Indiana Jones comic books
Encyclopedia
The Indiana Jones franchise
has produced a large number of comic books. Marvel Comics
initially owned the rights before passing them to Dark Horse Comics
in 1990. Marvel published adaptations of the films Raiders of the Lost Ark
, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
, while Dark Horse adapted the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
video game, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
television series, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Marvel also published The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones from 1983 to 1986, which were the first original adventures featuring the character in literature. From 1992 to 1996, following the Fate of Atlantis adaptation, Dark Horse published seven limited series
. With the franchise's revival in 2008 due to the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Dark Horse will publish further series, including one aimed at children. Critical reaction to the comics, particularly their interior art, is mixed.
published a three-issue adaptation of Raiders of the Lost Ark
. In January 1983, they gave the character his own monthly series, named The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, which ran for 34 issues until March 1986. The series had Marcus Brody and Marion Ravenwood
in regular supporting roles, and Sallah
, Katanga and Short Round also appeared. A three-issue adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
, and a four-issue adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
, were also published.
The series is notable for having tried to develop its own continuity adding up original content and characters to pre-existing Indiana Jones mythology, with villains such as rival archeologist Ian Mc Iver and Ali Ben Ayoob, a levantine tycoon employing Ismaelite Assassins as agents.
UGO Networks called Marvel's series "clunky" and said it "didn't have the best artwork in the world". Dark Horse reprinted the Raiders adaptation and the first twelve issues of The Further Adventures on February 18, 2009. A second omnibus volume followed September 23, 2009 reprinting issues 13 through 24 and the Temple of Doom adaptation, and a third volume out February 24, 2010 reprinted the final ten issues and the Last Crusade adaptation.
published a bimonthly four-issue adaptation of the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
computer game by William Messner-Loebs
and Dan Barry from March to September 1991. From 1992 the following original series were published:
A series based on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
television series, written by Dan Barry, began in February 1992 and lasted a year. Each issue retold one of the show's first twelve episodes. Barry drew the first three and the last four issues of that series, while Gray Morrow
drew issues three to six, and Gordon Purcell
drew the seventh and eighth issues.
Sales of the later series were poor, which resulted in the cancellation of Pete Ford and Hugh Fleming's Indiana Jones and the Lost Horizon. It would have explored Indiana's friendship with Abner Ravenwood in 1926. In February 2008, Fate of Atlantis, Thunder in the Orient and Arms of Gold were collected into an omnibus. The rest was collected together in June 2008.
and penciled by Luke Ross, came out in May 2008. The following month, an ongoing children's series entitled Indiana Jones Adventures began, which is modeled after Clone Wars Adventures
. The first volume, set in 1930, involves Norse mythology
while Indiana travels to Sweden
and Marrakech
. The four-issue Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods
(written by Rob Williams and penciled by Steve Scott) also began publication.
gave Fate of Atlantis, Thunder in the Orient and Arms of Gold positive reviews. He found Fate of Atlantis a "darker, more fast-paced" adaptation of the game, but that it still captured Indiana and Sophia Hapgood's relationship. He also argued "the parallel between the downfall of Atlantis and the downfall of the Nazi searchers is really well done". There was "hell of a lot going on in" Thunder in the Orient, "but it's fairly easy to follow and the political connotations are very well documented". He compared it and Arms of Gold to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
because of its focus on action over characterization, although he deemed the latter "perfect for someone looking for a well-crafted adventure story". He praised its romantic elements, but found the villain an afterthought.
Powers found Dan Barry's art for the first two Dark Horse series "cartoonish, [but] it definitely suits the feeling of Indiana Jones. Barry did an excellent job capturing the action and adventure aspect of Indy as well as the supernatural. The representations of Atlantis were extremely well done and remain consistent throughout the book." He preferred Dan Spiegle
's artwork in the last issue of Thunder in the Orient as "it's edgier, rugged and has a more 'realistic' and old-school type artwork that is very well suited to Indiana Jones". He felt Leo Durañona's art for Arms of Gold was "decent, but a bit inconsistent. He goes for the 'rugged' Indiana Jones look, but the inconsistencies in the art from page to page is a bit noticeable."
The website's reception to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull adaptation was poor, arguing it "reads like a summary of a story, not like a story", and that John Jackson Miller
's writing was "lacking". The only highpoint was the art from Luke Ross and Fabio Laguna which "runs the gamut from decent to fantastic". They acclaimed the rest of 2008's comics, (the first issue of Tomb of the Gods and volume one of Indiana Jones Adventures) particularly their art. Powers, in his review of the limited series, felt "Harrison Ford
from Raiders jumped off the screen and into a comic book [and his Marcus Brody is the spitting image of Denholm Elliot." In the latter series, he still found the simpler depiction of Belloq "amazingly just like Paul Freeman".
began publishing the Indiana Jones Comic in the United Kingdom
on May 22, 2008.
A series of three hardcover comics by writer Claude Moliterni and artist Giancarlo Alessandrini was published in France by the Bagheera publishing house.
:
Indiana Jones franchise
The Indiana Jones franchise is an entertainment franchise, based on the historical fantasy adventures of Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, a fictional archaeologist. It began in 1981 with the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. A prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, followed in 1984 and the sequel...
has produced a large number of comic books. Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
initially owned the rights before passing them to Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in 1990. Marvel published adaptations of the films Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
, while Dark Horse adapted the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts originally released in 1992. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects...
video game, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
television series, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Marvel also published The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones from 1983 to 1986, which were the first original adventures featuring the character in literature. From 1992 to 1996, following the Fate of Atlantis adaptation, Dark Horse published seven limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
. With the franchise's revival in 2008 due to the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Dark Horse will publish further series, including one aimed at children. Critical reaction to the comics, particularly their interior art, is mixed.
Marvel Comics
In 1981, Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
published a three-issue adaptation of Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. In January 1983, they gave the character his own monthly series, named The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, which ran for 34 issues until March 1986. The series had Marcus Brody and Marion Ravenwood
Marion Ravenwood
Marion Ravenwood Jones is a fictional character that first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Played by Karen Allen, she enters the story when Indiana Jones visits her in Nepal, needing her help — specifically, he needs an artifact in her possession, originally obtained by her...
in regular supporting roles, and Sallah
Sallah
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir, better known as Sallah , is a fictional character played by John Rhys-Davies in two of the four Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade...
, Katanga and Short Round also appeared. A three-issue adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
, and a four-issue adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...
, were also published.
The series is notable for having tried to develop its own continuity adding up original content and characters to pre-existing Indiana Jones mythology, with villains such as rival archeologist Ian Mc Iver and Ali Ben Ayoob, a levantine tycoon employing Ismaelite Assassins as agents.
UGO Networks called Marvel's series "clunky" and said it "didn't have the best artwork in the world". Dark Horse reprinted the Raiders adaptation and the first twelve issues of The Further Adventures on February 18, 2009. A second omnibus volume followed September 23, 2009 reprinting issues 13 through 24 and the Temple of Doom adaptation, and a third volume out February 24, 2010 reprinted the final ten issues and the Last Crusade adaptation.
1990s
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
published a bimonthly four-issue adaptation of the Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts originally released in 1992. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects...
computer game by William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
and Dan Barry from March to September 1991. From 1992 the following original series were published:
- Indiana Jones and the Shrine of the Sea Devil (written and penciled by Gary Gianni, published in issues three to six of the Dark Horse Comics anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series from October 1992 to January 1993, and reprinted as a one-shot in September 1994).
- Indiana Jones: Thunder in the Orient (six issues written and penciled by Dan Barry (though the sixth was drawn by Dan SpiegleDan SpiegleDan Spiegle is an American comic book and cartoon artist and illustrator . He has had a long career in drawing comics based on movie and television characters, and has worked for companies including Dell Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Life and career:In his second year of high school,...
), published from September to December 1993, and then March and April 1994).
- Indiana Jones and the Arms of Gold (four issues written by Lee MarrsLee MarrsLee Marrs is an American comic book writer, animator, and one of the first women underground comix creators. She is best known for her comic book series, The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp, which lasted from 1973 to 1978.-Underground comics:Marrs was a frequent contributor to...
and penciled by Leo Durañona, published from February to May 1994).
- Indiana Jones and the Golden Fleece (two issues written by Pat McGreal and Dave Rawson, and penciled by Ken Hooper, published in June and July 1994).
- Indiana Jones and the Iron PhoenixIndiana Jones and the Iron PhoenixIndiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix is a Dark Horse Comics limited series starring the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones. It was the seventh Indiana Jones limited series by Dark Horse, and the sixth about the adult Indiana...
(four issues written by Lee Marrs and penciled by Leo Durañona, published from December 1994 to March 1995).
- Indiana Jones and the Spear of DestinyIndiana Jones and the Spear of DestinyIndiana Jones and The Spear of Destiny is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics from April to July 1995. It was their seventh series about the adult Indiana Jones.-Canyon of the Crescent Moon, 1938:...
(four issues written by Elaine LeeElaine LeeElaine Lee is an American actor, playwright, comic book colorist and comic book writer.-Theatre:She received a 1980 Daytime EMMY nomination for her role on NBC-TV’s The Doctors and was a founding member and artistic director of Manhattan-based theatre company, Wild Hair Productions.Wild Hair began...
and penciled by Dan Spiegle, published from April to July 1995).
- Indiana Jones and the Sargasso Pirates (four issues written and drawn by Karl KeselKarl KeselKarl Kesel is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics...
(with Paul Guinan and Eduardo BarretoEduardo Barreto-References:...
co-penciling the first and fourth issues respectively), published from December 1995 to March 1996).
A series based on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
television series, written by Dan Barry, began in February 1992 and lasted a year. Each issue retold one of the show's first twelve episodes. Barry drew the first three and the last four issues of that series, while Gray Morrow
Gray Morrow
Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow was an American illustrator of paperback books and comics.-Biography:Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Morrow is best known as art director of Spider-Man between 1967 and 1970 and as illustrator of the syndicated Tarzan, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Prince Valiant comic...
drew issues three to six, and Gordon Purcell
Gordon Purcell
Gordon Purcell is an American comic book artist, perhaps best known for his Star Trek work, in particular his photorealistic renditions of the actors who play that franchise’s characters, as well as those of similarly licensed books, such as X-Files, Xena, Lost in Space, Godzilla, The Young...
drew the seventh and eighth issues.
Sales of the later series were poor, which resulted in the cancellation of Pete Ford and Hugh Fleming's Indiana Jones and the Lost Horizon. It would have explored Indiana's friendship with Abner Ravenwood in 1926. In February 2008, Fate of Atlantis, Thunder in the Orient and Arms of Gold were collected into an omnibus. The rest was collected together in June 2008.
2000s
An adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, written by John Jackson MillerJohn Jackson Miller
John Jackson Miller is an American comic book writer and commentator, known for his work on the Star Wars franchise as well as his research into comic book circulation history, as presented in the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.-Biography:...
and penciled by Luke Ross, came out in May 2008. The following month, an ongoing children's series entitled Indiana Jones Adventures began, which is modeled after Clone Wars Adventures
Clone Wars Adventures
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is a comic book series, part of the fictional Star Wars galaxy.It is aimed towards a younger audience than the Star Wars: Clone Wars comic book series...
. The first volume, set in 1930, involves Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
while Indiana travels to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
. The four-issue Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods
Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods
Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods is a Dark Horse Comics limited series based on the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones.-Plot:In 1931, archaeologists Henrik Mellberg, Francis Beresford-Hope, and Marwell O'Brien discover the Key to the Tomb of the Gods in Norilsk, and divide it between them...
(written by Rob Williams and penciled by Steve Scott) also began publication.
Reception
Kevin Powers of Comics BulletinComics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
gave Fate of Atlantis, Thunder in the Orient and Arms of Gold positive reviews. He found Fate of Atlantis a "darker, more fast-paced" adaptation of the game, but that it still captured Indiana and Sophia Hapgood's relationship. He also argued "the parallel between the downfall of Atlantis and the downfall of the Nazi searchers is really well done". There was "hell of a lot going on in" Thunder in the Orient, "but it's fairly easy to follow and the political connotations are very well documented". He compared it and Arms of Gold to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...
because of its focus on action over characterization, although he deemed the latter "perfect for someone looking for a well-crafted adventure story". He praised its romantic elements, but found the villain an afterthought.
Powers found Dan Barry's art for the first two Dark Horse series "cartoonish, [but] it definitely suits the feeling of Indiana Jones. Barry did an excellent job capturing the action and adventure aspect of Indy as well as the supernatural. The representations of Atlantis were extremely well done and remain consistent throughout the book." He preferred Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle
Dan Spiegle is an American comic book and cartoon artist and illustrator . He has had a long career in drawing comics based on movie and television characters, and has worked for companies including Dell Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Life and career:In his second year of high school,...
's artwork in the last issue of Thunder in the Orient as "it's edgier, rugged and has a more 'realistic' and old-school type artwork that is very well suited to Indiana Jones". He felt Leo Durañona's art for Arms of Gold was "decent, but a bit inconsistent. He goes for the 'rugged' Indiana Jones look, but the inconsistencies in the art from page to page is a bit noticeable."
The website's reception to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull adaptation was poor, arguing it "reads like a summary of a story, not like a story", and that John Jackson Miller
John Jackson Miller
John Jackson Miller is an American comic book writer and commentator, known for his work on the Star Wars franchise as well as his research into comic book circulation history, as presented in the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.-Biography:...
's writing was "lacking". The only highpoint was the art from Luke Ross and Fabio Laguna which "runs the gamut from decent to fantastic". They acclaimed the rest of 2008's comics, (the first issue of Tomb of the Gods and volume one of Indiana Jones Adventures) particularly their art. Powers, in his review of the limited series, felt "Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
from Raiders jumped off the screen and into a comic book [and his Marcus Brody is the spitting image of Denholm Elliot." In the latter series, he still found the simpler depiction of Belloq "amazingly just like Paul Freeman".
Non-American comics
Titan MagazinesTitan Magazines
Titan Magazines is the magazine-publishing division of Nick Landau's Titan Publishing Group. Titan also owns several Forbidden Planet specialist comics and collector stores .Titan Magazines' publishing director is Chris Teather.TPG also owns Titan Books,...
began publishing the Indiana Jones Comic in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on May 22, 2008.
A series of three hardcover comics by writer Claude Moliterni and artist Giancarlo Alessandrini was published in France by the Bagheera publishing house.
Collected editions
A number of the stories have been collected into trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Indiana Jones Omnibus:
- Volume 1 (352 pages, Dark Horse, February 2008, ISBN 1593078870, Titan BooksTitan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, March 2008, ISBN 184576806X) - Volume 2 (384 pages, Dark Horse, June 2008, ISBN 1593079532, Titan Books, July 2008, ISBN 1845768078)
- Volume 1 (352 pages, Dark Horse, February 2008, ISBN 1593078870, Titan Books
- Indiana Jones Omnibus: Further Adventures:
- Volume 1 (368 pages, Dark Horse, February 2009, ISBN 1595822461, Titan Books, April 2009, ISBN 1845768086)
- Volume 2 (368 pages, Dark Horse, November 2009, ISBN 1595823360, Titan Books, November 2009, ISBN 1848563329)
- Volume 3 (368 pages, Dark Horse, March 2010, ISBN 1595824375)