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.
– Yesterday we ran a story about the new creative team behind “Quantum and Woody” coming in May. You can check it out here.
– Sony revealed a poster for I Kill Giants, based on Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura’s comic series. The movie stars Zoe Saldana, Imogen Poots, Madison Wolfe and Sydney Wade. You can check out I Kill Giants in theaters on March 23, 2018.
– Netflix has added a major cast member to their live-action Umbrella Academy show. Mary J. Blige will co-star in the series, based on Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s graphic novel series. Blige, a nine-time Grammy award winner and Oscar nominee, will play Cha-Cha, “a ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets.” Gerard Way will also serve as co-executive producer on the series.
– The Hollywood Reporter revealed Brian Michael Bendis will write the screenplay for Deadpool director Tim Miller’s planned Kitty Pryde movie, which currently has the working title “143” (a reference to Kitty’s early spotlight in “Uncanny X-Men” #143). Bendis, who just left Marvel to write for DC Comics, previously served as part of the Creative Committee that advised Marvel Studios’s films until 2015.
– Image Expo announced that more creators will take to the stage and join Robert Kirkman, Rick Remender, Tee Franklin, and Nick Pitarra already set to make appearances. For the full list of creators click here. Image Expo will be held Wednesday, February 21, 2018 in Portland Oregon. You can get your General Admission tickets for $25. Premium Admission tickets, with more perks are available until this Wednesday for $100.
– IDW and Top Shelf released their 2018 publishing catalogue for young readers. This comes at a time when many more publishers have been creating more young reader friendly material. You can find the full list here.
– As the American Library Association wrapped up its winter meeting, two graphic novels received awards. “As the Crow Flies” from Melanie Gillman won the Stonewall Award Honor book, which is presented to books that have LGBTQ content. “Roughneck” by Jeff Lemire took home an Alex Award, an honor given to 10 books for adults that also appeal to a younger audience from ages 12-18. We congratulate both winners.
– Bleeding Cool reports that a recent highly publicized charity campaign from Marvel and Omaze to support GLSEN, an organization dedicated to stopping discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identification, has been cancelled. The campaign which would have had one lucky winner presumably drawn into the “X-Men Blue,” was asking for $10.00 donations and has said that all donations will be refunded. Bleeding Cool has reached out to both Marvel and Omaze for further comment.
– Limerence Press, an imprint of Oni Press, has announced an upcoming sci-fi erotica graphic novel called “Open World” by Sarah Mirk with art by Eisner Award-nominated Eva Cabrera and Claudia Aguirre. The series will focus on a girl trying to navigate through love and relationships after the collapse of Earth. “Open Earth” is set to be released on September 26, 2018.
– Disney shared its plans to integrate more of their Marvel owned properties into their theme parks and resorts. At D23 in Japan, Disney showed off plans to reimagine a popular roller coaster and create an all new adventure ride featuring Iron Man and other Avengers. They also showed off one of their Disney Hotel rooms featuring a Marvel theme. Expect more Marvel attractions to spring up in the upcoming years.
– Devil’s Due Entertainment will be undergoing a little re-branding as the company plans on shifting to make things easier for DIY comic book creators. The first two titles to come out under this new brand will be Scott Schmidt and Brian Atkins’s “Final Street” (out in June) and Pat Shand and Olivia Pelaez’s “Little Girl” (due in July). While these new titles will be under the new banner, Newsarama reports that previous Devil’s Due titles aren’t automatically shifting over to these new arrangements, but will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.”
