AIPT Comics

Joshua Williamson on Superman, Legion, and 20 Years of Comics

Episode Notes

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NEWS

1. DC Solicitations September 2026
   1. ‘Batman: Bad Seeds’ livestream reveals new titles, solicitations, and Jim Lee art giveaway
   2. DC announces new Legion of Super-Heroes, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol ongoing series
   3. DC reveals 'The Wonder War' Act 2 with 'Wonder Woman' #37 and Matriarch special
   4. DC unveils spring 2027 graphic novels and launches Compact Comics Adventures line
   5. Wes Craig returns Superman to his Golden Age roots in new DC Black Label series
2. Marvel's Midnight Universe gets unified launch as all three titles arrive on October 7, and only those titles
3. Marvel Solicits for September 2026
   1. The Muppets make history in first ever Marvel Comics anniversary one-shot
   2. Marvel teases Deadpool vs. Punisher project with cryptic announcement
   3. Bullseye battles Nova, Star-Lord, and Jack of Hearts in 'Marvel Gold' '76 #1
   4. Steve Orlando's 'Gambit: Gone' brings two Remy LeBeaus together this September
   5. Doctor Doom wages war on Hell in Marvel's 50-page splash-page epic
   6. Black Panther and Namor journey into Hell in new 'Doomed!' limited series
   7. Dan Panosian writes and draws 'Wolverine: Paradise' for Marvel this October 2026
   8. Marvel's X-Men battle Xenomorphs in new 'Alien vs. X-Men' crossover
   9. Marvel launches 'Infernal Hulk vs. Wolverine' ahead of Hulk War event
   10. Marvel reveals new 'Avengers #1' covers and True Believers Blind Bag exclusives
   11. Marvel reveals new 'Amazing Spider-Man' #1000 covers and story details
4. USA TODAY PLAY partners with Marvel for exclusive weekly Spider-Man comic series
5. Patrick Horvath invites top creators into Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees for Halloween special
6. IDW Dark announces new Smile and A Quiet Place comic book series
7. Todd McFarlane's original 1977 Spawn design finally arrives in 'Spawn 77'
8. Guillem March returns with creator-owned romantic thriller 'Ofiusa' this September
9. Steve Skroce launches superhero meta-adventure Tales of Wonder at Skybound this September
10. Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen launch dark fantasy series 'Crowbound' this September
11. Christian Ward and Sami Kivelä explore the end of the world in Oni Press' new sci-fi thriller 'The Forever Home'
12. Dark Horse announces 'Minor Threats: Welcome to Twilight—Villains and Vignettes' anthology series

Our Top Books of the Week:

Dave:

1. Absolute Green Arrow #2 (Pornsak Pichetshote, Rafael Albuquerque)
2. Memories of Giselle #1 (Katia Vecchio)

Chris:​​

1. Gigs (Mark Mosedale, Si Smith)
2. Lobo #4 (Skottie Young and Jorge Corona)

Standout KAPOW moment of the week:

Chris: Gigs (Mark Mosedale, Si Smith)

Dave: Absolute Batman #21 (Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta)

TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Chris: Narco #4 (Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard)
• Dave: Blüdwire #1 (Paul Allor, Ermitis Blanco)

JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.

• Dave: Superman #39 (Dan Mora) & Doomquest #2 (Alex Ross)
• Chris: Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man #1 (Maria Wolf variant)

Interview: Joshua Williamson Creator Spotlight, plus we talk Iron Man, Wolf Man, Superman, and more!

Career / Process

• You broke in around 2006, and you’re now pushing close to two decades in comics. How has your approach to storytelling changed from those early years to now?
• You’ve been at this for nearly 20 years at this point. What’s something you understand about comics today that you wish you knew when you started?
• You’re writing across multiple major franchises right now. How do you shift your voice between something like Superman, Iron Man, and G.I. Joe?
• On top of all this, you wrote a story in Creepshow Vol. 4 #5 titled Artificial Ignorance. Was that a story you had in a drawer, or…how did that come to be?

Superman / Superboy-Prime

• Superboy-Prime has always been a volatile character, but here he feels almost desperate to prove himself. How do you balance his edge with making him someone readers want to follow?
• With Manchester Black entering the picture, what excites you about putting those two characters in conflict specifically?
• Any Superman elements/tropes you want to touch?

Iron Man

• You’ve said Tony Stark is one of your favorite characters. What’s something about Tony that you feel hasn’t been explored enough in past runs?
• Madame Masque and A.I.M. feel like they’re operating at a higher level here. What makes them the right villains for this phase of the story?

Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolf Man

• Do you have a favorite Universal Monsters adaptation?
• Do you have any favorite werewolf stories?
• This feels like a very grounded, almost psychological take on the Wolf Man. What drew you to that angle?
• Is the when of this story important to the overall experience?
• What makes the Wolf Man a character worth revisiting right now?

Rapid Fire Question Round (Stolen from Stephen Colbert so that a guest is “known”):

• Best sandwich?
• What's one thing you own that you really should throw out?
• Apples or oranges?
• What is the scariest animal?
• Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?
• What do you think happens when we die?
• Favorite action movie?
• Favorite smell?
• Least favorite smell?
• Flat or sparkling?
• Most used app on your phone?
• If you could have dinner with any three characters you’ve written before, who would they be and why?
• You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life: what is it?
• Depeche 
• Describe the rest of your life in 5 words?