When Brian Michael Bendis came to DC Comics in 2017, he brought with him his JINXWORLD imprint titles such as Pearl, Cover, Scarlett, and United States vs. Murder, Inc., titles that will all be going with him over to their new home, Dark Horse Comics.
The move comes on the heels of his 2017 exclusive deal with DC Comics, which ended earlier this year. The Jinxworld imprint has allowed Bendis the opportunity to explore realms outside the worlds of superheroes, and seeing the fruition of the seeds for the line he planted in the mid-’90s.
The new deal Bendis has inked with Dark Horse will see the publisher release issues of Jinxworld comics including the yakuza epic Pearl, featuring the art of Jessica Jones co-creator Michael Gaydos; more on the surreal spy thriller Cover with art by David Mack; and a new saga in The Murder Inc. world with his Powers creators Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Bendis said about the new opportunity:
“I am so proud to call Dark Horse Comics home! From Dark Horse Presents all the way up to Black Hammer, Dark Horse has been at the forefront of the kind of creator-owned comics I personally adore and aspire to. This partnership has been brewing for a very long time. Mike Richardson, Daniel Chabon and everyone else at Dark Horse has welcomed us with open arms, and it’s very exciting to start rolling out our brand-new epics like Joy Operations and reintroduce you to some of our classic Jinxworld titles like Powers, Torso and Jinx. Any of my friends will tell you I wished those books were published by Dark Horse back when we first made them. To the future!”
Included in the deal will be a new series by Bendis, Joy Operations, due out in November. Joining Bendis will bw Wonder Twins artist Stephen Byrne, as Joy Operations takes place 55 years in the future. The series will star Joy, who is EN.VOI — special agent of one of the Jonado Trust. In this world, trusts are corporate-owned cities for whom she rights its wrongs. She is a legendary figure in some parts due to her job, until one day she hears a voice in her head urging her to betray everything she has ever believed.
Dark Horse Comics president and founder Mike Richardson said in a statement also reported by The Hollywood Reporter:
“Brian Bendis is one of the comic industry’s premier talents and we are so excited to welcome him here to Dark Horse. As Brian can confirm, I’ve been chasing him for a very long time. Not only will Brian be bringing new stories here for his many fans, but we will be re-releasing new editions of his existing work for a whole new generation of readers.”
Daniel Chabon, who will edit the Dark Horse’s Jinxworld titles added:
“I am so happy to be working with Brian, Alisa [Bendis, Jinxworld publisher], and their roster of insanely talented co-creators on these upcoming Jinxworld stories. We have some really amazing books in the works right now and I can’t wait for folks to see what we have in store from them and Dark Horse’s expanding creator-owned universe.”
Joy Operations No. 1 of five hits Nov. 17. The Pearl Vol. 1 trade paperback will be in stores in March 2022, with Vol. 2 hitting a month later. Meanwhile, Powers: The Best Ever trade paperback arrives Jan. 26, 2022.
Bendis also plans to expand the Jinxworld playground in the future with Alex Maleev and Jacob Edgar.