Zack Kaplan on Kill All Immortals

This week, comic shop employees from all over gather in Glendale, California. It’s time for ComicsPRO, the annual event designed to “promote the progress and development of comic book retailers and improve the condition of the comic book industry.” It’s one of our favorite times of the year as we eagerly sit by our computers waiting for announcements from publishers and the good word from our LCS pals. Sadly, we cannot be in person this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring you exclusive information. Thanks to writer Zack Kaplan, who’s on the ground at ComicsPRO, we’re there by proxy. And he’s dishing on his big announcement, extending his partnership with Dark Horse Comics, bringing us the final chapter in Kill All Immortals and two more new titles, Only The Savage Are Left and The Smart Division. Kill All Immortals is a nifty, nasty look at the boot standing on our necks: the billionaire class. The comic imagines a universe where various immortal clans have gobbled up control of the economy, but one is starting to crumble from within. Frey Asvald, daughter of Erik the Red, can no longer sit idly as her family consumes the planet. She wants to help us poor mortals, but in doing so, she exposes herself and others to tremendous violence. And can you really keep your hands clean when attempting global, capital G, Good? On this week's podcast, we discuss the state of comic book retail, a bizarre occurrence involving our local shops, and the anxiety of putting new books into readers' hands. Zack Kaplan gives us the skinny on Kill All Immortals as well as his two new titles at Dark Horse. We dig into our collective billionaire woes and consider one particular violent action committed by Frey in Kill All Immortals Volume One. Kill All Immortals is written by Zack Kaplan, illustrated by Fico Ossio, colored by Thiago Rocha, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Covers by Oliver Barrett (although the header image above is from variant cover artist Tula Lotay). Make sure you’re following Zack Kaplan on BlueSky, Instagram, and his website. This Week's Sponsors This February, Dave Stevens’s The Rocketeer soars again in a brand-new story written by John Layman, the genius behind the foodie cannibal detective series Chew, and illustrated by Jacob Edgar, who drew Plastic Man: No More and has a very cool J. Bone/Darwyn Cooke style. The new series is called The Rocketeer: The Island. Our skybound hero, Cliff Secord, leads a dangerous search and rescue mission. Who’s he looking for? None other than Amelia Earhart! The first issue crashes into comic book shops on February 25th, courtesy of IDW Publishing. The Future is Calling! 2000 AD is the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, with new issues published every single week! Every 32-page issue of 2000 AD brings you the best in sci-fi and horror, featuring characters like Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, and more. Get a print subscription to 2000 AD and it’ll arrive to your mailbox every week - and your first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, and you can download DRM-free copies of each issue for only $9 a month. That’s 128 pages of incredible comics every month for less than $10! Head to 2000AD.com and click on ‘subscribe’ now – or download the 2000 AD app and start reading today! Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode: Subscribe to the Comic Book Couples Counseling YouTube Channel Watch The Stacks, Comic Creators Name Their Favorite Comics CBCC on The Beat: Why Comics Needs Its Own Criterion Closet CBCC on the Comics Matter Podcast AIPT reports on The Stacks CBCC on Escape the Mojoverse Podcast CBCC on The FAQS Project Podcast Support Your Local Comic Shop: Secret Identity Comics in Chester, England Comic Book Club: Batman: The Court of Owls at Meanwhile...Coffee in Herndon, Virginia, on 2/1 at 3:30 PM Comic Book Film Club: Blade at the Alamo Drafthouse Winchester on 2/15 Final Round of Plugs (PHEW): Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY. And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren. Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts. Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators. Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.