Dynamite

Launching a shared superhero universe is a pretty daunting task even for the best creators in comics, but 2013's Kings Watch from Jeff Parker and Marc Laming is hands down one of the best I've ever read. Built around the idea of Ming the Merciless arriving on Earth with an invasion plan that starts by simply turning off global communication --- and returning printed newspapers to the kind of prominence they haven't had since the last century --- the story threw Flash Gordon, the Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician into high adventure and provided the springboard for some great comics. Now, Parker is returning to Flash Gordon with artist and co-writer Jesse Hamm, colorist Grace Allison, and letterer Simon Bowland, for an all-new five-issue story called "Kings Cross," set to make its debut in November --- and they're bringing Ming the Merciless back with them.

The question most often asked of the ComicsAlliance staff is a variation of, “Which comic books should I be reading?” or, “I’m new to comics, what’s a good place to start?” The Wednesday deluge of new comic books, graphic novels and collected editions can be daunting even for the longtime reader, much less for those totally unfamiliar with creators, characters and publishers, and the dark mysteries of comic book shopping like variants, pre-ordering, and formats. It’s with these challenges in mind that we’ve created Best Comic Books Ever (This Week), an ongoing guide curated by the ComicsAlliance staff. This is where new comics readers and seasoned Wednesday shoppers alike can find our picks of the best books the medium has to offer.

James Bond is a franchise that was just begging for a great comics adaptation for years, and we finally got everything we wanted when Warren Ellis and Jason Masters were announced as the creators of an ongoing 007 comic last year. Now, following the success of that ongoing series, Dynamite is launching a new James Bond miniseries titled Hammerhead by Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida.

Dynamite Entertainment and DC Comics have enjoyed a healthy relationship in recent years, with crossovers between DC's Batman '66 and Dynamite's '70s TV franchises such as The Man From UNCLE, The Green Hornet, and most recently Steed and Mrs. Peel. These digital-first series have been a hit with fans, so much so that DC and Dynamite are expanding the partnership for a crossover between The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman '77.

I don't want to assume anything about your life, but I can definitely tell you that I didn't wake up this morning expecting to be really excited about a new Betty Boop comic, and yet, here we are, in a world where that is exactly what I'm feeling. As part of a string of announcements leading up to this week's San Diego Comic-Con, Dynamite Entertainment has revealed an all-new Betty Boop series from Roger Langridge and Gisèle Lagacé, set to make its debut in October. And just in case that wasn't enough of a surprise for today, it's also going to have covers by Howard Chaykin.

San Diego Comic Con is without a doubt the biggest event on the industry's calendar, and people will be flying from around the world to attend panels, watch trailers, meet creators, and make friends. This year's event is bigger than ever, with so much going on every single day that it can be difficult to sift through all that information and decide how to spend your time. With the event only days away, we've looked through the schedules and hand-selected some of the best events happening on Thursday and Friday for fans of comics, collectibles, TV and film, so you can be sure you don't miss that must-see panel or signing.

Created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and premiering in the October 1912 issue of pulp magazine The All-Story, Tarzan of the Apes has become one of the most well-known heroes in fiction. He's been in hundreds of films, novels and video games, with the latest film, The Legend of Tarzan, hitting theatres this past weekend. But Tarzan has perhaps cast his biggest shadow in comics. Spanning newspaper strips, comic books and webcomics under a rainbow of comics greats, Tarzan has been a steady presence in the medium for almost 90 years.

The question most often asked of the ComicsAlliance staff is a variation of, “Which comic books should I be reading?” or, “I’m new to comics, what’s a good place to start?” The Wednesday deluge of new comic books, graphic novels and collected editions can be daunting even for the longtime reader, much less for those totally unfamiliar with creators, characters and publishers, and the dark mysteries of comic book shopping like variants, pre-ordering, and formats. It’s with these challenges in mind that we’ve created Best Comic Books Ever (This Week), an ongoing guide curated by the ComicsAlliance staff. This is where new comics readers and seasoned Wednesday shoppers alike can find our picks of the best books the medium has to offer.

The question most often asked of the ComicsAlliance staff is a variation of, “Which comic books should I be reading?” or, “I’m new to comics, what’s a good place to start?” The Wednesday deluge of new comic books, graphic novels and collected editions can be daunting even for the longtime reader, much less for those totally unfamiliar with creators, characters and publishers, and the dark mysteries of comic book shopping like variants, pre-ordering, and formats. It’s with these challenges in mind that we’ve created Best Comic Books Ever (This Week), an ongoing guide curated by the ComicsAlliance staff. This is where new comics readers and seasoned Wednesday shoppers alike can find our picks of the best books the medium has to offer.

It was only last month that Comixology launched Comixology Unlimited, a new subscription-base service with a Netflix-style model that gives access to a library of titles to read for a flat monthly fee. Since then, there's been one major question among readers: What exactly are we going to get on there? Now, a month after the launch with titles from Image, Dark Horse, Valiant and IDW, the digital comics platform has announced the first wave of additions, set to hit Unlimited on June 27 --- including the first three issues of Afterlife With Archie, the first five of Ryan Browne's God Hates Astronauts, and the first eight issues of Matt Wagner's Mage: The Hero Discovered.