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The Rundown: March 27, 2020

By | March 27th, 2020
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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, Titan Comics announced “Horizon Zero Dawn” will start in late July, and Roman Arambula, the artist on the “Mickey Mouse” comic strip, passed away at age 83. We also have an exclusive excerpt from Julian Peters’s new anthology “Poems to See By: A Comic Artist Interprets Great Poetry.”

One of Dark Horse's
delayed releases

Dark Horse Comics have detailed their response to COVID-19 and the temporary closure of Diamond Distributors. “We will not be releasing any comics digitally that are not also available in print” said Dark Horse. “We still have collections, OGNs and art books shipping through our bookstore distributor Penguin Random House (from whom comics retailers can also order). Those respective titles will be made available digitally the same day they are available from retailers.”

Archie Comics have released a statement to retailers on the situation, similar to Image Comics they’re offering stores complete returnability for all titles released from March to May. All new releases from April to July will be delayed indefinitely. This includes “Betty Cooper: Superteen,” “Archie Meets Flash Gordon,” “Archie & Katy Keene,” “Sabrina: Something Wicked,” “Super Duck” and “Betty and Veronica: The Bond of Friendship.” A few comics set for early April releases will have limited releases, as “Sabrina: Something Wicked” #1, “Cosmo the Mighty Martian” #5 and “Vampironica: New Blood” #4 were already printed. A few graphic novels and reprints will continue to release digitally. “We are aiming to strike a delicate balance between meeting the needs of our subscriber and digital customers while also reducing on our partners in the direct market,” said Archie. “Do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions on how we can help you through these difficult times. This is a conversation and we want to remain in contact with you.”

– In a weird piece of miscommunication, Lucasfilm have announced that Alyssa Wong, Marika Cresta and Rachelle Rosenberg’s “Doctor Aphra” #1 is still releasing on April 1 digitally, despite contrary statements by Marvel. Marvel are yet to make a statement on their policy regarding new releases following the Diamond closure, but have revealed to Newsarama that “Doctor Aphra” won’t have a print or digital release on April 1. The comic is still listed on comiXology, Previews World and Marvel’s own digital store front, but is sitting in digital limbo alongside many other comics set to arrive April 1.

– DC Comics have released a statement on the mass closures caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. “Our editorial teams and support staff are working remotely for the foreseeable future but that will not interfere with our day-to-day operations” said editor-in-chief Bob Harras. “As we transition to a company working from home, we gain the flexibility to overcome any challenge. Most importantly, we remain incredibly excited about the stories we will create together.” The open letter doesn’t speak to any new policy regarding their titles releasing April 1, and onwards, but urges readers to “take care and don’t hesitate to reach out.” Publishers BOOM!, Dynamite, Vault, Image, IDW, Archie and Dark Horse have all made statements reacting to the end to distribution, but DC is the first ‘big two’ publisher to break the silence.

– Dan Fogler, actor in the Fantastic Beasts series and The Walking Dead, will be writing three new series for Heavy Metal magazine: “Brooklyn Gladiator,” “Fishkill” and “Moon Lake.” “Brooklyn Gladiator,” set in the dystopic year of 2033, is a homage to “Akira” that pits an unlikely hero against the scheming, untrustworthy government he’s caught under. Issue #1 releases July 1 with art by Simon Bisley (“Lobo,” “Hellblazer”). “Fishkill” is a crime story co-written by Lawrence Blum with artist Ben Templesmith (“30 Days of Night,” “Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse”). “I love a guy who gets beat up for justice. He’s looking for truth, he’s looking for justice, he gets his ass kicked and he just keeps on coming back,” said Fogler about his protagonist. “He’s just so stubborn, you know? I think we need more people like that in the world today.” “Fishkill” #1 release July 8. Finally, “Moon Lake” will be a scifi/fantasy/horror anthology series set in the bordertown of Moon Lake as it’s constantly besieged by horrors outside of time. Its first issue releases July 15.

Continued below

– In more Heavy Metal news, Stephanie Phillips (“Butcher of Paris,” “Red Atlantis”) is writing Taarna, a staple character of the publisher. In the past Phillips has written for DC, AfterShock, Dark Horse, Image and Black Mask. The pterodactyl-riding warrior has no artist attached as of yet.

The Flash will have its season finale pushed back due to COVID-19 fears. The show has filmed all episodes up until May 19, but will go on hiatus following this. This comes alongside the delay of Supernatural’s 19th episode onwards and Legacies episodes following April 16. It’s hoped that the shows will be picked up later in 2020.

– Similarly Stargirl‘s premiere was be delayed by a week: originally set to release on May 11, it will now make its way to DC Universe on May 18, and the CW on May 19. The show will air weekly, releasing Mondays on streaming and Tuesdays on CW. “I’ve written a lot of superhero stories in my career, but Stargirl is by far the most personal on every level,” said Geoff Johns. “The cast, crew and everyone involved has given their talent and passion to bringing Stargirl to life and I couldn’t be more grateful for them.”

– Finally, manga character Lupin the Third’s latest animated feature film will now be distributed in the US and Canada through GKIDS. The film, titled Lupin the Third: The First is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. “As someone who has been a fan of Lupin III since The Castle of Cagliostro, I was blown away by quality of animation and storytelling in Lupin the Third: the First,” said GKIDS President David Jesteadt. “Director Takashi Yamazaki has taken such incredible care and detail in creating Lupin’s first adventure in CG, and I am hopeful that audiences fall in love with the film as much as I have.” The film is slated for a 2020 release.


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James Dowling

James Dowling is probably the last person on Earth who enjoyed the film Real Steel. He has other weird opinions about Hellboy, CHVRCHES, Squirrel Girl and the disappearance of Harold Holt. Follow him @James_Dow1ing on Twitter if you want to argue about Hugh Jackman's best film to date.

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