Labor Day Weekend: I will be A GUEST at Long Beach Comic-Con 2025!

Hi, all.

August 30 - 31: I will be a guest at Long Beach Comic Con.

Author photo by Pat Loika; Promotional image by Lan Pitts.

This is the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend 2025, so if you’re in the Los Angeles area and looking for an indoor air conditioned activity while also having access to (I assume) a long beach of some kind, I fully insist that you buy tickets now and come meet me there! We will take a selfie together. I will sign comics you own that I have scripted and I will attempt to sell you additional ones. I will appear on PANELS on the topics of television and comic book writing and, I’m being told, Spider-Man for some reason. A spectacular time will be had by all.

If I’m wrong about Long Beach having a long beach, I know for a fact that they have hotel pools, because that’s how I distracted my toddler when we fled our house during the fires. We were very lucky to come home to a safe home in a neighborhood that was not directly affected, but it will be nice to generate some positive memories of Long Beach that don’t put me in the headspace of Wile E. Coyote running off the cliff and not yet looking down. Memories featuring you!

Wait, weren’t you just at a different Comic-Con?

I was in fact — San Diego Comic-Con 2025. Here’s how it went down.*

Note: I was not able to figure out how to add photo captions in gallery mode, so you should probably just use context clues or make up a little story about me entirely.

I will, however, clarify that the three people speaking on panel are my buddies Patrick Reed, Rachel Pinnelas, and Andrew Farago on a panel discussing comics-focused museum exhibits, like the Jack Kirby one at the Skirball Center right now — and that the guy in the big boots is the nine-foot-tall Galactus cosplayer you may have seen on social media, putting on his costume with the help of some assistants.

*Okay, commence slideshow.

Surely that’s all of them.

Most years, you’d be right, because I do not attend a lot of comic book conventions, or events outside the home in general, however, I will also be in attendance at New York Comic-Con 2025 — not at a table, just as a “sheep in the big city” as they say. So if you’re making it there, and there’s something you need signed, or some blood debt we need to settle, let me know here and we’ll work out the details.

“That’s probably enough for now.”
— Daniel Kibblesmith

NEW BOOK: 'How To Survive The Marvel Universe.' (2025)

Hi, all.

New from Chronicle Books: October 28, 2025.

Via Chronicle Books; Cover by Kyle Hilton

The Marvel Comics Universe is full of action, adventure, danger, and cosmic peril. Be ready for anything with this illustrated action handbook—whether you have newly developed super-powers, you need to pilot an Iron Man suit, or Galactus is here to eat the Earth.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

Written by Marvel Comics and Emmy-nominated humor writer Daniel Kibblesmith, this official illustrated guide to surviving and thriving in the Marvel Universe uses comics-tested advice to steer readers through what to expect when exposed to gamma rays, bonding with a symbiote or—ow!—feeling an unexpected sting at the science fair. Featuring practical information such as wall-crawling tips, along with emergency information (you’ve been plunged into the Quantum Realm) and day-to-day guidance if your cat turns out to be a Flerken, you suspect someone of being a Skrull, or are facing a doombot, this is the must-have handbook as you live in the world of Marvel’s mightiest heroes.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

CRUCIAL ADVICE FROM MARVEL COMICS: What would you do if you discover you had mutant abilities, or are the only one on a heroic team without super-powers? Marvel comics writer and lifelong fan Daniel Kibblesmith finds inspiration and advice in the comics to offer tips and strategies for navigating these and many more of the reader’s own 'what if' experiences.

Kyle Hilton (via Chronicle).

IMAGINATIVE ADVENTURES: The Hulk is totally hulking out, with mayhem imminent; you’re weighing the pros and cons of legal representation from Matt Murdock or Jennifer Walters (or P.I. help from Jessica Jones or Howard the Duck); you need to speak Groot but are not fluent. This book has got you covered!

Perfect for:

  • Marvel fans looking for a fresh, funny spin on the comics

  • Fans of action hero handbooks and survival guides

  • Fans of Marvel Super Graphic, Marvel Mazes, and Thor and Loki: Midgard Family Mayhem

Format: Hardcover

Age Range: Chronicle Books

Publication Date: 10/28/2025

ISBN: 9781797233543

ON SALE NOW: Rick and Morty Vs. The Universe #1

Hi, all.

Rick and Morty Vs. The Universe #1 is now on sale from Oni Publishing.

It’s Rick and Morty’s first ever comics-crossover event, an epic, cosmic, ridiculous and tragic four-part series scripted by me (and in some cases co-scripted with me as “showrunner” which was extremely fun). Available for purchase digitally here, RIGHT NOW, to read on the screen you are currently looking at — as well as via mail order here, or from a local comic shop near you.

‘Rick and Morty vs. The Universe’ #1 covers: (From L-R) Cover A – Bardin, Cover B – Litttle, and Cover C – Gedeon.

Why you should buy it.

Rick and Morty in 2025 is a tough sell. The co-creator is a monster (now removed from the organization). The most vocal fans have been famously annoying tween boys. And I.P. comics, in general, already sell fewer copies than superhero comics, despite superheroes currently being the culturally dominant I.P., but you know what I mean — comics based on cartoons.

Many retailers will not even carry these comics. I called Captain’s Comics and Toys in Charleston — the very cool shop I would be physically closest to on the Issue #1 release date — to try and reserve a copy for a pub day announcement selfie and they politely, but firmly told me they do not sell this series. There’s just not enough interest.

So, here’s why you should be interested:

#1. We’re pals. You know I’m not gonna let you down.

#2. Some of those comics based on cartoons are very good. Ryan North & Co.’s Adventure Time (2012) is very good. Tom Scioli’s Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe is VERY good (and insane). Mark Russell and Steve Pugh’s The Flintstones is an actual modern classic. Also presented without comment: Garfbert.

‘Rick and Morty vs. The Universe’ #1 covers: (From L-R) Interlockiing Flops, Prime Variant – Fowler, and Wedding Variant – Gonzales.

And Rick and Morty Vs. The Universe is also very good. The art by Jarrett Williams (Super Pro K.O., Speed Force) is recognizably on-model while still having a life and personality all its own. Jarrett’s bringing all the same comedy and dynamism on display in his creator owned work and is consistently blowing me away. Especially with his designs of the [REDACTED CHARACTERS] in Issue #3. I am also bringing my A-Game, as I always do, because I’m a “former gifted child,” which is something you can Google.

To get extremely into the comics weeds for a second, I posted on Bluesky.com that this Rick and Morty series is my stab at an Alan Moore’s Supreme. That requires a level of explanation where you either get it or you don’t, but if you get it, then you have some idea of our approach to this thing and the level of thinking I’m trying to put into it.

Rick and Morty Vs. The Universe: Summer of Love A-Cover by Dave Bardin.

It’s also just funny and FUN. We have three upcoming One-Shot issues tying into the main series, including one written by my pal Jody Houser, in what she claims is her first fully comedic script, which is intimidating because it’s extremely funny. Art on that one from Phil Murphy and Meg Casey, and similarly killer creative teams on the other two, returning Rick and Morty comics creators Jake Black and Suzi Blake, and longtime — dare I say “fan favorite” — writer and artist duo behind the Rick and Morty flagship title, Alex Firer and Fred C. Stressing. Or as I call them “The Doughboys … boys.”

I’ve been a Rick and Morty fan for ten years, which sounds impossible, but here we are. From the moment I watched them bury their own corpses to Mazzy Star, I was fully sold. There was something special here — and monoculture quickly agreed. The (non-Mazzy) star has faded, but nothing burns that hot without there being something really special in its DNA. That’s what me, and the co-writers, and the artists, and the editorial team are all trying to unlock for you — the best presentation of what makes this thing work and what may have made it important to you at one point. I already have total confidence that this series will be a “cult hit.” So the goal is to get you to read it now rather than later, after the cult has formed. Do not be late to this bachelor party.

Preview BELOW!

Official Solicitation Via Oni:

MOVE OVER, BIG BANG! GET WRECKED, BIG CRUNCH! GALAXIES COME AND GALAXIES GO, BUT OUR PLANE OF EXISTENCE HAS NEVER FACED ANYTHING AS CONSEQUENTIAL AS . . . THE FIRST-EVER RICK AND MORTY COMICS EVENT!

From the deviant psyches of comics mastermind and multiple Emmy Award–nominee Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki) and artistic annihilator Jarrett Williams (Speed Force), this summer’s seven-part countdown to the end of everything that was, is, and will be begins with . . . a bachelor party that gets a little out of hand?

Rick’s old buddy Dimension C-137 (where Rick and Morty Cronenberg’d Earth) has reached his UNIVERSAL HALF-LIFE and is getting MARRIED—to the female-presenting embodiment of the Parmesan Dimension! He’s found true love and wants his old pal Rick to plan his bachelor party! WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Answer: Pretty much everything . . . and it is all Rick’s fault! Now Rick and Morty are on the run from EVERY SINGLE UNIVERSE THEY’VE EVER MESSED WITH—meaning, no matter what dimension they escape to, the universe will literally be against them. And, to survive, Rick will be forced to something he hoped he would never have to do—a last resort of EPIC PROPORTIONS!

DON’T CALL IT A CRISIS! The FIRST RICK AND MORTY COMICS EVENT starts here with a cosmos-colliding spectacular TOO BIG FOR TV . . . and featuring, well, EVERYONE!

In Shops: Jul 09, 2025

Thanks, all. Oh, and if you’re truly insane, you can also already pre-order the full, collected hardcover from Oni Press and Simon & Schuster.

“Okay, I think that’s everything.”
— Daniel Kibblesmith

Darkwing Duck #1: Preview & Signing!

—plus the Rick & Morty: Finals Week Paperback.

Hi, all.

Darkwing Duck #1 Cover A by Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones.

After some mysterious delays worthy of a masked crime fighter, DARKWING DUCK #1 from DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT goes on sale WEDNESDAY MARCH 5th 2025.

Available from a comic shop near you or digitally here for Kindle app and devices— although once you’re there, I’d go ahead and push the Subscribe to Series button so that you never miss a single one of our twelve (announced) issues.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A COMIC BOOK BEFORE AND YOU WANT TO SUPPORT MY WORK, THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT:

It looks like this. One click.

ALTHOUGH WE WOULD STILL PREFER YOU BOUGHT IT FROM A LOCAL COMIC BOOK SHOP (AND THE COMIC SHOP WOULD PREFER IT TOO).

If you’re still somehow unconvinced, 1. Unclear to me how you came to be reading this, promoting this comic is kind of my entire deal right now — and 2. Dynamite just dropped the FIRST FIVE PAGES of Darkwing Duck #1 over on Flickering Myth — and now I’m dropping them HERE. Get Dangerous Below:

Written by Daniel Kibblesmith; Line art by Brandt & Stein; Color art by Dearbhla Kelly, Lettering by Fabio Amelia, Edited by Nate Cosby. Darkwing Duck created by Tad Stones.

ALSO on March 5th, 2025 — Los Angeles area readers COME MEET ME AND STEAL MY SIGNATURE:

I’ll be joining comics writer friends Jordan Morris, Alexis Quasarano, and fellow Rick & Morty comics writer Alex Firer at Arsenal Comics Newbury to sign copies of Darkwing Duck #1 and the new Rick & Morty: Finals Week paperback.

Rick & Morty: Finals Week from Oni Press; Cover by Priscilla Tramontano

From 5pm - 6:30pm, I’ll be signing whatever you put under my face, regardless if I had anything to do with creating it, including, but not limited to, comic books and babies. Hope to see you there.

PRE-ORDER NOW: Darkwing Duck #1

Hi, all.

Lets get dangerous.

Art by Tad Stones

This news has been out for a while, but not on my own website — mostly because that takes more time and effort than Social Media — but in case you somehow missed it: I am writing the new Darkwing Duck comic series for Dynamite Entertainment.

Activate Cover Gallery:

If you’ve heard me on one of the double-digit podcasts I’ve invited myself on to discuss this — this is a big deal for me. Darkwing Duck is of my favorite characters/properties of all time, a brain-molding introduction to the pulp and superhero genres that hit me like a bolt of lightning at exactly the right age. And most exciting to me from a writing perspective, a rogues gallery as diverse and iconic as any in comics.

Starting with a new #1 from Dynamite, every issue of the new Darkwing Duck is an episodic adventure, designed to feel like a new or “lost” episode of Darkwing Duck (1991). A show I’ve been internalizing so long and deeply that these scripts feel like they’re leaking out of the pores in my bones.

Interior pencils/inks are by the phenomenal team of Brandt & Stein, who I first came to love via their art for the dystopian satire Crowded (2018 - 2022), and who provided the cover and some interior illustrations for my (insanely named) book, DC Christmas Carols: We Wish You a Harley Christmas (2020). The (stunning) colors come from Dearbhla Kelly, with Fabio Amelia on letters.

Probably most exciting to longtime fans (myself included) is that our variant cover artists include Darkwing Duck creator TAD STONES, who has also generously provided his invaluable insights on the characters and what makes them work and endure. Speaking of geeking out, we also have a #1 Variant from the Mark Bagley (of Spider-Man fame, Ultimate Spider-Man fame, and beyond), and yet more variants from Ciro Cangialosi and Nicoletta Baldari — whose work I’ve been describing as a Darkwing Duck Tarot Card Deck in the making, which absolutely should exist.

And if you somehow haven’t heard me talk about this on a podcast or streaming show yet, here’s a place to start:

Thanks to Robbie at Pop Culture Philosphers and the many, many podcasts and streaming shows that have had me on to talk about comics lately. Find more on Listen Notes or a YouTube near you.

Not much else to say except that, like Darkwing and his creator were at the beginning of all this — I, too, am now the father of a spirited daughter (read: charming, but destructive). And I can’t wait to share these adventures with her at the beginning of her comics reading journey (fingers crossed).

If you’re an old fan, or a new fan, or an old fan who is the parent of a potential new fan, call your local comic shop and pre-order DARKWING DUCK #1 (and every issue to follow) RIGHT NOW! Officially on sale February, 12 2025.

Official Solicitation Via Dynamite:

DARKWING DUCK #1

(W) Daniel Kibblesmith (A) Ted Brandt, Ro Stein (CA) Tad Stones

He is the terror that flaps in the night! The fowl that felons most fear! A legend in his own time (and his own mind)! He is… DARKWING DUCK!

But how did this avian exemplar develop his redoubtable reputation? What lessons did he learn in his early days of crime-busting and foe-foiling? His legion of fans (or, at least, his adopted daughter, Gosalyn) want to know – and DW is more than happy to tell her the whole (possibly embellished) story in this unauthorized (and unorganized) autobiography

Renowned writer DANIEL KIBBLESMITH (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Loki, Black Panther vs. Deadpool) and the double-headed art team of TED BRANDT & RO STEIN (The Mighty Captain Marvel, Tales of the Titans: Beast Boy) return to the rooftops of St. Canard with an all-new series that revisits (and likely revises) Darkwing Duck's formative years – with a debut issue cover from artist TAD STONES, creator of the original Darkwing Duck animated series, as well as instantly iconic imagery from BRANDT & STEIN, MARK BAGLEY, NICOLETTA BALDARI, and CIRO CANGIALOSI!

In Shops: Feb 12, 2025

“Mega Voltsmas!”
— Daniel Kibblesmith

On Sale Now: Marvel’s Holiday Tales to Astonish #1 and Dynamite’s Powerpuff Girls: Winter Snowdown Showdown #1

Hi, all.

Very quickly, because I’m in currently in Deadlineopolis (play on Megalopolis), but this is important and time-sensitive. Holiday time sensitive. Is “Holiday Time” a phrase? There’s no way to know something like that.

If you’re reading this, you probably have some loose idea of who I am, and what I do, and may have noticed I write a lot of holiday stories — like Rugrats: C is for Chanukah with Cullen Crawford, Santa’s Husband with Ashley Quach, and Chronicle Books’ insanely named DC Christmas Carols: We Wish You a Harley Christmas — for which I rewrote a number of classic Christmas carols to be about the heroes and villains of the D.C. Universe, including my personal favorite, “Hark The Parademons Sing,” the best and only Christmas Carol ever written about Darkseid.

Which is all to say, this all becomes a bit of a beat once editors know you like doing holiday stuff — and the people who do, I’ve found, really do. So, for the approval of the Midnight Society (You probably think that’s for Halloween right, but Christmas also has a midnight — that’s when when Santa comes — and Hanukkah has eight midnights, so educate yourself) — I’ve written/co-written FOR YOU TO BUY AND READ two new holiday comics for 2024 on sale right now.

Not just holiday comics, but characters you’ve heard of, doing things you might want to see this time of year — like Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler (near-lifetime bucket list characters for me) celebrating Kitty’s first Hanukkah with the X-Men (nestled neatly in the continuity Claremont/Byrne era, with pencils by Untold Tales of Spider-Man’s Pat Olliffe) and The Powerpuff Girls in a new 40-page Holiday Special where they battle classic villains in interlocking solo-stories, saving the snow-covered city of Townsville and tracking down the perfect gift for Professor Utonium. Do I need to say they meet Santa? Is that a Spoiler? They meet Santa in that one. Why wouldn’t they?

BOTH are on sale now, digitally or from a comic shop near you, but if you require more convincing, read on, in hyper-compelling words crafted by professional P.R. people.

Marvel Comics’ Holiday Tales to Astonish #1

A-Cover by LUCIANO VECCHIO

Via Marvel:

MARVEL HOLIDAY TALES TO ASTONISH #1
Written by GERRY DUGGAN, DANIEL KIBBLESMITH & GENE LUEN YANG
Art by PHIL NOTO, PAT OLLIFFE & DYLAN BURNETT
Cover by LUCIANO VECCHIO

This December, get in the holiday spirit with a special new Marvel Comics one-shot: MARVEL HOLIDAY TALES TO ASTONISH!

In the great Marvel tradition, behold the many ways your favorite heroes celebrate the season with stories starring the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and Spider-Man! Brought to you by a lineup of acclaimed Marvel talent, these three heartwarming, inspirational, and action-packed stories are suited for any reader to enjoy, making them the perfect gift for the Marvel fans in your life!

Today, fans can check out all four covers, including pieces by Luciano Vecchio and Leonardo Romero along with a wraparound homage cover by Lee Garbett and a hidden gem cover from industry legends Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. Plus check out a sneak peek at all three tales!

Here’s what fans can look forward to!

  • First, you're invited to the Fantastic Four's Holiday Party! But when an uninvited guest decides to spread doom instead of cheer, the FF jump into action in this delightful story from writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto.

  • Then, in a tale of Hanukkahs past, Kitty Pryde scrambles to save the day while shopping for gifts for her new teammates—the Uncanny X-Men! Daniel Kibblesmith and Pat Olliffe deliver this X-tra special adventure packed with merry mutant cameos and callbacks to classic X-Men stories!

  • Can Spider-Man stick to his New Year’s resolution as well as he sticks to walls? Find out as Peter Parker and Miles Morales ring in the New Year as only Spider-Men can in a spectacular tale by Gene Luen Yang and Dylan Burnett.

Wraparound Homage Variant Cover by LEE GARBETT
Variant Cover by LEONARDO ROMERO
Hidden Gem Variant Cover by GIL KANE & JOHN ROMITA SR.
On Sale 12/4

Dynamite Entertainment’s The Powerpuff Girls: Holiday Snowdown Showdown #1

A-Cover by Carlo Lauro

Via Dynamite:

Writer: Daniel Kibblesmith
Artist: Carlo Lauro
Genre: Adventure
Publication Date: December, 2024
Format: Comic Book
Page Count: 40
ON SALE DATE: 12/04/2024
It's the holiday season in the City of Townsville, and that means ice skating, cookie baking, and, above all - at least for its three pint-sized protectors - finding the ideal gift for Professor Utonium!

But what do you get for the man who has (or can make) everything? To find out, the Powerpuff Girls set out in pursuit of the perfect present, and learn some valuable lessons about playing fair, respecting boundaries, and considering others along the way - all while dispensing generous doses of holiday-flavored justice!

Written and illustrated by jolly old elves DANIEL KIBBLESMITH and CARLO LAURO, this all-new 40-page special - decorated with sparkling covers from LAURO, TBD, and FRANCESCO TOMASELLI - will be a welcome addition to any fireplace-adjacent stocking!

It’s been a while since a non-social media update, but the rest of the big news will have to wait due to me being trapped in Megalopolis (I have updated Deadlineopolis to Megalopolis, the actual pretend city from the movie of that name made of moving sidewalks and bioluminescent floral bones. That’s where I am and live now).

“Okay, talk soon. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Mega Opolis.”
— Daniel Kibblesmith