Disney = back to Marvel?

[figureaddict]

Anyone think Disney will not re-new Darkhorse and sent the rights over to the Disney owned Marvel Comics?

[Guido]

That is a scary thought to me. I don't really think the Marvel style fits very well with Star Wars. Dark Horse "gets it", they use solid creative teams, and have the cred for bringing the comics back from obscurity. It might be interesting if both companies made comics, with DH retaining the series they've initiated and Marvel getting to publish the "new" EU that will spring up around the new films.

[figureaddict]

That would be interesting, and also o.k. with me. Darkhorse has done a great job with it.

[Big Red]

While Disney has claimed they're not going to mess with existing licensing deals, I have a hard time believing that. For one, from a business perspective it just makes sense to bring as much back in-house as they can (which also kind of ties in with the rumors that they want to buy Hasbro next). It also doesn't jive with the stories about them going all out to try to bring the rest of the Marvel properties (Spidey, FF, X-Men) completely back in-house from a movie perspective. Plus, if they pull everything back under their umbrella, we can finally have that long-awaited Muppet Babies/X-Babies/Lil' Jedis crossover.

[figureaddict]

I remeber the starwarsy Muppet Babies episode from when I was a kid. One of my favorites.

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Without question, when Dark Horse's agreement ends, it goes back under Marvel. Does DH do anything else of note (read: success) aside from SW? Could be that Marvel absorbs them completely.

[Guido]

Could be that Marvel absorbs them completely.

How ironic would that be? DH started out in the 80's as a creator-focused alternative to the "big" comic publishers- if they sold out to arguably the largest conglomerate in the world I'd be kinda sad...

[figureaddict]

Would be kinda dissapointing. But, as of right now, without Star Wars, what elso do they really have.

[Halber Kill]

Would be kinda dissapointing. But, as of right now, without Star Wars, what elso do they really have.

A really great Conan the Barbarian storyline that Barack Obama himself has admitted to reading.

They have others too, but the loss of Star Wars would definately hurt them.

Halber

[figureaddict]

Ahh, Conan. Another great former Marvel Comic.

[Guido]

Well, it looks like we have our answer.

Next year will wrap up the Dark Horse era, and the rights go to Marvel. The REALLY sad part is that Marvel will apparently not be starting to publish any titles until 2015.

[Jodo]

Well that sucks! I really liked the SW: Legacy title...I would assume that the existing series probably won't transfer to Marvel. I wouldn't think they would anyway...

[figureaddict]

2015. You would think they'd like to start sooner, especially since there are some writers and artists who will be fishing for work after they are let go by Darkhorse.

[Guido]

I'm curious how Marvel feels about it all. I don't really look at sales numbers in general, but Marvel seems to be on a pretty healthy run at the moment. Lots of monthlies, online digital, licensed toys, blockbuster movies.... they're doing pretty well being themselves.

Would Marvel do an imprint (Marvel Knights, Epic, etc.) and focus a specific group of creators on Star Wars or just sprinkle some books into the "mainline"? Will there be crossovers? *shudder*
Does Marvel even want Star Wars again?