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.
In case you missed it, legendary French cartoonist Claire Bretécher passed away aged 79, and Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are plotting another blockbuster with “Dark Nights: Death Metal.” We also have an exclusive preview of “Dragon Age: Blue Wraith” #2.
– Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s wicked “Joker: Killer Smile” won’t be coming to an end just yet. Syfy has the exclusive first look at “Batman: The Smile Killer” from DC Black Label, a one-shot epilogue to next Wednesday’s “Joker: Killer Smile” #3. The story will focus on the young Bruce Wayne’s love of watching The Mr. Smiles Show. Unbeknownst to Bruce, however, the show might also be watching back. Kaare Andrews will provide a variant cover for the one-shot. “Batman: The Smile Killer” hits shelves on May 13.
– The “Spider-Man” miniseries from J.J. Abrams, Henry Abrams, and Sara Pichelli has once again been delayed, now arriving four months after their original release date. The final two issues, “Spider-Man” #4 and #5, will now be released on April 8 and May 27. #4 was originally announced for a December 11, 2019 release before initially being pushed back to February 19, while #5 had an planned release date of January 29 before being being pushed to April 15. No reason was given by Marvel for the new April and May release dates. You can find the solicits for “Spider-Man” #4 and #5 over at Newsarama.
– Via Adventures in Poor Taste, Marvel has revealed a first look at their “Empyre” tie-in “Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah,” written by Alex Paknadel and drawn by Alex Lins. This will be the second “Lords of Empyre” tie-in, after April’s Emperor Hulkling story. The issue will feature Quoi, the titular Celestial Messiah and son of Mantis. “The Celestial Messiah is one of the more conflicted and intriguing players in the ‘Empyre’ event, so I was thrilled when Marvel approached me to bring his story to life,” said Paknadel. “Lords of Empyre: Celestial Messiah” #1 is due out in May 2020.
– Via Newsarama, Marvel has made some changes to the artists on three upcoming issues: “Captain America” #20, “Fantastic Four” #20, and “Valkyrie: Jane Foster” #9. Robert Quinn will sub-in for “Captain America” series artist Jason Masters, Paco Medina will replace “Fantastic Four” series artist Jason Masters, and Ramon Rosanas is taking over for “Valkyrie: Jane Foster” artist CAFU. No reason was provided by Marvel for the substitutions.
– Deadline has a couple pieces of comic book show casting news to offer. First up, Karen Obilom is jumping onto the DC Universe series Doom Patrol in a recurring role. She will portray Roni Evers, a military veteran with a mysterious past who connects with Cyborg at a PTSD support group. Second, Elizabeth Bowen is joining Syfy’s Resident Alien, an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic. Bowen will play Liv Baker, the town’s deputy sheriff who occasionally questions the logic of her superior, Sheriff Mike (played by Corey Reynolds). Both Doom Patrol season 2 and Resident Alien are set to premiere later in 2020.
– DC Universe is adding a new unscripted show to its platform. Via Newsarama, DC fans will come together for their entry into the role-playing-game show genre, DC Universe All Star Games. The anthology-style show will feature a variety of games, starting off with the classic ’80s game DC Heroes. The ’80s will also be the setting of the first storyline, ‘The Breakfast League,’ which sees the five players role-playing as teenagers in Saturday morning detention ala the classic film The Breakfast Club. Players in the first season will include Vanessa Marshall, Clare Grant, WWE superstar Xavier Woods, and executive producers Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sam Witwer. The premiere of DC Universe All Star Games will hit the DC Universe streaming service on Friday, February 28.
– A new immersive restaurant in London aims to bring comic fans into the DC Universe. Via BigHospitality, Wonderland Restaurants group is opening a large complex–named Park Row after the area in Gotham City where Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered–that will feature five restaurants and three bars each based on an aspect of Batman’s world. Among the restaurants will be Pennyworth’s, inspired by Alfred Pennyworth and featuring British sharing dishes; The Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge, featuring an international menu and based on The Penguin’s notorious Gotham nightclub; an omakase restaurant inspired by Harley Quinn; and a villainous speakeasy called Old Gotham City. “I am still a child at heart, inspired by the greatest stories and storytellers,” said James Bulmer, chief creative officer of Wonderland Restaurants group. “For me, great food experiences are about unlocking guests’ emotions and creating edible memories.” The restaurant experience is set to open in Soho later this year.
