I have to start this post by saying thank you. The amount of support we got during the last weekend before Showdown #1’s FOC was unlike anything I had experienced so far as a comic book writer. We had a number of awesome comic book creators read the book and post online that they loved it. Ignition Press made two terrific videos to promote Showdown, and they turned the pull quotes we had at that point into beautiful graphics we shared online, they went all out and both efforts made a big difference as we headed into the Monday 4/6/ FOC. Then readers, family, and friends came together and really broadcasted the hell out of this project all over social media. By our Monday cut-off I was overwhelmed by the extraordinary weekend we had. We were supported by every possible faction I was hoping for in even bigger ways than I had hoped.

And it’s Wednesday night as I’m typing this and I’m still overwhelmed in the best way. It has been an incredible week for me, for Showdown, and for my comic book writing career. Thank you. Thank you for all the support, and kindness, and good energy that you sent our way. It really mattered. Every single like, look, and share mattered. Showdown is on it’s way to a terrific launch because of it. I can feel it.

The Showdown hype train will kick up again in a few weeks as we get closer to our release date on Wednesday May 13th, 2026 but until then the next few Weekly Up-Dave posts will be about different topics. It gives me a good opportunity to recenter myself before the next part of the Showdown battle AND I have other stuff to talk about.

For instance…did you know at the end of this month DC is releasing it’s final collected edition for it’s most recent Batman: The Brave & The Bold? That’s right Batman: The Brave & The Bold: Tomorrow’s Heroes and the lead story in the book is the Plastic Man and Wonder Woman team-up “Man’s Underworld” that I did with artist Nikola Cizmesija in Batman: The Brave & The Bold #19-20. No lie! Take a look at the cover below. It hits stores on April 28th, 2026.

That’s a story I am proud of, and I would work with Nikola Cizmesija again in a heartbeat. That guy is a tremendous comic book artist and right now he has been writing and drawing his own terrific comic book called Umbral Chains that I recommend you check out!

Another comic I did is going to be announced next Friday or the following Friday…in preparation for that BOTH of the next Weekly Up-Dave posts will probably be on Fridays, just to be on the safe side. I want to talk about it as soon as it gets announced so I am not a week behind on my own excitement, that would just be a bummer. Strike the content iron while it’s hot, right, readers?

And then…I am working on developing the writing projects I hope to be working on for the back half of the year. Like I said at the top of this I am very close to finishing my next longterm comic writing project and I would like to get a few more off the ground in the near future. That means developing, pitching, and sending editors Showdown and hoping they go “This is Dave Wielgosz’s time,” which is always the response I’m hoping for. Wish me luck! And put some good energy out for me if you have some to spare.

That’s it for this week, I have some writing to catch up on for other projects, and I am still feeling a little tired from last week. I will be back next week with more fun stuff.

Until then?

Stay safe.

—Dave Wielgosz