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, Marvel announced two new five-issue miniseries: “Defenders“ from writer Al Ewing and artist Javier Rodriguez, and “Darkhawk” by Kyle Higgins and Juanan Ramirez. DC also announced the Batman event ‘Fear State.’
– IDW Publishing announced that writers Scott and David Tipton are returning to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s fan favorite Mirror Universe in the sprawling “Star Trek: The Mirror War.” The event series will span a total of 13 issues, including four interspersed tie-in specials, beginning with an issue #0 drawn by Carlos Nieto that features a new story of Mirror Picard. Each special will highlight the dark reflection of a different member of the Next Generation crew, with the first one-shot set to focus on Data in December. The saga will follow Mirror Picard’s path of conquest across the Mirror Universe, stoking the wrath of the Klingon-Cardassian alliance. Covers for the main series come from artist J.K. Woodward, who collaborated with the Tiptons on the prior Mirror Universe miniseries, “Star Trek: Through the Mirror” and “Star Trek: Mirror Broken.” “Star Trek: The Mirror War” #0 hits shelves in September.
– Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Karl Kerschl has launched a new manga-inspired creator-owned webcomic. Via Newsarama, “Death Transit Tanager” follows Tanager Ray, a young woman with the ability to speak to the dead. Tanager’s employment as a Death Transit has her ferrying dead souls to the afterlife, whether they like it or not. Known for his work on “Gotham Academy” and “Isola,” Kerschl won an Eisner for his webcomic “The Abominable Charles Christopher” in 2011. “Death Transit Tanager” #1 is available for free on Kerschl’s website.
– Marvel Comics and Games Workshop are collaborating on a new Warhammer 40,000 series. Writer Torunn Grønbekk and artist Edgar Salazar are teaming up for “Warhammer 40,000: Sisters of Battle,” a new series focused on the sisterhood of warriors known as the Adepta Sororitas. When a squad led by Canoness Veridyan arrive on planet Siscia to retrieve a lost Inquisitorial acolyte, and put down a heretical uprising, an unknown force deep within the subterranean city of the planet rears its ugly head. The series is the first entry from the Marvel/Games Workshop partnership since last year’s “Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar” from Kieron Gillen and Jacen Burrows. “Warhammer 40,000: Sisters of Battle” #1 hits shelves on August 18.
– In another brand partnership, Marvel is partnering with Bandai Spirits for “Tech-On Avengers,” a tokusatsu-inspired action-adventure from Jim Zub and Jeff “Chamba” Cruz. The series finds the Red Skull wielding a strange new power that strips heroes of their powers and threatens the entire world, forcing the heroes to don experimental suits from Tony Stark to take on the threat. Manga artist Eiichi Shimizu (“Getter Robo,” “Ultraman”) provides the cover for “Tech-On Avengers” #1, due out August 11.
– A few HBO Max announcements came down the pipe yesterday. CBR has the news that HBO Max is adding an ad-supported subscription tier for $9.99 per month, available starting the first week of June. The new tier offers access to HBO Max’s full catalog, “excluding Warner Bros. Same-Day Premiere films debuting in theaters and on HBO Max throughout 2021” like Dune and The Suicide Squad. Also, via Variety, the streaming service announced a pair of new animated series starring two of DC’s flagship heroes at HBO Max and Cartoon Network. J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves are joining forces with Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm for Batman: Caped Crusader, and My Adventures with Superman has been set up with Jack Quaid and Alice Lee as Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Finally, Treadstone‘s Jeremy Irvine is in talks to play Alan Scott on the platform’s live-action Green Lantern series.
– Via Deadline, actress Jenna Ortega (You, Jane the Virgin) is snapping her way into the title role of Wednesday, the live-action Addams Family series being directed by Tim Burton over at Netflix. Described as a “sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery,” the series follows Wednesday as she attempts to master her psychic abilities and thwart a monstrous killing spree while she studies at Nevermore Academy. The coming-of-age comedy, adapted from the characters and comic strip created by Charles Addams, also comes from Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.
Continued below– The box set for the DC animated film Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two is packed with some nice extras — including a tease for the next animated film on DC’s docket. Via CBR, DC slipped the news of an animated movie titled Injustice — likely based on the Injustice video game franchise — into the news of Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two’s Blu-ray and digital special features, as a sneak peek at the movie will be included in the package. Warner Bros. and DC Films have yet to provide details or a full announcement for the film. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two drops digitally on July 27 and on Blu-ray August 10, and you can find more details about its special features over at The Beat. Part One releases digitally on June 22.
– Archie Comics has confirmed that the forthcoming “The Mighty Crusaders: The Shield” one-shot will still see release despite writer/artist Rob Liefeld publicly quitting the project. Via The Beat, Liefeld left the project, which was initially announced back in December 2020 as a full revamping of Archie’s superhero line, after a “top secret” variant cover was posted to social media a few weeks ago. Liefeld reposted the cover to his own social media, saying that the variant revealed “the key plot point/element,” and that it was time for him to “exit the stage.” Archie Comics has now announced on their own social media that a new writer is being brought on to rewrite the issue based on Liefeld’s artwork. “The Mighty Crusaders: The Shield” #1 is still scheduled to make its June 30 release date.
– The Batgirl movie written by Birds of Prey and The Flash screenwriter Christina Hodson has landed a pair of directors. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) have joined the project, which is being planned as a movie for HBO Max. Joss Whedon was previously on board the project as both writer and director, but he departed in April 2018, citing an inability to crack the story. El Arbi and Fallah have already dipped into the superhero well, co-showrunning Marvel’s upcoming Ms. Marvel series as well as directing its pilot and finale.
– Lastly, artist Terry Dodson has confirmed on Twitter that “Adventureman” will return later this year. The comic from writer Matt Fraction, the art team of Terry and Rachel Dodson, and letterer Clayton Cowles follows a single mother and her son as they are caught up in the legacy of Adventureman, the greatest pulp hero of all time. The first arc ran for four issues in 2020, including a triple-sized first issue. According to Dodson, “Adventureman” volume 2 is due to begin in September.
