Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the weekend. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
– Like the Harry Potter movies in the ’00s, it seems like anybody who’s anybody is out for a role in some Marvel property. Cate Blanchett has officially joined the cast of Thor: Ragnorok as villain Hela. She’s accompanied by Karl Urban as Skunge, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, and Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster. (If he doesn’t make a bunch of chaos theory references, I’m going to demand my money back.) Mark Ruffalo will also be coming aboard as Bruce Banner (about the only Avenger not in Captain America: Civil War), though Nathalie Portman and Kat Dennings have been cut, which is a shame because they were among the best parts of the first one.
– Some random Reddit user got their hands on a copy of “DC Universe: Rebirth” and posted the spoilers. Naturally, Bleeding Cool reported it. Read at your own discretion, but the events are so insane (inane?) that I just ended up shaking my head. It was like a desperate shove from DC; you could feel them going, “You liked this, didn’t you? It’s here now! Why won’t you love us?!”
– Of course, let’s not forget, Dan Didio may not be very good at his job. Abhay Khosla assembles a bunch of testimonials and incidents and choices from Didio and people around Didio and it’s a fascinating read.
– Anyway, Gerard Way has been offering some sneak peeks at his upcoming “Young Animal” books. I’m digging the pen and ink work, but I’m sure whatever colorist they throw on these things is going to over-render it and kill it.
– Anyone remember “Outcast”? Another Robert Kirkman TV pitch comic, illustrated by Paul Azaceta? Well, the show has been picked and you can stream the entire first episode.
– Michael Martens, the VP of Book Trade Sales, is leaving Dark Horse this September. Martens has worked at the publisher for 22 years. In a statement, he said: “I find myself thinking about all the things I still want to do in my life. Creative things, fun things, volunteer things. Things that don’t involve long hours in front of a computer screen and a crazy travel schedule. It is hard to leave a rewarding position at Dark Horse, but it is time for me.”
– This June, Marvel will start publishing the Star Wars: The Force Awakens comic adaptation. The series by Chuck Wendig and Luke Ross will debut with the usual slew of Marvel variants. Here’s a bunch of them. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is slated to release on June 22.
– Check out this video of “Zita the Spacegirl” cartoonist Ben Hatke.
– Over 13 years in the making, “The Complete Peanuts” from Fantagraphics will finally conclude this October. The 26-volume collection features all 17,000 of Schulz’s strips and features introductions from people like Matt Groening, Whoopi Goldberg, Walter Cronkite, Bill Meléndez, John Waters, Patton Oswalt, and President Barack Obama. In light of its upcoming conclusion, series designer, Seth (“Palookaville”) talks with The Washington Post about the series and its legacy.
