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 preview of Marvel’s “Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood” #3, and the exclusive cover reveal of Dark Horse’s “Minor Threats” #3.
– Starfox is jumping into the fray of Marvel’s event series “A.X.E.: Judgment Day.” Via ComicBook.com, “Judgment Day” writer Kieron Gillen and artist Daniele Di Nicuolo are the team behind “A.X.E.: Starfox,” a one-shot that brings Thanos’s brother into the event. The solicitation is light on details for just what the sometimes-Avenger will be facing, but Gillen says the “intergalactic layabout who’d rather have a drink” is entering into the conflict at the time he’s most needed. “The world, more than ever, needs love,” he says. “A.X.E.: Starfox” #1 goes on sale October 5.
– Dark Horse has announced the new all-ages graphic novel “Hotel REM,” due next year from writer Zack Keller, artist Gabriele Bagnoli, colorist Valerio Alloro, and letterer Frank Cvetkovic. Via Comic Crusaders, the story follows Rembrandt Somner, the new owner of the titular hotel, that is billed as “a place for all the fantastic people and creatures in our dreams to hang out when we wake up.” “I have literally been dreaming about this story for over a decade,” Keller said, “so I’m thrilled readers can finally come visit this wild and wonderful hotel in book-form thanks to Dark Horse!” “Hotel REM” rubs the sleep from its eyes and marches into comic shops on March 15, 2023, and bookstores on March 28.
– A wave of layoffs has hit the publisher Oni Press ahead of a potential sale by current owners Polarity LTD. Popverse is reporting that the laid off staffers include sales manager Henry Barajas, senior editor Amanda Meadows, and editor Jasmine Amiri, all of whom confirmed their dismissals on Twitter, as well as senior VP of sales and marketing Alex Segura. These new developments follow the recent firings of publisher James Lucas Jones and EVP of creative & business development Charlie Chu at the beginning of the month. It also follows the news that Oni-Lion Forge would no longer be attending San Diego Comic-Con, cancelling both their booth and their planned panels celebrating Oni Press’s 25th anniversary. The publisher released a statement on Twitter responding to “wildly sensationalistic rumors” about their recent internal changes, dismissing the reports as “false information spreading.”
– Actor Joel David Moore (Avatar) is co-writing the new series “Don’t F With Karen” for Thunder Comics and Scout Comics. Via CBR, the creative team is rounded out by co-writer Mike Capes, artist Rui Silveira, colorist Verónica R. López, and letterer DC Hopkins. The book follows soccer mom Karen Campbell, the latest in a line of women who have been passed down a cursed amulet that “grants the bearer the power over horrible monsters that can only be seen by children.” “Don’t F With Karen” will be launching as part of San Diego Comic-Con later this month at Scout Comics’ booth, with Moore and Capes on-hand for in-person signings on July 22 and 23.
– Juni Ba’s “Djeliya” and Dani Colman and Rachel Petrovicz’s “The Unfinished Corner” have taken the top prizes for the Virginia Library Association’s 2021 Graphic Novel Diversity Award. “Djeliya” took the top prize in the Adult category, while “The Unfinished Corner” was named the winner for Youth. The VLA also identified a list of honorable mentions, including “Stone Fruit” by Lee Lai, “Thirsty Mermaids” by Kat Leyh, “The Girl from the Sea” by Molly Knox Ostertag, and “Himawari House” by Harmony Becker, among others. You can find a full list of honored titles at the VLA website.
– In an email to outlets about the upcoming “Skybound Presents Afterschool” #2, Skybound shared that the issue’s writers Kate Herron (director of the Disney+ series Loki) and Briony Redman (the BAFTA Rocliffe-winning Pont Brec) would be donating their earnings to Planned Parenthood. The story in this issue of the teen horror anthology – titled “The Storkening” – directly deals with a teenage girl grappling with an unexpected pregnancy. The writers decided to make the donation after the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade last month, removing the guarantee of a right to an abortion for millions of Americans.
Continued below“Reproductive rights and bodily autonomy are indelible and fundamental human rights, and they are essential to the well-being of all people,” reads Skybound’s statement. “Skybound Entertainment and the writers of ‘The Storkening’ support equitable access to reproductive care for all.” Skybound intends to match their donation “as part of its ongoing donations to organizations that support reproductive rights including Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, The Center for Reproductive Rights, and the National Abortion Federation.” “Skybound Presents Afterschool” #2, which features art from Leila Leiz, colors by Giovanna Niro, and letters by Pat Brosseau, goes on sale July 20.
– Hasbro has unveiled its new Selfie Series line of action figures, which allow fans to scan and 3D print their faces to fit various pre-existing figures. Via SuperHeroHype, the custom action figures will be crafted using an app that scans the customer’s head. The head is then attached to a body of a character from one of Hasbro’s licensed lines, including Star Wars, Power Rangers, and Ghostbusters. The six-inch figures are planned for a launch this fall, at a relatively reasonable price point of around $50.
– Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat revealed that a detail in the recent finale of the Disney+ show has the potential to bring the MCU’s Kamala Khan in line with what she and writer G. Willow Wilson intended when they first dreamed up the character. Spoilers for Ms. Marvel ahead: Amanat, who serves as an executive producer on the show, shared with Empire in an upcoming interview that she and Wilson initially planned for Kamala Khan to be a mutant in the comics rather than an Inhuman. In the recently aired Ms. Marvel finale, Kamala’s friend Bruno explained that he noticed something in her genetic makeup – a mutation – that explained why Kamala had powers but her family didn’t. Though Amanat was mum about whether Khan was officially a mutant in the MCU, she told Empire she was excited about the change. “I think this is opening up doors for a lot of great storytelling, obviously, as a huge fan, um… of the word ‘mutation,’” she said.
– French comic promoter Sophie Castille has died at the age of 51. Via ICv2, Castille served as the director of comics rights agent Mediatoon, which worked with Franco-Belgian publishers like Dargaud, Dupuis, and Le Lombard. She also co-founded and worked as managing director of Europe Comics, a partnership of European publishers that promoted and published European BDs in the United States. Publisher Drawn & Quarterly shared a message in Castille’s memory on Twitter.
