Mark Millar is taking his publishing line to Dark Horse Comics. IDW joins the Omnibus app. Oni Press is launching a NacelleVerse interconnected universe of titles. All on today’s Comic Book Club News for December 6, 2023.
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Episode Transcript:
Mark Millar heading to Dark Horse.
IDW fleshes out Omnibus app.
Oni enters the NacelleVerse.
This is Comic Book Club News for December 6, 2023.
Mark Millar Taking His Millarworld Publishing Line To Dark Horse:
Mark Millar has been talking a big game lately, throwing out ideas about how the comic book industry needs to be saved by top-tier creators, and how those top-tier creators should be paid big bucks to write for Marvel and DC. And also how Millar himself is considering writing for Marvel and DC. But now, the creator is making some actual business moves, with his entire publishing line heading to Dark Horse Comics.
The news, which was first reported by Forbes, isn’t that surprising. While the Millarworld books have been published mostly through Image Comics and Marvel’s short-lived Icon line, in 2017 Millarworld was acquired by Netflix in a massive deal. That deal has panned out for the streamer with the disastrous adaptation of Jupiter’s Legacy, an anime based on Supercrooks, and a live-action series based on American Jesus, all of which failed to make a significant cultural impact.
With that deal clearly not renewed, Millar is now free to shop his comics elsewhere and is wrapping up his time at Image with the crossover comic Big Game. That’s why I said “big game” earlier, it was a reference!
Along with five upcoming titles, Dark Horse now has rights to Millar’s entire back catalog, which is a pretty big deal. That includes perennial sellers like Wanted, Kick-Ass, and many more. So will this move save comics? Probably not, but it’s certainly great news for Dark Horse.
IDW Joins The Omnibus App:
Continuing to talk about some big publishing moves, this past Monday, the ComiXology app officially shut down, another nail in the coffin of the once-great digital publisher. And one day later, Omnibus, an app that is hoping to be the next big digital comics storefront made a big step in the right direction by adding IDW’s list of titles.
Tara McCrillis, IDW’s Co-Publisher, was pretty blunt about the move in a statement provided to Comic Book Club News: “We are excited to partner with Omnibus and their new digital reading app. We believe the hole ComiXology is leaving in the market is going to be filled with innovators like the Omnibus team. Our goal is to allow our fans to have access to our content in as many places as possible.”
The comics being added to Omnibus include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, including the best-selling The Last Ronin, Sonic the Hedgehog, the Star Trek line, and more. Slightly underplayed in the release, but a big deal in this podcast’s opinion, the move also includes all of Top Shelf’s output. Meaning a vast increase in quality graphic novels hitting Omnibus, as well.
All 300-plus titles are available on the Omnibus app, right now.
Oni Press Launches NacelleVerse Line Of Books:
Move over, Energon Universe! Oni Press is launching the NacelleVerse, an interconnected universe of comics that will lead up to the new animated series produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Ryan Reynolds.
What is the NacelleVerse? You’ll find out in NacelleVerse #0, which brings together RoboForce, Biker Mice From Mars, Sectaurs, Power Lords, and The Great Garloo. Maybe not quite the name recognition of Transformers and G.I. Joe, but it is something.
The better news is that the initial, 48-page book has a powerhouse team working on it: writer Melissa Flores, and artists Diogenes Neves and Francis Portela. Off the initial one-shot, Oni will launch four, three-issue long miniseries. With the one-show premiering in March, RoboForce will follow in April, and Biker Mice From Mars in July. Sectaurs and Power Lords will follow on TBA dates, with creative teams TBA. And then the animated version of RoboForce will premiere on a date — you guessed it — TBA.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And this podcast is just one small part of the Comic Book Club interconnected universe of podcasts. That’s actually true!
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