With The Library at Hellbore's release right around the corner (July 22), I got the chance to sit down and have a conversation with Cassandra Khaw about the upcoming book. This conversation was much more than that, though. It was a conversation with a creator whose work made me fall in love with prose as an adult. Cassandra's style of writing is enthralling to the point of outright consumption (which... is a topic in this episode in a more meaty sense).

Our conversation digs into the themes of the title in a non-spoiler fashion. Still, it is an overall conversation about horror and the horrors of the world in a wonderfully eye-opening way. If you could see how often my eyes widened as I listened to Cassandra Khaw speak, you would laugh as you listened along but there is so many things they say that made the gears move in my brains. It's one of those interviews where I will always be thankful I got to talk with someone who inspires me. I hope you take something away from this conversation as well.

The Library at Hellbore will be in bookstores on July 22nd, but pre-order wherever you get your books now, so you can let them know you want it.

In our interview, Cassandra Khaw mentions that there is a perfumist who makes scents based on their works. Here is a link to their site with a TON of really niche scents, lotions, and candles based on all sorts of things that I personally love. I couldn't help myself and got the Deckard, the Clown, and of course, my favorite Khaw book's perfume, Nothing But Blackened Teeth. There is something so cool to me about engaging other senses with things like prose because it only draws you further into the world you're reading about.

Follow Cassandra Khaw on Instagram to keep up with everything they've got going on!

The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously powerful: the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.

Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled.

But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.

Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?

With the final volume of Brian Michael Bendis and André Araújo's Phenomena on shelves now, we got the chance to dig into the series with them. Dan spends a lot of time chatting with the team about building this fascinating world from the ground up, what world-building looked like for them, and more. There is a focus on the art in this interview with André talking about building scenes and his approach to the scope of his work. This is a must-read for sci-fi fans of all ages. Check out the interview and make sure to pick up all three volumes wherever you get your books from Abrams Books!

Phenomena is the story of a young boy named Boldon and his warrior friend Spike—survivors of a phenomena that took over Earth years ago. Not an apocalypse . . . something far more interesting. We follow Boldon and Spike as they are forced to team up with another lost orphan of the world, Matilde. The trio of heroes go on a globetrotting adventure that takes them to a magical, mysterious place called the Golden City of Eyes.

As they quest across this epically crazy new world looking for answers and purpose, they face off against dark forces big and small, changing the world better along the way. In each book in the series, our heroes travel to different parts of the magical world of Phenomena by various modes of transportation, each more and more fantastical than the mode that preceded it.

Each journey is personal, and every chapter takes the trio toward a different, visually iconic destination, and each location, character, and chapter reveals clues to the shape of the world and how they got there—and, ultimately, their purpose.

With Phenomena, Brian Michael Bendis and André Lima Araújo deliver a universe chock-full of unforgettable characters, full-tilt action, and stunning imagination and world-building that is perfect for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Superman Unlimited written by Dan Slott, with interior art by Rafael Albuquerque, colours by Marcelo Maiolo and letters by Dave Sharpe hits shelves tomorrow from DC Comics. This series is set up to be a brand new jumping-on point for all types of readers. If you're a new fan coming off of the excitement for the new film or an old fan wanting to return to the last son of Krypton, this is the book for you! I got the chance to sit down with Dan Slott to chat about the series, Superman, and his world. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube!

Our first Dan and Dan interview dug deep into the character of Spider-Man where we took time to unpack the character and this interview follows that same web. Dan and I talked about Superman Unlimited and how it came to be after so much time in the industry. Dan opened the interview hard talking about Superman's rogue gallery which we revisit later in the episode.

Slott's other work has often featured a heavy emphasis on the third-party cast around superheroes, which has been lacking in mainstream comics. We discussed how he will use Superman's supporting cast in Superman Unlimited to bolster the character and the world around him. Dan talks about which characters he is going to make you fall in love with by the time his run is over.

I was lucky enough to read Superman Unlimited before our chat, which I allude to in the interview. I will say there is a scene in issue one that recontextualizes something about Superman and the burden he carries with him that changes a pivotal point in the character's history. It's an extremely powerful moment that Slott has crafted that sets the path forward so much more exciting for longtime fans of the character. This is a series filled with heart, which makes a very strong Superman book for me. You will want to pick Superman Unlimited up as soon as you can!