Ben Caldwell

Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell's revival of Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti's Prez was probably the single most unexpected launch of the entire "DC You" initiative --- and so far, it's been one of the best. As it stands, Beth Ross is a teenager in a dystopian (but not entirely unfamiliar) near future where corporations have the right to vote and viral marketing can control a campaign, who got on the ballot as a joke and now stands a chance of becoming the first president elected by Twitter. This week sees the release of the second issue, and as the House of Representatives is in deadlock, Beth's father's illness takes a turn for the worse --- and if that's not enough, we're introduced to the Sensational Character Find of 2015, Carl The End-Of-Life Bear. Check out a sharp and surprisingly heartwarming preview below!

There’s probably no better time for a biting, trenchant and smart political satire comic than right now, as candidates in the United States start up their presidential campaign machines a full 18 months before anyone heads into a voting booth. The good news is DC Comics’ relaunch of Prez, written by Mark Russell and with art by Ben Caldwell, accomplishes that, and with style. It’s a powerfully clever, not-all-that-far-fetched prediction of what U.S. politics could easily become in a few more cycles. It shines a light on a system that’s hollow, shallow, and deep in the pocket of corporations without being heavy-handed about it (at least most of the time).

We make a regular practice at ComicsAlliance of spotlighting particular artists or specific bodies of work, as well as the special qualities of comic book storytelling, but because cartoonists, illustrators and their fans share countless numbers of great pinups, fan art and other illustrations on sites like Flickr, Tumblr, DeviantArt and seemingly infinite art blogs that we’ve created Best Art Ever (This Week), a weekly depository for just some of the pieces of especially compelling artwork that we come across in our regular travels across the Web. Some of it’s new, some of it’s old, some of it’s created by working professionals, some of it’s created by future stars, some of it’s created by talented fans, and some of it’s endearingly silly. All of it is awesome.

DC rocked the comics Internet pretty hard today with a massive announcement of 24 new comics spinning out of their Convergence event, and I can assure you that no one is more excited about this than I am. But the one thing that's most impressive about it is just how weird the publisher is getting. And folks, DC is getting weird. Not only is the publisher reviving some of the deepest cuts in DC history, but it's also putting the spotlight on some truly weird characters -- including a few that I didn't think would ever make a comeback. So for the benefit of those of you who haven't been obsessing over DC Comics for the last three decades, here's a quick breakdown of the three weirdest comics coming up in DC's new lineup!

We make a regular practice at ComicsAlliance of spotlighting particular artists or specific bodies of work, as well as the special qualities of comic book storytelling, but because cartoonists, illustrators and their fans share countless numbers of great pinups, fan art and other illustrations on sites like Flickr, Tumblr, DeviantArt and seemingly infinite art blogs that we’ve created Best Art Ever (This Week), a weekly depository for just some of the pieces of especially compelling artwork that we come across in our regular travels across the Web. Some of it’s new, some of it’s old, some of it’s created by working professionals, some of it’s created by future stars, some of it’s created by talented fans, awnd some of it’s endearingly silly. All of it is awesome.

A more appropriate name for DC Comics' Convergence event, at least the miniseries that will accompany the main series for two months next spring, may be "Nostalgia Trip." DC has been rolling out titles and creative teams for the 40 planned series week by week. The first batch focused on the publisher's pre-New 52 continuity. The second focused on the 1990s (including WildStorm), and the third seemed to center on the 1980s. The fourth and final group of miniseries, which DC announced Tuesday, covers a much wider time period: All of DC's pre-Crisis On Infinite Earths continuity. And there's another twist: They all take place on defined and listed alternate Earths which existed before the company's last line-wide reboot in the 1980s.

We make a regular practice at ComicsAlliance of spotlighting particular artists or specific bodies of work, as well as the special qualities of comic book storytelling, but because cartoonists, illustrators and their fans share countless numbers of great pinups, fan art and other illustrations on sites like Flickr, Tumblr, DeviantArt and seemingly infinite art blogs that we’ve created Best Art Eve

Here at ComicsAlliance, we obviously have a vested interest in seeing comics bloggers do well with their various projects. That said, it's a lot easier to get behind stuff when it looks like it's going to be amazing, which is why we're all pretty excited about Kelly Thompson's Storykiller and the roster of incredible artists she's gathered to illustrate the special edition of her new novel. As you

On sale next week from Archaia is Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard #1 (V2), beginning an all-new anthology series that invites some of comics' most talented creators to tell stories set throughout the endlessly charming, frequently funny and always harrowing mediaval world of mice created by David Petersen. This first issue contains framing sequences by Petersen himself that introduce the mechanism by which new stories by Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Ben Caldwell (Wednesday Comics' "Wonder Woman") and Nick Tapalansky and Alex-Eckman Lawn (Awakening) will unfold: a storytelling contesthosted in old Madame June's mouse tavern. The prize for the best tale? A zeroed out bar tab.

The phrase "Hey kids, comics!" is a bit of a defunct rallying cry these days. While most comic book fans would wildly roll their eyes and shove their Mature-rated favorites at the very mention of it, The Graphic Textbook is embracing the notion and the potential that exists between developing minds and comics pages...