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.
§ Dark Horse will release The Complete Tales from the Crypt, a hardcover collection of all 46 issues of the horror anthology on October 13. It will retail at 1032 pages for $149.99, and include “every cover, text piece, and ghoulish illustration,” plus forewords to previous collections by the likes of John Carpenter and Bruce Campbell. Tales from the Crypt originally ran at EC Comics from 1950 to 1955, and inspired the classic HBO series of the same name, although it has not been revived under current EC publisher Oni Press. It was previously reprinted over five volumes as part of Dark Horse’s EC Archives line.
§ Speaking of Oni, via AIPT, Oni and Magnetic Press revealed they will release The Beast, a more dramatic take on Marsupilami by Zidrou and Frank Pé. The two-part graphic novel, which was originally published digitally in English by Europe Comics, reimagines the leopard-like creature as an escaped animal in 1950s Belgium, where he befriends a young boy struggling with school bullies.
Vol. 1 will be released on May 12, and Vol. 2 will follow in June. Marsupilami was created by André Franquin in 1952, and has starred in various cartoons and films, including a 1993 Disney series, a new live-action French feature, and the CG animated The Marsupilamis, which Nickelodeon acquired international rights to late last year. It’ll mark a posthumous release for Pé, who passed away on November 29, 2025, aged 69.
Meanwhile, at Comic Book Club, Oni and Magnetic Press announced Hana and Taru: The Forest Giants, a fantasy graphic novel by French writer Léo Schilling, and artist Motteu. Due out May 12, the book follows a young giant named Taru, who’s charged with watching the human prisoner Hana. “When Taru’s village is attacked by forest beasts, the two must work together to find out what is causing the beasts to rampage, and how they might be stopped.” It marks the debut graphic novel of both creators, whom you can learn more about on Simon & Schuster’s listing for the book.
§ Image announced Lady Mechanika: The Mechanical Menagerie, a new four-issue entry in the steampunk saga, debuting May 6. Written by Madeleine Holly-Rosing (Boston Metaphysical Society) with art by series creator Joe Benitez, and Martin Montiel, the book sees Lady Mechanika team up with Inspector Singh “to investigate the whereabouts of the sinister Mistress Grimm and her elusive Reapers,” as “strange mechanical threats” emerge from an abandoned amusement park. It’ll mark the ninth volume of the series, which began at Aspen in 2010, and started releasing (and rereleasing) from Image in 2021.
In more Image news, ICv2 reports Skybound will rerelease the LEGO Ninjago: Dark Island Trilogy. The graphic novels, by Greg Farshtey and Paul Lee, were originally released by Little, Brown Books in 2016, and follow the heroes from the TV show as they investigate the disappearances of several sailors. The new edition will consist of one volume, with a new cover by Tri Vuong (LEGO Ninjago: Shatterspin), and be released on June 30. In the meantime, the new graphic novel, LEGO Ninjago: Strike of the Serpentine, by Cameron Chittock and Will Morris, is out now.
§ Adult Swim released a teaser trailer for Rooster Fighter, an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Shu Sakuratani. The show, which consists of 12 episodes, revolves around the oversized chicken Keiji (voiced in English by Patrick Seitz), who protects humanity from even bigger monsters. It will premiere on the Toonami programming block at midnight on Saturday, March 14 (effectively March 15), a month before it airs in Japan.
§ Finally, Thought Bubble is seeking patrons to help support them. The British comics festival, held in Yorkshire every November, states, “Finances in the events industry have been challenging, and after a difficult few years of unsuccessful funding bids, alongside increasing costs, we need some extra financial support to help us maintain and develop our work.” They are “looking for supporters who can offer us upwards of £1000 as a one-off payment, or annually recurring.” If interested, you can email chloe[at]thoughtbubblefestival.com; you can also support them here.
