Rebellion has sold Solaris, its science-fiction, fantasy and horror publishing imprint, to Profile Books in a move that brings one of the better-known specialist genre imprints under new ownership.
The deal was reported on September 25, 2026, with Rebellion confirming the sale of Solaris to Profile Books. Rebellion is best known in comics for publishing 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, but the company has also operated a broader publishing business that includes books across science fiction, fantasy and horror.
For readers who primarily know Rebellion through comics, the transaction is nevertheless worth watching because Solaris has developed an identity of its own within genre publishing.
What Is Solaris?
Solaris is a publishing imprint focused primarily on science fiction, fantasy and horror. Its catalogue has included novels and other genre fiction, allowing Rebellion to operate beyond the traditional comics publishing model.
That distinction is important.
Modern comics companies increasingly operate across several forms of storytelling. A publisher may begin with comics, develop relationships with creators and readers, and eventually move into novels, television, film, games or other formats. Rebellion itself is an example of a company whose publishing interests extend beyond the monthly comics traditionally associated with 2000 AD.
Solaris therefore represents a different part of Rebellion’s publishing operation.
The sale does not mean that Rebellion is leaving publishing. Instead, it transfers ownership of one particular imprint to Profile Books.
Why Profile Books?
Profile Books is an independent UK publisher with a broad publishing programme. Bringing Solaris into the Profile Books group gives the imprint a new corporate home while potentially allowing it to continue developing its existing genre identity.
For readers, the most immediate question is what happens to the books and creators already associated with Solaris.
A change in ownership does not necessarily mean an immediate change in the identity of an imprint. Publishing companies frequently acquire established imprints precisely because those imprints already possess a recognisable audience, editorial history and catalogue.
The value is therefore not simply the name on the corporate paperwork.
It is the accumulated relationship between the imprint, its authors, its booksellers and its readers.
What This Means for Rebellion
Rebellion’s decision also provides an interesting look at how specialist publishers manage their catalogues.
Operating several publishing lines requires editorial resources, sales infrastructure, marketing and distribution. A company may decide that a particular imprint can have a stronger future under a different owner while it concentrates on its core areas.
Rebellion remains closely identified with 2000 AD, Judge Dredd and the wider British comics tradition.
That makes the Solaris sale particularly interesting from a comics-industry perspective.
It demonstrates that even companies with strong genre publishing identities may periodically restructure their operations.
The Bigger Publishing Picture
The publishing industry has changed considerably over the past decade.
Genre audiences are no longer neatly separated into comics readers, novel readers, film audiences and game players. A single property can exist across several formats, while readers increasingly discover stories through different media.
That creates opportunities for publishers, but it also makes publishing businesses more complicated.
A specialist imprint needs a clear identity. It must attract creators, reach readers and maintain enough visibility to compete for attention in a crowded marketplace.
Solaris already has that identity.
The new ownership therefore gives Profile Books an established genre imprint rather than requiring it to build one from scratch.
What Happens Next?
The immediate future of Solaris will be worth following through its upcoming publishing announcements, creator relationships and catalogue decisions.
For readers, the most useful indicator will not simply be the ownership change itself. It will be whether Solaris continues to publish the type of science-fiction, fantasy and horror books that established its audience.
For the wider comics and genre publishing industry, the transaction is another example of how specialist publishing businesses evolve.
Rebellion’s connection with 2000 AD and Judge Dredd remains one of the company’s defining characteristics, while Solaris now enters a new chapter under Profile Books.
The deal is therefore less about the disappearance of an imprint and more about a change in who controls its next stage of publishing.
And for an industry built around long-running creative properties, catalogues and specialised audiences, that distinction matters.