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.
– Random House Graphic unveiled a trio of graphic novels based on Dr. Seuss books. First up, the Cat in the Hat will star in “Cat Out of Water” by Art Baltazar (“Tiny Titans”), due out April 30, 2024. The Grinch will then headline an untitled book by Kaeti Vandorn (“Monster Friends”) in Fall 2024, before a Green Eggs and Ham spin-off starring Sam-I-Am by James Kochalka (“Johnny Boo”), releasing Spring 2025. The book, which were created in collaboration with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, mark the first bona fide comics based on Theodor S. Geisel’s books, and were revealed ahead of a New York Comic Con panel tomorrow.
– Dark Horse announced “Kill All Immortals,” a four-part action series by writer Zack Kaplan and artist Fico Ossio, plus Jordie Bellaire, Tom Muller, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. The comic imagines a world where Norse explorer Erik the Red and his children became immortal, and are now billionaire bankers. “When Erik’s only daughter, Frey Asvald, seeks freedom from her family’s influence, she must be prepared to reveal their supernatural secrets, and confront her well-trained siblings in a deadly and epic struggle for power.” Issue #1 releases February 21, 2024.
– Oni Press will publish comics based on various franchises owned by the Nacelle Company, such as Robo Force, Biker Mice From Mars, Sectaurs, The Great Garloo, and Power Lords. The line will kick off with the one-shot “NacelleVerse” #0 in Spring 2024, written by Melissa Flores with art by Diogenes Neves, plus contributors from the unannounced comics. Founded in 2017, the Nacelle Company is best known for documentaries like The Toys That Made Us, and have been steadily buying up the rights to old properties for the past year, with the intention of turning them into new animated series.
– Andrews McMeel Publishing released a 15-minute video of Bill Watterson and John Kascht discussing their new book “The Mysteries.” In keeping with Watterson’s reclusive, media-shy nature, the creators’ faces are not shown, with the video only displaying their hands during footage of them creating the graphic novel. “The Mysteries,” a moody, mixed media fantasy tale aimed at grown-ups, is out now.
– Marvel and Whatnot are teaming up to give a fan a chance to be immortalized in “Avengers: Beyond Earth’s Mightiest,” a limited run one-shot that will feature the winner of the competition alongside their favorite superheroes. Fans who want to appear in the comic will need to download the Whatnot app to apply, and enter to win before October 15, at 6pm ET. Head to the link for more details. A creative team was not announced, although the comic is expected to have numerous variant covers.
– In distribution news, GlobalComix have launched an iOS and Android app, giving mobile readers access to over 45,000 titles, including Image, BOOM!, and Mad Cave Studios releases. Meanwhile, hoopla Digital, the public library app, formed a partnership with manga publisher Kodansha, giving users access to 1200 comics, including “Attack on Titan,” “Battle Angel Alita,” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.”
– In physical media news, Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny will be released on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 5. Special features will include a five-part making of documentary, and an isolated John Williams score track. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will also arrive in time for the holidays on December 12, with 40 mins of bonus features, including three behind-the-scenes featurettes. Both films’ physical copies are available to preorder now.
– Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder’s relaunch of “Daredevil” has attracted criticism over the first issue’s demonic villain, with Religion News Service reporting a rabbi and other religious scholars said it resembled an antisemitic (or anti-Arab) stereotype. Kuder, who said he refused to “be even passively lumped in” with previous artists who “slipped messages of hate past their editors,” responded, “If you’re comparing my art to that of Nazi propaganda… Well, that’s just insane. Completely laughably insane. Also extremely and utterly insulting.” It is unknown if Ahmed, who is a Muslim of Lebanese and Egyptian descent, was reached for comment.
– Variety ran a feature on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s troubled road to release, featuring allegations lead actress Amber Heard faced hostile and unprofessional behavior from Jason Momoa and James Wan, and that Warner Bros. planned to replace her until her ex-boyfriend, Elon Musk, threatened legal action. (DC denied the former allegations; Musk did not respond to a request for comment.) The article adds two of her scenes were cut, although it is unclear if this was before or after filming.
Furthermore, despite previous comments suggesting otherwise, it states James Gunn does not plan to retain any of the actors Zack Snyder cast as the Justice League, but is in talks to have Momoa play Lobo in Superman: Legacy, or another project entirely. It also provides some insight into what control DC Studios has over its Max projects, stating “Max is creatively involved with the DC slate,” and that “Gunn and [Peter] Safran don’t enjoy the same autonomy as Marvel’s Kevin Feige.” Lastly, it mentions studio sources believe Discovery will sell Warner Bros. to yet another company within the next two years, “making recent DC subplots and upheavals feel quaint.”
