After two decades with Dark Horse Comics, the Scooby Gang is moving elsewhere. Joss Whedon confirmed to Newsarama today that Fox is taking the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” license from Dark Horse, its home since 1998.
“We want to do something more with Dark Horse now,” Whedon said, referring to the new Dr. Horrible series that was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, “especially because Fox is taking the Buffy license and the Firefly license back.” No reason from Fox was given for this change, though it can be safely assumed that it is due to both the Disney-Fox merger and the recently announced Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV reboot in development by Fox and Whedon.
The first series of Buffy comics were published by Dark Horse between 1998 and 2004 with a focus on characters not in the TV series, and as such, these runs are not recognized as series canon. In 2007, four years after the original TV series ended, Dark Horse returned with new “seasons,” written by Whedon and officially recognized as canon to the show. To date, there have been five “seasons,” including the current “Season 12: The Reckoning.” Dark Horse also has the rights to the license for companion show Angel, reacquiring it from IDW in 2010.
It’s unclear how the current “Buffy” series at Dark Horse will end. The limited run “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning” series is due to end in September, and no new titles have been solicited for October. It’s also unclear what publisher will take the Buffy license next, though last month the Firefly license moved to BOOM! Studios, of which Fox has a minority stake.