A Sense of Doubt blog post #3344 - Comic Book Round Up - Comic Book Sunday for 2404.14
Happy Comic Book Sunday.
I may have mentioned before that I have this draft blog post that is a staging ground for posts for the blog. I have been stashing links there for over a year, and it's pretty full.
Still, kinda in low power mode though I am not putting all posts in the category or using the usual blurb.
But this post was an easy, though somewhat curated, sequence of shares concluding with a few recent items still in the downloads folder.
Thanks for tuning in.
https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-david-pepose-takes-on-space-ghost/
Dynamite is gearing up to release Space Ghost this May. Partnering with Warner Bros and Discovery Global Consumer Products, the new book starring the legendary guardian of the spaceways will feature the creative team of writer David Pepose and artist Jonathan Lau.
The Beat chatted with Pepose ahead of the release.
DEANNA DESTITO: How did this project come about?
DAVID PEPOSE: I’ve known Nick Barucci and the editors at Dynamite for going on 15 years, and I’ve worked to stay on their radar as I’ve built up my writing career. I’d like to think my work on Punisher and Moon Knight: City of the Dead is what got Joe Rybandt and company to consider me for Space Ghost — and I’m so glad they did. It’s been such a dream project to work on, getting to juggle all the action and emotion and sci-fi worldbuilding behind these characters.
DESTITO: What attracted you to Space Ghost?
PEPOSE: Boy, there are so many elements that have me excited about this project. The first has to be the character arc we’re putting together for Space Ghost and his supporting cast — Space Ghost came out the same year as Adam West’s Batman, and the original cartoons shared so much DNA. And beyond the wide range of abilities he possesses thanks to his Power Bands and Inviso-Belt, when I initially started thinking about Space Ghost as a character, my first thought was that it was so unique that he not only had one sidekick but three!
The original cartoons were so stylish and so fun, but they never really had any time to establish any backstory to how or why this unlikely team came together — and that became the heart of my take on Space Ghost. Beyond all the fun sci-fi action and adventure, this series is ultimately about how Jan, Jace, and Blip find themselves in Space Ghost’s orbit, and how their dynamic evolves from them being rescued orphans to becoming trusted partners to eventually coming together with Space Ghost to form their own surrogate family. It really is a fun ensemble story where all the characters have a chance to learn, grow, and even heal.
And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the villains. Space Ghost was designed by the legendary Alex Toth, but he didn’t stop there — when you see all the amazing villains that Toth created for the character, like Zorak, Metallus, Brak, Creature King, and the rest of the Council of Doom, you realize that this is a character who has just as iconic of a rogues’ gallery that Batman or Spider-Man has. It allows you to tell all sorts of exciting stories with a character like Space Ghost because he has such a variety of threats to work against.
DESTITO: Were you a fan of the character beforehand?
PEPOSE: I was! I grew up during the Coast to Coast years but really keyed into his potential as a superhero in his own right with works like Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti’s Space Ghost run at DC, as well as Jeff Parker and Doc Shaner’s incredibly fun work on Future Quest.
But I think as I rewatched all the original episodes to prepare for this project, my appreciation has only deepened — I did a super-deep dive not just with the cartoons, but even reading every Space Ghost comics appearance I could get my hands on. Mark Evanier and Steve Rude’s Space Ghost one-shot at Comico, for example? Absolutely sublime stuff.
DESTITO: How is it working with Dynamite and this creative team?
PEPOSE: It’s been absolutely spectacular. First and foremost, I am so grateful to my editor Joe Rybandt and the teams at both Dynamite and Warner Bros., who have really given me a ton of latitude to dive into Space Ghost’s universe in the most exciting and character-driven way possible. This series has my longest runway to date, and the fact that everyone involved has been so open to the wide-reaching plans I’ve come up with is such a heartening experience.
And I can’t say enough great things about Jonathan Lau — when I first saw his artwork, the thing that stood out to me was not just how powerful but ethereal he was able to make Space Ghost, or how powerfully he establishes the mood of each scene, but that he didn’t ignore Jan, Jace, or Blip. He understood right from the jump that this is a story that’s told through their eyes as well, and that they can share the spotlight with Space Ghost as they work and grow together. (Also, Jonathan’s cutaways to Blip regularly crack me up.) Colorist Andrew Dalhouse also deserves a ton of credit for giving this series so much mood and energy — I’d worked with him once before on a Miles Morales short story at Marvel, and he’s just a real artist’s artist with his colors. I’m lucky to be working with a really top-shelf team here.
DESTITO: What does this incarnation have for both old and new fans of Space Ghost?
PEPOSE: We’ve been working to gear this series so that whether you’re new to Space Ghost or you’ve watched every episode of the original series, you’ll be able to follow this book from the very first issue. For those who are diehard fans of Space Ghost, we’re going to be digging deep into his rogues’ gallery — I rewatched every episode of the original series and the Space Stars revival of the ‘80s, so keep your eyes peeled. It’s a dangerous universe out there — you’re going to see just about everybody you might expect, plus a few deep cuts that you might not.
But even for newcomers who might not be instantly familiar with the lore, the characters are key here. We’re telling a really wonderful story about family, loss, and redemption with this series — without giving too much away, I think Space Ghost, Jan, and Jace’s stories each complement one another in some truly heartfelt ways, and I think if you stick around with this book, you’re going to fall in love with these characters just as much as I have.
DESTITO: Any teasers about the series you can share?
PEPOSE: Hmm, what else can I tease that I haven’t discussed already…? Expect plenty of villains. Expect plenty of sci-fi adventure, drama, humor, and heart. Expect to fall in love with this cosmic quartet. And most importantly, if you only know Space Ghost from his talk show, make sure to check out our book to find out why he’s the greatest superhero in the galaxy.
Okay, it’s been a little bit since my run on DAREDEVIL ended, so I can finally share some bits about the ending. I’ve stated before that I had a lot of the major beats planned out pretty far in advance. Some things shifted or expanded or condensed, but a lot of what I envisioned made it onto the page, which is a miracle in monthly comics, lemme tell you.
After I got the job writing MR. BATMAN, I was invited to a Marvel Summit. Now, for those of you who don’t know, Marvel Summits are when a bunch of the writers under contract head to the greatest city in the world—or the worst city in the world if you’re someone living in a Marvel comic—New York City to talk about future plans. Of course this one was during the pandemic, so it was going to be on Zoom, the saddest substitution in the world.
I felt like I couldn’t ethically attend the Marvel Zoom Summit because I already knew way too much about what was planned at DC, and I don’t trust myself with top secret story information. Like, I’d probably blurt out, “Superman’s mullet is coming back!!” at some point during the Zoom. But the problem with not attending is that then my editor would tell everyone what I have planned and all the writers would give “helpful” suggestions without me being there to say “fuck off, Hickman” and then my editor would tell me that I need to change my story.
So, I needed to really make sure to dazzle them with my pitch. And the best way to do that is with VISUALS. So, I made a little comic to be presented at the Summit.
Spoilers, obviously, for the end of DAREDEVIL:
And that’s the story of how I ended my Daredevil run.
PRETTY FUNNY THAT THE NEXT THING YOU DID FOR MARVEL WAS A HOWARD THE DUCK STORY
I … fuck
In 2022, Marvel Studios released the highly anticipated sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sequel featured the return of the neurosurgeon turned Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), on an adventure that transcended the borders of the known Marvel Cinematic Universe into new and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront the coming threats.
The film ends with a cliffhanger, in which we see Doctor Strange walking down the streets of New York calmly before abruptly pausing in pain and revealing a third eye growing out of his forehead. A post-credit scene later reveals a previously unknown sorceress, Clea (Charlize Theron). She seeks out Doctor Strange for causing an incursion and requests his help before jumping into a portal leading into the Dark Dimension.
Since then, fans have sought clues as to where Doctor Strange’s next live-action appearance could be. However, as we traverse through the Multiverse Saga and are en route to the next Avengers projects, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, films whose working titles we recently reported on, fans are curious as to whether or not Strange could get one more solo outing before stepping up to the plate and taking on the incoming Council of Kangs. And if this tidbit is to be believed, we may have just found our answer.
Time Runs Out in Doctor Strange 3
According to our sources, Marvel Studios wants to adapt elements from the Time Runs Out comic event for Doctor Strange 3. The film would pick up right where we left off in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where Clea traveled from another dimension to seek out Doctor Strange for his aid in fixing the incursion that he caused.
From what we’ve been told, Strange has been sought out by a multiversal organization called The Black Priests. According to our sources, Clea is a member of this organization. The Black Priests’ HQ will be in the Nothing Space of Destroyed Universes, which exists within the space of two dead universes caused by an incursion.
It will be revealed in the film that the Multiverse is dying. The cause of this decay is a result of the incursions happening all across the Multiverse, the most recent being the one caused by Doctor Strange. The film will also elaborate on a point made in the previous movie regarding Doctor Strange and his threat to the Multiverse.
Stephen Strange and his danger to the Multiverse
It was made clear in the previous film through Christine Palmer-838’s research that Stephen Strange is one of the most dangerous threats to the Multiverse. However, they have yet to specify how exactly he was dangerous outside of what Strange-838 did. The upcoming sequel will explain how Stephen is a threat to the Multiverse by establishing him as a common denominator when it comes to incursions across the Multiverse, aside from the main danger of the Council of Kangs.
While it will be confirmed that the main reason for the decay of the Multiverse is due to the incursions being caused by the Council of Kangs, it is unknown at this time if the film will feature a Kang variant or if the film will flat-out confirm what the source of that decay is. However, our sources told us that the film will serve as a direct preamble to the upcoming Avengers films.
Are you excited about Doctor Strange 3?
It’s important to note that while this information regarding Doctor Strange 3 was provided to us before the strikes took place. These ideas could change once the strikes are over and writers begin to flesh out new concepts and ideas for the upcoming film. It is important to acknowledge that without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the films and shows we’re covering here wouldn’t exist.
Let us know your thoughts on the future of Doctor Strange and his role in the impending collapse of the Multiverse, as well as your thoughts on other Marvel projects on Facebook, Twitter @mycosmiccircus, or Bluesky at @cosmiccircus.bsky.social, or in The Cosmic Circus Discord.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2404.14 - 10:10
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