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Aethon Books has acquired a majority interest in Vault Comics

Aethon Books has announced that it has acquired a majority interest in Vault Comics. The two companies in 2023 announced a partnership to publish titles across the comic book and graphic novel and ebook and audiobook categories.

In the 2023 partnership, Aethon was to publish ebook and audiobook adaptations and tie-ins of titles from the Vault library, while Vault would publish comic book and graphic novel adaptations and tie-ins of titles from the Aethon library. Two subsequent announcements were made regarding actual products (catch that here and here). In 2020, Heavy Metal Entertainment and Aethon announced a similar partnership.

Vault will continue to be led by CEO, Damian Wassel, and CCO, Adrian Wassel. Aethon co-founders Rhett Bruno and Steve Beaulieu will join the board of Vault. Wassel confirmed that the deal does not affect current staffing at Vault and team members will continue in their roles.

Wassel also indicated that high profile investors in Vault including Jeff Ubben, UTA, Crush Ventures and Metallica’s investment arm Black Squirrel Partners remain invested in the merged company.

The terms of Aethon and Vault’s deal have not been disclosed.

Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle’s Dead Acre gets a graphic novel adaptation from Cullen Bunn and Riley Brown

Vault Comics will publish a graphic novel adaptation of Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle’s hit weird western novella, Dead Acre. The first volume in the acclaimed, award-winning Black Badge series, Dead Acre is the story of James Crowley, an outlaw who met his mortal end in a hail of gunfire, and now finds himself in purgatory, serving the White Throne to avoid falling to hell. Not quite undead, though not alive either, the best he can hope for is to work off his servitude and fade away. His not-so-sacred duty as a Hand of God? Use his new abilities to hunt down demonic beings that have infiltrated the mortal realm.

The graphic novel is written by acclaimed writer Cullen Bunn, drawn by Riley Brown, colored by Fares Maese, and lettered by Andworld Design.

The 160 page, full color graphic novel will be available on September 16, 2025, and is available for pre-order now.

Dead Acre