It was recently announced that Dark Horse Comics would once again publish Star Wars books after a years-long hiatus, which left many readers wondering what this meant for Marvel's Star Wars titles. As it turns out, the answer is simple: nothing.
CBR confirmed with Marvel that the deal between Dark Horse, Lucasfilm and Disney Worldwide Publishing for new all-ages books will have no impact on Marvel's Star Wars comics, which consists of the core Star Wars title, Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra, Bounty Hunters, The High Republic and more. This is similar to the deal that allows IDW Publishing to put out Star Wars books geared toward younger readers.
The first ongoing Star Wars comics were published by Marvel beginning in 1977, the same year A New Hope was released in theaters. Dark Horse acquired the license in 1991 and published such fan-favorites as Dark Empire, Tales of the Jedi, X-wing: Rogue Squadron, Knights of the Old Republic and more titles that helped shape the Expanded Universe.
Three years after The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm, the Star Wars license went back to the similarly Disney-owned Marvel, with the main title relaunching in 2015 to record-breaking sales numbers.
"The idea is to build up a Star Wars program that includes an on-going series as well as an anthology," Dark Horse Comics founder and CEO Mike Richardson said when it was announced that Star Wars was returning to Dark Horse. "Mixed in would be one-shots and specials. We’ll see where we go from there. Initially, we will focus on stories featuring the High Republic. Star Wars is near and dear to all of our hearts and I’ve been a fan since I saw the original film 19 times during its original release. I am thrilled that Dark Horse will once again bring new stories to life from this incredible galaxy. The Star Wars universe has grown over the years and there’s so many new opportunities for great stories. I can’t tell you how excited we are to get started!"
"All of us at Lucasfilm Publishing are thrilled to be working with Mike Richardson and everyone at Dark Horse on comics and original graphic novels set in a galaxy far, far away," Lucasfilm Publishing Creative Director Michael Siglain added. "There are unlimited storytelling possibilities for all ages comics, and we look forward to collaborating with Dark Horse — and with the best writers and artists in the industry — to bring those stories to readers and fans all over the world."
Source: Marvel