Marvel Comics has announced they are reprinting their 1980s Indiana Jones releases in a pair of hardcover volumes in September. Indiana Jones: The Further Adventures Book I will collect the publisher’s adaptations of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), as well as the first 16 issues of the comic book continuation that ran from 1982 to 1985. Book II will reprint the rest of the 34-issue series, and The Last Crusade adaptation (1989).
Both books will be released on September 30, and feature leatherette binding, debossed cover designs, and ribbon bookmarks. The first volume will feature the talents of Walt Simonson, David Michelinie, John Byrne, Dennis O’Neil, Archie Goodwin, John Buscema, Butch Guice, Ron Frenz, Howard Chaykin, Kerry Gammill, Dan Reed, Ricardo Villamonte, David Mazzucchelli & Herb Trimpe, while the second will feature Michelinie, Larry Lieber, Christopher Priest, Linda Grant, Ron Fortier, Luke McDonnell, Steve Ditko, Joe Brozowski, & Bret Blevins.
The comics had been out-of-print for some time, and unavailable digitally, as an apparent result of the combination of Indiana Jones creator George Lucas selling his company to Marvel’s parent Disney in 2012; Dark Horse (who gained the rights in the ’90s) losing the license; and Paramount Pictures still owning the distribution rights to the first four movies.
To date, the last original Indiana Jones books (graphic or otherwise) were released in 2009, a year after the fourth film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Marvel’s rerelease of its books comes three years after the final film (or at least the last to star Harrison Ford), Dial of Destiny, and two after the new video game, The Great Circle, meaning it will coincide with the 45th anniversary of Raiders (on June 12) instead.
Marvel and Lucasfilm’s relationship will continue in the meantime with the currently ongoing Star Wars series Shadow of Maul, Galaxy’s Edge – Echoes of the Empire, and the tenth anniversary Rogue One specials, as well as The Fall of Kylo Ren book launching on August 12. Whether this will also mean new Indiana Jones comics from Marvel, Dark Horse, or Papercutz, or reprints of the Dark Horse era, remains as mysterious as any of the relics Indy has gone searching for.
