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.
– Artist Greg Smallwood caused controversy with a statement about the late Ed Piskor on Friday. Smallwood said he would not work with anyone who “bullied” Piskor after the allegations that the cartoonist was a sexual predator emerged, unless they apologized, claiming “this industry likes to hold people accountable, but we’re never clear on terms or atonement.” He subsequently argued with and ignored anyone who pointed out So Many of Us had laid out a rehabilitation plan for Warren Ellis, that the writer reportedly gave up on. Those who have criticized Smallwood include Jamie McKelvie, Tyler Crook, Erica Henderson, Pete Woods, Chris Schweizer, Hannah Vardit, Tamra Bonvillain, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt, Neil Kleid, Kate Sheridan, and the Comics in the Golden Age podcast, who said his “response is everything wrong with how the comics industry addresses inappropriate behavior and sexual abuse.”
– IDW Publishing was hit with more layoffs. In a statement, IDW said they made “the tough but strategic decision to reduce five positions [on Friday]. This is part of a strategy to create a more efficient IDW, and one that will be better able to delight fans for years and years to come. We are grateful for the years of commitment and hard work, and wish abundant success to those affected.” Those affected included Kristin Simon, Group Editor of Original Graphic Novels, Collected Editions & New Initiatives, and COO Amber Huerta, who had been promoted to that position after last year’s layoffs. The news followed special projects editor Scott Dunbier’s previously announced departure from the company on Friday.
– Titan Comics will publish “Anfield Road,” the debut graphic novel of writer, artist, and filmmaker Chris Shepherd (Shameless, Out of Her Mind). A coming-of-age romance set in Liverpool in 1989, the book follows Conor Sterling, a working class 17-year old, “as he wrestles with the tough choice to go to art college, or look after his sick, dominating grandmother” – something complicated when he falls in love with a West Indian girl she “disapproves” of. (Incidentally, Anfield is the suburb in Liverpool where Shepherd grew up.) The 272-page book will retail in hardcover for $12.99 on September 10, 2024.
– Kodansha revealed their upcoming releases will include a three-volume adaptation of Suzume, the latest anime film from director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering with You). Released in 2022, Suzume followed a high school girl who accidentally unleashes the guardian of an otherworldly portal in an abandoned part of town, sending her on a trip across Japan as she tries to retrieve it before it’s too late. The adaptation, by artist Denki Amashima, will begin releasing in English on September 24, 2024. The film itself, which was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature, is available now on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
– Marvel Unlimited launched “Infinity Paws,” a weekly new vertical comic by writer Jason Loo (“Cosmo the Spacedog”) and artist Nao Fuji (“Marvel Meow”), that sends Jeff the Land Shark, Chewie, Alpine, Liho, Lucky, and Coal on a cosmic adventure. The first chapter, out now, sees the superhero pets gain possession of the Space Stone during a Kree invasion of New York. A new arc of “Spider-Man Unlimited Infinity,” by Preeti Chhibber and Jason Muhr, also kicked off in last week’s chapter #31; the storyline, described as an ode to fan fiction, finds Peter Parker wishing for a simpler life, only for it to wind up becoming nothing like that.
– In Star Wars news, Disney announced The Mandalorian & Grogu movie will be released on May 22, 2026, confirming it will be the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019. Two further films are currently set for December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027. Meanwhile, House of Cards creator Beau Willimon will co-write James Mangold’s Jedi origins project, now purportedly titled Dawn of the Jedi. The film will mark Willimon’s second Star Wars gig, after Andor, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.
Continued below– NBC have canceled the revival of Quantum Leap as a result of low ratings. The show, which ran for two seasons, aired its two-hour finale on February 20. Via Instagram, lead actor Raymond Lee told fans, “We’re so proud of the show we made and more proud of the stories we got to tell. And selfishly, for me, I got to make some really awesome friends along the way. If and when another group gets a hold of the accelerator and its capabilities, may they find us floating in time, still striving to put right what once went wrong.”
– In casting news, Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) will have a recurring role in The Walking Dead: Dead City season two as Bruegel, a gang leader in New York. Meanwhile, Lou Taylor Pucci (Physical, the Evil Dead remake) will appear in Daredevil: Born Again in an unnamed role. Filming on the second season of Maggie and Negan’s spin-off is currently underway, while Born Again has wrapped shooting ahead of its release sometime next year.
– In DC news, 1938’s “Action Comics” #1 has reclaimed the title of the valuable comic book of all time, after a copy was sold by Heritage Auctions for $6 million on Thursday. It tops a copy of 1939’s “Superman” #1 that sold for $5.3 million in 2022. Elsewhere, gameplay and screenshots from a canceled Batman game by Monolith Productions emerged online, revealing an open-world game starring Christian Bale’s Batman. The project was canned to avoid competition with the Arkham series, and redeveloped into 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. It would’ve marked Monolith’s second DC game after Gotham City Impostors, instead of their upcoming Wonder Woman title.
– Finally, Urano Publishing announced Heroes, Villains and Healing: Marvel Edition, a new book by author, teacher, and CSA survivor Kenneth Rogers Jr., due out on June 4. The book will use the stories of characters like Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Daredevil, Captain America, and Kraven the Hunter to explore how other male survivors can process their trauma. “Comics, while designed to be read through the lens of good vs. evil and hero vs. villain, can cause survivors to view their reality, their actions, and the actions of others in the same black-and-white terms,” says the synopsis. “However, reality is more complex, containing contrasting colors and shades of grey.” It is the latest book in Rogers’s How to Heal Your Superhero series, which previously explored the subject with DC heroes.
