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, Marvel announced a new line of Ultraman comics, Hope Nicholson closed Bedside Press, and cartoonist Gahan Wilson passed away last week at the age of 89. We also have an exclusive interview with comic book creator Mike Johnson (“Blade Runner 2019,” “Star Trek”).
– Newsarama reported on a two-page prelude to James Tynion IV’s “Batman” run in the pages of “Batman” #85. Tynion will be joined by Guillem March for the two-page preview, which will feature the Joker and “set the stage for what’s to come in 2020.” “Batman” #85, the finale to Tom King’s ‘DC Rebirth’ run on the series, is scheduled to be released on December 18, 2019.
– Newsarama also has several updates to DC’s solicitations: the third trade paperback volume of “Damage” will be cancelled; a new “Birds of Prey Giant” was solicited for January 22, 2020; “Batman: Curse of the White Knight” #5 will be released a week early on December 11, 2019, and “Harleen” #3 (the finale to the series) is being delayed by three weeks to December 18, 2019.
– ICV2 has an exclusive report on AfterShock Comics’ new policies, packages, and retailer programs for 2020, focusing primarily on how new series will be launched. Beginning in 2020, new issue #1s will be priced at $4.99 with four additional pages of content and cardstock covers. All issues that follow will be priced at $3.99. The first two issues of series will be available to retailers at the time of solicitation, and a third issue will be scripted by the time the first issue is solicited. Finally, first issues will be fully returnable for all retailers who order a minimum of 10 copies.
– The Beat writes that webcomics “Lore Olympus,” “True Beauty,” and 23 other series from Webtoon have received Spanish translations in the Webtoon reading app. Penelope Ugarte, content manager for Webtoon’s Spanish-language service, says, “It’s the next logical step to serve Hispanic readers with Webtoon’s vast library of globally appealing stories and expand our community of readers and creators.” Webtoon hopes to expand to 30 series by the end of the year with new episodes added regularly.
– In television and movie news, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Channing Tatum and Roy Lee are teaming up to produce an adaptation of the 1990s Image series, “The Maxx.” Created by Sam Kieth, “The Maxx” follows a man living in two realities: the real world and the Outback. In the real world, the titular character is a homeless vagrant, but in the Outback, the Maxx is the protector of the Jungle Queen whose real world counterpart is social worker Julie Winters. “The Maxx” was previously adapted as 13-episode animated series on MTV which won an Annie Award for Best Animated Series. Currently, both production companies headed by Tatum and Lee are searching for writers and directors, with no clear indication if The Maxx will be a television series or film.
– Variety reports that John Turturro will play Carmine Falcone in director Matt Reeves’s The Batman, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters June 25, 2021. Turturro joins an ensemble cast of Robert Pattison, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, and Andy Serkis.
– Finally, AMC have announced the next Walking Dead spin-off series is called The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and released a new trailer that also reveals Julia Ormond is part of the cast. The series begins in Spring 2020.
