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.
– Image announced “Standstill,” an eight-part sci-fi crime series by writer Lee Loughridge and artist Andrew Robinson. The book sees a sleazy sociopath go on a rampage after stealing a device that can stop time, forcing its creator to stop him before more inexplicable crimes and assassinations can unfold. It will be Loughridge’s second comic as writer, following the comiXology series “Midstate,” although the book has been in the works for over a decade; the book also marks Robinson’s longest project since 2013’s “The Fifth Beatle.” The first issue drops August 21.
– The publisher also revealed “Convert,” a new, four-part sci-fi series by writer John Arcudi and artist Savannah Finley. The book follows Orrin Kutela, a science officer “finds himself stranded on a distant planet, starving and haunted by the ghosts of his dead crew. On the verge of death, he makes an astonishing discovery.” Arcudi describes the comic as an “opportunity to write a science fiction story the way I wanted to, meaning something more personal, more intimate — while at the the same time more fantastic — than what I’m used to seeing in the genre.” The series will also debut on August 21, with covers by Simon Gane (“Sunburn,” “Paris”).
– Dark Horse announced the fifth and final volume of “The Magic Order” will be released this fall. Written by Mark Millar with art by Matteo Buffagni (“X-Men”) and colorist Giovanna Niro (“Orfani”), the six-issue series will see Cordelia Moonstone, the leader of the Order, discover that she is going to die soon. “Just like all her friends, Cordelia must face the music, but there is no chance she is going down without a fight.” Issue #1 will be released on September 25, shortly after the first four volumes are rereleased by Dark Horse in trade paperback.
– Writer Alex Segura and artist Scott Godlewski are teaming up on a four-part “Spider-Society” series for Marvel, starting August 14. Picking up from this year’s “Edge of Spider-Verse” series and “Web of Spider-Man” special, the comic will see Madame Web assemble the multiverse’s Spider-heroes to battle the Sinister Squadron, a similar group of Spider-Man villains, led by a variant of Gwen Stacy who became the Green Goblin. The House of Ideas also revealed another ‘Venom War’ tie-in, “Venom War: Zombiotes,” by Cavan Scott and Juan José Ryp. The three-parter, kicking off August 28, will see a “darker” strain of symbiotes unleash a zombie epidemic on New York.
– DC released their August 2024 solicitations, which disclosed “Justice Society of America” will conclude with issue #12. It caps off a long series of delays for Geoff Johns’s ‘New Golden Age’ run, which began in 2022 as an ongoing before being reclassified as a maxiseries. The finale, featuring art by Todd Nauck, will focus on Stargirl, and be released on August 28. The solicits also revealed “Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis,” a special featuring Bitewing, with contributions by Tony Fleecs, Alexis Quasarano, Michael Conrad, Dan Watters, Kyle Starks, Mike Norton, PJ Holden, Sami Basri, and Chris Mitten. It will be released on July 30.
– Dan Santat shared that he is working on three sequels to his 2011 children’s graphic novel “Sidekicks.” The Replacements creator, who won a National Book Award last year for his memoir “A First Time for Everything,” said the original book will be reissued with a new 16-page epilogue ahead of the second book’s arrival in Fall 2025. “Sidekicks,” published by Scholastic Graphix, told the story of Captain Amazing, a superhero whose pet dog, cat, hamster, and chameleon develop powers of their own. The new hardcover edition is currently available to preorder for a release on October 15.
– In an interview, Marvel Studios’ Brad Winderbaum explained why the Marvel Television brand is being revived. He was asked because of Disney’s TV upfronts, where it was revealed the name of the former division (which was folded into Marvel Studios in 2019) was being used for Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, and Ironheart. He says the decision, alongside the addition of the Marvel Animation and Spotlight labels, will help tell casuals post-Endgame that they don’t need to watch everything. “[We’re trying] to tell the audience, ‘You can jump in anywhere. They’re interconnected but they’re not. You don’t have to watch A to enjoy B. You can follow your bliss. You can follow your own preferences and find the thing you want within the tapestry of Marvel.'”
– Finally, British and Australian My Adventures with Superman fans won’t have to wait long for the second season, with Channel 4 confirming the season premiere will presumably be added to the UK Adult Swim portal on Sunday, May 26, effectively the same day as when it airs in the States at midnight ET on May 25/26. Australians, meanwhile, will be able to catch new episodes on FOX8 at 11pm local time every Sunday, starting May 26. My Adventures with Superman season two will have a two-part premiere, and you can check out official descriptions of the first four episodes here.
