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 Comics and Top Cow will relaunch ”Witchblade” in February 2021, and DC’s YA graphic novel ”I Am Not Starfire”, introducing Princess Koriand’r’s daughter Mandy, will hit shelves in August 2021.
– Laurence King Publishing announced ”Hokusai: A Graphic Biography,” a hardcover graphic novel detailing the life of Japanese woodcut master Katsushika Hokusai, who created the iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa and more. Creative duties on the biography will be handled by writer Francesco Matteuzzi and illustrator Giuseppe Latanza. The book will be released on April 6, 2021.
– Chris Claremont will once again write “Wolverine,” but it will be exclusive to his premiere bundle. The legendary X-Men scribe will write a new 20-page Wolverine story, with “30 Days of Night” co-creator Steve Niles providing art. The comic will be bagged and boarded, and will also be included in a faux-leather bound hardcover featuring several classic Claremont stories and a series of lithographs from multiple guest artists. Both are exclusive to the Marvel Made Paragon Collection shipping in March 2021. The story will tie into the classic 1982 “Wolverine” miniseries written by Claremont with art by Frank Miller.
– With the first arc’s ending in issue #6, “That Texas Blood” artist Jacob Phillips announced on Twitter that series would be going on hiatus until sometime next year. Phillips explained that he would be taking time to work on other projects, but promises more “rootin tootin Texas goodness” in 2021. “That Texas Blood” #6 hits shelves today.
– David Ramsay, best known as John Diggle on the CW’s Arrow, will direct five episodes of the various related DC series on the network. He will also return as Diggle in four episodes of the multiple series as well (namely Superman & Lois, Supergirl, The Flash and Batwoman), and a special mystery role in Legends of Tomorrow.
– Fans of The Office can now purchase their very own copy of ”The Adventures of Jimmy Halpert.” Collectibles website DunderMifflinPaper.com has announced the comic, which appeared in the 11th and 12th episodes of season 7, will be available for physical purchase on the website. No release date has been announced, but the comic can be preordered now. The book is written by Nikki Saldaña and illustrated by Tone Rodriguez. Previews are available on the site’s Instagram.
– Priya, India’s first female superhero, returned to tackle false and misleading information about the coronavirus pandemic with “Priya’s Mask.” The comic, written by Shubhra Prakash with art by creator Ram Devineni, sees the “modern-day feminist hero” joins forces with popular Pakistani cartoon hero Jiya (The Burka Avenger) to battle virus-spreading villain Baba Kaboom. Priya also stars in an animated short film of the same name, where she is voiced by Mrunal Thakur. Both are available today.
– Molly Knox Ostertag has been named as one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30. Of her listed accomplishments were her work on YA graphic novel series “The Witch Boy,” and animated series ThunderCats Roar and The Owl House. Forbes notes that The Owl House featured Disney Television Animation’s first same-sex romance. Scholastic imprint Graphix Books, publisher of “The Witch Boy, congratulated Ostertag over Twitter.
– Finally, the actor who portrays Vanya Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy has come out as transgender and non-binary. Elliot Page, as the actor is now known, thanked fans for their support in a letter on his Instagram. In the same letter, Page also acknowledged the discrimination faced by the trans community, assuring fans “I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.” Page will continue playing Vanya on the show.
