Marvel has moved in on three of the best horror/franchise titles around, taking them from the long standing hosts, Dark Horse.
When Disney bought over Fox a couple of years ago, they inherited all the properties that came with that and that includes the Alien, Alien Vs Predator and Predator titles. And it seems that, as unlikely as it seems, they’re planning on bringing back the universe’s deadliest hunters to the house of mouse.
Marvel Entertainment announced three iconic franchises – Alien, Predator, and Alien Vs Predator – will be launching all-new stories with Marvel Comics starting in 2021! The new comic series will feature new and classic characters from Earth and beyond to explore never-before-seen corners of both the Alien and Predator universes.
Following the debut of Alien in 1979 and Predator in 1987, the films built a cult following and expanded rapidly to include toys, games, novels, and comic books, eventually leading to 2004’s landmark crossover Alien vs. Predator. Marvel’s new stories will draw from all of these properties, building on decades of multimedia storytelling. Get a first look at next year’s deadly new chapter with spine-chilling cover art by David Finch!
“There’s nothing more thrilling than a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat, and Alien and Predator have delivered that time and time again!” C.B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, told IGN. “I can clearly remember where I was when I saw each of these modern masterpieces for the first time, and reveling in how both masterfully weave extraterrestrial dread and drama into some of the most iconic scenes we’ve ever seen on film. And it’s that legacy that we’re going to live up to!”
“The incredible legacies of both franchises offer some of the most compelling and exciting worldbuilding in all of science fiction,” said Marvel Editor Jake Thomas.
“It is a thrill and an honor to be able to add to that mythology and continuity with all-new stories set within those universes.”
“Alien and Predator are the two of the most identifiable, iconic characters of all time, and I love them for that,” said Finch. “But mostly, it’s being fortunate enough to be a kid when they were new. I’ve seen every movie they’ve ever been in, and I cannot wait to see them wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. I drew my pictures of them with a massive smile on my face.”
“As a visual medium, comics are the perfect place to build on those moments, and we here at Marvel are honored to begin telling these stories for fans everywhere,” added Cebulski.
“As our release schedule continues to return, we can’t wait to share more in the coming months!”
In response to the news on their official Facebook page, Dark Horse Comics had this to say:
What’s next for Aliens and Predator comics:
After 30 years of publishing the greatest Aliens/Predator/AvP stories in the Xenoverse, Disney will be pulling the publishing license from Dark Horse. As the new owners of Fox, this is their right, of course. Dark Horse has been one of the longest-standing and most successful of Fox’s licensing partners over the nearly 35 years we have worked with them.
Our first Aliens series, written by Mark Verheiden and illustrated by Mark A. Nelson, was a smash success, moving away from the generic storylines common in film and television-based titles and toward actual sequels to the original material. The success of Aliens led directly to another series based on a Fox science fiction film, Predator, written by Mark Verheiden and illustrated by Chris Warner.
This first series was the basis for the Predator film sequel, and Warner’s iconic first issue cover served as the inspiration for the sequel’s film poster. The natural extension of those licenses led Dark Horse to come up with the monster hit, Aliens vs Predator. Mixing the two franchises was a huge success with fans, and became one of the most successful series in the history of the direct market.
After many years of shepherding these amazing worlds, Dark Horse will not be publishing any new material effective Jan 1, 2021. Thanks to all the people at Fox for the amazing run. Now, as in recent events in which new owners meant new publishers of series conceived here at Dark Horse, we have new and fresh titles to replace the old. Comics and original graphic novel series such as The Witcher, Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Minecraft, and Critical Role have developed huge followings and we will continue strive to be the finest publisher of licensed comics in the word.
Watch for more exciting announcements coming soon.
Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics
On a personal note, I read a lot of Dark Horse’s Aliens and Predator books (and Terminator) back in the day, and they captured the franchises’ mood and tone better than the later movies ever did, so I see this as a loss, personally.
Marvel and these two just don’t – to me – seem like good bedfellows, but I hope they prove me wrong.
As for the art above, this image, we’re assured, is not indicative of plans at Marvel… but let’s not forget that the Batman Vs Predator books of the 90s were pretty damned great, so let’s rule nothing out.
What say you all? Let me know, gang.
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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