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, Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for Snakes Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, Marvel announced a mini-series for the “Winter Guard,” and Image Comics/Top Cow announced the fantasy western series “St. Mercy.”
– Dark Horse announced “Killer Queens,” a retro, LGBTQ+ inclusive space adventure by writer David M. Booher (“Canto”), and artist Claudia Balboni (“Fairlady”). It tells the story of Max and Alex, two gay, reformed assassins-for-hire on the run after stealing a ship from their former boss (a monkey). The two decide to undertake a kidnapping rescue mission on a nearby moon — “only complication? Half the moon is ruled by a fascist dictator hostile to foreigners.” The four-issue series begins August 18.
– Marvel will continue to celebrate Deadpool’s 30th anniversary this August with “Deadpool: Black, White & Blood.” This five-issue anthology mini-series features various creators telling bloody stories about the Merc’ with a Mouth, similar to the previously released titles “Wolverine: Black, White & Blood,” and “Carnage: Black, White & Blood.” The first issue of the series will have stories by writer Ed Brisson with artist Whilce Portacio, Tom Taylor and Phil Noto, and James Stokoe. The title will also feature a main cover by artist Adam Kubert.
– Abrams Books will be releasing The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a collection of two hardcover books that detail the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Combined, the two books will cover the inception of the MCU (Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three). They will also as hint at what the future holds for the MCU in Phase Four and beyond. With 512 pages of stories from writers, producers, directors, actors, and crew members, it will be the first-and-only authorized book offering a glimpse inside the MCU. The book will be available on October 12, 2021.
– Marvel have teamed-up with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) for “The Vitals: True EMS Stories.” The special comic book focuses on the true stories of first medical responders from the EMS community, and was written by Sean Ryan with art from J.L. Giles, Ze Carlos, and Ramon Bachs. At the end of 2020, Marvel released the similarly themed “The Vitals: True Nurse Stories,” which focused on front line healthcare workers. The book will be distributed via EMS and also have an e-reader release on the AHN website; you can read it for free now at the link.
– Alex Segura has been named senior VP of sales and marketing at Oni-Lion Forge Publishing. Segura was previously the co-president of Archie Comics, a position he held since 2017. Prior to that, he worked at Archie Comics as VP, director of sales and marketing, as well as senior VP of publishing and marketing. He was also an editor for Archie’s Dark Circle line of titles. In his new position, Segura will be responsible for Oni-Lion Forge publicity, marketing, and sales.
– Production has wrapped on the horror film Revealer, written by comic book writers Tim Seeley and Michael Moreci. The film is being directed by Emmy Award-winning director Luke Boyce, and takes place in 1980s Chicago, where a religious protestor and a stripper find themselves trapped together in a peep show. The film is a spiritual homage to films like The Evil Dead, and was filmed entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped the creators channel their energy to make something that Seeley describes as “new and weird, and comforting and scary all at the same time.” The film is being produced by Shatterglass Films and The Line Film Co., and is aiming for a summer 2021 release.
– Roger Stern, Ron Frenz, and Sal Buscema have reunited for “The Heroes Union” #1, a 68-page one-shot from new publisher Binge Books. The comic follows The Heroes Union, a superhero group that unites to take down the cosmic horror of Naucrate the Auteur Cosmic, who has the power to shatter worlds. The book is the first in a planned series of comics from Binge Books, who will be making longer books in the format of a single issue release, similar to many European comics. Additionally, the book will have the “seal of approval” from the Comics Code Authority. Many fans will remember that the Comics Code Authority was a group that labelled which books were appropriate for different readers, and that this seal was required for all major releases for a time. While the Comics Code Authority has been defunct for years, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund owns their assets and licensed out the use of the classic “seal of approval” for this release.
Continued below– Baltimore Comic-Con has announced that they will return to in-person conventions this fall. Taking place over October 22-24, Baltimore Comic-Con will be instituting safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of their guests and attendees, but the details have not been specified at this time. The event will feature many noteworthy guests, including Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Cho, Becky Cloonan, Garth Ennis, Mitch Gerads, Tom King, Frank Miller, Walt & Louise Simonson, and Mark Waid. Baltimore Comic-Con is also home to the annual Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, which celebrate achievements in comics, and will take place on October 23.
– ViacomCBS International Studios will be adapting Ricardo Siri Liniers’s graphic novel “Wildflowers.” “Wildflowers” is the latest in a trilogy of books from Liniers and publisher Toon Books, who previously released “The Big Wet Balloon” and “Good Night, Planet.” The series is an ode to his daughters, and follows three young sisters on a magical island where flowers can talk. Liniers will be overseeing the development of the adaptation. This will be the latest in ViacomCBS’s push for kids entertainment, which includes other initiatives like VIS Kids.
– Finally, the long-running “Golgo 13” manga series will be receiving its first spin-off. As revealed in the June 17 issue of Shogakukan’s Big Comic Zokan, the new series is set to debut in the July 17 issue of the magazine. Most of the new story remains a mystery, with only a teaser being shown that hints at the identity of the protagonist as a constant helper who makes Duke Togo’s impossible shots possible. The book is being handled by Takao Saito, the creator of “Golgo 13.”
