2 Years Ago, A Stranger Things Spinoff Was Quietly Canceled With No Explanation

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It’s interesting to learn that a planned comic book spinoff of Stranger Things never actually happened. As the show heads towards its finale, I’ve been looking back at all the comics created as part of the Stranger Things universe. It’s no surprise there have been so many tie-in comics – the show is one of Netflix’s biggest hits! It’s always great when a franchise expands its story through comics, and Dark Horse Comics has been doing that with Stranger Things since 2018.

Fans have plenty of comic books to enjoy, ranging from stories like The Other Side and Six, to the exciting crossover event Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things. Most of these comics aim to deepen the storylines and provide answers to long-held fan questions. A few years ago, a miniseries was announced that promised to focus on a specific character, but it was unexpectedly canceled and hasn’t been mentioned since.

The Vanishing of Stranger Things: The Many Ghosts of Doctor Brenner

Towards the end of 2022, after the fourth season of Stranger Things finished airing, Dark Horse Comics announced a new spin-off comic book series planned for 2023. Created by Brenden Fletcher and Mack Chater, Stranger Things: The Many Ghosts of Dr. Brenner is a four-issue series designed to delve deeper into the show’s backstory, much like previous tie-in comics. This particular series focuses on the troubled past of Dr. Brenner, the character Eleven knew as ‘Papa’.

Originally planned for release in January 2023, the comic book series The Many Ghosts of Dr. Brenner was never published. Dark Horse Comics removed all information about it from their website without explanation, and no further issues were ever announced. Although other Stranger Things comics, like Tales from Hawkins and The Voyage, were released, this particular series seems to have been abandoned and is unlikely to ever see the light of day.

It’s strange that Dark Horse Comics quietly canceled this comic book. They’ve published many other short series and graphic novels recently, so it’s odd this one didn’t come out. While I don’t know the exact reason for the cancellation, it happened around the same time as the announcement of another Stranger Things spin-off, which I believe explains why we haven’t seen the Dr. Brenner miniseries Dark Horse was working on.

Stranger Things’ Official Prequel Gave Us Brenner’s True Background

Around the beginning of 2023, shortly before the release of a book called The Many Ghosts of Dr. Brenner, a Stranger Things prequel play called The First Shadow was announced. The play is set in 1959 Hawkins and delves deeper into the backstory of Henry Creel. Dr. Brenner is a central figure in the play, with the story revealing more about his early work and why he became involved with the strange events connected to the Upside Down. While not as widely viewed as the TV series, the play is officially considered part of the Stranger Things story.

It’s likely the details revealed about Brenner’s history in The First Shadow influenced decisions about his origins, and those in charge of the Stranger Things franchise probably wanted to avoid conflicting storylines. While the Stranger Things comics are generally good, they don’t always stick to established facts. The Six comic famously created inconsistencies by giving the other Rainbow Room children powers not shown in the series. It’s a shame the comic was canceled, especially considering a conflicting prequel could have damaged the show’s core story.

Although Dr. Brenner isn’t the central character, his history is crucial to the start of the entire Stranger Things story. His experiments with Henry, Eleven, and others create most of the show’s main problems, so understanding his reasons is key. The comic The Many Ghosts of Dr. Brenner could have explored this, and while it sounded interesting, stories considered official canon will always be more important than supplemental comics.

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2025-12-12 02:40