tomorrow #4 continues raising uncomfortable questions about Jor-El's attempts to guide Earth's technological development while introducing Hex Luthor, a Lex who abandoned science for magic and demonstrates just how dangerous that choice has made him. Superman #41 escalates Superman's battle with Zod under the effects of kryptonite as the Kingdom of Zod story takes a major and genuinely unexpected turn, dramatically shifting the balance of power and opening a new direction involving Ursa, the Kryptonian forces and the time machine already established in the larger Superman continuity. Harley Quinn #65 concludes the Harq Knight Returns arc with Harley's two halves merging back together with little explanation before repositioning her for the upcoming Bad Seeds story with Poison Ivy. Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1 introduces Daniel Burroughs, an intelligence operative with statistically abnormal psychic instincts, as Ram V blends espionage, psychic phenomena and occult mystery into a strong Vertigo debut. Finally, Next Level One Shot #1 sends Deadshot on what appears to be a straightforward assassination job only for him to discover a much larger conspiracy involving people who may literally not be themselves, potentially laying the groundwork for both a new Suicide Squad and a larger Next Level crossover. Jace and Rocky also cover this week's collected editions before ranking all 14 books and revealing their Books of the Week.
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Chapter Timestamps
00:00 — DC Week Overview, Reacher, Comics Talk & Detective Sales Setup 09:33 — Batman: Bad Seeds — Sunset #1 31:07 — Justice League Unlimited #22 42:05 — Detective Comics #1112 56:58 — Poison Ivy #47 1:02:38 — Zatanna #5 1:08:59 — Absolute Wonder Woman #23 1:18:25 — Absolute Catwoman #3 1:25:14 — The Flash #36 1:32:15 — Green Lantern #38 1:39:58 — Superman: Father of Tomorrow #4 1:46:35 — Superman #41 2:01:37 — Harley Quinn #65 2:06:54 — Next Level One Shot #1 2:19:56 — Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1 2:27:15 — Facsimiles & Collected Editions 2:28:49 — Rankings & Books of the Week

In this episode we discuss;
Comic Source Weekly August 19, 2026 — Wolverine Origin III, Swamp Thing Is Killing the Children & Krysten Ritter Joins BAD IDEA
The Comic Source
 
https://youtu.be/8ewKwpeyNL0
Check Out The Episode on YouTube
 
Wolverine's past is getting another major chapter as Paul Jenkins returns 25 years after the original Wolverine: Origin for Wolverine: Origin III — The Dark Age. James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera bring Swamp Thing into the Slaughterverse for Swamp Thing Is Killing the Children, Krysten Ritter joins BAD IDEA's It Demands Sacrifice Record Read-A-Long, and Sean Gordon Murphy's The Last Driver #1 sells out immediately. Jace also covers Marvel's new Incursions one-shots, Jean Grey's return to Earth, BRZRKR heading to Hong Kong, Jason Aaron's Bug Wars return, Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman, Garth Ennis and John McCrea's The Snail, Rampant Swine, ECCC going badgeless in 2027 and much more. Plus, Jace makes this week's What Hit predictions, checks last week's picks against the newest Prana Bestseller Top 10 after going a perfect 8-for-8, and runs through the books worth preordering before Final Order Cutoff on August 24.
Follow The Comic Source: https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource
 
Chapters
 
00:00 — Wolverine, Swamp Thing, Krysten Ritter & Last Driver Hook 00:31 — Welcome to Comic Source Weekly 01:23 — White Sky Vol. 1 03:14 — Narco & the Plastic-Verse 05:43 — In Your Skin 07:04 — Battlepug: Cosmic Doggyssey 07:57 — Assassin's Guild Hardcover 09:50 — Exquisite Corpses Season One Ends 11:48 — Bug Wars Returns + Jason Aaron Con Dates 13:45 — Yumi: 00-Ex #1 Sells Out 14:50 — Regicide #1 Sells Out 15:43 — Garth Ennis & John McCrea's The Snail 17:30 — Exquisite Corpses: Lone Gunman 19:13 — The Last Driver #1 Sells Out 20:47 — Gigantic Complete Series 21:45 — Redcoat #19 — Don't Get Spoiled 23:21 — The Deadtones Take Over Hornsby & Halo 24:37 — Wolverine: Origin III — The Dark Age 26:19 — Marvel Returns to the Incursions 28:29 — Jean Grey Returns to Earth 29:38 — Swamp Thing Is Killing the Children 31:04 — BRZRKR Goes to Hong Kong 32:10 — Krysten Ritter Joins It Demands Sacrifice 34:12 — Si Spurrier's Rampant Swine 35:32 — ECCC Goes Badgeless in 2027 37:46 — What Hit Predictions 44:21 — Prana Top 10 Bestsellers 50:16 — Final Order Cutoff — August 24 59:26 — Final Thoughts

New York helped give birth to the American comic book industry, but keeping working cartoonists and artists in the city has become increasingly difficult. Jace sits down with Bryce Gold to talk about BODEGA — the Brooklyn Organization Dedicated to the Endurance of the Graphic Arts — and its mission to build a stronger support system for New York's comics community. Bryce explains how BODEGA grew from an effort to revive the spirit of Comic Arts Brooklyn into something much larger, including the Brooklyn Expo of Comics, artist support programs, educational opportunities, grants, publications and new ways for creators and fans to build a lasting community. They also discuss why Brooklyn remains such an important part of comics history, the increasing affordability challenges facing working artists, the importance of creative third spaces, and how relationships formed through local comics events can change careers and lives. Bryce also previews the Brooklyn Expo of Comics, taking place November 14–15 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with more than 130 exhibitors and a full week of comics-related programming leading into the event.
Support BODEGA: https://bodegacomics.org
Brooklyn Expo of Comics: https://brooklynexpoofcomics.com
The Comic Source: https://linktr.ee/comicsource
CHAPTERS
00:00 Hook
 00:24 Introduction
01:41 What Is BODEGA?
02:42 How BODEGA Began
03:41 The Brooklyn Expo of Comics
04:21 BAGEL, the Bodega Cat & Artist Support
05:57 Why New York Matters to Comics
08:33 The Changing New York Comics Community
11:47 Building a Long-Term Comics Community
13:39 Creating Opportunities & Making Connections
15:09 Grants, Creator Funding & Keeping Comics Alive
16:31 Mentorship & Fostering the Next Generation
17:19 How Fans Become Part of the Community
18:36 Brooklyn Expo of Comics — Dates & Events
20:11 How to Support BODEGA
21:17 Final Thoughts

Jace and Rocky break down all 13 DC releases for the week of August 19, 2026. Dark Knights of Steel #2 finds Amanda Waller's machinations continuing as an illness threatens Kara and the House of El, while Barbara Gordon serves as a literal Oracle and the developing relationship between Kal-El and Lois adds another layer to Tom Taylor's expanding fantasy world. Lobo #6 sends Lobo to Hell to battle the Tooth Fairy in an intentionally ridiculous detour, but the issue feels disconnected from the characters and plot threads Scotty Young had carried forward from the previous arc, making the story feel unusually disposable. End of Life #7 sees Eddie's attempt to do something genuinely good by rescuing a kidnapped kid land him in the hands of the killers hunting him, and after escaping another brutal beating he discovers Little Cock has finally caught up with him looking for revenge over the death of Big Cock. Beneath all the absurd violence and comedy, Eddie's relationship with his dying father continues to give the series a surprisingly human core. Deathstroke the Terminator #6 escalates Adeline's revenge from murdering Wintergreen to trying to kill Rose, forcing an already battered Slade into a confrontation with his ex-wife. Slade survives, but the real damage is psychological: stripped of his identity as the world's greatest assassin, he is left wondering what remains if he is no longer a "killer for hire" and is simply a killer. Catwoman #90 finally gives Maggie Kyle the chance to confront Black Mask and use a nerve agent against the man who murdered her husband and traumatized her, but what should have been a powerful moment of Maggie reclaiming her agency feels frustratingly abrupt and underdeveloped. The conclusion also leaves the fates of Black Mask and Katarina Belova open while Carmine Falcone remains firmly embedded in Selina's increasingly complicated family story. New Titans #38 brings Static to Titans Mountain while he struggles to control his powers, Yara Flor begins experiencing visions of her Amazonian homeland and Stephanie Brown continues growing into a leadership role. There are plenty of potentially interesting threads, but with so many characters competing for space, the issue feels disjointed and several of the Titans come across as noticeably younger and less experienced than their recent portrayals. Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54 drags Batman, Superman and their fellow heroes into Hell for a baseball game against its denizens in a deliberately absurd one-and-done that recalls DC's old Super-Sports stories. Mark Waid makes the ridiculous premise work, although for an actual baseball story, Jace wanted considerably more baseball. Absolute Flash #18 keeps expanding Wally's world as Absolute Hunter Zolomon, Director Bones and Eleanor Thawne all enter the picture, while Eleanor genuinely believes the Absolute Justice League are the good guys. Ralph Dibny may also have just experienced the event that gives him his powers, setting up a potentially wild confrontation between Wally, Abra Kadabra and Hunter Zolomon. Batwoman #6 flashes back through most of its story to events before the series began, clarifying how Kate and Beth reached the point where their stories diverged, before the final pages return to the present after Kate has rescued her sister. The added context helps explain some of the confusion from the first five issues, although ending with both sisters seeing the same psychiatrist still leaves the series in an unusual place moving forward. Absolute Green Arrow #4 provides more context for Absolute Oliver Queen's values and creates a stark contrast with Hector Hammond's depravity, while a terrifying Absolute Solomon Grundy enters the picture and Dinah Lance appears increasingly close to manifesting powers of her own. The lingering question remains whether the mysterious Green Arrow can actually be Oliver at all when Hammond claims Oliver Queen died and attempts to resurrect him failed. Nightwing #131 has Dick preparing to turn himself in over the catastrophic bridge accident no one believes was caused by a witch, only for another woman to suddenly confess to being the witch herself. That apparent manipulation deepens the supernatural mystery as events from Blüdhaven's past continue reaching into the present and Nightwing remains caught in the middle. Wonder Woman #36 continues Steve Trevor's telling of the story of the woman he loves to his daughter as Stephanie Williams retells Diana's origin with strong Clayton Henry artwork. There is little here that substantially changes the familiar story, but framing it through Steve sharing Diana's history with a daughter who is equal parts Steve and Diana gives the retelling some added emotional resonance. Finally, Superman Unlimited #16 pushes the Kingdom of Zod event forward at full speed as the Superman family rallies against Zod, including the first meeting between Mark Waid's current Superboy and Supergirl. Superman and Zod eventually suit up for a battle that is still raging when the issue ends, making this chapter feel less like a self-contained story and more like one sustained piece of a much larger action sequence. Jace and Rocky also cover this week's collected editions, reprints and facsimiles before ranking all 13 books and revealing their Books of the Week.
Follow The Comic Source on all social media with our Linktree - https://linktr.ee/thecomicsource
 
00:00 — DC Week Overview, Doug Wagner, Marvel & Rob Liefeld Discussion 16:39 — Dark Knights of Steel #2 22:29 — Lobo #6 25:40 — End of Life #7 32:54 — Deathstroke the Terminator #6 44:37 — Catwoman #90 51:57 — New Titans #38 57:42 — Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54 1:09:52 — Absolute Flash #18 1:20:29 — Batwoman #6 1:29:40 — Absolute Green Arrow #4 1:39:31 — Nightwing #131 1:43:52 — Wonder Woman #36 1:52:25 — Superman Unlimited #16 2:02:04 — Collected Editions, Reprints & Facsimiles 2:05:58 — Rankings & Books of the Week

Doug Wagner joins Jace on The Comic Source for an in-depth conversation about I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits, his latest collaboration with artist Daniel Hillyard.
The project began when Hillyard gave Wagner a list of supernatural things he wanted to draw — slashers, vampires, zombies and more — and Wagner eventually came to the simplest possible conclusion: why choose? Do all of them. The resulting story follows Cecil, a pacifist from the 1980s reincarnated into the body of a supernatural slasher, on a road trip alongside an increasingly bizarre group of supernatural misfits attempting to prevent either Heaven or Hell from winning a battle that would wipe humanity out.
Doug talks about why character always comes before plot in his work, how he and Hillyard keep even their most violent and absurd stories grounded in emotional sincerity, and how characters including Pavla, Yoel and the zombie truck Tuck continued evolving while they created the book.
The conversation also looks back at Wagner and Hillyard's collaborations on Plastic, Vinyl, Plush and Narco and how years of working together have created a level of trust that allows Hillyard to interpret layouts, camera angles and even character moments without Wagner dictating every detail. Wagner recalls moments where Hillyard added something that wasn't in the original script and actually changed the way Wagner understood his own character.
Then it's a deep dive into the crowdfunding campaign: the oversized hardcover, die-cut Murder Chicken slipcase, complete behind-the-scenes process companion, Chris Bachalo artwork and an Uno-inspired Murder Chickens card game Wagner unexpectedly designed and play-tested with his wife.
And before wrapping up, Doug reveals that I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits is already completely finished — and he and Daniel Hillyard have already finished their next two books as well.
🐔 Support I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloverpress/i-love-apocalyptic-zombie-misfits-ogn-by-wagner-and-hillyard?ref=9npbkr
🔗 Doug Wagner:
https://shocknoggin.com/
📸 Doug Wagner on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/doug.wagner13/
📸 Daniel Hillyard on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/danielbhillyard/
🔗 Find The Comic Source everywhere:
https://linktr.ee/comicsource
CHAPTERS
00:00 Doug Wagner Joins The Comic Source
02:08 I Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfits
07:39 Character First — Even With Serial Killers
10:43 Building an Ensemble of Misfits
13:08 How the Characters Changed
15:08 Meet Tuck — The Zombie Truck
17:45 The Origin of the Murder Chickens
20:51 Wagner & Hillyard's Creative Partnership
25:16 When Daniel Hillyard Makes the Story Better
30:07 Heaven, Hell & Saving Humanity
32:15 The Oversized Kickstarter Hardcover
35:09 The Complete Process Companion Book
37:56 Chris Bachalo Joins the Project
39:16 The Murder Chickens Card Game
41:39 Two More Books Are Already Finished
42:36 Where to Follow Doug Wagner
43:41 Letting the Book Speak for Itself
44:11 Doug Wagner's "20-Year Overnight Success"
46:23 Final Thoughts