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, Image gave a first look at “Two Moons,” AWA revealed “Casual Fling,” BOOM! Studios are set to release “Spector Inspectors” this February, and Dark Horse showed off both “Earth Boy” and “Hellboy Universe: The Secret Histories.”
– Prolific speed metal/thrash metal band Anthrax are celebrating their 40th anniversary next year with an original graphic novel featuring stories by Corey Taylor, Gerard Way, Grant Morrison, Brian Azzarello, Brian Posehn, Mikey Way, Rick Remender, Jimmy Palmiotti, Rob Zombie and Joe Trohman. “Among The Living” (based on their 1987 album of the same name) will feature multiple stories, each reflecting on a different Anthrax song. “The different writers will be telling stories about what these songs mean to them – what the songs inspired them to write,” said guitarist Scott Ian. “It wasn’t hard to figure out that this is what the book would be when you have the talent we have involved. They don’t need any direction from us, nor do I want to give any. I want to see where they take it.” The book will be distributed by Z2 Comics.
– “W.E.B. of Spider-Man,” the mini-series by Kevin Shinick and Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque tying into the Disney Park ride, has been pulled from Marvel’s solicitations and release schedule. The five-issue series was set to debut in January, but with the effects of the pandemic on theme parks, it seems likely that the ride the book ties into had a delayed opening, leading Marvel to delay the title until a proper synergised release is possible. The book was announced way back in March, and would have released in June if not for the shutdown of Diamond Comic Distributors, and the staggered release of Marvel series in the wake of that. No new release window has been given.
– Charlie Adlard, who illustrated over 180 issues of “The Walking Dead,” is collaborating with the Shropshire Council on a series of zombie-infested COVID-19 health and safety messages. Adlard is native to Shrewsbury, a town within the British county, and was looking to give back to his community. “We need to come back strongly in the future. Lots of local venues have received financial support, but in order to survive we need to see people back enjoying everything Shropshire has to offer,” said Adlard. “To do that, we need everyone to do their bit and follow the measures designed to keep everyone safe.”
– The Dark Knight has been immortalized in Burbank, California with a bronze statue of Batman erected outside the AMC walkway near the Burbank Town Center. The monument, sculpted by digital artist Alejandro Pereira Ezcurra and synthesized by American Fine Arts Foundry and Fabrication, was based on a design by Jim Lee, who is local to Burbank. The seven-foot statue was sponsored by Visit Burbank, and is another indicator of the deep connections WarnerMedia has as an employer and local industry of the region.
– The Bumilangit Cinematic Universe, popular in Indonesia, is expanding thanks to a collaboration between SK Global and Screenplay Bumilangit. The two companies will co-finance and co-produce two films, Virgo And The Sparklings, and Sri Asih, both based on characters created by Indonesian artists and creators. The BCU began with Joko Anwar’s Gundala in 2019, with the films going on to be distributed through the Disney+ Hotstar platform. Both of the new pictures are set to film this November.
– The CW’s Black Lightning is reportedly ending with its fourth season. The series began in 2018, telling the story of retired superhero Jefferson Pierce returning to the identity of Black Lightning in an effort to help his community. Season 4 will begin February 8, 2021, and is currently slated for 13 episodes. With Arrow ending last year and Supergirl set to conclude with its sixth season, it seems that the CWverse shows are entering a new stage, which seems especially evident given the announcement of a Painkiller series spinning out of Black Lightning on the horizon.
– Ryan Reynolds is ready to return for Deadpool 3 at Disney, with sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North) set to write the picture. While little is confirmed about the film, it seems likely that the film will retain the franchise’s mature rating, and that David Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2 will be unlikely to return due to scheduling conflicts. The film is still in the early stages of pre-production, with no set release period. The Molyneuxs will also serve as executive producers on the project.
– Lastly, a sequel to Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, is set to begin filming in July 2021. The project will be shot in Atlanta, as with the original picture, with no concrete information given about how the project will reconcile Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing. The film is also set to add Tenoch Huerta to its cast as one of the central antagonists, having previously played Rafael Caro Quintero in Narcos: Mexico. Black Panther II was initially slated for a May 6, 2022 release, but that seems increasingly unlikely given the arising circumstances since that announcement in 2019.
