Marvel Entertainment announced today that the Conan the Barbarian franchise will be returning to Marvel in early 2019, after being at Dark Horse Comics since 2003. No series details or creators have been announced yet, but the promo artwork was done by Esad Ribic and Mike Deodato. Conan Properties International President Fredrik Malmberg said of the decision, “As the most well-known and creative publisher in the industry, we think Marvel is a great fit for our stories.”
The franchise was previously published by Marvel from 1970 to 2000, and featured work by creators like Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, and Neal Adams. The black-and-white “Savage Sword of Conan,” by Roy Thomas and art by John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala, was one of the most popular series of the 1970s. The Marvel Conan comics were also adapted into newspaper comic strips that ran from 1978 to 1981. Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Beluski expressed his excitement at the prospect of the Conan franchise returning to Marvel saying, “From Barry Windsor-Smith to John Buscema to Neal Adams, a legendary lineup of amazing artists brought Conan to life in the pages of Marvel comics. 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.”
