The McElroys play with superhero toys in this Journey Into Mystery exclusive

War Of The Realms is a fantastic superhero crossover. The culmination of a story that has been building in Jason Aaron’s various Thor series over the past 6 years, War Of The Realms has massive stakes that justify bringing in characters from all across the Marvel Universe, and the tie-ins have been consistently strong, particularly when it comes to new teams: New Agents Of Atlas introduces an alliance of Asian heroes with multiple characters making their comic-book debuts, and Journey Into Mystery brings together an eclectic mix of heroes to protect Thor’s baby sister. Journey Into Mystery marks the Marvel Comics debut of The McElroys, the family of writers responsible for hit podcasts My Brother, My Brother And Me and The Adventure Zone (which has been adapted into a very successful graphic novel series from First Second), and it’s a delightful romp that expertly balances thrill, comedy, and character development.

This exclusive preview of next week’s War Of The Realm #3 showcases the humor of this series, opening with Miles Morales and Sebastian Druid playing with Wonder Man action figures while on the road. It’s a fun little bit of metahumor as the McElroys play with superhero action figures in their comic-book sandbox, and the writers have proven their skill within the genre by creating a very fun superhero team dynamic in this series. Artist André Lima Araújo, colorist Chris O’Halloran, and letterer Clayton Cowles all previously worked together on Generation Gone, and they’ve developed a creative rapport that enriches The McElroys’ script. That first page is a great example of how composition, coloring, and lettering all play a part in selling the humor of a scene, punching up certain visual elements to contrast with the generally understated vibe. This creative team really excels with creating a chill road trip atmosphere, which makes the moments of superhero intrigue all the more exciting.