Archaia and The Jim Henson Company Announce 'The Power of the Dark Crystal' Comic Book Series

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of ‘The Dark Crystal,’ return to the world of Thra in an official sequel to the beloved fantasy film

Archaia, an award-winning imprint of publisher BOOM! Studios, and The Jim Henson Company, an established leader in family entertainment for over 60 years, are excited to announce The Power of the Dark Crystal, a new comic book series that serves as a sequel to the beloved 1982 film.   

Based on the screenplay by David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce that was written for a planned feature film, the 12-issue monthly limited series is adapted by Eisner Award-nominated writer Simon Spurrier (The Spire, Six-Gun Gorilla) and illustrated by rising artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews (Toil and Trouble, Lumberjanes/Gotham Academy). The first issue of The Power of the Dark Crystal debuts on February 15, 2017.   

“The Power of the Dark Crystal is an all-new chapter in the world of Jim Henson's classic film,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “We’re thrilled to bring aboard series artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews, a spectacular art team who will pay homage to Brian Froud’s incredible designs of the Skeksis, Gelflings, and a new cast of characters/creatures called the Firelings. Writer Simon Spurrier, a longtime fan of Henson—and one of our favorite writers—brings new life, color, and intrigue to this beloved world. We’re proud to announce that The Dark Crystal saga continues this February!”   

Countless decades have passed since the events of the original film. Though Jen and Kira have ruled Thra from the Crystal Castle peacefully as King and Queen, bringing Gelfling back to the land, they have become distracted by power and can no longer feel or see the needs of the world and its people the way they once did. Enter Thurma, a young Fireling girl tasked with obtaining a shard of the Dark Crystal—by any means necessary—to restore power to her realm. This sets in motion an incredible adventure in which Thurma will attempt to steal a crystal shard, befriend the young Gelfling Kensho, and accidentally bring back the Skeksis and Mystics.   

“Like the ending of The Dark Crystal, in which the duality of good and evil is collapsed and reconciled, the story of The Power of the Dark Crystal is that of reconciling the inner and the outer worlds—perhaps even the unconscious and the conscious. This is an amazing and original theme,” said Lisa Henson, President and CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “The creativity that went into writing and designing the feature film was such that we wanted our fans to be able to see and enjoy it now through this comic book series. We are very proud of the story that the screenwriters David Odell, Annette Odell, and Craig Pearce wrote. Our partners at Archaia and BOOM! Studios are the only people we could trust to expand and illustrate the story, and we are thrilled that it will soon see the light of day!”   

The main cover to issue #1 is illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Jae Lee and June Chung. Variant covers are illustrated by Sana Takeda (Monstress) and David Petersen (Mouse Guard).   

Print copies of The Power of the Dark Crystal #1 will be available for sale at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! webstore. Digital copies will be available to purchase on all major digital marketplaces including comiXology, iTunes, Google Play, and Kindle.