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 revealed the trailer for the upcoming comiXology Original, “New America;” Marvel revealed that “The Invincible Iron Man” is getting relaunched by writer Gerry Duggan and artist Juan Frigeri; and “Koshchei in Hell” #1 will be among November’s Mignola releases.
– Writer Jeremy Holt, artist Felipe Cunha, colorist Dearbhla Kelly, and letterer Adam Wollet are set to bring F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby into the present day with their newly announced AWA Studios series, “Gatsby.” The eight-part series will follow protagonist Lu Zhao, a middle-class student from Singapore, who arrives in the US to spend his summer on Long Island with his cousin Tommy before starting at Columbia University. Shortly after arriving, Lu quickly becomes embroiled in the turbulent lifestyle there that is filled to the brim with “designer drugs, sex, deceit, and murder.” Whilst the full breadth of the parallel changes in characters and plot points haven’t been revealed, Holt stated that “I wanted to make sure I included themes from my own life and experiences and make it relatable for younger audiences that are unfamiliar with this story… [because] there aren’t nearly enough queer and multicultural narratives portrayed in entertainment.” “Gatsby” #1 will debut on November 2. Head over to AIPT to see a selection of unlettered preview pages.
– To mark the character’s 50th anniversary, DC will have Nubia join the Justice League in a new one-shot called “Nubia and the Justice League Special” #1. Writers Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Stephanie Williams, as well as artists Amancay Nahuelpan and Alitha Martinez, will be the creative team behind the special. In the one-shot, the recently crowned Queen of the Amazons will team up with the Justice League to fight an as-yet unrevealed enemy. The soliciation for the issue reads that the one-shot will show “a bright new future for the character,” although it remains uncertain as to whether her involvement with the team is permanent for Nubia, or a one-off, celebratory move to honor the character. “Nubia and the Justice League Special” #1 will release on November 29 with four variant covers; you can see three of them at Newsarama.
– Via CBR, BOOM! Studios announced “Firefly: Keep Flying” #1, a one-shot by writer Jeff Jensen and artist Nicola Izzo celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary. The one-shot jumps forward in time from the end of Firefly, and sees River Tam (who was portrayed by Summer Glau) take over the captaincy of the Serenity. Further details were only teased in the one-shot’s description, with River embarking on “an outrageous adventure… to stranger horizons than anyone thought possible,” that will challenge her and the new crew’s capabilities. “Firefly: Keep Flying” #1 is scheduled for release in November; the one-shot will have a primary cover by Frany and a variant cover by Miguel Mercado.
– Fairsquare Publishing are set to showcase a host of Indonesian comic book artists, including Sami Basri and Garrie Gastonny, in the upcoming anthology miniseries “Beyondtopia Legends,” by creators Bryan Valenza and Henry Barajas. The stories across the miniseries will draw upon different figures from Indonesian culture, with story descriptions detailing Black Bull, “an immortal bandit fighting to retrieve stolen sacred artifacts,” and Witch Agent Galica, who will be investigating missing children in London, a city which “seems to be demons’ favorite playground.” “Beyondtopia Legends” #1 is scheduled for release on November 2. Head over to The Beat to see preview pages of three different stories.
– Dark Horse Books announced two projects helmed by writer Chad Corrie, including a graphic novel called “Sons of Ashgard” by Corrie, artist Matt Wendt, colorist Hi-Fi, and letterer Taylor Esposito. “Sons of Ashgard” is a collection of singular stories that connect “into a larger narrative woven between tales,” centering around a squirrel named Erick Redfur, who is seeking solace in Elmgard after being exiled from his homeland. Shortly after his arrival, though, Erick becomes “embroiled in a series of troubling events that quickly escalate into a near kingdom-wide war.” “Sons of Ashgard” is set for a comic book shop release on April 26, 2023, with a bookshop release following on May 9, 2023. You can find the details for the second of Corrie’s writing projects to be announced, the prose novel, The Shadow Regent, here.
Continued below– Marvel Comics launched a new Infinity Comic called “Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal,” by writers Frank Tieri and John D. Cerilli, and artist Jacob Chabot. The series will take place shortly after the events of the creative team’s 2019 “Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal Comics” one-shot, with Ziggy Pig desperately trying to continue his time in the limelight as his popularity begins to wane. The series is set to feature a multitude of the Marvel Universe’s most well-known anthropomorphic characters, including the Pet Avengers, Howard the Duck, and Jeff the Land Shark, all of whom Ziggy deems his competition. The first issue of the “Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal Infinity Comic” is available now on Marvel Unlimited.
– In response to a backlash following the removal of various titles from the Keller Independent School District library system, including “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” by David Polonsky and Ari Folman, the superintendent has stated that the books were not “banned,” but are instead subject to “re-evaluation” after parents challenged their inclusion in the library system. In the statement, Superintendent Westfall said “The Graphic Adaptation” has been removed specifically until the ISD have established a new set of protocols for handling book challenges by parents; this approach has been implemented by the newly elected board for all books that have been challenged in the past twelve months currently pending reinstatement. Westfall also said more than 50 copies of the original book have remained in circulation. When it was challenged in February, “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” was not removed after a committee ruled against the parent. Per Westfall, the removed books are expected to be “on shelves very soon,” but a deadline for the new protocols regarding book challenges has not been set.
– There will be two book publications under the Star Wars Jedi umbrella, Lucasfilm announced, namely Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs, and The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Battle Scars will follow game protagonist Cal Kestis during the intervening period between the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; further story details have yet to be divulged. The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will delve into the behind-the-scenes development work on the titular video game. Del Rey have scheduled Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars for publication on March 7, 2023, while The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is scheduled for release by Dark Horse on May 2, 2023. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor does not currently have a release date, though it is highly improbable that The Art of book will be released prior to the game.
– Finally, Disney unveiled this year’s group of individuals who will be honored as Disney Legends, which consist of fourteen individuals in total, including Chadwick Boseman, Kristen Bell, and Jonathan Groff. Each person honored with the Award is “an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the Disney legacy.” The chosen fourteen will join the likes of George Lucas, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams. The Awards are set to be officially given to individuals as part of a ceremony at D23 on September 9-11. Read the full class of fourteen honorees here.
