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, Zoe Thorogood will publish her autobiographical graphic novel “It’s Lonely at the Center of the Earth” via Image Comics. We also had an exclusive preview of the upcoming “X-Men” #10.
– DC Comics has announced a new one-shot tying into their upcoming ‘Dark Crisis’ event. Via ComicBook.com, writer Tom King and artist Chris Burnham’s “Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Superman” #1 picks up from the events of “Justice League” #75’s ‘Death of the Justice League,’ for a story that digs into what Clark Kent lost by missing his son’s teenage years. The issue will feature a backup story honoring Aquaman by Brandon Thomas, Chuck Brown, and Fico Ossio. “Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Superman” #1 takes off on July 12.
– Marvel unveiled two series that will be tying into the upcoming Avengers, X-Men and Eternals crossover ‘A.X.E.: Judgment Day.’ First, via The Beat, “X-Men Red” #5 from Al Ewing, Stefano Caselli, Federico Blee, and Ariana Maher will see ‘Judgment Day’ giving the mutants of Arakko their “greatest test since ‘X of Swords.’” “X-Men Red” #5 hits shelves on July 20. Then, via Newsarama, Deadpool will rejoin his old squad in “X-Force” #30 as ‘Judgment Day’ brings the team into conflict with Kraven the Hunter. Written by Benjamin Percy and drawn by Robert Gill, “X-Force” #30 cuts its way to shelves on July 27.
– The Hugo Awards have unveiled their 2022 slate of nominees. Writer Kieron Gillen has landed two nominations for Best Graphic Story or Comic, for “DIE” (alongside artist Stephanie Hans and letterer Clayton Cowles), and “Once & Future” (with artist Dan Mora and colorist Tamra Bonvillain). Additional nominees in the category include “Far Sector,” “Lore Olympus,” “Monstress,” and “Strange Adventures.” Marvel entries Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and WandaVision picked up nominations for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, while the season finale of Loki earned a nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. You can find the full list of nominees here. The winners will be announced during the World Science Fiction Convention, held in Chicago from September 1-5.
– “Fun Home” cartoonist Alison Bechdel will receive the 2022 International Humanities Prize from Washington University in St. Louis. Via the school’s newspaper The Source, the prize honors “the lifetime work of a noted scholar, writer or artist who has made a significant and sustained contribution to the world of arts and letters.” “Alison Bechdel is one of the preeminent cartoonists of the 21st century,” said Rebecca Wanzo, professor and chair of women, gender and sexuality studies. “Her work invites conversations about sexuality, trauma, medium and genre, women in the academy, place and childhood.” Bechdel will receive the prize during a public ceremony on November 9.
– The CW superhero series The Flash, Superman & Lois, and Naomi have all set the dates for their series finales. Via CBR, the trio of shows will wrap up by the end of June. Naomi will end its first season with back-to-back episodes on May 10. Superman & Lois season 2 will wrap next on June 21, ahead of The Flash season 8 finishing the following week on June 29.
– A judge has ruled that the producers of The Walking Dead were not cheated out of their profits by AMC Networks. Via Variety, the long-running lawsuit was first filed by producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Charles Eglee, and Glen Mazzara back in 2017, alleging that AMC Networks had manipulated the producers’ contracts in order to keep a lion’s share of the profits for themselves. AMC Networks settled a similar lawsuit with series creator Frank Darabont last year for $200 million, but the company has continued to fight this current battle. The plaintiffs may still appeal the ruling, or proceed to trial over other accounting disputes, so there may be further developments in the case down the line.
Continued below– Comics writer Gail Simone is penning the script for an interactive collaboration between DC and the company SPYSCAPE that will bring Gotham City to life. Batman x SPYSCAPE will be an immersive exhibition experience that finds Oracle gathering recruits to help Batman solve a series of kidnappings. The exhibition will be interactive via a mobile app that allows you to “gather intel and allows you to interact with some of Gotham City’s most compelling characters.” The project will feature new art from Jim Calafiore. It is scheduled to debut sometime later in 2022.
– ICv2 reports that an original copy of Captain America’s first appearance in “Captain America Comics” #1 has tripled its value in the last three years. Heritage Auctions sold the CGC NM 9.4 issue for $2.12 million, 3.4 times its $915,000 value when it was purchased at auction less than three years ago. The sale places this copy of “Captain America Comics” #1 among the top five most expensive comics ever sold, below a copy of “Amazing Fantasy” #15 and two issues of “Action Comics” #1.
– Finally, MGM is producing an adaptation of the comic book “Mercy Sparx” by creators Josh Blaylock and Matt Merhoff. Via Deadline, 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellow Laura Kosann will handle the adaptation of the story, which follows a female demon sent from Hell on a mission to Earth. When Mercy arrives on Earth, she starts to have an internal struggle when she “begins to see the gray area between evil and good.” “Mercy Sparx” first hit print ten years ago courtesy of Devil’s Due Publishing. Blaylock is on board the project as an executive producer.
