Marvel has issued a statement to CBR on this morning's surprise news that Brian Michael Bendis has left the publisher after more than 17 years to sign exclusively with DC Comics.

RELATED: Brian Michael Bendis Heads to DC in Exclusive Deal

The statement reads, in full: "Brian is a great partner and has contributed incredible stories and characters to the Marvel Universe over the years. We appreciate his creativity and professionalism, and we wish him the best on his future projects."

News broke early Tuesday via DC Comics' Twitter account that Bendis had "exclusively" joined DC Comics in a "multiyear, multi-faceted deal." Bendis subsequently confirmed the news himself, writing, "This is real. I love you all. Change is good. Change is healthy. I am bursting with ideas and inspirations. Details to come! Stay tuned!"

Of course, fans are curious about those details yet to be revealed -- including when Bendis' runs on his current Marvel books may end, what he's working on for DC Comics and what this means for his creator-owned titles such as Powers, which are published by Marvel's Icon imprint. There's no current indication as to when those questions will be answered, but CBR will have more information as soon as it's available.

Bendis started his run at Marvel in 2000 with Ultimate Spider-Man, the start of a 111-issue run alongside artist Mark Bagley. In his time at the company, he's had lengthy stints on Avengers, New Avengers, Daredevil, All-New X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy and more, along with the event series House of M, Secret Invasion and Civil War II. He also co-created a number of major characters, including Jessica Jones and Miles Morales.