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, we had an exclusive look at the interconnecting covers for the recolored and reprinted “The Walking Dead” #67-72, and an exclusive preview of next week’s ”Star Wars: Doctor Aphra” #32.
– “Rom the Spaceknight” is not the only out-of-print Marvel/Hasbro collaboration getting a new collected edition. The publisher has announced “Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus” Vol. 1, on sale April of next year. The omnibus collects the original 1979 run of the series from writer Bill Mantlo and artist Michael Golden, as well as material from 1983’s “Micronauts Special Edition.” In addition to Golden, the collection will feature art from Howard Chaykin, Pat Broderick, Steve Ditko, Rick Buckler, Dave Cockrum, and Butch Guice. Fans of the series also can pick up “Micronauts #1 Facsimile Edition” this September, faithfully reproducing the first issue, ads and all.
– To celebrate the publisher’s fifth anniversary, Grant Morrison will lead a special 13-part project for Ahoy Comics. The project will be a prose serial titled Partially Naked Came the Corpse!, with each installment featured in multiple Ahoy titles this fall. The first and longest can be found in “Project Cryptid” #1 (available September 6, 2023). Subsequent installments will be written by Mark Russell, Alex Segura, Torunn Grønbekk, Bryce Ingman, Carol Lay, Carrie Harris, Hanna Bahedry, Audrey Ryer, Kirk Vanderbook, Lisa Jonte, Stuart Moore, and Kek-w. Each will feature illustrations from Jon Proctor.
– Dark Horse will release “Mœbius Library: The Major” next year, with a bookstore release on February 6 and a comic shop release the following day. This marks the first time writer-artist Jean “Mœbius” Giraud’s “The Major” stories have been translated into English. A surreal sci-fi tale translated by Diana Schutz, with lettering from Adam Pruett, the 184-page volume will follow Major Grubert on his last trip to the nebula of the Airtight Garage.
– A fan favorite from Disney+’s Loki will make his print comics debut in “Alligator Loki” #1. The one-shot collects the complete Infinity Comics series, from writer Alyssa Wong and artist Bob Quinn, following the adventures of “the reptile in a helm who has enraptured the Ten Realms… with his cuteness!” It’s set to hit shelves on September 13, while the digital series is still available on the Marvel Unlimited app.
– The Audio Up podcast network is teaming with Z2 to produce “Neon Empire,” an eight-part narrative podcast and graphic novel described as “one part 8 Mile with a dash of Once Upon a Time in America.” Audio Up founder Jared Gutstadt developed the concept, which follows the rise of fictional “hick hop” superstar Kountry Boi. You can view the trailer here.
– Simon & Schuster Children’s Books will publish Hari Conner’s “I Shall Never Fall in Love” after acquiring the UK and Commonwealth rights in an eight-way auction. The publisher will release a full color paperback in October 2024, coinciding with the American release from HarperCollins US. The YA regency era rom-com is the debut graphic novel of Scottish transmasc artist Hari Conner, best known for the webcomic “Finding Home.”
– Black Panel Press will publish “Al Capone,” a biography of the infamous gangster by writer Swann Meralli and artist PF Radice on September 19, 2023. Originally published in France last year, the book focuses on Capone’s early life and rise to power, as well as his battle with Eliot Ness and the Untouchables.
– Marvel Studios have delayed the start of filming on Thunderbolts because of the WGA strike. The film was due to begin filming next month for a July 26, 2024 release date. They have also paused filming on the Wonder Man series, which did not have a concrete release date at the time of writing. The news comes amid reports Deadpool 3 has started filming in the UK, where strike rules will prevent star/co-writer Ryan Reynolds from ad-libbing new lines of dialogue.
– Finally, Paramount have pushed the release date for Transformers One back to September 13, 2024. Originally planned for July 19, 2024, the only competition the animated feature will have on this date is a yet-to-be titled Universal/Blumhouse project. Transformers One follows a young Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), tracing the origins of their feud.
