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, we interviewed Zach Weinersmith about his new OGN “Bea Wolf,” and Peter Bergting about his upcoming artbook.
– Via Nerdist, an adaptation of the first book in Shannon Messenger’s middle-grade fantasy series, Keeper of the Lost Cities, will be released later this year. Scripted by Celina Frenn (My Little Pony) with art by Gabriella Chianello (“The Nightmare Before Christmas: Mirror Moon”), the graphic novel will retell the first half of the first book, which centers around 12-year-old Sophie Foster, a girl with telepathic abilities who learns she is an elf. Keeper of the Lost Cities was launched in 2012, and so far consists of ten books. “Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Graphic Novel Part 1” will be published by Simon & Schuster imprint Aladdin on November 7, 2023.
– Ahead of the upcoming animated Netflix series Mech Cadets, BOOM! Studios have announced a softcover collection of the source material, Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa’s “Mech Cadet Yu,” which will be published under the name “Mech Cadets Book One.” Originally released from 2017 to 2018, the series told the story of Stanford Yu, a young boy working with his mom as a janitor at Sky Corps Academy, when one of the alien mechs the school’s cadets are supposed to bond with, chooses him instead. The renamed book, collecting all 12 issues, will be released in comic book stores on May 17, and bookstores on May 23, 2023.
– In further comic book release date news, Titan have rescheduled Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, and Karl Stevens’s horror graphic novel “Mother Nature” for July, while Marvel announced the ‘Captain America: Cold War’ crossover will conclude with an “Omega” issue in June. The crossover, which runs through issues #12-13 of “Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty” and “Symbol of Truth,” will kick off with “Cold War Alpha” on April 12.
– Via THR, Jon Bernthal will reprise the role of the Punisher/Frank Castle on Daredevil: Born Again. Bernthal first played the murderous vigilante on the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil, before starring in two seasons of his own show. For the record, the Punisher does not appear in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s ‘Born Again,’ the story the show derives its name from. The trade also states Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson are not expected to return as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, further indicating the title is only a nod to the classic comic. Daredevil: Born Again begins shooting in New York this month, and will premiere on Disney+ next spring.
– Variety reports Patty Jenkins and Kevin Feige’s Star Wars films are no longer in active development. The former, Rogue Squadron, was originally announced for a December 2023 release, while Feige’s project only had writer Michael Waldron attached. Taika Waititi’s film is still in the works, with the trade saying Waititi will also co-star in the movie, as is Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Damon Lindelof, and Justin Britt-Gibson’s movie. Whatever shape the next Star Wars movie takes, it is currently penciled in for a December 2025 release.
– Shortcomings, Randall Park’s film adaptation of Adrian Tomine’s graphic novel, has been picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. The comedy, which marks Park’s directorial debut, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and tells the story of Ben (Justin H. Min), an aspiring filmmaker who manages an arthouse theater. The movie, also starring Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Jacob Batalon, does not currently have a scheduled release date.
– Finally, Popverse shares Diamond Comic Distributors has lowered shipping costs by 40 percent, in a move seen as intended to help better compete with single-issue market newcomers Lunar and Penguin Random House. In a letter to comic book retailers, Diamond founder and CEO Steve Geppi said the acquisition of the Collectible Grading Authority in 2021 allowed them to negotiate “more favorable carrier agreements.” He says, “Diamond will be reducing UPS freight charges on print material by 20% this April, and an additional 20% off the current rate in July, for a total reduction in UPS freight charges of 40%,” adding, “We are also in discussions with other carriers including FedEx and USPS for certain shipments.”
