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WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2021



BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER

HBO Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit a straight-to-series order for Batman: Caped Crusader, a new animated series and reimagining of the Batman mythology through executive producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Bad Robot Productions and 6th & Idaho.

The news was announced by Tom Ascheim, President, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics (GKYAC) and Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and Cartoon Network Studios (CNS).

Tom Ascheim said: "It is always fun to feed the insatiable appetite fans have for all things Batman. Batman: Caped Crusader will entertain first time and die-hard fans alike and, with such an impressive creative team in place, we know we have another future Batman classic in the making."

Batman: Caped Crusader represents Timm's return to the iconic DC character in animated episodic television, which began with Batman: The Animated Series. Praised by many to be the gold standard of animated superhero storytelling, Batman: The Animated Series is considered one of the best depictions of the Dark Knight in any medium.

Now, nearly 30 years since the series premiered, Timm once again takes on the mantle of the Bat, alongside filmmakers Abrams and Reeves.

Sam Register said: "Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans. It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt and Bruce, each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character, to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy."

Executive Producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves said in a combined statement: "We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City. The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman's noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world."



IDW PUBLISHING'S TRANSFORMERS PLANS

IDW Publishing has announced its summer Transformers plans, including two new mini-series in August, as well as new story arcs for Transformers and Transfomers: Beast Wars.

Following is a rundown:

* Transformers: King Grimlock, a five-issue series, will be written by Steve Orlando, with art by Agustin Padilla and colors by Jeremy Colwell.

Here's how IDW describes the book:

"In a savage world where the strong rule with sword and iron, the Dinobot Grimlock finds a new opportunity to prove he's the strongest there is... but as Grimlock and the human barbarian Arko will learn, sometimes brute strength isn't enough."

"King Grimlock is a sky-high dream come to life, a story so big and wild, I wasn't sure if the Transformers universe could contain it," Orlando said. "This is a first-of-its-kind, science/fantasy epic for fans new and old, whether you follow the animation of the '80s, the modern shows of the '00s, the big screen blockbusters, the decades of incredible comics, or if you've been intrigued by Grimlock action figures on the shelf. Everyone's welcome!"

"Right from the start, I knew that King Grimlock had all the ingredients to be an incredible project, and I'm really proud and excited to bring it to life with this great team," Padilla said.

Cary Nord provides the #1 cover, and variants will be by Padilla, Mateus Santolouco.

* Transformers: Shattered Glass will be a five-issue series, written by Danny Lore, with art by Guido Guidi and Dan Khanna and colors by John-Paul Bove.

Here's how IDW describes the book:

"In a parallel universe, a war raged across the cosmos from Cybertron to Earth, a war between Decepticon laborers-turned-freedom fighters and the power-hungry Autobot autocrats. Many kilocycles after the blue planet was devastated and the Decepticons were brought to heel, the evil Autobot bodyscrapper named Blurr hunts a new bounty... one who holds a piece of information that could reignite the war!"

"To this day, I'm the nerd whose heart swells when they hear Optimus Prime and Starscream's voices," Lore said. "As a writer, I love exploring characterization, what the core elements are that make someone who and what they are. Creating these Shattered Glass versions of childhood favorites is like building the perfect Combiner for me: what are the nuts and bolts that we can swap out while still making them recognizable?"

Guidi, who will be illustrating issues #1, #3, and #5, said, "It's absolutely a blast to be part of the Shattered Glass team! The best part as an artist is to convey the new twisted personalities in familiar faces, and Danny's script allows a lot of fun with that aspect. It's great to discover how a classic good guy can work well as an evil character, and vice-versa!"

Khanna, who will be illustrating issues #2 and #4, said, "It's a thrill to be able to draw a completely fresh take on the classic cast with IDW's all-new Shattered Glass universe and timeline! It's a lot of fun to realize an evil Optimus Prime and noble version of Megatron."

Three cover variants will be available -- by Alex Milne, Khanna and Sara Pitre-Durocher.

* Transformers #34, by writer Brian Ruckley and artist Anna Malkova, kicks off the new "Sea of Rust" storyline in IDW's continuity of Cybertron in its earliest days of war. Megatron has learned that his former mentor, Termagax, holds a key artifact that could tip the scales of the war firmly in the Decepticons' favor, eliminating the Autobots once and for all. The first order of business, however, is running Termagax down.

Issue #34 features covers by Winston Chan, Susan Margevich and Andrew Griffith.

* Transformers: Beast Wars #7, by writer Erik Burnham and artist Winston Chan, launches a new story arc entitled "Pod." Regrouping after their first explosive battle, the Maximals and Predacons are alerted to the descent of a new protoform pod, and its sole inhabitant, Blackarachnia. Whose side will this mysterious newcomer take?

The issue features covers by Fico Ossio, Ed Pirrie and Gavin Guidry.



STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR

IDW Publishing has announced a Sept. 8 launch for Star Trek: The Mirror War, from writers Scott Tipton and David Tipton and artist Carlos Nieto.

This zero issue features a new story of "Mirror Picard," as he's summoned to Earth to face the wrath of his emperor, deftly weaving threads from past Mirror Universe tales in a way entertaining to newcomers and the initiated alike.

Following September's #0 launch, the series will continue to build year-long tension with issues #1-8 and four interspersed tie-in specials, each highlighting a different member of the Next Generation cast. The first spin-off one-shot, slated for December, will focus on Data. Once complete, the 13-part saga will chart Mirror Picard's path of conquest across all of the Mirror Universe, stoking the wrath of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance along the way.

"We're absolutely thrilled to return to the Mirror Universe," Scott Tipton said. "What's in store for our Mirror Jean-Luc Picard and his Enterprise crew? New faces, new places, and old grudges. Picard's ambitions are grander than ever, and nothing short of the throne itself will satisfy him."

"In The Mirror War, we'll be seeing what happens when Picard gets hold of information that can change the fortunes of the debilitated Terran Empire," David Tipton said. "The Enterprise crew will find themselves in positions of potential power and wealth like never before."

Star Trek: The Mirror War #0 will be available with multiple cover variants including by series artist Nieto, Ejiwa Ebenebe, and an Incentive edition by Bex Glendining. Starting with issue #1, J.K. Woodward will be providing covers for every issue.



BRIEFLY

MARVEL FIRST LOOKS: For covers and five-page preview of Excalibur #21, available on Wednesday, June 9 from Marvel Comics, CLICK HERE.

BOOM! FIRST LOOKS: For covers and five-page preview of Eve #2, available on Wednesday, June 9 from BOOM! Studios, CLICK HERE.

TITAN FIRST LOOKS: For covers and five-page preview of ExtraOrdinary #1, available on Wednesday, June 23 from Titan Comics, CLICK HERE.



JULY 2021 SOLICITATIONS

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

* ARCHIE COMICS.

* BAD IDEA.

* BOOM! STUDIOS.

* DARK HORSE COMICS.

* DC COMICS.

* MARVEL COMICS.

* RED 5 COMICS.

* TITAN COMICS.











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