Erman + Beck journey to ‘Loving, Ohio’ in a new graphic novel coming next year

Dark Horse Comics will publish the new graphic novel about surviving cults, murderers and high school.

Dark Horse Comics will publish Loving, Ohio next year, a graphic novel about four friends trying to survive high school in a town built around a cult.

Matthew Erman, writer of Good LuckWitchbloodTerminal Punks and Mariko Between Worlds, and Sam Beck, the wonderful artist of Verse and Renegade Rule, will introduce The Chorus, a cult that “has infiltrated every structure of Loving.”

 “Loving, Ohio is the best piece of fiction I’ve written so far in my life,” said Erman. “I grew up in a cult, as many people do and Loving, Ohio says everything I want to say on the matter. I am immensely proud of it and so grateful for Sam and the gorgeous book she created with me. I can’t wait for you to read this because I think you all are going to be wowed by what we’ve made. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Continue reading “Erman + Beck journey to ‘Loving, Ohio’ in a new graphic novel coming next year”

Molly Ostertag reveals the cover to ‘The Deep Dark,’ coming next year from First Second

The print version of her Substack work will arrive in June.

Over the course of about two years, Molly Knox Ostertag serialized a comic called Darkest Night on her Substack. Now the award-winning creator of The Girl from the Sea and Witch Boy has revealed the cover to the print version of the story, which will be titled The Deep Dark.

First Second will publish the graphic novel next June, as Ostertag undergoes the process of converting the original art, which was made for scrolling on a device, to print pages.

“I’ve spent the past few months turning those long scrolling updates into graphic novel spreads and cursing my past self for being so chaotic about how I layer my photoshop files,” she said in her latest newsletter. “I also hand lettered everything, which looks so good that I’m furious because now I HAVE to hand letter all future projects.”

Continue reading “Molly Ostertag reveals the cover to ‘The Deep Dark,’ coming next year from First Second”

Chu + Lee revisit the first vampire in ‘Carmilla: The Last Vampire Hunter’

Dark Horse will publish the sequel graphic novel next July.

Dark Horse Comics has announced a sequel to Carmilla: The First Vampire, the graphic novel by Amy Chu and Soo Lee published earlier this year. Carmilla: The Last Vampire Hunter will feature lettering by Sal Cipriano and will arrive in stores next July.

Based on a 19th century queer feminist murder mystery, Carmilla: The First Vampire was a contemporary retelling set in 1990s New York Chinatown. The new OGN follows social worker-turned-vampire hunter Athena Lo to San Francisco as she investigates her family’s dark history.

“Excited to continue the story of Athena and Carmilla, this time on the West Coast, and to introduce a whole new world of pan-Asian supernatural characters to the readers,” said Chu. “I hope with the Last Vampire, Soo Lee and I help define Asian American horror as a genre.”

The trip to SF will bring new challenges and introduce a new vampire threat — with the shadow of Carmilla still hanging over Athena. The book falsl under the Berger Books banner, the imprint overseen by former Vertigo chief Karen Berger.

“I’ve fallen in love with these characters as I bring them to life on paper, and Athena has a very special place in my heart,” said Lee. “Introducing a new cast of Asian Vampires creates a twist to the genre that I hope will become a new trend for many years to come. This story has become a part of me and this sequel is one I hope resonates with many people, especially if family is an important part of you. 

Continue reading “Chu + Lee revisit the first vampire in ‘Carmilla: The Last Vampire Hunter’”

Preview | ‘The Boy from Clearwater’ explores the history of Taiwan and the White Terror era

Levine Querido shares a preview of the upcoming graphic novel written by Yu Pei-Yun and illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin.

Courtesy of publisher Levine Querido, we’re pleased to present a preview of The Boy from Clearwater, a graphic novel written by Yu Pei-Yun, illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin and translated by Lin King.

The Boy from Clearwater tells the story of Tsai Kun-lin, who lives on the island of Taiwan in the 1930s and experienced its occupation by Japan, followed by the rule of the Chinese National Party post-World War II. After attending a book club in high school, he’s arrested for taking part in an “illegal” assembly and spends a decade in prison as part of the White Terror era.

The Boy from Clearwater arrives in stores on Nov. 21. Check out the publisher information and the preview below.

Continue reading “Preview | ‘The Boy from Clearwater’ explores the history of Taiwan and the White Terror era”

Dark Horse announces ‘Goblin: The Wolf and the Well’ for next July

Eric Grissom and Will Perkins send Rikt the goblin to school.

Eric Grissom and Will Perkins’ Goblin graphic novel was pretty great, so I’m happy to see that Dark Horse has announced a sequel, The Wolf and the Well, for next year.

The second volume in the story of the goblin named Rikt will find him facing his greatest challenge — school.

“After Rikt’s first adventure in Goblin, I knew I wanted to throw him up against something even bigger and scarier than a blood-thirsty warrior with a tattooed face,” said Grissom, “and what’s more frightening for a kid than a new school? But there’s so much more going on at Underwood than homework. Rikt and his best-wolf, Fish-breath, are in for a rough ride, but at least they’ll make some friends along the way…and, unfortunately, some enemies, too. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference. I can’t wait for readers to discover the mysteries behind Underwood’s iron gates.”

Continue reading “Dark Horse announces ‘Goblin: The Wolf and the Well’ for next July”

‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Hidden Codex’ arrives from Dark Horse next year

Writer Mathieu Gabella and artist Paolo Traisci tell another tale set in the video game world.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was released almost three years ago, bringing vikings into the popular video game world. The game proved to have a long shelf life, as developer Ubisoft continued to release new content for it over the course of two years, finally releasing a new game for the franchise this year — Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which is actually a prequel to Valhalla.

Dark Horse helped expend the world of Valhalla since its release, putting out several miniseries and now, as announced earlier this week, they plan to release a hardcover graphic novel by writer Mathieu Gabella and artist Paolo Traisci.

“We were very lucky to work with Mathieu Gabella and Paolo Traisci, two long-standing fans of the franchise who infused their love and deep knowledge of our lore in this book. Fans and newcomers alike will enjoy this mysterious tale which expands Assassin’s Creed Valhalla across uncharted territories,” said Etienne Bouvier, Senior Transmedia Content Manager.

Continue reading “‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Hidden Codex’ arrives from Dark Horse next year”

Uncivilized Books will publish Ozge Samanci’s ‘Evil Eyes Sea’ + more next year

The publisher’s spring line also includes ‘Maple Terrace’ by Noah Van Sciver and Jenna Cha and Lonnie Nadler’s ‘The Sickness.’

Uncivilized Books has announced plans to publish a new graphic novel and two collections of their single-issue series next spring.

“Uncivilized has championed innovative comics, graphic novels, and criticism for over a decade, and our spring publications embody all our obsessions,” Uncivilized Books Publisher and CEO Tom Kaczynski said, “from Ozge Samanci’s treasure hunt and political thriller to Noah Van Sciver’s nostalgic memories of the comic book collectors craze to Jenna Cha and Lonnie Nadler’s unsettling historical horror epic.” 

Evil Eyes Sea by Ozge Samanci is a “feminist political mystery” set in Turkey in 1995.

“The autobiographically-inspired story I tell in Evil Eyes Sea emerged from my college years in Istanbul, my quirky friends, and my struggles with being a young woman in Turkey’s male-centric culture,” Samanci said. “In this book, I share a window into a country where narrow political views limit personal power — a place that can be beautiful, but also cruel.”

You can read more about Evil Eyes Sea, as well as the collections of Maple Terrace and The Sickness, below.

Continue reading “Uncivilized Books will publish Ozge Samanci’s ‘Evil Eyes Sea’ + more next year”

DC announces a ‘Compact Comics’ graphic novel line

The new format will begin arriving in stores next summer.

DC has announced a new line of “compact” graphic novels, as they plan to re-release several titles from their backlist in a smaller format and at a lower price point.

The format, 5.5″ x 8.5″, is closer in size to the ever-popular manga format and what you might find overseas, than the current standard 6.5″ x 10″ format.

“The DC Compact Comics price and sizing is perfect for readers of prose and manga looking to pick up a new-reader-friendly storyline in a self-contained full color graphic novel,” said Anne DePies, SVP & General Manager, DC. “This 5.5″ x 8.5″ paper cut is the most widely circulated softcover book size in the U.S. and is popular among graphic novel aficionados in international markets. At $9.99, it’s a great price point for retailers to stock these classic titles. For readers, DC Compact Comics deliver a new graphic novel reading experience that fits in the palm of their hands, with no loss of readability.”

Continue reading “DC announces a ‘Compact Comics’ graphic novel line”

Sable + Haun unbox ‘Boxed’ for Comixology Originals

The graphic novel will take over your devices next month.

Mark Sable and Jeremy Haun have both been responsible for some pretty interesting stories, so it’s great to see them combine forces on Boxed, a new graphic novel coming next month from Comixology Originals.

Boxed is about a (not so) distant future where AI is widespread and sometimes breaks bad, so the FBI has an anti-AI division that “boxes” up rogue AI when needed. The story features colors by Nick Filardi and letters by Thomas Mauer.

“Much of Boxed is inspired by my work with military and intelligence agencies as a futurist for the Atlantic Council,” said Sable. “Artificial Intelligence software is shaking up our times, from Chat GPT to Midjourney to Open AI, these entities are becoming more immersed in our everyday reality not only replacing what humans can do, but blurring the line between human and machine intelligence and the capabilities are not to be underestimated.”

Continue reading “Sable + Haun unbox ‘Boxed’ for Comixology Originals”

Art Baltazar, James Kochalka + Kaeti Vandorn will bring Dr. Seuss characters to comics

Random House Graphic will release a new line of graphic novels featuring Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and more

Random House Graphic will publish a series of graphic novels featuring Dr. Seuss characters, starting with the Cat in the Hat next year.

Cat Out of Water by Art Baltazar (Tiny Titans) will arrive in stores next April, followed by a Grinch story by Kaeti Vandorn (Monster Friends) next fall and a Green Eggs and Ham spinoff by James Kochalka (Super F*ckers) in 2025.

Continue reading “Art Baltazar, James Kochalka + Kaeti Vandorn will bring Dr. Seuss characters to comics”

Oni announces a third ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ graphic novel

Stephanie Phillips and Dani Bolinho bring ‘Forecast from Stonehenge’ to comics.

Oni Press will release a third Choose Your Own Adventure adaptation next year by Grim writer Stephanie Phillips and Dani Bolinho, who drew the first CYOA adaptation.

Forecast from Stonehenge, based on the prose novel by R. A. Montgomery, follows Journey Under the Sea and Eighth Grade Witch. And like the other novels and graphic novels in the series, it gives the reader the opportunity to choose what happens next at certain points in the story.

“I was excited to help bring a choose your own adventure story to comics and expand the audience of readers who get to experience this fun and unique format,” Phillips said. “As a kid, I loved CYOA stories because they allowed me to take an active role in the story being told, and thanks to Dani Bolinho’s art I think readers will absolutely feel like they are being pulled into the world of Forecast from Stonehenge.” 

Continue reading “Oni announces a third ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ graphic novel”

Preview: Take a look inside Joseph Kai’s debut graphic novel ‘Restless’

Check out a preview of the new graphic novel from Street Noise Books.

Courtesy of Street Noise Books, we’re pleased to share an eight-page preview of Restless, the debut graphic novel by Joseph Kai.

Although he’s currently living in Paris, Kai’s roots are in Beirut, where this story is set. The story draws from Kai’s own experiences as a young queer comic book artist in the city, weaving together “art, sex and political uprising.” It’s a sultry yet sensitive story that’s enhanced by kaleidoscopic artwork and an inviting color palette of soft pastels.

Restless is in stores now. Kai will kick off a book tour later this week in Canada before heading to the Northeast United States next week:

Continue reading “Preview: Take a look inside Joseph Kai’s debut graphic novel ‘Restless’”