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, Dark Horse announced “The Witcher: A Grain of Truth” from Jacek Rembis, Travis Currit, and Jonas Scharf, while DC Comics announced “Catwoman: Lonely City” from writer/artist Cliff Chiang. Furthermore, “Aquaman” and “Future State: Justice League” artist Robson Rocha passed away at the age of 41 due to complications from COVID-19.
– Writer Mark Millar has announced that he will be writing a new original graphic novel as part of his continued partnership with Netflix. The book, titled “King of Spies,” follows Britain’s greatest secret agent, Sir Roland King. When King discovers that he only has six months to live, he takes it upon himself to change the fate of the world in one last epic adventure. The book is an adaptation of a forthcoming Netflix production of the same name, and will feature a “superstar artist chosen from the comic-book world, based on designs created by the team at Netflix.” No release date for the book (which will be published by Image) has been given at this time.
– Next year marks the 25th anniversary of “The Darkness” and to celebrate, Image Comics and Top Cow Productions will be bringing back the cult-favorite anti-hero in a new series by co-creator Mark Silvestri. Silvestri will be joined by artist Christopher Mitten and colorist Bryan Valenza for the new series, set to come out in January 2022. To build excitement for that release, the creative team will be releasing “The Darkness” #1/2, featuring a preview of the new series, as an exclusive reward for the Kickstarter campaign of “The Darkness Complete Collection” Volume 2. The campaign, which runs until August 13, met its full funding goal in a single day, and also has reward tiers that include keychains, shirts, original art prints, and Stor-Folios.
– Artist Joe Jusko’s iconic collection of Marvel Masterpieces trading cards will be reprinted this October as a series of variant covers across various Marvel titles. The Marvel Masterpieces trading cards debuted in 1992, and have grown to become one of the signature pieces of memorabilia from one of Marvel’s most profitable periods. In total, 22 original illustrations will be reprinted for this line of variants, including art featuring Iron Man, Storm, She-Hulk, Black Widow, and the Hobgoblin, as well as countless others. Per Marvel’s press release, “Jusko’s painted artwork has mesmerized fans for decades and ushered in the trading card boom of the ‘90s. Now, the Marvel Masterpieces Variant Cover series will give fans a chance to own a piece of Marvel Comics history in an exciting new way!”
– ShortBox will be publishing a new book from cartoonist Luis Yang. The story, titled ‘Moving,’ is about two women who struggle to move back home. This feature will be the fifth and final story for ShortBox #13. ShortBox is a comic book publisher created by Zainab Akhtar that releases their various stories through their mailing service every quarter. Each shipment contains five comic books, candy, and at least one extra item (such as a pin, print, or zine).
– Hot on the heels of throwing a no-hitter, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley will be featured in a poster by Brian Crosby, Creative Director of Marvel Themed Entertainment. The poster will be given to fans who attend the July 17 Cincinnati Reds game against the Milwaukee Brewers, and features Wade Miley alongside the Incredible Hulk. Miley claimed that he was able to throw his impressive no-hitter because of the temporary Incredible Hulk tattoo given to him by his son. Appropriately, the father-son connection extends even further, as Brian Crosby’s own father Ed Crosby played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1973 season. Brian Crosby and Ed Crosby will both be on hand to throw the first pitch for the July 17 game, and will be doing a meet-and-greet with fans.
– Voice actor Phil LaMarr will finally get his chance to portray the Green Lantern in live-action form. LaMarr, who famously voiced Green Lantern John Stewart on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, will be part of the ensemble cast for the new webseries Superhero Diaries. The series debuts July 21 on YouTube and will release 30 episodes over the course of 10 weeks. Superhero Diaries is a parody of superhero media, with characters like Spider-Man, Captain America, Batman, and Wonder Woman all living under one roof. The cast includes LaMarr, as well as Disney Channel’s Hannah Kat Jones and veteran comedian Patrick Bristow.
– Warner Bros. has won the rights to the adaptation of the AWA series “Chariot” by Bryan Edward Hill, Priscilla Petraites, and Marco Lesko. The film will be directed by Joseph Kosinski, who is also the director on the upcoming Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. The script is being written by Julian Meiojas with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen on board as producers. This is the first film production for AWA, who only began publishing books in 2020. The publisher recently announced the formation of AWA Studios, a subsidiary of the company dedicated to media adaptations of their comics. “Chariot” follows a petty criminal who stumbles upon the Chariot, a state-of-the-art sports car created by the U.S. government during the Cold War that doubles as a deadly weapon.
– Even though G.I. Joe will be reimagined soon in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, the brand hasn’t forgotten their ridiculous roots. Paramount Pictures has released a stop-motion animated short of Snake Eyes and the G.I. Joe team in the style of the original ‘80s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero public service announcement videos. This new clip features Gung-Ho, Lady Jaye, and Snake Eyes himself, actor Henry Golding, as they talk about the dangers of Cobra while promoting the upcoming film. The short uses a mix of G.I. Joe Classified action figures and repurposed G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to showcase the eclectic cast of characters. Of course, it ends on the most iconic G.I. Joe line of all-time, “Knowing is half the battle.” Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins comes out on July 23.
