‘Timeless’ sets up Marvel’s future this December

The one-shot written by Jed MacKay has an artist change since it was announced last week.

Timeless, one of the eight new tentpole titles coming out this winter that Marvel announced last week, will arrive in December with a boom — but without Joe Bennett.

The Immortal Hulk artist was originally announced to be working on the one-shot, but as confirmed by Newsarama, the artist will not be working on any future Marvel projects. While Marvel did not give a reason, Bennett has been in the news lately both for the anti-semitic imagery being displayed in the background of a panel of Immortal Hulk and for a controversial drawing he did of Brazil President Jair Messias Bolsonaro.

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Comics Lowdown | Action Lab accused of lack of payment and more by their creators

Plus: Joe Bennett, Ninja Turtles, Substack and more!

Action Lab Entertainment, the publisher of Spencer & Locke, Princeless, Jupiter Jet, Midnight Tiger and Molly Danger, among many other titles, has come under scrutiny on social media by a long list of creators for the terms of their contracts, soliciting comics that are never published, lack of payment to creators and poor communications.

At Women Write About Comics, Claire Napier rounds up a number of these allegations against the publisher, from creators like Jeremy Whitley, John J. Peréz, Tom Rogers and Nick Marino, among others. Napier focuses a good portion of her article on Gordon McLean, writer of Supermom: Expecting Trouble, who went missing in December of 2019 around the time that the first issue of his comic was supposed to come out — but according to sources, the comic was canceled and McLean was never told.

Action Lab President Bryan Seaton spoke with Bleeding Cool in a very brief interview on the subject. He talks about many of the speed bumps the company hit during the COVID crisis, but as folks pointed out on Twitter, many of these issues predate the pandemic. Seaton did note he has set up an email address, alecreator@actionlabent.com, that creators can use to contact them directly about any outstanding issues regarding a title.

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Marvel announces eight new ‘tentpole’ titles for this coming winter

Daredevil, Fantastic Four, She-Hulk and more have new projects lined up at the House of Ideas.

Marvel revealed today eight new titles for the coming winter that they’re referring to as “tentpole” titles — or titles that “will shape the future of the Marvel Universe in the months to come.”

Marvel announced earlier this month plans to reveal several new projects today in celebration of their birthday — so, Happy Birthday, Marvel!

The projects range from event titles to new ones featuring some characters you’ll soon see on Disney+.

Here’s the lowdown on the eight titles:

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‘Immortal Hulk’ will wrap up with issue #50

Al Ewing and Joe Bennett prepare for the end in August’s ‘Immortal Hulk’ #49.

Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s epic Hulk tale is starting to wind down.

According to Marvel.com, Immortal Hulk #50 will be the finale of the story they’ve been telling since 2018.

“It’s finally time to admit it—Immortal Hulk is reaching the end of the story we set out to tell,” Ewing said. “Issue #49 brings jade-jaws to the gates of the abyss and a final accounting of his life—in time for a last issue you’ll have to experience to believe.”

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Comics Lowdown | S. Clay Wilson passes away

Plus: ‘Brzrkr’ orders, ‘Immortal Hulk’ #43, Stan Lee, John Porcellino and more!

Underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson, creator of the Checkered Demon, Captain Pissgums and his Pervert Pirates, and numerous other transgressive characters, all of whom he wedged into his signature hyper-detailed panels, has died at the age of 79. Wilson grew up in Nebraska and eventually moved to San Francisco, where he was a contributor to Zap Comics and an integral part of the underground comix scene. He suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2008 and the condition worsened in 2010.

Brian Cronin sums up his life and career at CBR, but if you really want to get your heart broken, read this 2010 interview with Wilson’s sister about his early work and how the brain injury affected him. And for a fuller appreciation of his art and thought, here’s a Comics Journal interview that was done shortly before his injury.

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The original Defenders return at Marvel

One-shots starring the Silver Surfer, Hulk, Doctor Strange and Namor due out this December.

Marvel’s original non-team is taking back their name and returning in a series of one-shots by several different creators, as The Defenders — Hulk, Dr. Strange, Namor and Silver Surfer — reunite this December.

The Defenders first banded together back in Marvel Feature #1 in 1971. They moved to their own title in 1972, which lasted 152 issues and featured several other reoccurring members like Nighthawk, Valkyrie, Hellcat and Gargoyle. They’ve since returned in various incarnations. The most recent Defenders series took its inspiration from the Netflix TV series of the same name and included Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist.

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