Nintendo has a long history of comics, but it has let several of its biggest properties die out in publishing over the years. I've read more than my share of Kirby, Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon manga and comics. However, Nintendo has severely limited its storytelling potential by leaving its biggest properties to remain solely manga or dropping them altogether from the comic medium.
Given that Nintendo is a Japanese video game company, it makes sense for it to have primarily branched out its biggest properties to manga. However, in the early 90s, official Nintendo comics were also being published by Valiant Comics. These were short-lived and have failed to make a comeback. Yet there is no shortage of readers who would love to have more comics specifically from Nintendo, similar to the way Sega fans have been ing Sonic the Hedgehog at IDW Comics.
Nintendo's Comic History
From Super Mario Bros. to Animal Crossing and Beyond
Nintendo Comic System was published by Valiant Comics from 1990 to 1991. It featured several hit franchises that are still releasing today: Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Metroid. The series had spin-off issues that centered on particular stories. This was true in the case of The Legend of Zelda and Game Boy, with Game Boy focusing on Super Mario Land specifically, while the Super Mario Bros. also received a few spin-off issues. Each of these could be identified with a "Nintendo Comic System" logo or banner at the top or bottom of the cover.
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Nintendo Power similarly featured comics on occasion, including a story focused on Star Fox that was released throughout 1993. However, most of Nintendo's American style comics and periodicals would come to an end, replaced solely by manga iterations of a limited few titles. A few translations of reprinted manga have also been released in recent years. Offerings as of late have included Super Mario Bros., Kirby Manga Mania, assorted adaptations of Legend of Zelda games, stories inspired by Splatoon and its sequel games, Animal Crossing, and various Pokémon manga. Metroid and Star Fox have failed to have a resurgence in the comic landscape.
The Current Publishing Landscape of Video Game Comics
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Dark Horse Comics and Nintendo were supposed to forces for the canceled original graphic novel for Arms. It was slated to have the creative team of Ian Flynn and Joe Ng. A preview was even featured in one of Dark Horse Comics' Free Comic Book Day offerings in 2018, but it never came to fruition. However, the publisher has several other video game-inspired comics that have been successful, many of which I've had a great time reading. These have included Halo graphic novels, comics inspired by The Witcher, Assassin's Creed, Cyberpunk 2077, Borderlands, and Minecraft. Several series for Minecraft have been released, highlighting a family-friendly desire for video-game comics Nintendo could excel at.
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Other video game developers and companies have similarly had mixed success with comics and manga, such as Square Enix/TokyoPop's assorted Kingdom Hearts manga adaptations, and Capcom/Kodansha's Monster Hunter manga. Of particular note with this trend is the continuous popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog. While the character debuted in 1991, he has since been featured in an animated series and a trilogy of well-received, theatrically released films. Sonic's comic history has seen publisher shifts over the years, as well as legal battles. Nonetheless, the iconic speedster's time at IDW has come with a major revitalization of Sonic's comic adventures.
Nintendo Can Deliver Greatness By Learning From Sega
Sonic has had several great arcs since its return to comics a few years ago. Nothing has been able to get him down, with the stories being true to the game's art styles and several fan-favorite characters continuing to appear. Shadow the Hedgehog, the current spotlighting-stealing star of the Sonic franchise is even getting his own comic series this year. Already, IDW and Sega know what fans want more of when it comes to Sonic and his friends. Nintendo has not seemed to catch onto this as readily and should highly consider finding a licensing partner that could deliver its properties as well as IDW does for Sega.
With so many video game-based comics, it's shocking Nintendo hasn't tried to bring back some of its prominent franchises in the medium in North America. When you have some of the best-selling games and most beloved characters, not using them in more stories truly feels like a waste. Metroid especially never had a full opportunity to shine in comics despite having broad lore. Though it has had a few series in the past, Super Mario could have greater potential considering the success of its recent animated feature film and regular interest in the characters and world of the games across multiple generations. Nintendo should reconsider its approach to comics inspired by its properties and bring them back sooner rather than later.
