
When I interviewed Dark Horse President Mike Richardson at New York Comic Con 2013 we spoke about so much, but it was his exuberance of all things Star Wars that made me take notice. After chatting I began to realize HE is the big reason Star Wars comics have had so much passion and fire.
Also, Mike wrote the stories title on my copy of 'Star Wars - Dark Empire' # 1.
And this is why the news that Star Wars was returning to Marvel hurts so much. Because I know how much Mike and the rest of Dark Horse loved making Star Wars comics.
When Dark Horse got the liscence to make Star Wars comics in 1991, the world didn't care about Star Wars...myself included. I have always considered myself to be one of the worlds biggest Star Wars fans, so much so I give it full credit for saving my life following a traumatic move in 1977.
Dark Horse brought a quality to the Star wars books not seen in a lot of the Marvel run. I always felt that Marvel was just putting it out because it had to, not because it wanted too. Sure some amazing creators and stories filled those 107 issue (and 3 annuals), but there was something deeper about the Dark Horse runs.
With world building like Legacy and Old Republic and the incredible current 'Star Wars' and 'THE Star Wars', Dark Horse has brought the best creators in the business to play in the sandbox and have done an amazing job. Never did I feel Dark Horse treated Star Wars as just another licensed property... they treated the books like they were their own intellectual property... much like they do with all their liscenced or creator owned books.
But in the world we live in, it isn't hard to see why Marvel would be the new home of Star Wars...again. After all, Marvel and Star Wars are owned by Disney so i makes sense to keep it all under the same roof.
But this story isn't about what is gonna happen, it's about what Dark Horse has done and that is given me (and many others) quality books featuring the characters and situations we hold so important to us.
So thank you Dark Horse for making me love Star Wars again and despite the fact that the Jedi all may be moving, you will not only survive... but prosper!