Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: black tide, debbie bishop, king in black

Marvel Comics Trademarks Black Tide – Will Debbie Bishop Challenge?

Published Fri, 06 Nov 2020 10:12:54 -0600

Marvel Comics has registered a trademark for the term "Black Tide" for the following goods and services – "Paper and paper articles; cardboard and cardboard articles; printed matter; publications; books; photographs; portraits; paintings; photo-engravings; stationery; office and school supplies; school supply kits; temporary tattoo transfers; foam stamps; party bags; plastic sandwich bags; shopping bags, plastic name badges."

Marvel Comics Trademarks Black Tide - Will Debbie Bishop Challenge? — King In Black: Namor #1

It seems to be a move made ahead of the upcoming King In Black event, which sees this listing for the third issue of King In Black: Namor.

KING IN BLACK NAMOR #3 (OF 3)
MARVEL COMICS
NOV200485
(W) Kurt Busiek (A) Ben Dewey, Jonas Scharf (CA) Leinil Francis Yu
THE BLACK TIDE lay waste to all that lies before them, cutting a swath of devastation and death across the ocean floor. The only chance to stop them may lie with ATTUMA's people – and if that fails, nothing stands between The Black Tide and Atlantis itself. A tragedy that will impact Atlantean history forever, and transform friendship into enmity. The secrets of THE KING IN BLACK are buried here.
Rated T+In Shops: Jan 13, 2021 SRP: $3.99

As to what Black Tide is, the trademark would usually mean that a comic book, TV show, movie or game was coming with that name. However, there may be another reason.

Black Tide is the name of a comic book series written by author Debbie Bishop and artist Mike S Miller, published by Image Comics and Bleeding Cool's publisher Avatar Press a couple of decades ago, as well a series of novels, now coming out of Left Field and Angel Press. Might Marvel want to protect themselves from any such challenge of their use of words?

Atlantis is now a myth, and the Atlanteans would like to keep it that way. Living secretly among us, their elite Black Ops team tries to protect us from supervillains from ancient times.