This article has been altered since its publication.
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.
– Via GamesRadar, DC’s upcoming “Man-Bat” limited series has been delayed indefinitely. Originally scheduled for release in May, “Man-Bat” #1 was pulled from the schedule due to the COVID-19 distribution shutdown. Although many of the series that had previously seen coronavirus delays have been added back to the schedule at a later date, “Man-Bat” has yet to receive a new date. In a newsletter to retailers, a DC spokesperson has confirmed that “Man-Bat” will be rescheduled and unsolicited some time in the future. “Man-Bat” will be written by Dave Wielgosz and drawn by Sumit Kumar, with covers for the first two issues from Kyle Hotz.
– Via CBR, Kwanza Osajyefo, the creator of the comic “BLACK,” has announced that all profits of “BLACK” t-shirts purchased from his newly established online store will be donated to protest organizations across the country. In a statement on BLACKthecomic.com, Osajyefo referred to the current #BlackLivesMatter protests occurring around the country following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers. “This escalation of racists murdering black people isn’t new but our ability to document and fight it is. Allowing these injustices to continue with impunity is over,” Osajyefo said. Each t-shirt features one of Khary Randolph’s cover from the first four issues of the series. They can be purchased at BLACK’s Shopify page.
– In another comic industry response to the current protests, Archie Comics announced on Twitter on Wednesday that for 24 hours, 100% of the proceeds from their webstore would be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality. The company offered a promo code, JUSTICE, that can be used for 50% off of your order on the store. Archie Comics has yet to put out a full statement on the protests, but co-president Alex Segura posted on Twitter requesting portfolios and galleries from Black artists, and pledged to keep them in consideration for future work.
– Publishers Weekly has the news of a couple of graphic novel deals from Little, Brown. First, the publisher has purchased Christine Suggs’s YA graphic memoir debut “Ay Mija!: My Bilingual Summer in Mexico,” as well as a second untitled YA graphic memoir. “Ay Mija!” follows Christine experiencing their history and finding their voice as they spend two weeks with their family in Mexico. The book is due out in 2023. Second, the publisher has picked up Niki Smith’s middle-grade graphic novel “The Golden Hour,” which follows a boy who uses photography to cope with PTSD after a harrowing instance of gun violence, and learns to open up again to a boy in his class who becomes his anchor. “The Golden Hour” is expected to reach shelves in fall 2021.
– Via The Beat, comics publisher TwoMorrows Publishing is calling for fan support to help them through their current financial troubles. Publisher John Morrows posted a newsletter update on the TwoMorrows website, revealing that the Diamond distribution shutdown and the shutdown of the company’s bookstore distributor has left the company in dire straits. “We were left with huge losses from unsellable copies that had to be destroyed, printing bills to pay, and no idea when we’ll start receiving payments again,” Morrows said. The newsletter offered a few ways fans can help support the publisher, including purchasing half-year subscriptions and buying back issues for 40% off through their website.
– Following the news that Batwoman star Ruby Rose would not be returning for the show’s second season, Decider reports that the CW will not be recasting the role of Kate Kane. Instead, the network appears to be casting for a new woman who will don the cowl of Batwoman. The news comes via a since deleted casting notice that was posted to Reddit, calling for a “female, Mid-late 20s, any ethnicity” character named “Ryan Wilder.” It is unclear whether the name is a placeholder for a to-be-announced name. The casting call continues, “A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero.” Season 2 of Batwoman is expected to premiere in January 2021.
