The Comic Source Podcast

Jace and Rocky are back for an enormous DC Spotlight covering 17 comics for the week of October 21, 2026. The discussion includes major developments across the Absolute Universe, the continuing Bad Seeds crossover, new directions for familiar DC heroes and a particularly competitive race for Book of the Week.
Absolute Flash #20 begins Jeff Lemire's new arc by exploring Ray Palmer's obsession with the mysterious Omega Particle and his uneasy partnership with Wally West, while teasing the arrival of Absolute Cyborg. Jace praises the complexity of Ray's characterization and Haining's artwork, while Rocky appreciates the darker interpretation of the Atom and the growing mysteries surrounding his experiments.
Detective Comics #1114 continues the Bad Seeds crossover as Batman enlists Mr. Freeze and Nora Freeze to prevent a catastrophic botanical disaster in Gotham. Jace praises Clayton Henry's outstanding artwork but remains frustrated by the crossover interrupting Tom Taylor's larger story, while Rocky appreciates Nora's unexpected moment of compassion and the race to stop Gotham's destruction.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest #56 continues Mark Waid's story of Ra's al Ghul and Poison Ivy threatening humanity, bringing Superman into conflict with Ra's and introducing Mirror Master as an unexpected solution to their scheme. Jace appreciates the return to Ra's original environmental motivations and Adrian Gutiérrez's artwork, while Rocky enjoys the classic characterization and the creative use of familiar DC villains.
End of Life #9 continues Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh's darkly comedic adventures of Eddie Stallion, featuring the reunion of Littlecock and Bigcock, Eddie's disastrous attempt to explain himself to his former girlfriend and new complications involving his father. Jace praises the series' ability to make its deeply flawed protagonist increasingly sympathetic, while Rocky celebrates Starks' skill at making outrageous situations feel surprisingly believable.
Lobo #8 advances Skottie Young's Last Death of Lobo storyline as the Main Man faces an enemy who has apparently discovered how to prevent his regeneration. Jace remains unconvinced by the series despite some curiosity about its central mystery, while Rocky enjoys the absurd history of the failed Mauve Corps and considers this the most interesting issue of the run so far.
New Titans #40 continues Tate Brombal's sprawling story involving Yara Flor, the Esquecida, the Green Team and an increasingly crowded Titans roster. Jace strongly criticizes the characterization of Nightwing and Cyborg and questions Jon Kent's presence on the team, while Rocky appreciates the mythology surrounding Yara Flor but agrees that too many characters and competing plotlines are undermining the series.
Deathstroke the Terminator #8 reveals the identity of the mysterious Justice League member secretly assisting Slade Wilson, while Adeline Kane attempts to establish herself as the new Deathstroke and an unexpected discovery creates a startling cliffhanger. Jace enjoys Tony Fleecs' increasingly unpredictable story but questions some character decisions, while Rocky enthusiastically embraces the surprising direction and the issue's escalating mysteries.
Wonder Woman #38 continues Tom King's Wonder War as Nubia confronts the Matriarch and the Sovereign returns alongside several familiar Wonder Woman enemies. Jace praises Daniel Sampere's artwork but feels the storyline is losing momentum, while Rocky questions the motivations behind the villains' alliance and the repeated setbacks imposed on Diana, with both expressing frustration over the arc's pacing.
Superman Unlimited #18 gives Jon Kent a renewed sense of purpose as he considers helping his Earth-3 counterpart, with Dan Slott exploring the consequences of Jon's past experiences with Ultraman. Jace praises Lucas Meyer's emotional artwork and the family relationships at the heart of the story, while Rocky is pleasantly surprised by a direction that makes the adult Jon Kent more compelling to him than he has been in years.
Dark Knights of Steel II #4 brings Prince Bruce Wayne back into the conflict just as Amanda Waller appears poised to claim power, while Jason Todd's betrayal creates dangerous consequences for Barbara Gordon. Jace continues to enjoy Tom Taylor's alternate-universe storytelling and Otto Schmidt's artwork, while Rocky appreciates the intrigue and character relationships even as the week's strong competition keeps the issue outside his top selections.
Nightwing #143 concludes the Good Old Days two-part Bad Seeds tie-in, emphasizing the relationship between Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne amid the crossover's escalating crisis. Jace appreciates Dan Watters' character work but feels David Lapham's artwork is poorly suited to the story and resents the interruption to the ongoing series, while Rocky similarly finds the crossover less compelling than Nightwing's regular narrative.
Batwoman #8 continues the Open Season Bad Seeds tie-in, bringing Kate Kane and Huntress together for an uneasy partnership. Jace sees real potential in their contrasting personalities but finds the crossover unremarkable and believes Dani's artwork would be better suited to black-and-white crime storytelling, while Rocky remains similarly underwhelmed by the story despite appreciating elements of the team-up.
Catwoman #92 continues the Bad Seeds crossover while retaining elements of Selina Kyle's developing relationship with Carmine Falcone. Jace appreciates Torunn Grønbekk's efforts to preserve some of the series' ongoing characterization but finds the issue largely forgettable, while Rocky shares the frustration that the event has displaced the stories they were more interested in following.
Absolute Green Arrow #6 brings Pornsak Pichetshote and Rafael Albuquerque's opening mystery to a dramatic conclusion, delivering major revelations about the masked archer and the characters at the center of the story. Jace praises the carefully constructed mystery, its surprising resolution and the opportunities it creates for the next arc, while Rocky celebrates the darker interpretation of Green Arrow and the way the series connects with the wider Absolute Universe.
Action Comics #1103 begins Mark Waid's exploration of Lex Luthor's early life, contrasting his troubled family relationships with Clark Kent's upbringing. Jace questions the need for another retelling of Lex's origins and struggles with Patricio Delpeche's artwork, while Rocky enthusiastically praises Waid's examination of how parental relationships shape the two characters and finds unexpected depth in the familiar material.
Emperor Aquaman #22 continues Jeremy Adams' cosmic adventure as Arthur joins Maxine Baker and Swamp Thing in a battle involving the avatars of the Red, Green and Blue, before arriving at New Korugar and encountering the Sinister Sons. Jace praises the imaginative world-building and Aquaman's extraordinary power, while Rocky celebrates the series' sense of adventure and the sheer enjoyment of watching Arthur navigate an increasingly expansive DC Universe.
Fury of Firestorm #7 deepens Jeff Lemire's psychological mystery surrounding Ronnie Raymond, the Firestorm Matrix and a new incarnation of the Nuclear Man, while Captain Atom and Mr. Terrific respond to the devastating events in Colorado. Jace praises Rafael De Latorre's atmospheric artwork and the emotional consequences of Firestorm's history, while Rocky explores the story's themes of trauma, identity, rebirth and the possibility of Ronnie's return.
The episode also looks at this week's facsimiles, reprints and collected editions before Jace and Rocky rank all 17 books and select their individual Books of the Week.
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Acky Bright joins The Comic Source to discuss GalaXic Baseball League, the new science-fiction manga from VIZ Media developed in collaboration with MLB Players, Inc.
What happens when Major League Baseball's biggest stars take the field 1,000 years in the future against teams from across the galaxy?
Bright discusses his lifelong love of baseball, bringing real MLB players into a fictional universe, and the process of maintaining their authentic movements and personalities with the help of the MLBPA.
We also explore how GalaXic Baseball League brings together Japanese manga storytelling and American comics production methods, why Luna unexpectedly became such an important character, and how the series is designed to appeal to readers who don't know anything about baseball.
Finally, Bright reveals the deeper message behind the story and what he hopes readers will discover as it continues.
Topics include:
Creating a manga featuring actual MLB superstars

Collaborating with VIZ Media and MLBPA

Mixing science fiction with authentic baseball

Writing and illustrating the series

Developing Sol and Luna

Bringing manga to a global audience

The deeper meaning of competition and sportsmanship

GalaXic Baseball League Vol. 1 is available from VIZ Media.
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In this episode we discuss;
Comic Source Weekly October 14, 2026 — Absolute Batman Tops 775K Orders, Spider-Man's Family Torn Apart & ComicSketchArt vs. GalaxyCon
 
Absolute Batman #25 has reportedly surpassed 775,000 retailer orders. How much higher can Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's blockbuster series go, and what does that enormous order figure really mean?
This week on The Comic Source Weekly, Jace breaks down the latest developments in Amazing Spider-Man #1001, where Ravage strikes at one of Peter Parker's most important relationships. We also examine the dispute between ComicSketchArt and GalaxyCon and what it could mean for creators and convention appearances.
Elsewhere in comic-book news, Marvel editor-in-chief Steve Wacker discusses the possibility of bringing back higher issue numbers, Brian K. Vaughan shares new details about ROAM and the future of Saga, Daniel Warren Johnson's Chainkata launches an extraordinary retailer-exclusive cover program, and David Finch prepares to take over interior artwork on Terminal.
Plus, updates from Ghost Machine, Skybound, Mad Cave Studios, and more.
Then we move into What Hit, with 10 predictions from the October 14 comic-book releases, before counting down the Prana Top 10 bestselling comics for the previous week and checking how our earlier predictions performed.
Finally, we highlight 20 comics approaching Final Order Cutoff on October 19.
Which comic news story stands out to you? And how high do you think Absolute Batman's retailer orders can climb?
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#ComicSourceWeekly #AbsoluteBatman #AmazingSpiderMan #ComicBookNews
 
CHAPTERS
00:00 Opening Hook
00:35 Introduction
01:29 Amazing Spider-Man #1001 — Peter's Family
02:52 Marvel's Steve Wacker on Legacy Numbering
04:09 Magic: The Gathering — Marvel Darkhold Destiny
05:01 ComicSketchArt vs. GalaxyCon
08:22 Absolute Batman #25 Tops 775,000 Orders
10:18 The Killing Joke — Ultra-Limited Noir Edition
12:27 Brian K. Vaughan Updates ROAM and Saga
15:02 Chainkata #1 — 116 Exclusive Covers
15:57 David Finch Takes Over Terminal
16:54 Blood & Thunder #19 — New Story Arc
17:54 The Last Driver — 4th Printing
18:32 Ghost Machine's Radioactive Revolution Cover Winner
19:49 Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago Sells Out
20:35 Weekly World News Gets a New Comic Series
21:50 What Hit — October 14 Predictions
26:59 Prana Top 10 Bestsellers — October 7
27:45 #10 Absolute Green Lantern #19
28:12 #9 Something Is Killing the Children #50
28:36 #8 Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #1
29:01 #7 Amazing Spider-Man #1000
29:41 #6 The Demon #1
29:44 #5 Absolute Superman #24
29:55 #4 Batman #14
30:13 #3 Midnight Fantastic Four #1
30:18 #2 Midnight X-Men #1
30:21 #1 Midnight Spider-Man #1
30:40 Prana Summary — Marvel Sweeps the Top 3
31:13 What Hit Results — 10 of 10
32:29 Final Order Cutoff — October 19
33:57 Marvel FOC Selections
34:51 Image Comics FOC Selections
35:30 The Snail and Dark Horse FOC
36:20 Mad Cave and ABLAZE FOC
37:14 BAD IDEA FOC Selections
37:37 Closing
 
 
NEWS SOURCES
Amazing Spider-Man #1001 — Peter Parker's family
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/peter-parker-his-aunt-cousin-ex-wife-in-amazing-spider-man-1001-2/
Steve Wacker — Marvel's higher issue numbers
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/steve-wacker-on-bringing-back-the-big-numbers-to-marvel-comics/
ComicSketchArt vs. GalaxyCon
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/comicsketchart-vs-galaxycon-bleeding-cool-talks-to-them-both/
Absolute Batman #25 — 775,000 retailer orders
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/absolute-batman-25-has-had-over-three-quarters-of-a-million-orders/
Batman: The Killing Joke — Argent Noir Edition
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/batman-the-killing-joke-gets-a-very-expensive-black-and-white-version/
Chainkata #1 — 116 retailer-exclusive covers
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/daniel-warren-johnsons-chainkata-launch-rolls-deep-with-116-retailer-exclusive-covers
The Last Driver #1 — 4th printing
https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/this-weeks-the-last-driver-1-reprint-sells-out-instantly-at-distributor-tears-down-the-road-toward-immediate-4th-printing

Danielle Kotch joins Jace on The Comic Source to discuss CRYSTAL LAKE, Peacock's new Friday the 13th prequel series, and the surprising new depth given to Claudette, one of the original film's most important but often overlooked characters. Claudette and Barry were the first victims in the original Friday the 13th, but their connection to Jason Voorhees' tragic past gives the new series an opportunity to explore the characters in a completely different way. Danielle discusses bringing Claudette to life, exploring the guilt and consequences surrounding Jason's drowning, and discovering how much more there was to the character than she originally expected. We also discuss her audition with showrunner Brad Caleb Kane, working alongside Phoenix Parnevik and Linda Cardellini, filming at the original Friday the 13th location in New Jersey, and recreating the atmosphere of the 1970s. Danielle also talks about discovering the Friday the 13th films, her appreciation for practical effects and horror filmmaking, and what longtime fans might think about the series expanding Jason's origin. CRYSTAL LAKE stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees and is created by Brad Caleb Kane for Peacock and A24. All eight episodes are now streaming on Peacock. This interview avoids major plot spoilers for the new series, although it discusses events established in the original Friday the 13th film.
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#CrystalLake #FridayThe13th #DanielleKotch
 
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction — Danielle Kotch and Crystal Lake
00:38 Playing Claudette and Landing the Role
02:13 Discovering the Friday the 13th Franchise
03:16 Claudette's Guilt and Character Development
05:22 Working with the Crystal Lake Cast
07:16 Filming at the Original Friday the 13th Location
08:00 Expanding Jason Voorhees' Origin
09:34 Making Crystal Lake Accessible to New Viewers
10:44 Recreating the 1970s
12:12 Crystal Lake's Music and Release
12:51 Danielle's Final Thoughts

In this episode we discuss;
NYCC 2026: Marvel's Big Changes, Absolute Justice & Major Comics Announcements
The Comic Source
 
New York Comic Con 2026 delivered major announcements from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, Skybound, IDW and more, and Jace breaks down over 50 comic book news stories from the convention in this special edition of Comic Source Weekly. Marvel's new Editor-in-Chief Stephen Wacker discusses major changes to publishing, retailer support, variant covers, creative relationships and the future direction of Marvel Comics. Plus, Kevin Smith's Marvel/Star Wars crossover expands, Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Hulk saga approaches its finale, Brian Michael Bendis returns to Magneto, and Marvel reveals developments involving Spider-Man, the Midnight Universe, Daredevil and more. DC announces Absolute Justice, the first major crossover bringing together the heroes of the Absolute Universe. Jace also covers upcoming storylines for Absolute Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash, new DC Next Level projects, Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Superman collaboration, and the latest Black Label and Vertigo announcements. Over at Skybound, major changes are coming to the Energon Universe, including Megatron's transformation, the arrival of the Dinobots, Battle Force 2000 and a new chapter for Baroness. Skybound also reveals its Visions lineup, including Turok, Bumblebee and G.I. Joe projects. Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang reunite for ROAM at Image Comics, while IDW reveals developments involving James Bond, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek. Which NYCC 2026 comic book announcement has you most excited? Let us know in the comments, along with any important stories we didn't cover.
 
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#NYCC2026 #ComicBookNews #MarvelComics #DCComics #AbsoluteJustice #EnergonUniverse #ComicSourceWeekly
 
CHAPTERS
00:00 NYCC 2026 Special — Opening Hook
00:28 Introduction
01:04 Marvel — Stephen Wacker's Plans for Change
12:36 Marvel and Star Wars: Hope Assembles
15:25 Hulk War: Infernal Rage
17:01 Bendis Returns to Magneto
18:11 Immortal Soldiers
19:14 Avengers, Mephisto and Spider-Man
21:51 Marvel Teases 1 Day
23:07 Peter Parker vs. Miles Morales
25:00 Spider-Punk Gets an Ongoing
26:15 Spider-Man Noir Returns
27:10 Marvel's Sound Effects Anthology
28:10 More Spider-Man Announcements
31:05 Venom's Unexpected Romance
32:10 Marvel's Midnight Universe
37:45 Captain Marvel After Armageddon
38:50 X-Men: Regulators
41:10 Daredevil #700
42:35 Marvel's 2027 Lineup
44:30 Marvel Brick and Renown Collections
47:00 DC — Absolute Justice
48:45 Absolute Justice Preview Pages
49:55 Absolute Batman's Future
53:15 Absolute Batman Animation
54:10 Absolute Superman's Next Chapter
55:50 Absolute Green Lantern
57:35 Absolute Wonder Woman
59:40 More Absolute Universe Announcements
01:04:00 Batman's Murder Mystery
01:06:10 Batman: Justice Year
01:07:30 Batman: Shadow of the Bat
01:09:35 Legion of Super-Heroes
01:10:45 Starfire
01:12:00 Swamp Thing: Hallowed Ground
01:13:10 Superboy-Prime
01:14:30 Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong III
01:15:30 Gotham by Daylight
01:17:10 Superman's Supernatural Stories
01:19:30 Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Superman
01:20:40 DC Next Level
01:27:40 Green Lantern: The Dying of the Light
01:29:55 DC Black Label Presents Anthology
01:32:20 Joker/Harley: Malicious Intent Returns
01:35:00 Hide Nor Hair
01:36:11 100 Bullets, Black Tower and Bleeding Hearts
01:37:55 Fanatic and Dreambound
01:39:45 Skybound Visions
01:43:30 Transformers — Megatronus Rex and Dinobots
01:44:45 Void Rivals and Cobra-La
01:45:40 M.A.S.K. and Battle Force 2000
01:46:30 G.I. Joe — Baroness Returns to Cobra
01:47:32 Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Reunite for ROAM
01:49:00 D'orc Glow-in-the-Dark Reprints
01:50:30 Jim Zub's Omen-Bound
01:52:45 Grant Morrison's James Bond
01:54:30 TMNT Enters a New Era
01:56:20 IDW's New Star Trek Projects
01:59:30 Murdoch Mysteries Comes to Comics