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, AfterShock Comics announced the start of a YA imprint titled Seismic, which begins with “Rainbow Bridge” by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, and Valentina Brancati.
– Marvel has released a teaser for an upcoming project called “Extreme Carnage,” due out in July. The image by Leinil Francis Yu and Sunny Gho showcases Carnage and the five Life symbiotes, while the announcement highlights the involvement of Eisner-nominated writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson. Most notably, the art hides a “classified” character, masking them in shadow. The book is set to focus on the Life Foundation symbiotes as they try to reconcile their bloodthirsty tendencies with the needs of their hosts. It was also announced Carnage’s movie debut, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, has been delayed one week to September 24, 2021.
– Abrams ComicArts and Good Trouble productions have announced an August 3 release date for the late congressman John Lewis’s graphic novel “Run: Book One.” The book is a sequel to his previous “March” trilogy, and will also feature co-authors Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, who previously worked on “March” alongside Lewis. Newcomer L. Fury has replaced the originally announced Afua Richardson as the primary artist. The book was first announced in 2018, and focuses on the real story of the political turmoil of the mid-60s in Georgia.
– Writer Ian Wolf has written a humorous book about the famous collective of manga artists known as CLAMP. The book, titled CLAMPdown, is currently seeking a publisher, and Wolf has found a creative way to get his book out into the world, by launching a social media campaign through Twitter. In honor of CLAMP Day (April 1), Wolf is releasing the entire first chapter of the book for free. CLAMP is among one of the most influential manga groups in history, having collectively created “Cardcaptor Sakura,” “Magic Knight Rayearth,” “Clover,” and many other beloved series.
– Jeff Smith, creator of the comic book series “Bone,” has announced that his next project will be “Tuki: Fight for Fire.” The original graphic novel will be launched as a Kickstarter on May 4, with plans to distribute the book in July, which will coincide with the 30th anniversary of “Bone.” Smith initially played around with the world of “Tuki” — which tells the story of the first human to leave Africa — a number of years ago as a webcomic, before repurposing the work as one completed project.
– Actor Jordan Fisher has been cast in the role of Bart Allen for The Flash. He will first appear in episode 17 of the current season, which will be the 150th episode of the series. In the comics, Bart Allen takes on the heroic identity Impulse, and served as a member of both Young Justice and the Teen Titans. Here, Bart is the future son of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton). A Broadway actor, Fisher’s previous credits include Hamilton, and the lead role in Dear Evan Hansen; he also previously starred as one of the leads in To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on Netflix.
– As Supergirl begins to wrap up its final season, Kelly Olsen (Azie Tesfai) is stepping up and becoming the next incarnation of the superhero Guardian. Co-showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner have been planting seeds for this ever since Kelly debuted back in season 4, with the character being shown using Guardian’s shield in the past. The season six premiere aired yesterday, with plans to end the series over the summer.
– Transmedia startup Voltaku have announced an animated series based on the dystopian cyberpunk comic “Killtopia.” Created by Dave Cook and Craig Paton, and published by BHP Comics, “Killtopia” follows a bounty hunter, and his robotic sidekick, as they try to save the bounty hunter’s sister — and the world — from a deadly nano plague. The series will consist of eight 20-minute episodes, written by Phil Gelatt (Love Death + Robots), and directed by Ruairi Robinson (The Last Days on Mars).
Continued below– Netflix has shown off the first trailer for their upcoming movie Ride or Die. The Japanese film is based on the manga series “Gunjō,” and is due out on April 15. It follows two best friends, Rei and Nanae, as they try to escape the police after murdering Nanae’s abusive ex-husband. The movie is directed by Ryuichi Hiroki and stars Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato.
– Disney+ has released the first trailer for their upcoming series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. The show premieres on May 4th (Star Wars Day) with a 70-minute episode, and serves as a sequel to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which originally introduced the troop of soldiers officially known as Clone Force 99. The show is also set to feature the return of fan-favorite characters Admiral Tarkin, Fennec Shand, and Saw Gerrera.
– Finally, Adult Swim has released the first trailer for season 5 of Rick and Morty. Alongside this new footage, it was announced that the new season will begin on June 20. Beyond that, the network has officially declared that June 20 will also be Rick and Morty Day, with plans for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes footage, and more surprises across social media. The series was renewed for an additional 70 episodes back in 2018, with 60 of those episodes yet to air.
