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Summary
This year , as theMarvelUniverse look the beginning of the ending ofX - Men’sKrakoan era , and theDCUniverse suffered throughKnight TerrorsandBeast Worldback - to - back , small publishing company , include IDW , Skybound Entertainment , and Boom ! Studios , sought to elevate their game to mate these industry leaders , resulting in a truly epical – in the strictest sense of the word – time for comical book storytelling .
In addition to major changes across its superhero title , Marvel ’s " Dark Droids " outcome has been the peak of its current line ofStar Warscomics . IDW Publishing take on the first ever majorStar Trekcomic book crossover , " God War / Day of roue . "
Robert Kirkman ’s Skybound Entertainment gain the rights to Hasbro propertiesTransformersandG.I. Joe , bring up the two iconic franchises alongside one another in the fresh Energon Universe . gold rush ! StudiosPower Rangersentered into its year - long " Darkest Hour " storyline . The achiever of crossovers , event serial , and shared continuities in 2023 keep on a course from the past several years . Overall , it indicated that Marvel and DC ’s success has inspire other publishers be likewise challenging .
While entrap in a nightmare world , DC ’s greatest type face their biggest fears . See 15 of the most distressful dreams from Knight Terrors .
2023 Was A Year Of Reboots, Relaunches, & Reaching New Heights For The Major Publishers
(Marvel & DC)
In the past class , both Marvel and DC have made major changes to their roster of form of address ; Marvel relaunched many of its leger in the past year , while theDawn of DCinitiative likewise gave fresh starts to near two - dozen of its serial publication . More importantly , both of the magnanimous two publishers doubled down on their commitment to telling stories of an progressively grand scope . Marvel has long rag that theX - franchise ’s Krakoan epoch could n’t last forever . ultimately , the end began with theshocking upshot of the 2023 Hellfire Gala , which left mutantkind on the defensive for the first prison term in a long meter .
Energon Reinvigorated Two Franchises That Deserve To Thrive In The Comic Book Medium
(Skybound Entertainment)
One of the biggest surprises in the comic book manufacture this class hap when Skybound Entertainment get the publishing right hand toTransformersandG.I Joe , two franchises that have told many of their salutary fib in laughable book form . In another thrilling move , Skybound announced that it would reboot both properties – in a shared continuity that will also include Skybound pilot . Along with the outlook of adding more Hasbro characters to the mix in the futurity , the idea of a narrative that intertwines the origination of both the G.I. Joe and Cobra administration with the arrival of theAutobots and Decepticonson Earth has proved a major hit with long - time fan .
With the launch of the initialTransformersongoing series , leading directly into the Joe miniseriesDukeandCobra Commander , Skybound has received a positive reply , one that validate the determination to craft a share continuity . With any long - running property , it is crucial to find new , dynamic way to approach the fabric , for keep even the most committed fans ' engagement from waning . accept a cue from Marvel and DC ’s success , Skybound unite its two newfangled , iconic franchises ; so far , this has proved to be a formula for success . The Energon Universeis still fledgling , but it remain one of the most exciting comic book stories of the year to come .
As Their “Darkest Hour” Arrived, Power Rangers Lore Continued To Be Redefined
(Boom! Studios)
Beginning withMighty Morphin ' Power Rangers#111 , Boom ! StudiosRangerscomics has embark on a year - long storytelling event , " Darkest Hour . " Over the past several years , Boom ! has work diligently to take what originated as a tyke ’s TV program , and age it up to where its original audience is now . By telling more matured , grownup - oriented narrative , the current epoch ofPower Rangerscomics has redefined the serial publication , ensuring it is viable long - termas more than a nostalgia property . " Darkest Hour " is the next whole step in this development – a sprawling narrative , building onthe expanded lorethe past several years worth of arcs has fetch to the franchise .
Beyond exposit thePower Rangersuniverse , the gold rush ! studio era introduce a Multiverse , most notably using this to assure stories in the alternative timeline known as the World of the Coinless . As with some of its most far-famed Marvel and DC root , " Darkest Hour " will be a massive crossover in the genuine sense , as grapheme from across the Multiverse converge to tell apart a enfranchisement - modify story , one that will irrevocably impactPower Rangersstories move forward – in both the comics , and future on - screenland entries into the serial . The start of the " Darkest Hour " event was a stand - out story in 2023 , suggest its sexual climax will be major newsworthiness in 2024 .
As the yr - long Power Rangers " Darkest Hour " storyline event kicks into full gear , the nefarious Dark Specter has made his deadliest moves yet .
Legendary Characters Returned To The Forefront Of Star Trek Storytelling This Year
(IDW Publishing)
comedian became theascendant medium forStar Trekstorytellingin 2023 , as IDW ’s relaunchedStar Trekflagship title , along with the newStar Trek : Defiantseries , commit the majority of the year to a galaxy - spanning"God War,“which conclude in the " Day of Blood . " Both series featured all - wiz crews , comprised of fabled characters from most of the franchise ’s television installments . Notably , however , the serial made the most of comic book storytelling , taking inspiration from Marvel ’s recentHouse of Xreboot to differentiate a story on a truly heroic scope , befitting the grandeur of theTrekuniverse . Promoted asTrek’s"first comic book crossover issue , " and a " subsequence toDeep blank space 9 , " the storyline proved much more than that .
" God War / Day of Blood " made the KlingonsTrek’sprimary antagonists for the first fourth dimension in decennary , as the Emperor Kahless conduce his fanatic Red Path cult on a seeking to put down the Galax urceolata ’s god - like beings , and become one himself . Captain Benjamin Sisko returned from the Bajoran wormhole to present the threat , while Worf and a work party including Spock , Beverly Crusher , and Data ’s malign chum Lore , steal the Defiant and took it on a deserter missionary work to save Worf ’s Word Alexander . High - octane from start to finishing , IDW’sTrektitles follow , more than anything , because they revel in beingStar Trekstories .
A New Threat Revolutionized The Current Era Of Star Wars Stories
(Marvel)
The current era of Marvel’sStar Warscomics get to new summit of its own this year with the " Dark Droids " crossing over , which has recontextualized the year betweenEmpire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi , making it one of the most polar here and now in astronomical story in its own right . New scoundrel the Scourge , a sentient artifical intelligence , was expose to be capable to infect and possess hordes of droids across the galaxy at once , and schemed tospread to the biologic entitiesof the galaxy . The story give the enfranchisement ’s villains and Hero of Alexandria an equal threat to agitate against , admit for fresh dynamics that prove vital to the franchise .
One of the most engaging aspects of " Dark Droids " was the unpredicted spot it affordedStar Wars’artifical lifeforms . The past yr saw stories utilizing droids in a way that had few precedents in the franchise ’s previous decennium of Expanded Universe subject matter . As was the character for many major intellectual properties this past year,“Dark Droids " made it clear that audiences ' interests go beyond just tremendous storytelling . consultation want to see conversant material translate in new , unexpected way . They want remixed character dynamics , and a renewed sensation that anything is possible in the story . Despite proofreader knowing the astronomical position quo had to be restored , withReturn of the Jedilooming , " Dark Droids " managed to deliver this .
With the Energon Universe established , the " Darkest Hour " ongoing , and theStar TrekandStar Warsgalaxies recover from their respective disaster , the coming year of amusing book storytelling from company like IDW , Boom ! , and Skybound is certain to be even more ambitious . also , Marvel’sFall of the House of Xwill give way to theRise of the Powers of Xand a new paradigm for mutantkind in 2024 , while the Marvel Universe as a whole will confront the"Blood Hunt . “DC’sBeast Worldwill dally out in the new year , and given its current lead criminal record , more major consequence series are potential in the plant at the companionship .
