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, Dark Horse announced Albuquerque and Scavone’s “Hidden Society,” as well as “BANG!” by Wilfredo Torres and an as-yet-unnamed writer; Archie Comics announced YA and middle-grade graphic novel lines; and HBO Max ordered a pilot for “DMZ.” It’s also the first day of New York Comic Con 2019, and you can get the details on our presence there here.
– DC’s Hill House flagship comic, “Basketful of Heads,” has been extended by one issue, from six to seven. DC Comics did not give a reason for the change to retailers. “Basketful of Heads” #1, by writer Joe Hill and artist Leomacs, will be released on October 30.
– Brian Michael Bendis revealed that “Young Justice” #9, which was released yesterday, marks the beginning of a “major collaboration” between himself and the artist of the issue, André Lima Araújo, with the pair having already started on a new Jinxworld book. Jinxworld, if you are not familiar with it, is the company through which Bendis releases his creator-owned titles. Bendis and Araújo had previously collaborated for “Legion of Super Heroes: Millennium” #1, which was released on September 4.
– The CW have released an image of Audrey Marie Anderson, who plays Lyla Michaels in the Arrowverse series, in her Harbinger outfit, that she will be donning as part of the upcoming ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover event. In the comic book event of the same name, Harbinger was a baby when she was taken into the care of the Monitor, and has lived a lifetime when she is possessed and made to betray and kill her father figure. At this point, it isn’t clear whether the Harbinger in the crossover will be the Lyla Michaels we have come to know since her debut in Arrow in 2013, or whether she will be a Lyla from an alternate Earth. You can check out the costume here. ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ will start on December 8 on Supergirl.
– In further Arrowverse news, TV Line confirmed three villains for the upcoming Batwoman series. Rachel Skarsten (Birds of Prey) will be portraying the season’s Big Bad, Alice; Gabriel Mann (Revenge) is set to guest star in the third episode as Thomas “Tommy” Elliot (better known as Hush in the comics), a real estate mogul who grew up with Kate’s cousin, Bruce Wayne; and Rachel Matthews (Happy Death Day) will guest star in the episode that follows as Magpie, a highly intelligent thief who targets shiny objects. Batwoman premieres this Sunday, October 6.
– Madefire Studios have acquired screen rights to Dave Gibbons’s “Treatment,” a comic he created for Madefire’s Motion Book format. “I’m thrilled to have ‘Treatment’ be a part of their expansion into film and television and look forward to continuing our long and happy association,” Gibbons said. “Treatment” revolves around a global broadcast franchise that deputizes ex-military personnel, former law enforcement, sports stars and entertainers from all over the world to hunt down and terminate the worst criminals — and all watched live by the masses. Madefire will be approaching filmmakers and writers to adapt the property soon.
– Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and his wife Zinzi Evans will produce Legendary’s film version of David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene’s “Bitter Root.” Set in 1920s Harlem, “Bitter Root” tells the story of the Sangerye family, a Black American dynasty of monster hunters. The five-issue series was published by Image from November 2018 to March 2019, and has also been continued in a “Red Summer Special” released in July.
– The Snowpiercer TV series is moving back to TNT — where the show was originally developed — after it was set to air on TBS for most of the year. It was also announced the series has already been renewed for a second season. Kevin Reilly, president of TNT and TBS, said “we’ve seen this incredible post-apocalyptic sci-fi series in its entirety, and better understand the audience this show will appeal to, we’re confident it will perform strongest on TNT.” Snowpiercer, which is based on Bong Joon-ho’s film adaptation of the French comic “Le Transperceneige,” will premiere early next year, and be released on Netflix internationally.
Continued below– IDW Publishing announced that they have hired, and in two instances re-hired, five individuals for executive roles as part of a rebuilding of the company’s “foundation.” Tara McCrillis, Jud Meyers, and Anna Morrow are the new additions to the company, with Rebekah Cahalin and Rosalind Morehead the returning individuals. Cahalin had previously held the position of Digital Media Director, but will now oversee the Operations, Human Resources, and IT departments as the General Manager/Head of Operations. Morehead had previously held the role of PR Manager and then Director of Sales, but will now have the role of Direct Market Sales Manager. McCrillis, Meyers, and Morrow will be occupying the roles of Director of Design & Production, Sales Director and Marketing Director, respectively.
– Skybound Interactive have released a trailer for the latest video game adaptation based on “The Walking Dead,” called The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. The game is a virtual reality experience set in New Orleans a year after the zombie outbreak. As the title suggests, the game will focus on the moral decisions that the player has to make, as well as use the VR mechanics to interact with other characters, whether that be by handing them vital resources, shooting zombies or equipping yourself with an object to defend yourself with. The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners will be released on PC for Oculus Rift on January 23, with news about other platforms stated to be coming soon. You can check out the trailer here.
– The Hollywood Reporter detailed a series of copyright disputes over IPs, such as Terminator and Predator, which have the potential to affect the licenses held by comic book publishers. This question of ownership of the IPs comes as a result of an amendment to the law by Congress which allows authors to get the rights back from studios after several decades. The most recent movement made has been by Gale Anne Hurd, the producer of The Terminator, to terminate a copyright grant that was made thirty-five years ago.
What this means is that the current owner of the rights to make entries in theTerminator franchise, David Ellison’s Skydance Media, could lose them by November 2020. A source that spoke to THR said that Hurd will have a 50-50 ownership split with James Cameron, resulting in any further sequels in the franchise that Skydance Media wish to make having to agreed with by the pair. While the Terminator franchise does not currently have any comic book counterparts in production, IPs such as Predator, would have an impact, with series such as “Archie vs. Predator 2” currently being published.
