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, DC announced the anthology “Batman: Urban Legends,” Dark Horse announced “Orphan and the Five Beasts” by James Stokoe, and we continued with our Festival of Lightsabers celebration.
– Universal Content Productions and BOOM! Studios have unveiled the first comic book from the publishing initiative UCP Graphic. Via The Hollywood Reporter, “Proctor Valley Road” from co-writers Grant Morrison and Alex Child, and artist Naomi Franquiz, promises “a big slice of Americana laced with uneasy cryptid horror, a side of rebel youth, and a killer soundtrack.” We first learned about the book back in July when news first broke of NBCUniversal starting a new imprint, but this week’s report offers both a cover reveal and a better idea of the plot for the period horror piece. The five-issue series follows four friends in 1970s America, whose attempts at organizing a “spook tour” of the titular haunted roadway quickly goes awry in a story Morrison teased as “Nancy Drew on shrooms.” As an extension of the television studio UCP, UCP Graphic is partnering with BOOM! Studios to publish original comics that UCP will adapt for television. “Proctor Valley Road” #1, the first fruit of that partnership, will hit shelves March 3.
– Artists Writers and Artisans have announced the new series “Chariot” from Bryan Edward Hill, Patricia Petraites, and Marco Lesko. Via The Hollywood Reporter, “Chariot” is a sci-fi story the publisher describes as a cross between Knight Rider and The Matrix. The story follows a petty criminal who stumbles across a muscle car named Chariot that is filled with enhanced technology, and is also controlled by the consciousness of the secret agent who was originally supposed to drive it. “Do you know the feeling of just being in a car riding through a long-deserted road at night, listening to your best playlist full of nostalgic songs and you just feel like a movie? That’s the vibe I’ve tried to put on this story,” Petraites said. “Chariot” will hit shelves in March. In the meantime, you can check out a preview of Petraites’s art, as well as the cover for issue 1 by Jeff Dekal, over at The Hollywood Reporter.
– DC Comics has confirmed that the “Catwoman” creative team will return to the book following next year’s ‘Future State’ event. Via CBR, after writer Ram V and artist Otto Schmidt wrap up “Catwoman: Future State” in February, the writer will be rejoined by ongoing artist Fernardo Blanco to pick up the threads left in this month’s “Catwoman” #28. As Selina Kyle’s plans to take over Alleytown continue, she comes in contact with Poison Ivy, the Khadym Mob, and a certain master of riddles teased in the solicitation. “Catwoman” #29 his shelves on March 17.
– Marvel plans to celebrate Captain America’s 80th anniversary by honoring his very first issue. The company announced “Captain America Tribute” #1, a tribute to the character’s first appearance in Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s “Captain America Comics” #1, as well as his reintroduction in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s “Avengers” #4. Echoing the company’s similar effort with “Giant Size X-Men: Tribute to Wein and Cockrum” #1, “Captain America Tribute” #1 will feature an all-star list of artists redrawing pages from his first appearance in their own styles. The roster includes John Cassaday, Declan Shalvey, Peach Momoko, Juann Cabal, Carmen Carnera, R.B. Silva, Sara Pichelli, Stephanie Hans, Butch Guice, Alex Ross, and many more. “Captain America Tribute” #1 is due out in March.
– The Library of Congress has unveiled this year’s list of films to be admitted into the National Film Registry. Via Variety, Batman is entering the archive following the induction of the 2008 film The Dark Knight. The addition of the film to the registry makes The Dark Knight one of the newest releases to enter the archive, as films only become eligible for addition ten years after release; only 12 films from the 21st century have been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and added to the archive thus far. Only the second superhero film admitted to the registry after Superman (1978), it joins Little Nemo (1911), Ella Cinders (1931), Flash Gordon (1936), and Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936) as some of the only comics adaptations in the registry. You can find short essays on the class of 2020 and a full list of this year’s inductees–including The Hurt Locker, The Joy Luck Club, Grease, and Shrek–over at the Library of Congress’s website.
Continued below– After the big bundle of news Disney dropped during its Investor Day this week, the studio has confirmed the timeline of release for their upcoming feature films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Via The Direct, that timeline is in line with the most recently announced release dates for the MCU films following multiple delays due to theater closures and production challenges from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but with the additions of Blade, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Fantastic Four. According to the report, Blade will release between Black Panther II and Captain Marvel 2 in late 2022, Quantumania will hit theaters between Captain Marvel 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Fantastic Four will bow last of all the announced projects. The specific release dates for those three films remain unannounced, but this schedule would see at least five MCU films reaching theaters in 2022, the most released in a single year to date.
– In one of the final death knells for the now departed Marvel Television, Hulu has cancelled Helstrom after one season according to Variety. Originally announced as a canon Marvel Cinematic Universe project based on the Marvel characters Satana and Daimon Hellstrom, those ties were significantly underplayed following the shuttering of the production company under Jeph Loeb, and the consolidation of Marvel’s TV efforts under the larger Marvel Studios umbrella last year. When Helstrom resurfaced this year, its limited marketing campaign contained no reference to Marvel or to the show’s source material, instead focusing on the show’s horror aspects. Helstrom was the final live-action project from Marvel Television, and the company’s remaining two projects–the upcoming animated series M.O.D.O.K. and Hit-Monkey–have been folded into Marvel Studios.
– Via PREVIEWSworld, 92Y and Archie Comics are collaborating on a new online class for kids. The four-week class, which will feature artist Dan Parent as the instructor, will teach kids ages 9-13 to draw, write, and create their own comic books. The class will be offered for $200 as part of 92Y’s Virtual Afterschool program, which was launched in September. “I can’t think of a better way to introduce kids to the world of comic books and illustrating than through the eyes and ears of Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica and the Riverdale gang,” said Lauren Wexler, 92Y Afterschool Director. The class is open for registration and will begin on January 14.
– Via Variety, the Dwayne Johnson-fronted DC film Black Adam has added Trinkets star Quintessa Swindell to the cast. Swindell will portray the junior Justice Society member Cyclone, joining previously cast JSA members Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Hawkman (Aldis Hodge). The film, which will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and also stars Sarah Shahi, does not currently have a scheduled release date after being delayed from starting production by COVID-19.
– Cartoon Network and the National Black Justice Coalition have teamed up to produce a comic strip to teach young people about sharing their pronouns. Via CBR, the strip features Stevonnie from Steven Universe, and Craig from Craig of the Creek, meeting two new friends, Kam and Alex, whose pronouns are them/they like Stevonnie. “This comic was created to embrace and acknowledge the role of selfhood and inclusion.” NBJC’s YYAAC member Justin Calhoun said in a statement. “This partnership between NBJC and Cartoon Network is an act of visibility that centers the needs of queer youth to ensure that they are not only accepted, but also thriving!” You can find the full comic on CBR.
