The Lord of the Rings franchise has seen massive success among so many mediums. From the original novels and film adaptations to video games and the recent tv series The Rings of Power -- it seems as if this mystical realm turns everything it touches into gold. Unfortunately, that statement isn't entirely true. There is one place in the world of entertainment where the adventurous hobbits did not thrive -- the comic book industry.
Back in the 1980s, Luis Bermejo produced a Lord of the Rings comic miniseries inspired by a 1978 cartoon from Ralph Bakshi. These books were only released in Europe, and due to copyright issues, didn't make it to the United States. In fact, the miniseries was never published in English at all. While little is known about this obscure series, the same cannot be said about the three-part Hobbit comics that followed it a few years later.
DC and Marvel Creators Brought Tolkien's Stories Back to Life
Acclaimed Marvel and DC Comics writer Chuck Dixon and talented Marvel artist David Wenzel came together in 1989 to create a miniseries based on The Hobbit novel. Picked up and released by an independent publisher, Eclipse Comics, this adaptation was simply titled The Hobbit: A Graphic Novel. The comics stayed true to its predecessor and perfectly captured Tolkien's voice -- and it was a hit. When part one came out, it sold more copies than some of the biggest names in comics that were released alongside it -- including titles such as Sandman and Suicide Squad.
The three-part series' legacy continued long after its conclusion. In 2006 the series was revised and republished. This edition had over thirty pages of new artwork from Wenzel, as well as touchups on the original. This release was a well-received surprise for all fans. It provided nostalgia for the readers who loved the original and introduced Middle-earth to a whole new generation of readers who may have never touched the beloved Tolkien novel. However, the comics' success did not end there. The Hobbit: A Graphic Novel was revived yet again with six new pages in 2012 to promote the then-upcoming Peter Jackson film.
The Lord of the Rings' Absence in Comics is a Mystery
It's incredibly odd that Lord of the Rings never got a second chance in the comic book world. Yes, it made sense back in the day before the films came out. It would have been a huge financial risk, especially considering the fact that the first attempt was an epic failure and there were no brand name creators who wanted to attach themselves to the title. Now, however, following the massive success of the franchise and the Hobbit comics -- it makes no sense that anyone would turn down this sure-fire cash grab. But yet, nothing of the sort appears to be in the works.
While the world may never know why this critically acclaimed series hasn't made a grand entrance into the world of comics yet, it doesn't mean that it never will. Lord of the Rings has been gaining a lot of traction lately, and the new Amazon Prime series may be the start of a new era for the franchise. That coupled with Embracer Group recently acquiring the rights to both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, a new comic book series featuring the mystical characters of Middle-earth may very well be just around the corner.