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, “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” co-creator Kevin O’Neill passed away, aged 69. We also had a look at February’s Mignolaverse releases.
– Image Comics announced “Night Fever,” a new original graphic novel from writer Ed Brubaker, artist Sean Phillips, and colorist Jacob Phillips. Described as a Jekyll-and-Hyde story, the book will follow protagonist Jonathan Webb during a business trip in Europe, as he finds himself wandering a city at night with “the mysterious and violent Rainer as his guide.” It will be released in comic book stores on June 14, and bookstores on June 20, 2023.
– AWA Studios announced “Black Tape,” a ’60s/70s horror/rock n’ roll comic by writer Dan Panosian and artist Dalibor Talajić. The book is set after the sudden death of rock star Jack King, with his widow Cindy struggling to protect his legacy when the investigation takes a turn into the occult. The title refers to an unreleased album by Jack, which will undoubtedly be at the center of his mysterious demise. Issue #1 (of 5) goes on sale February 1.
– IDW Publishing released a 14-page prologue to the new Sonic Frontiers game, “Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Convergence.” Written by Ian Flynn with art by Evan Stanley, and coloring by Heather Breckel, the comic sees Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, and Amy Rose battle Dr. Eggman, who is “acting strangely.” It is available to read for free digitally, while Sonic Frontiers (which Flynn co-wrote) is available on all major game consoles from today.
– Lucasfilm announced the cast for The Acolyte, the Disney+ Star Wars series set during the High Republic Era. As well as previously reported and announced names like Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, and Jodie Turner-Smith, the show will also include Dafne Keen (Logan, His Dark Materials), Rebecca Henderson (Manhunt), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917, Game of Thrones), and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix). The Acolyte will follow a former Padawan who “reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes,” and is in production now for a presumed late 2023 release.
– Daniel Kaluuya will voice Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The Earth-138 variant of Hobie Brown (the original Prowler), the punk rock-themed Spider-Punk was created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel, and first appeared in the original ‘Spider-Verse’ storyline in 2014. The role marks the Oscar-nominated Get Out and Nope star’s second swing in the Marvel Universe, following his turn as W’Kabi in Black Panther. Across the Spider-Verse, which will also (fully) introduce Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman, hits theaters June 2, 2023.
– Variety reports Clémence Poésy (The Tunnel) and Adam Nagaitis (Chernobyl) have joined the cast of The Walking Dead‘s Daryl Dixon spin-off, which will take place in France. Poésy will play Isabelle, “a member of a progressive religious group who joins forces with Daryl on a journey across France,” while Nagaitis will play Quinn, a “displaced Brit who has become powerful in post-apocalyptic Paris as a black marketeer and the owner of the Demimonde, a sexy underground nightclub.” The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, starring Norman Reedus, will premiere sometime next year.
– In further casting news, Saturday Night Live veteran Sasheer Zamata has joined the cast of Agatha: Coven of Chaos in an unnamed role; while Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang will voice characters in the upcoming Garfield movie. There’s no word on who they’ll be playing in the reboot, due out on May 24, 2024, but the movie will also feature Goldstein’s Ted Lasso co-star Hannah Waddingham, and Yang’s SNL co-star Cecily Strong.
– Finally, Kevin Hart’s production company Hartbeat has bought an equity stake in comic publisher Black Sands Entertainment. Black Sands’s output includes graphic novels and animated shorts inspired by African history, including the eponymous “Black Sands” books, which Hartbeat will now help develop into an animated feature film and series. Manuel Godoy, co-founder and CEO of Black Sands, stated Hart “understands the world of independent business and IP ownership. His expertise will help propel our brand into a household name and empower a new generation of young Black creators for years to come. Black Sands will be a top ten anime in the world one day.”
