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, AfterShock Comics announced “Land of the Living Gods,” and Image announced “Step By Bloody Step.”
– Marvel have announced “Secret X-Men,” a special one-shot written by Tini Howard and drawn by artist Francesco Mobili. The book stars Strong Guy, Forge, Tempo, Boom-Boom, Marrow, Armor, Cannonball, Sunspot, and Banshee, all of whom were candidates to be a part of the new X-Men team which debuted during the ‘Hellfire Gala’ event. The official synopsis reads, “When the Shi’ar Empire faces an unexpected threat, they must call upon the X-Men. Team co-captains Sunspot and Cannonball will lead Marrow, Tempo, Forge, Banshee, Strong Guy, Armor, and Boom-Boom on a dangerous mission to save a figure of paramount importance — the daughter of Professor X and empress of the Shi’ar: Xandra!” “Secret X-Men” features a cover by Leinil Francis Yu, and will be available on February 9, 2022.
– Marvel launched “Fantastic Four Infinity Comic” #1, a digital comic by Zac Gorman, Stefano Landini and Ian Herring. According to the plot synopsis, “The Fantastic Four plan a glitzy night out at an interdimensional restaurant — only to be taken hostage by a gang of aliens set on robbing the place!” The new Infinity comic will not affect Marvel’s ongoing “Fantastic Four” series. It is available now on Marvel Unlimited.
– Via Newsarama, Marvel have announced the return of the Slingers this February in “Amazing Spider-Man #88.BEY,” by writer Geoffrey Thorne and artists Jan Bazaldua and Jim Towe. The Slingers, a team of teen heroes who spun off from Spider-Man in the late ’90s, originally started out as four separate alternate superhero identities used by Peter Parker: Hornet, Ricochet, Dusk, and Prodigy. Hobie Brown, the original Prowler, will be the new Hornet, while Marvel have given no indication as to who the other three Slingers are. “Amazing Spider-Man #88.BEY” will be available in February 2022.
– Via Anime News Network, “Devilman” creator Go Nagai will draw a manga about a business trip to San Diego that he took in 1980 with “Astro Boy” creator Osamu Tezuka. Shogakukan’s Big Comic magazine will publish the manga, titled “Go to Travel: Tezuka-sensei to no America Tabi,” on November 25. The manga will clock in at 18 pages.
– Via ICv2, Graphic Mundi announced four new titles in their Spring/Summer 2022 catalog. First up, “Hakim’s Odyssey, Book 2: From Turkey to Greece,” by Fabien Toulme, continues the odyssey of a Syrian refugee who must find a stable life and reunite his family in Europe on March 2, 2022. Next, “6,000 Miles to Freedom: Two Boys and Their Flight from the Taliban,” by filmmaker Stephane Marchetti and artist Cyrille Pomes, is another refugee saga, fictional but inspired by true-life accounts, which follows two teenagers fleeing from Afghanistan to avoid being pressed into service by the Taliban. The book releases on April 27, 2022.
Then, “Jacob’s Apartment,” by Joshua Kemble, is a fictional graphic novel about two friends, clean-living Christian Jacob and hard-drinking atheist Sarah, who find themselves tested by circumstances in each of their lives. “Jacob’s Apartment” debuts on May 25, 2022. Finally, “The Pass” by Espe, is the sequel to “The Parakeet,” which was also published by Graphic Mundi. Based on real life, “The Pass” is the story of a family whose newborn baby is diagnosed with a heart defect, one that will require dangerous surgery. “The Pass” will be available on June 15, 2022.
– Via Deadline, Netflix announced a slew of Japanese titles, including both anime and live-action films and series. The newly announced anime titles are: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean (premiere date December 1, 2021); The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh (2022); Kakegurui Twin (August 2022); The Orbital Children (January 28, 2022); Tiger & Bunny 2 (April 2022); Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanazawa and Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time; Aggretsuko season 4 (December 16, 2021); Kotaro Lives Alone (2022); Vampire in the Garden (2022); Ultraman season 2 (2022); and Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure (2022). Prior to today’s announcement, Netflix had commissioned 90 Japanese originals. The company is hosting a two-day event this week – the Netflix Japan Festival 2021 – at which it will expand its local slate in the country.
– Via ComicBook.com, Netflix’s live-action One Piece series, based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga, revealed the first five core members of the Straw Hat crew at the Netflix Japan Festival 2021. The cast includes Iñaki Godoy (Who Killed Sara?) as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu (Knights of the Zodiac) as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd (Fear Street) as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson (Greenleaf) as Usopp, and Taz Skylar (Villain) as Sanji. You can head on over to Netflix’s One Piece Twitter page to see character posters and more.
– Finally, via Deadline, actor Dean Stockwell has died. He was 85. Stockwell was an Oscar and Emmy-nominated actor whose stage, film and TV career spanned more than 70 years and 200 credits, including Quantum Leap, where he played Admiral Al Calavicci. He was nominated for four Emmys and a Golden Globe during his time on the show. Stockwell was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Married to the Mob. Stockwell retired from acting in 2015, and pursued a career making art and exhibiting around the U.S. under his full name, Robert Dean Stockwell. He is survived by his wife, Joy Stockwell, and their two children, Austin Stockwell and Sophie Stockwell.
