Month: March 2026

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The Comics of February 2026

If there’s one thing to report from my comic reading in February, it’s that 30 years later, Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles is still wonderful. Very much of its time — and arguably more enjoyable because of that, from this distance — the comic that was central to my 1990s still held surprises and no small amount of joy when I ripped through the entire time in, basically, a little over two weeks.

By the end of the month, I’d fallen back into re-reading old superhero comics — it’s not even nostalgia, because I’m reading things I didn’t read the first time around, basically lured into by the workmanlike qualities that doubtlessly would have turned me off when I was a kid or a teen. There’s something reassuringly solid about the 1970s Marvel Comics that I’m reading, even when they’re spectacularly shoddy and dull; there’s a joy in and of itself in seeing professionals meet their deadlines with only the briefest spark of inspiration on show. (It strikes me after writing that, that I should probably note that I also re-read Steve Englehart and Joe Staton’s mid-1980s The Green Lantern Corps in February, which is perhaps the definition of a solid, occasionally weird, occasionally inspired 1980s superhero comic.)

  1. The Invisibles (1994) #s 1-4
  2. Green Arrow (2023) #28
  3. Dr. Fate (1988) #9
  4. The Saga of the Swamp Thing #21
  5. Sooner or Later (Milligan/McCarthy)
  6. Avengers (2016) #s 7-8
  7. Champions (2016) #7
  8. Newuniversal #1
  9. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #240
  10. Absolute Superman #12
  11. Superman (1987) #36
  12. Adventures of Superman (1987) #459
  13. Action Comics #646
  14. Superman (1987) #37
  15. Adventures of Superman (1987) #460
  16. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #201
  17. Green Arrow (2023) #29
  18. Dr. Fate (1988) #10
  19. The Saga of the Swamp Thing #22
  20. The Invisibles (1994) #5
  21. Action Comics #647
  22. One World Under Doom #1
  23. The Invisibles (1994) #6
  24. One World Under Doom #2
  25. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #202
  26. Ultimate Endgame #2
  27. Uncanny X-Men (2024) #23
  28. The Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #21
  29. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #203
  30. Avengers (2023) #35
  31. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #204
  32. The Invisibles (1994) #7
  33. Dr. Fate (1988) #11
  34. Green Arrow (2023) #30
  35. THUNDER Agents (2010) #1
  36. One World Under Doom #3
  37. Superman (1987) #38
  38. Adventures of Superman (1987) #461
  39. Action Comics #648
  40. Champions (2016) #8
  41. Superman (1987) #39
  42. Adventures of Superman (1987) #462
  43. Action Comics #649
  44. Green Arrow (2023) #31
  45. Dr. Fate (1988) #12
  46. The Invisibles (1994) #8
  47. One World Under Doom #4
  48. Champions (2016) #9
  49. The Invisibles (1994) #9
  50. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #205
  51. The Invisibles (1994) #10
  52. Dr. Fate (1988) #13
  53. Superman (1987) #40
  54. Adventures of Superman (1987) #463
  55. Action Comics #650
  56. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #206
  57. One World Under Doom #5
  58. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #207
  59. Superman: Chains of Love Special #1
  60. Avengers (2016) #9
  61. The Invisibles (1994) #11
  62. Dr. Fate (1988) #14
  63. Champions (2016) #s 10-11
  64. Avengers (2016) #10
  65. One World Under Doom #6
  66. Blood Hunt #1
  67. Avengers (2023) #1
  68. Secret Empire #s 0-2
  69. Dr. Fate (1988) #15
  70. The Invisibles (1994) #12 
  71. Avengers (2016) #11
  72. Champions (2016) #12
  73. Forever People (1988) #s 1-2
  74. The Invisibles (1994) #13
  75. Dr. Fate (1988) #16
  76. Superman (1987) #41
  77. Adventures of Superman (1987) #464
  78. Action Comics #651
  79. Avengers (2016) #672 (Series renumbered)
  80. Champions (2016) #13
  81. 2000 AD Prog 2470 (Judge Dredd story only)
  82. The Invisibles (1994) #s 14-15
  83. Dr. Fate (1988) #17
  84. Forever People (1988) #3
  85. Superman (1987) #42
  86. Adventures of Superman (1987) #465
  87. Action Comics #652
  88. Avengers (2016) #673
  89. Champions (2016) #14
  90. The Invisibles (1994) #16
  91. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #208
  92. Marvel Graphic Novel #13: Starstruck
  93. Marvel Graphic Novel #20: Greenberg the Vampire
  94. Marvel Graphic Novel #26: Dracula – A Symphony in Moonlight and Nightmares
  95. Temptation by Glenn Dakin
  96. Judge Dredd Megazine #s 479, 488, 489 (Judge Dredd stories only)
  97. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #209
  98. Adventures of Superman (1987) #500
  99. The Invisibles (1994) #17
  100. Forever People (1988) #4
  101. Dr. Fate (1988) #18
  102. The Invisibles (1994) #s 18-19
  103. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #s 210-211
  104. The Invisibles (1994) #20
  105. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #212
  106. Dr. Fate (1988) #19
  107. Forever People (1988) #5
  108. Avengers (2016) #674
  109. Champions (2016) #15
  110. The Defenders (1972) #92
  111. Nova: Centurion #2
  112. The Invisibles (1994) #21
  113. Forever People (1988) #6
  114. Action Comics #687
  115. Superman: The Man of Steel (1991) #22
  116. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #213
  117. The Invisibles (1994) #22
  118. Venom #254
  119. Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1
  120. Cyclops (2026) #1
  121. The Invisibles (1994) #23
  122. Judge Dredd: Get Sin (2000 AD Progs 2001-2003, Judge Dredd stories only)
  123. The Invisibles (1994) #24
  124. Green Lantern Corps (2025) #s 10-11
  125. The Invisibles (1994) #25
  126. Champions (2016) #s 16-17
  127. Black Cat (2025) #7
  128. One World Under Doom #s 7-9
  129. The Will of Doom #1
  130. Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #0
  131. Blood Hunt #s 2-5
  132. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #214
  133. The Invisibles (1996) #1
  134. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #215
  135. Dr. Fate (1988) #20
  136. New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident #1
  137. Superman (2023) #35
  138. Justice League Unlimited (2024) #16
  139. The Flash (2023) #30
  140. Batman (2025) #7
  141. Green Lantern (2021) #1
  142. Rogan Gosh 
  143. DC K.O. #4
  144. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #216
  145. The Invisibles (1996) #2
  146. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #217
  147. Green Lantern Corps (2025) #12
  148. Green Lantern (2021) #2
  149. Dr. Fate (1988) #21
  150. Champions (2016) #18 (Last Mark Waid issue)
  151. The Invisibles (1996) #3
  152. Storm: Earth’s Mightiest Mutant #1
  153. Sebastian O #1
  154. The Invisibles (1996) #4
  155. Superman and the Authority #1
  156. Green Lantern (2021) #3
  157. The Invisibles (1996) #5
  158. Dr. Fate (1988) #22
  159. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #218
  160. The Invisibles (1996) #s 6-7
  161. 2000 AD Prog 2471 (Judge Dredd and Tharg’s Terror Tales stories only)
  162. Ghostbox #1
  163. G.I. Joe (2024) #19
  164. A Brief Introduction: How to (Start to Think About Learning to) Draw Comics (Kevin Huizenga minicomic)
  165. Groupies #1 
  166. The Invisibles (1996) #8
  167. Dr. Fate (1988) #23
  168. The Invisibles (1996) #9
  169. Dr. Fate (1988) #24
  170. The Invisibles (1996) #s 10-13
  171. Wonder Woman: Black, White and Gold 2026 Special #1
  172. Groupies #s 2-5
  173. Superman Unlimited #10
  174. Sirens: Love Hurts #1
  175. Green Lantern Corps (2025) #13
  176. Nightwing (2016) #136
  177. The Invisibles (1996) #14
  178. Superman and the Authority #s 2-3
  179. The Invisibles (1996) #s 15-16
  180. Sebastian O #2
  181. Avengers (2023) #2
  182. X-Factor (2024) #1
  183. Detective Comics #1090
  184. The Invisibles (1996) #s 17-22
  185. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #219
  186. The Invisibles (1999) #s 12-10 (Numbered backwards from 12 to 1)
  187. Superman and the Authority #4
  188. Sebastian O #3
  189. The Invisibles (1999) #9
  190. Avengers (2023) #3
  191. Detective Comics #1091
  192. The Invisibles (1999) #s 8-5
  193. Detective Comics #1092
  194. The Invisibles (1999) #s 4-2
  195. Predator: Badlands #1 (Prequel comic)
  196. Predator versus Wolverine #1
  197. The Invisibles (1999) #1
  198. Detective Comics #s 1093-1096
  199. Batman and Robin (2023) #25
  200. Avengers (2023) #4
  201. Captain America (2025) #7
  202. Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon #1
  203. Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #24
  204. Assorted Crisis Events #8
  205. Fantastic Four (2025) #8
  206. The Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #22
  207. Inglorious X-Force #2
  208. X-Men (2024) #25
  209. Uncanny X-Men (2024) #24
  210. Star Wars (2025) #3
  211. Detective Comics #1097
  212. Savage Tales (1985) #1
  213. The Traveler #3
  214. Fall of the House of X #1
  215. Rise of the Powers of X #1
  216. Fall of the House of X #2
  217. Rise of the Powers of X #2
  218. Millennium #1
  219. The Traveler #4
  220. Iron Man: The Iron Age #1
  221. Adventures of Captain America #1
  222. Wolverine (1988) #44
  223. The Savage Hulk (1996) #1
  224. Detective Comics #1098
  225. Batman and Robin (2023) #26
  226. World’s Finest: Teen Titans #2
  227. Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #1
  228. The Question (1986) #1
  229. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #1
  230. Iron Man: The Iron Age #2
  231. Adventures of Captain America #2
  232. Millennium #2
  233. The Power Fantasy #16
  234. Batwoman (2026) #s 1-2
  235. Lobo (2026) #1
  236. Deathstroke the Terminator (2026) #1
  237. The Fury of Firestorm (2026) #s 1-3
  238. The Question (1986) #2
  239. Firestorm (1978) #1
  240. Electric Warriors (2018) #1
  241. Detective Comics #1099
  242. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #2
  243. Kids Rule O.K.! (Original aborted 1970s run in Action)
  244. Millennium #3
  245. The Question (1986) #3
  246. Firestorm (1978) #2
  247. Electric Warriors (2018) #2
  248. Detective Comics #1100
  249. Adventures of Captain America #3
  250. Iron Man (1968) #86
  251. Avengers (2016) #675
  252. Thunderbolts (2016) #1
  253. The Question (1986) #4
  254. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #3
  255. Detective Comics #1101
  256. Thunderbolts (2016) #2
  257. Iron Man (1968) #87
  258. Adventures of Captain America #4
  259. Daredevil (1964) #74
  260. Detective Comics #1102
  261. Thunderbolts (2016) #3
  262. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #220
  263. Millennium #4
  264. Secret Origins (1986) #22
  265. Millennium #5
  266. The Question (1986) #5
  267. Electric Warriors #3
  268. Detective Comics #1103
  269. Thunderbolts (2016) #4
  270. Daredevil (1964) #75
  271. Iron Man (1968) #88
  272. Detective Comics #s 1104-1106
  273. DC K.O. #5
  274. New Titans (2023) #33
  275. Action Comics #1096
  276. Supergirl (2025) #11
  277. Superman Unlimited #11
  278. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #s 45-47
  279. Captain America (1968) #s 222-226
  280. Millennium #6
  281. Iron Man (2026) #2
  282. The Infernal Hulk #4
  283. Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral #1
  284. Millennium #7
  285. The Mortal Thor #7
  286. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #221
  287. Millennium #8
  288. Thunderbolts (2016) #5
  289. Iron Man (1968) #89
  290. The Question (1986) #6
  291. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #4
  292. World’s Finest: Teen Titans #3
  293. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #222
  294. World’s Finest: Teen Titans #4
  295. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #223
  296. The Question (1986) #7
  297. Thunderbolts (2016) #6
  298. Iron Man (1968) #s 90-91
  299. The Green Lantern Corps (1986) #224 (Final issue)
  300. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #5
  301. World’s Finest: Teen Titans #s 5-6
  302. The Question (1986) #8
  303. Thunderbolts (2016) #7
  304. Iron Man (1968) #92
  305. Captain America (1968) #227
  306. Daredevil (1964) #76
  307. World’s Finest Comics (1941) #303
  308. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1
  309. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #6
  310. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2
  311. Teen Titans Spotlight #19
  312. The New Guardians (1988) #1
  313. Super Creepshow #1
  314. Legion of Super-Heroes (2004) #7
  315. Deadline Magazine #50 (Wired World strip only)
  316. Legends (1986) #1
  317. Deadline Magazine #s 1-3 (Wired World strips only)
  318. Tank Girl All Stars #4 (Wired World strip only)
  319. The Question (1986) #9
  320. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #s 3-4
  321. Thunderbolts (2016) #s 8-9
  322. Iron Man (1968) #93
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Will Evolution Diminish Right In Front Of Us?

I remember when the Gulf War started, and I was 16, I think, watching news reports endlessly with a sense of confusion and anxiety: what was happening? Why was it happening? Was this the start of another world war? Would it ever end? Although I was years away from being 18, I imagined a world where National Service — the British version of the draft — was reinstated and I went to war, entirely unprepared and unwilling, unable to avoid it. It was a nihilistic time, not least because I was 15 and didn’t know any better, but the war war war of the media at the time felt like it was projected directly into my brain, and I didn’t know what to do about any of that. (What I did was start reading Kurt Vonnegut; so it goes.)

I thought of that this past weekend, waking up on Saturday and finding out that the US had launched a war with Iran while I was asleep. Relaunched a war with Iran? Rebooted it? Whatever you want to call it; it feels like the US has been at war with Iran for years and this is just the latest episode. It was at once unthinkable and entirely unsurprising, and left the same pit of confusion and anxiety in my stomach that I felt more than three decades ago.

I spent much of Saturday looking at the news, checking back in over and over as if doing so would somehow uncover a layer of common sense and morality I knew wasn’t really there. It wasn’t as if anyone in the US Government was going to suddenly realize they were breaking international law and care about it, after all, and even if they did, what could be done about what was already happening? It’s not as if an apology and promise not to do it again was possible. There’s no use crying over split milk, or hundreds of dead kids because you bombed a school, as they saying famously goes.

There’s an element of political watchers who look at what’s going on and say, the cruelty is the point, or he’s only doing this to distract from the Epstein files, and both of those things are almost certainly true and I understand that, but also — there’s a point where you have to ask yourself how much that matters, in the practical sense. Whatever the motives, however bad and inhuman and cynical they certainly are, people are dying and it’s 1991 again, 2003 again, and on, and on, and on.