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.
§ Dark Horse revealed The Legend of Vox Machina: The Whitestone Chronicles Volume 3 — The Briarwoods. The final volume of the Critical Role spin-off written by Marieke Nijkamp, the book, featuring art by Aviv Or, will explore how the villainous Lady Delilah Briarwood became a necromancer. It will be released in bookstores on June 30, and comic shops the following day, shortly after the second installment, The Whitestone Chronicles — Cassandra, arrives on March 10.
§ Papercutz will publish Penny and the Yeti, a children’s graphic novel written by Cryptid Creator Corner co-host Jimmy Gaspero, with art by newcomer Amber Akin. Due out April 21, the book follows a young girl whose parents’ relationship has become fraught. When a drawing of a yeti she created with her older sister comes to life, the two concoct a plan to get her parents to stop fighting. However, Penny “soon finds out that her parents may need more help than even a magical Yeti can provide…”
§ Antarctica creators Simon Birks and Willi Roberts will reunite at Image/Top Cow on The Thing on the Doorstep, a five-issue adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft‘s 1933 short story. Like the source material, the comic will tell the story of Daniel Upton, who inexplicably murders his childhood friend Edward Derby while visiting him in Arkham Sanitarium. Intriguingly, this version of Upton is Black, bringing what Birks indirectly calls “a whole new dimension” to the notoriously racist Lovecraft’s tale. Issue #1 will be released on February 11.
Speaking of Image, Comic Book Club reports The Knives, the latest Criminal book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, was removed from Kindle and GlobalComix. Amazon users reported receiving an email informing them their copies were no longer available because of a “technical issue,” and that they would be refunded. GlobalComix co-founder Eric Tapper told the site Image’s distributor “instructed us to take down the book, and unfortunately we don’t have any further information on the reason nor the future release digitally.”
§ Marvel launched The Slattery Method, a viral marketing campaign for Wonder Man, showcasing Ben Kingsley‘s returning Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi character. You can text “ACT” to 805-8-TREVOR (805-887-3867) to sign up to his “acting class”. The series will premiere on Disney+ on Tuesday, January 27, at 9pm ET.
In other original MCU character news, Marvel revealed Melinda May will return to the comics in Joshua Williamson and Carmen Carnero‘s Iron Man relaunch (starting January 28). May, who was played by Ming-Na Wen on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., was first ported over to the comics in Mark Waid and the late Carlos Pacheco‘s 2015 S.H.I.E.L.D. series.
§ Netflix announced Eva Green has been cast in Wednesday season three as Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones)’s incarcerated sister Ophelia. The project reunites her with director Tim Burton, who worked with her on Dark Shadows, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and the Dumbo remake.
The streamer also revealed two additions to the cast of One Piece season three: Daisy Head (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Baroque Works agent Miss Doublefinger, and newcomer Awdo Awdo as her partner Mr. 1. Filming on the third season is now underway, while season two will be released on March 10.
§ Finally, The Hollywood Reporter shares puppeteer and dancer Danny Seagren died on November 10, aged 81. Best known for being Big Bird performer Caroll Spinney‘s understudy on Sesame Street and other projects, Seagren was also the first actor to play Spider-Man in live-action, portraying the wallcrawler in a silent role on The Electric Company from 1974 to 1977. His other credits included Captain Kangaroo, Who’s Afraid of Opera, and Miss Peach of the Kelly School, which he created and won a Daytime Emmy Award for. He is survived by his longtime partner, and his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.
