What SDCC 2026 Comic Book Exclusives Are Worth Waiting In Line For? (Part Two)

As there a tons of SDCC 2026 Comic Book exclusives being offer this year, we take on the tough task on which 10 titles are worth waiting in line for!

SDCC 2026 Comic Book ExclusivesWhen some fans are seeking out SDCC 2026 comic book exclusives, the big question some may ask will be which titles are must haves? That’s because with these exclusive variant covers, they make great display pieces rather than gold mines for speculating (i.e. resale value). It’s not to say they are all going to make a solid investment, and that’s why a lot of these offerings are limited in scope, so no one can scalp.

As for which titles I’d personally go after, I continue in my list to focus only on the comics offered by the following companies. Sorry Marvel and DC but there nothing from your list of announced goodies that doesn’t strike me as special.

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Gou Tanabe’s Adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a Terrifying Waiting Game

There’s more strange tales to be illustrated, and Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward has begun publishing… in chapters! While we wait, thankfully, there’s enough Lovecraft-inspired releases to sate most fans’ tastes.

The Strange Case of Charles Dexter WardThe news is real. Gou Tanabe is adapting The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and the first chapter is now in print through Kadokawa’s Comic Beam magazine. Although a translated release is likely years away, fans can either seek out the original or check fan translation sites. For now, that may be all readers outside Japan are going to get.

Considering this is one of Lovecraft’s longer works, don’t expect the story to wrap up for at least two years. Anyone who has read the original knows this tale deals with necromancy and an ancestor with a questionable past. Audio adaptations exist and those curious enough to listen to can check out the link below.

What’s exciting about this release is how Tanabe always manages to expand the source material to new heights. His sweeping vistas and dense details hint at something only large-format releases can fully reveal. Reading it in a magazine offers only a tiny layer of the full experience. Like other artists deeply invested in world building, such as Mamoru Nagano and Gothicmade (formerly Five Star Stories), readers living abroad are at a disadvantage. And by the time it reaches tankobon format, there may be two volumes.

While fans wait, the following are due out soon:

Continue reading “Gou Tanabe’s Adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is a Terrifying Waiting Game”

Gou Tanabe’s Next Manga, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is on Trial!

Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward has begun in Japan, but English-language readers may have a long wait ahead. Thankfully, several Lovecraft-inspired graphic novels are arriving soon to keep cosmic horror fans busy.

The Case of Charles Dexter WardThe news is real. Gou Tanabe is adapting The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and the first chapter is out in print! Although a translated release is likely years away, fans can either seek out the original or wait. The current release is seeing print through Kadokawa’s Comic Beam magazine. Fan translations may exist, but for now, that’s all readers are going to get. And considering this is one of Lovecraft’s longer works, don’t expect the story to wrap up for at least two years.

Tanabe tends to expand source material with sweeping vistas and densely detailed art. Like other artists invested in world-building, such as Mamoru Nagano and Gothicmade, formerly Five Star Stories, readers living abroad are at a disadvantage. By the time this adaptation reaches tankobon format, there may be two volumes.

While fans wait, the following are due out soon:

Continue reading “Gou Tanabe’s Next Manga, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is on Trial!”

With Dark Horse in Charge of D&D Now, It’s Not Just Another Ravenloft Comic

Ravenloft Comic Dark HorseIDW Comics’ run with the Dungeons and Dragons license ended last year, and following the success of Dark Horse Comics’ work with Wizards of the Coast, their releases are doing a touch better and the consensus is that fans like it. Ravenloft is the next release. After the first issue of The Fallbacks and the delayed release of the second, there are a lot of titles being planned getting back on track.

The four-issue miniseries written by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Amy Chu (Red Sonja) examines why this particular world is crumbling. Nobody knows why. Fortunately, monster hunter Ez D’Avenir is on the case. She’s searching the frozen wasteland of Lamordia for an undead creature that may hold the key to this world’s fate. But when Darklord Viktra Mordenheim catches wind of her quest, Ez is suddenly the one being hunted. Just how deep this series will go into the lore depends on Chu’s research. It’s also known as The Mists, a more compelling and scary reference in par with Silent Hill.

The art is provided by Ariela Kristantina (Adora and the Distance), colours by Arif Prianto (Poison Ivy, Green Lantern Corps), and letters by Haley Rose-Lyon (BUMP: A Horror Anthology, Jill and the Killers). Issue #1 will feature cover art by Guillem March, Riley Rossmo, Francesco Francavilla, Todor Hristov, and Angela Wu.

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Which Alpha Will Reign The Kingdom of Earth? Only A Dark Horse Knows….

A monster-filled future takes shape in Kingdom of Earth, a new four-issue horror comic from David Dastmalchian, Leah Kilpatrick, and Soo Lee. Set in a brutal world where humans face service or slaughter, the series promises a grim apocalypse packed with creatures fighting for control.

Kingdom of Earth Comic CoverDark Horse Comics

With this latest announcement from the Oregon-based comic book publisher, it seems Earth is no longer just a planet of the apes. Other creatures are ready to seize control. With Kingdom of Earth by David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley, Through) and Leah Kilpatrick (Headless Horseman, DC Horror Presents), along with Bram Stoker Award-winning artist Soo Lee (Carmilla, Minor Threats), this four-issue series looks mighty promising. What the team has teased so far already has me eager to see what arrives when the first issue hits shelves.

From the Press Release:

“It’s tempting to abandon hope when the world is dominated by monsters… right?! But thanks to the incredible passion of my creative partners on this book,” said Dastmalchian, “we created a terrifying world where a small flicker of hope burns amidst an apocalyptic landscape. I love mash-ups and this series is the ultimate mash-up. Every monster you’ve ever seen, read or studied battles for supremacy while a small movement of humans plot survival and rebellion.”

“I love being able to draw monsters and creatures that go bump in the night,” said Lee. “It’s so much more different than what I’ve been working on lately and thanks to my collaborators, I’m able to test myself by making this dark and terrible world beautiful in my own way. I hope everyone is captivated by the world we have developed in Kingdom of Earth.”

In Kingdom of Earth:

2036. Two years ago, hordes of monsters rose from the earth and sea, devouring everything in sight. Much of mankind was massacred before the monsters realized they needed humans. In this new world, humans have two options: service or slaughter. When a young child named Frankie narrowly escapes their fate as livestock, they soon realize that their fight for survival has only just begun.

Kingdom of Earth #1 (of 4) will arrive in comic shops on July 15, 2026.

Gou Tanabe and the Missing Adaptations: 5 Untranslated Lovecraft Manga Still Hiding Out

Along with what “Dreams” are made of, we look at what works of Gou Tanabe are currently out there that are graphic novel adaptations of the Cthulhu mythos. Our focus is on his untranslated Lovecraft manga.

Gou Tanabe's Call of Cthulhu untranslated Lovecraft mangaWhile organizing my collection of untranslated Lovecraft manga and graphic adaptations, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something essential was missing. There’s a handful of Gou Tanabe’s works that exist in French or Italian editions, yet still haven’t seen print in North America. When Zack Davisson mentioned they’ve remained untouched, it felt less like an if and more like a slow, deliberate waiting game. He translated the recent releases and is clearly eager to tackle what’s missing. That comment dates back over a year to Emerald City Comic Con, and as fans of this series, all we can do is wait, and hope it doesn’t drive us mad.

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