Summary
Dark Horse Comics has partnered with Hasbro’sWizards of the Coaston a new publishing line of graphic novels and comic books based onMagic: The GatheringandDungeons and Dragons. The series will predominantly consist of original stories inspired byWizards of the Coast’s popular IPs.
Dark Horse Comics and Wizards of the Coast have been frequent collaborators for four decades, with their initial partnership dating back to theclassic ’90s comicMagic: The Gathering: Gerrard’s Quest. More recently, the two companies worked together onStranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons, a four-issue comic book miniseries released in July 2021.
New Magic: The Gathering, DnD Comic Books Coming in Summer 2025
Their long-running partnership is now set to continue with a new publishing program that promises to expand theworlds ofDungeons and DragonsandMagic: The Gathering. To that end, Dark Horse Comics intends to publish comic book series and graphic novels featuring original stories based on these iconic franchises. Some new art books are also in the works as part of the same initiative, together with at least one more product that has yet to be announced. The upcoming line will debut in summer 2025, Dark Horse Comics said.
The licensed publishing program won’t yield just a single wave of releases, with Dark Horse Comics confirming that its stated summer 2024 release window merely applies to the first product series stemming from its latestWizards of the Coast collaboration. And while the exact scope of the project remains unclear, it would appear that the publishing program could also extend into 2026. “We anticipate a lot of excitement to come with new artwork and creative storytelling,” said Marianne James, Hasbro’s SVP of Licensed Consumer Products.
No details about the lineup itself have yet been revealed, with Dark Horse merely promising to share more information about its upcomingMagic: The GatheringandDungeons and Dragonsnovelsand comic books in the near future. Although the publishing line will miss out onDungeons and Dragons' 50th anniversary celebrations, which started in March 2023, its announcement is still officially framed as part of the year-long festivities.
Continued commitment to IP licensing of this sort is part of Wizards of the Coast’s efforts to keepMagic: The GatheringandDungeons and Dragonsrelevant in the long term. The publishing line with Dark Horse Comics is the first such project to be announced under the leadership of John Hight, a former Blizzard executive who was appointed President of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming in mid-July 2024.
