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 Comics are set to publish a new one-shot called “Black Panther: Unconquered,” by writer Bryan Edward Hill and artist Alberto Foche Duarte. The one-shot will see Black Panther set out to uncover secrets from Wakanda’s ancient past, and gain a new connection to Bast, the Panther god, with the aim of being to be able to fight against a newly resurfaced “threat deeply rooted in Wakanda history.” In the announcement, Hill states, “Hopefully [the one-shot] speaks to longtime fans of the character while also onboarding new readers into his world.” “Black Panther: Unconquered” #1 is scheduled to debut on November 9, just two days before the theatrical release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
– The first title from Frank Miller Presents will be “FMP Ashcan Edition” #1, it was announced. The “Ashcan Edition” will feature two stories; the first, ‘Frank Miller’s Ronin: Book Two,’ by Miller, writer/artist Philip Tan, and artist Daniel Henriques, will recap Miller’s DC miniseries of the same name and show protagonist Casey McKenna seeking out a new Ronin in “the ravaged landscape of America.” The second story, ‘Ancient Enemies,’ by writer Dan DiDio, artist Danilo Beyruth, and colorist Alex Sinclair, will be a prequel to the previously announced upcoming series of the same name. The details for the “Ashcan Edition” shed light on the plot of “Ancient Enemies,” with the description teasing it is about a “thousand-year-old galactic war before the primary combatants arrived on Earth and threatened all existence.” Alongside the two primary stories, the “Ashcan Edition” is set to contain previews of the publisher’s other upcoming projects. “FMP Ashcan Edition” #1 will not be available digitally, releasing exclusively at comic book shops instead on August 17. It will have a suggested retail price of $1.
– At their ‘Into the Massiveverse’ panel at C2E2, it was revealed that Image Comics will be publishing “Inferno Girl Red” by writer Mat Groom, artist Erica D’Urso, colorist Igor Monti, and letterer Becca Carey. “Inferno Girl Red” will follow a girl called Cássia Costa trying to muster her belief, against her usual pragmatic sensibilities, to harness the power of “a magical dragon bracelet” and reclaim her city from “an ancient cult and their army of demons.” Originating a successfully Kickstarter-funded graphic novel, which will be released to backers in January, Image’s release will see it converted into a three-part miniseries. “Inferno Girl Red” will be the fourth entry in the Massiveverse, the universe currently inhabited by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa’s “Radiant Black,” Ryan Parrott and Abel’s “Rogue Sun,” and the recently debuted “The Dead Lucky” by Melissa Flores and French Carlomagno. “Inferno Girl Red” #1 is scheduled to be released in January 2023.
– There were two graphic novel deals in Publishers Weekly‘s children’s books report this week: Union Square Kids preemptively acquired “The Champion of Draeland” by Eric Lide, whilst “Camp Monster” by writer Kate Messner and artist Falynn Koch was acquired by Bloomsbury. Aimed at a middle-grade audience, “The Champion of Draeland” will see the protagonist, Orin, find out that he is the reincarnation of a great hero, and set out to battle the Fiendlord he is destined to defeat, although he keeps befriending the Fiends he is meant to be destroy. “Camp Monster” will be the first of three planned entries in a middle-grade series, and will chronicle the events that occur at a summer camp for monsters that is run by Yetis. “The Champion of Draeland” is scheduled for publication first in Fall 2024, with the first “Camp Monster” entry following in 2025.
– The Beat reported that Valiant Comics is downsizing and work on their series is being halted, though the state of play behind the scenes is seemingly complicated and conflicted. There are reported to have been numerous staff laid off, though public confirmations have been infrequent, besides Fred Pierce and Lysa Hawkins, the Publisher and Senior Editor, respectively, suggesting they no longer work at Valiant on social media; however, The Beat’s sources claim otherwise, stating that Pierce is still the Publisher. With these conflicting reports, the future of Valiant Comics seems uncertain and the recent departure of Gregg Katzman from their marketing team, which has seen Valiant’s publicity reduce, and accusations of Valiant’s NFTs being a form of fraud known as a “rugpull,” only continue to hamper the publisher. At the time of writing, there has not been an official statement regarding the situation at Valiant, and previously announced series are expected to be published.
Continued below– Variety revealed “Brutal Nature” is the first comic set to be adapted under a new partnership between IDW Publishing and Mexican animation studio Ánima. “Brutal Nature,” by writer Luciano Saracino, artist Ariel Olivetti, and translator Carlos Guzman, tells the story of Ich, a young man who can transform himself into different animals and beasts by wearing different masks, as he sets out to defend his native Colombia against the invading Spanish empire. Details about the adaptation were limited to it being aimed at an adult audience. The “Brutal Nature” adaptation is the only project under the deal to be announced at this time.
– As the reaction to Batgirl‘s cancellation continued, THR reported that Walter Hamada, the President of DC Films, is close to leaving his role, but has agreed to continue until at least the release of Black Adam on October 21. Hamada has not commented to THR, but their sources state that the tension is rooted in the new Warner Bros. Discovery chief, David Zaslav, planning to “reset” the direction of the DC Films, and Hamada being “upset at not being consulted and concerned about the impact [of Batgirl‘s cancellation] on those involved in making the film.”
– Finally, the second season of Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles‘s is scheduled to debut on Netflix on September 1, listings on the platform revealed. The animated series adapts “Usagi Yojimbo” by Stan Sakai, with the first series depicting rabbit samurai, Yuichi, teaming up with a group of misfit heroes to fight against monsters and other dark forces, all the while wielding his inadvertent mystic weapon of choice; a yo-yo. A trailer for the second season has yet to be released, and details about the length of the series are similarly yet to be known. The first season consisted of ten episodes.
