Books & Comics

Will Sylvain Neuvel’s Novel Sleeping Giants Become the Next Martian-style Success Story?

Sylvain Neuvel’s upcoming novel The Sleeping Giants doesn’t hit stores until next week, but his unconventionally published novel has already been picked up by Sony Pictures Entertainment for film. Neuvel’s novel begins in South Dakota when a girl falls through the ground and finds herself in the palm of a giant metal hand. Fast forward…

The First Time Superman Flew Into Space Was Delightful and Emotional

Superman: American Alien has been doing an incredible job of showing us Clark Kent’s evolution from boy to man (of Steel). It’s surprisingly funny comic that totally nails Clark Kent as a character—but, as a moment in this week’s newest issue proves, it can be equally touching. Spoilers ahead for Superman: American Alien #6, by…

That Time Prince Became an Actual Superhero

Prince always had superpowers. You only had to witness him picking up a guitar or sitting down at a keyboard to know it. His voice could encompass Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and Mick Jagger, while remaining recognizable as its own thing. But around the time he created his own musical fantasia out of Tim Burton’s…

You Should All Be Reading These Criminally Underrated Comics Right Now

We at io9 tend to cover a lot of comic book news, but there are a lot of smaller titles that, while not making headline news, are absolutely worth checking out (and then telling all your friends about how awesome they are). Here are just some of the criminally underappreciated series out right now that…

Joyride Is a Modern Love Letter to Classic Scifi and Teenage Rebellion

Let me be clear: Joyride is a comic, even though that’s a video trailer for it above. The first issue, from Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To, hits comic stores today courtesy of Boom Studios, and it’s a modernized version of those classic tales of teens rebelling against the system. In this case, though,…

You Can Now Read Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin’s Walking Dead Comic

Last year, Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin announced that they would be making a one-off comic in The Walking Dead universe, as part of a deal between Image Comics and their comics distribution service Panel Syndicate. Now, you can read it—and it’s got some pretty major implications for the comic series as a whole.…

This Fall, All Your Book-Buying Money Totally Belongs to Ursula K. Le Guin

Chances are, you already have a whole shelf full of Ursula K. Le Guin books. You’re not a monster, right? But you’re going to have to make some room on that shelf this fall, because two very special titles are coming down the pike. First off, in September, The Library of America (which has been…

Here Is the Most Ridiculously Badass Moment in Comics This Week, Courtesy of Karnak

Karnak has been one of the best things to come out of Marvel’s current wave of Inhumans-hype. Even over just a few issues it’s developed the badass Inhuman magister as an unstoppable force of bone-crunching, precise destruction—but Karnak’s latest standout moment is one of the craziest things he’s ever done. Spoilers ahead for Karnak #3…

The Kurt Vonnegut Library is seeking $750,000 to move to a bigger space.And this would let them do more cool stuff to celebrate one of the all-time best writers of weird and fantastical fiction. So it goes! [via SF Signal]

The First Details on Rom’s Triumphant Return to Comics

We’ve known for a while that cult classic ROM: Spaceknight was being revived this year, now at IDW rather than Marvel. But now we’ve got the details on Rom’s return, straight from writers Chris Ryall and Christos Gage—as well as a gallery of awesome variant covers for the first issue, making their debut on io9!…

Here Are Your 2016 Eisner Award Nominees

As easy as it is to decry how San Diego Comic-Con isn’t about comics anymore, the gigantic convention is still home to one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, the Eisners. The list of nominees for this year’s awards are out and it is, as usual, jam-packed with amazing comics. There’s a ton…

Time Lords Collide in This First Look at the New Doctor Who Comic Crossover

Just as it’s a tradition on Doctor Who for different incarnations of The Doctor to bump into each other, Titan’s Doctor Who comics have also started an annual get-together for the various incarnations of everyone’s favorite Time Lord. This year is a little different, though—because this time the Ninth Doctor gets to join in on…

The Star Wars Comic’s New Stormtroopers Look Absurdly Awesome

The very best of what Star Wars can be often comes with Star Wars at its silliest. Like the Dark side and the Light, there must be a balance between coolness and sincere camp at all times; it’s what makes a name like ‘Poe Dameron’ both ridiculously silly and badass at the same time. It’s…

Steven Universe‘s Greatest Love Story Is Becoming an Adorable Children’s Book

The relationship between two female characters, Ruby and Sapphire, isn’t just one of the most delightful aspects of Steven Universe—it’s a groundbreaking portrayal of non-traditional love in a kid’s cartoon, that’s quite unlike anything on TV. And now, that love story is being retold in a gorgeous children’s book. https://gizmodo.com/steven-universe-returns-with-a-fairytale-ode-to-its-mos-1751141273 As announced by Steven Universe…

Say Hello to Kenan Kong, the New Chinese Superman

There’s big changes coming to Superman in DC’s Rebirth event. First off, he’s dying. Then he’s being replaced by, err, well, the old Superman (it’s a long story). But it also seems on his way out Superman’s powers will be split among a whole host of people—and one of them is a young man from…

Diving Deep Into Dept. H, Matt and Sharlene Kindt’s New Underwater Mystery Comic

Solving a murder is never easy, but what if you had to do it miles underwater, trapped on a station that could flood at any moment? That’s the premise of Matt and Sharlene Kindt’s new series, Dept. H. We sat down with the husband-and-wife team to discuss the series, along with a few preview pages…

The United States of Japan Shows What Happens When Ideology Crumbles

In Peter Tieryas’ novel The United States of Japan, the United States loses the Second World War to Japan, and finds itself split between the invading Japanese army and Nazi Germany. If the plot sounds familiar, that’s deliberate: Tieryas was a huge fan of Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man in the High Castle, and…

Friends Are Foes in This First Look at the Final Issue of Valiant’s Faith Miniseries

Valiant’s excellent miniseries about its lovable fangirl/psionic flying superhero Faith Herbert is nearly at its end—but there’s some good news on that front. First though, lets take an exclusive sneak peek at the trials and tribulations she’ll have to face in in Faith #4! https://gizmodo.com/valiants-fangirl-superhero-is-finally-getting-her-own-c-1734119292 It’s been a crazy ride for Faith in her new…

We’re big fans of The Vision’s fashion sense here on io9, but what were his best comic book outfits? For the dedicated follower of synthezoid fashion, Brian Cronin over at Comic Book Resources has collected the Vision’s finest bits of wardrobe selection throughout his comic book history, and it’s fantastic.

So Now We Know How C-3PO Got His Red Arm In The Force Awakens

Ladies and gentlemen, our global nightmare is over. After months—nearly five of them in fact—of waiting, Marvel’s one-shot comic, revealing just why C-3PO has a red arm for most of The Force Awakens, is finally here. As bizarre as it may sound at first, the final product isn’t half bad. https://gizmodo.com/soon-well-learn-why-c-3p0-has-a-red-arm-1728938086 Spoilers ahead for Star…