5 Comic Storylines That Will Never be Finished

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Because comic books are published in installments, they can build complex stories and develop characters over long periods – sometimes for years or even decades. This ongoing format is perfect for companies like DC and Marvel, who are constantly adding new characters and expanding their worlds. However, sometimes a comic series will stop before the story is finished, leaving plot lines hanging. This can happen for various reasons, like low sales, disagreements between creators, or legal problems. Fans react in different ways, from disappointment to relief. Regardless of the cause or how readers feel, these unfinished stories will likely remain that way for a long time.

All types of media – from movies and TV shows to books and video games – face the risk of being cancelled before they’re finished. Comic books are also vulnerable, and unfortunately, these particular series were stopped before their creators could finish telling their stories.

5) Dinosaurs vs Aliens

Originally conceived by Grant Morrison and Barry Sonnenfeld as a graphic novel launching a larger story, Dinosaurs vs Aliens was even planned as the foundation for a movie trilogy. The story centers on a battle between dinosaurs and aliens who invaded Earth 65 million years ago. These weren’t ordinary dinosaurs, though – they used tools, weapons, and had a developed culture to fight back. The first book ended with the dinosaurs launching a counter-attack, and the series aimed to explore themes of survival, warfare, and extinction. Sadly, despite a promising start and strong potential, plans for future installments were abruptly canceled, and the Dinosaurs vs Aliens universe never expanded beyond that first volume.

4) Youngblood

Youngblood, a superhero team and one of the first titles published by Image Comics, has a complicated history of being cancelled and restarted. The team, made up of government-approved anti-heroes like Shaft, Vogue, and Badrock, has seen many storylines cut short due to legal problems and disagreements among creators. Image Comics has repeatedly tried to reboot the series, but it rarely lasts beyond 22 issues before being cancelled again. For example, a 2017 attempt to launch a new version of Youngblood also ended without a satisfying conclusion. While Image relaunched Youngblood again this year, past experience suggests this iteration may suffer the same fate, leaving fans without a finished story.

3) All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder

As a huge comic fan, it’s always a bit shocking when legendary creators deliver something… truly off the rails. That’s how I feel about All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller and Jim Lee – two guys I admire immensely. It’s a really dark take on Batman and Robin’s beginnings, and honestly, it didn’t land well. People rightly criticized it for being way too extreme and portraying Batman as a seriously unstable, violent character who mistreats Robin. The series had a really messy release schedule – only 10 issues came out over three years – and eventually, it was just cancelled. There was talk of finishing it with a mini-series called Dark Knight: Boy Wonder, but that never happened, and honestly, a lot of us were relieved. It’s one of those comics where the cancellation was a good thing.

2) Image United

Image Comics is different from Marvel and DC because its stories usually don’t take place in a shared universe—each series has its own separate world. However, the comic Image United attempted to change that by uniting all of Image’s most popular superheroes in a large, six-issue crossover event. The story brought together characters like Savage Dragon, Witchblade, Youngblood, Cyber Force, Shadowhawk, and Spawn to fight the villainous Omega Spawn and his army. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after only four issues due to legal problems, busy schedules, and a lack of continued interest from those involved. Image United aimed to create a brand new shared universe and honor the company’s past, but it was never finished.

1) “The Last Galactus Story”

Published in Marvel’s Epic Illustrated magazine, “The Last Galactus Story” is a fascinating, large-scale cosmic tale that sadly remains unfinished. The story takes place far in the future and follows Galactus and his herald, Nova (Frankie Ray), as they journey to the universe’s center, investigating a series of dead galaxies. There, they encounter the Watcher, who is burdened by regret – he wishes he had stopped Galactus as a baby to prevent the destruction of so many worlds. When Epic Illustrated was cancelled, the story couldn’t be completed. Creator John Byrne revealed that his planned ending would have shown Galactus destroying and rebuilding the universe, with Nova ultimately taking on the role of the Devourer of Worlds. “The Last Galactus Story” is a truly remarkable work, and it’s a shame Byrne wasn’t able to finish it.

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2025-12-29 00:12