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, Titan acquired the rights to the French fantasy series “Wika.” Furthermore, Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed away on Friday after a four year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
– Originally announced for a June 2020 release, Marvel’s new series “Non-Stop Spider-Man” will instead hit shelves in January 2021. The series reunites writer Joe Kelly and artist Chris Bachalo, who last worked on the character in 2009 during the ‘Brand New Day’ storyline. “Chris and I want to redline your adrenaline and shatter your hearts, giggling the whole time,” Kelly says of the book.
– Myriad will publish Sabba Khan’s debut graphic novel “The Roles We Play.” The graphic novel will be a collection of essays exploring “identity, belonging and memory within the East London Pakistani Muslim diaspora.” Broken Frontier editor-in-chief Andy Oliver praised Khan as “one of the true rising stars of UK indie comics,” having listed her in as one of Six Small Press Creators to Watch in 2017. “The Roles We Play” is available for pre-order on Myriad’s website, and is scheduled for a July 15, 2021 release.
– Plunddo Tram, the villain from Jim Starlin’s “Dreadstar Returns,” may look familiar to you, even if you don’t realize his name is an anagram of “Donald Trump.” Last year, Starlin was angered by a Trump campaign ad depicting Republican president as Thanos in the climatic scene of Avengers: Endgame, noting “It finally struck me that the leader of my country and the free world actually enjoys comparing himself to a mass murderer.” The graphic novel, which ended its Kickstarter campaign with $135,671 for a $28,000 goal, will be Starlin’s first Dreadstar book in 30 years.
– Cartoonist Emad Hajjaj has been released from jail in Jordan. Hajjaj was arrested on charges of insulting an Arab country over a cartoon critical of the US-backed UAE/Israel normalization treaty. The cartoon featured a caricature of UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Human Rights Watch (HRW) pressured the Jordanian government to drop the charges on Friday, and Hajjaj was formally released on Sunday.
– Five years after the attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and subsequent attack on a Jewish supermarket, fourteen suspects held by French authorities will be tried this Wednesday. The suspects are believed to have ties to al Qaeda cells based in Yemen.
– A 4K remaster of the 1988 anime classic Akira is coming soon to theaters in Ireland and the UK. While no release date has been specified, eager anime fans can sign up for the ticket alerts on the official UK website. The film will be in both standard theaters and IMAX.
– Humble Bundle and IDW are offering a bundle of Hasbro crossovers featuring some of their biggest properties. While the bundles are pay-what-you-like, there are three tiers available, with minimum costs between $1 to $15.They feature properties ranging from G.I. Joe to My Little Pony. Purchasers can choose to have their money support the Hasbro Children’s Fund via Tides Foundation.
– Talking of G.I. Joe, Paramount Pictures is rescheduling many of its Fall 2020 releases to next year, due to COVID concerns. As of right now, the only 2020 release on Paramount’s schedule is Coming 2 America on December 18. Delayed releases include the relaunch of Scream and G.I. Joe spin-off Snake Eyes, now opening October 22, 2021.
– Finally, while there are no plans for second season of HBO’s Watchmen, series creator Damon Lindelof and composer Trent Reznor have revealed the identity of the vigilante Lube Man. During a video interview with Rolling Stone, the character appeared via webcam, unmasking to reveal actor Dustin Ingram. Ingram portrayed FBI agent and Peteypedia author Dale Petey in the series.
