You know it’s a good week for Comics Disassembled when I get to kick things off by talking about three of my absolute favorites. That’s exactly what we’re getting this time, as this look at nine things (we went a little lighter than usual this time!) I liked or didn’t like from the week of comics is led by a fave cooking up something special.

Erica Henderson, Going Solo

In the grand spectrum of responses to Erica Henderson’s work, I’d say I’m on the high end. Whether she’s just drawing, drawing and coloring, or drawing, coloring, and writing — as she was in the Harley Quinn backups she did that ended up being collected into an an annual last year — the end result is some of the best storytelling you’ll find in comics, period. The character acting, the layouts, the energy, the vibe, the everything, it all works, and works exceptionally well. That’s especially true when she colors herself, though, because she’s amazing at it.

Outside of graphic novels, that’s a tall order. Taking on all those roles is a lot of work and not that many publishers are big on hiring cartoonists to do it all on single issue titles. But this current era for DC isn’t the same as we’d expect from a publisher of its sort, which is why Henderson is getting the chance to write, draw, and color the upcoming six issue miniseries (with the potential for 12!) Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes. It’s an in-continuity story that takes place across the time those characters have existed that’s about the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, and how they went from Batman baddies to anti-heroes in love. It’s a much desired story from two rather passionate fanbases, so this is sure to get a whole lot of attention upon its release and beyond.

It sounds tremendous, but I’m here because I would read literally anything Henderson writes, draws, and colors. Or just draws and colors. Or just draws. Her previous Harley Quinn Annual was exceptional, and the rare type of Big Two story you get when you unleash a heck of a talent on a project that lets them do what they do best. I suspect this will be much the same, and based on her write-up about this on social media and in the press release, it’s clear this Harley and Ivy book is more than just a random project from a great creator. It’s something she’s passionate about. For all these reasons, and probably plenty of others I’m forgetting, consider this my most anticipated single issue series launch of the rest of 2025.

I can’t wait.

BILLY BAT! BILLY BAT! BILLLLLYY BATTTTTTTT!!!!

Here at SKTCHD, we worship at the altar of Naoki Urasawa, the mangaka famous for renowned titles like Pluto, Monster, Master Keaton, Asadora!, and my personal favorite in 20th Century Boys. The guy is the best there is at what he does, and what he does is quite literally what this entire website is about. He’s a GOAT in my books, and it’s extraordinarily rare that I read something from him that I don’t love, let alone like. But there’s long been a looming specter of one major work of his that English-speaking fans of his have been desperate to read, but for reasons unknown it simply wasn’t available in the language save for sketchy scanlations that I do not take part in.

Until now.

Or until June 2026, as it may be.

Abrams ComicArts launched its manga imprint Kana back in April 2024, and it has already earned a lot of esteem amongst fans by simply finding a way to make a deal for an English language translation of Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s Billy Bat. Not only that, but they aren’t wasting time with scheduling, as the entire 20-volume series will be released at a rate of four volumes per year. Is that as fast as desperate fans would like, as we assuredly would prefer all 20 right now in our hands, give them to us, please? I’m speaking generally in that case, but the answer is of course, no, it’s not as fast as we’d prefer. But it’s still an amazing thing, and a long-awaited result for a series that was completed all the way back in ye olden days of 2016.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering what Billy Bat is about, here’s the write-up from The Beat’s announcement of the news. Billy Bat is “a sweeping historical thriller that follows Japanese American comics artist Kevin Yamagata. After creating a hit detective comic about a bat, Kevin discovers the character may already exist in Japan, drawing him into a global web of conspiracy, murder, and mystery that spans centuries.” It’s extremely Naoki Urasawa, as one would expect. I cannot wait. But I will, simply because I must!