Following a January deal with French graphic novel publisher Humanoids, DC Comics has acquired the North American publication rights to comics material from U.K. comics publisher Rebellion.
Paul Levitz, president and publisher of DC Comics, said DC plans to publish about 36 graphic novels a year from the Rebellion list for U.S. distribution through trade bookstores and the comics specialty market. The first books will appear in September, beginning with The Batman/Judge Dredd Files.
The deal gives DC the rights to works by such noted U.K. comics authors as Garth Ennis, Glenn Fabry, Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. Rebellion also publishes 2000 AD, an influential U.K. comics weekly, and owns the rights to the Judge Dredd character.
Levitz said the Rebellion and Humanoids deals reflect the "growth of manga in the U.S.," and he told PW the agreements were an effort to bring internationally popular titles to an American audience. "We use talent from across the world," he said, "so it's a logical next step to bring some of the world's great libraries of comics to our fans."
