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.
– Marvel is reviving “FOOM,” its fan magazine from the 1970s. “FOOM,” which stands for “Friends of Ol’ Marvel,” will be among the materials available for retailers who want to throw a launch party for “Marvel Legacy,” and it will contain articles on “Legacy,” “The Infinity Gauntlet” and its sequels, and “The Despicable Deadpool.” Participating retailers will also receive a variant cover for “Marvel Legacy” by Terry Dodson, featuring Mary-Jane Watson and Spider-Man partying with old school versions of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Hulk.
– Diamond Comic Distributors have joined ComicBooks For Kids (CB4K), a new charity that provides comics to children in hospitals, cancer centers and medical facilities across the United States. The partnership was announced Friday last week at the San Diego Comic-Con’s Retailer Appreciation Lunch.
– Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart has been released from prison with six other employees of the Cumhuriyet paper. A total of 17 employed at the paper are on trial for allegedly supporting “terrorist” enemies of President Erdoğan, and Kart was among eleven who have been detained since November. “The image of journalists in jail is not flattering for our country and I hope our four friends will come out as soon as possible,” he told the AFP (via Yahoo!)
– AfterShock Comics have announced a new series, titled “Dark Ark,” from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Juan Doe (“American Monster”). The comic posits the existence of a second Ark during the Flood, crafted by a sorcerer called Shrae on the orders of dark forces to hold creatures like vampires, dragons, the naga, and the manticore. ComicBook.com has a statement from Bunn and art from the first issue, which is out September 20, 2017.
– Emily Carroll (“Baba Yaga’s Assistant”) has released preview pages from her forthcoming adaptation of Speak, a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is due out February 6, 2018.
– On Twitter, Brian K. Vaughan answered a fan’s question about whether “Saga” has an end point in mind. He confirmed he and Fiona Staples have discussed a possible final issue, but that in their minds, they’re “not even halfway there yet,” adding, “Hope you’re not sick of us.”
– According to Variety, Warner Bros. has discussed lobbying for Wonder Woman during awards season. The studio is hoping in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, which led to an overhaul of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ membership to reflect a younger and more diverse audience, that voters will be more receptive to nominating a comic book movie for Best Picture and Best Director. Patty Jenkins’ critically-acclaimed film has grossed $782 million worldwide, and a sequel has been announced for December 13, 2019.
– Staying with the DCEU, The Hollywood Reporter (via Newsarama) caught up with Joe Manganiello to ask whether he will still play Deathstroke in The Batman. Manganiello was cast in the role when Ben Affleck was directing the film, but new director Matt Reeves’ decision to start anew on the script put his role in doubt. He said he knew, but was not allowed to comment, explaining it was up to the studio.
– On Instagram, Marvel Studios’ Jerad S. Marantz shared concept art of a Skrull from the upcoming Captain Marvel, which was originally shown at their Comic-Con panel. Marantz admitted he had no idea Marvel would show his artwork, and was afraid it had been leaked when he saw it online. He used the hashtag “superskrulls”, no doubt fueling endless speculation as to whether the film’s Skrulls will possess superpowers. Captain Marvel will be released March 8, 2019.
– Speaking of Marvel Studios, The Wrap reports Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man: Homecoming executive producer Jeremy Latcham is leaving to work for 20th Century Fox. However, he will not be involved in Fox’s Marvel Comics properties, but is instead setting up his own company at the studio to oversee original projects.
– Del Rey revealed the final cover of the upcoming anthology book Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, which features contributions from many comics writers. In the order displayed on the cover, they include Kelly Sue DeConnick (“Bitch Planet”), Paul Dini (“The Batman Adventures: Mad Love”), Matt Fraction (“Sex Criminals”), Kieron Gillen (“Darth Vader”), John Jackson Miller (“Knights of the Old Republic”), Greg Rucka (“Shattered Empire”), Cavan Scott (“Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor”), Charles Soule (“Lando,” “Obi-Wan & Anakin,” “Poe Dameron,” “Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith”) and Chuck Wendig (“The Force Awakens”). The book, due out October 3, 2017, contains stories from 40 authors in all to mark the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope.
