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.
– Oni Press will publish “In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones,” a graphic biography of Gareth Jones, the journalist who exposed the man-made 1932-33 Soviet famine (which encompassed the Holodomor, or the Great Ukrainian Famine) to the outside world. It was written by journalist Andrea Chalupa, who previously penned Mr. Jones, the 2019 film chronicling the same events, and will feature art by Ivan Rodriguez (“Doctor Who,” “The Shadow”). The 144-page book will retail in hardcover for $24.99 on September 4, 2024.
– Stranger Comics (“Niobe”) have acquired the rights to “Defiant,” a historical graphic novel developed by entertainment company Legion M, written by Rob Edwards (The Princess and the Frog) with art by Ray-Anthony Height (“Star Wars: Doctor Aphra”). The book tells the story of Robert Smalls, the Civil War hero (and eventual US Representative) who freed himself and his fellow slaves by commandering a Confederate transport ship in 1862. The book was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and does not have a release date yet. Nikolas Draper-Ivey was among those involved in the project, producing cover art for the book.
– In further historical graphic novel news, Vermont’s alternative newspaper Seven Days revealed Tillie Walden is working on an untitled book about Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, a lesbian couple who lived in the state from 1807 to 1851. Vermont Humanities pitched the project to Walden, who lives in the state, and have provided her with a residency — funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities — to produce it; she will begin the process of researching Bryant and Drake’s lives this summer.
– Dark Horse will release “Louder than Words, Actions Speak,” a new edition of “Groo” creator Sergio Aragonés’s wordless cartoons. The book reprints two previous volumes, 1997’s “Louder than Words,” and 2001’s “Actions Speak,” with new cover art by Aragonés, colored by Carrie Strachan, plus the original series covers colored by Tom Luth. The 320-page hardcover book will be released on July 16, 2024, and retail for $49.99.
– Marvel announced “Venom: Separation Anxiety,” a new miniseries by writer David Michelinie and artist Gerado Sandoval. The five-parter will see Eddie Brock face off against the Purple Man, who seeks to steal the symbiote for himself. It marks the third miniseries revisiting Venom’s early years by Michelinie for the third year running (following “Venom: Lethal Protector,” and “Lethal Protector II”), and will begin on May 15.
– In further Venom news, Insomniac announced New Game+ will be added to Spider-Man 2 on March 7, allowing fans to replay the story without having to work to unlock skills, outfits and gadgets again. The next update for the game will also feature new outfits, and more the developer will disclose closer to the time of release.
– Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson will star in Afterburn, an action-adventure movie based on the 2008 Red 5 Comics series by Scott Chitwood, Paul Ens, and Wayne Nichols. The post-apocalyptic comic followed an ex-soldier (who’ll be played by Bautista), who’s sent to retrieve the Mona Lisa before a warlord claims it first. The movie will be directed by J.J. Perry (Day Shift), who worked with Bautista on the upcoming The Killer’s Game, and will begin filming in April. It does not have a distributor or release date yet.
– Finally, Juan “Spike” Wu Osorio, a crew member on the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series Wonder Man, died following an apparent structural failure on the set of the show on Tuesday, February 6. He was 41 years old. Marvel responded, “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends, and our support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this accident.” Osorio’s death comes as film and TV sets face increasing scrutiny over the lack of safety on them: Matthew D. Loeb, president of IATSE, told film industry workers, “If you feel unsafe on set for any reason, members can call the IATSE Safety Hotline at 844-422-9273 or use our safety info app.” A GoFundMe for his widow, boom operator Joanne Wu, has exceeded its $150,000 target at the time of writing.
