(jefflemire.substack.com)
Hey Farmhands
It’s been a while since I updated my newsletter, I keep meaning to, but I’ve been so busy trying to get pages drawn and scripts written before the end of the year that I haven’t had a lot of time. I finally finished up a huge script this past week though, so I wanted to do one last post looking back at 2025 and ahead to what’s coming in 2026.
MINOR ARCANA
This past year was a real mix between getting new creator-owned projects ready to launch in ‘26, and continuing my books for DC Comics. And, of course, MINOR ARCANA continues to be my main focus. As of writing this I have three more pages left to draw in issue #15, and then I am on to the fourth arc, “THE LOVERS”, in January. I drew all of Arc 3 (Issues 11-15) myself, and for Arc 4, Letizia Cardonici will return to split art duties with me. The Lovers will tell a dual narrative. In one storyline, Theresa will reunite with her old love, Missy, and go on a metaphysical quest. This will be juxtaposed with flashbacks showing their teenaged years and the beginning of their relationship. I’ll be drawing the present day scenes while Letizia will draw the teenaged scenes. This will run through issue 20 of the book.
There are a lot of very exciting things happening behind-the-scenes with Minor Arcana right now. I wish I could say more, but I have been sworn to secrecy for now. But trust me when I say that 2026 will be a HUGE year for the book.
The artwork shown here is for the deluxe hardcovers of Minor Arcana. Originally I had planned for four hardcovers, but the shape of the series changed a lot as I got into it, so now it will eventually be collected in two hardcover volumes. No timeline yet on when these will be released, we are just working on the design now.
ABSOLUTE FLASH - YEAR 2!
The response to the entire DC Absolute line has been extraordinary, beyond what Scott, Jason, Al, Kelly, Deniz, and I ever could have hoped for. It’s so great to meet so many readers who are new to comics with the Absolutes being their gateway. For my part, I have really loved creating Absolute Flash with Nick Robles, and our first year of stories is almost at it’s climax. Issue #10 hit this past week, and many of the storylines I have been laying down since #1 are now all coming together. Issue 11-12 will feature a huge confrontation between Wally, The Rogues and Elenore Thawne. But then what?
Over the last month or so I have been deep into planning the next year of stories for Absolute Flash. Issue 12 will tie up many loose ends and finish up a lot of the current plot. But, it will also set Wally West on an entirely new path that will introduce a number of new elements, and characters, to his world and ti The Flash’s corner of the Absolute Universe. In my second year I really want to focus on building out the “Super Science” corner of the Absolute Universe. This will mean introducing the Absolute versions of some fan-favourite DC characters for the first time. I can’t spoil who just yet, but Nick and I will be creating the Absolute versions of two seminal DC heroes next year.
In addition to these new characters and concepts, Issues 13-14 will feature the first big Mirror Master story, following up on the storylines teased way back in the Free Comic Book Day story and Absolute Evil. These issues will be drawn by the very talented Haining, and then Nick will come back for Issue 15 where we first meet ABSOLUTE *****!!
DC NEXT LEVEL MYSTERY BOOK!
At New York Comicon DC announced a big March initiative called DC Next Level where a number of new series will launch. These new books will take DC characters who have not had their own series in a while, and present them with very creator-driven directions. We have been given an incredible amount of freedom to take these characters and push the limits of what readers thought they could be.
I’m writing one of these Next Level books, which will be drawn by Rafael DeLatorre. I just finished painting a variant cover for the first issue of my new series and I’ve been told it will be announced in the next couple of weeks. So, as soon as I can I will share a preview of the book here along with my cover.
I will say this, the book is definitely one of the wildest things I’ve done at DC. It’s really experimental, and reminds me a little bit of the fun I had writing Moon Knight at Marvel.
Dustin Nguyen is busy painting away on Issue #1 of our new creator-owned Image series, CROWBOUND. We originally announced the book would launch in March 2026, but we have decided to push the launch to May to make sure we have enough issues finished so we can stay in schedule once we get up and running. Here is Image’s press release for Crowbound…
At thirteen, every child begins their life inside The Factory—a vast, monolithic superstructure that cleaves the world in two—pulling levers, pushing buttons, and never knowing why. But Ava is a beautiful girl and the sinister Factory Men decide hers will be a fate of “special service” up the coast. Left reeling from their violent separation, her mother, Rose, embarks on a desperate rescue attempt when she strikes an uncertain bargain with the eerie, otherworldly Scarecrow Queen… Crowbound is a blood-soaked fairytale, steeped in Southern Gothic dread and Neo-Western grit, where one woman’s hope flickers fiercely against the encroaching shadows.
Here, for the first time anywhere, is a peak at some of the interior artwork from Issue 1…
Lots of other great stuff coming in 2026. There will be more PHANTOM ROAD with Gabriel Walta and my HUGE new book with Teddy Kristiansen will also be announced.
Speaking of Teddy, here is an audio recording of the BLACK HAMMER panel that he and I did when I was in Denmark for Bogforum this past November, as well as a few pics from this amazing book festival!
Thanks to Bog Forum, and Mads Bluhm, for hosting me and to Teddy K, pictured here to my right watching over my severely jet-legged self like the brilliant Danish Angel that he is. (Photos by Carsten Olsen)
Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting my books this past year, and I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.
See you next year!
Jeff