Marvel announced this week that it's picked up the Aliens and Predator franchises this week from Dark Horse.
That was after previously getting Star Wars and Conan from Dark Horse. And DH has also lost the Buffy, Firefly and Angel franchises to Boom Studios. What does DH have left? They have Stranger Things, and ... Hmm. We know IDW has been losing a lot of money, but do we know anything about Dark Horse's financial stability?
At Marvel, the opportunity for in-house crossovers opens up. Wolverine/Predator leaps to mind as a good choice, and Alien/Spider-Man. What would you like to see?
Here's the press release:
Marvel Comics to publish new Alien and Predator stories
All-new Alien and Predator stories to kick off in 2021
New York, NY— July 2, 2020 — Today, Marvel Entertainment announced three iconic franchises – ALIEN, PREDATOR, and ALIEN VS. PREDATOR – will be launching all-new stories with Marvel Comics starting in 2021! Revealed exclusively by IGN, 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!”
Details on upcoming ALIEN and PREDATOR comic book titles, collections, reprints, and creative teams will be shared at a later date. For Marvel’s most up-to-date release schedule for your favorite comics, visit Marvel.com/newcomics. Be sure to ask your local comic book shop about their current business policies to observe social distancing or other services they may offer, including holding or creating pull lists, curbside pick-ups, special deliveries and other options to accommodate. Find and support your local comic book shop at http://comicshoplocator.com or by visiting http://marvel.com/lovecomicshops.
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UPDATE: Marvel just announced a Warhammer 40,000 comic book for October. Titan Comics currently publishes Warhammer comics. Will they stop, or will the fact that they're a UK publisher mean they can continue?
Dark Horse still has a number of video games licenses, some manga. The Black Hammer universe seems to be doing well for them.
As to their finances the Forbes article from 10-2018, reports they got an estimated $20 million from a Chinese company. In that article Mike Richardson states that Dark Horse owns the right to The Mask and TimeCop outright.
Now I think a Spider-man/Predator story would be fun. The Predators couldn't hit Spidey, and Peter would have a hard time tracking the,
X-men/Aliens? Too easy.
Aliens/FF could be neat.
To me, the Predator image seems to be standing on either the Fantastic Four logo or the Avengers logo.
Well, since he's holding Iron Man's head, I assume Avengers!
The image of the Predator is so striking I didn't notice that!
Captain Comics said: