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.
§ Iron Maiden and Z2 Comics revealed Somewhere in Time: The Graphic Album, an anthology based on the band’s 1986 album of the same name. Due out March 2, 2027, the book will feature contributions from Kelly Sue DeConnick, Andy MacDonald, Steve Niles, Goran Parlov, Benjamin Raab, Deric Hughes, Matt Haley, Dan Hernandez, David Dastmalchian, Corin Hardy, Montos, John Reppion, Leah Moore, and more. You can browse the various editions and tie-in merchandise on Z2’s website. Z2 and Iron Maiden previously collaborated on a 2023 adaptation of Piece of Mind (1983), and lead singer Bruce Dickinson‘s The Mandrake Project (both 2024).
§ Apple TV will release Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy, a new Peanuts special on Friday, November 13, which will follow Charlie Brown’s dog after he finds himself on Santa’s naughty list. “With just 12 days until Christmas, he sets out to prove he’s not such a bad beagle after all, discovering along the way that the season is about more than gifts.” The special will include new songs by John Legend, Kamasi Washington, Leon Bridges, and Laufey, and you can listen to Legend’s track, “Get Ready,” now.
§ Animation Magazine shares the animated Batman: Knightfall Part 2: Knightquest will be available to buy digitally and on physical media on December 15. The second film in the planned trilogy adapts the ’90s storyline where Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael (Pablo Schreiber) takes on the mantle of Batman after Bruce Wayne (Anson Mount) is paralyzed by Bane (Michael Mando). Part 1: Knightfall is available now.
§ Per The Hollywood Reporter, Sony will co-produce and provide international distribution for Lionsgate’s live-action Naruto movie. The film, based on the ninja manga by Masashi Kishimoto, will roll cameras under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton in Spring 2027. It’s an appropriate pairing, given Cretton’s previous film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, grossed $2.5 billion for Sony and Marvel this year, and longtime Spidey film producer Avi Arad is also involved with Naruto.
§ The Reporter also shares Kate Herron (Loki) will direct an animated film version of N.D. Stevenson‘s Scarlet Morning for Amazon MGM. The fantasy book, which is an illustrated novel rather than a comic, was published last year, and follows two orphans who join a crew of pirates to save the world of Dickerson’s Sea. Herron will write the script with Kari Granlund (Godmothered, the Lady and the Tramp remake).
§ Avengers: Doomsday‘s marketing continued to heat up ahead of its release on December 18, with KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts releasing commercials respectively unveiling a Doom Burger, and Gambit (Channing Tatum) meeting H.E.R.B.I.E. (Matthew Wood). Marvel also released a bonus episode of Frank Alvarez & Iman Vellani‘s Countdown podcast, this time revisiting the original 2000-06 X-Men film trilogy. You can watch/listen to previous episodes, looking back on all four Avengers movies and Captain America: Civil War, here.
§ Finally, Texas state senator, lawyer, and composer Nathan Johnson was elected the state’s attorney general during Tuesday, November 3’s midterm elections, causing his history with Dragon Ball to go viral. Johnson, 58, scored the first 67 episodes of the 2005 dub of Dragon Ball Z, and five of the tie-in movies. Variety shared a clip of Johnson discussing his past, where he said it “gave me a creative outlet, and a cultural connection that very few people have had the opportunity to have.” Johnson is the Democrat to be elected Texas Attorney General since 1994, adding to the party’s historic wins in the state this year.
