This week’s edition of Comics Disassembled has a clear pick for the top spot, but I’m not going to choose it, because it’s annoying and I do not think it deserves to lead this column off due to its ridiculous nature. So, with that in mind, let’s talk about an unexpected tie-in comic to kick of this look at ten things I liked or didn’t like from the week of comics.

Fantastic Four, Taking First Steps to Overlapping

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe long being one of the biggest film franchises in the world, people have often wondered why there hasn’t been more overlap between comics and Studios sides of Marvel beyond the occasionally well-timed comic release or roster change for notable squads like the Thunderbolts. Even though the MCU version of the characters are enormously popular, there have not been any comics set within its world that feature those characters.

Until now!

Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, a one-shot comic set in the universe that’s published by Marvel, arrives on July 2nd, and it will be the first co-production between Marvel’s comics and movie side. And delightfully, they decided to go all-out for it. They were smart and hired a great creative team to put it together. Written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Mark Buckingham with its main cover by Phil Noto, this comic is meant to be one created in the world of the upcoming movie, as it’s “co-published” by the fictional Future Foundation and Marvel with all solicit material written as if it’s taking place in the world of the film. The story is simple. The movie itself is not an origin story, so this comic will tell that tale in part, as it depicts the first time the team saved the city. Which is fun! It’s filling gaps while being a well-crafted tale, because that’s the only thing a team like Fraction and Buckingham are capable of doing.

Will this just be a one-time thing, or is it the first of many to come with Phase Six of the MCU almost upon us? It’s impossible to guess. Anything I say would be just that. But it’s cool to finally see this happen, and even better to see Marvel put some actual oomph behind this book creatively.

Go Home Diamond, You’re Drunk

If you love drama or feeling like you’re losing your mind, the Diamond Bankruptcy Saga has been a real treat for you. It may have saved its best for hopefully last with a flurry of unhinged twists and turns throughout this week. After Alliance Entertainment terminated its purchase of most of Diamond’s assets last week and it started to seem like we were making our way towards Universal Distribution and Ad Populum’s joint bid claiming a victory in the end, a slew of absurdity arrived in rapid succession over the first three days of this week. We’ll take this day by day, and trust me, this isn’t it, it’s just the highlights.

Monday: The Acting United States Trustee overseeing the Diamond bankruptcy filed a motion to either convert Diamond’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy into Chapter 7 — which is the instant death version, effectively — or to dismiss the case altogether, and that’s because apparently Diamond just stopped filing its monthly operating reports, as is required by bankruptcy filings like this. Oops!

Also Monday: We found out why Alliance Entertainment backed out of its acquisition, as they too filed a complaint against Diamond. Accusations of “fraud” and “deception” led the way after they claimed Diamond fibbed throughout about its relationship with Wizards of the Coast, or the folks behind Magic the Gathering. Apparently that relationship had concluded back in December 2024 and Diamond had elected to not mention that. There is a lot more there, but that’s the simplified version. Click the link in this one to see Brett Schenker from Graphic Policy really get in the weeds about this crazy turn.

Also Monday: David Harper filed a complaint against everyone involved with this story because he’s tired of it.

Tuesday: Diamond went to court to say it wants Universal and Sparkle Pop — an affiliate of Ad Populum, but really just Ad Populum for all intents and purpses — to acquire them and to do so quickly because of item #1, amongst other things. Alliance Entertainment saw that and was like, “I don’t think so,” formally objecting to all of that because they are mad (amongst other emotions).

Wednesday: The court approved the sale of Diamond to Universal and Ad Populum, with the former getting Alliance Game Distributors and the latter acquiring Diamond Comic Distributors, Diamond Book Distributors, Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, Collectible Grading Authority, and other related assets. What about Diamond UK? TBD. It “remains separate from this sale process.” No one really knows yet, even though I can assure you people are extremely curious, especially the comic shops that work with them in the current state.

But let’s stay focused on what we know: Diamond has been sold! It’s over! Right? Who knows? This has happened before and it didn’t take. I joked to someone on Bluesky that this is the moment in the horror movie where the killer comes back to life for one final scare, and while I was kidding, I was also not kidding in the slightest. I suspect there will be more to come. Given how nightmarishly silly this entire journey has been, I am sure it will be bewildering in ways I could never guess. And with Diamond UK and even the asset related to Free Comic Book Day being left out of this so far, resolution is necessary for those. I truly hope this is it for the fireworks, though. I’m over it.