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.
skunk Millie, around 2010
– “Invincible” writer Robert Kirkman and colorist William Crabtree have settled their dispute over royalties from the series. The two were set to go to court on February 20, before making a private agreement (the terms of which were not disclosed) on Thursday, January 25. Crabtree, who colored the first 50 issues of the comic, claimed Kirkman had tricked him into signing away his rights as co-creator, and broken a verbal promise to compensate him once a film or TV version had been produced. Lawyers for both men declined comment on the matter. The case echoes original “Walking Dead” artist Tony Moore’s lawsuit against Kirkman in 2012, which alleged similar behavior from the writer, and also ended with the two settling out of court.
– Fantagraphics have released a statement condemning the Israeli invasion of Gaza, as well as Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and calling for a ceasefire. Publishers Gary Groth and Eric Reynolds said they had a responsibility to speak out as the home of Joe Sacco’s books “Palestine” and “Footnotes in Gaza.” Sacco also weighed in with a comic strip, ‘The War on Gaza,’ which will become an irregular column. At the time of writing, the war — which has spread to other countries in the Middle East — has claimed the lives of over 26,257 Palestinians and 1,436 Israelis, and led the UN’s International Court of Justice to make a ruling reminding Israel to abide by the laws established in the 1948 Genocide Convention.
– Titan Comics announced a rerelease of Michael Moorcock and Walt Simonson’s “Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer” for July 16, 2024. The fantasy series, originally published by DC from 2004 to 2007, tells the origin story of sorcerer prince Elric of Melniboné, as he battles his evil cousin Yyrkoon for the throne of his empire. The new edition will retail at 208 pages in hardback for $29.99. It is the latest entry in Titan’s “Michael Moorcock Library,” which has been reprinting the various comics starring the author’s 1961 creation in hardcover since 2015.
– Marvel Comics issued a press release for “Aliens: What If…?,” a five-issue series kicking off on March 6. Written by (deep breath) Paul & Leon Reiser, Adam F. Goldberg, Brian Volk-Weiss and Hans Rodionoff with art by Guiu Vilanova, the comic reveals what would’ve happened if Paul’s character, Carter Burke, had survived the events of the film. The publisher also revealed the full contents of February 28’s “Women of Marvel” special, vampire variant covers to drum up hype for ‘Blood Hunt’ in April, and ‘Disney What If…?‘ covers to celebrate 60 years of the Avengers and X-Men, that will run across “Amazing Spider-Man” variants throughout the year.
– Warner Bros., the home of DC Comics and Superman, have acquired the rights to the documentary film Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story after its premiere at Sundance. Specifics of the deal, which is estimated to cost about $15 million, were uncertain, but were said to involve possibly airing the film on CNN before adding it to Max. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man chronicles the life of Christopher Reeve before and after his fateful accident in 1995, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of his death in 2004, aged only 52.
– A live-action commercial for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was released, featuring Will Arnett, Ron Funches, Olivia Blue, and Julie Wittner respectively controlling Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. (That’s right, Funches, Harley Quinn‘s King Shark, gets to be her this time.) The ad was directed by Jody Hill, the co-creator of Eastbound and Down, who’s also helmed episodes of Peacemaker and The Righteous Gemstones. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League finally releases tomorrow, January 30, for those who pre-ordered the deluxe edition, and on Friday, February 2, for everyone else.
– The Avengers is receiving a Lakota dub in April. Buffalo’s Fire has the lowdown on the project, created by the Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s Grey Willow Music Studios & Production, which came about after Mark Ruffalo — a well-known Native American ally — introduced them to Disney and Marvel Studios. Ruffalo will also reunite with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Hemsworth to dub one scene into Lakota (something the actor hinted at last year while discussing the documentary he co-produced, Lakota Nation vs. United States.) This will make The Avengers the first MCU film dubbed into an indigenous language, and one of the few dubbed into one altogether.
– Last week saw the release of Masters of the Universe: Revolution — the five-part sequel to Kevin Smith’s initial miniseries Revelation — on Netflix, and like all He-Man media, it maintained the tradition of never showing Orko’s face. However, Mondo have unveiled a 1:6 scale action figure of Prince Adam’s diminutive sidekick, which will allow owners to display him without his mask. You can check out Orko’s strange, baby-like face at the link, and pre-order the $235 figure ahead of its release in June here.
– Finally, the 51st Saturn Awards will be dedicated to the memory of the late Lance Reddick, and introduce the lifetime achievement Lance Reddick Legacy Award. Not only that, but the inaugural prize will go to Reddick’s John Wick co-star (and “BRZRKR” co-creator) Keanu Reeves. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films stated, “Keanu is not just a Hollywood icon, but also a shining example of humility and gratitude,” and that “we’re thrilled to celebrate Lance’s memory with a dear friend and a genre icon.” The awards will be held on February 4, nearly a year after the Hellboy: Web of Wyrd star’s untimely passing, aged just 60.
