Netflix’s Stranger Things Officially Returns in 2027 With a Hopper and Joyce Prequel

Published Sep 1, 2026, 11:33 AM EDT TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. Stranger Things is officially returning in 2027 with a prequel that brings back Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Bob Newby, taking the franchise's iconic adults back to their high school years. Even Henry “Vecna” Creel will return, giving fans a chance to experience these characters long before the events of the original series. If you’re a die-hard Stranger Things fan, then you’ve probably already basked in the glory of the five-time Tony Award®–winning Broadway play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The play further expanded the canon of the franchise, going back to Hawkins in 1959 and following the high school senior versions of Joyce, Hopper, and Bob, while also further fleshing out the origin story of Henry Creel before he became the franchise’s series-defining villain. Now, this story, first explored in the Broadway play, is returning with a brand-new adaptation on January 19, 2027, with Stranger Things: The First Shadow—An Adaptation TPB. This 88-page trade paperback will be available to buy for $19.99 upon its release and, like the Broadway play, will serve as a canon-compliant prequel to the hit TV show. The adaptation will be written by author Rachel Pinnelas (I Know What You Did Last Crisis, Creepshow) and illustrated by Jake Bartok (Star Wars, Star Trek). Everything You Need to Know About Netflix & Dark Horse Comics' Upcoming Stranger Things Prequel Main Cover by Marc Aspinall for Stranger Things: The First Shadow—An Adaptation TPB (2027) Brought to life by Netflix and multi-award-winning Broadway producer Sonia Friedman Productions, and directed by three-time Tony Award® winner Stephen Daldry alongside Justin Martin, The First Shadow received critical acclaim, notably winning the most Tony Awards® of any play in 2025. And now, Netflix, in partnership with Dark Horse Comics, is preparing to deliver a faithful adaptation of the Broadway play in graphic novel format. Like the Broadway play, the graphic novel will take readers back to Hawkins in 1959, the year franchise icons such as Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Bob Newby were seniors at Hawkins High School. The story will also see Henry Creel, before he became the infamous Vecna, arrive in Hawkins as the new kid in town, looking for a chance to start over. The story will then continue to follow Henry as he meets Patty Newby, kicking off a budding romance. However, the two's romance will take a dark turn when Henry's troubled past catches up to him, "ensnaring the town in a terrifying mystery." Hence, this is essentially the story of how Hawkins became the strange town fans of the TV show know. Manuel Harlan For those who haven't seen the Broadway play, Patty Newby is likely an unfamiliar name, as the character first appeared there rather than in the Netflix TV series. Patty was created specifically for The First Shadow and is Bob Newby's younger sister and Henry's love interest. While The First Shadow definitely introduced some new elements, fans should remember that it is confirmed canon and is directly related to the TV series. It further expands on mysteries and loose ends, including origin reveals such as Henry's powers and humanity's first encounter with the Upside Down and Dimension X. Hence, this Stranger Things prequel will fill in some of the TV series' plot holes, making it a must-read. Stranger Things: The First Shadow--An Adaptation TPB from Dark Horse Comics will be available to read on January 19, 2027!