Welcome 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, publishing program Abrams ComicArts has announced a new line of books called Megascope, and “Daredevil” writer Charles Soule has announced he is ending his run on the title with a story called ‘The Death of Daredevil.’
– DC have revealed that Tom King and Clay Mann’s “Heroes In Crisis” has been expanded to a nine-issue series. Originally solicited as a seven-issue mini-series, DC put out a press release on Friday addressing the change. Each extra issue will feature a guest artist, with Lee Weeks (“Batman Annual” #2, “Batman/Elmer Fudd” #1) filling in for issue #3, while Mitch Gerards (“Mister Miracle,” “Sheriff of Babylon”) will handle art duties for issue #7, DC’s “Heroes In Crisis” #1 will be available at your local comic shop this Wednesday, September 26.
– Variety reported Marvel Studios has hired Chloe Zhao to direct The Eternals. The film, written by Matthew and Ryan Firpo and based on Jack Kirby’s 1976 series, will introduce a race of godlike superhumans created by the Celestials millions of years ago. Zhao previously directed the indie dramas Songs My Brothers Taught Me and The Rider.
– Olivia Jaimes, the pseudonym of a cartoonist currently working on the “Nancy” comic strip, will make her first ever public appearance at Cartoon Crossroads Columbia (CXC). The Beat reports “No cell phones or recording devices will be allowed at the panel, tho so we’ll just have to rely on witness accounts, the old fashioned way” Although a quite successful webcartoonist already, Jaimes’s real identity has yet to be revealed. CxC kicks off September 27-30th.
– Joker director Todd Phillips shared an image of Joaquin Phoenix in full make up as the Joker. Unlike his last shared image entitled “Arthur,” this image shows the beginnings of what will eventually become the Clown Prince of Crime. Check out the image at Newsarama. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters Oct. 4, 2019.
– Deadline reports that Kerry O’Malley (Those Who Kill) has landed a recurring role in TNT’s Snowpiercer, based on Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed 2013 comic book movie of the same name. O’Malley will play Lilah Folger, a former corporate lawyer who came from old money and will star opposite of Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) and Daveed Diggs (Wonder). Snowpiercer is currently in pre-production from Marty Adelstein’s Tomorrow Studios and Turner’s Studio T.
– Deadline also reports that Kearran Giovanni (Major Crimes) will have a recurring role in season 2 of Black Lightning. Giovanni will play Cutter, “a smart, proud, tough and beautiful woman more than able to best a man in combat — a mercenary trained by British intelligence.” Black Lightning will return to The CW on October 9, 2018.
– And in other CW superhero news, Arrow has cast Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters) as Maya, a scrappy street fighter and thief from Star City. She joins newcomers Holly Elissa (Supernatural), Miranda Edwards (The Magicians), and Michael Jonsson (Van Helsing). Colton Haynes, who played Roy Harper in previous seasons, is also set to make his return to Arrow season 7. Arrow returns October 15, 2018.
– Telltale Games, the company responsible for episodic adventure games like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Batman: The Enemy Within, has laid off approximately 250 employees, in what is being called a “majority studio closure.” The Verge reports that staff were informed of the layoffs on Friday, “and were given roughly 30 minutes to leave the building.” Telltale previously announced a second season of The Wolf Among Us and a game based off of Netflix’s Stranger Things. The company has not yet commented on the status of those projects.
– Exhibitor Relations announced Kingsman 3 will be released on November 8, 2019, and that Matthew Vaughn will return to write and direct the movie.
– Finally, in this week’s reader poll, we asked which upcoming comics adaptation has the best trailer? Well the results are in and it looks like the big winner this week is Shazam! followed by a two-way tie between Captain Marvel and Aquaman. Make sure to check back next week for our newest weekly poll!
