In 2015 after decades at Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics regained the license to publish Star Wars related comic books. In 2019 the company is bringing back another license they once held: Robert E. Howard’s Conan.
Marvel officially announced that next year the publisher regains the license to all things Conan the Barbarian from Dark Horse. Unlike Star Wars which had been away from Marvel since 1987, Conan was published by the company from 1970 through 2000 before the rights were given over to Dark Horse.
“From Barry Windsor-Smith to John Busceme to Neal Adams, a legendary line-up of amazing artists brought Conan to life in the pages of Marvel comics,” said C.B. Cebulski, editor-in-chief of Marvel, in a statement. “It’s a legacy we’re now going to live up to with the talent we have lined up for the Cimmerian barbarian’s homecoming in early 2019. We’re excited!”
No creative teams or even series have been announced. Previously Marvel published various Conan series including Conan The Barbarian, Conan the Adventurer, Conan the Savage and Savage Sword of Conan.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Marvel and look forward to the new adventures in store for Conan,” said Fredrik Malmberg, President of Conan Properties International. “As the most well-known and creative publisher in the industry, we think Marvel is a great fit for our stories.”
Much like Star Wars, the press release states that among the announcements for new titles at a later date will be announcements concerning collections and reprints of the previous Conan titles.
