Marvel And DC's "Shut-Up Money": Comic Creators Go Public Over Pay [Hollywood Reporter: "The star writers and artists behind major comic book characters are becoming increasingly outspoken about 'paltry' deals that don't account for their work being adapted into billion-dollar blockbusters."]

Update: Report: Disney Is Only Paying Comics Creators $5,000 For Work It's Adapted For Billions

Update: Marvel And DC Face Backlash Over Pay: 'They Sent A Thank You Note And $5,000- The Movie Made $1bn'

Update: Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney Over 'Black Widow' Release ["The star said making the film available on Disney+ at the same time it opened in theaters 'dramatically' lowered box office revenue, which could cost her tens of millions of dollars."]

[31 July 02021]

Hometown Heroes: Steve Ditko Exhibit

15 July-11 September 2021 in Johnstown PA, Ditko's home town: "The Bottle Works presents the Hometown Heroes-Steve Ditko exhibit! Located in the main Art Works Gallery, this retrospective exhibit of the legendary Steve Ditko's career, will contain original works, production art, prints, memorabilia, a living wall of Ditko inspiration, and a wall of Ditko's infamous fan mail responses." Also: a performance of the Ditko play by Lenny Schwartz [31 Jul], a Doctor Strange MCU movie viewing on the lawn [6 Aug], a Ditko Con mini-con with cartoonist Javier Hernandez [10 Sept], and a special presentation of The Strange Worlds of Steve Ditko by Arlen Schumer [10 Sept].

[30 July 02021]

X-Men: The Hellfire Gala Kills One Of Marvel's Most Powerful Heroes

[SPOILERS]

The Scarlet Witch has apparently been murdered at the Hellfire Gala in X-Factor #10 [out 30 Jun]. Magneto is the prime suspect.

Do you think this means that both Dr. Strange (re: the upcoming Death of Doctor Strange miniseries) and Scarlet Witch will both be dead in the comicbooks when the movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is expected to prominently feature both, comes out early next year? Kind of a nuts business model, right?

Update: Exclusive Preview: Savage Avengers #23 [Multiversity]

Update: Marvel Writer Al Ewing Takes Us Inside The 'Psychedelic Realities' Of His New Defenders Comic Series [Syfy Wire with exclusive first look]

Update: Marvel Studios' What If...? Official Trailer Disney+ [YouTube] [lots of great looking Doctor Strange here! streaming starts 11 Aug]

[Updating] Recent Dr. Strange appearances:

Sinister War #1 [out 14 Jul]: Doc trying to deal with Mephisto on behalf of Peter Parker.

[28 July 02021]

Marvel October 02021 solicits include more Death of Doctor Strange and tie-ins

Marvel Reveals More Details On Death Of Doctor Strange Event

• DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #2 (OF 5)
JED MacKAY (W)
LEE GARBETT (A)
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Variant cover by DAN PANOSIAN
HEADSHOT VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK
STORMBREAKERS VENOMIZED VARIANT COVER BY R.B. SILVA
MARVEL MASTERPIECES VARIANT COVER BY JOE JUSKO
REST IN PEACE STEPHEN STRANGE!
With the Sorcerer Supreme gone, so too are Earth's magical defenses! Now the rest of Earth's heroes have their hands full with multiple invasions from other dimensions. Some are familiarbut some are new... and frightening! Meet the Three Mothers!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

• DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE: AVENGERS #1
ALEX PAKNADEL (W)
RYAN BODENHEIM (A)
Cover by STEVE SKROCE
Variant Cover by CREEES LEE
EARTH'S WEAKEST HEROES!
With Doctor Strange gone, the Avengers are the only ones who can stop a rampaging Juggernaut-like monster from wrecking all of Manhattan!
But what does this mystical creature want?
And how does the magic-skeptical Iron Man hold the answer?
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

• STRANGE ACADEMY PRESENTS: DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #1
SKOTTIE YOUNG (W)
MIKE DEL MUNDO (A)
COVER BY HUMBERTO RAMOS
STORMBREAKERS VENOMIZED
VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
Strange Academy is closed until the events surrounding Dr. Strange's death are resolved, so the students go back to their parents!
Iric and Alvi's mom happens to be the Enchantress, so you know this isn't going to go smoothly. We're going to learn that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and more than just one realm is in trouble.
All this and more! 40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $4.99

• DEFENDERS #3 (OF 5)
AL EWING (W)
JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY KEVIN NOWLAN
MARVEL MASTERPIECES VARIANT COVER
BY JOE JUSKO
THE DEBUT OF THE DEADLY MORIDUN!
Doctor Strange and his misfit crew land in a world of dark, primal magic- where our world's master of the mystic arts is just a magical morsel for countless hungry sorcerers. The most powerful entity on this plane, the maker of magic itself, already knows the Defenders and their mission. Their paltry abilities mean nothing to him, save one: The power to move between cosmos. All of existence lies vulnerable as the Defenders find themselves outmatched!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

• SAVAGE AVENGERS #25
GERRY DUGGAN (W)
PATCH ZIRCHER (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
VARIANT COVER BY CORY SMITH
Can the unexpected entrance of an old villain help the Savage Avengers overcome the monstrous Kulan Gath? The entire Earth better hope so!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory $3.99

Notable/sounds interesting:

• THE DARKHOLD: IRON MAN #1
RYAN NORTH (W)
GUILLERMO SANNA (A)
Cover by VALERIO GIANGIORDANO
VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
DESIGN VARIANT COVER BY CIAN TORMEY
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER BY JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS
Ryan North turns his talents to a brand-new genre! Called forth to face the dread god Chthon, Iron Man reads from the ancient ill-fated text the Darkhold... and it changes the course of his entire life. The armor that has saved him countless times is about to become a prison- one whose only escape is a fate worse than death. The brilliant comedic mind behind The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Dinosaur Comics brings you the body-horror tale of the century!
32 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ $3.99

[26 July 02021]