HOPE YOU LIKE IT: The Art of DAKOTA ALEXANDER… By DAKOTA ALEXANDER 1986. A momentous year for DC Comics, and comics in general. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman is rebooted with Man of Steel. Darkseid is reintroduced with the major crossover event, Legends. Green Lantern’s book is renamed Green Lantern Corps to shift the focus from the singular hero to a group of Lanterns. And, of course, the critically acclaimed Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. Suffice it to say, you could easily write a whole article about 1986 (and our Jason Czernich did!). However, this story does not take place in 1986. It’s very likely this story takes place a couple years later with a back issue of a DC comic from 1986. The back issue in question is a mystery to me (though I have my suspicions), but I distinctly remember pausing my casual page-flipping when I saw this: Everything in this ad was new to me and filled my mind with questions. Who is Matt Wagner? Who is the Demon? And what has Matt Wagner done to the Demon? Furthermore, there is an almost post-punk sensibility to its layout and coloring that stoked the embers of my then-innocent mind. I knew right away, the Demon is cool. Of Kirby’s creations for DC, I would easily rate Etrigan the Demon as my favorite. His written interpretations over the years have varied greatly, some not as much to my liking as others, but as far as artistic depictions go, Etrigan consistently remains in the cool camp. So, three years ago, I drew this: It remains one of my favorite pieces and easily scratches an itch for expressing my love of the character, but something always lingered in the back of my mind. A subtle, nagging feeling. Something that kept telling me that the Demon and I had unfinished business. It was that DC house ad. So, in order to get this Demon off my back, I set forth to make my own house ad for Etrigan the Demon! It was an exciting moment of grand inspiration! A momentous creative journey was about to begin! But, I’m also admittedly quite lazy sometimes, so I decided to repurpose my existing Etrigan art, plus throw in some A-list characters for good measure (done with respect to Kevin Nowlan...
New Teen Titans! Crisis! Legends! Man of Steel! MORE! The DC Finest news has been trickling out for little while now, but, as usual, here comes the flood: A whole raft of new editions have been revealed that will take us deep into 2026. You’ll find links to some of them at the bottom of this post, but here’s most of the wave, according to Penguin Random House, which handles DC in the book market. (Oh, and click here for a load of non-DC Finest titles that will interest you.) In chronological order: — DC FINEST: EVENTS — CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS PART TWO By Marv Wolfman and George Perez When the multiverse begins to die, every hero’s story becomes part of the battle for existence. Crisis on Infinite Earths spreads far beyond its epic core, reshaping destinies, ending eras, and forging the foundations of DC’s future. This DC Finest collected edition captures the turning point where worlds fracture, histories collapse, and the heroes of the Bronze Age face their final reckoning. The all-consuming energies unleashed by the Anti-Monitor sweep through the Multiverse as worlds of heroes and villains alike make their last stands—and a new reality begins to coalesce out of the chaos of destruction! Collects DC Comics Presents #86 and #95, Infinity, Inc. #20-22, Infinity, Inc. Annual #1, The New Teen Titans #13-14, Swamp Thing #44-46, Wonder Woman #328-329, Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, All-Star Squadron #53-56, and Superman #413. $39.99 576 Pages On Sale August 18, 2026 — DC FINEST: HARLEY QUINN — THE BALLAD OF HARLEY QUINN By Karl Kesel, Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson Every disaster is a love song when Harley Quinn’s involved. DC Finest: Harley Quinn: The Ballad of Harley Quinn traces Harley’s journey from Joker’s wayward henchgirl to chaotic, complicated leading lady—through friendships, romances, near-death experiences, and a whole lot of questionable life choices. The comprehensive collection of Harley Quinn’s merry misadventures kicks into high gear as legendary talents Karl Kesel and Terry and Rachel Dodson take over the Clown Princess of Crime’s first solo series. After a too-close call with the GCPD, Harley and gal pal Poison Ivy try to lay low in Metropolis, but their best-laid plans draw unwanted attention from a whole gaggle of do-gooders—and Bizarro as well!...
Jack Kirby would have been 99. We try something a little different.
One of the writers who carved the Rock of Eternity…
One of comics’ great horror/pulp artists turns 69.
The Marvel stalwart was born Aug. 21, 1929.
