John Tarachine’s manga is described by publisher Titan as a Japanese spin on Harry Potter and Charmed. It’s the tale of a witch and her apprentice, set in Geek Native’s hometown HQ.

The blurb for  Witch of Thistle Castle says;

Spirits and magic are everywhere in the streets of Edinburgh – if only you dare to see it!

Dive into this heartfelt manga about a witch and her apprentice as they try to find their place in a world that hates their very existence.

The last in a long line of Witches of the Black Wood, Marie Blackwood lives a quiet life in Edinburgh – away from the scrutiny of the Church.

But when the Church thrusts 13-year-old Theo into her hands for safekeeping, Marie suddenly gains the responsibility not just of taking care of a teenager – but protecting the world and Theo himself, from the amazing power that lives inside of him.

The author, also known as John Taratsumi in English, is best known as the author and artist of End Roll, Alcohole Communication, and Shinonome Tantei Ibunroku.

Witch of Thistle Castle preview

Witch of Thistle Castle v2

Do you know what? I’ve spotted Amazon has volume 2 already in their database and with a December 5th release date. Here’s what the megacorp has for the blurb.

New dangers will be coming for the young apprentice and his awesome powers, as they slowly come to be accepted and not merely feared for the power they wield! Marie Blackwood and the newly trained Theo visit France and the young teenager is spellbound at the finery on display and a handsome young man named Charles… but not is all as it seems and Marie will have to come to the aid of her charge once more, all while another party make Theo an intriguing offer…

Quick Links

• Buy Witch of Thistle Castle at: Amazon | Forbidden Planet | Barnes & Noble.
• Buy volume 2 at: Amazon.

Graphic novel and queer horror debut Let Me Out from Emmett Nahil & George Williams promises to thrill and enthral later this year.

Described as ‘a tribute to queer cinema and vintage revenge-exploitation films’, Let Me Out‘s premise begins with the discovery of a corpse in the woods, and a group of queer and trans misfits being falsely accused of devil worship and murder.

With their options fast running out and no allies to turn to, they realise that maybe devil worship isn’t so bad after all, and might be the best route to revenge.

Light in the darkness from co-creaters Nahil & Williams

This is writer, narrative designer and game developer’s Emmett Nahil’s graphic debut novel. Here’s what he had to say: “Let Me Out turns classic horror tropes on their head, while showcasing how marginalized people are sacrificed on the altars of power.

He continued: “This is a story about what happens when a group of queer and trans friends are given the supernatural means to fight back. It is also about found family and the joy one finds in one’s friends, even amidst seemingly inescapable darkness.”

Sounds right up our street!

Trans comic artist and colourist George Williams chimed in with: “Mitch Sahadi and his friends are bunch a queer misfits stuck within the gates of small town life. Let Me Out was such a blast to work on, and I hope new readers love Mitch and the gang and all the freaky chaos that ensues.”

Appeal for fans of classic horror, too!

Sounds like another fantoosh offering from multiple Eisner and Harvey award-winning publisher Oni Press, and something to look forward to for October!

Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn said: “Emmett Nahil and George Williams have created a riveting, timely tale of terror. It’s a stunning, supernatural graphic novel debut that will appeal to fans of classic revenge flicks and horror movies like Carrie and The Craft.”

Let Me Out is set for an October 3rd release – just in time for Spooktober! Yaysies.

MCM London Comic Con will run October in 2023, and despite the train strikes here in the UK, the hotels near the ExCeL already look pretty busy.

I think pre-orders on the Limited Edition Batman & The Joker and Nadia Shammas’ Dead by Daylight #1 will be as popular, hence the rush. Forbidden Planet has announced them this week.

Both are exclusives, and it’s worth noting that there are two Batman & The Joker #7 variants. One is signed by Jock Virgin and limited to only 500; the other is not signed, limited to 1500 and about £10 cheaper.

Issue 7 of Batman and The Joker concludes Marc Silvestri’s brutal Gotham story; it’s 31 pages long.

As you’d expect for such potentially valuable and certainly collectable comics, all three are bagged and boarded. Pre-orders are open now, Batman is due out on the 7th of June, and the prequel for the horror Dead by Daylight is expected later on the 14th.

I think there will be a grab for these, and it’s strange that Forbidden Planet hasn’t limited them to 1 or 2 per customer.

Quick Links

• Batman & The Joker, signed, limited to 500.
• Dead by Daylight #1, limited to 500.

There are two bundles of Girl Genius comic bundles, including an all-new one, currently on offer.

The mad-science world of strange machines, zeppelins, romance and gaslight fantasy adventure is a series from Studio Foglio. There are books and even a GURPS-powered Girl Genius RPG.

The deals run only until June 12th.

Girl Genius

Returning from 2010, there’s the original Girl Genius bundle.

Starter Collection – $5.95

There’s a retail value of $26 in the tier, excellent value.

• Girl Genius graphic albums V1-3
• Girl Genius Secret Blueprints
• Girl Genius freebies

Bonus Collection

The threshold value started at $29.95 and is going up, but if you can meet it, you’ll get an additional $102 in downloads.

• Girl Genius graphic albums V4-13
• Buck Godot Zap Gun for Hire V1-2

Girl Genius 2

The second and originally titled Girl Genius 2 takes up to volume 20.

Journey 2 Starter – $9.95

The value of this new starter tier weighs in at $40.

• Girl Genius V14-16
• Girl Genius: Nuts and Bolts

Journey 2 Bonus Collection

The threshold for this second bonus started at $17.95 and unlocks a further $50, but will change over time.

• Girl Genius V17-20
• Buck Godot 3: Gallimaufry

The bundles help support Direct Relief, with a chunk of sales going to helping support healthcare workers with protective gear.

Quick Links

• Girl Genius bundle.
• Girl Genius 2.

Tabletop gamers will know there’s been some shuffling of Conan IP, with Monolith taking over. RPG fans will also know Jim Zub.

Zub is the writer with King-Size Conan artist Roberto De La Torre on the new Conan the Barbarian series. Issue one is due in late July, with Diamond Previews offering pre-orders and Forbidden Planet handling UK and EU.

We’ve covers and some insides to share, and some big names are attached to the alternative covers, including Panosian, Artgerm and Mignola!

Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary CONAN returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will CONAN and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?

There’s also a cover for cartography fans with a wrap-around card stock map of Hyboria.

Jim Zub is a comic book writer, artist, and art instructor from Canada. He is best known for his work on the Image Comics series Skullkickers (2010), Wayward (2014), and Glitterbomb (2016), as well as his work on the Marvel Comics series Thunderbolts (2016), Uncanny Avengers (2017), Avengers: No Surrender (2018), and Champions (2018). Zub, in addition to writing and drawing comics, is a former programme coordinator and current art professor at Seneca College in Toronto. He and his wife, Stacy King, live in Toronto, Canada.

The new comic book series is being helmed by Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures.

Conan the Barbarian #1 covers

Wraparound Hyborian Age cover map

Inside Conan the Barbarian

Quick Links

• Forbidden Planet.

On April 27, IDW Publishing, publisher of comic book titles such as Locke & Key, Wynonna Earp, and 30 Days of Night as well as licensed properties such as the Dungeons & Dragons comics, cut more than a third of its staff and management.

The publicly traded company eliminated 39% of its employees including publisher Nachie Marsham, CFO Brooke Feinstein, and CEO Allan Grafman. Going further, they’re delisting their stock from NYSE by May 18 in order to move it to the OTCQB platform at a later date. This downsizing represents a departure from their previous path and, with a new CEO, means a new direction for the company, which may impact their line of Dungeons & Dragons comics. 

Deadline, Comics Beat, ICv2, and Bleeding Cool shared details about what triggered the layoffs. Losses driven by the difficult state of the comic book market and the trough between in-production series on various streaming services impacted IDW’s bottom line. These economic pain points are better detailed in ICv2’s review of the first quarter financial results for IDW Media Holdings, the parent company for IDW Publishing. Short version: Money was not made in Q1. 

Downsizings have a real life impact on those that lost their positions. Those that were let go represent leadership, middle management, workers, and creative directors, many of whom are notable in their fields. The difficulty for those affected by this reorganization cannot be understated. Not to trivialize their lost jobs and incomes, but there’s another element to this story, how this affects tabletop roleplaying games?

IDW holds the license to create Dungeons & Dragons comics. As the public face of roleplaying games, D&D’s importance to the health of the RPG industry cannot be understated. IDW’s contract has been active since 2010, and includes the option to reprint older D&D series such as those from DC Comics (including the Forgotten Realms series) and Devil’s Due Publishing. In addition, they can and do create new content ranging from Cutter written by R.A. Salvatore to Baldur’s Gate tie-ins, Ravenloft tales, the Honor Among Thieves movie prequel, and the new series based on the 1980s Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon. IDW offers a variety of projects that showcase the known campaign settings and types of stories you can play at your gaming table. 

What benefits does Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast (WotC) get from their contract with IDW? Primarily, a steady stream of revenue. Beyond that, additional consumer awareness. After webseries such as those from Critical Role, the D&D movie, video games, and R. A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’Urden novels as well as the new lines of D&D YA novels, these comics are many fans best connection to tales of D&D beyond the game itself. 

The concern is, with these layoffs and a new CEO – Davidi Jonas, son of the principle shareholder Howard Jonas – taking the reigns, the company may reconsider their publishing strategy regarding D&D comics. They could let the license lapse. Alternatively, they could sit on the property without producing new content. Either hurts fans of the comics, comic book retailers, and, in a tiny way, Hasbro’s quest to turn D&D into a billion dollar brand. To be fair, there’s also the possibility that IDW ramps up the number of D&D comics they produce. Until IDW announces their path forward, it’s impossible to say which direction they’ll choose. 

Other RPG Comics

For comparison to the D&D comic license, here are some of the other properties that made the jump from tabletop RPG to four-color funnies. Dynamite Entertainment publishes Pathfinder comics and is soliciting the first Starfinder series based on Paizo’s sci-fi tabletop RPG. While Moonstone Books had the World of Darkness in the early 2000s, Vault Comics is the current home for Vampire: The Masquerade comics based on the White Wolf RPG. Outland Entertainment and Outrider Publications publish comics set in the alternate history of Pinnacle Entertainment Group’s Deadlands. Dark Horse Comics publishes Cyberpunk 2077 comics based on the video game which is based on the tabletop RPG, as well as comics based on Critical Role’s campaigns. Of course, there’s Kenzer & Co’s Knights of the Dinner Table, a comic magazine about gaming that I have the honor of contributing to. 

That list of RPG-based comic books is notable for its brevity. Especially when compared to the projects that do not have a tie-in comic book series. In 2023, there aren’t any comics based on Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu or RuneQuest. No comic publisher is utilizing the rights to make comics based on Old-School Essentials, Shadowrun, The Fantasy Trip, Mutants & Masterminds, Delta Green, Twilight: 2000, Dragonbane, or many other titles ready to be transformed into graphic novels.This is to say, RPGs rarely make the jump to comic book format. 

If the largest RPG in the Western world ceases to have a supporting comic series, it will damage the cross pollination between the two medias. Where this will have the most impact is the smaller RPG publishers. Just as the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie represented Hollywood’s litmus test for whether other RPGs are ripe for exploitation, sales of the D&D comics help comic book publishers to determine their financial interest for diving into RPG comic publishing. For RPG publishers, licensing their intellectual property (IP) into a comic series represents an additional income stream in an industry that is niche in both audience and economics. As well, it would broaden the audience for their property. 

If D&D comics go out of print, will that impact Dungeons & Dragon’s success as a tabletop RPG? Absolutely not. D&D will continue to grow. That said, Wizards of the Coast (WotC), publishers of the D&D RPG, experienced a variety of PR challenges. From lawsuits to overcharging for Magic: The Gathering products to sending Pinkertons after a YouTuber to the Open Game License (OGL) crisis, WotC’s decisions have left them with a number of bad news cycles. The IDW D&D comics, many featuring stories by the much-loved comic and gamer Jim Zub, have been a consistent bright spot. Even as D&D’s prose novel offerings decreased towards the end of the 2010s, IDW maintained a steady supply of D&D comics since 4th edition. Their work provides a consistent outlet for D&D adventures away from the gaming table. 

Are IDW’s Dungeons & Dragons comics in imminent danger of cancellation? At the moment, no. IDW’s most recent graphic novel Ravenloft: Orphan of Agony Isle, collecting the four-issue series of the same title, arrived in comic stores March 14th. The third issue of Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures four-issue mini-series is scheduled for delivery to comic stores on May 24th. Based on past publishing trends, IDW will complete the four-issue series in June or July and make the trade collection of the series available by year’s end. 

After the current series, what’s next for Dungeons & Dragons comics from IDW? That’s hard to state with certainty at this time. The last news posts on their website are from 2022 announcing the movie prequel and cartoon-based series. The publisher just announced its reorganization, and needs to calibrate its staff and partners before cementing its next round of comic offerings. Will IDW continue to create original D&D comics? For the time being, the titles are safe. But only time will tell what they plan for 2024 and beyond.

British comic book publisher Time Bomb Comics launched the anthology Quantum last week with a competition.

To win the original cover artwork as pencilled by David Morris and inked by Pat O’Connor, buy a copy from a shop, take your new copy of Quantum #1 outside and post a selfie with it along with where (name and address) you bought it.

I guess that’s a bit of market research for Time Bomb, but original art is worth a selfie, I think! The self can go on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Sorry fellow Mastodon users, our time will come.

The draw happens on the 21st of June, which feels like ages away, but Quantum has gone international, and entries can be from anywhere in the world.

I know Quantum is in WS Smith here in the UK, and if you can’t get out (which might close competition doors) you can order it from Forbidden Planet International. At least, this is what Time Bomb says. I’ve had no luck looking up the first comic book online.

It’s all about supporting local stores, though, and Steve Tanner of Time Bomb Comics told the press;

We want to recognise how important the newsagents will be to Quantum’s success, so that’s why the rules of entry for our unique cover art giveaways are designed to give them some much deserved kudos too. So, if your local independent newsagent doesn’t have a copy of Quantum on the shelf, ask them to order one for you and enter our cover art competition when you get it.

It’s just one part of what we’ll be doing with Quantum. We hope the readers will enjoy the content, but we also hope they’ll enjoy being involved with the comic on a deeper level. A Quantum level!”

Quantum isn’t all old school, though. There’s a QR code inside the comic book, which takes you to a private web page with unique features.

Via Time Bomb Comics’ newsletter

Peter Grant and team have a new challenge on their hands with Here by Dragons.

Artist José Mara Beroy and writers Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel (The Vinyl Detective) team up with BAFTA-nominated scriptwriter and award-winning New York Times bestselling author James Swallow for the latest Rivers of London comic book series.

It feels like a good time to be a Rivers of London fan and a tabletop gamer. Why? The Rivers of London RPG, co-written by Ben Aaronvitch and from Chaosium, is out and well-reviewed.

Furthermore, the Basic Roleplaying engine that powers it has been re-released via ORC. That’s the license project being spearheaded by Paizo, but not controlled by them, to be open and safe for third parties.

Titan Comics has just released a preview set of cover art for Here Be Dragons #1 ahead of a July 12 release.

Here Be Dragons #1 cover previews

There are three options, and I spy pre-orders open for most.

Cover A: Jose Maria Beroy

David M Buisan

V.V. Glass

The lead artist on the comic books themselves is Jose Maria Beroy.

Here Be Dragons synopsis

Titan has provided the following synopsis;

A dangerous monster is at large above the streets of London. And its name… Wyvern!

After a Met Police helicopter on night patrol is attacked by an unidentified aerial phenomena, the Met’s only sanctioned wizard, Peter Grant, and his mentor, Thomas Nightingale, are called in to investigate.

Peter and Nightingale find themselves drawn into a battle between two groups of hunters – one human, and one fae – as they uncover a legacy of events that extend back to the 1960s.

To save the skies of the city, Peter must face the enraged beast – but can he end things peacefully… or will he be forced to destroy the last wyvern?

Quick Links

• Here Be Dragons Amazon | Not Amazon

I don’t need to be a sales whiz to work out the timing behind the IDW comic book and Humble Bundle deal here.

Stories from Jim Zub, Ed Greenwood, AL Mendez and Kan Duursema are available for the next 19 days or so on their deal page.

Pay at least £0.81

• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 1
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 1: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 1: Shadowplague
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 1
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 1

Pay at least £8.17

• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 2
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 2: Dragons of Winter Night
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 2: First Encounters
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 2
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 2
• Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire
• Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury
• Dungeons & Dragons Annual 2022
• Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins
• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 1
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 1: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 1: Shadowplague
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 1
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 1

Pay at least £14.70

• Dungeons & Dragons: At the Spine of the World
• Dungeons & Dragons: Mindbreaker
• Dungeons & Dragons: Legends of Baldur’s Gate
• Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides
• Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms Vol.1
• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 3
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 3: Dragons of Spring Dawning
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 3: Down
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 3
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 4
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 3
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 4
• Dungeons & Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt, Vol. 1: Homeland
• Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur’s Gate
• Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish
• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 2
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 2: Dragons of Winter Night
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 2: First Encounters
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 2
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 2
• Dungeons & Dragons: Shadows of the Vampire
• Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury
• Dungeons & Dragons Annual 2022
• Dragonlance Legends: Time of the Twins
• Dragonlance Classics, Vol. 1
• Dragonlance Chronicles, Vol. 1: Dragons of Autumn Twilight
• Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 1: Shadowplague
• Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Vol. 1
• Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Vol. 1

There’s a charity partner, the one Wizards of the Coast’s parent company set up. That’s right; these D&D comic sales help support the Hasbro Foundation. The USA rules and regs around charities will appropriately govern that piece of ESG.

Quick Links

• IDW’s Dungeons & Dragons comic books.

Even as the Attack on Titan anime impresses with the finale, many fans are only just starting their manga journey. The Attack on Titan Forever bundle on Humble from the manga’s publisher Kodansha makes that easy.

There’s some $680 worth of manga in a three-tier offer which expires around the 12th of April.

Pay at £4.16 or more

• Attack on Titan Vol. 1 – 5
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vols. 1-3
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 1
• Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City (Light Novel) 1
• Spoof on Titan Vol. 1

Pay at least £12.50 or more

• Attack on Titan: Vol. 6 – 20
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vol. 4-9
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 2-3
• Attack on Titan Anthology
• Attack on Titan: Anime Guide
• Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City (Light Novel) Vol. 2
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Light Novel)
• Spoof on Titan Vol. 2
• Attack on Titan: No Regrets 1
• Attack on Titan: Lost Girls 1
• Attack on Titan Vol. 1 – 5
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vols. 1-3
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 1
• Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City (Light Novel) 1
• Spoof on Titan Vol. 1

Pay at least £20.84 or more

• Attack on Titan: Vol. 21 – 34
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vol. 10-17
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 4-5
• Attack on Titan: No Regrets Complete Color Edition
• Attack on Titan Guidebook: INSIDE & OUTSIDE
• Attack on Titan: No Regrets Vol. 2
• Attack on Titan: Lost Girls 2
• Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound (Light Novel) Vol. 1
• Humble Bundle Exclusive Attack on Titan: Art Book (Digital Exclusive – available only in this Humble Bundle)
• Attack on Titan: Vol. 6 – 20
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vol. 4-9
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 2-3
• Attack on Titan Anthology
• Attack on Titan: Anime Guide
• Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City (Light Novel) Vol. 2
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Light Novel)
• Spoof on Titan Vol. 2
• Attack on Titan: No Regrets 1
• Attack on Titan: Lost Girls 1
• Attack on Titan Vol. 1 – 5
• Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Vols. 1-3
• Attack on Titan: Junior High Vol. 1
• Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City (Light Novel) 1
• Spoof on Titan Vol. 1

Attack on Titan, the award-winning New York Times–bestselling manga that inspired the famous anime series, takes you to a post-apocalyptic world with hideous giants and humanity on the brink of extinction. This massive collection includes Hajime Isayama’s 34 volumes, No Regrets, Before the Fall, Junior High, and more.

Quick Links

• Humble Bundle: Attack on Titan Forever manga.