New York Comic Con News:  At the NYCC Dark Horse Comics announced an agreement with Dreamworks Entertainment that will allow the publisher to create a series of original graphic novels based on the How To Train Your Dragon property.  The series of OGNs will debut next year with How to Train Your Dragon: The Serpent’s Heir, which will be co-written by Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of the HTTYD movies and Richard Hamilton, writer of Dragons: Race to Edge.  Pierre-Olivier Vincent, who was the production designer on the HTTYD films, will provide the cover art for the first volume in the series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dark Horse has yet to assign an interior artist to the series.  DeBlois told the Reporter how the graphic novels will fit into the overall HTTYD continuity: “These graphic novels mark an exciting expansion for the riders of Berk, offering the first glimpse into what happens to Hiccup, Toothless and the other Vikings following the conclusion of the second film.  These stories open up for the riders to discover new lands, meet new heroes and villains and encounter never before seen dragons on new adventures. Most excitingly, these novels are moving into a time we haven’t yet explored across any format."

DeBlois noted: “The first book in the series, The Serpent's Heir, "picks up in the hours following the conclusion of How to Train Your Dragon 2.  Berk’s Dragon Riders must answer an earthquake-plagued island’s distress call. Along the way, they meet new dragons and a disturbing enemy, all while Hiccup and Toothless are growing into their roles of Chief and Alpha."

The first How to Train Your Dragon film earned $218 million domestically and nearly $500 million internationally, while the second film made $177 million domestically and nearly $620 million worldwide.  Both films received excellent reviews from the critics, but the second movie’s relatively lackluster domestic numbers reflect the effects of a less-than-stellar TV spin-off from the first film.

At Comic-Con in San Diego Dark Horse announced that it would be publishing comics based on Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra animated series (see “Dark Horse Announces Legend of Korra Series”). Now at the NYCC, the publisher announced that artist Brittney Williams (Marvel’s Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat) will provide art on the project that is being overseen by franchise co-creator Michael D. DiMartino, who will make sure that the stories told in the comics will be part of the Legend of Korra “canon.”