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, Marvel announced a “Spider-Man: India” miniseries by Nikesh Shukla and Abhishek Malsuni; Image and Skybound announced “Void Rivals” by Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici, and Matheus Lopes; and Vault announced “Unnatural Order” by Christopher Yost and Val Rodrigues.
– Mad Cave Studios announced “You’ve Been Cancelled,” a four-part miniseries by writer Curt Pires, artist Kevin Castaniero, colorist Jason Wordie, and letterer Micah Myers. The series is set in the future, where “individuals who society has voted to ‘cancel’ following heinous actions or offenses” are killed on a livestreamed show by bounty hunters known as Cancellers. It will follow the paranoid life that is being led by the highest ranking Canceller in the world, Roland Endo. Speaking about the series, Pires said it has “hilarity, satire and good old-fashioned ultraviolence in equal measure. Not to mention mind-blowingly beautiful artwork.” “You’ve Been Cancelled” #1 has a release date of June 7. You can check out Martin Simmonds’s variant here.
– Marvel started to peel back the curtain on the upcoming relaunch of “Black Panther” by Eve Ewing and Chris Allen. As part of an interview on The TODAY Show, Chris Allen’s new character designs were revealed, and Ewing described this iteration of the character as “working incognito.” Following up on the interview, the publisher revealed the premise for Ewing and Allen’s relaunch will be that T’Challa is “banished from the throne and a fugitive” in Wakanda, limited to working on the streets of the city Birnin T’Chaka. John Ridley will end his tenure as writer of “Black Panther” with the release of issue #15 in March, with Ewing and Allen’s run on the series set to launch with a new #1 in June. The cover for Ewing and Allen’s “Black Panther” #1 can be seen at Marvel.com.
– Oni Press announced the first volume of “Rick & Morty: The Manga” by writer Alissa M. Sallah and artist Jey Odin. Subtitled ‘Get in the Robot, Morty!,’ the first volume will see Rick build a huge robot for Morty to pilot to defeat an army of enemies that all look like Jerry, except they are “huge, fast, vicious, and… naked?” All of the stories in the series are set to be inspired by other manga, though specific stories have not been revealed or hinted at. Oni Press has given “Rick & Morty: The Manga Volume 1: Get In The Robot, Morty!” a book shop release for October 31, with a comic book shop release the next day on November 1, 2023. In the meantime, a preview of the volume can be found here.
– Via The Beat, 2000 AD announced a YA-aimed one-shot called “Mega City Max,” from a host of creators such as Hannah Templer, VV Glass, Roger Langridge, and more. Specific details about the stories within the one-shot have been kept under wraps, but the one-shot is intended to be an accessible collection, with introductions to original characters as well as “updated versions” of some of the publisher’s most well known figures, including the Harlem Heroes and Devlin Waugh. “Mega City Max” is scheduled for release on July 19; a preview story from the one-shot will be featured in 2000 AD’s Silver Free Comic Book Day offering on May 6. In the meantime, a preview of the one-shot’s Devlin Waugh-led story can be found here.
– Dark Horse Books unveiled their latest collaboration with YouNeek Studios: a crossover of YouNiverse characters called “The Oloris: Heroes Will Unite Volume 1” by writer Roye Okupe, artist Sunkanmi Akinboye, and colorist Etubi Onucheyo, with lettering by Spoof Animation. “Heroes Will Unite” will see the warrior queen, Malika, bring together a host of heroes to defend Africa against androids from the Moon, that have been brought to Earth by an “unknown anarchist.” The YouNiverse draws on African culture and spans both the superhero and fantasy genres. It currently consists of eight volumes and four series: “Malika: The Warrior Queen,” “E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams,” “Iyanu: Child of Wonder,” and “Windmaker.” “The Oloris: Heroes Will Unite Volume 1” is set for a comic book shop release on August 9, 2023, with a bookshop release a day earlier on August 8. You can check out YouNeek’s suggested reading order here.
Continued below– The upcoming live-action DC series, Dead Boy Detectives has been moved from HBO Max to Netflix, after the show was deemed surplus to the Gunn and Safran-helmed direction of DC adaptations. Adapting the characters Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner created for “The Sandman,” the series will follow the titular characters, Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), in a “ghost story” that looks “a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid.” Kassius Nelson will join the two lead characters as their living friend, Crystal Palace. The show getting a new home is the only change, with Steve Yockey and Beth Schwartz remaining as co-showrunners and Greg Berlanti still serving as a producer. A premiere date is not known at this time.
– ET and Variety reported that Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and David Cross have joined the cast of the upcoming fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy. Real-life husband and wife Offerman and Mullally are set to portray Drs. Gene and Jean Thibedeau, who are afflicted with “the most extreme case of deja vu this timeline has ever seen.” Cross will portray a shy father called Sy Grossman, who is desperately trying “to reconnect with his estranged daughter.” It is not yet clear the size of the roles the trio will have in the final season. A premiere date for the Netflix show has yet to be announced.
– Finally, Andrews McMeel Publishing will no longer syndicate “Dilbert” after a racist outburst by creator Scott Adams. Chairman Hugh Andrews and CEO/President Andy Sareyan both said in a statement, “We will never support any commentary rooted in discrimination or hate. Recent comments by Scott Adams regarding race and race relations do not align with our core values as a company.” The outburst occurred on Adams’s YouTube channel, where he was discussing a recent Rasmussen Reports survey regarding the phrase/dog whistle, “It’s ok to be white.” 53% of Black respondents agreed with the statement. From the survey results, Adams concluded that “if nearly half of Blacks are not OK with white people,” then “that’s a hate group,” and advised “white people… to get the hell away from Black people.” The decision was preceded by media outlets under the Gannett umbrella, who said they would no longer publish “Dilbert” due to Adams’s “recent discriminatory comments.”
