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, Grant Morrison has signed a development deal with Universal Cable Productions, and IDW will publish Rob Rogers’s “Enemy of the People.” We also have a preview of next week’s “Star Wars: Doctor Aphra” #26.
– In an interview with Newsarama, “Avengers: No Road Home” co-writer Jim Zub (“Rat Queens,” “Wayward”) spoke on what makes this series a “spiritual sequel” to the previous weekly event ‘Avengers: No Surrender,’ characterizing it as a story that “will feel quite different.” The story will find Hercules “firmly in the crosshairs of this epic evil on the march” with Hulk, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Voyager and Rocket Racoon all banding together to battle “this bleak threat [that] is powerful enough to slay gods and enact their will on a universal scale.” In addition to the ominous tease of the story’s direction, Zub also reiterated that Paco Medina (“Nova,” “Star-Lord”) will be splitting art duties on the series with Sean Izaakse (“Champions,” “Uncanny Avengers”). The new weekly event, also featuring the talents of Al Ewing and Mark Waid, will start this February.
– Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the company’s new streaming service is called Disney+, and that a Rogue One spin-off series starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor is in the works. Iger also confirmed Marvel Studios is planning a show starring Tom Hiddleston’s Loki for the service. Disney+ launches late next year.
– Insomniac Games will be updating their Spider-Man game with a new downloadable expansion this month. The City That Never Sleeps: Turf Wars (part two of a three-part season pass) will be released on Tuesday, November 20, per ComicBookMovie.com’s report. Hammerhead will fill the role of the DLC’s antagonist after participating in the gang war from last month’s update.
– Marvel fans will also be happy to hear that new Big Hero 6: The Series shorts began airing November 6 on Disney Channel and Disney Now. The characters will be reimagined with a new manga-esque chibi aesthetic, in contrast to the style of the previously debuted shorts from earlier this year.
– Chinese-Australian mangaka Queenie Chan (“The Dreaming,” “Odd Thomas”) is crafting a series of biographical comics featuring famous female historical figures entitled “Women Who Were Kings.” Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut and Chinese empress Wu Zetian will be Chan’s first subjects.
– Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC will partner with Fathom Events to bring The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen, the two-part adaptation of DC Comics’ bestselling ’90s Superman saga, to the big screen for a limited two day theatrical run in January. The double-feature announcement comes days before Fathom premieres its one-day anniversary screenings of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. In an interview with Comicbook.com, Fathom Events VP of Studio Relations Tom Lucas describes the presentation as a chance to “give fans an opportunity to come together to celebrate the franchise,” concluding DC’s year-long Superman 80th anniversary festivities.
– Warner Bros. is also trying their best to keep director Chris McKay (the upcoming Nightwing and Dungeons and Dragons films) as busy as humanly possible: Deadline is reporting that The Lego Batman Movie helmer has now added a live-action Jonny Quest adaptation to his ever-expanding list of professional obligations. A franchise that has left an indelible mark on pop culture, Jonny Quest began life as a Hanna-Barbera animated series detailing the exploits of adventurous youth Jonny Quest, his father Benton Quest, and their assorted allies and adversaries from 1964 – 1965.
– Deadline has also revealed that Jean Smart (Fargo, Legion) has been cast in Damon Lindelof’s HBO adaptation of seminal ’80s comic “Watchmen.” Smart joins a talented ensemble that includes Regina King, Jeremy Irons and Tim Blake Nelson. Lindelof will be writing and executive producing the series alongside pilot director Nicole Kassell (The Killing, The Americans), with an eye toward a projected 2019 premiere.
