Netflix Acquires Comic Book Maker Millarworld Of 'Kick-Ass,' 'Kingsman' Fame

LOS GATOS, CA — Netflix has acquired comic book publisher Millarworld — its first acquisition — and plans to turn its characters into new films and shows.

Millarworld's graphic novels "Kick-Ass," ''Wanted" and "Kingsman" have already been turned into movies by major studios.

Netflix, a video streaming service based in Los Gatos, California, did not disclose on Monday how much it paid for Millarworld.

Netflix has spent heavily for original movies and shows, such as "House of Cards" and "Orange Is The New Black," to draw new viewers and differentiate itself from rival services.

Netflix reported in July that it had more than 100 million subscribers worldwide. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Mark Millar, who started Millarworld as a creator-owned comic-book company nearly 15 years ago, said in a statement that it would be an understatement to say this was "the best thing that ever happened" in their professional lives.

"The moment [Millar's wife] Lucy and I walked into Netflix’s headquarters in California last Christmas we knew this was where we wanted to be," he said. "It instantly felt like home and the team around that table felt like people who would help us take Millarworld’s characters and turn them into global powerhouses."

Milllar said the acquisition feels "like joining the Justice League."

One and only, deliriously happy statement from me on the Netflix acquisition of Millarworld today: https://t.co/fDrJ8mWwH0
— Mark Millar (@mrmarkmillar) August 7, 2017

Photo credit: Matt Rourke/Associated Press