This article has been updated since its publication.
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.
– Skybound announced “LEGO Ninjago: Shatterspin,” a five-issue series by writer/artist Tri Vuong, starting May 22, 2024. The comic will follow a young Garmadon, the lead villain of the Ninjago saga, before his descent into evil, as he sets off on a quest to uncover a legend that could help end the Serpentine War. It marks the second LEGO comic from Skybound, following 2022’s “LEGO Ninjago: Garmadon,” also by Vuong. He comments, “I’m super excited to go on another journey with my favorite LEGO Ninjago character,” adding, “We have a lot of exciting plans in store for him and I’m looking forward to exploring some interesting new facets to his story. I can’t wait to show the fans what we’ve been working on!”
– IGN reports Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will not mark Kevin Conroy’s final time voicing Batman, stating the late actor reprised the role of the DCAU version for the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three. The site also claimed he would be heard in the upcoming Prime Video series Batman: Caped Crusader, but Bruce Timm has responded this is false, because Conroy passed away before he was able to record any dialogue for it. Conroy’s publicist declined comment. Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One is available to buy and rent now, while Kill the Justice League goes on general release tomorrow.
– One of Hayao Miyazaki’s earlier works is heading to the big screen in Japan. 1984’s TV compilation release Sherlock Hound: Blue Ruby Chapter and Treasure at the Bottom of the Ocean Chapter, and its 1986 follow-up, Sherlock Hound: Mrs. Hudson The Hostage Chapter and Aerial Battle at the Strait of Dover Chapter, have been digitally remastered and compiled into one film that begin screening in time for its 40th anniversary on March 22. Miyazaki directed five episodes of Sherlock Hound, an anthropomorphic reimagining of Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective, which originally ran for 26 episodes from 1984 to 1985, including the four that were compiled into these theatrical releases.
– Dark Horse will publish “Cthulhu Cat,” a gag manga by Pandania (“Yokai Cats”), translated by Zack Davisson and lettered by Steve Dutro. The book follows a high school student who adopts a certain tentacled cat, causing more members of a Lovecraftian litter to invade his home and his mind. The tagline reads, “Ph’nglui mglw’nfah Cthulhu Cat R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagnya! (In his house in R’lyeh dead Cthulhu Cat waits dreaming, meow!)” It will retail in paperback at 136 pages for $14.99 on September 17, 2024.
– In more manga news, Shueisha revealed Mari Yamazaki is crafting a sequel to “Thermae Romae,” which will debut on Shonen Jump+ on February 6. Simply titled “Thermae Romae Continued,” the book will follow Lucius, the time-traveling Roman architect, who’s still visiting Japanese spas for inspiration as he approaches his 60th birthday. The original manga ran for six volumes from 2008 to 2013, and has been adapted into two live-action films, and two anime series, including one on Netflix. Yamazaki, who is, incidentally, 56, recently concluded another classical time-travel comedy, “Olympia Kyklos,” in 2022.
– Finally, South Korean webcomics platform Manta are introducing Manta Novels, allowing English-language fans to read the source material for many of their comics for the first time. Webnovels now available on the platform include Under the Oak Tree, Betrayal of Dignity, and I’ve Become a True Villainess. The news comes amid the South Korean government’s announcement they plan to invest heavily in the future of “webtoons,” intending to launch a major webcomics festival this fall, and a dedicated school for the art form by 2027. Yu In-chon, minister for culture, sports and tourism, commented, “Supporting webtoons is very important for bolstering the intellectual property rights of the South Korean content industry as a whole.”
