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A number of different comics have been published based on the Alien, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator franchises. All of these comics have been published by Dark Horse Comics or by Dark Horse in collaboration with another publishing company.

Dark Horse is an American comic book company based out of Portland, Oregon which publishes the Aliens and Predator comics lines, as well as crossover comics featuring the two franchises as the separate Aliens vs. Predator line, and crossing all three lines over in joint projects with various other properties.

In July 1988, Dark Horse released the first issue of its first Aliens mini-series, a direct continuation of the story from the film Aliens. Almost one year later in June 1989, Dark Horse released the first issue of the first Predator mini-series, also continuing the story from its parent film series. Both series were written by Dark Horse writer Mark Verheiden.

Dark Horse laid the foundation for connecting the two franchises in late 1989, with a three-part Aliens vs. Predator story in the company's ongoing anthology series Dark Horse Presents, issues #34, #35, and #36--with Dec. 1989's Dark Horse Presents #36 being the first comic book to feature the title "Aliens vs. Predator" on its cover. This was the first ever officially licensed material featuring a crossover between the two franchises, later released as Aliens vs. Predator #0, and was a prequel story to the first full-fledged, four-part Aliens vs. Predator mini-series, which followed shortly in June 1990.

The initial idea for this marriage of monster movie franchises had come from Dark Horse Predator and AVP artist Chris Warner during story meetings.

This original Aliens vs. Predator comics series (released roughly simultaneously with the film Predator 2, which featured the first overt on-screen hint at a crossover between the two franchises) was written by Dark Horse vice president, creative director and editor Randy Stradley.

In 1992, Dark Horse set another trend with another landmark series by co-publishing Batman versus Predator, a major 3-issue miniseries with mainstream comics powerhouse DC Comics. The miniseries was a huge success and resulted in numerous other collaborations and cross-overs between the Aliens, Predator and AVP franchises and other Dark Horse and non-Dark Horse comics lines.

Over the intervening years, Dark Horse has published a vast number of Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics limited series, one-shots, and short comics stories, collected variously in trade paperback form. To date, Dark Horse has published 55 Aliens series/titles, 32 Predator series/titles, 17 AVP series/titles, and 17 miscellaneous crossovers with other major comics lines.

In 2007, the company began producing definitive, collected editions of the all of their Aliens, Predator and AVP comics for their Omnibus line, releasing four volumes of Predator Omnibus, six volumes of Aliens Omnibus, and two volumes of Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus. The same year, DC published the Sinestro Corps War, were the Green Lantern Corps take on the Sinestro Corps of Fear. A Yautja is seen as a member of the Sinestro Corps.

In 2009, following years of publishing almost only reprints or cross-over material, the company finally relaunched all three lines in anticipation of the release of the film Predators.

Starting with the Free Comic Book Day 2009 Aliens/Predator flip book, Dark Horse has since published a new solo Predator series, a new solo Aliens series, a 4-part prequel story to the film, an adaptation of the film, a one-shot sequel to it, and finally the current, new AVP series by original series writer Stradley.

An upcoming Aliens graphic novella entitled Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven is also on the horizon.

For more and up to date information on the line of Aliens, Predator and AVP comics see Xenopedia's individual articles listed below and, of course, visit the Dark Horse website's AvP zone at: http://www.darkhorse.com/Zones/AvP