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Welcome back to The Beat Digest, a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest comics-related news stories we’ve missed every Tuesday and Friday. Is there a story out there you think we should cover? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Venom #250 cover by Ryan Stegman§ As part of the first 616 Day (June 16), Marvel announced Knull, the evil god of symbiotes, will return in Venom #250, due out October 1. Al Ewing and Terry Dodson will provide the main story of the issue, which will pit the All-New Venom/Mary Jane Watson against the King in Black, while Charles Soule (Eddie Brock: Carnage) and Carlos Gomez will team up on an Eddie story set during his time as Venom. Ewing and Gomez’s All-New Venom run will continue in the meantime, and then afterwards in Venom #251. Knull was created by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman for their Venom run in 2018, and last appeared as the title villain in the pair’s 2021 crossover event King in Black.
§ Via Comic Book Club, Oni Press revealed Skin Police 2, a four-issue follow-up to last year’s sci-fi miniseries, reuniting writer Jordan Thomas and artist Daniel Gete. The sequel will continue the story of taskforce agent Brisson Eckis, as he continues to confront the conspiracy behind the supposedly violent clones he was ordered to kill. Issue #1 will be released on September 9, shortly after the trade paperback of the previous series hits shelves on August 12.
§ Dark Horse will release The Minor Threats Library Edition Volume 1, an oversized hardcover reprinting the first two main volumes of Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Scott Hepburn‘s supervillain series (from 2022 and 2024), on February 11. They also announced Nocturnals: The Sinister Path #1, the upcoming first issue of Dan Brereton‘s new miniseries, will be this year’s free Trick-Or-Read offering. The comic goes on sale September 3, and the Trick-Or-Read edition (featuring a new cover) will be available in October.
Islands in the Sky cover A, by David Marquez and Laura Martin§ Later today, the Appalachia Comics Project, headed by March co-writer Andrew Aydin, will launch the anthology Islands in the Sky on Kickstarter. The book features testimonies from survivors of Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southeastern United States last year, scripted and illustrated by creators like Brian Michael Bendis, Gene Luen Yang, Matt Fraction, Nate Powell, and Aydin himself. The month-long crowdfunder has an initial goal of $25,000. A launch event, whose attendees will include Barbara Kingsolver and José Andrés, will also be held tonight in Waynesville, North Carolina.
§ In an interview with Rolling Stone, James Gunn indicated the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie will be simply called Supergirl, explaining his dislike of subtitles for sequels. There’s tons more insight to be found in the article, ranging from how the DCU’s take on Batman and Wonder Woman will differ from previous movie incarnations, to more poignant topics, like how Gunn would want to be remembered. Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Millie Alcock, and based on the comic by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, releases June 26, 2026, while Gunn’s Superman arrives July 11.
§ Via Variety, Paramount revealed a new TMNT short film at the Annecy Animation Festival, titled Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey. Directed by Kent Seki, the head of cinematography on Mutant Mayhem, the short is described as “a comedic look at artificial intelligence,” and will be attached the new SpongeBob SquarePants film, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, when it releases on December 19. It should continue to tide over fans until the release of Mutant Mayhem‘s sequel, which was recently delayed to September 17, 2027.
§ Also at Annecy, Netflix shared details on the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, premiering sometime next year. The show, developed by Flying Bark Productions (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Netflix’s upcoming Ghostbusters series), will follow the original characters between seasons two and three of the main series, during the (first) winter of 1985. For more details, we recommend Collider‘s extensive report. The original Stranger Things will conclude beforehand with its fifth season, premiering November 26, and ending December 31.
§ Finally, Mad Cave have launched this year’s annual talent search, which will run until August 29; 2000 AD have also launched theirs, which must be submitted at the Thought Bubble convention on the weekend of November 15; and entries for the third annual Sophie Castille Awards for Comics in Translation are ending on Friday, June 20. The winner of this year’s English Sophie Castille Award will be announced at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Bowness-on-Windermere, North West England, on the weekend of September 26.
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