AIPT Comics

Steve Orlando is one of the busiest writers in comics right now, and this week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we’re running our full, uncut conversation with him. Earlier this week, we published a written feature focused on his Scarlet Witch run, but this episode expands far beyond that, covering everything from Deadweight with Bobby Lee to Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar, DC x AEW, his chance to judge on Dragula Titans season 2, Tarzan Beyond, X-Men Infinity, and even a teased return to Midnighter!

If you wanted the complete Orlando download, this is it.

 

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

‘Sonic vs. Godzilla’ is finally happening, and it’s bigger than you think

See new Origin Box characters Hostilicus and Wonder Man from 'Reborn: Ultimate Impact'

Marvel’s WHAT IF? returns with wild twists for its 50th anniversary

Marvel brings 'Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man' art to new variant covers

'JLA/Avengers' is coming back to comic shops this summer 2026

Oni Press unveils bold fall 2026 graphic novel lineup

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

Infernal Hulk #4 (Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein)

The Mighty Thor #7 (Al Ewing, Pasqel Ferry)

Alex:​​

Power Fantasy #16 (Gillen, Wijnegaard)

Absolute Wonder Woman #17 (Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Sorcerer Supreme #3 (Bernard Chang, Ruth Redmond)

Dave: Hulk Smash Everything #3 (Ryan North, Vincenzo Carratu)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

Alex: Moonstar #1 (Ashley Allen, Edoardo Audino) & Narco #1 (Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard)

Dave: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #6 (Horvath Cover)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

Dave: The Amazing Spider-Man #23 (Taurin Clarke Cover) Or Maybe

Alex: X-Men #26 (Gurihiru Marvel Monster Variant)

Interview: Steve Orlando

Deadweight (GUNGNIR Publishing) (with Bobby Lee & Matthew Medney)

Deadweight sounds completely unhinged in the best way, blending martial arts chaos, horror, and absurdist comedy. When you’re co-writing something that springs so directly from Bobby Lee’s comedic voice, how do you balance honoring that raw unpredictability while still building a story with emotional stakes and structure?

Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar (out Feb 18)

In Valiant Beyond: X-O Manowar, Aric joins the PunX after millennia of isolation, and suddenly honor is tied to community rather than conquest. How has it been carving out your own corner of the Valiant universe?

Good Bones

Good Bones gathers your horror work into a single anthology, and many of the stories explore queer identity through transformation, secrecy, and bodily autonomy. When you write horror rooted in identity, are you consciously using the genre as metaphor, or does that symbolism emerge naturally through character?

Dragula (with Todd McFarlane)

You co-judged Dragula alongside Todd McFarlane, which feels like a collision of comics horror and performance art. Did that experience teach you anything about spectacle and theatricality, or inspire you when you’re comics work?

DC AEW

DC and AEW both thrive on spectacle, but they also rely heavily on character-driven drama and long-term storytelling. When writing DC x AEW #1, how did you balance the over-the-top, live-event energy with making sure the character pairings felt emotionally and thematically right, rather than just fun visual mashups?

Scarlet Witch

Can you talk about or tease the status of Wanda and Vision's relationship as of now?

Agatha Harkness is your main antagonist in Sorcerer Supreme, what makes her fun to write?

Agatha is the Vishanti's chosen sorcerer supreme, I was curious if you're drawing from any personal life experience having someone be picked over you when writing this story arc?

Your run on Scarlet Witch has been released via miniseries, are there advantages (and disadvantages) to this format?

Wanda Maximoff has worn a lot of labels over the years—Avenger, sorceress, reality shaper, occasional cosmic wildcard. How do you personally view her place in that ecosystem?

Additional General Questions

Your bibliography moves fluidly between superhero epics, indie horror, licensed work, and now chaotic comedy with Deadweight. How do you recalibrate your voice between projects without losing what makes a story feel unmistakably yours?

It’s one of the biggest news weeks of the year as ComicsPRO explodes with announcements, reveals, and long-term publishing plans from every major publisher in the industry. We’re breaking it all down in a super-sized news segment that covers the headlines shaping 2026 and beyond.

Marvel dropped its May 2026 solicitations, teased the beginning of the end in Avengers: Armageddon, confirmed Hulk War for 2027, revealed Infernal Hulk vs. the X-Men, and somehow still found time for Knull vs. Hela, a Spider-Man and Iron Man team-up, and Doctor Doom taking over OREO. Yes, really.

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!

NEWS

Marvel Solicitations May 2026

Infernal Hulk declares war on the X-Men in explosive issue #7 reveal - EXCLUSIVE

Marvel reveals a Spider-Man and Iron Man team up coming in issue #6

Marvel teases “With Great Power…” as “Armageddon Assembles” this June

Ultron crashes Wiccan and Hulkling’s anniversary in Marvel’s explosive Pride special

Marvel teases 'The origin of the end' starts in 'Avengers: Armageddon' #1

It's Knull vs. Hela in 'Hel on Earth' Marvel Comics event

JULY: Queen in Black!





Doctor Doom takes over OREO in wild final Marvel Comics cookie collab

Marvel announces new series 'X-Men: Outback' revisiting the iconic Outback Era

Hulk War is coming: Marvel confirms Infernal Hulk finale in 2027

IDW is taking Godzilla back to 1954 and making it absolutely terrifying

'Star Trek' #1 launches a bold new era as IDW unveils massive 60th anniversary comic plans

'TMNT' #300 unleashes a massive new era, blind bag covers, and new 'Last Ronin’

DC Solicits May 2026

DC Is going all-in on 'The Dark Knight Returns' for its 40th anniversary all year long

DC and Sonic reunite for ‘Metal Legion’ this May 2026



DC unveils major 2026 publishing plans at ComicsPro: Vertigo, new Absolute titles, and more

Zorro and Tarzan are storming back to comics and we’ve got the exclusive first look

Gail Simone is entering the Spawn universe with a brutal new 'She-Spawn' series

New Image sci-fi series 'If Destruction Be Our Lot' features robo Abraham Lincoln finding purpose

Skybound announces ‘DC Silver Age Covers and Stories’ Artist Edition

M.A.S.K. joins the Energon Universe in explosive new series from Dan Watters and Pye Parr

Robert Kirkman returns to superheroes with 'Terminal' joined by Kubert, Finch, and Arthur Adams

James Tynion IV takes on white supremacy and Norse gods in brutal new 9-part horror, 'Odin'

'The Cutting Garden' explores companionship, legacy, and sacrifice

Ghost Machine just revealed 'The Unbelievables' and its first massive crossover

EXCLUSIVE: Zack Kaplan unleashes three new Dark Horse series in 2026

Skateboarding is outlawed in new series 'Skate Ali' out June 2026

Jonathan Hickman’s ‘Three Worlds/Three Moons’ comes to Dark Horse this July

Archie is going compact with new Oni Press collections starting in September 2026

'Ben 10' returns to comics this May with a new series from the original creators

Oni Press unleashes 'Super Mondo Mega Mutts' #1 this July

Oni Press announces Joe Palmer’s dystopian thriller 'Destination Kill' #1

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

Absolute Batman #17  (Scott Snyder, Eric Canete)

Uncanny X-Men #24 (Gail Simone, David Marquez)

Alex:​​

Exquisite Corpses #10 (Jordie Bellaire, Marianna Ignazzi)

Dungeons of Doom #2 (PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON & BENJAMIN PERCY)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Alex: Uncanny X-Men #24 (Gail Simone, David Marquez)

Dave: Ultimate Spider-Man #24 (March Checchetto, Hickman)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

Alex: Infernal Hulk #4 (Phillip KJ, Nic Klein) & Absolute Wonder Woman #17 (K Thompson, H Sherman)

Dave: The Peril of the Brutal Dark #1 (Chris Condon, Jacob Phillips) but also Hulk Smash Everything #3

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

Dave: Predator: Bloodshed #1 (Dan Panosian Virgin Cover)

Alex: Power Fantasy #16 (Morgan Beem variant)

This week on the AIPT Comics Podcast, we’re running the full, uncut version of our interview with Kelly, presented exactly as it happened. No segmentation. No topic breaks. Just the entire deep-dive in one sitting.
While the written 7-part series is still ongoing and will continue rolling out over the next two weeks, this episode gives listeners the complete conversation in its original flow. Kelly opens up about the emotional thesis behind his run, building new villains like Plague RX and Kintsugi, pushing Spider-Man into cosmic territory, and how Death Spiral directly sets the stage for Amazing Spider-Man #1000.
Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!
NEWS
Cyclops’ team breaks, Storm’s daughter arrives, and Wolverine pays the price in Marvel’s May X-Men reveals
Knull and Mary Jane's Venom get new costumes in May and June 2026
Abrams ComicArts reveals wide-ranging Fall 2026 lineup spanning history, Marvel, manga, and classics
Secret origin of G.I. Joe Risk gets 3-issue arc starting in May 2026
DC announces ‘You’re A Superhero!’ lifting up heroes in everyday life
DC crowns Supergirl the star of Superman Day with 'Summer of Supergirl' publishing push
IDW launches new crime imprint with 3 titles: Seven Wives, Killer Influences, and Fixation
Our Top Books of the Week:
Dave:
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 (Jed MacKay, Devmalya Pramanik)
Absolute Wonder Woman Annual #1 (Kelly Thompson, Mattia de Iulis)
Chris:​​
Cyclops #1 (Alex Paknadel, Roge Antonio)
Jar Jar #1 (Ahmed Best, Marc Guggenheim, Kieron McKeown, and Laura Braga)
Standout KAPOW moment of the week:
Chris: A Star Called The Sun (Simon Roy)
Dave: Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 (Ben Percy, Geoff Shaw)
TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK
Chris: The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1 (Fred Kennedy, James Edward Clark)
Dave: Absolute Batman #17 (Scott Snyder, Eric Canete)
JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.
Dave: The Amazing Spider-Man #22 (Lee Bermejo Amazing Visions Virgin Cover)
Chris: It’s Jeff Meets Daredevil #1 (Nic Klein Variant)
Interview: Joe Kelly Interview - ASM
Across every arc—hallucinations, Hellgate, the clone/mantle complications, and the cosmic crew—you keep returning to identity: who Peter is, who wears the mask, and what Spider-Man means to other people. Was that always the core of your plan, or did the run’s central theme reveal itself as you built each storyline?
A big throughline in your early issues is Peter’s youth trauma—middle school rebellion, underage drinking, that “ghost/orphan” feeling. What made you want to excavate that specific era of Peter, and what do you feel it reveals about adult Peter that we don’t always get to see?
You’ve got a great handle on Peter’s voice—the anxious humor, the scramble-thinking, the moral compass. What’s your “non-negotiable” for Spider-Man dialogue, especially when he’s scared or outmatched?
New villains have to feel dangerous fast. With Plague RX, you paired him with Tombstone and used him to escalate the sense that Peter’s absence is creating openings all over NYC. What is Plague RX’s core concept—what does he represent in the ecosystem of this run?
Without spoiling, where does Kintsugi fit into your larger thematic engine? The word implies brokenness repaired into something stronger—how consciously are you using that idea as a lens for Peter (and the other “Spider-Men” threads) in this era?
Looking ahead: Death Spiral is looming. From your perspective, what is Spider-Man’s emotional “pressure point” heading into that event—what fear or flaw does the event squeeze that readers might not expect?
With the upcoming Death Spiral event on the horizon, a lot of your current themes—identity fractures, moral erosion, escalation—feel like they’re converging.
How does Death Spiral build on what you’ve been laying down in Amazing Spider-Man, and what should readers emotionally brace for?
 We recently lost Sal Buscema, whose work helped define Spider-Man’s physicality, emotion, and readability for generations.
As someone contributing to Spidey’s evolving legacy, what does Sal Buscema’s influence mean to you—either directly or indirectly—as a Spider-Man storyteller?

Angélique Roché’s upcoming graphic novel First Freedom arrives February 10 and tells the powerful story of Dr. Opal Lee and the decades-long fight to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday. Ahead of our full written feature next week, we’re sharing something special.
It’s a candid, wide-ranging conversation that explores the creative and emotional core of First Freedom, offering early insight into the themes, challenges, and storytelling choices behind one of the year’s most meaningful graphic novels.
Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! 
NEWS
'Spider-Man/Superman' #1 expands with shock creative reveals and legendary backup stories
New 10-part 'Doomquest' announced with Dr. Doom reshaping history
Marvel just revealed Doom’s ultimate weapon — and it sparks Armageddon in May 2026
Spider-Man teams with celebrity chef José Andrés in Marvel’s wildest food-fueled crossover yet
DC launches massive Absolute Universe reprint wave as demand continues to surge
Kelly Thompson reveals Absolute Suicide Squad designs and new villain details
Dynamite releases 'ThunderCats X SilverHawks' checklist and character designs
Oni Press levels up with major Penguin Random House deal ahead of big 2026 launches
Jason Pearson’s legendary 'Body Bags' returns in massive Artist’s Edition fans won’t want to miss
Our Top Books of the Week:
Dave:
Uncanny X-Men (2024) #23 (Gail Simone, David Marquez)
The Nice House by the Sea (2024) #7 (James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno)
Chris:​​
Knight City #1 (Matt Kindt, David Lapham)
Thundarr the Barbarian #1 (Jason Aaron, Kewber Baal)
Standout KAPOW moment of the week:
Chris: Knight City #1 (Matt Kindt, David Lapham) EMAILED!
Dave: Wolverine #15 (Saladin Ahmed, Mike Henderson)
TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK
Chris: Jar Jar #1 (For Real)
Dave: Barbarian Behind Bars #1 (Elliott Kalan  Andrea Mutti)
JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.
Dave: Black Cat #7 (Adam Hughes Virgin Cover)
Chris: Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1 (Baldemar Rivas Variant)
Interview: Angelique Roche Interview (First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth out February 10
This is the first-ever graphic novel dedicated to the history and origin of Juneteenth. When you first realized the scope of that responsibility, what felt most important to get right from the very beginning?
You’ve spent years helping elevate underrepresented voices through Marvel’s Voices—both the podcast and the comics—creating space for creators to tell stories that might otherwise be sidelined. How did that experience inform the way you approached First Freedom, especially when it came to deciding whose voices and perspectives needed to be centered?
The book spans nearly 160 years of history, yet remains deeply personal. How did you decide when to zoom out to the larger historical context and when to stay tightly focused on Dr. Opal Lee’s lived experience?
There are moments in First Freedom where the art (Alvin Epps, Bex Glendining, and Millicent Monroe) carries the emotional weight as much as the words. Was there a scene where seeing the visuals for the first time changed or deepened how you felt about the story? P.S. I loved how your team used the mirror in the opening scene.
You worked directly with Dr. Opal Lee and her granddaughter, Dione Sims, including extensive in-person interviews. What surprised you most about Dr. Lee once you spent real time with her beyond the public image?
This book arrives during Black History Month and as part of a yearlong celebration of Dr. Lee’s 100th year—but it also makes clear that the fight for freedom and recognition is ongoing. What do you hope readers, especially younger readers, take away from that tension?
You’ve said this book is about much more than Juneteenth as a holiday—it’s about everyday acts of activism and becoming, as you put it, a “committee of one.” How do you hope this story reframes what activism can look like?
As a journalist, producer, and author, you’ve told many real-world stories across different media. What did the graphic novel format allow you to do emotionally or narratively that other formats wouldn’t?

If you’ve already read our in-depth feature on Joshua Williamson’s Iron Man, the conversation doesn’t stop there. On this week’s AIPT Comics Podcast, we’re running the full, uncut version of our interview with Williamson, pulled straight from the complete transcript behind the piece. It’s a deeper, looser, and more candid discussion that digs into his rare position straddling both Marvel and DC, why Iron Man was the one Marvel character he couldn’t pass up, and how revisiting Tony Stark’s origin reframed the entire run for him. The written feature is live now—but this is the long-form version for listeners who want every insight, tangent, and behind-the-scenes detail.
NEWS
Sal Buscema’s superpower was clarity
Marvel teases the end of the Ultimate Universe, and how it may be "Reborn"Full announcement

Supergirl goes global: DC unites 15 countries for a new anthology
Invincible takes over Image Comics: Season 4 sparks a multiverse-wide celebration
'Head Lopper' returns: Andrew MacLean gears cult-favorite for a 10-year anniversary relaunch
'Lost Fantasy' ignites a new era as 'Fireborn' launches April 2026
ent
Image Comics unveils a twisted new obsession as 'In Your Skin' blends Bollywood, body horror, and fame
'Sex Criminals' is coming to Prime Video and it's about to break time (and TV)
SCOOP: Oni Press goes all-in at ComicsPRO with Archie, Matt Kindt, and a wave of 2026 exclusives
Our Top Books of the Week:
Dave:
Absolute Batman #16 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)
Spirit of the Shadows #1 (Nick Cagnetti)
Alex:​​
Absolute Flash #11 (Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles)
Malevolent #1 (Justin Jordan, John Bivens)
Standout KAPOW moment of the week:
Alex: Infernal Hulk #3 (Phillip K Johnson, Kev Walker)
Dave: Iron Man #1 (Josh Williamson, Carmen Carnero)
TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK
Alex: Magik and Colossus #1 (Ashley Allen, German Peralta), The Nice House by the Sea #7 (James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno)
Dave: DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 (Various)
JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.
Dave: Batman #6 (Julian Totino Tedesco Card Stock Cover)
Alex: Storm: Earths Mightiest Mutant #1 (Dike Ruan variant)
Interview: Joshua Williamson - Iron Man #1 out January 28th
You’ve spent years shaping the DC Universe—long runs, big swings, major characters. What did it feel like emotionally and creatively to finally step into a mainline Marvel ongoing like Iron Man, and did that change how you approached the book?
Carmen Carnero is bringing this story to life, and her work has such a strong sense of motion, emotion, and intensity. What did you see in her art that made her the right partner for this specific take on Iron Man?
Your tagline, “Tony Stark is the most dangerous weapon in the Marvel Universe,” is a loaded one. In your mind, what makes Tony more dangerous than gods, monsters, or cosmic tyrants?
The premise echoes Iron Man’s origin in a powerful way—“Tony built Tony in that cave. What if he had to go in again?” How did you think about revisiting that crucible without just retelling the origin story?
Madame Masque is positioned as a central force here, orchestrating the kidnapping of geniuses worldwide. She’s also currently making waves elsewhere in Marvel—especially in Venom. What drew you to her for this story, and how do you view her role in the larger Marvel landscape right now?