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, Star Wars Celebration was this past weekend, and we’ve got a roundup of all the newsworthy highlights. Also, Skybound Entertainment announced “Reaver,” Marvel has a new event storyline called ‘Acts of Evil,’ and the manga/anime community lost a legend with the death of “Lupin the Third” creator, Monkey Punch.
– Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are releasing a new edition of “Bad Weekend” this July, right in time for San Diego Comic Con. The comic, originally published in the second and third issues of this year’s “Criminal,” tells the story of Hal Crane, a veteran cartoonist planning to settle an old score over missing artwork at a convention, where he is also set to receive a lifetime achievement award. The “expanded and remastered” standalone hardcover edition will include all-new and expanded material. If you can’t wait until the summer to check it out, The Hollywood Reporter has a sneak peek.
– The Inkwell Awards announced the winners of its 11th annual awards for excellence in the art form of comic book inking. One winner was chosen in each of five categories based on American interior comic book work cover-dated 2018. Winners were Walden Wong (in two categories), Elisabetta D’Amico, Stefano Gaudiano, and Lee Weeks. Additionally, Jack Davis and Marie Severin were honored with the Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award, and Neal Adams and Dan Adkins were inducted into the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame.
– Archie Comics will release The Archie Art of Francesco Francavilla, a hardcover art book showcasing the work of the Italian artist who has worked with the publisher since 2011. According to a tweet by Francavilla, the book will contain covers, layouts, interiors, and concepts. It’s due in stores July 31.
– Marvel fans, be warned — leaked footage from Avengers: Endgame is making the rounds on social media, and it’s apparently pretty “spoiler heavy.” The leak is a big blow to Disney, which has up until now managed to keep many details about the film under wraps. Screenshots, gifs, clips, and reactions to the footage have surfaced on Twitter and Reddit, so keep that in mind while browsing the internet leading up to the movie’s April 26 debut.
– Students in Scotland will soon get an education in democracy and the history of the Scottish Parliament through a new comic book. While the project is still in early development stages, the plan is to eventually distribute it across Scotland’s 2500 schools, both in Gaelic and English.
– Nintendo of America revealed the cover art and release date for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. The Switch-exclusive will be available July 19 and is the first new game in the Ultimate Alliance series since 2009.
– Big Hero 6 The Series has been renewed for a third season by the Disney Channel ahead of the season 2 premiere on May 6. The show is based on the Oscar-winning feature film, Big Hero 6, and continues the adventures of Hiro, Baymax, and their friends.
– Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy is being condemned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews for being anti-semitic. According to Vice President Amanda Bowman, the use of Yiddish by an evil villain who heads up an organization controlling the world feeds into the anti-semitic trope of global Jewish domination. The use of Yiddish was a decision made by the show; it does not appear in the comic book.
– John Cusack has been cast in Amazon’s Utopia as Dr. Kevin Christie. Utopia follows a group of young adults who are hunted by a deep state organization after they come in possession of a cult underground graphic novel. Cusack will star opposite Sasha Lane and Rainn Wilson.
– Finally, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced more details on the DVD/Blu-ray release of Titans. Season 1 will be available July 16 and include several special features. Check them out here.
