writer: Julio Anta | artist [penciller & inker]: Daniel IriZarri | colorist: Patricio Delpeche | letterer: Lucas Gattoni | cover artist: Daniel IriZarri | publishing company: Tiny Onion Studios [Dark Horse Comics]
synopsis:
A thrilling new True Weird series from Tiny Onion by co-creators Julio Anta (Frontera; Sí, Se Puede) and Daniel Irizarri (Xino, Cementary Kids Don't Die) bringing el Chupacabra to life!
In contemporary Puerto Rico, Loli Flores is a fierce activist fighting the overdevelopment of the island by outside investors. When a ground-breaking ceremony is violently interrupted by a supernatural force, Loli discovers that the stories of el Chupacabra are not just echoes from the past, but a brutal protector of generations extending back to the indigenous people of the island. As Loli uncovers the horrors firstand, el Chupacabra is on a parallel path with elemental destruction left in his wake.
This issue includes a haunting True Weird short story by Justin Jordan, Tony Akins and Aditya Bidikar!
Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Middle Grade: January-June 2026
Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit by Nicole Melleby (January 13th)
Brady Mason couldn’t care less about fashion. She likes what she knows: baseball, comfortable clothes, and pork roll with egg and cheese. When Brady’s friends notice that she looks strangely like fashion editor Elena Lavigne, they start the rumor that Brady is Elena’s long-lost daughter. They’ll make a few TikTok videos, get some fun buzz…
Out this week: The Beast of Boriken #1 (Dark Horse, $4.99):
Julio Anta and Daniel Irizarri present this True Weird tale where they bring the Chupacabra to life in contemporary Puerto Rico. Activist Lola Flores, fighting the overdevelopment of the island by outside investors, witnesses a supernatural force violently interrupt a groundbreaking ceremony and discovers that el Chupacabra is not just folklore, but a brutal protector of the island’s indigenous heritage.
See what else is coming to your local comic shop this week!
DC Comics Announces Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle Young Adult Graphic Novels
DC Comics has announced two new young adult graphic novels: Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana and This Land s Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story.
Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana hails from Jordie Bellaire and Paulina Ganucheau. The graphic novel is a collection of stories about young Diana originally published in Wonder Woman #770-#779 and #785-#796 and the Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular.
"The world may know her as Wonder Woman, but once upon a time she was Diana, the young princess of Themyscira. Back then, she struggled to find her place on an island deemed paradise by many, but which was, to her, a prison. Trapped in her role as a royal and shielded from the harsh realities of Man’s World, Diana yearns for adventure, or at least a purpose. So when ancient texts portraying her home’s history go missing, she gets both. How far will our hero go to find the texts and the truths they’re hiding?" (DC Comics)
Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana goes on sale on August 6, 2024.
This Land s Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story hails from Julio Anta, Jacoby Salcedo, and Francesco Segala. The story follows a high school aged Jaime Reyes, who lives in El Paso, Texas. TJaime loves his family, culture, and home. "But lately he’s begun to realize that he and his border community are being used as pawns in an increasingly toxic immigration debate.
The last few months have seen armed troops deployed along the U.S. and Mexico border, manufactured crackdowns at official border crossings, and now, at the community level, a mounting resentment amongst a disaffected and reactionary group who believe they’re being “replaced” by El Paso’s growing immigrant population. And to make matters worse, one of Jaime’s oldest friends, Riley, has bought into the propaganda. What started off as innocent web searches have now led Riley down a path to joining an unabashed hate group with a chapter in El Paso looking to cause some real-world violence.
But Jaime’s problems get even more complicated when he finds an odd bug-like artifact while stargazing. He starts feeling a little different—like there’s another voice in his head pushing him toward his basest instincts. And to make matters worse, he’s been having surreal dreams that show him that the true threat El Paso faces isn’t “illegal aliens,” but actual aliens known as the Reach. In fact, according to his dreams, Jaime is meant to pave the way for the Reach’s impending invasion!" (DC Comics)
This Land s Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story goes on sale on October 1, 2024.
(Image via DC Comics - Cover of Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana and Cover of This Land s Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story)
I haven’t read much Shazam stuff, but I thought this was fun! A good mix of general chaos stuff and remembering what it’s actually about. The gods messing with Billy was a fun storyline. The bit where Zeus takes over was a bit uncomfortable 😬 but that was kind of the point, as far as I could tell? I can tell things are building up to something, excited to read more!
Harley Quinn, Vol. 1: Girl in a Crisis - 3.5 stars
Tini Howard’s writing is hit or miss with me, and ultimately I picked this up because I adore Sweeney Boo’s art. I didn’t dislike the writing here, but I didn’t love it either. I thought the take on Harley was good overall but ultimately wish there’d been a little more chaos. Like… Harley’s thing is that she’s stuck between being a good guy and a bad guy, right? The prank war with two-face worked well, and so did her popping into random universes in the Knight Terrors segment, but beyond that a lot of it didn’t really feel much like Harley. Idk. It’s not the worst thing DC’s been doing with her by far, and it’s not that bad all things considered, and there were good bits (and the art is beautiful), but it def had some room for improvement too.
This Land is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story - 4 stars
I liked this! The commentary was good, I felt like it did a good job of criticizing ideals of ‘staying away from politics’ while still telling a good story. This was a fun take on the character. I don’t keep up with blue beetle much so this was a good introduction as well as working nicely as a self-contained story! I feel like you could read this without knowing anything about DC and still walk away having understood & enjoyed it.
