Popverse's top stories of the day

• Winona Ryder was reduced to tears on the set of Stranger Things when the young cast couldn't identify a vinyl record
• Watch: The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power cast explains what's coming in season 2
• Bleach's character designer says pop culture's greatest villain isn't from anime, but Disney

Former Marvel Entertainment CCO Joe Quesada is returning to his roots in creator-owned comics to launch his own company called Amazing Comics. Announced here at San Diego Comic-Con, Quesada's Amazing Comics is partnering with US publisher Mad Cave Studios and European publisher Dupuis in a unique international effort for more seamless international distribution.

Amazing Comics' first title is Disciple, a drastic reboot of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Quesada is drawing and co-writing the series alongside co-writer Charles Dorfman, inker Wade von Grawbadger, colorist Richard Isanove, and letterer Joe Caramagna.

"The true origin of Disciple came about when I met Charles Dorfman, a talented writer with a passion for graphic storytelling," says Quesada. "Charles pitched an adaptation of Hamlet, which sparked a creative journey that led to the unique version of Disciple we have today. This project blends Shakespearean elements with contemporary genres, creating a rich, mythological world for our readers to explore that begins as a prequel to the original, set in a whole new world."

Quesada is best known as former editor-in-chief and CCO of Marvel Entertainment during its early '00s revitalization in comics and the seminal first decade of the MCU. But prior to that, he also co-owned the publishing company Event Comics (with Jimmy Palmiotti), writing, drawing, and publishing their creator-owned efforts. That company had partnerships with DC, Image Comics, Dark Horse, and more.

According to Quesada, he had been considering taking a break from Marvel as far back as 2005, saying "I knew a day would come when I could make it a reality, but when it did, I promised myself not to rush into anything."

A special ashcan one-shot of Disciple called Disciple: Quarto is being distributed this weekend at SDCC 2024. No release date for the series itself has been announced.

Get a fuller San Diego Comic-Con experience with a full rundown of our SDCC 2024 stories, as well as all the big SDCC 2024 news, how to make the most out of San Diego Comic-Con, and the real burning question: how much does it actually cost to go to SDCC?