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.
– Illustrator Jacob Phillips announced the release of his new collaboration with writer Chris Condon on Twitter. The new comic “Brutal Dark” will see release on the pair’s shared Patreon account, with a new 8-page issue available for $1 each month. The series follows Ezra Cain, a private detective in 1941 New York City. The pair noted that the monthly story is meant to fill the gap between the release of their upcoming Image Comics series “That Texas Blood,” which is scheduled to hit shelves on June 24. The first issue of “Brutal Dark” is already available on Phillips and Condon’s Patreon.
– In further digital comics news, the first issue of the new comic “Bad Karma” from Alex de Campi, Ryan Howe and Dee Cunniffe has been released by Panel Syndicate. The action/thriller series follows Sully and Ethan, army veterans who go on a Christmas road trip to free an innocent man blamed for a mercenary job they did. “Bad Karma” is available for purchase now on a “name your price” model.
– The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors have announced this year’s Peabody nominees, and HBO’s Watchmen has a chance to add the prestigious award to its long list of accolades. Watchmen was among 60 nominees that the Board of Jurors identified as representing “the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media” last year. “Amidst the challenges of our present moment, we can find empathy, entertainment and truth in these nominees,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. 30 winners will be selected from the nominees, and will be announced at an unnamed later date. You can head to the Peabody Awards website for a full list of nominees.
– We have previously noted DC’s updated solicits for June, but Newsarama’s report on those updates includes an interesting tidbit: DC’s new weekly release paradigm will continue to see new titles released on Tuesday to both digital platforms and retailers ordering from the distributors Lunar and UCS. Retailers still receiving orders from Diamond Comics Distributors will still officially have a Wednesday release date.
– Marvel has announced a shift in release strategy for eight of its upcoming titles. Next week’s new comic book day (Wednesday, May 13) will see four titles, including “Ant-Man” #4 and “Ghost Spider” #9, shifting from a physical release to become digital exclusives. May 20 will see four additional titles become digital only, including “Star” #4 and “Hawkeye: Freefall” #5. According to Marvel, these issues will be made available in print collections sometime later this year.
– Via Newsarama, a Facebook Live telethon is bringing together a long list of creators to benefit Canadian comic shops. Organized by a group of Canadian comics retailers, Be Our Heroes, Canada! will take place on May 16 and 17, and feature appearances from fan favorites like Chip Zdarsky, Jason Fabok, Ken Lashley, Michael Cho, Svetlana Chmakova, Seth, and more. Organizer Jennifer Haines, owner of the Ontario comic book store chain The Dragon, said, “Now more than ever, we need to come together to support one another, and provide our respective communities with a way to stay connected, all while protecting retailers that might otherwise fall through the cracks of government funding.” Proceeds from the event will be collected and distributed by the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund.
– Variety reports Jungle Cruise stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt are reteaming for the superhero movie Ball and Chain. The movie, written by Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick), is based on Scott Lobdell and Alé Garza’s 1999 miniseries of the same name, and follows a troubled married couple who gain superpowers, which only work properly when they’re together. Johnson and Blunt are also producing the project, which has no distribution deal yet.
– Actor Will Arnett has made a surprise reprisal of his titular role from The LEGO Batman Movie — and for a good cause. The official LEGO Twitter account shared an animated short featuring Arnett as Batman alongside the voice of Ralph Fiennes. The short is a coronavirus explainer designed to help kids understand the complex discourse and buzzwords being thrown around during the current health crisis. Given Universal’s purchase of the LEGO movie rights from Warner Bros. last month, it may also end up being Arnett’s final time voicing the part.
– Newsarama reports that writer and artist Christian Ward will be making the jump from the page to… the BBC’s Garden Rescue. Ward, alongside his wife, opera singer Catherine Rooney-Ward, will be visited by the Garden Rescue team as they attempt to revitalize the overgrown garden in the family’s newly purchased Victorian home. The episode will chronicle their attempts to bring some of the vibrant colors Ward’s art is known for into his home. This episode is scheduled to air May 13 at 3:45 p.m. GMT on BBC One.
