Welcome 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, we talked with writers Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie about the newly released “New Challengers,” the last book to debut in DC’s ‘New Age of Heroes’ line.
– The producers behind Gotham are bringing even more Batman prequel action to the small screen with Pennyworth, a series detailing Alfred Pennyworth’s journey from British solider to faithful butler. The 10-episode series will air on premium cable network Epix, and not DC’s own upcoming streaming service, according to DC’s press release.
– In other DC Entertainment news, The Death of Superman animated feature, part of DC’s ongoing slate of direct-to-DVD animation, is scheduled to release July 24. You can find more details on the film at Newsarama.
– Finally from DC, June’s “Detective Comics” #982 will now be written by Michael Moreci with art by Sebastian Fiumara. It is now unknown when Bryan Hill and Miguel Mendonca’s five-issue run guest-starring Black Lightning will actually begin.
– Elizabeth Shue has joined the cast of Amazon Prime’s upcoming adaptation The Boys. She will play Madelyn Stillwell, the Vice President of Hero Management for Vought, which oversees public relations and the assignments of the Superheroes in the show’s world. The show, based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book, is due out next year.
– The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed artist Stuart McMillen about his web comic, “I Used to Be Racist.” The comic examines the racism, sexism, and homophobia that McMillen says was “rife” at his school as he grew up, as well as how things have (and haven’t) changed since the 1990s.
– German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung issued an apology for a contentious cartoon that depicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai and included anti-Semitic stereotypes. “It was a mistake to publish it, and we apologize,” said editor-in-chief Wolfgang Krach.
– GLAAD applauded Deadpool 2 for the movie’s unequivocal inclusion of an LGBTQ superhero, the first in a big-budget superhero movie. We won’t say more here, to avoid spoilers, but you can read more at GLAAD.org.
– Comic Book Resources has the breakdown of an ongoing feud between artists Michael Netzer and Neal Adams over the creation and rightful ownership of Ms. Mystic, a character who was initially developed for Pacific Comics and later appeared within Adams’s Continuity Comics line. Netzer claims Adams glossed over or erased his contributions to Ms. Mystic’s creation; Adams says Netzer did not help create the character.
– Off-Panel and SKTCHD’s David Harper (formerly of this site) took an in-depth look at “The Death of the Floppy,” comparing comics sales numbers for the top 300 titles from 1998 to the current day, attempting to make some sense of the numbers along the way. Harper’s take is ultimately optimistic, noting that today’s 300th ranked comic sells many more copies than 1998’s 300th ranked book.
– Canadian publisher Koyama Press announced their fall line-up of books, including eclectic titles from Michael DeForge, Keiler Roberts, and Mickey Zacchilli. Broken Frontier has details on all seven upcoming books.
– io9 have the first look at Jim Ottoviani and Leland Myrick (“Feynman”)’s upcoming graphic novel about the late Stephen Hawking. The currently untitled comic will be published by First Second Books next year.
