USAGI ANIMATED AT NETFLIX

Netflix and Gaumont have announced a new comedy-action CGI animated series, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, based on the 35-year-old comic book, Usagi Yojimbo, from Stan Sakai.

Here's how Netflix describes the show:

"The series takes place in the far future, set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, on his epic quest to become a true samurai. But he isn't alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes -- including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard -- as he battles depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!"

Sakai will serve as executive producer, along with Gaumont's Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee, Dark Horse Entertainment's Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue, and Atomic Monster's James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett.

Candie and Doug Langdale are attached as executive producers and showrunners. Ben Jones is supervising producer, while Khang Le will serve as art director on the series.

Mumbai-based 88 Pictures has been appointed as the CGI animation studio.

Nicolas Atlan, President, Gaumont U.S., said, "All of us at Gaumont were honored when Stan trusted us to develop his iconic property into an animated series. This is a first for Usagi Yojimbo. We are thrilled to have Netflix on board as our creative partner so we can together, with the combined artistic talent of Stan Sakai, Dark Horse Entertainment and Atomic Monster take this iconic brand to the next level."

Sakai said, "It is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix. I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into. It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people. I am working with an awesome team and I�fm looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen! I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35-plus years."

WONDER WOMAN REMASTERED FOR BLU-RAY

Wonder Woman, the 1970's live-action television series starring Lynda Carter, has been remastered for Blu-ray for a July 28 release titled Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection.

Here's how the collection is described:

"Save the world? That's a man's job. Then along comes star-spangled Wonder Woman with her bullet-deflecting bracelets and golden lariat to set everyone straight. With Lynda Carter staring as the title character, Season One features adventures in Wonder Woman's original World War II era, while Seasons Two and Three whoosh forward to the disco-loving '70s. Times change. The need to smash evil, calamity and injustice does not."

The Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set comes with all 59 episodes, plus the pilot movie, across 10 discs.

Bonus features include:

* Audio commentary of the pilot movie by Lynda Carter and executive producer Douglas S. Cramer.

* Audio commentary by Carter on episode, "My Teenage Idol is Missing."

* Featurette: Beauty, Brawn and Bulletproof Bracelets: A Wonder Woman Retrospective.

* Featurette: Revolutionizing a Classic: From Comic Book to Television

Featurette: Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Feminist Icon

The TV movie pilot, The New Original Wonder Woman, premiered on Nov, 7, 1975 on ABC. The first season of the series, Wonder Woman, debuted Feb. 16, 1977 on ABC. The second and third seasons of the series aired on CBS, with the final original episode premiering on Sept, 11, 1979.

The cast also featured Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor and Debra Winger as Wonder Girl/Drusilla. First-season regulars included Beatrice Colen as Etta Candy, and Richard Eastham as General Philip Blankenship. Guest stars included Rick Springfield, Red Buttons, Roy Rogers, Roddy McDowall, Frank Gorshin, Celeste Holm, Martin Mull, Dick Gautier, Ron Ely, Gary Burghoff, Leif Garrett, Ed Begley Jr., Dick Van Patten, Eve Plumb, Philip Michael Thomas, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, Carolyn Jones, Joan Van Ark, Robert Reed, Anne Francis and John Saxon.

BOOM! STUDIOS' BRZRKR

BOOM! Studios has announced an October launch for BRZRKR, a 12-issue limited series from Keanu Reeves, co-writer Matt Kindt, artist Alessandro Vitti, colorist Bill Crabtree and letterer Clem Robins.

Here's how BOOM! describes the book:

"The man known only as Berzerker is half-mortal and half-God, cursed and compelled to violence...even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, Berzerker may have finally found a refuge -- working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, Berzerker will be granted the one thing he desires -- the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence...and how to end it."

"I have loved comics since I was a young kid and they have been a significant influence on me artistically," Reeves said. "To have the chance to create BRZRKR and collaborate with legends in the industry like writer Matt Kindt, artist Alessandro Vitti, color artist Bill Crabtree, letterer Clem Robins, and conceptual/cover artist Rafael Grampa -- along with the great folks at BOOM! Studios -- is a dream come true."

"The best collaborations have each partner bringing something unique to the table," Kindt said. "Wth BRZRKR we mixed a potent cocktail of all the things that we love: the tale of an immortal warrior laced with history, conspiracies, spirituality, and a gigantic helping of bonkers action and violence -- all with intense purpose and ultimately a heartbreaking discovery."

"I was visiting New York when BOOM! Studios reached out to me about BRZRKR and as soon as I saw that I would be working with Matt Kindt and Keanu Reeves, I was jumping with excitement because I knew that this would be an incredible experience," Vitti said. "And I was right! This series has everything I love to draw, and I can't wait for it to hit stores so we can share it with all of you!"

BRZRKR #1 features main cover art by Grampa and variants by Vitti and Mark Brooks.

BRIEFLY

AHOY FIRST LOOKS: For cover and five-page preview of Billionaire Island #3, available on Wednesday, July 22 from AHOY Comics, CLICK HERE.

BLACK ADAM CASTING: Noah Centineo will play Atom Smasher in the Black Adam movie starring Dwayne Johnson.

OCTOBER 2020 SOLICITATIONS

Below are solicitations posted for October. Click on the publisher's name for the full listings and check back soon for additional solicitations.

* DC COMICS.

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