Welcome 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.
– Evan Dorkin is creating a new series for Dark Horse Comics with artists Veronica and Andy Fish: “Blackwood,” a horror miniseries about four young adults that attend the spooky Blackwood College to learn to control their supernatural powers. Their education is interrupted by an ancient evil of some variety that they will presumably need to deal with. Dorkin intends for the series to resemble horror-comedy films from the 1970s and 1980s. “Blackwood” unofficially takes place in the same world as his other series, “Beasts of Burden,” Dorkin describing it as “using the same RPG rules to start a new game.”
– BOOM! Studios has released a trailer through IGN for their upcoming “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” crossover, ‘Shattered Grid.’ The trailer is narrated by Jason David Frank, who played Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger in the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers TV series, and reprised the role in later seasons. In the trailer, he plays Lord Drakkon, an evil alternate universe version of Tommy that has set out to destroy every Power Rangers team in every reality and timeline. “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25” on March 21 kicks off the crossover.
– Marvel has teamed up with charity organizers Omaze to create a sweepstakes where the winner will appear in an X-Men comic published in 2018. The sweepstakes is to benefit GLSEN, a charity dedicated to creating schools that are inclusive and safe for students any gender identity or sexual preference. There are no details on who will write or draw the issue featuring the winner, or what the winner’s character will do. The sweepstakes specifies that the winner’s character may, in fact, be killed off.
– An arrest was made in the investigation of the death of Tess Richey, sister-in-law of DC Comics artist Francis Manapul. The death has officially been ruled a homicide, and Kalen Schlatter, 21, was arrested on February 4 in relation to the murder. Authorities ruled the death to be by strangulation or compression of the neck. Richey was declared missing on November 25, 2017, and her body was found on the 29th of the same month.
– Production has officially begun on Shazam! by New Line Cinema, and its cast has been announced. Disney Channel star Asher Angel will star as Billy Batson. Zachary Levi will be playing Batson’s adult form, called Shazam, squashing rumors that the hero would somehow be called Captain Marvel despite, you know. Mark Strong will be playing villain Dr. Sivana, and Grace Fulton has been confirmed as Mary Marvel. No word on whether she’ll also play Mary Batson or have a child actor alter-ego the way Levi does. No word on whether Dwayne Johnson’s long-awaited debut as Black Adam will be in this movie.
– A new Deadpool 2 poster pays tribute to the 1983 film Flashdance, featuring Wade Wilson in costume, propping himself up on a chair as he’s showered by bullets. Ryan Reynolds tweeted the poster today with the caption, Take your passion. And make it happen,” lyrics from the 1983 film’s tie-in song, “What a Feeling.”
– Legion returns for a second season on April 3, which FX announced on Twitter.
– The United Arab Emirates is getting the world’s first DC Comics theme park as part of the larger Warner Bros. World, an indoor theme park based on WB properties. Variety revealed that two of the six themed “lands” will be Metropolis and Gotham City, featuring rides and attractions based on DC properties. Attractions will include Superman 360, which will depict the Man of Steel fighting his most infamous enemies, Warworld Attacks, a dark ride, and Green Lantern: Galactic Odyssey, a 4D flying theater attraction.
– A trailer for the podcast drama Wolverine: The Long Night was released by Stitcher today. The audio drama stars Richard Armitage as Logan, as well as Celia Keenan-Bolger, Ato Essandoh, Scott Adsit, Bob Balaban, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Zoe Chao, Chaske Spencer, Jordan Bridges, David Call, Michael J. Burg, Lannon Killea, and Chris Gethard. The story will take a slightly supernatural bent, following FBI agents on the trail of a serial killer in Alaska, with Logan becoming their main suspect while they navigate the mysterious and corrupt town.
