Muppets, Smiles and Hippopotamuses. 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 affilate 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…
The Muppets Noir #1
DYNAMITE
By Roger Langridge and Dearbhla Kelly
Buy from Forbidden Planet – The Muppets Noir #1 (Link)
IT WAS A DARK AND FROGGY EVENING! It’s time to cue the music; it’s time to dim the lights! It’s time to get things started as the Muppets return tonight!
The show is about to begin at the famous Muppet Theatre, and the regular pre-curtain chaos has the troupe’s stalwart MC, Kermit the Frog, coming apart at the seams. In an attempt to de-stress, he settles down to read a few pages of a favorite old detective novel — only to get kayoed by an errant brick to the bean, leaving him laid out backstage as his co-stars try to coax him back to consciousness.
But unbeknownst to them, Kermit has taken up the hard-boiled mantle of his fictional hero to walk the darkened streets of Dreamland, righting wrongs and cracking cases under the concealing cover of night. Flip Minnow, P.I., has no time for song and dance — not if he’s going to solve the baffling mystery of the Snoozing Sleuth!
Legendary cartooning talent and Muppets comics veteran ROGER LANGRIDGE bellies up to the drawing table once more for an all-new tale of crime and pun-ishment with The Muppets Noir #1 — featuring clue-filled cover art from both the author and guest artist DECLAN SHALVEY, as well as an appropriately enigmatic DELUXE MYSTERY BLIND BAG! The Blind Bag contains two limited editions of the issue selected randomly from a range of variant covers exclusive to this offering — including a new original cover, colored blanks, and more! Please Note: The number of Blind Bags is limited, and allocations may occur.
This debut issue delivers a playful, shadow‑drenched twist on the beloved troupe, with Langridge and Kelly channeling classic noir through Kermit’s dream‑world alter ego, Flip Minnow. The comic blends backstage chaos with genre parody, capturing the personalities of the Muppets with charm and visual energy. With the new Muppets TV revival keeping the characters in the spotlight, this book arrives at the perfect moment, reminding us why their mix of heart, humour, and anarchy remains timeless. As the Muppets dive into noir’s moody streets, fans can expect a stylish, affectionate homage that still feels unmistakably like the Muppets.
White Sky #1
IMAGE COMICS
By William Harms, Jean Paul Mavinga, Lee Loughridge and Ed Dukeshire
Buy from Forbidden Planet – White Sky #1 (Link)
Five years ago, the sky turned white, and the world ended. Violet and her father, David, are forced out of hiding and flee toward the ruins of San Francisco, where they believe they’ll be safe. But in this haunted world ruled by ghosts, no place is safe.
This issue opens with a gripping premise: five years after the sky turned white, Violet and her father flee toward the ruins of San Francisco, hunted by vengeful ghosts in a world where no place is safe. Harms and Mavinga craft a tense, atmospheric debut that blends familiar post‑apocalyptic themes with a haunting twist, anchored by a compelling father‑daughter dynamic. This comic delivers a chilling, emotional journey perfect for fans of The Last of Us–style survival tales.
Smile: For the Camera #1
IDW PUBLISHING · IDW DARK
By Hannah Rose May, Miriana Puglia and Dearbhla Kelly
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Smile: For the Camera #1 (Link)
Pose. Vogue. Couture. Gore.
It’s Fashion Month 2005. Five young international models have just landed in New York City, ready to tackle four grueling weeks of runways, press, and cameras as they try to make it big. The girls become fast friends…until one seems to crack under the pressure. Little does everyone know that she is afflicted by the entity, a being bent on destruction and pain as it seeks to destroy lives through its horrific visions.
Dive into this never-before-seen story of betrayal and reality bending, based on the critically-acclaimed SMILE film franchise from Parker Finn, brought to you by horror star Hannah Rose May (The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Rogues’ Gallery) and Miriana Puglia (Disney Villains: Cruella de Vil, Disney Villains: Maleficent) as we follow these models’ glamorous, gory descent into insanity.
Get ready to smile like you mean it.
Smile: For the Camera #1 stylishly expands the hugely popular Smile film franchise into the world of high‑fashion horror. Set during Fashion Month 2005, it follows five aspiring models whose glamorous ascent quickly warps into terror as the Smile Entity infiltrates their ranks. May’s sharp character work and Puglia’s striking art build a tense, reality‑bending atmosphere steeped in paranoia. This debut issue delivers a cinematic edge that fans of the films will immediately recognize—promising a chilling, gory descent worthy of the franchise’s acclaim.
Star Trek: The Last Starship #5
IDW PUBLISHING
By Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Adrián Bonilla, Heather Moore and Clayton Cowles
Buy from Forbidden Planet – Star Trek: The Last Starship #5 (Link)
The Federation’s delegates have gathered. The Babel conference is on. Together, they aim to save Starfleet and bring peace to all quadrants. But while Captain Sato and the crew of the U.S.S. Omega have only experienced the passage of time as four months within their transwarp bubble, for the rest of the galaxy, it’s been 23 years.
For 23 years, the delegates have been left to their own devices, to stew in their own machinations and to make new allegiances… and while the U.S.S. Omega may have brought them all together, the Burn has forced them apart. Not all want to broker peace, and someone who was once closest to Starfleet may become its greatest adversary…
This latest issue delivers a tense, politically charged chapter as the long‑awaited Babel conference finally convenes. Lanzing and Kelly steer the narrative toward diplomacy and ideological conflict, exploring how 23 years of isolation have reshaped the Federation’s delegates. The atmospheric art reinforces the gravity of Captain Sato’s struggle to reunite fractured worlds, and supports the story’s philosophical tone. This issue leans into the classic Star Trek themes of unity, negotiation, and moral conviction, setting the stage for escalating tensions and a potentially explosive final installment.
The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1
MAD CAVE STUDIOS
By Fred Kennedy and James Edward Clark
Buy from Forbidden Planet – The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1 (Link)
Disco Hippo Wonderland is the number one amusement park in Flamingo City. But few realize its corpulent owner, Jans M’jor Discau, is about to release the most potent drug ever created: Coke45! Fortunately for humanity, Agent Clarke Nebraska is on the case! She’ll bring down Discau come heck or high water! That was the plan, until her undercover agent, Tico Senecoza, was captured! And before she can rescue him, Miquel—Tico’s sexy loose cannon of an older brother beats her to the punch, storming into the park with bullets flying. Discau panics, dumping the Coke45 into the hippo enclosure and letting them loose on the park, before fleeing into Wonderland’s tunnel network! Nebraska’s plans are totally off the rails, and things get worse when a marijuana smoke fueled hurricane drowns the park in torrential rain! Now it’s up to Nebraska and Miquel to create an uncomfortable truce to bring Discau down before he escapes!
The Florida Hippopotamus Cocaine Massacre #1 might boast the most astonishing title of the year—and the comic absolutely lives up to its wild promise. Kennedy and Clark unleash a neon‑soaked, hippo‑rampaging fever dream where federal agents, drug lords, and blood‑crazed animals collide in Disco Hippo Wonderland. The result is an over‑the‑top action spectacle dripping with 1980s absurdity, sharp humour, and full‑tilt chaos. It’s outrageous, unhinged, and gloriously self‑aware—exactly the sort of comic that turns a jaw‑dropping title into an unforgettable, riotous ride.
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.
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
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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