JK Parkin

‘Usagi,’ ‘Lumberjanes,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and more round out silver Free Comic Book Day titles

Free Comic Book Day 2020 will feature almost 50 titles on May 2.

With its “gold sponsors” announced earlier in the week, the Free Comic Book Day committee announced the rest of the 2020 line-up yesterday, bringing the total to 47 free comics.

“Every year, our goal is to bring fans the very best Free Comic Book Day experience,” said Joe Field, originator of FCBD, and owner of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, California, in a press statement. “The caliber, strength and depth of this year’s comic book titles is really something to be thrilled about! With such a wide variety of stories in 2020 FCBD titles, every long-time fan and every new shop visitor curious about comics is going to find something exciting. Comic book specialty retailers all over the world are excited to treat everyone to an incredible day of fun, discovery, and learning about comic books and comic book shops.”

The silver titles include additional comics from several of the gold sponsors, including a new Usagi Yojimbo comic by Stan Sakai and a Stranger Things/Minecraft flipbook from Dark Horse. There are also selections featuring Donald Duck, Naruto, Owly, Lumberjanes, Little Lulu and Artists, Writers & Artisans, the new comics company headed up by Bill Jemas and Axel Alonso.

Check out the full list below.

Dark Horse to adapt Gaiman’s ‘Norse Mythology’ to comics

P. Craig Russell, Mike Mignola, Jerry Ordway and more will bring Gaiman’s interpretations of Odin, Loki and other Norse gods to the comics page.

Neil Gaiman brought new life to the Norse myths he loved as boy in his book Norse Mythology, and now the writer is teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to turn those stories into comics.

Dark Horse and Gaiman have previously collaborated on several books adapting his prose stories into comics, including “A Study in Emerald” and “Snow, Glass, Apples.” While those became stand-alone graphic novels, Norse Mythology will run as an 18-issue series. P. Craig Russell will help adapt the stories, like he did with “Murder Mysteries,” while artists involved with the project include Mike Mignola and Jerry Ordway, with others to be named later

Noto + Duggan team for a solo ‘Cable’ title

The mutant from the future leaps into a solo title again in March.

Cable is the latest mutant to get his own title in Marvel’s “Dawn of X” line, which seems to be expanding in ways we haven’t seen since … well, probably since the mutant explosion of the 1990s.

And by Cable, of course, I mean the young teenage version — Kid Cable — who has been running around the various X-titles since Extermination. Gerry Duggan will team up with Phil Noto for these new adventures of Cyclops’ favorite son.

Vin Diesel, Tom Scioli, Jeffrey Brown and more highlight Free Comic Book Day 2020 offerings

Diamond announces the first round of titles coming to comic shops May 2.

Diamond Comics Distributors has announced the 12 Gold Sponsor comics that will be making their way into comic shops on May 2 for Free Comic Book Day 2020.

The selections, which were chosen by a committee of more than 20 comics retailers, include some fun choices, promoting new projects by Tom Scioli, Jeffrey Brown, Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee, Neil Gaiman and more. Oh, and Vin Diesel!

“The quality of titles from publisher applicants made for some tough choices this year,” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “It’s a solid indicator that Free Comic Book Day truly is the ideal event to showcase the best titles you can find in comic book shops. We can’t wait to once again share the FCBD experience with fans and everyone who loves comic books.”

Here’s the rundown of what to expect, and you cna look for the Silver Sponsor titles later this week.

Brubaker + Phillips prepare for next awards season with ‘Pulp’

The new graphic novel is due from Image Comics next May.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have consistently turned out critically acclaimed, award-winning comics and graphic novels for what seems like decades now, from their work on Fatale and Criminal to this year’s big Eisner winner, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies.

It looks like that trend could continue in 2020, as Image today announced Pulp, a new Western graphic novel by the duo.

“When Sean and I decided to do something completely new for our next original graphic novel, he planted the idea of a Western in my head… And I found myself drawn to the era where that genre first hit big—the pulp magazines and the Great Depression,” said Brubaker. “I thought about all these writers telling fictionalized versions of the vanishing days of the Wild West, as their own world was going through one of its darkest hours… And suddenly I realized I had the makings of a really great pulp story, but one set in the real world. A story that I really wanted to tell.”

DC deletes Batman image from social media after receiving Chinese complaints

An image promoting ‘The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child’ sparks complaints of ‘support of Hong Kong’s rioters.’

DC Comics deleted social media postings last week featuring a promotional image from the upcoming Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child one-shot by Frank Miller and Rafael Grampa after receiving numerous complaints from Chinese commenters.

The comments said the image looked like it supported the pro-Democracy protests currently occurring in Hong Kong. The Global Times out of China said it “implied its support of Hong Kong’s rioters,” noting that many critics saw “Batman’s gesture as supportive of Hong Kong’s unrest and violence.”

Grampa, the artist of the piece, had a one-word response to the attention the piece received: “Surreal.” Here’s the image in question:

Check out holiday shopping deals from comiXology, Fantagraphics and more

Get Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on comics, merchandise and more.

Black Friday is here, bringing opportunities for comic fans to find that perfect gift or just a good deal. Here’s a rundown of some comic-related things to check out today, over the weekend and on Cyber Monday. I’ll add others as I see them, so be sure to check back.

Bedside Press shuts down

The Canadian publisher shuts down operations after publisher Hope Nicholson admits to sexual misconduct.

Hope Nicholson, the publisher behind Winnipeg-based Bedside Press, has announced she’s shut down the graphic novel imprint. The closure came a few days after she admitted to sexual misconduct involving unwanted kissing against another creator.

According to the Twitter post, Bedside Press publications currently in distribution will remain so for the near future. “I will try my best to find publishers to take on future reprints of these titles,” Nicholson said in her statement. Books in production “will be assigned to new publishers before print.”

Marvel will publish Ultraman comics next year

Agreement between publisher and Tsuburaya Productions announced at Tokyo Comic Con.

Marvel will bring the popular Japanese franchise Ultraman to comics next year. Marvel announced the agreement with Tsuburaya Productions, who own Ultraman, at the Tokyo Comic Con late last week.

“As one of the world’s most popular franchises, Ultraman has brought together some of the most passionate fandoms in pop culture today, and we can’t wait to bring his story to even more fans around the globe,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “Like Marvel, Ultraman captivated generations by telling spectacular stories grounded in the real world, and it continues to be a beloved classic through its television shows, movies, toys, games, comics, and more. We are so thrilled to introduce new chapters to the Ultraman Multiverse next year.”

Artist Tom Lyle passes away

The artist of ‘Robin,’ ‘Spider-Man,’ ‘Strike!’ and many other titles suffered a brain aneurysm in October.

Tom Lyle, co-creator of Stephanie Brown from DC’s Batman books and artist of titles like Robin, Spider-Man and Starman, passed away today at the age of 66.

Lyle suffered a brain aneurysm in October, which required him to be placed in a medically-enduced coma and to have surgery to remove a brain clot. According to artist Phillip Sevy, funeral details are still being finalized.

Lyle’s artistic career began in earnest in the 1980s, when he worked on titles like Airboy and Strike! for Eclipse. In 1988, he and writer Roger Stern teamed up to create a new version of Starman for DC Comics, bringing Will Payton into the DC universe.

Mignola + Howard revisit ‘The Crooked Man’ in new Hellboy miniseries

‘Hellboy & The B.P.R.D.: The Return Of Effie Kolb’ brings back a classic Hellboy storyline and characters.

Mike Mignola will revisit a classic Hellboy story in the upcoming Hellboy & The B.P.R.D.: The Return Of Effie Kolb. The story will serve as a sequel to “The Crooked Man” story that was published back in 2008.

“Sometimes you create a character, they perform their function, and that’s it,” Mignola said. “Other times you finish with them and they just refuse to get back in their box. Tom Ferrell is one of those characters. Even as I was writing The Crooked Man I knew there was a whole lot more to that guy. And Effie Kolb… It turns out there are worse things you can do to a character than turn them into a horse.”

Dan Abnett pens a song about ‘Rai’

The Valiant title gets a theme song, courtesy of its writer and the band A Sound of Thunder.

Valiant Entertainment will revive Rai on Wednesday with a new title, by Dan Abnett and Juan José Ryp. But Abnett isn’t just writing the series; he also wrote a Rai theme song that’s been recorded by the metal band A Sound of Thunder.

You can hear a snippet of the song, titled “Break Free,” below:

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

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