Here Comes the Rain Again — This Week’s Links

Travel chaos lately, as climate change shifts the UK into a land of wildfires, and government warning alerts blaring out of phones with zero preamble, so, a lot of fraught commuting the last few days, that involved frowning at my ubiquitous comms device for items relevant to this week’s links, below, while delayed, and thinking, “Why is the comics internet talking about C-3PO?” before tracking back on the timeline and discovering the exasperating/originating thought experiment that had been posed, regarding Artificial Intelligence, frowning even deeper, to a frankly comical extent, and returning instead to the simple task-at-hand of trying to avoid eye-contact with anyone else in the tube carriage, as the universe intended. Life is simply too short.

This week’s reviews.

• Tom Shapira reviews the arbitrary passivity of DC’s Shade the Changing Man by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo Omnibus Volume 2  —“Oddly enough, despite the problem of the shifting artists there isn’t a page of bad art throughout this book. Just look at this list: Glyn Dillon, Richard Case, Steve Yeowell, Micheal Lark, Mark Buckingham, Philip Bond, Sean Phillips … all in the height of their powers. And, thankfully, it is just therightperiod of the 1990s, before digital coloring became the new norm; I just like this period for coloring in DC comics — Daniel Vozzo and David Hornung do their best to keep a sense of consistency throughout.”

• Kevin Brown reviews the formal brilliance of Emil Wilson’s The Nightingales— “Here, Wilson has created two characters who live up to that description, especially Lou, who does something unremarkable and receives a desperately needed change in her life in return. Wilson has created a story about compassion and love and living in the midst of suffering and hate. That’s a story that people need to hear right now.”

Isaiah Colbert reviews the meditative honesty of Yoiko Fujimi’sHalf is More, Volume 1, translated by David Evelyn.

• Justin Harrison reviews the gorgeous visuals of Yudori’s Lovers of the Empire, Volume 1.

• Kevin Clark reviews the appealing romance of Kirsten Thompson and Huenito’s Aperture.

• Jonathan Waugh reviews the fantastic reboot of Ben H. Winters, Fábio Moon, et al’s Archie #1.

• Collier Jennings reviews the unique horror of Stephanie Williams, Pablo Collar, et al’s Any Given Smile #1.

• Chris Coplan reviews the masterful world-building of Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, et al’s The Karman Blade #1.

• David Brooke reviews the stylish conclusion of Joe Palmer’s Destination Kill #4.

• Michael Guerrero reviews the powerful intensity of Dan Watters, Denys Cowan, et al’s Nightwing #141.

Nirmala Devi reviews the twisting immersion of Alex Graham’s The Devil’s Grin: Book One.

• Mike Donachie reviews the galactic standard of Rebellion’s 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2026 #1.

• Clyde Hall reviews the signature strengths of Ray Fawkes, Russell Olson, et al’s The Phantom vs. the Singh Brotherhood #1.

• Jordan Jennings reviews the tremendous talent of Oni-Lion Forge’s Shellshock #1.

• D. Morris reviews the visual inconsistency of Chip Zdarsky, Ario Aninoito, et al’s Avengers: Armageddon #3.

• Diego Higuera reviews the surprising fun of Mark Waid, Bruno Frenda, et al’s Batman/Superman World’s Finest #54.

• Jared Bird reviews the stellar construction of Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki, et al’s Assorted Crisis Events, Volume 2.

• Edward Picot reviews the brisk action of Thomas S. Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson, Craig Rousseau, et al’s Nothing Can Stop… the Ape!.

• Andy Oliver has reviews of:

• The subtle nuance of Marcelo D’Salete’sTiodora’s Letters, translated by Andrea Rosenberg.
• The delightful approach of Steven Brower and Seymour Chast’sCharlie: Charles Chaplin, The Funniest Man in the World.
• The sporting re-creation of Richard Short’sChin Music.
• The fine humour of Fantagraphics’Donald Duck #391.
• The diverse accounts of Salomé Parent-Rachdi and Deloupy’sLove and Desire in the Promised Land: The Private Lives of Israelis and Palestinians, translated by Jenna Allen.

Henry Chamberlain reviews the deepening mystery of Dash Shaw’sLike Swimmers.

Scott Cederlund reviews the appropriate messiness of Jonathan Hickman, Stefano Caselli, Mike Deodato Jr., Kev Walker, et al’sAvengers: Time Runs Out.

Paul O’Brien hascapsule reviewsof Marvel Comics’X-Men #35, X-Men United #6, Wolverine #25,andGeneration X-23 #7.

AJ Mack reviews the information overload of Kano Ninomiya’sExotic Animal Doctor, Volume 1, translated by Tristan K. Hill.

Sending all of the “CONGRATS” to every Ignatz Award nominees!Click the link below to see who they are and how to vote for them.Ballots will be mailed within 48-72 hours of receiving them.

This week’s interviews.

Rae Whitlock interviewsRaquelle JacaboutBimbo Agitprop, trauma and overpowering emotions, commodification of bodies, and community organisation —“Self-hatred and narcissism kind of go hand in hand. You’re thinking about yourself all the time because you hate yourself so much. I would read it over and over again, and be like: Does that sound self-righteous? Does that sound like I’m a victim? Something I have been thinking about a lot is the unwillingness to see oneself as a victim, even when that might be accurate. Why is that such an issue? So many people are victims of so many different things, and everyone has a right to be pissed off and sad about things.”

• Chris Hassan speaks with Jed MacKay and Tom Brevoort about Jean Grey and DNX, the return of seminal characters, and pivots to Marvel’s First Family.

• Chris Coplan talks to Oling move to creating comics, and eschewing expository lore-dumps

• David Brooke chats with Leah Hayes about Identical, the emotional complexities inherent to being a twin, and the pains of panel construction.

Kevin Cormack talks toRensuke OshikiriaboutGeniearthandHi-Score Girl, Western superhero influences, and recent gaming picks.

Anna O’Neill interviewsSimon Cassini and Sheba Cassiniabout cartooning work and life on Eel Pie Island, and the joys of illustration.

• Avery Kaplan and Ollie Kaplan speak with Tilly Bridges and Susan Bridges about Just Another Summer, working with Mad Cave, and pandemic lockdown hobbies.

• Deanna Destito talks to Jason A. Hurley about The Beautyand creative freedoms, and Jim McCann about The Other Half and filmic inspirations.

Barbra Dillon interviewsDoug Wagner and Daniel HillyardaboutI Love Apocalyptic Zombie Misfitsand the roadtrip origins of the book.

Jonathan Sandler speaks withChris FinkaboutBreakthrough: Life on the Brinkand cancer diagnoses, andJonathan Fetter-VormaboutTrinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomband the photographic inspiration for the book.

V.S. Wells talks toIan Boothby and Pia GuerraaboutFrostbite, the dangers of snow inherent to the Canadian character, and making the story appropriately diverse.

Sophie McBain interviewsArt SpiegelmanaboutIn the Shadow of No Towers, the publication history ofMaus, and shifting perspectives on the cruelties of the world.

Milton Griepp talks toKurtHasslerabout Yen Press and new retailer Manga Spot, big sellers in the current market, and retail location decisions.

Brandon Haffner speaks withDash ShawaboutLike Swimmers, the COVID pandemic origins of the book, and the enduring inspirations of the French New Wave.

Aria Baci talks toTakako ShimuraaboutWandering Son, personal experiences of gender dysphoria, and centering transgender and lesbian characters in stories.

please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times

This week’s features and longreads.

• Here at TCJ, Zach Rabiroff and Heidi MacDonald report on allegations of unsound business practices and unmet financial obligations levelled at Adam Fortier, relating to work Fortier was to carry out on projects with Macroverse Media and individual artists and editors, resulting in suits and countersuits — “A second source who worked as a project manager for Fortier on the venture, and who asked to remain anonymous pending potential legal proceedings against Fortier, confirmed the ad hoc nature of the photography operation. Both this contract employee and Stahl describe Fortier as increasingly absent from the project the further it progressed, and, for contractors awaiting payment, increasingly difficult to get hold of, with several contract employees recalling that emails and phone calls went unanswered for extended periods of time.”

• Also for TCJ, RJ Casey joins the queue to meet this month’s Arrivals and Departures, as consideration is given to Jared Sarnie’s The Machine is Broken,Liam Cassidy’s Cheap Fun #2,and Fidelia Schlegl’s Smoke — “I, for one, welcome these types of experimental comics that emphasize heart over cold geometric sterility. It’s always a great pleasure to read work from artists like Owwi Lee and Gizem Vural and now I would add a new member to that illustrious list. InSmoke, Fidelia Schlegl brings the amazement — something we could all use in our lives to soften the blow of reality.”

• More for TCJ, as Austin Price writes in remembrance of Ioannis ‘Yani’ Mantzas, co-founder of Vertical and Kodansha USA Editorial Director, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 53 — “For me, the first artistic model that came to mind upon meeting Yani was Falstaff: big, blustery, eccentric, given to grand but never unsubstantiated proclamations; he did not match at all the image I’d ginned up before our first encounter. If on one hand he considered himself something of a decadent in the tradition of Osamu Dazai, given to eating at elegant French bistros around from the corner from his offices and explaining the intricate structures of baroque music to you, he was also the sort to dress in ancient button-downs discolored by the haze of smoke he lived in or sweat-pants he bought in a 20-for-$5 deal from a bootleg dealer in Chinatown that were emblazoned with nonsensical and ill-fitting slogans like “Best Grandma.””

• TCJ’s50th anniversary retrospective series, Rebuttals and Regrets, continues, as this week Hagai Palevsky considers the version of Yoshiro Tatsumi put forward in the author’s memoir, A Drifting Life — “Given that Tatsumi’s work is so tied up in an all-encompassing moral worldview, peopled as it is by politically-alienated underdogs crushed by the weight of the systems around them, perhaps the most shocking thing about A Drifting Life is how utterly unworldly it is. Throughout the book, Tatsumi scatters references to recent events, political and cultural, in a way that addresses the reader without figuring into the lives of the actual characters.”

• CBC’sAndrew Jeffrey reports on the looming deadline for libraries in the province of Alberta are forced to comply with legislative restrictions on the books that appear in their collections, speaking with library staff on the work required to review and remove graphic novels targeted by Bill 28, given the subjective nature of its wording.

• For The Mainichi, Hyelim Ha previews the Tokyo National Art Center’s “Shōjo Manga Infinity: Moto Hagio, Ryoko Yamagishi, and Waki Yamato”exhibition, highlighting the influence and legacy of the three shōjo mangaka, in the first show of its kind at a national art museum in Japan.

• Over at Solrad, Yao Xiao writes on personal history with shōjo manga, highlighting key formative titles, and the importance of CLAMP’s blurring of genre and gender expectations.

• For Cartoonist Conspiracy, Steven Stwalley writes on the passing of cartoonist Roger Lootine, creator of Residue, who died last month, also sharing remembrances of Lootine from Jamie Kalakaru-Mava.

• For Polygon,Thomas Hindmarch writes on the many trials and tribulations, and the publication history, of Marvel Comics’ Gladiator, and what it means to be a perennial punching bag.

• Four Color Apocalypse’sRyan Carey observes what would have been Jack Kirby’s 109th birthday with a fresh ‘Kirby Week’ celebration, sharing thoughts on 2001: A Space Odyssey #5& #6 and Our Fighting Forces #153.

• A new week brings with it a new Mindless Ones newsletter, which brings with it new thoughts on Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo’s Shade the Changing Man, Pat Mills and Simon Bisley’s Sláine: The Horned God, and Transformers.

• From the world of open-access academia, in the Peer-Reviewed Journal of Arts and Literature, Rakhi Ramachandran writes on recent targeting of graphic novels and illustrated books in banning efforts in the United States, and why it is easier to focus on visual storytelling, given the relative ease with which a panel or illustration can be taken out of context.

• Mike Peterson rounds up the week’s editorial beat, over at The Daily Cartoonist, as observation is made of various of 2026’s elephants in the room, including artificial intelligence, the US-Iran war and military deployments, and US relations with dictatorships.

This week’s audio/visual delights.

Catching up with some recent multimedia interviews from across the comics web, as mangakaRumiko Takahashi and Junji Itospoke about their work and friendship over tea and cakes; Comics Grinder’s Henry Chamberlain discussed the formal experimentation ofThe NightingaleswithEmil Wilson; Brian Hibbs welcomedOlivia Sullivanto the Comix Experience Graphic Novel Club to speak aboutOraclesand playing with reader reactions; forPublisher’s Weekly’sMore to Come, Heidi MacDonald spoke to Alice Dattow aboutTramps of the Apocalypseand Badr Milligan interviewed Patrick Horvath aboutBeneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring; and David Harper talked toTerry Mooreabout the upcoming crowdfunder forPandora’s Box: An Echo Storyand toChristian Wardabout current writing projects with varied publishers for Off Panel.

CFP is coming soon; save December 3rd, the Thursday before @massmice.bsky.social, for NEGM 2026!

No more links this week, as the heat has finally broken here, so there’s nothing to do except open windows and enjoy the breeze, just like inCon Air.