Welcome back to The Beat Digest, a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest comics-related news stories we’ve missed every Tuesday and Friday. Is there a story out there you think we should cover? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
§ Via IGN, Syfy unveiled Revival, the supernatural drama based on Tim Seeley and Mike Norton‘s Image Comics series of the same name. Starring Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott, Andy McQueen, Steven Ogg, and CM Punk, the show revolves around a rural town where the dead have come back to life, as if they never even passed away to begin with. It will premiere on Syfy on Thursday, June 12, at 10 pm ET, and be available to catch up with on Peacock one week after each episode airs.
§ Shooting on the Sgt. Rock movie, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Colin Farrell, has been reportedly delayed until 2026. The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline say the project’s planned August shoot in the UK was canceled as the crew did not have enough time to prepare exterior scenes set during winter. The reports also shed light on the film’s plot, stating it’ll see Sgt. Rock team up with a female French resistance fighter to recover the Spear of Destiny. Assuming production still goes ahead next year, Sgt. Rock (which has never had a formal release date anyway) should hit theaters in 2027.
§ Via Variety, Jeremy Renner claims Hawkeye season two hasn’t transpired yet because Disney only offered him “half” of his salary from the first. Renner, 54, told podcast High Performance the offer was made after his near-fatal 2023 snowplow accident, and that he felt it was because they thought he was only “half the Jeremy” he was as a result. He states “it’s just the penny pinchers, the accountants,” and had nothing to do with Marvel Studios, whom he would happily reprise the role for, although he adds he is grateful he isn’t right now because he’s still recovering from his injuries. Renner is currently promoting his new memoir, My Next Breath, available now from all good bookstores.
§ Dark Horse announced Star Wars: Tales from the Nightlands, a Halloween-themed miniseries by writer Cavan Scott, and (respectively on each issue) artists Soo Lee, Vincenzo Riccardi, and Robert Hack. Each issue will find Obi-Wan & Anakin, Luke & Leia, and Rey & Finn haunted by a boogeyman that manifests itself on the planet Ryloth, during nights when the divide between the worlds of the living and the dead becomes thinner. Issue #1 (of 3) will be released on September 3. It is only the latest Halloween-inspired Star Wars anthology Scott has written, continuing an annual tradition he kicked off with Tales from Vader’s Castle in 2018.
§ Archie will be providing custom covers for the upcoming crossover Archie Meets Jay & Silent Bob, offering readers a chance to add themselves to a cover with their own artwork, or one by a professional artist for a fee of $700. For more details on the (very expensive) offer, which requires entries to be submitted before May 21, click the link here. Archie Meets Jay & Silent Bob, a double-sized one-shot penned by Kevin Smith, with art by Fernando Ruiz, Rich Koslowski, Matt Herms, and Jack Morelli, releases July 9.
§ Amidst the unfolding drama of Diamond’s bankruptcy, DSTLRY has confirmed all orders for unshipped titles have been canceled, and that their comics will resume releasing in July. Books resolicited for that month with new distributor Penguin Random House consist of Warm Fusion #3, Life #5, The Blood Brothers Mother #4, and The Missionary #3, with more to be rescheduled at a later date (a full list of which you can check at the link.) DSTLRY was exclusive with Diamond until late March, when they announced their new deal with PRH.
§ Aethon Books launched The Last Wardens, an audio horror drama based on the Mad Cave series of the same name by Amit Tishler, Elliot Sperl, and Rui Silveira. Scripted by Tishler and Sperl, Last Wardens follows a woman whose long-lost brother returns from the Vietnam War, spreading a monstrous disease. It features the voices of Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel), Felicia Day (Supernatural), Mark Meer (Mass Effect), Shiva Negar (The Cuban), Matthew Waterson (X-Men ’97), and Ginny Di (Critical Role), and is available to buy now on various audio platforms.
§ Finally, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is coming to PlayStation and Xbox. The roguelike brawler, which was originally released on Apple Arcade in 2023, before coming to Nintendo Switch and PC, will be released digitally on PS4 and 5 on Tuesday, May 20, and Xbox One and Series X/S on June 24. Physical deluxe editions of the game for all consoles, featuring an unannounced paid DLC, and a “Pipin’ Hot” Collector’s Edition containing a copy of the tie-in comic by Henry Barajas and Pablo Verdugo, and much, much more, will follow on August 26.
