Carpets, Crimes and Magpies. Welcome to Wednesday Comics. Each week, we will highlight our Comic of the Week, along with other notable releases, classic favourites, and industry news. Please note the links to Forbidden Planet are not affiliate links, and we receive no revenue from them. They are provided as an alternative if you don’t have access to a local comic shop. You can also pick up most of these books digitally from a number of online sources.
If you want to send any comics for review or details of any comic related events we should feature, feel free to reach out to me at keith@geekybrummie.com or comics@geekybrummie.com
Now on with the comics…
Crimes Against Nature #1
IMAGE COMICS
By Eliot Rahal and Mattia Monaco
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Crimes Against Nature #1 (Link)
TWO BEST FRIENDS. A MAN AND HIS APE AGAINST THE WORLD.
A famous Hollywood Animal Trainer, Doctor Kermit Groeden, and his only client/best friend — Amigo the Ape, the first gorilla ever nominated for an Academy Award — are framed for a crime they didn’t commit.
Now they’re on the run. And to clear their names and save their lives, Kermit and Amigo will be forced to reveal their darkest secrets and confront each other’s hidden past. Will their friendship be able to survive? A story about secrets, sins, and simians.
Crimes Against Nature #1 is exactly the kind of gloriously oddball comic that jumps straight off the list at me. A Hollywood animal trainer and his Oscar-nominated ape best friend being framed for a crime they did not commit is already a tremendous hook, but the promise of a neo-noir buddy crime comedy makes it even harder to resist. Eliot Rahal and Mattia Monaco seem to be aiming for something knowingly ridiculous, but with enough edge and personality to make it stick. If it lands that balance properly, this could be one of those mad little first issues that is impossible not to root for, which is exactly why it gets my comic of the week nod.
Void Rivals #34
IMAGE COMICS · SKYBOUND
By Robert Kirkman, Conor Hughes and Patricio Delpeche
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Void Rivals #34 (Link)
ROM vs. the dreaded PREDACRON — everyone’s favorite bounty-hunter! Wait a minute! Whose book is this, anyway?
Void Rivals #34 has a very simple selling point for me: ROM versus Predacron is the sort of sentence that does a lot of heavy lifting all by itself. One of the things Void Rivals has done well is make the wider Energon Universe feel big, playful and full of possibilities, and this sounds like another issue leaning right into that strength. Kirkman, Hughes and Delpeche already have a built-in sense of scale to work with here, and that matchup alone gives the issue a proper event-comic spark. If you are here for big sci-fi action and universe-spanning toybox energy, this looks like it should more than deliver.
Star Trek #1
IDW PUBLISHING
By Christopher Cantwell, Dennis Menheere and Jodie Troutman
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Star Trek #1 (Link)
Their mission is new. Their legacy is not.
From the pen of fan-favorite writer Christopher Cantwell (Star Trek: Defiant, Star Trek: Red Shirts) and the brush of psychedelic standout Dennis Menheere (Etheres, Little Nightmares) comes the launch of an all-new flagship… and this time, we’re busting out of the four quadrants.
The Enterprise-G is on a desperate mission beyond the known Galaxy to relocate the dying Avuran people when its crew finds a perfect new home in a region of unknown space called the Epsilon Corridor. Three pristine Class-M worlds — the Trinity — await the refugees. No signs of civilization. No detectable threats. A colonist’s dream. But the dream fractures fast.
When Captain Seven of Nine and her divided, fast-tracked crew begin exploring the Trinity, they uncover disturbing contradictions: vanished structures, inexplicable artifacts, time skips, and evidence of a presence Starfleet’s century-old probes never detected. Each world houses a different ecosystem, different physics problems, and different secrets — as if they’ve been curated… or quarantined. But from who? Or what?
The first arc of Star Trek delivers a prestige, mystery-driven, high-stakes psychological thriller of an opening salvo — new worlds, new species, new existential threats — anchored by Seven, Jack, and Crash La Forge fighting to keep the mission together as the Galaxy’s oldest ghosts awaken.
Star Trek #1 feels like a smart moment to jump aboard a new flagship series. Christopher Cantwell sending the Enterprise-G and Captain Seven of Nine beyond the known galaxy into the Epsilon Corridor already gives this book a proper sense of scale, but what really catches my eye is the mystery threaded through it all. Vanished structures, strange artefacts, time skips and the sense that this perfect new home may have been curated or quarantined gives the whole thing a wonderfully uneasy edge. Menheere and Troutman also seem like a strong fit for something aiming for big science-fiction ideas with a more psychological, atmospheric tone.
A Mischief of Magpies #2
DSTLRY
By Simon Spurrier, Matías Bergara, Kike J. Díaz and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Buy from Forbidden Planet – A Mischief of Magpies #2 (Link)
The Wandering City beckons, and Mar has answered its call. Tasked with eliminating the baleful Moray King, who haunts the underside of the machine-metropolis, Mar takes every opportunity to dive deeper into the depths of this astonishing fantasy world… though it comes at a high cost to his life in the real world, and to those who try to love him.
A Mischief of Magpies #2 already sounds like it is doubling down on everything that made the first issue so enticing. Sending Mar deeper into the Wandering City to hunt the Moray King gives the fantasy side of the book a bigger sense of momentum, but the detail I really like is the cost that journey has on his life in the real world. That tension between wonder and damage feels very Spurrier and Bergara, and it is exactly the sort of thing that can turn a strange fantasy comic into something that really lingers. With Díaz and Otsmane-Elhaou helping shape it, this still looks beautifully odd in all the right ways.
Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago #1
MAD CAVE STUDIOS
By Kyle Higgins, Val Rodrigues and Jeff Eckleberry
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago #1 (Link)
Once you go in, you don’t come out—unless your name is Snake Plissken! Plissken now survives as a coyote, smuggling people and contraband across the dangerous dead zones between prison territories like Chicago. It’s a hard and bitter job. But when he’s hired to extract a woman wanted by the city’s warlord, Snake sees one more chance at redemption—or one more chance for the universe to kick his ass.
Introducing new settings and characters with all the dystopian insanity you know and love, superstar writer & film director Kyle Higgins teams with artist Val Rodrigues for an explosive new series revamping the beloved film franchise!
Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago #1 is one of those books where the title alone does a lot of the work. There is an immediate pulp swagger to it, and Snake Plissken remains the sort of character who can sell a comic on attitude before you even get to the finer details. Kyle Higgins feels like a strong fit for that kind of sharp, propulsive genre storytelling, and with Rodrigues and Eckleberry alongside him, this has the look of a book that should know exactly what kind of ride it wants to be. If it can capture even half the grimy, cynical charm of the films, this could be a lot of fun.
Your Local Comics Shops
Britain has some of the best comics shops in the world. This updated lists features just a few of the shops you can pop in to for your geek fix. Check out you own local shops and if they don’t appear on this list let me know and we can add them. NEW ADDITION – CITY CENTRE COMICS IN GLASGOW
WORLDS APART BIRMINGHAM (part of FPI)
Birmingham’s premier comic book store and Pokestop.
Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 09:30 – 17:00
Wednesday, Friday: 09:30 – 18:00
Saturday: 09:30 – 18:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham B5 4EN Tel: 0121 643 0143
Website: Forbidden Planet International and Twitter: @WorldsApart_Bir
FORBIDDEN PLANET (BIRMINGHAM)
Graphic novel/comic store with merchandise & T-shirts, plus character figures & toys.
Monday to Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
74 Bull St, Birmingham B4 6AD Tel: 0121 236 3026
Website: Forbidden Planet and Twitter: @ForbiddenPlanet
CITY CENTRE COMICS (GLASGOW)
A specialist back issue comic shop based in Glasgow. They also stock new monthly comics, graphic novels, t-shirts and toys. Thousands of titles in stock, they also buy and sell Marvel, DC, Image and indie comics. Glasgows best silver / bronze age comic dealer with a large selection always in stock.
Established in 1992, City Centre Comics was founded by Pete Root who started out in the Argyle market and in July of 1993 moved into AKA comics in Parnie Street (A1 Comics today).After a couple of years there he moved to the back of Forbidden Planet Glasgow and was there until 2002 moving back to Parnie Street in Kollectables.In 2007 Current owner Chris O’Brien took over and was there until May 2012 moving the shop to its current location in the West End.
Monday Closed
Tuesday 11am till 4pm
Wednesday 10am till 5pm
Thurday/Friday 11am till 4pm
Saturday 10am till 5pm
Sunday 12pm till 4pm
37 Ruthven Lane, Glasgow G12 9BG Tel: 0141 357 6325
Website: City Centre Comics and Instagram: @city_centre_comics
GOSH! COMICS (LONDON)
A mean little comics shop in the heart of London.
Open Daily: 10:30 – 19.00
1 Berwick St, London W1F 0DR Tel: 0207 437 0187
Website: Gosh! Comics and Twitter: @GoshComics
OK COMICS (LEEDS)
Twenty Year Old, Eisner Award Nominated Comic Book Shop in the beating heart of Leeds City Centre, UK.
Open Monday to Saturday: 11.00 – 17.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 15.00
19 Thornton’s Arcade, Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LQ Tel: 0113 246 9366
Website: OK Comics and Twitter: @OKComics
PAGE 45 (NOTTINGHAM)
UK Comic Shop created & curated since 1994 by Stephen Holland, Comics Laureate 2021-23.
Open Monday to Saturday: 09.00 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 16.00
Closed on Bank Holiday Mondays, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
9 Market St, Nottingham NG1 6HY Tel: (0115) 9508045
Website: Page 45 and Twitter: @PageFortyFive
TRAVELLING MAN (VARIOUS)
Travelling Man Is The UK’s Friendliest Comic & Games Shop Since 1991. Shop Online Now! Explore The Rich Genres & Worlds That Games, Comics & Independent Press Have To Offer. Since 1991.
Open Monday to Saturday: 10.00 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 -17.00
LEEDS
32 Central Road, Leeds LS1 6DE Tel: 0113 245 0822
YORK
74 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF Tel: 01904628787
NEWCASTLE
43 Grainger Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5JE Tel: 0191 261 4993
MANCHESTER
4 Dale Street, Manchester M1 1JW Tel: 0161 237 1877
Website: Travelling Man and Twitter: @TravellingManUK
MEGA CITY COMICS (LONDON)
Mega City Comics, was established in 1981, initially as a mail-order business, supplying comics, graphic novels, and collecting supplies. After 6 years of mail-order and trading through the comic marts, we opened our shop in Camden Town in 1987.
Open Monday to Friday: 11.00 -18.00
Saturday: 10.30 – 18.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 18.00
18 Inverness Street, Camden Town, London NW1 7HJ Tel: 020 7485 9320
Website: Mega City Comics and Twitter: @MegaCityComics
MEGA CITY COMICS LIVES
Mega City Comics was aquired by Forbidden Planet in February 2025 and will now continue to be one of the best comic shops in the UK.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS (VARIOUS)
A trio of comic shops in Bedford, Northampton and Peterborough.
BEDFORD
20 Allhallows, Bedford MK40 1LJ Tel: 01234 270777
Open Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 17.30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
NORTHAMPTON
29 Abington Square, Northampton NN1 4AE Tel: 01604 602311
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday: 10:00 – 17:30
Wednesday: 10:00 – 19.00
Thursday to Friday: 10:00 – 17:30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
PETERBOROUGH
25 Broadway, Peterborough PE1 1SQ Tel: 01733 892827
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday: 10:30 – 17:30
Wednesday: 10:30 – 18:00
Thursday to Friday : 10:30 – 17:30
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:30
Sunday: CLOSED
Website: Close Encounters and Twitter: @CEncountersUK
THAT COMIC SHOP (PRESTON)
Retailers of new Comics weekly, Magic the Gathering Card Games, Board Games, Toys, T-Shirts plus loads more.
Monday: CLOSED
Open Tuesday to Thursday: 10:00 – 17:00
Friday: 10:00 – 21:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday: CLOSED
116 Friargate, Preston PR1 2EE Tel: 01772 204287
Website: That Comic Shop and Twitter: @ThatComicShop
PARADOX COMICS (DORSET)
Comic book shop in Dorset, dealing in graphic novels, statues, action figures, card games, limited edition comics and more
Monday: Closed
Open Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 – 17:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 16:00
19 High Street, Poole, Dorset BH15 1AB Tel: 01202 661346
Website: Paradox Comics and Twitter: @ParadoxComicsUK
WAKEFIELD COMICS 616 (WAKEFIELD)
Comic Book Shop in the centre of Wakefield. Stocking the latest comics direct from the US.
Open Monday: 9:00 – 17:00
Tuesday: 9:00 – 16:30
Wednesday to Saturday: 9:00 – 17:00
Sunday: CLOSED
3 The Springs, Wakefield West Yorkshire WF1 1PU Tel: 01924 375234
Website: Wakefield Comics 616 and Twitter: @wakeycomics616
COMIC BOOK GUYS (BELFAST)
Comic Book Guys – Northern Ireland’s newest independent comic book store also stocking movie memorabilia, toys & other collectibles… excelsior!
Open Monday to Saturday: 10.00 to 17.00
Sunday: CLOSED
130 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BG Tel: 02890 080169
Website: Comic Book Guys and Twitter: @comicbookguysni
RAYGUN COMICS (RICHMOND)
A welcoming and friendly comic book shop. Comics, toys, books, games and merchandise for all ages.
Open Monday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
26 Red Lion Street, Richmond TW9 1RW Tel: 0208 948 8476
Website: Raygun Comics and Twitter: @Raygun_comics
DAVE’S COMCIS (BRIGHTON)
Dave’s Comics, The Graphic Novel Shop.
Open Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 09:30 – 18:00
Sunday: 11.00 – 17:00
5 Sydney St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 4EN Tel: 01273 691012
Website: Dave’s Comics and Twitter: @DavesComics
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