Dark Horse Comics and Wizards of the Coast have announced that Dark Horse will publish comics, graphic novels and art books based on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. They plan to release the first titles as part of the deal next summer.
“If you’d told my 12-year-old self I’d get to work with incredible writers and artists to craft comics for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, alongside such thoughtful and creative stewards of these licenses, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Dark Horse senior editor Spencer Cushing. “The opportunity to work with Wizards of the Coast is a dream come true.”
Dark Horse joins a list of publishers who brought Dungeons & Dragons to comics since the late 1980s, when DC worked with TSR, its original owners, to create comics based on Dragonlance, the Forgotten Realms, Spelljammers and more. IDW has had the license since 2010, publishing a wide range of titles base don the role-playing game and even working with Dark Horse on a Stranger Things crossover.
Magic: The Gathering‘s roots in comics go back almost as far, as Armada Comics, a division of Acclaim, created comics based on the card game in the 1990s. IDW also had a long stretch as the license holder from 2011 until at least 2018, but it moved to BOOM! Studios two years ago.
Both games are wildly popular right now and a big part of Hasbro’s licensing plans, which also include video games and of course the Dungeons & Dragons film we saw last year. It’ll be interesting to see what Dark Horse does with the license. Dark Horse makes some lovely art books, and I’d love to see a collection of classic D&D module artwork.
“We’re so excited to be teaming up with the incredible creatives at Dark Horse to invite fans and newcomers alike into the iconic fantasy world that has defined Magic: The Gathering for the past 30 years, told through a fresh new lens,” said Jackie Jones, vice president of creative, Magic: The Gathering. “Each series will feature epic, high-stakes stories across Magic’s visually stunning, diverse multiverse, told through the eyes of our most iconic, complex, and compelling heroes and anti-heroes – giving readers the opportunity to experience what makes Magic so unique and awesome.”