August Roundup

Australia’s comics scene continues to ask big questions and showcase bold new work. This month, we explore a deceptively simple challenge: is there such a thing as the great Australian graphic novel? We also dive into John Carpenter’s Cathedral, a comics experience paired with a gloriously nightmarish soundtrack and offer recommendations for readers and viewers who’ve finished Spider-Man and The Odyssey and are looking for their next obsession.

Closer to home, Melbourne and Brisbane are hosting a range of events that bring creators and audiences together to share ideas, stories, and expertise, highlighting the strength and diversity of the local community.

On the industry front, we recap the major talking points from San Diego Comic-Con 2026, examine the settlement that finally brings the long-running Diamond saga to a close, and look at allegations against an industry veteran involving secret business dealings and unpaid bills.

NEWS

The Comics Journal

• Comics veteran Adam Fortier faces allegations of undisclosed business dealings, unpaid contractors and artists, and a lawsuit over disputed licensing and publishing ventures.
• A personal SDCC 2026 diary recounts convention highlights, creator encounters, industry observations, and the hectic, exhausting atmosphere of San Diego Comic-Con.

Publishers Weekly

• Five independent manga publishers formed the Independent Manga Alliance to provide marketing, distribution, and industry support for creators and small publishers.
• Publisher’s Weekly highlights upcoming early reader and elementary graphic novels, showcasing diverse stories and creators for young comics fans and emerging readers.

The Comics Beat

• After months of legal disputes, Diamond’s bankruptcy estate and publishers reached a settlement allowing recovery of consigned inventory from warehouse storage.
• John Carpenter’s Cathedral blends a horror graphic novel with a companion soundtrack, creating an immersive nightmare experience of supernatural terror
• Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo will follow their bestselling Teen Titans series with a new YA Young Justice graphic novel starring Kid Flash and Blue Beetle.

Other

• A Conversation essay examines whether Australia has a defining graphic novel, highlighting Lee Lai’s Cannon and the growing literary recognition of comics.
• The National Cartoonists Society announced its 2026 Reuben Award winners, with Mark Tatulli named Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year alongside divisional honourees.
• Webtoon reported slowing user growth despite solid earnings, prompting greater investment in AI, gaming, and IP adaptations to drive future expansion.
• Warren Ellis is returning to Image Comics with Ghost Drive Station, prompting renewed discussion about his comeback following past misconduct allegations.
• The CBCA celebrates outstanding Australian children’s literature, highlighting award-winning books, authors and illustrators while promoting reading, literacy and storytelling nationwide.
• Melbourne Alternative Comics Expo (MAKE) is a new festival celebrating comics, graphic novels and storytelling through workshops, panels, performances and creator markets
• Comic street is Brisbane’s annual indie comics festival, connecting creators and readers through markets, workshops and events celebrating independent comics and graphic storytelling.
• Disability Pride Month spotlight on comic book heroes with lasting physical disabilities, celebrating representation, resilience, and diverse superhero stories.
• Star Wars and Marvel unite for the first official crossover, with Kevin Smith’s Hope Assembles launching in 2027.
• Australian cartoonists warn AI-generated newspaper illustrations threaten creative jobs, highlighting transparency, ethics, and the future of editorial art.

REVIEWS

• Yudori’s Lovers of the Empire blends romance and history, exploring class, colonialism and modernity in 1920s Korea through two unlikely companions.
• Crescent Moon Marching follows a teenager discovering confidence and purpose through a high school marching band, blending music, friendship and self-discovery.
• A Comics Journal review praises Tony Millionaire’s The Oddball’s Odyssey for its eccentric humor, classic cartooning influences, and imaginative adventure storytelling.
• A graphic biography reexamines Eileen Blair Orwell’s life, highlighting her intellectual influence on George Orwell while exploring history, creativity and political upheaval.
• Naono Yoshiko’s Hide and Seek collects unsettling childhood horror stories, using everyday anxieties and regrets to explore trauma, guilt and emotional despair.
• Bob Levin revisits Watchmen, reassessing its literary reputation, cultural impact and enduring relevance through a critical reflection on superheroes and society

INTERVIEWS

• In a wide-ranging interview, Maus creator Art Spiegelman reflects on his career, American politics, censorship, and concerns about rising authoritarianism  
• Katie Skelly discusses her new graphic novel Heaven, creative perseverance, pandemic-era challenges, independent publishing, and the personal evolution behind her return.
• Creators Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez discuss their romantasy graphic novel To Dance the Moon and Stars, exploring collaboration, fairy-tale influences, and worldbuilding
• Matthew Dow Smith discusses Amelia Shadows and The October Girl, exploring all-ages storytelling, fantasy worldbuilding, and his evolving creative career.

COLLECTIONS

• Following Spider-Man: Brand New Day, ComicsBeat recommends key Spider-Man stories, highlighting comic runs and characters that inspired the film’s themes and adventures.
• Five comic recommendation inspired by The Odyssey, highlighting inventive adaptations and reinterpretations of Homer’s epic across genres and styles.

MEDIA

• Cartoonist Terry Moore discusses self-publishing, storytelling, crowdfunding, career evolution, creative experimentation, and the future of comics publishing.
• Award-winning creator Shaun Tan discusses Hometown, exploring its inspirations, themes, visual storytelling, and the deeper meanings behind the book.
• A deep dive into Joe Matt’s rise, influence on alternative comics, confessional storytelling, personal struggles, and complicated legacy.
• Illustrator and graphic novelist Aki Fukuoka discusses bringing Billie B Brown to graphic novels and manga’s influence on children’s storytelling.
  

NEW RELEASES

Junior

• Crescent Moon Marching Vol 1 by Hamachi Yamada (Scholastic) [9781546186267]
• Ember and the Grand Metamorphosis by Jason Pamment (Allen & Unwin) [9781761181306] [Australian creator]
• Exposures: A Story About Life With OCD and the Power of Facing Your Fears by Lily Williams (First Second) [9781250246691]
• The Golden Menhir An Illustrated Asterix Album by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo (Little Brown) [9781408734933]
• Hulk Teach: A Tale of Two Teachers by Jeffrey Brown (Scholastic) [9781546137627]
• Kira vs. the (Not So) New Rival by Megan Brennan (9780593711286 [Random House Graphic]
• Middle School Monsters by Robin Easter (Little, Brown Young Readers) [9780316580250]
• Midsummer Sisters by Niki Smith (Scholastic Australia) [9781761813924]
• Monsters of Fife Terror Birds by Jane Yolen, Celia Lowenthal (Charlesbridge Moves) [9781623544768]
• Pickle on Wheels by Sylvie Kantorovitz (9780823464074) [Holiday House]
• Science in Comics: Galaxies and Planets The Menace of the Star Maker by Edwige Pezzulli, AnnMarie P. Thomas, Andrea Vico, Zhangjun Wang, Tea Orsi (9781545827413) [Papercutz]
• Sweet Valley Twins: First Place by Francine Pascal, Nicole Andelfinger, Knack Whittle (Scholastic Australia) [9781761816499]

YA

• 13 Demons Dead by Adam Tierney, Saspy (IDW) [9798887244464]
• Diablomachia by Da Hosoi (Nakama Press) [9781545827628]
• Daughter of a Thousand Faces Volume One by Velinxi (Penguin Young Readers) [9780593870846]
• Diablomachia by Da Hosoi (Nakama Press) [9781545827628]
• The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, Sas Milledge (Penguin) [9780241762295]
• Frostbite by Ian Boothby, Pia Guerra (Scholastic) [9781546111177]
• Home Time: Twelve Days (Collecting Books 1 and 2) by Campbell Whyte (Top Shelf) [9781603095822]
• The Roots of My Hair A Graphic Novel by Lou Lubie, Makedah Hughes (Helvetiq) [9783039641277]
• Teen Titans Together by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo (DC Comics) [9781799503064]
• To Dance the Moon and Stars by: Barbara Perez Marquez, Tasia M S (Joy Revolution) [9780593809181]
• Worst Man by Brandt&Stein (Titan Books) [9781787746817]

Adult

• Batman Vol. 1 Daylight by Jorge Jimenez, Matt Fraction (DC Comics) [9781799506232]
• Beware Her Fury by Mirion Malle (Drawn & Quarterly) [9781770468702]
• Crownsville by Rodney Barnes, Elia Bonetti (Oni Press0 [9798894880990]
• D”ORC Volume 1The Book of Certain Doom by Brett Bean(Image Comics) [9781534331525]
• Event Horizon Dark DescentBy Christian Ward, Tristan Jones (IDW Publishing) [9798887244495]
• Fault Lines by Robert Cullen (Ablaze) [9781684973941]
• Fool’s Gold Echoes of the Pastby Jenna Woldenga, Felix Irnich, Christopher Hastings, Avery Howett, Princess Abella (Gallery 13) [9781668045374]
• Havana Split Vol 1 by Frédéric Brrémaud, Vic Macioci (Mad Cave) [9781545826966]
• Hima-Ten! Vol. 1 by Genki Ono (VIZ Media) [9781974755639]
• How Are You Feeling? by Andeasyand, Vinita Ramani, Wayne Rée Andeasyand, Griselda Gabriele & Nurjannah Suhaimi (Temporary Press) [9789819411788]
• Jane by Aline McKenna, Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia Studios Press) [9798892158718]
• Lovers of the Empire Vol 1 by Yudori (Fantagraphics) [9798875002250]
• Malevolent Breachby Justin Jordan, John Bivens, Felipe Sobreiro (Image) [9781534329973]
• The Nightingales by Emil Wilson : UK edition (Jonathan Cape) [9781787336568] & US edition (Avid Reader Press) [ 9781668217771]
• Nikola Tesla by Sergio Rossi, Giovanni Scarduelli (Mad Cave Studios) [9781545827659]
• On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides Vol.1 (of 2) by Marina Lisa Komiya (Takumigraphics) [9798875002298]
• Orbit The History of Hip Hop by Michael Frizell, Luciano Felix , Pablo Martinena (TidalWave Productions) [9781969716034]
• Outline by Michèle Fischels (Oni Press) [9798894881157]
• A People’s History of Football A Graphic Chronicle by Mikaal Correia, JC Deveney, Lelio Bonaccorso, Fionn Petch (Wiley) [9780745352138]
• PUNKS TRIANGLE stitch Vol. 1 by Yuho Okita (Random House) [9798898630904]
• Red RobinTim Drake Compendium by Christopher Yost, Fabian Nicieza (DC Comics) [9781799508847]
• Salvage by Renée Nault (Random House) [9781984863409]
• Shinobi Undercover, Vol. 1 by Ippon Takegushi, Santa Mitarashi (VIZ Media) [9781974757763]
• Sora & Haena! Vol 1 by Jackbull (Inklore) [9780593872970]
• Venom Black, White & Blood Treasury Edition by David Michelinie, J.M. DeMatteis, Jonas Scharf, Dave Wachter (Marvel) [9781302950873]
• The Victorsby Wren James, Beth Fuller (Walker Books) [9781529515978]
• Void Rivals Volume 5 The Quintesson War by Robert Kirkman, Andrei Bressan , Patricio Delpeche (Image) [9781534332515]