Good morning. The comics industry mourns Will Murray, pulp writer and Squirrel Girl co-creator, who died at 73. Meanwhile, limited-edition Spider-Man books created massive lines at the U.S. Open, and Marvel narrowly reclaimed market share from DC.
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Will Murray, the pulp writer, historian, and Marvel co-creator best known for introducing Squirrel Girl to the Marvel Universe, died this week at age 73. Murray co-created the character with artist Steve Ditko in 1992's Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8, launching what would become one of Marvel's most enduring cult favorites. The character later gained mainstream recognition through runs by Ryan North and Erica Henderson.
Murray's contributions extended far beyond superhero comics. He spent decades as a leading authority on pulp fiction, authoring and editing hundreds of Doc Savage novels, The Shadow stories, and other classic pulp properties. His scholarship helped preserve and revive interest in pre-comics adventure fiction, connecting generations of readers to the roots of modern superhero storytelling.
The timing of Murray's passing comes during a week that has seen the deaths of three significant figures in comics and adjacent media: voice actor Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime) and writer Roger McKenzie (Daredevil) both passed within days. The cluster of losses has prompted an outpouring from creators and fans alike, with many noting the underappreciated role of bridging figures like Murray who connected pulp traditions to modern comics.
Murray's Squirrel Girl creation has generated meaningful aftermarket activity in recent years. Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8, once a dollar-bin staple, now commands $30-50 in near-mint condition, with CGC 9.8 copies reaching $150-200. The character's first solo series from 2015 remains a steady seller in collected editions, and Marvel has kept Squirrel Girl active in various team books and digital-first series.
Why it matters: Murray's death closes a direct link to both the golden age of pulp fiction and the early 1990s era of Marvel experimentation. His work as a pulp historian influenced how modern comics writers understand serialized storytelling, while Squirrel Girl became a template for irreverent, self-aware superhero comedy that has shaped Marvel's tone in animation and publishing. For collectors, his passing may drive renewed interest in his lesser-known Marvel work beyond Squirrel Girl, including contributions to What If and Marvel Comics Presents.
Read at source (The Comics Beat) →
Limited-edition Spider-Man comics created massive lines at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. The free promotional books, distributed at the tournament, drew significant collector interest and resulted in long queues of fans seeking copies. The promotion mirrors recent sports-venue comic giveaways that have generated secondary-market activity, with similar U.S. Open promos from previous years selling for real money online despite their free distribution. Read at source (Google News - Superhero Comics) →
Marvel Comics regained market share lead over DC Comics in the most recent week of retail sales. Marvel narrowly edged DC in the weekly market share numbers, ending a recent stretch of DC dominance driven by the Absolute Universe launches. The shift came as Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil titles posted strong numbers, though DC's Absolute Green Arrow topped the individual bestseller chart. The back-and-forth reflects an unusually competitive period in direct-market sales. Read at source (Bleeding Cool) →
Dragon Ball unearthed Akira Toriyama's original design drafts for Super Saiyan Vegeta. The newly released artwork shows Toriyama's early concept work for Vegeta's Super Saiyan transformation from the Dragon Ball Z era. The reveal follows recent releases of other archival Toriyama material, including a 37-year-old color page featuring Goku versus Vegeta. Such releases continue to drive interest in original Dragon Ball manga volumes and first-appearance keys from the franchise's foundational arcs. Read at source (CBR) →
Solo Leveling creator Chugong announced plans for an Igris prequel series. The new series will focus on the popular Igris character from Solo Leveling and feature a classic fantasy setting. Solo Leveling has become one of the most successful Korean webtoon-to-print adaptations, with English-language volumes consistently charting and the anime adaptation driving back-issue demand. The announcement comes as Solo Leveling's first-print runs of early volumes have become scarce in the secondary market. Read at source (CBR) →
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