Welcome back to The Beat Digest, a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest comics-related news stories we’ve missed every Tuesday and Friday. Is there a story out there you think we should cover? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
§ Hot off his MCU debut in Wonder Man (portrayed by Byron Bowers), Marvel released Doorman Infinity Comic, a one-shot Unlimited exclusive by writer Cody Ziglar and artist Julian Shaw. The book, which marks the character’s first solo comic, sees DeMarr Davis take a prospective employer on a tour of the Marvel Universe, complete with guest appearances from Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Doctor Doom. Doorman, who is a member of the Great Lakes Avengers with the power to generate portals, was created by John Byrne, and first appeared in 1989’s West Coast Avengers #46.
Marvel also announced Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral Body Count, an epilogue for the upcoming crossover by Charles Soule and Kev Walker, releasing May 13. The book will reveal the origin of the new symbiote villain, Torment, who’ll be at the center at the story kicking off with the Death Spiral special on February 25 (which Marvel has already revealed the ending of.) The publisher also shared nine connecting variant covers for each issue of the event by Iban Coello, which heavily imply Torment’s true identity will be…
§ Anyway, Mad Cave revealed The Phantom vs. The Sky Band, a 40-page one-shot by Ray Fawkes (the writer of Mad Cave’s main Phantom series) and Federico Sabbatini (Predator: Black, White & Blood). Due out April 22, the book pits the Phantom against a gang of mercenaries reliant on helicopters. “[They] believed technology and altitude made them untouchable. They were wrong.” In the meantime, issue #5 of the main series, by Fawkes and Russell Olson, will be released on February 11, and the trade of the first arc will follow on May 19.
§ Deadline reports Blumhouse and Atomic Monster (James Wan‘s production company) will produce a film version of The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, the horror series created by Hannah Rose May and Vanesa R. Del Rey. The comic, which debuted from IDW in 2024, followed the first female president of the United States, as she juggled motherhood, the prospect of World War III, and literal demons haunting the White House. The news broke as IDW prepares to release a follow-up by May and Kelsey Ramsay, The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace, starting March 11.
§ Netflix dropped the teaser trailer for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the new animated series set between seasons two and three of the original show, revealing it will premiere on Thursday, April 23. While Janeane Garofalo, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Odessa A’zion‘s roles still remain under wraps, it was also announced Jeremy Jordan (Supergirl) will be voicing Steve Harrington (Joe Keery‘s character) on the show. Furthermore, the streamer released an interview with showrunner Eric Robles, which you can read here.
§ Variety shares Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze will be rereleased by Fathom Entertainment to mark its 35th anniversary on March 13. The movie, which will return to theaters for a week, has received a 4K restoration, and will be accompanied by a featurette interviewing TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. Secret of the Ooze, which originally debuted only a year after its predecessor, returns to theaters mere months after Fathom rereleased the first film to mark its own 35th anniversary. You can book tickets here.
§ Finally, Jay Edidin and Miles Stokes announced their weekly podcast, Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men, will come to an end later this year. “We never meant for this to be a forever podcast,” the pair say. “That it has lasted for going on twelve years is amazing – a gift we never could have imagined when we started out–and it’s important to us to finish it right, to go out deliberately instead of fading off or hitting an abrupt wall.” They intend to close out their run in about five months, with a look at Grant Morrison‘s New X-Men run.
The new Phantom series from Mad Cave is top notch.