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, “The Ballad of Halo Jones” co-creator Ian Gibson has died, aged 77.
– BOOM! Studios announced “Man’s Best,” a sci-fi animal tale from writer Pornsak Pichetshote (“The Good Asian”), artist Jesse Lonergan (“Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea”), and letterer Jeff Powell (“Infidel”). The miniseries follows two cybernetically enhanced dogs and a cat, who become marooned on another planet when their colony spaceship crash lands. The trio then set out to rescue their owners, who have been captured by hostiles. Issue #1 will be released on March 20, 2024.
– Writer Matthew Erman (“Witchblood”) and artist Sam Beck (“Verse”) are teaming up at Dark Horse for horror graphic novel “Loving, Ohio.” The 216-page book follows four high school friends in the titular town, which is controlled by a cult known as the Chorus, as they deal with a friend’s suicide, and, as if that wasn’t enough, a series of murders. They will have to “escape a roaming murderer, figure out their place in the world, and deal with loss, all in the looming shadow of the Chorus. But through it all, they will find the cost of friendship and the adulthood they seek.” It will be released on August 7, 2024.
– Oni Press launched a Kickstarter for “ODB: Oddities, Discord, & B-Sides – Lyrical Ruckus in the City,” an anthology inspired by Wu-Tang Clan member Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Created in collaboration with management company Four Screens and ODB’s estate, the project has brought on board Troy-Jeffrey Allen, Paris Alleyne, David Brame, Dojo Gubser, Jay Hero, Maan House, Mike Del Mundo, Jason Pierre, Ike Reed & David Gorden, Chris Robinson, Regine Sawyer, Damion Scott, Felipe Sobreiro, Ronald Wimberly, and more. Assuming it reaches its goal, it will be published in November 2024, during the 20th anniversary of ODB (real name Russell Tyrone Jones)’s death, shortly before he would’ve turned 36.
– Actress Tommy Dorfman (13 Reasons Why) is directing a film version of Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s graphic novel “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me,” which Tamaki will also write the screenplay for. The award-winning book, published in 2019, told the story of a high school girl in an on-again, off-again relationship with the cool girl of the title. The movie will mark Dorfman’s second turn in the director’s chair, with her debut, I Wish You All the Best (a non-binary story based on the book by Mason Deaver), currently in post-production.
– Tubi have acquired the rights to various parts of the DC back catalogue, with the likes of Batman, Batman Returns, Superman, Superman II, Batwoman, Gotham, and Krypton now available on Rupert Murdoch’s ad-based streaming service. Various animated movies will join the collection this month, while more recent live-action films like Aquaman, The Batman, Birds of Prey, Black Adam, Suicide Squad, and the Wonder Woman movies will join the streamer next year.
– McFarlane Toys announced a deal with Hasbro to produce Page Punchers toys of Transformers, G.I. Joe, Power Rangers, and Dungeons & Dragons. Page Punchers of the first two toy lines in particular are expected to arrive early next year. Launched last year, Page Punchers bundles together 7 inch action figures with comic books, some of which have been original. Hasbro previously released original “Transformers: Spotlight” comics from IDW as part of the Generations toy line in 2012.
– Finally, in truly terrible news, Emmy Award-winning actor Andre Braugher died on Monday, December 11, following what was only described as a brief illness. He was 61 years old. Best known for his roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Glory, and Homicide: Life on the Street, Braugher also portrayed General Hager in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Darkseid in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, and Governor Woodchuck Coodchuck-Berkowitz on BoJack Horseman.
Various colleagues have paid tribute to him, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-star Terry Crews, who wrote, “This hurts. You left us too soon. You taught me so much. I will be forever grateful for the experience of knowing you. Thank you for your wisdom, your advice, your kindness and your friendship. Deepest condolences to your wife and family in this difficult time.” Braugher is survived by his wife, actress Ami Brabson, whom he married after working together on Homicide in 1991, and their three sons.
