According to Bleeding Cool News, IDW is set to lose both Transformers and GI Joe in 2022.With the power of hindsight here in 2024, we have a far clearer picture of this story. Hasbro's decision to pull back licensing rights involving storied mediums for Transformers and G.I. Joe are clearly tied into there recently announced start of their cinematic universe as both of those I.P. will be crossing-over for a live action movie.
For the success of the cinematic universe, the company is eliminating any competition in the form of other mediums releasing cross-over media that could be pointed out as "superior" to the stories told on the big screen. This is nothing new in the movie industry as Warner Bros for example placed huge restrictions on which characters could appear from the DC Comics in the various "Arrowverse" connected TV Shows.
While Hasbro has no affliation with the Ghostbusters I.P., it is VERY likely that Ghost Corps did the exact same thing as the IDW continuity was a continuation of the 2009 Video Game's expanded timeline. From a legal stance, Ghost Corps would need to obtain rights for the medium transferral (from Video Game to Movie.) The 2019 Remake makes no mention of Atari and Reitman mentioned there were rights obtaining the rights so the Video Game would not be cannon. Since some of the companies involved are no longer in business, it is more than likely a matter of one of the companies required to sign the paperwork doesn't exist anymore placing the game's ownership in semi-limbo.
Due to the rights issues, the Reitman's declared in multiple interviews that Video Game was no longer cannon to the movie timeline and the story to be told in Afterlife. Since it often takes months to fully dissolve an I.P. licensing agreement when it has not expired nor has their been a breach in contact, Ghost Corps likely started to pull at that plug in 2019 with it finally being fully dissolved in 2020. This would explain why despite Dan Schoening mentioning just before the pandemic that the Year One Trade Paperback had just been finalized and ready to go to print that the print was cancelled. The pandemic meant that companies needed to prioritize what was going into production due to decreased production capabilities. So, a Trade Paperback for a mini-series of an I.P. you lost the rights to likely wasn't as important as any of their ongoing titles.
When we jump ahead to today, we see all the signs that the deal with Dark Horse to produce and publish the new "Back in Town" mini-series (aka: the bridge between the two movies that Ghost Corps is insisting is cannon to the movie timeline), it is safe to assume all the deals were finalized in 2023 to meet the theatrical release of Frozen Empire.
Now, the only comics for Ghostbusters hitting the shelves currently are ones that promote the movie as opposed to ones which tell a story of an unconnected alternate timeline. This means Ghost Corps isn't risking competing with other Ghostbuster titles in the comic shops which might be preferred over the one they are selling through Dark Horse.
Statistics: Posted by UncannyGirl — May 4th, 2024, 1:56 pm