The Comic Source Podcast

Jace and Rocky break down all 13 DC releases for the week of September 2, 2026. Batgirl #23 finds Cassandra Cain racing through a Gotham overrun by the Parliament of Trees while badly injured herself, determined to get a poisoned girl to the antidote that can save her life. Rather than advancing the larger Bad Seeds plot, the tie-in keeps the focus on Cassandra and her supporting cast, making the event feel more like the backdrop for a Batgirl story than an interruption of one. Batman #13 has Batman fighting his way through the GCPD to confront Vandal Savage, but the detour into Bad Seeds largely puts Matt Fraction's ongoing Batman story on hold. There are entertaining moments of Batman tearing through corrupt officers and demanding they do better for Gotham, but very little actually happens and the momentum from the previous issue's mystery is left waiting for the crossover to get out of the way. JSA #23 jumps into the largely unexplored years after the Justice Society was forced out of public life, with Wildcat, Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite recruited for a secret Cold War mission behind enemy lines. The period setting and espionage premise immediately feel like a natural fit for the JSA, delivering one of the strongest issues of the run just as the series is approaching its end. 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger #3 remains frustratingly difficult to decipher three issues in, even for Rocky as a reader of the original 100 Bullets. The anger and division suggested by the title are certainly present, and the two hate-spewing podcasters provide one of the issue's more recognizable ideas, but neither Jace nor Rocky can determine what Brian Azzarello ultimately wants the story to say. Absolute Green Lantern #18 sees Simon Baz and Agent Zero finally escape the strange space where they have both been trapped and emerge in front of Cameron Chase, who appears to know exactly what has been happening. After eighteen issues of deliberately opaque mythology surrounding the Absolute Spectrum, Manhunters and its different colors and concepts, Chase's promise that "now we get the answers" offers the clearest indication yet that the series may finally start bringing its mysteries together. Absolute Superman #23 brings Superman's relentless pursuit of Brainiac into conflict with Toyman and forces his absolute belief in the sanctity of life into one of its most difficult tests yet. Jason Aaron continues pushing a young Superman who believes he must save absolutely everyone, suggesting that his refusal to accept his own limitations may eventually become as dangerous to him as any villain he faces. Batman/Superman: World's Finest — World's Weirdest #1 pulls Batman and Superman into the wonderfully bizarre world of Weird Al Yankovic in a whimsical story built around a surprisingly sincere message: be yourself, be true to yourself and embrace whatever makes you weird. It's far more fantastical than the type of story Jace usually gravitates toward, but the humor, artwork and genuine Weird Al sensibility make the concept work. Legion of Super-Heroes #1 begins with R.J. Brande's dream of bringing young heroes from across the galaxy together surviving his apparent murder as Brainiac 5 and Matter-Eater Lad investigate what happened to him. Joshua Williamson and Hayden Sherman reinvent the Legion from the ground up while retaining recognizable pieces of its history, including Lightning Lad's love of ancient Superboy comics, and use the mystery surrounding Brande to begin bringing this new generation together. Supergirl: Survived #4 has Kara and a young Kal-El spending much of the issue discovering what their Kryptonian powers can do beneath a yellow sun before encountering Brainiac 5, who may provide the means to finally continue their journey toward Earth. The story is heavily decompressed, but the relationship between Kara and Kal remains its strength while the increasingly unexpected assortment of DC concepts continues giving the series its own identity. Teen Titans #1 finds Jason Todd's search for a child missing for nine days colliding with a group of young heroes conducting their own investigation into their missing friend. Proximity, Fair Play, Cheshire Cat, Wild Card and Eugene Choi aren't actually a superhero team yet—the name Teen Titans began as little more than their online group chat—but their unlikely connection with Jason creates a distinctly modern starting point for Kyle Higgins' new take on the concept. Deadman #4 sends Boston Brand toward Heaven demanding answers about why the souls he has been helping aren't necessarily destined to stay there, only to receive an unexpected lesson about the value of giving someone even a brief moment of hope. The idea gives Deadman a renewed sense of purpose, but neither Jace nor Rocky feels the philosophical detour has enough to say to justify how far the series has moved from the character they know. Doom Patrol #1 introduces a broke Doom Patrol wandering from place to place taking whatever work they can get, including a seemingly mundane job searching for a missing cat. The bizarre visuals certainly fit the team's reputation for weirdness, but the story offers little sense of direction or connection to the previous Doom Patrol run, leaving both Jace and Rocky disappointed by an opening issue that feels far less interesting than its characters should be. Finally, Superman: The Stranger #1 drops Superman into a Black Label world reminiscent of Depression-era America, delivering a visually striking reinterpretation whose gritty setting immediately distinguishes it from the main DC Universe. The artwork is the issue's greatest strength, while the story itself feels familiar enough that Jace is waiting to see whether Wes Craig can push the concept somewhere more original as the series develops. Jace and Rocky also cover this week's collected editions before ranking all 13 books and revealing their Books of the Week.
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00:00 — Opening / Week Overview 17:09 — Batgirl #23 25:44 — Batman #13 30:39 — JSA #23 37:33 — 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger #3 43:11 — Absolute Green Lantern #18 57:57 — Absolute Superman #23 1:14:10 — Batman/Superman: World's Finest — World's Weirdest #1 1:23:55 — Legion of Super-Heroes #1 1:37:48 — Supergirl: Survived #4 1:42:42 — Teen Titans #1 1:55:05 — Deadman #4 2:03:59 — Doom Patrol #1 2:12:12 — Superman: The Stranger #1 2:19:12 — Collected Editions 2:21:38 — Rankings & Books of the Week

DC's September schedule is getting increasingly messy as Absolute Flash, Bleeding Hearts, Zatanna and Gotham General all move, while Marvel's X-Men: DNX event slips two weeks and creates scheduling problems of its own.
Jace also covers Rick Remender and Steve Epting's Hammerfist #1 selling out immediately, the future of Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey's Terminal, Savage Dragon going back for third printings, the return of That Texas Blood, a Geiger McFarlane Toys figure, Jerome Opeña joining Lancer, Danny Elfman joining Krysten Ritter for BAD IDEA's It Demands Sacrifice Record Read-A-Long, Mark Buckingham's secret It Demands Sacrifice cover, Dark Horse expanding its Marvel archival line, Beast Mode 510 Day in Oakland, and the growing October 7 midnight comic release event.
Plus, Jace makes this week's What Hit predictions, checks last week's picks against the newest Prana Bestseller Top 10 after going 9-for-10, and runs through a huge Final Order Cutoff featuring Marvel's Midnight books, Absolute Batman #24, That Texas Blood, Kill All Immortals III, Last Driver #2 and more.
NEWS SOURCES
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/late-absolute-flash-bleeding-hearts-zatanna-delayed-for-september/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/gotham-general-is-now-coming-out-only-after-batman-bad-seeds-is-over/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/late-x-men-dnx-slips-two-weeks-but-where-is-this-heading-spoilers/
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/high-orders-knock-out-entirety-of-hammerfist-inventory-rushed-back-to-print-this-week
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/savage-dragon-180-181-fast-tracked-for-reprint-this-week
https://www.darkhorse.com/newsfeed/dark-horse-announces-three-new-marvel-books-coming-in-2027/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/new-avengers-logo-hiding-a-major-marvel-spoiler-spoilers-obviously/
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00:00 — DC Delays, DNX, Danny Elfman & Hammerfist Hook 00:42 — Welcome to Comic Source Weekly 01:17 — DC Books Delayed 02:35 — Gotham General Falls Out of Sync With Bad Seeds 09:26 — X-Men: DNX Delayed 11:33 — Hammerfist #1 Sells Out 13:13 — Terminal #3 First Look / Can Terminal Last? 19:23 — Corpse Knight #6 Finale 20:28 — Savage Dragon Goes to Third Printings 22:57 — That Texas Blood Returns 24:22 — The Rocketfellers: Invaders, Y'all 25:10 — Geiger Gets a McFarlane Toys Figure 26:07 — Jerome Opeña Joins Lancer 27:16 — Danny Elfman Joins Krysten Ritter 28:48 — Mark Buckingham's Secret Cover 29:46 — The Hab Director's Cut 30:43 — Dark Horse Expands Marvel Archive Line 32:39 — Kill All Immortals III Begins Final Arc 33:53 — Beast Mode 510 Day 35:25 — Archie & Sabrina Join the Midnight Release 36:30 — RUMOR: Miracleman Joining the Avengers? 37:46 — What Hit Predictions 42:59 — Prana Top 10 Bestsellers 50:01 — Final Order Cutoff 50:45 — Marvel Midnight Books 51:28 — More Marvel FOC Picks 52:14 — DC FOC Picks 52:57 — Image FOC Picks 54:22 — Dark Horse FOC Picks 55:11 — IDW & Mad Cave FOC Picks 56:14 — BAD IDEA & Ignition FOC Picks 57:27 — Final Thoughts / Outro

Steve Skroce joins Jace on The Comic Source to talk about TALES OF WONDER, his new creator-owned superhero series from Image Comics and Skybound. Two legendary comic creators whose friendship was destroyed by decades of bad blood suddenly discover that the superheroes and villains they created weren't so fictional after all.
Steve talks about turning comic-book history, creator rivalries and convention culture into a larger-than-life superhero adventure, and why Galaxy Quest, Tropic Thunder and The Three Amigos helped inspire the tone. He also discusses writing and drawing the series himself, working with Skybound and editor Ben Abernathy, designing America's Freedom Force, finding the voices of Stu and Jake, and balancing satire of the comics industry with a genuine celebration of the medium.
Plus, Steve discusses his experience working with creators including Brian K. Vaughan and reflects on why the real emotional heart of Tales of Wonder is friendship, collaboration and the possibility of getting a second chance.
TALES OF WONDER #1 arrives September 2, 2026 from Image Comics and Skybound.
More on Tales of Wonder: Official Image Comics announcement
Tales of Wonder #1 at Image Comics
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0:00 Intro 1:09 What Is Tales of Wonder? 2:22 Satirizing the Comic Book Industry 4:44 Galaxy Quest, Tropic Thunder & Three Amigos 9:23 When Fiction Starts Feeling Real 11:21 Writing and Drawing the Entire Series 14:55 Working Alone and Handling Creative Feedback 17:29 Working With Skybound and Ben Abernathy 19:26 Creating America's Freedom Force 22:37 Steve's Favorite Character to Draw 24:21 Finding Stu, Jake and the Heroes' Voices 25:59 De-Aging the Creators and Second Chances 28:14 Why Readers Need to Preorder the Series 30:14 The Magic of Writers and Artists Together 31:11 Final Thoughts

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.
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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