back from the dead: thedeadairchannel024

I failed to get one of these out in July. In my defense, a lot happened in July and New York appears to have been relocated to about three inches away from the sun. But that does mean I have lots to talk about. Here goes...

Two of the projects I had codenamed in this newsletter have recently been announced.

Project Fear was the name I gave the ongoing Spider-Woman series I'm writing for Marvel, drawn by Andrea Broccardo. Marvel have teased the story like so:

Old foes back from the dead! Mysteries around every corner! And a bloodthirsty Carnage just barely kept contained! It’s a recipe for Spider-Woman’s darkest adventure yet—as the darkness within Jessica Drew threatens to break free…

When I first discussed this book with editors Kaeden MacGahey and Nick Lowe, I proposed stripping back to the core appeal of the character as she was introduced in the 70s. The Mysterious Spider-Woman. A bit of a loner, a little bit alien thanks to her very strange upbringing- which involves at least two mad scientists, a touch of black magic, and a spoonful of brainwashing. Again, these were 70s comics.

Jessica Drew never really had a consistent writer during that original run. Though all the writers she did have were masters of the craft; Wolfman, Gruenwald, Claremont, Nocenti, etc. All had different ideas about what a Spider-Woman comic might look like, so the book often lurches off in different interesting directions when it's handed off. Taking her from the UK to the West Coast, from monster stories to mystery stories, from a bounty hunter to a private eye. There's a lot there that was never really followed up on. We'll be pulling on a lot of it in this title. I'm three scripts in, and I like each one better than the last. Andrea and colorist Mattia Iacono have been the perfect partners in crime here; I wanted to create a seedy, giallo tinged New York for this book, and they knew what I was going for immediately.

I've seen some people speculating in all sorts of ways about Carnage's role in this story. It's probably not what you expect, and it's definitely a story rather than a status quo. Wait and see.

The book begins in November. Come along for the ride.

The second announcement of July was Mad Science Division from Ignition Press with Brian Level. Previously referred to here as Project Flask.

The elevator pitch I sent was "DOGE at the Umbrella Corporation"- a snide, entitled nepo brat is brought in to cut "waste and bloat" from the research arm of a bioweapons company he doesn't understand at all. Hijinks ensue.

I've been looking for an excuse to work with Brian again since he drew two issues of Lucifer way back in 2020. He was the first and honestly only artist I thought of for this- he was mentioned in the pitch I sent Ignition- and I'm so glad he said yes. He's currently finishing issue 2, and every scene has at least one panel that's had me busting a gut once he's done with it. Brian is the nicest guy you'll ever meet, but his sense of humor runs pitch black- a bit like mine- and comes through so very well in his art. (Last month at Galaxy Con someone asked me why my Lucifer run had been so dark. Thing is, I didn't realize it was. At the time I thought I was pretty much doing Terry Pratchett. Granted there were a few more eye gougings and decapitations and acts of fratricide and cannibal– okay, maybe I see their point.)

Mad Science Division is my first creator-owned book since The One Hand & The Six Fingers ended early last year, and likely the only one you'll see from me until later in 2027. The book really feels like a culmination of all my interests and preoccupations from the last year or so boiled down into one title, so I hope people check it out in November.

Something else cool I saw this month: DC are re-releasing Batman: Dark Patterns #1 as part of a "Start Here" initiative alongside some very heavy hitter Batman comics. I presume the idea here is that stores can buy these cheap in bundles, so they can sell to readers for a dollar, letting them check out the start of a series for next to nothing and finding what Batman stories speak to them. It's particularly cool to have our book here besides Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #1, which was one of the books that converted me into a Wednesday warrior back when I was at college. I'm still paying off a student loan that I mostly spent on those comics, so I guess that's a full circle moment in some way or other.

This week sees the release of M.A.S.K. #3. This is the issue I've been really looking forward to, which has a major sting in the tail we've been keeping under wraps.

This is also the issue where we bring Miles Mayhem and Matt Trakker together for the first time on the page since they began to be teased in the Energon Universe two years ago. It is going to be an explosive meeting.

For me, this is where the book comes into focus and we really get to show off the characters we're dealing with. And see that they're more bonkers than they've ever let on before. If you like- this is where the mask slips.

I've just been tagged in our first advance review for the issue, courtesy of AIPT. They seem to have enjoyed it.

I wasn't at San Diego this year, and though I'd have loved to see all my friends and do the panels and things I was asked to attend, I was quietly a little relieved to stay home. The big cons are A Lot, and I'd had three out of state trips in the month before, culminating with GalaxyCon New Orleans.

NOLA was a delight, because NOLA is always a delight. Easily one of my favorite places stateside every time I visit, so it's generally a very quick yes from me when I'm asked to attend an event there.

It was a great time hanging out with pals Jenna Cha, Gavin Guidry, Ethan Sacks and Tony Fleecs. Managed to squeeze in a ghost tour and some excellent food among the show. I had to jump on an earlier flight home than I'd hoped in order to attend a summit on the Monday, but had a fascinating conversation with two young guys at the airport bar who worked in restorative justice and were returning from a tour of Angola.

Out since my last newsletter: Nightwing #140, and TMNT: Shredder #10.

I am told that #140 specifically marks ten years without a relaunch for the Nightwing title, which is not my achievement, but a hell of one for the book itself. It's strange to think we're less than a year away from issue #150. We'll have to do something a bit special for that, don't you think?

#140 was also the penultimate issue of the Blüdhaven Lore arc, which means there are a lot of revelations about the behind-the-scenes machinations that have been driving the events of the story. We reveal the hand of Charles Halstead in the construction of the Blüdhaven superhighway- the first character who bore the name Psycho Pirate, and a character who hasn't appeared in a DC book for decades, I don't think. I love pulling these old threads into modern books, and Halstead- a villain who specializes in manipulating emotions- felt like the perfect bastard to pull into this story of violent architecture.

The issue also ends with a scene I've had in my head for over a year, which the artistic team delivered in a way that just barreled right past my expectations. I am blessed on this book.

And, hey, talking of old threads... want to see something cool from next issue?

I love writing this book. I love this team.

I've had a few people lament to me that Blüdhaven Lore is ending at 141. This is true. But to my mind, an arc is only ever three to six issues. The following arc, which opens with the two Bad Seeds issues, is very much the second half of the story we've set up in Lore. So if you've enjoyed where we've been taking the book, there's more to come. It's where we're really going to explore the first anomaly thrown up by the superhighway: the Witch of Blüdhaven. She is not done with the city... or with Nightwing, for that matter.

Shredder #10 is another issue I'm really pleased with. It's effectively the first part of a three-issue story that is going to massively shake up the status quo of the book and the TMNT world at large. This shift is something I pitched that could have been the end of the book- a thing to set up that other people could run with. But the idea went down well enough that another arc was greenlit to explore it.

I've just been told that orders for issue 11 have actually gone up from orders on 10. Some attrition is expected issue to issue on a monthly book, so to see the opposite trend is extremely rare- particularly with no extra variant covers or blind bags or anything like that in the mix.

I'm really pleased people are finding this book. I don't think you need to be a Turtles fan to enjoy it; their world is built on foundations of every pulp piece of fiction that Eastman and Laird were fans of- a smorgasbord of sci-fi and fantasy and superhero stories. With the Shredder book I wanted to make the most of this. How does a world function when all these things are real? What secrets lurk in its corners? I treat the book as something a little akin to Hellboy or Planetary in that regard. We just happen to be exploring it all via a maniacal, ruthless ninja warlord.

The collected vol. 1 is in stores tomorrow. I'm very proud of it.

This is a busy week. Tomorrow I'll be in Bryant Park for a panel at 12:30, which should be a blast. I believe I'll be talking on my end about Batman: Dark Patterns and Shredder in particular.

Then at 5pm I'll be back in Queens at Everyone Comics signing Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker #2 with co-writer Dulce M. Montoya. Our friends at the store are also going to be screening an episode or two featuring the Fugitive Doctor, so it should be a fun time. And if you have any other comics you want me to sign, I'm always happy to do that too.

I've been quite busy making books, but I'v been reading some too.

I enjoyed The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth which is, believe it or not, a non-fiction book; a history of recorded medical anomalies and oddities throughout the centuries. The big takeaway from this is how people have always enjoyed doing indescribable things to their genitals. If you don't wince at some of these chapters, you're made of sterner stuff than I am. One thing that jumped out at me, mentioned in passing: CPR only became a commonplace practice in the 1960s. Presumably before the 1960s if you collapsed they'd just do something indescribable to your genitals, but I haven't double checked that. Also have you ever seen the 1960s patent for the proposed centrifugal birthing machine? Now you have. It's exactly what it sounds like.

I also finished Regime Change, a book I had pre-ordered that caused quite a stir in Washington on its release. A somewhat behind-the-scenes run through of the first 18 months of Trump's second term, carefully researched using first and second-hand sources. It doesn't amount to much brand new information if you follow the news, but I did end up taking breaks. All laid out before you in one go, it's... stark.

This was a bit of an info dump, wasn't it? I probably need to start doing these more than once a month. I live in awe of people who manage them weekly. I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off for a long weekend, staying in a cabin by a lake in the New Jersey woods in true Jason Voorhees style. I haven't really taken a weekday off this summer other than to travel to or from a work trip, so it's much needed. I'll write to you soon.

This has been thedeadairchannel. An incineration from the desk of Dan Watters. Please do subscribe.