Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
In case you missed it, AfterShock Comics announced a brand new series called “Project Patron” from writer Steve Orlando and artist Patrick Piazzalungo. Check out our coverage of the announcement and preview pages of the book for full details here.
– Marvel announced the launch of “The Marvels,” a new ongoing series from writer Kurt Busiek (“Marvels,” “Astro City”) and artist Yildiray Cinar (“Superior Iron Man,” “Uncanny X-Men”). The series, which was previously announced for May 2020, was postponed by the Diamond Comics Distributors shutdown, and is now set for April 2021. Focusing on a variety of different Marvel heroes across the storied history of the sprawling universe, the series aims to tell both cosmic-level stories and intimate personal dramas. The comic is the latest collaboration between Busiek and “Marvels” illustrator Alex Ross (who will be returning for covers), following the ‘Marvels Snapshots’ one-shots that ran throughout 2020.
– BOOM! Studios and Kickstarter have teamed up to create the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Complete Comic Book Collections.” The campaign, which was fully funded within the first day of launching, offers Power Rangers fans a variety of different ways to collect the complete 55-issue run of the fan favorite “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series, plus additional issues from “Go-Go Power Rangers.” Written by Kyle Higgins, Ryan Ferrier, Ryan Parrott, with art from Hendry Prasetya, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Dan Mora, and more, the series was a hit with fans. The campaign offers reward tiers for as low as $100, or as high as $5,000 if you would like to be drawn as a Power Ranger yourself.
– DC Comics has indefinitely delayed the release of “Zatanna: The Jewel of the Gravesend.” The original graphic novel was originally planned for an April 2021 release. All orders on the title have been cancelled, and no timetable has been provided for when retailers can expect the book to come out. The book marks the DC debut of writer Alys Arden (The Casquette Girls book series) and features the art of Jacqueline de Leon.
– Arune Singh announced this week that he has taken a new position at Skybound as the Director of Brand and Editorial. Singh is an established presence within the comic book industry, and most recently worked at BOOM! Studios as the VP of Marketing. He initially joined BOOM! In 2016 and helped launch books such as “Something is Killing the Children” and ‘Power Rangers: Shattered Grid.’ Singh will be reporting to Dan Murray (Co-CEO, Games & Merchandise) and Ian Howe (Head of Publishing/CEO Skybound games).
– IDW will be publishing a brand new Disney graphic novel, “Doorways to Danger,” from writer Tom Angleberger and artist Jeff Harvey. The OGN is set to feature classic Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Scrooge McDuck as they compete in a reality TV show. It will be released in June with an MSRP of $12.99 and is the latest in IDW’s original Disney works. While many Disney comics are famously imported from European publishers, this will be the first from American writer Angleberger, who is best known for his successful “Origami Yoda” series.
– Fulcrum Publishing has announced that they are selling their line of graphic novels to Chicago Review Press, along with their gardening, travel, and natural history books. The decision comes after reviewing the state of the company in the wake of COVID-19, and an effort to streamline the company to focus on their core values. In total, 126 titles will be included in the deal. Many of Fulcrum’s graphic novels focus on diversity and history, and most notably include Matt Dembicki’s “Trickster” and Joel Christian Gill’s “Strange Fruit” series.
– Little, Brown has bought the rights to two middle-grade graphic novels for 2023. The first, titled “Wildfire” by Breena Bard, centers on a 13-year old girl named Julianna who is engulfed in anger after losing her family’s home to a wildfire. Julianna’s whole life changes when she joins her school’s conversation club and learns about the dangers of climate change. The second, Bones Leopard’s “Identical,” focuses on twins Blue and Tally. The two are inseparable, but Blue is hiding that they are binary, and revealing their secret just might change the siblings’ relationship forever. The publisher also acquired Hazel Newlevant’s young adult non-fiction graphic novel “Queer and How We Got Here,” an overview of LGBT history planned for early 2024.
Continued below– Dial has bought the rights to Vanessa Flores’s debut middle-grade graphic novel “Morivivi.” The story follows Ángel, a 12-year old boy trying to navigate his life in the wake of a disastrous hurricane. As he struggles to manage his relationship with his abuela in Puerto Rico, Ángel will have to connect with the spirits that surround them.
– HMH/Etch has bought the rights to “Band Nerd,” a new graphic novel by Sarah Clawson Willis and Ana Hinojosa. In it, seventh grader Lucy Carver is trying to become the first chair flute for her school band, but her loving parents are standing in the way. Making things worse is snobby Tolli Claybourne, who is determined to make sure Lucy doesn’t succeed.
– Finally, a day after premature reports of her death, actress Tanya Roberts passed away on Monday night (January 4, 2021), at the age of 65. She had been in Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles since December 24, after becoming ill from a urinary tract infection. Roberts, who starred in 1984’s Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, was best known for her roles in A View to a Kill, Charlie’s Angels, That ’70s Show, and The Beastmaster. She is survived by her partner of 18 years, Lance O’Brien.
