Aladdin gets a new comic series story

Aladdin (Dynamite comic series) is getting a new ongoing comic series from Dynamite Entertainment, scheduled to launch in May.

Written by James III and illustrated by Agnese Eterno, the story follows new adventures of Aladdin in a fresh storyline inspired by the classic world of Agrabah. The plot explores Aladdin facing new magical threats after discovering a mysterious power connected to the genie’s lamp, forcing him to protect the kingdom while balancing adventure and humour.

The comic will feature cover art by Nicoletta Baldari, Natacha Bustos and J. Scott Campbell. The series aims to modernise the story while preserving the charm of the original film.

Live-action Scooby-Doo origin series in development

A new live-action Scooby-Doo (Netflix live-action series) is moving forward at Netflix. The eight-episode live-action series will explore the origins of Mystery Inc., showing how the group first met the Great Dane that later becomes Scooby-Doo.

Filming is expected to begin in April in Atlanta. Frank Welker is set to voice Scooby-Doo again, while Mckenna Grace will play Daphne Blake. The series is described as a one-hour drama focusing on mystery and friendship themes.

The first-ever Sonic vs Godzilla crossover comic announced

Sonic the Hedgehog X Godzilla brings together Sonic the Hedgehog and Godzilla in the first-ever crossover between the two franchises.

Published by IDW Publishing, the miniseries is written by Nick Marino, drawn by Jack Lawrence and coloured by Reggie Graham. The plot follows kaiju monsters entering Sonic’s world after a mysterious disruption in the balance between dimensions. The invasion brings classic Godzilla-scale destruction to familiar Sonic locations, forcing Sonic and his friends to confront giant monsters using speed, strategy and teamwork.

The comic aims to blend Godzilla-style disaster spectacle with the fast-paced adventure tone of the Sonic universe, with development supported by Sega and Toho Co., Ltd.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2026

It was a hot summer morning on August 15, 2024. All my classmates stepped into the class, waiting for our new Urdu teacher to come and start the first day of school.

We were all happy because it was the first day of the new academic year, and being the monsoon season, it often rained and the weather remained cool. This was also the reason schools that year started late.

During the vacation, my father bought me an Anime book called a Manga. I would often read it at home and found it very interesting. So, on this first day of school, I took the book with me and while we were waiting for the teacher to come, I took the book out and started reading it.

What could go wrong, right? But everything went wrong!

Some time passed and I was engrossed in reading it, unaware of the upcoming disaster. I didn’t realise that my Urdu teacher had entered and had been glaring at me for the past few seconds. Suddenly, I felt an unusual silence and heard a hyena-like laughter coming from my friend.

I looked up and saw my strict teacher looking at me. In the blink of an eye, my teacher took Manga from me. I felt like my stomach had dropped. I knew I was in trouble, big trouble!

Suddenly, everything fell apart. I started blurting out every excuse I could think of, but the teacher wouldn’t budge. My friend was laughing loud enough for the whole class to hear.

Amidst the laughter, I heard the five most agonising words of my life: “Mister! Your book is confiscated!”

The rest of the day went by like a century. I felt as though everyone was staring at me, even the walls and windows were laughing at me. My best friend came and told me some rather pathetic jokes to lighten my mood, but instead, they made me feel worse.

I unwillingly got into my van at the end of the school day, reluctant to leave my book behind. When my father found out from me what had happened, he looked disappointed. I apologised. He wrote a note, which I showed to the teacher, the next day.

My teacher looked me straight in the eye. I apologised sincerely. She reluctantly returned my book, as if saying, ‘first impression is the last impression!’

After that, my friends would joke about it and teachers kept an eye on me.

I worked really hard to gain their trust and succeeded. Now, after a month, my friends have stopped bringing up that incident and teachers called me a ‘good student’, though the Urdu teacher still holds a grudge. From then on, I stopped reading storybooks during class and listened keenly.

Despite this incident, I still bring books to school. Would that get me in trouble again? Maybe!

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2026

The Holy month of Ramazan might be ending, but for Raya, every day matters because she enjoys both her suhoors and iftars with her parents. In Celebrations and Festivals’Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, you not only meet the young girl, but also learn how she spends her days during Ramazan and how she gets ready for Eid.

Written by Sara Khan and illustrated by Nadiyah Sultana, this colourful book lets you spend time with Raya and her family, who invite you on a journey that’s both spiritual and fun. She is the kind of friend who speaks her mind, celebrates everything and doesn’t shy from sharing new things. In fact, like a very good friend, she confesses in this book that she might be too young to fast, but that doesn’t stop her from doing at least 30 good deeds during the month.

So, what’s stopping you from celebrating Ramadan and welcoming Eidul Fitr like Raya? She tells her new friends, the readers, that although she likes to bake Ramazan cookies and drink milkshakes, she doesn’t snack during fasting hours because it might ruin others’ fasts. She also likes to lay the table for those who are fasting in her house, prepare the fruits and dates, and fill a jug with water. These are some good deeds everyone can do for those fasting in Ramazan.

With the help of illustrations, she explains that her parents have taught her to help those during this month who are less fortunate, by donating clothes we don’t wear and sharing food, whereas visiting the mosque for Taraweeh prayers and volunteering for a local soup kitchen will definitely make you feel better in these 30 days.

The narration is easy to understand, so you can share it with your friends and family, and encourage them to do good deeds so they can also have the opportunity to get closer to Allah. The Eid plans she lists in this book are also doable as they involve buying new clothes, applying henna on the hands and giving money to the poor. Spending time with parents, aunts, uncles and cousins makes every Eid magical, where Raya gets to play games, open presents and eat delicious food.

This bright and engaging picture book offers fun activities that parents and children can do together in the lead-up to the celebration, such as making a pop-up card and cookies. The fun facts at the end include the workings of the lunar calendar, a sketch of the prominent mosques of the Muslim world and a colourful quiz, giving you and your friends an opportunity to learn more about Allah and Islam.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2026