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Earthdiver’s first two issues head back to print!

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Due to demand, IDW Publishing has announced that Earthdivers #2—the second bloody issue in Stephen Graham Jones and Davide Gianfelice’s ongoing original series that follows Indigenous time travelers hell-bent on preventing the founding of the United States—sold out at the distributor level even before today’s release date, necessitating a second printing! It was announced at New York Comic Con that Earthdivers #1 would also require a new printing.

Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Earthdivers follows a small group of Indigenous survivors who time-travel to prevent the creation of America and retroactively save the world from destruction. In each arc, they will target a pivotal point in history, beginning with a mission to kill Christopher Columbus in 1492.

It was announced in August that IDW inked a development deal with 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios, to adapt Earthdivers as a series for the small screen. 

Review: Earthdivers #2

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Earthdivers #2

Earthdivers #2 continues one of the more intriguing new series of the year. After dodging the apocalypse, four Indigenous outcasts are past the point of no return on their audacious one-way, time travel mission to save the world by killing Christopher Columbus. Tad in 1492 must not only survive but figure out how to complete his mission. In 2112 questions and suspicion grow as questions linger in how to measure success keep being raised.

Writer Stephen Graham Jones has put together a very interesting series that plays with a lot of time travel concepts. Generally, with time travel there’s a cascading impact of actions. If you kill the wrong person, a ripple will happen potentially leading to a vital person not being born. But, Jones asks the question, how would you know? If the past is changed, how do you know you’re not living in that changed present? Add in other paranoia and Earthdivers #2 isn’t just a historical assassination attempt but an interesting take on the entire time travel genre.

But that historical aspect is interesting as well, because there too Jones delivers something new. Not only is there a question of how the mission should be completed but a question is raised that the mission itself is impacting time and history. Will history attempt to fight back when some attempts to change it? It’s an intriguing concept that makes the mission feel even more like it’s swimming against the tide.

The art by Davide Gianfelice continues to be solid. With color by Joana Lafuente and lettering by Steve Wands, the comic looks great jumping between its two eras. I can’t say how accurate the past is but it feels like what I’d expect or at least delivers enough to feel believable. The future too is a bleak dry wasteland but there’s something interesting in the emptiness of it all. The two compared to each other creates a visual clash that works so well and enhances the choices of each.

Earthdivers #2 is a solid read whose details really stand out. Small things said or concepts thrown in make a simple time travel action story something more. There’s a great sci-fi aspect to it where it’s exploring so much of its concept and delivering something new and different for readers at the same time.

Story: Stephen Graham Jones Art: Davide Gianfelice
Color: Joana Lafuente Letterer: Steve Wands
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle

Preview: Earthdivers #2

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Earthdivers #2

(W) Stephen Graham Jones (A) Davide Gianfelice (CA) Rafael Albuquerque
In Shops: Nov 02, 2022
SRP: $3.99

After dodging the apocalypse, four Indigenous outcasts are past the point of no return on their audacious one-way, time travel mission to save the world by killing Christopher Columbus. Immersed in 1492 as an undercover crewman, Tad-a brilliant Lakota linguist and wildly unqualified avenger-must rally from the tragic consequences of his early actions on board and recommit to spilling the admiral’s blood before landfall. In the year 2112, ringleader Yellow Kid and headstrong Sosh encounter a haunting sign of Tad;s progress in the past, and back at the cave portal, Emily watches her back as her suspicion of Yellow Kid skyrockets.

Earthdivers #2

Preview: Earthdivers #1

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Earthdivers #1

(W) Stephen Graham Jones (A) Davide Gianfelice (CA) Rafael Albuquerque
In Shops: Oct 05, 2022
SRP: $3.99

Stephen Graham Jones makes his ongoing comics debut with Earthdivers! The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as expected: rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of outcast Indigenous survivors who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the middle of the desert and figured out where the world took a sharp turn for the worst: America. Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own on a bloody, one-way mission back to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But taking down an icon is no easy task, and his actions could prove devastating for his friends in the future.

Earthdivers #1

Review: Earthdivers #1

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Earthdivers #1

In the year 2112, Earth is destroyed. The apocalypse and meltdown of society has happened but much later than so many predictions. But, what if you could stop it by traveling to the past? That’s the concept presented in Earthdivers #1 but instead of some minor event, what must be changed is huge. The goal? Stopping Christopher Columbus and the “discovery” of America.

Written by Stephen Graham Jones, Earthdivers #1 is a new and nice twist on a familiar concept and story. And with that interesting twist and the tense story presented, Jones delivers a hell of a debut that should get folks talking. What works so well about the comic is its split storytelling and the details it focuses on.

Earthdivers #1 doesn’t linger on the specifics of time travel, just its possible and that it’s one-way. Who is sent and why is laid out, with a logic that feels like Jones himself has really thought through what would be needed. We’re also presented with an individual who isn’t perfect. While he’s good with languages, something needed, he often has trouble keeping straight which should be spoken. While he’s supposed to be a sailor, he fumbles with simple tasks like knots raising suspicion. It’s small things like those that deliver a tense thread that goes throughout the comic. How will the mission succeed? Will it? Will our time traveler be found out and thrown overboard?

Then there’s the individuals in the future. How do they discover if the mission was successful or not? That delivers a lot of discussion, something that’s not often brought up in these types of stories. Will the world change around them? Will they go about their timeline? It’s all interesting and a new aspect for readers to ponder. Maybe Columbus was stopped but it didn’t change anything? These are the type of details that’ll have people coming back for more.

The art by Davide Gianfelice is solid. The comic looks great with a nice balance between the eras. There’s also solid detail in the past to make you feel like it is indeed that time period. I myself couldn’t say how accurate the dress, ship, and other things are, but it all felt like a nice trip to the past. Giangelice is joined by Joana Lafuente on color and Steve Wands on lettering. It all comes together in a way that’s entertaining to look at and enhances the tense nature and slight paranoia of the story.

Earthdivers #1 kicks off a nice time travel “what if” type of story. Its focus is what makes it stand out keeping readers guessing what might happen next. While the overall idea isn’t anything new (kill someone to change the future), how it’s presented feels different and fresh and makes it a debut that’s well worth checking out.

Story: Stephen Graham Jones Art: Davide Gianfelice
Color: Joana Lafuente Letterer: Steve Wands
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle

Preview: Earthdivers #1

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Earthdivers #1

(W) Stephen Graham Jones (A) Davide Gianfelice (CA) Rafael Albuquerque
In Shops: Oct 05, 2022
SRP: $3.99

Stephen Graham Jones makes his ongoing comics debut with Earthdivers! The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as expected: rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of outcast Indigenous survivors who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the middle of the desert and figured out where the world took a sharp turn for the worst: America. Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own on a bloody, one-way mission back to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But taking down an icon is no easy task, and his actions could prove devastating for his friends in the future.

Earthdivers #1

Indigenous Time Travelers are Hell-Bent on Preventing the Founding of the United States in Earthdivers

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Cerebral horror visionary and New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones, writer of acclaimed genre favorites The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw, ventures deep into the bloody terrain of American colonial history this October with the launch of his new ongoing comic book series Earthdivers from IDW Publishing. With art by Davide Gianfelice, colors by Joana Lafuente, and lettering by Steve Wands, Earthdivers was announced in April as part of the upcoming slate of original titles from IDW set to launch throughout 2022 and beyond.

Set in a postapocalyptic near future, Earthdivers follows a small group of Indigenous survivors who time-travel to prevent the creation of America and retroactively save the world from destruction. In each arc, they will target a pivotal point in history, beginning with a mission to kill Christopher Columbus in 1492.

As well as a fantastical exploration of America’s history (and future), Earthdivers is a cautionary tale about the need for an expanded environmental consciousness and the perils of impending climate disaster.

Earthdivers #1 will be available with four variant covers for fans and retailers to enjoy, including Cover A by American Vampire’s Rafael Albuquerque, Cover B by Maria Wolf, Cover C by Aaron Campbell, and Cover D by Christian Ward.

IDW Announces Nine New Original Series in a New Initiative

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IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing has announced a new initiative of new original comic series and projects by New York Times best-selling authors, some of the industry’s finest artists and writers, and newcomers. In the announcement, the nine are described as “first” indicating there’s more to come. Beginning with Scott Snyder’s Dark Spaces: Wildfire in July, IDW will be publishing new original projects on a monthly basis, reflecting a wide selection of genres: crime thriller, supernatural horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and more.

The first nine projects announced include the following:

Dark Spaces: Wildfire, a thriller series written by Scott Snyder with art by Hayden Sherman, follows a group of female inmate firefighters deep into the smoldering California hills, where their desperate heist of a burning mansion will lead them to the score of a lifetime…or a deadly trap!

Trve Kvlt, a five-issue miniseries written by Scott Bryan Wilson with art by Liana Kangas, introduces Marty Tarantella, a down-on-his-luck loser whose last-ditch scheme to escape a lifetime of fast-food service sets him on a collision course with a cult of violent, Devil-worshiping lunatics!

Crashing, a five-issue miniseries written by Matthew Klein with art by Morgan Beem, throws open the doors of an emergency room filled with casualties of a superhuman war, where Rose Osler, a doctor on her own path of addiction and recovery, faces the most dangerous day of her medical career.

Earthdivers, an ongoing series written by Stephen Graham Jones with art by Davide Gianfelice, unites four Indigenous survivors in an apocalyptic near future as they embark on a bloody, one-way mission to save the world by traveling back in time to kill Christopher Columbus and prevent the creation of America.

Dead Seas, a six-issue miniseries written by Cavan Scott with art by Nick Brokenshire, transforms a cynical convict into a reluctant hero when he’s trapped on a sinking prison ship swarming with ghosts. Can he unite desperate criminals, pirates, and brutal guards as they try to escape a watery grave?

Golgotha Motor Mountain, a five-issue miniseries written by Matthew Erman and Lonnie Nadler with art by Ryan Lee, is a high-octane, redneck motor massacre about two meth-cooking brothers and their attempt to make it home in one piece as all manner of cosmic alien horrors are hot on their trail.

Arca, an original graphic novel written by Van Jensen with art by Jesse Lonergan, leaves a dying Earth behind as billionaires establish a luxurious new society out among the stars, tended to by teenage indentured servants. But one girl discovers that the good life promised for their years of servitude was a lie…

The Sin Bin, a six-issue miniseries written by Robbie Thompson with art by Molly Murakami, hits the road with washed-up hockey player Dale “Dukes” Duquesne, who moonlights as a monster hunter during away games with his daughter, Cat, in tow, hoping to find her mother’s killer.

The Hunger and the Dusk, a twelve-issue storyline written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Chris Wildgoose, upends an age-old conflict between humans and orcs by introducing a new, deadlier species. Fragile alliances form—and unexpected romances blossom—as former enemies wade into battle together to save their two races.

The nine titles announced are just the beginning, as the company has numerous additional projects underway for 2023 and beyond, including a comic book series by Academy Award–winning director, screenwriter, novelist, and showrunner John Ridley and several original graphic novels aimed at middle grade and YA audiences.

In addition to publishing plans, IDW will be developing these properties for film, television, and other entertainment mediums.

IDW nine new comic series

Indigenous Talent are Highlighted with Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices

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This November, Marvel celebrates Indigenous history with a landmark special, Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1, written and drawn by some of the industry’s most renowned Indigenous talent along with talents making their Marvel Comics debut! Celebrated writer and artist Jeffrey Veregge, who just wrapped up his exhibition Jeffrey Veregge: Of Gods and Heroes at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, is leading this book alongside a team of acclaimed creators to explore the legacy and experiences of Marvel’s incredible cast of Indigenous characters.

Hugo, Nebula, and Locus-award winning Black/Ohkay Owingeh writer Rebecca Roanhorse and Tongva artist Weshoyot Alvitre tell an Echotale like none before as she is set to play a critical role in Marvel Comics. Geoscientist and Lipan Apache writer Darcie Little Badger joins acclaimed Whitefish Lake First Nation artist Kyle Charles for a Dani Moonstarstory where she will face the crucial question of what her Indigenous heritage means in the new era of mutantkind. And Bram Stoker-winning horror writer Stephen Graham Jones of the Blackfeet Nation teams up with Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation artist David Cutler to revisit one of the darkest spots of X-Men history! The cover is by Jim Terry and Brian Reber and the issue features commentary by Taboo and Ben Jackendoff.

Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 comes after the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Voices #1 anthology earlier this year, which featured top BIPOC talents such as James Monroe Iglehart, Sanford Greene, Method Man, Charlamagne tha God, Roxane Gay & more, telling stories about the X-Men, the Hulk, Black Panther, Killmonger, She-Hulk, Black Widow, and many more of Marvel’s iconic heroes. Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 kicks off the next phase of Marvel’s expanded Marvel’s Voices program to introduce fans to experience more inclusive stories and talent at Marvel Comics.

Be sure to check out Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 and the re-released special printing of Marvel’s Voices #1 this November!

Marvel's Voices: Indigenous Voices #1

Hit Graphic Novels Get Literary Treatment

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Official Press Release

Hit Graphic Novels Get Literary Treatment

IDW Unleashes Prose Program for Breakout Comic Series: Zombies vs Robots

35 Writers Explore, Expand and Remix ZvR World

[Zombies vs Robots Prose Cover]San Diego, CA (September 6, 2011)—IDW’s gleefully subversive ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS comic book series from creators Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood will soon be eating readers’ brains from the inside via a series of short stories, novellas and more. As announced at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con in July, the company plans for an ambitious slate of original prose stories set at different points in this epic adventure of a zombie apocalypse. In ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS, the clanking robots are built to fight the shambling braineaters, in a desperate attempt to save Earth’s dwindling population.   “It’s gratifying to see that ZvR has taken on an unlife of its own,” asserts Ryall, series co-creator and Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief for IDW. “Expanding from comics into prose is a logical progression, though as the heretofore sole writer of the series I must admit that letting other writers into our subversive little world was at first troubling. But now I’m fine with it. Really. Mostly. Especially since editor Jeff Conner has corralled such a talented array of writers to tackle some really bizarre and creative prose stories. As long as no one expects me to let them write ZvR comics, too…” A lurching cohort of writers—including such notable talents as John Shirley, Nancy A. Collins, Rio Youers, Brea Grant, Steve Rasnic Tem, Amber Benson, James A. Moore, Rachel Swirsky, Norman Prentiss, and John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow, led by Ryall himself—has been assembled to pen original stories of life during wartime in the ZVR world. “It’s our biggest project so far,” states Conner, the IDW contributing editor helming the ZVR prose program. “In a way it’s a follow-up to our Classics Mutilated release, at least in terms of its anything goes spirit. The results so far have been—um, riveting.”The rest of the ZVR writer roster includes: Dale Bailey, Amelia Beamer, Jesse Bullington, Simon Clark, Lincoln Crisler, Stephen Dedman, Rain Graves, Rhodi Hawk, Robert Hood, Stephen Graham Jones, Nicholas Kaufmann, Steven Lockley, Nick Mamatas, Jonathan McGoran, Joe McKinney, Gary McMahon, Mark Morris, Bobby Nash, Yvonne Navarro, Hank Schwaeble, Ekaterina Sedia, Sean Taylor, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Kaaron Warren, and Don Webb.

A film version of ZVR is currently in development through Sony Pictures, with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes as producer.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s Doctor Who; Toho’s Godzilla and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

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