From The Matrix to Superhero Mayhem: Steve Skroce Returns with Tales of Wonder

Skybound and Image Comics are about to crack open the comic book multiverse with some serious old-school creator drama, superhero spectacle, and full-throttle action as Steve Skroce returns with Tales of Wonder, a brand-new limited series arriving in comic shops on September 2, 2026.

And when we say Steve Skroce, we are talking about a creator with heavyweight visual firepower. This is the writer/artist behind We Stand on Guard, Wolverine, and visual work connected to The Matrix Trilogy. Now he’s stepping back into superhero comics with a story that feels like a love letter, a warning shot, and a comic book industry therapy session wrapped inside a massive action epic.

Tales of Wonder comes from creator, writer, and artist Steve Skroce, colorist Ian Herring, known for Ms. Marvel and The Shaolin Cowboy, and letterer Pat Brosseau, known for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Together, this team is cooking up a story where comic book history, fractured friendships, and fictional superheroes all collide in explosive fashion.

The series follows Stu and Jake, two legendary comic book creators whose friendship was forged during World War II but eventually shattered by the one battlefield even superheroes struggle to survive: the comic book industry. Their Wonder Comics creations went from four-color sensations to a worldwide phenomenon, but success came with a price. Credit was stolen, grudges were sharpened, and decades of bad blood turned two former friends into estranged legends.

Now, Stu and Jake are reunited to help launch the America’s Freedom Force cinematic universe. Sounds like a victory lap, right? Not so fast, fam. Things go left real quick when the superheroes, villains, and monsters they created turn out to be very, very real. Suddenly, these two creators have to put the ego, resentment, and industry scars aside if they want to help save the world from the very myths they helped build.

Skroce describes Tales of Wonder as a story he has wanted to tell for years, one focused on the messy fallout of creative collaboration, the friendships that break when things go wrong, and the long road back toward trust. At its heart, this is a story about second chances, friendship, and finding a way to heal before the whole world gets folded like a bad pitch meeting.

Skybound Executive Editor Ben Abernathy praised Skroce as a generational talent and described the series as a powerful tale about Golden Age comic creators literally facing their greatest creations.

Tales of Wonder #1 will launch with a main cover by Steve Skroce and Ian Herring, along with a packed variant cover lineup. Fans can look for open-to-order covers by Yasmine Putri and Jorge Fornés, a 1:25 incentive variant by Peter Carroll, a 1:50 incentive by Caspar Wijngaard, a 1:100 foil incentive variant by Miki Montlló, a blank sketch variant, and a Witchblade team-up cover by Steve Skroce and Neeraj Menon.

So what do we have here? A superhero epic about creators, legacy, friendship, ego, ownership, monsters, mayhem, and the very real ghosts of the comic book industry. Yeah, this one has layers. Big ones.

Tales of Wonder #1 hits comic shops on September 2, 2026, and if Skroce is bringing this much creative fire to the page, superhero fans may want to keep this one locked on the pull list.

The full list of covers is below:

Tales of Wonder #1 Cover A by Steve Skroce & Ian Herring
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover B by Yasmine Putri
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover C by Jorge Fornés
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover D (1:25 Incentive) by Peter Carroll
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover E (1:50 Incentive) by Caspar Wijngaard
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover F (1:100 FOIL Incentive) ($4.99) by Miki Montlló
Tales of Wonder #1 Cover G Blank Sketch ($4.99)

Tales of Wonder #1 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | SRP $3.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Author Profile

Al Mega: I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!