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 the new ongoing “Strange Academy” from Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos; Image and Skybound announced the three-part crossover “Outer Darkness/Chew;” and AfterShock Comics announced the adventure series “Artemis and the Assassin.” We also had an exclusive preview of “Annihilation – Scourge: Beta Ray Bill” #1, and we interviewed writer Jed McKay (“Black Cat,” “Spider-Verse”).
– Bridging the gap between the legendary comics event and the CW’s superhero TV empire, DC has announced the release of “Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant,” a two-issue series that will debut exclusively at Walmart before being available at comic shops the following month. Via The Hollywood Reporter, Marv Wolfman, the writer of the original “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” will return to pen new content alongside the DC-CW mastermind Marc Guggenheim. Each issue will feature Wolfman and Guggenheim scripting a 24-page main story illustrated by Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott and John Kalisz, and an additional backup strip illustrated by Tom Grummett, Danny Miki and Chris Sotomayor. “Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant” #1 will be available at Walmart on December 15th ahead of a January comic store release; issue #2 will hit Walmart on January 19th before reaching comic shops in February.
– DC has revealed the contents for “Birds of Prey Giant” #1 alongside a new cover from Emanuela Lupacchino. Previews World has the cover reveal and the full announcement. The issue will include a Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey story written by legendary “Birds of Prey” writer Gail Simone, with art by Inaki Miranda; a Harley Quinn story written by Robert Venditti with art by Isaac Goodheart; and a Huntress story written by John Layman with art by Cully Hamner. “Birds of Prey Giant” #1 will be available at comic shops on January 22nd following a Walmart release this month.
– ‘Tis the season for holiday sales, and Vault Comics is getting in on the action with a sale in the name of a good cause. The Beat reports that Vault is running a pay-what-you-want sale for a selection of its digital comics, with 50% of all digital comics sales benefitting the buyer’s choice of either National Alliance on Mental Illness, Family Promise, or Room to Read. Vault CEO and Publisher Damian Wassel explained: “Anyone can afford them. Anyone can buy them, anywhere in the world. And every purchase does real good.” The pay-what-you-want sale will run until January 1st, and you can browse through the selection over at Vault’s webstore.
– Publishers Weekly reports that Scholastic has acquired the rights to six new adaptations of Ann M. Martin’s bestselling middle-grade series “The Baby-Sitter’s Club.” Cartoonists Gabriela Epstein and Chan Chau will alternate adapting the first four books, with illustrators for the final two books to be announced at a later date. “The Baby-Sitter’s Club” graphic novels will begin publication in 2021.
– Awards season is well underway in Hollywood, and the Writers Guild of America has announced its nominees for outstanding achievement in the categories of television, new media, radio, news and promotional writing. HBO’s acclaimed comic book adaptation/sequel Watchmen is among the nominees for Best Drama Series and Best New Series–you can find a full list of nominees over at The Hollywood Reporter. These nominations follow its recognition this week from the American Film Institute as one of the ten best TV shows of the year.
– “Run: Book One,” a spiritual sequel to U.S. Representative John Lewis’s acclaimed graphic novel trilogy “March,” has been removed from publisher Abrams ComicArts’s schedule. The publisher told Newsarama that the book from Lewis and his “March” collaborators Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell (as well as Afua Richardson), remains in development. “Congressman Lewis and Andrew Aydin’s vision for the book has taken a different editorial direction, and the creative team is taking the necessary time and space to create a graphic novel they are proud to share with their readers,” said Abrams in the statement. No official updated sale date has been announced.
– Via The Beat, comiXology has announced a partnership with Stout Club Entertainment to release four new series exclusively through the comiXology Originals program. Stout Club Entertainment, comprised of Rafael Albuquerque, Eduardo Medeiros, Mateus Santolouco, and Rafael Scavone, has produced comics including “Hidden Society,” “Open Bar,” and “Eight.” According to comiXology Head of Content Chip Mosher, more details on the collaboration will be announced in 2020.
– Finally, Deadline reports British actor Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire, This is England) has joined the cast of Venom 2 in an unknown role. The sequel to last year’s symbiote-starring hit, directed by Andy Serkis and starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, and Naomie Harris, is scheduled for release on October 2, 2020.
