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 unveiled the cover of Sara Varon and First Second’s picture book “Hold Hands,” and all but one of the artists on tomorrow’s “Harley Quinn” #50. Marvel also announced a “Killmonger” miniseries from Bryan Edward Hill and Juan Ferreyra, while Image announced “Hardcore” and “The Freeze.”
– Dark Horse announced they will publish “Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe” on May 22. The “Aliens: Dead Orbit” artist told Syfy Wire, “A good half of the book is previously unpublished, personal work. I’m not sure what the final edit will look like, but there will probably be around 200 or so comic pages in there that have never been printed before.”
– Marvel announced “Merry X-Men,” an oversized holiday special with stories by Chris Sims, Chad Bowers, Rainbow Rowell, Chris Claremont, Matthew Rosenberg, Ed Brisson, Kelly Thompson, Charles Soule, Tini Howard, Charlamagne Tha God, Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler, Vita Ayala, Styles P, Cullen Bunn, Jean Grae, Esoteric, Sina Grace, Al Ewing, Leah Williams, Marco Failla, Kris Anka, Ryan Browne, and many more. Among other things, it will answer “what does Magneto do for Hanukkah?” The book comes out December 5.
– Former X-Men director Bryan Singer is in talks to direct Red Sonja for Millennium Films. Singer was fired by 20th Century Fox for repeatedly not showing up to the set of his next film, Bohemian Rhapsody, and was sued in December by Cesar Sanchez-Guzman, who accused the filmmaker of statutory rape. The film, starring Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith’s creation, was written by Ashley Miller (Thor, X-Men: First Class).
– Comic book creator Tim Yates (“Anne Bonnie”) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography. The colorist, artist and writer was arrested and charged in April: sentencing will take place on January 14, 2019.
– Brett Cullen will play Thomas Wayne, the father of Bruce Wayne, in the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie. He replaces Alec Baldwin, who vacated the role following a scheduling conflict. Cullen has had recurring roles on The West Wing, LOST, and Narcos, and previously played Congressman Byron Gilley in The Dark Knight Rises. Joker will be released on October 4, 2019.
– Finally, Scottish newspaper The Courier reports that during this weekend’s 3D Festival at the V&A Dundee museum, more than 650 people submitted entries to finish a “Beano” comic strip, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest “finish the comic strip” ever. The winning panel, which can be viewed here, will be exhibited at the V&A Dundee.
