Eye Lie Popeye #2
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeEye Lie Popeye #2 continues the first manga-inflected reimagining of E.C. Segar's 95-year-old sailor to reach print comic shops, a collaboration between Massive Publishing and King Features Syndicate that repositions Popeye squarely in the shonen action tradition. The issue deepens the series' original cosmology by formally introducing the concept of 'Source Beings' and the new villain General Stalwart, expanding the mythos of Popeye's missing eye into a multiversal framework rather than a simple origin tale. Published in the same month as Popeye's 95th anniversary, it marks a rare moment when a property this old receives genuinely new canonical lore rather than a retread or nostalgia exercise.
"Eye Lie Popeye: Book Two" delivers a wild, surreal twist on the classic sailor’s legend, with Marcus Williams writing and illustrating every page in a bold, self-contained vision. As Popeye’s allies survey the wreckage of a sea-born battle, old memories resurface when Poopdeck Pappy arrives with Whaler Joe and Ms. Tuggy—while Eugene the Jeep finally speaks, revealing spinach’s true power lies in reality-warping. When General Stalwart attacks, he doesn’t just steal Popeye’s strength—he turns it against him, setting off a chain reaction of chaos. The cover by Marcus Williams captures the madness with striking, dynamic detail.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series grew out of fan art Marcus Williams posted in 2023 — a Dragon Ball x Popeye crossover — which caught the attention of King Features Syndicate's Alex Garcia; King Features first commissioned a 10-page story that ultimately expanded into a full miniseries. Massive Publishing, founded in 2022 by Michael Calero, Trevor Richardson, and Kevin Roditeli, partnered with King Features to bring the book to print comic shops, launching with a Free Comic Book Day 2024 preview before the formal debut of issue #1 in August 2024. The series had been publicly announced as early as November 2022, giving it an unusually long runway from announcement to shelves.
Trivia · 9 facts
- Published October 2, 2024 by Massive Publishing in partnership with King Features Syndicate, rights-holder to the Popeye character.
- Written by Marcus Williams (credits include Marvel's Captain America, DC's Nubia & the Amazons); cover art also by Williams.
- Interior pencils for issue #2 are credited to Rodney Velchez, a departure from issue #1 where Williams handled both writing and full art duties (see Flagged).
- First appearance of General Stalwart, a new character described in reviews as an agent of cosmic 'Source Beings' dispatched to apprehend Popeye and Eugene the Jeep — no prior Popeye canon precedent has been identified.
- Issue introduces the series' 'Source Beings' mythology, which frames Popeye's spinach-fueled reality-warping as the ability to siphon power from multiple cosmic entities simultaneously — a novel in-universe explanation for his superhuman strength.
- The Sea Hag (disguised as Gloria Tombs) and Judy P'Tooty return alongside a full ensemble including Olive Oyl, Bluto, Swee'pea, Poopdeck Pappy, Whaler Joe, and Eugene the Jeep.
- The issue contains a pin-up illustration specifically commemorating Popeye's 95th birthday/anniversary (the character first appeared January 17, 1929).
- Released with four cover variants: Cover A by Marcus Williams, Cover B by Ludo Lullabi, Cover C (virgin) by Sunghan Yune, and Cover D (virgin) by Rob Duenas.
- The series was later adapted as Comics Kingdom's first 'toon-style' vertical digital comic, debuting Season 1 in May 2025, extending the property's reach to mobile and web readers.
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