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, Scout Comics will publish “Agents of W.O.R.D.L.E.,” AfterShock announced “A Calculated Man,” and writer Brian Michael Bendis has joined artist André Lima Araújo for the “Phenomena” trilogy. We also spoke to Taylor Robin, creator of the webcomic “Never Satisfied.”
– “Hulkling & Wiccan” #1 will receive a physical release this summer, in time for Pride Month. Written by Josh Trujillo, with art from Jodi Nishijima, the story follows the Young Avengers as Agatha Harkness takes aim against their romance. The comic, which was originally released digitally on the Marvel Unlimited app, will feature covers from Peach Momoko and Luciano Vecchio. It’s due out in stores on June 15.
– ComiXology Original “40 Seconds” will be getting a print release from Dark Horse Comics. The 2020 series, written by Jeremy Haun with art from Christopher Mitten, will receive a physical collected edition as part of the ongoing deal between the two publishers. A sci-fi comic, “40 Seconds” follows a team of scientific explorers who travel through a series of alien gateways to answer a distress call from another galaxy, only to find themselves pursued by a vast, monstrous horde. The 136-page collection hits shelves on October 4 of this year.
– The Marvel Netflix series are coming to Disney+ globally, including the U.S. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher will make the transition to the streamer on March 16, in a move that surprised fans and industry analysts, who expected the TV-MA shows to be added to Hulu instead. Consequently, the American version of Disney+ will join the rest of the world in adding parental controls to the streaming service that day.
– Funimation will move their entire anime library to Crunchyroll. The merger will also include Funimation subsidiary Wakanim and Crunchyroll’s VRV, creating one unified Crunchyroll app. Funimation, Wakanim, and VRV subscribers will receive a free 60 days of Crunchyroll Premium.
– Sandstorm, the first dedicated comic book studio in Abu Dhabi, has officially opened for business in the emirate. The studio is part of Abu Dhabi’s Dhs30bn Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) Strategy, and encourages young creators to submit their work. Image and Top Cow creator Matt Hawkins, and former Penguin Random House, Diamond Comic Distributors, and ReedPOP executive Kuo-Yu Liang, have been hired as content advisers.
– Fan favorite voice actor John DiMaggio will be returning for Hulu’s Futurama revival after all. The actor, best known for voice the beer-swilling robot Bender, thanked fans for their support in a statement, before declaring the end of “#BenderGate.”
– SAG Award-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Ariana DeBose has joined the cast of J.C. Chandor’s Kraven the Hunter film. DeBose earned recognition for her role in the recent West Side Story remake. She will portray the Voodoo priestess Calypso.
– “I heard a rumor that… Javon Walton is joining the cast of Umbrella Academy Season 3,” teased Netflix’s official Twitter account. The Euphoria child actor has been confirmed for the adaptation of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic of the same name. No word on who Walton will play, but the series is set to return sometime this year.
– “Fullmetal Alchemist” is celebrating its 20th anniversary with two new feature films. The two-part live-action sequel is set to release in Japan this summer, with Part 1 (Scar the Avenger) set to drop May 20, and Part 2 (The Final Alchemy) following on June 24. The trailer for both parts can be watched here.
– Finally, in contrast to the controversial 2016 all-male shortlist, all the nominees for the Angoulême 2022 Grand Prix Award are women. The three leading names for the award are Québécois-Canadian cartoonist Julie Doucet (“Dirty Plotte”) alongside French cartoonists Catherine Meurisse (“Les Grands Espaces”) and Pénélope Bagieu (“Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked The World”). The winners will be selected by comic professionals in each the second round of voting from March 2 and 8. The awards will be given out during the Angoulême Festival, running from March 17 to 20.
