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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.
The Port teaser art by Jason Shawn Alexander§ People magazine reports Killadelphia creators Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander will team up with reggae star Shaggy on ghostly pirate OGN The Port. Due out from Barnes’s Zombie Love imprint sometime later this year, the book follows Artemis Slay “and his ghostly crew as they exit the death realm and descend upon the wickedest city on earth in Port Royal, Jamaica.” The magazine shares it will mark “the first step in a ‘creative alliance’ between Barnes, Shaggy and Martin Kierszenbaum, the CEO of Cherrytree Music Company (which represents Shaggy).”
§ Via ComicBook.com, Dark Horse will release Hidden Springs, the tale of a baby kaiju by Rob Williams (Petrol Head) and Nil Vendrell (Shirtless Bear-Fighter). The book follows a group of retirement home residents — including “a bunch of decrepit old Hollywood actors, a director, a rock star, a comedian and a guy who MAY have been a hitman” — who encounter the giant baby during a field trip, and team up to bring it back to its home in the ocean, before the government captures it. Issue #1 (of 4) releases May 13.
§ BOOM! Studios announced Neighborhood Watch, a suburban thriller by Sarah Gailey and artist Haining (Absolute Flash). Starting April 8, the book sees the VP of a gated community’s homeowner’s association, and the kitchen steward of an “open arms collective,” team up to solve a murder of a woman whose body they discovered at the same time. “They’ll need to work together to unearth the secrets both communities hold to figure out who’s responsible for the crime — and what they could possibly gain from it.” It will mark the Taiwan-based Haining’s first creator-owned American comic.
The publisher also revealed Hello Body Horror, a Hello Darkness one-shot featuring old and new stories revolving around, well, body horror. Mark Bouchard and Rye Hickman will team up on the fitness influencer’s story “Body Positivity,” while Derick Jones will craft the plastic surgeon’s tale “Minimal Scarring.” Other creators include Michael W. Conrad, Martín Marazzo, Jeremy Bastian, Ziyan Qiu, Jenna Cha, and Robert Hack. It’ll release on April 29.
§ Via IGN, Oni Press unveiled Estuary: A Ghost Story, by writers Tim Daniel & David “D.B.” Andry and artist Maan House. The book follows a marine archaeologist, who’s hired by a nun to excavate a shipwreck beneath a supposedly haunted Spanish mansion on the Pacific Coast. Issue #1 releases April 8. Daniel and Andry previously co-wrote Morning Star, Crush Depth, and Red Vector at Mad Cave, and both contributed with Maan House to Nightfall: Double Feature at Vault (where Daniel works as EVP of Branding & Design.)
Gatchaman: Red Impulse #1 cover A, by Riccardo Robaldo§ Mad Cave will release Gatchaman: Red Impulse, a miniseries starring Ken the Eagle’s father, Kentaro Washio, pilot and captain of the titular team. Written by Steve Orlando with art by Riccardo Robaldo (Gatchaman: The Solo Adventures – Ryu: Scavengers), the book will find Kentaro stranded behind enemy lines. “Outnumbered, grounded, and fighting with nothing but grit and a sidearm, the Captain must demolish an entire city to keep his team safe… especially the son who doesn’t know their bond.” Issue #1 will be released on April 29, shortly after the next issue of the main series (#16) arrives on March 11.
§ At EW, IDW Dark announced Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood, a prequel to the film revealing the backstory of Lady Mary Van Tassel (originally played by Miranda Richardson), the mother of Christina Ricci‘s character Katrina. Written by Delilah S. Dawson with art by Jose Jaro, the five-issue series will begin on May 6. It marks IDW’s second comic for the film, following the sequel Return to Sleepy Hollow, which concludes on March 25. It remains unknown if Johnny Depp receives any royalties from them.
§ Finally, at AIPT, Alien Books revealed a Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot Special by Dan Abnett and Guillermo Fajardo (Valiant Beyond: The X-O Manowar), releasing May 6. Described as setting the stage for the character’s next era, the 48-page book will revisit Roy Harrison’s origin, and introduce a new, female version of his futuristic counterpart Rai, dubbed Ruby. It replaces the original Valiant Beyond: Bloodshot series, written by Mauro Mantella, which ended after issue #3, following accusations of transphobic dogwhistles in its first issue.
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