Jim Lee Back On X-Men, Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle Gets Collected, Kirby Awards Winners Announced | Comic Book Club News For March 2, 2026

Jim Lee returns to X-Men — sort of. Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle gets an omnibus. Kirby Awards winners announces.

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Episode Transcript:

Jim Lee returns to X-Men — sort of.

Francavilla’s Black Beetle gets collected.

Kirby Awards winners announced.

This is Comic Book Club News for March 2, 2026.

Jim Lee Back On X-Men For Superman/Spider-Man Crossover:

Here’s a wild surprise: Jim Lee is back on X-Men. Or at least, he’s drawing Gambit in his story in DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1, which finds Mary Jane Watson meeting Lois Lane.

In the interior page shared by DC Comics to retailers (and press), the ragin’ Cajun is perched on a car, while the main duo look on disapprovingly. Will Lee draw more X-Men in the one-shot? Maybe! The story is written by Tom King, the page is inked by Scott Williams, so we don’t know much more than that at the moment.

But given Lee was instrumental in the relaunching the X-Men to blockbuster status a few decades back, it’s great to see him drawing them — or at least one of them — again. Superman/Spider-Man #1 hits stores on March 25, 2026.

Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle Gets Omnibus:

Francesco Francavilla is probably best known for his work on Batman, Afterlife With Archie and frequent covers. But he also crafted a love letter to classic vigilante comics, which will now be collected by Dark Horse The Black Beetle Omnibus.

Written and illustrated by Francavilla, the omnibus will collect all the Black Beetle stories for the first time, as well as, per PR, “never-before-seen bonus content, including concept art, layouts, character studies, vintage-style lobby cards, behind-the-scenes material from Francavilla’s sketchbook, and a brand-new cover by Francavilla.”

If you’re not familiar, Black Beetle is your regular werewolf and Nazi fighting vigilante, a mix of Indiana Jones and the Green Hornet.

The Black Beetle Omnibus hits stores on September 22, 2026.

Jack And Roz Kirby Award Winners Announced:

Get out of here, Eisners. Rot in hell, Inkwells. Comics has a new award: The Jack and Roz Kirby Awards, aka The Kirbys.

Created by CAF, The Estate of Jack Kirby as represented by The Rosalind Kirby Family Trust, and The Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center, The Kirbys are, per PR, “an annual award recognizing innovation, excellence, and humanity in narrative communication.” Instead of your requisite “best book” and “best writer,” there are six unique awards categories: New Voices, Independent Spirit, Innovator, Visionary, Storyteller, and Teacher.

This year’s winners? Nate Powell, Bill Sienkiewicz, Kevin Nowlan, Zoe Thorogood, John Romita Jr., John Byrne and Walter Simonson.

Congrats to the winners!

For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. Harvey Awards? You can go f**k yourself.

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