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, the Goon is returning to Dark Horse in “The Goon: Them That Don’t Stay Dead,” while Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins are reimagining the Golden Age Batman in “The Bat-Man: First Knight.”
– Kodansha revealed several upcoming manga titles at Anime NYC, including the English-language debut of “Versus,” the new series written by “One-Punch Man” creator ONE, with art by Kyōtarō Azuma and Bose. Created last year, “Versus” is set in a world conquered by demons, and follows 47 heroes from across the globe as they set out to free it. It will debut digitally on the K Manga app on Saturday, November 25, before releasing in print on August 15, 2024. For more news from Anime NYC, head to the link.
– Scout Comics publisher James Pruett is leaving the company to become chief creative officer of Silverline Publishing. Silverline, a crowdfunding-based publisher founded by former Malibu editor Roland Mann, intends to release its first direct market title, “Trumps” — a card-themed fantasy comic written by Mann with art by Thomas Florimonte — on February 14. Pruett had been publisher of Scout since its founding in 2016, one brief departure aside in 2021.
– The shortlist for the UK’s inaugural First Graphic Novel Award has been revealed: the seven finalists are “Florrie” by Anna Trench, “The Hiraeth Club” by Gareth Cowlin, “Mrs Thorwald” by Cathy Brett, “Zayani Zam” by Mereida Fajardo, “The Noisy Valley” by Myfanwy Tristram, “The Infinite Benefits of Shame” by Corban Wilkin, and “Bone Broth” by Alexander Taylor. The winner, sponsored by Thought Bubble, the Cartoon Museum and many more, will announced on December 11, and have their project published by SelfMadeHero.
– Bleeding Cool shares that Fantagraphics filed a lawsuit against Emil Ferris over the publication of “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” Vol. 2. According to legal documents, Fantagraphics sued Ferris over the book’s numerous delays, having originally expected it to be completed in 2017; Ferris countersued, citing unreceived royalties, among other issues. The two parties reached a settlement in September 2022, that relied on Emil Ferris providing a finished manuscript; once that happened in March 2023, the case was dismissed. “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” Vol. 2 is set for release on April 9, 2024, while the rights for a prequel, “Records of the Damned,” have been (perhaps tellingly) acquired by Pantheon Books.
– “Speed Force” artist Daniele Di Nicuolo took to Twitter to address reviews of last week’s first issue, by disclosing a dog attacked him in August. “Luckily, no tendons or nerves have been touch[ed],” he said, “a vein was barely avoided. I’ve got 12 or more stitches, and I wasn’t able to draw for more than a month. After the stitches [were] removed, I went straight back to work.” Di Nicuolo avoided revealing this beforehand so fans could judge the art on its own merits, and expressed hope they would enjoy the finished work regardless. “I wanted to tell that I’m just happy to be still able to do what I love,” he said.
– The Star Wars Holiday Special will be the subject of a new documentary, produced by Kyle Newman and Adam F. Goldberg, along with directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak. The film, A Disturbance in the Force, chronicles the making and reception of the infamous TV special, and features interviews with Seth Green, Weird Al Yankovic, Paul Scheer, Taran Killam, Patton Oswalt, Donny Osmond, the late Gilbert Gottfried, Bonnie Burton, Bruce Vilanch, and Steve Binder. It will be released to rent and buy just in time for the special’s 45th anniversary on December 5, with select screenings planned for the US, UK, and Australia.
– Wonder Woman video game developer Monolith Productions have denied speculation the title will be a live service release. Concern from fans grew following a listing from the company for someone with experience “maintain[ing] a live software product or game,” and David Zaslav’s comments stating future Warner Bros. games would emphasize “live services, multiplatform, and free-to-play extensions.” The largest live service superhero games, Marvel’s Avengers, and the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, have been largely negatively received by fans over these elements. Monolith had included microtransactions in their last game, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, but removed them in response to criticism of the practice.
– Finally, actor Peter Spellos died after battling pancreatic cancer on Sunday, November 19. He was 69. Spellos was best known for dubbing Sky-Byte on the 2001 anime Transformers: Car Robots/Robots in Disguise (becoming the first English-language actor to play the breakout character), and for his role as Gus on NBC’s American Dreams. Other projects included countless more anime dubs (including Akira and Ghost in the Shell), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Lois & Clark, Men in Black II, ER, and Without a Trace. He worked as an acting and improv teacher during his later years. He is survived by his brother, James Spellos.
