‘Street Sharks Annual 2026’ #1 delivers a double dose of jawsome tales
April 29, 2026
When IDW revealed it was partnering with Mattel to publish a Street Sharks comic, I almost fell out of my seat with a mix of joy and shock. As someone who grew up on a steady diet of animation, comics, and video games in the ’90s, Street Sharks was one of my favorite series (and arguably one of the few cartoons that could match Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in sheer ridiculousness/awesomeness). While the main series might have ended, it turns out that IDW has one more story left to tell with Street Sharks Annual 2026 #1.
Being an annual, this means that fans will get two stories for the price of one. The first story, “Old Friends, New Depths,” reunites the Street Sharks creative team of Stephanie Williams and Ariel Medel and even brings back one of the Sharks’ friends in the form of Moby Lick. Moby needs the Sharks’ help with rescuing a rare prehistoric specimen from the clutches of animal dealer Malcolm Medusa and mutant mercenary Clammando. If that wasn’t enough, the Sharks’ archnemesis, Dr. Paradigm, is also in the mix. This leads to plenty of pavement shredding, mutant-to-mutant combat, and an avalanche of puns.
Williams hasn’t made it any secret that she genuinely loves the Street Sharks, and the fact that she’s bringing in Moby is perhaps the biggest proof of that. You know you’re a fan when you utilize a character that only had a handful of appearances in the original Street Sharks series, and make them the focus of their own story. Medel keeps the same level of animated antics that permeated the Street Sharks mini, and his work really shines in a two-page spread that pits the Sharks against Clammando and Paradigm’s Seaviates. It leads to some creatively destructive panels and plenty of the aforementioned puns, which Williams deploys with aplomb.
IDW
The second story, “Odds and Bends” by Jordan Morris and Margueax Pepoy, turns its attention to the Sharks’ longtime ally Bends. While Bends makes the most of his night off by taking a date to the Sharks’ underground base, the Seaviates also make use of the Sharks’ absence to try to steal some of his technology. Little do they know that Bends is prepared for any intruder, via some rather unorthodox means of defense.
Morris’ script never shies away from the ridiculous moments, whether it’s the Sharks going out to the opera (yes, this is an actual sequence in this comic) or the Seaviates being attacked by mechanized Christmas decorations. He does manage to give Bends a bit more dimension beyond being the Sharks’ “guy in the chair,” especially in his romantic life. Pepoy also deserves credit for making the artwork feel like an episode of Street Sharks, down to the mech suit Bends dons eventually to battle the Seaviates. It looks and feels like an actual Street Sharks toy, which is no easy feat.
Both stories boast bright, vibrant colors courtesy of Valentina Pinto, with assistance from Jonathan Dobbs and Heather Breckel. Pinto makes sure that each Street Shark carries their distinct color, while also making Fission City look like it could be an actual part of California, down to the sun-kissed beaches and bright blue seas. The captions by Neil Uteyake and Sandy Tanaka also help identify each Shark, giving newcomers the lowdown on who’s who.
Street Sharks Annual 2026 is chock full of everything that makes Street Sharks iconic, and serves as the perfect coda to last year’s miniseries. It’s also another reminder that some of your favorite Saturday-morning cartoons are finding new life thanks to the comics medium and incredibly talented creators.
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