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, Eisner Award-winning webcomic “The Tea Dragon Society” is getting a new prequel, “The Tea Dragon Festival,” while Image Comics announced a brand new mini-series entitled “Vindication,” and the return of “Criminal.” We also have video interviews with Kwanza Osajyefo and Rob Sheridan from New York Comic Con.
– ComicBook.com reports that Dark Horse’s “Black Hammer” #1 will be getting a new 51-page Director’s Cut edition. This edition will include Jeff Lemire’s original script for the issue, along with high-res black and white reproductions of Dean Ormston’s original line art. “Black Hammer: Director’s Cut” is scheduled for a January 16th, 2019 release date.
– ICv2 reports that former Marvel Publisher Bill Jemas has embarked on a new publishing venture entitled Artists, Writers & Artisans (AWA) Inc. Jemas has reportedly raised $5 million in venture capital for this early stage company from Lightspeed Venture Partners (an early investor in Snapchat and DoubleClick). According to Jemas, we will not see any Artists, Writers & Artisans, Inc. comics until “2019 or later.”
– ICv2 is also reporting that Lion Forge President Geoff Gerber has officially left the company. A Lion Forge spokesperson confirmed that Gerber (who has been president of the company since 2015) resigned from his position in August. Lion Forge wished Gerber well in a company statement “With growth comes change… as Geoff departs the company, we wish him well in his next endeavor, as we carry Lion Forge into the future to greater success in publishing and entertainment.” David Steward II retains his position as CEO of the company.
– According to Deadline.com, Ryan Fletcher and Hainsley Lloyd Bennett have been added to the cast of the upcoming Epix comics adaptation Pennyworth. The show is billed as a 1960s prequel to the Batman story, with the focus being on Alfred Pennyworth as a young British SAS soldier. Gotham‘s Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon will executive produce the series with Cannon also directing the pilot episode. Production will reportedly begin October 22 in the UK (at the Warner Studios Leavesden).
– It looks like The Flash is getting off to a slow start. Variety is reporting that the forthcoming Flash film is being pushed back to a 2020 or 2021 release date. Flash star Ezra Miller’s film schedule, in conjunction with reported “script issues,” have apparently ensured that filming for the DC Comics property will not commence until late 2019. The trade paper also reports Ben Affleck is expected to be replaced in the role of Batman in Matt Reeves’s forthcoming film.
