Belly Full of Pineapple, Head Full of Bugs
Back from vacation, ready to talk about BUG WARS, UNCLE SCROOGE & more.
Hi, hello, how are you? It’s our first time chatting in a bit, I know. So where have I been all summer? Well, I’ve been a busy, as we’ll get to.
Don’t feel too sorry for me though, as I was able to grab a vacation a couple weeks ago, visiting Hawaii for the very first time. In between drinking the most delicious Mai Tais I’ve ever had in my life, I hit a couple comic shops on O’ahu and signed all their ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN stock, so if you’re in the area, be sure to check out Dragon’s Lair in Mililani Town and Other Realms in Honolulu. Though sorry, if you were hoping to find back issues of KAMANDI or ARION LORD OF ATLANTIS, those came home with me.
I also ate Dole Whip at the Dole Plantation, topped with pineapples that were grown a few feet away, unlocking some heretofore undreamt level of pineapple heaven. I fear I will never be the same. And yes, my suitcase was well over the weight limit upon my return, owing to the metric fuck ton of pineapple tchotchkes I procured at the Dole gift shop.
Now it’s back to work, and there’s plenty to be working on here at the home office in the hinterlands of Kansas. ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #8 hit stands recently, featuring the return of artist Rafa Sandoval and the beginning of our next big arc, “Superman, Son of the Demon.” (AB SUPES issue #1 is now up to its fifth printing!) TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #9 hit stores last week, continuing the gritty tale of “NYC vs. TMNT” and again featuring the must-see artwork of Juan Ferreyra. (If you haven’t been reading, the first trade paperback collection of my run will be out next week.)
Happy Dog Rot Day to You and Yours
Today sees the release of BUG WARS #5, the penultimate chapter of the red-hot, sold-out, critically-acclaimed, exterminator-despised BUG WARS BOOK ONE: LOST IN THE YARD. This issue sees Slade Slaymaker braving the spider-infested confines of Wyrdweb, the mysterious home of the Spyder Wytches hidden inside some potted ferns on the side of his house, where he must uncover the true meaning of his role as the Worldstomper, Lord of the Wardoom. Meanwhile, representatives of the various sects of Mytes come together for a historic summit to decide the fate of House Slaymaker, held within the holiest cathedral of the Maggot Monks, a rotting dog carcass called Dog Rot Minster. Here’s a preview of the interiors, by the masterful team of artist Mahmud Asrar and colorist Matt Wilson.
Here’s our issue #5 B cover by the one-of-a-kind James Stokoe, his version of a spiny katydid priest:
Most issues of BUG WARS so far have sold out super fast, so grab issue #5 while you can. And if you missed any of the previous chapters, there are new printings available at. your local comic shop, including this third printing of issue #1 with a new version of Peach Momoko’s Spyder Wytch cover:
And have you seen Mahmud’s cover for issue #6 yet? Believe me, you’re not ready for this one:
So what comes next for BUG WARS? Well, in short…more! But let’s wait and talk about that once issue #6 is in the wild.
Notes & Links & Things & Stuff
—If you read my intro to last year’s UNCLE SCROOGE & THE INFINITY DIME, then you know how much I adore that character and how special his stories have been to my son and I. I tried to make that one-shot as big and bombastic a love letter as I possibly could. When INFINITY DIME was a much bigger success than I imagine anyone expected, Marvel reached out about doing more. I told them I’d only be up for it if we could somehow go even bigger than we did the first time. And with UNCLE SCROOGE: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST DUCK I believe we've done exactly that.
When the earth gets invaded by the Connoisseurs, evil alien hoarders of the rarest antiquities from throughout the cosmos, only the world’s greatest adventurer can hope to lead the rebellion to stop them and their Coin-Operated Robot thugs from tearing the planet apart and looting its treasures. But Scrooge McDuck finds himself facing a battle unlike any he’s ever fought, as he's trapped inside his own mind, fighting to save the one thing more precious to him than gold or any exotic treasure: his own memories of a lifetime of adventure.
As with THE INFINITY DIME, this is very much a love letter to the legendary work of Carl Barks and Don Rosa. This story revisits various points of Scrooge's incredible life and times, from the moors of Dismal Downs and the streets of Glasgow to the gold mines of the Klondike and beyond, but in a way that hopefully feels fresh and exciting and darkly harrowing and perhaps even a wee bit heartbreaking.
Bringing this epic four-issue mini-series to life will be a whole money bin's worth of amazing artists, starting with Giuseppe Camuncoli, Mahmud Asrar and Ciro Cangialosi in issue #1, which features a main cover by Gabriele Dell'Otto. And it’s all coming your way in August.
—Have we talked about GODZILLA VS. THOR here? I can’t remember. It’s a one-shot that’s due July 2. I’m super happy with how it’s come together. It’s drawn by Aaron Kuder, my cohort from AVENGERS FOREVER, and together we go pretty hard and dark. The Godzilla we’re using is the one from GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK, one of the most evil and powerful versions of the King of Monsters. And the story features a surprising connection to my THOR run, one I think people will dig. I certainly had a blast writing it.
As I’ve said before, I haven’t really moved through my career with a list of boxes I wanted to check, in terms of characters. I’ve tended to go with what feels right in the moment, usually more influenced by the actual flesh and blood people involved than the fictional ones. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a short checklist of favorite characters buried somewhere in the back of my brain. Uncle Scrooge was certainly high on that list. As was Conan. And it was a tremendous joy to get to check that Godzilla box. Hope you dig it.
So what other characters might be on that list, as of yet unchecked? Hmm, could be that I’m about to check off another one very soon.
More info on GODZILLA VS. THOR at Godzilla.com.
—Speaking of Conan, the trade paperback collection of SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN Vol. 2 from Titan Comics is available now and includes the story from last year that I did with the great Geof Isherwood called “King Conan the Ensorcelled.” It works as a companion piece to the CONAN THE BARBARIAN and KING CONAN stories I did a few years back for Marvel, as an older and wiser King Conan has an encounter with a mysterious witch in the Graaskal Mountains of Brythunia that opens his eyes in a way he could’ve never imagined.
As with my previous KING CONAN story, I feel like if I never write the character again, this story would serve as a fitting end to our time together. But as much as I love that sword-swinging Cimmerian, I can’t help but think I’ll find my way back to him someday, somewhere down the road.
—Hey, so this was cool. Think I mentioned this last year when it happened, but I got to be a part of a visit to the SUPERMAN set, and those photos are now available online, including this one, where we all got our first look at David Corenswet in full costume, and a bunch of grown ass comic creators turned into giddy children. I talked about all of the photos, including our tour of the Fortress of Solitude, over on Instagram.
This has been Beard Missives, direct from the pineapple loving face of Jason Aaron.
This week’s newsletter has been brought to you by Mai Tais, Mauna Loa macadamias, watercress noodles from Adela’s Country Eatery, and dried pineapple chunks covered with Li Hing powder. (At this point, I’m at least 58% Mai Tai and Li Hing.)
Cheers. Thanks as always for reading. Stay worthy.
Jason Aaron
KC, June 18, 2025
Books You Can Buy Right Now
More collections and comics are available from my online store.
Things to Come
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Vol. 1: RETURN TO NEW YORK Trade Paperback — June 25, 2025
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #9 — July 2, 2025
NAMOR LAST KING OF ATLANTIS Trade Paperback — July 16, 2025
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #10 — July 16, 2025
STAR WARS MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION Vol. 2: YODA’S SECRET WAR Trade Paperback — July 23, 2025
WOLVERINE GOES TO HELL Omnibus Hardcover (New Printing) — July 23, 2025
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #10 — August 6, 2025
ORIGINAL SIN Trade Paperback (New Printing) — August 6, 2025
BUG WARS #6 — August 13, 2025
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #11 — August 20, 2025
Where I’ll Be
FanExpo Canada, Toronto — August 21-24, 2025
Jason can post some old scripts to some of your stuff? I know you mentioned it before, I’d thought I would circle back and ask again.
Hopefully you get to write more Batman someday soon.