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 have an exclusive preview of Marvel’s “Morbius” #1, out next week, and an interview with “Five Years” creator Terry Moore. We also spoke to many more creators to celebrate the release of Bill Sienkiewicz’s “Revolution.”
– Kids’ graphic novel publisher Papercutz will be taking over the American license for the popular French comic series “Asterix,” starting in May. The US versions will feature English language translations and will be released in collected editions and hardcover editions of new material, with the first three releases coming in May 2020. This will include a hardcover release of the series’ latest volume “The Chieftain’s Daughter,” along with two omnibus collections of earlier material.
– Random House Kids will be releasing a new educational series of graphic novels titled “History Smashers” from July 7th, 2020. The series is geared towards readers between grades 8 and 12. The goal of the graphic novels is to debunk historical myths, secrets, and lies, and will be kicking off with “The Mayflower” and “Women’s Right to Vote,” the first two books of the series. Written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Dylan Meconis, the stories will focus on common historical inaccuracies while sharing the truth behind these topics.
– BOOM! Studios have announced a new graphic novel titled “Space Bear,” by award-winning cartoonist Ethan Young (“Nanjing: The Burning City”). “Space Bear” follows astronaut bear Pilgrim Finch as he explores the cosmos on the search for samples of life to bring back to his home planet. “Space Bear” will be the latest book from BOOM! Studios’s KaBOOM! imprint, which publishes comic books for middle-grade readers. “Space Bear” will be available in June 2020.
– Action Lab Entertainment will be publishing a new horror series titled “Sweet Heart” under their Danger Zone imprint. “Sweet Heart” is written by Dillon Gilbertson, who has stated that his own personal struggle with diabetes inspired the book. The comic follows Maddie as she struggles with insecurities about her chronic illness, weaved into an emotional horror story. Gilbertson is collaborating with Francesco Laquinta on art, Marco Pagnotta on colors, and Saida Temofronte on letters. The series will be five issues long and be available from March 2020.
– Publishing company Myriad Editions has picked up a pair of graphic novels from Ian Williams and Zara Slattery as they head into the 2020 Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition. Willams was a runner-up in the 2012 competition. Since then, Myriad has published Williams’s “The Bad Doctor” in 2014, “The Lady Doctor” in 2019, and has now picked up the trilogy’s final book, “The Sick Doctor,” set for release in 2022.
– Avery Hill Publishing have released their 2020 publishing schedule, which includes new books from established Avery Hill cartoonists, such as Katriona Chapmen (“Follow Me In”)’s “Breakwater,” and Owen D. Pomery (“Between the Billboards”)’s new book titled “Victory Point.” The publisher is also welcoming new names to the company, including, Zoe Thorogood, Charlot Kristensen, and Patrick Wray.
– Neil Gaiman has revealed that a second season of Netflix’s The Sandman is already in the works. It was announced in July this year that the streaming service would be adapting Gaiman’s “The Sandman” into a TV show, with Gaiman as an executive producer. The comic follows a supernatural being who rules over the world of dreams, and ran for 75 issues from 1989 to 1996. The Netflix series will start off with an 11-episode first season, with a release date yet to be announced.
– Meanwhile, Netflix has acquired the feature film rights to The Unsound, based on BOOM! Studios’s horror graphic novel written by Cullen Bunn (“The Sixth Gun,” “Harrow County”) with art by Jack T. Cole. Director David F. Sandberg (Shazam!, Anabelle: Creation), is set to direct with Skylar James (29 Mole Street) penning the script. “The Unsound” follows the story of a psychiatrist who returns to the insane asylum where her mother is held, where she faces truths about her past and secrets of the asylum.
– Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, has revealed that the Disney+ series Loki will tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While it has already been confirmed that Scarlet Witch will play an important role in the Doctor Strange sequel, Feige has now confirmed that Loki will be connected to the story as well. Both the film and the TV show will be released in 2021.
– Finally, Disney has announced that Disney+ will be coming to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain on March 31st, 2020. More territories will be announced at a later date. Disney also states that the availability of certain titles in certain territories may vary.
