For fans of King City and Prophet comes an all new science fiction, mystery tale—Rain Like Hammers—by writer and artist Brandon Graham from Image Comics. The five issue miniseries will kick-off this January and every issue in the series will be extra length.

Eugene is a new inhabitant of Elephant, a walking city on the desert world of Crown Majesty. Far from friends and family, he spends most of his time navigating melancholy daydreams, toying with alien technology, and researching the best places to find high-quality fast food. At best, his life is lonely and monotonous—but all of that changes when a mysterious force begins destroying Crown Majesty’s walking cities!

"I'm excited for people to read Rain Like Hammers,” said Graham. “It's a very personal story but still chock full of distant future science fiction."

Rain Like Hammers #1 (Diamond Code NOV200018) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, January 20.

Rain Like Hammers #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

DC Studios has potentially taken a significant step by filing for a trademark for a film titled "Salvation Run." A move that isn’t too surprising since the Salvation planet and the idea of using it as a prison for meta humans was introduced in the season finale of Peacemaker season 2. But the filing does indicate just how big this idea could be for the DCU. "Salvation Run" is a storyline from DC Comics that originally ran in the late 2000s. The story centers on the mass exile of some of DC's most notorious villains to a hostile alien world, forcing them to band together for survival. It was a concept originally pitched to DC by Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin. The trademark filing by DC Studios suggests that the company is considering developing "Salvation Run" into a feature film. While trademark filings do not guarantee that a film will be produced, they often indicate serious intent or early-stage development. The filing protects the title and concept, ensuring that DC Studios retains exclusive rights as plans evolve. Should "Salvation Run" move forward, it could introduce a fresh dynamic to DC's film slate. Instead of focusing on heroes, this story would shine a spotlight on villains, possibly expanding character development and offering audiences new perspectives on well-known antagonists. It also opens opportunities for ensemble casting, complex storytelling, and connections to other DC properties. 

For many MCU fans, there has been concerns about when or even if Jeremy Renner would be returning to the role of Clint Barton aka the Avenger Hawkeye. Renner first portrayed the archer in 2011’s Thor and returned in 2012’s The Avengers. He has been popping up as the character in various films and even his own Disney+ series that had been rumored to be getting a second season. And then came New Year’s Day 2023 and a horrific snowplow accident where the actor sustained over 30 broken bones, including a shattered leg, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a punctured lung. Renner has made a miraculous recovery and has returned to working on projects like Mayor of Kingstown and Wake Up Dead Man… but his future in the MCU is still unclear. Earlier this year Renner gave fans a disappointing update when he revealed that Marvel had talked to him about returning for season two but only offered him half of what he made for season one, which he turned down. None of this was looking good, even with two Avengers movies on the horizon. Shift to now where Renner is out doing various interviews and talking about the character again. He spoke of how Clint Barton has repeatedly tried to retire but keeps coming back and how he believes that it will continue that way until the character is killed off. He also said of the Hawkeye series specifically, "We got to where we’re trying to do the second season. And I think I’ll get strong enough to be able to do it. And we’ll work it out. It’s gonna be great." He was also asked by another Avenger actor, Brie Larson, if he would be returning for Avengers: Doomsday, to which he said “no” and then turned it back on her asking, “Are you?” The whole thing was done very playfully. And even if he doesn’t return for Doomsday, there’s always Secret Wars a year later. 

The highly anticipated Marvel series, Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to make its debut on Disney+. Fans of Marvel’s first family have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new adaptation, which promises to bring fresh storytelling and exciting action to the beloved characters of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. The film, which was directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, will be available for streaming starting November 5th. The Fantastic Four have long been favorites among comic book readers, and with Marvel Studios now handling the property after the luke-warm reception of the first two Fox films and the universally hated reboot. First Steps is not a retelling of the origin story but rather moves on to the team having been well established after four years and dealing with their greatest threat, the world-devourer Galactus. The new cast includes Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as the quartet of heroes along with Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatis and Natasha Lyonne. The film did moderately well in theaters, taking in a worldwide box office total of $521M and an 86% critic’s score on Rotten Tomatoes.   

When James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new co-heads of DC Studios, they put out a list of projects as part of their first phase called Gods & Monsters. And while some of those projects like Creature Commandos, Superman and Lanterns have moved forward, one of the projects seems to be stalled. That would be the DCU version of Batman in an announced The Brave and The Bold project. This is a different Batman from the one Robert Pattinson portrays in the Matt Reeves films and would be a bit older and paired with his son Damian as the current Robin. Andy Muschietti, the director of The Flash, has been attached to the project the entire time and appears to still be in line to helm the project. But in the last week we’ve gotten the first movement on the project in a while. First Gunn said in various interviews that the project is still in the work and has changed some since the initial announcement, but he didn’t go into any specific details. Then Muschietti and his producing partner and sister Barbara were asked about the project while at the premier of their new series Welcome to Derry, and IT prequel story. When asked if they were still doing the film, Barbara said, “The intention is yes, but we can’t talk about it.” Andy added, “We have to wait a few, a couple of months to start talking about it.” But then realizing he may have said too much: “I screwed it already.” This is leading fans to speculate that an announcement is imminent and that we may finally learn who will be donning the cowl opposite David Corenswet’s Superman.    

Though we have yet to see season two of the Percy Jackson series, season three is adding Kate McKinnon, known for her energetic performances and comedic brilliance on “Saturday Night Live,” as the goddess Aphrodite. McKinnon brings her unique charm and wit to the role, promising an exciting new take on the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures from Greek mythology. She is the goddess of love, beauty, desire, and passion. Ancient Greeks believed Aphrodite had the power to inspire love and attraction in gods and mortals alike. According to myth, she was born from the sea foam and emerged fully grown, captivating all who saw her. Aphrodite’s stories often involve her relationships with gods like Ares and mortal heroes, and she played a key role in the legendary events leading up to the Trojan War, most notably by awarding the golden apple to Paris. With Kate McKinnon stepping into the role, viewers can expect a fresh, humorous, and dynamic portrayal of Aphrodite. Besides her time on SNL, McKinnon has been in various movies including the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters and the 2023 mega-hit Barbie. 

In an interesting turn of events, someone posted an image of the wrap gift for the upcoming Lanterns series, showing a baseball hat with the Green Lantern symbol and in the center of that symbol, a series of concentric circles. That person then commented that the modified logo could be indicating an involvement of The Centre, the main antagonist in Darwyn Cooke’s celebrated DC: The New Frontier series. That post was then removed by Warner Bros… In completely unrelated coincidence, have you read The New Frontier? Let me tell you about The Centre, a metaphysical, almost Lovecraftian presence, embodying existential dread and posing a challenge unlike any other faced by the world’s greatest superheroes. The Centre made its debut in "DC: The New Frontier" (2004), a miniseries that bridges the gap between the Golden Age and Silver Age of superheroes. In this alternate history, The Centre is portrayed as an ancient, primordial being that predates humanity itself. It is described as the very source of life on Earth, a sentient landmass that witnessed the rise and fall of prehistoric creatures and eventually grew to despise humanity, whom it perceives as a threat to the planet’s balance. The Centre is not a conventional villain. It is a massive, floating island with psychic and reality-altering abilities. Its consciousness spans across its entire form, making it nearly impossible to attack or reason with in any traditional sense. The Centre’s powers include: <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Telepathy: The Centre can communicate with and manipulate the minds of others, sending visions, inducing madness, or telepathically broadcasting its intentions. <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Physical Invulnerability: Its immense size and composition make it resistant to most forms of attack, even those from the world’s strongest superheroes. <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Creation of Monsters: The Centre spawns various mutated and monstrous creatures to defend itself and attack humanity. <!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Levitation and Flight: It can float above the Earth, moving with intention and purpose. In "DC: The New Frontier," The Centre’s appearance catalyzes the unification of the DC universe’s heroes, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and The Flash. Realizing that The Centre’s power is too great for any single hero to face alone, they join forces, combining their unique abilities and intellects in a coordinated assault. This is basically the precursor for the Justice League and would be an interesting story to loosely adapt if you were, say, building a new cohesive universe. 

Rian Johnson, the acclaimed writer-director behind the “Knives Out” franchise, has made headlines with his latest entry, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” Johnson has openly described this third film as the closest the series has come to emulating the classic structure of an Agatha Christie novel—a deliberate shift from the subversive approaches of “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion.” At the Deadline Contenders London event, Johnson explained that “Wake Up Dead Man” adopts a “more traditional murder mystery structure,” echoing the formula Christie perfected. In his words: “This is how most Agatha Christie books work, where in the first act you meet all the suspects, you meet the protagonist, who’s not the detective. Then the murder happens, and the detective shows up.” This marks a departure from the previous films, which played with audience expectations—solving the murder early in “Knives Out,” and presenting a deceptively simple case in “Glass Onion.” In “Wake Up Dead Man,” Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc returns to tackle a darker, more gothic mystery, set in a remote stone church and featuring religious intrigue. The film’s protagonist, played by Josh O’Connor, is a priest who becomes Blanc’s sidekick, further grounding the story in classic whodunnit territory. Johnson also cited inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe, aiming for a “grounded, gothic tone” that predates Christie’s work. With the release of “Wake Up Dead Man,” Johnson completes his two-film deal with Netflix. So, what’s next? Johnson has confirmed that he will be taking a break from the “Knives Out” series to focus on an original project. “I’m writing right now, [but] it’s not one of these [Knives Out] films. It’s just something completely different, an original thing. I actually feel very energized after making this one [Wake Up Dead Man], but this is three in a row. It’s probably healthy to see other people.” He hasn’t revealed details about this new project or whether it will be with Netflix, but he’s made it clear that he wants to explore a different genre. Johnson’s creative philosophy is to “empty the well and then start from scratch,” ensuring each new film is a fresh challenge. Despite the break, Johnson remains enthusiastic about returning to the world of Benoit Blanc. He’s stated that as long as Daniel Craig is interested and audiences are engaged, he’d be happy to keep making “Knives Out” mysteries for life. Producer Ram Bergman echoed this, saying future installments are possible, but for now, the focus is on Johnson’s original script.

The Season 2 finale of Peacemaker has left fans with mixed feelings and a lot of speculation for the future. Known for its irreverent humor, brutal action, and surprising depth, the closing episode focused more on wrapping up emotional drama but also planted significant seeds for the future of the DC Universe (DCU). This was done through the introduction of Checkmate and Salvation, signaling the long-term direction for the first phase of the new universe. Checkmate, for those unfamiliar with DC Comics lore, is a covert intelligence agency known for operating in the shadows, often handling threats that are too dangerous or politically sensitive for public superhero teams. They first appeared in Action Comics #598, created by Paul Kupperberg and Steve Erwin. While in the comics, the organization is created by Amanda Waller, in the HBO Max series, it is founded by Amanda’s daughter, Leota Adebayo and the rest of the 11th Street Kids using the drug money that Vigilante had been saving. Their arrival marks a significant turning point, suggesting that future seasons—and perhaps other DCU projects—will explore the complex world of espionage, betrayal, and secret wars within the superhero community. Salvation in the comics is a prison planet where Waller and Rick Flag started sending metahumans too powerful to be held in regular prisons. This was introduced in the Salvation Run comic series, originally pitched by George R.R. Martin, written by Bill Willingham and Lilah Sturges and drawn by a variety of artists including Sean Chen and Joe Bennet. This lead into the Final Crisis event which had Darkseid coming to Earth. In the series, Salvation is an alternate reality discovered through the Quantum Unfolding Chamber that appears to be Earth-like and ideal for Flag and Lex Luthor’s plan for a place to send Metahumans. The season ends with Chris Smith aka Peacemaker, forced into Salvation by Argus and left to fend for himself. These introductions show that James Gunn overall plan for Gods & Monsters, the first phase of the DCU, is going to loosely adapt Salvation Run and may lead us to a version of Final Crisis. Even though there is a cliffhanger ending, Gunn has said that there are no immediate plans for a third season of Peacemaker, but he’s promised that these characters will be seen again soon, and the existence of Salvation will playout over all of the DCU including the upcoming Lanterns series and the 2027 film Man of Tomorrow. Reaction to the finale has been mixed with some fans disappointed with the lack of action nor any big cameo that many had speculated. Other fans though appreciated the emotional catharsis achieved by the characters and the new direction which included a few members of Argus, specifically Sasha Bordeaux, Langston Feury and Judo Master, becoming members of Checkmate along with the 11th Street Kids. Where and how we’ll see this story continue has yet to be announced.    

One of the more controversial things in this summer’s Superman film was the appearance of Kara Zor-El aka Supegirl played by House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock. The character has been on screen before, first played by Helen Slater and then Melissa Benoist and in both interpretations the character came across in a lot of ways as a female version of her cousin, Kal-El. This didn’t make sense to writer Ana Nogueira who DC Studios asked to take a swing at writing a new feature for. Nogueira, a former actor turned writer, told Variety, “She watched Krypton completely be destroyed. I was always like, ‘I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny.’” And then she came across Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow series with a rougher, grittier, edgier and funnier Supergirl. “When I read it, I was like, ‘There she is,’” Nogueira says. Fueled by this different take on the character, Nogueira crafted a script that not only won over DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, but earned her two more assignments, Wonder Woman and Teen Titans. Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, will hit theaters in June of 2026. 

While appearing at the Hamptons International Film Festival to promote her new film Eternity, Elizabeth Olsen was asked about a possible return to the MCU. “It is something that I love, and it’s something I always want to return to. I think the thing that’s been so special about the last five years is I’ve gotten to do so much with the character that I never thought I would. There are still character through lines that have happened in the comics that I’d love to do that I think fans also want to. I mean, these movies aren’t for critics, these movies are for fans.” Olsen first appeared as Wanda Maximoff in a brief cameo at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 and reprised the roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: End Game (2019) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as well as lead a spinoff Disney+ series, WandaVision in 2021. And while her character has died, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end when it comes to comic=book-based movies. And while she’s not been announced for any new Scarlet Witch projects, she remains very positive towards the whole thing. “It’s really fruitful, and the stories have only gotten better for me, my character. I really enjoyed it. Some people have ongoing television series that they get to return to. Very few, I feel like, get to be a part of franchises that, I know we might culturally get a little bit exhausted by, but there is something about them that becomes very familial. There’s nothing else really like it, and I don’t know that I’ll have [that] again unless it’s for an ongoing show. I do like that kind of consistency. It feels good. I mean, job security feels nice — I think we can all agree on that.”