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 launched the Multiversity Coffee Break with Scott Snyder as our first guest, and interviewed Max Bemis and Eryk Donovan about their new book “Heavy.” Image Comics also revealed they will publish “Write It In Blood” by Rory McConville and Joe Palmer next year.
– Vault Comics has selected Rebecca Taylor to be the Managing Editor of the newly renamed young reader graphic novel imprint Wonderbound, slated to begin summer 2021. The imprint, previously announced as “Myriad” in 2019, will cater to the 8-to-12 demographic and focus on fantasy, science fiction, and horror-adjacent genres. Two titles — “Wrassle Castle” and “Unfinished Corner” — have already been announced, with two more slated for release next summer, and a targeted total of nine books by 2022.
– Get ready to return to “Astro City” — two years after the long running comic book series wrapped with issue #52, word comes that Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson plan to deliver more tales about the heroes, villains and civilians of the fictional metropolis Astro City, but with a slight format change – original graphic novels (OGN). Though there isn’t a set date, yet, Busiek promised that even with pandemic related disruptions, fans of the series can expect “exciting announcements soon.” The change in format (from serialized comic book to OGN), was, according to Busiek, suggested by DC Black Label Executive Editor Mark Doyle back in 2018.
– Infamous Marvel illustrator Greg Land faces yet another accusation of swiping, this time from Australian illustrator Tristan Jones. This week, Jones, who has written and illustrated for various properties such as “Alien,” “Mad Max,” “Ghostbusters,” “TMNT,” and “Silent Hill,” revealed via his Twitter page that he was “Greg Landed.” Jones alleges that Land may have traced his artwork for the cover of a pending “Aliens” comic book by Marvel. According to Jones, “I saw this on IG and recognized the hands right away. Then the rest. Photoshop’s snap function even locked my work in when I put it over his. Am I crazy?” The Melbourne native added that, due to the recent COVID-19 influenced recession, his career in comics has been hard hit, so the alleged swiping by Land is “infuriating.” Neither Marvel Comics, nor Land have commented on the allegations.
– Space western The Mandalorian will kick off its second season on Disney+ on October 30, 2020, with more Baby Yoda, more genre darlings, and more characters from the wider Star Wars franchise. Joining Pedro Pascal, as the titular character, for the upcoming sophomore season will be Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano (in the first live action appearance for The Clone Wars fan favorite), and Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, who she previously voiced in The Clone Wars animated series. Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett and Commander Cody in the Star Wars prequels, will portray Boba Fett. Other new cast members include 1980s sci-fi star Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) as a bounty hunter, and Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet) in an undisclosed role.
– Finally, Star Trek: Discovery is going boldly where no Star Trek show or movie has gone before, with the first inclusion of openly non-binary and transgender characters. Blu del Barrio, in their first television role, will play the non-binary chracter Adira, who the actor described as introverted and “cerebrally brilliant and emotionally a puppy.” Trans actor and activist Ian Alexander, known for his roles as Lev in video game The Last of Us Part II, and Buck Vu in Netflix’s OA, will play the Trill character Gray, an “empathetic, warm and eager, with the lifelong dream of being a Trill host,” who must “adapt when life takes an unexpected turn.” Star Trek: Discovery season 3 begins on CBS All Access on October 15, 2020.
