DC surprise drops new Harley Quinn anthology comic 'Black + White + Red' from A-list talent

It's a very, very good time to be a Harley Quinn fan. The character launched a hit animated series last year that's wrapping up its second season, she starred in her second movie earlier this year with Birds of Prey, and she's been killing it in a number of comics appearances lately. Now, we can add one more exciting Harley project to the list: A brand-new anthology comic from some of the best creators DC has to offer, and you can read the first chapter right now.

On Friday, DC Comics announced the surprise launch of Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red, a new digital-first anthology series in the vein of the beloved Batman: Black & White comics. As the name suggests, the series will feature stories told through black and white, with the addition of stylized red to highlight Harley's particular...worldview.

The first chapter, from writer/artist Stjepan Šejić and letterer Gabriela Downie, is available to buy right now, and takes readers back to the world of Šejić's acclaimed Harley Quinn graphic novel Harleen. You can check out a preview of that issue in the gallery right here:

Upcoming chapters will feature an impressive lineup of talent from around the comics world, including Harley co-creator Paul Dini, fan-favorite Harley team Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Chad Hardin; Saladin Ahmed and Javier Rodriguez; Tim Seeley and Juan Ferreyra; Erica Henderson, Daniel Kibblesmith, and more. Plus, several acclaimed artist will use Black + White + Red to make their DC Comics debuts as writers, including Mirka Andolfo, Dani, Joe Quinones, and Riley Rossmo.

“This is such a cool series with killer art,” Mark Doyle, DC Executive Editor, said in a press release. “Senior Editor Chris Conroy had the idea to riff on the classic Batman: Black & White series but to do it with Harley in that irreverent, fun way that only Harley can do - and DC Digital First seemed like the perfect format to tell these stories.”

Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red is expected to run 14 chapters, with a new chapter dropping weekly beginning today. The first month will include Andolfo's chapter on July 3, Ahmed and Rodriguez's chapter on July 10 and Seeley and Ferreyra's chapter on July 17. The first issue is now available at readdc.com, comiXology, Kindle, and other places comics are sold.

Artist Alex Ross takes Comic-Con@Home by storm with new 'Extraordinary X-Men' litho

Due to the ongoing pandemic crisis, this year's San Diego Comic-Con will be a gala virtual event called Comic-Con@Home, with a galaxy of Hollywood stars, comic book creators, video game designers, and everything else of a geeky nature under the sun, all in one online experience running July 22-26.

Legendary illustrator Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Marvels) is gearing up for the event by releasing an all-new Extraordinary X-Men lithograph as part of the digital celebration. This is the first time this remarkable piece has ever been offered as a fine art collectible, and has an exclusive pre-order period available as a Comic-Con@Home exclusive in the Alex Ross Art Web Store starting Tuesday, July 7, at 3 p.m. ET.

"It was always my intention to do a lineup of the X-Men this way — the timeless six, the most important original six members of the X-Men," Ross tells SYFY WIRE. "It has Phoenix in her pre-Dark Phoenix stage, Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Storm. These were the prime members - the cornerstone of when X-Men became the hottest book in comics."

"Extraordinary X-Men" is a striking illustration created by Alex Ross celebrating Marvel's most magnificent mutants, The X-Men. Showcased in this simmering Ross composition is an imposing force of iconic fan favorite characters: Wolverine, Night Crawler, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Human Torch, and Cyborg.

Each individually numbered piece of "Extraordinary X-Men" is hand-signed by Alex Ross and is priced at $325. This dynamic image measures 34"x19" and was reproduced by Alex Ross Art as a fine art offset lithograph composed on premium archival paper in a limited edition of just 100. Includes a Certificate of Authenticity.

Video of X-Men Character Design

Only a small run of this bold X-Men art is available, so anyone interested in signing up is highly encouraged to join the waitlist here.

Ross and his support team will be participating in Comic-Con@Home and presenting a live video premiere with all-new Alex Ross interviews and featuring an hour of fresh, never-before-seen video footage. The program will premiere on their Alex Ross Art channels, and fans can sign up to receive more info as additional details are announced.

Ryan Reynolds crashes virtual X-Men reunion with Jackman, Berry, Stewart, and more

Deadpool 3 might be a long ways off, but you don't have to wait around for more fourth wall-breaking jokes, courtesy of Wade Wilson. That's because Ryan Reynolds recently crashed a virtual gathering of original X-Men actors, who were celebrating the first movie's 20th anniversary.

"I hope it's ok if I join. I figured we were all in X-Men together," he said, comedically baffling Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Halle Berry (Storm), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), and Famke Janssen (Jean Gray). They were quick to remind him that his movie was the much-maligned X-Men Origins, which is often lampooned for its lackluster depiction of Deadpool. Unfazed, the smiling Reynolds proceeded to add James McAvoy (young Charles) and Sophie Turner (young Jean), to the Zoom call.

"What's happening?" asked Janssen.

"It's just like the X-Men movies...it doesn't matter," Reynolds replied, alluding to the complicated timelines of the Fox-produced Marvel films.

Turner excused herself to attend Game of Thrones reunion; Berry and Janssen escaped by way of James Bond engagements; McAvoy claimed to have call with the Split cast; and Stewart, following everyone else's cues, simply said "Star Trek" and peaced out.

"Guess it's just you and me, Logan," Reynolds said to a dejected-looking Jackman. "You know what that makes this a reunion for?"

Jackman's disappointment only grew as Liev Schreiber (Victor Creed/Sabretooth) jumped on the call, super pumped for an Origins reunion.

Video of X-Men Cast Reunites to Celebrate Everyday Superheroes | Global Goal: Unite for Our Future

Of course, the whole video is more of a pre-scripted comedy sketch than a genuine reunion, but it's really nice to see all these great actors bouncing off of Reynolds' Deadpool energy and being good sports about the disappointing Wolverine spinoff.

The meeting was orchestrated by Global Citizen, with the purpose of celebrating "everyday superheroes" of the pandemic like healthcare professionals and other essential workers.

Mesothelioma Cancer and The Threat of COVID-19

We are living in an extraordinary time. All of us are facing challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is even tougher if you have mesothelioma cancer. Treatments are painful, stressful, and expensive, and now you have to worry about COVID-19.

People living with cancer are staring at delayed treatments and surgeries because of this pandemic.
COVID-19 risks for people living with mesothelioma cancer

The risk of COVID-19 for the elderly and cancer patients includes extreme health complications and the inability to receive medical care.

Others include:

Spread of infection

Being close to COVID-19 positive individuals greatly increases the risk of contracting coronavirus. The chances of contracting this deadly virus increase exponentially in places with large gatherings such as meetings, parties, and conventions. This is particularly so for high-risk populations within healthcare centers or nursing homes.

COVID-19 has disrupted cancer clinical trials

What should mesothelioma patients do about clinical trials they are in or would wish to participate in? Most patients are confused and scared. Should they visit the hospital and participate in a clinical trial, or is the risk of catching coronavirus too high? The best way to go about this is probably to discuss your specific case with your doctor.

It is heartbreaking that most clinical trials have been stopped or disrupted by this pandemic. It is a great concern, especially for mesothelioma cancer patients in late stages, who have tried all other treatment options with no success.

Catching coronavirus may result in delayed mesothelioma cancer treatment.

Displaying symptoms of respiratory distress or fever will prompt your doctor to first postpone cancer therapy so that the immediate illness can be dealt with first. This will delay the progress of a round of chemotherapy or a clinical trial.

Coronavirus symptoms can be similar to those of mesothelioma.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that affects the lungs and is similar to the common cold or flu. COVID-19 patients present symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, tiredness, sore throat, and cough. Since pleural mesothelioma targets the lungs, similar symptoms may be exhibited. If you have mesothelioma cancer and you develop new flu-like symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and let them know in advance if you suspect you may have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.

Precautions for mesothelioma patients

Mesothelioma patients are among people at high risk of severe illness from an infection. They should be extremely cautious not to catch coronavirus by following WHO guidelines on COVID-19 prevention.

You can still file a mesothelioma claim.

Mesothelioma patients are wary of contracting coronavirus and, therefore, unlikely to schedule meetings with lawyers to begin their mesothelioma claim. Fortunately, reputable mesothelioma law firms, such as www.bergmanlegal.com/, have adjusted and can meet your needs through virtual meetings, teleconferencing tools, and virtual signatures.

Discuss the best way to go about treatment with your healthcare team. And finally, you don’t have to wait until the pandemic is over so you can file a mesothelioma claim: your claim can be handled virtually.