Dark Horse Books and Critical Role present the Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Omnibus Volume 1, a new softcover book that will collect Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Yasha Nydoorin, and Nott the Brave’s backstories together in one volume. These stories were created in consultation with the cast of Critical Role and were written by Jody Houser, Sam Maggs, and Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Selina Espiritu, Hunter Severn Bonyun, and William Kirkby, colored by Cathy Le and Diana Sousa; and lettered by Ariana Maher. The first paperback omnibus volume will arrive in stores in Summer 2026 and will feature cover art by Robynn Frauhn.
While these stories have been previously released as individual hardcover volumes and the Dark Horse signature Library Edition oversized hardcover format, these new paperback Omnibus collections offer the content in a new format for those who prefer a paperback option.
Jester Lavorre’s unconventional upbringing full of mischief with the Traveler, Caleb’s troubled survival alongside Eadwulf and Astrid at the Soltryce Academy, Nott’s journey to escape her goblin captors and return to her family and herself, and Yasha’s emotional trauma after a loved one’s unfair death are all chronicled in this omnibus edition of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins. Delve deep into each character’s past and witness what led these unlikely friends to form the party known as the Mighty Nein.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Omnibus Volume 1 (408 pages, 6.625” x 10.1875”, paperback) arrives in bookstores on July 7, 2026 and incomic shops on July 8, 2026. It is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore for $29.99.
After diving into the backstories of Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Yasha Nydoorin, Fjord Stone, Nott the Brave, and Mollymauk Tealeaf in the Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins graphic novels, Dark Horse Books and Critical Role present the final two originstories with Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Beauregard Lionett and Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Caduceus Clay.
Enter the world of the Cobalt Soul in Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Beauregard Lionett. Despite her origins with a “traditional” family, Beauregard Lionett’s penchant for troublemaking was legendary. Outraged by her criminal activity, Beau’s father arranged for her to be kidnapped and turned over to the order of monks known as the Cobalt Soul for some much-needed discipline and direction. But the direction Beau takes–toward the Mighty Nein–isn’t what anyone anticipated.
Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, and Mae Catt write Beauregard’s backstory, with art by Guilherme Balbi, colors by Diana Sousa, and letters by Ariana Maher, with Balbi and Sousa illustrating the cover.
Last but certainly not least, the final member of the Mighty Nein to receive his own graphic novel is Caudecus Clay in Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Caduceus Clay. Generations of the Clay family have tended to the careful rituals in the Blooming Grove. But when corruption begins to creep in on their sacred space, the Clays depart one by one to seek answers. Soon young Caduceus and Clarabelle are the only ones left, and when a dangerous burial quest falls to Caduceus, he must leave the Grove to do the family’s work.
Matthew Mercer, Taliesin Jaffe, and Kendra Wells write the graphic novel, with art by Selina Espiritu, colors by Eren Angiolini, letters by Ariana Maher, with cover art by Gus Allen and Angiolini.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Beauregard Lionettwill be available in bookstores April 30, 2024 and in comic shops May 1, 2024. It is now available to pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore for $17.99.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Caduceus Clay HCwill be available in bookstores June 4, 2024 and in comic shops June 5, 2025. It is now available to pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore for $17.99.
Dark Horse Books and Critical Role present Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Library Edition Volume 1! This first of two oversized volumes collects the whimsical, tragic, and sometimes haunting backstories of Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Yasha Nydoorin, and Nott the Brave. These stories are each available as a standalone graphic novel, but now, this Library Edition collects them all together in one oversized volume. Like the Mighty Nein, these stories are better together, including an expanded sketchbook section and all-new cover art by Robynn Frauhn.
The first story in this library collection features Jester Lavorre. Dive into the mystery of Jester’s early years as the daughter of the famed Ruby of the Sea, witness her first meeting with the Traveler, and watch the fateful events unfold that set her on a path to eventually join the Mighty Nein. Written by Sam Maggs, with art by Hunter Severn Bonyun, colors by Cathy Le, and letters by Ariana Maher, in consultation with Laura Bailey and Matthew Mercer of Critical Role.
In the second collected story, written by Jody Houser, with art by Selina Espiritu, colors by Diana Sousa, and returning letterer Ariana Maher, with consultation from Critical Role’s Liam O’Brien and Matthew Mercer, explore the troubled past of Bren Aldric Eremund of the Soltryce Academy and witness his transformation into Caleb Widogast of the Mighty Nein.
The third story in this collection – the revelation of Yasha Nydoorin’s tumultuous past – features the work of writer Cecil Castellucci, artist William Kirkby, colorist Diana Sousa, and letterer Ariana Maher, with consultation from Critical Role’s Ashley Johnson and Matthew Mercer. For Yasha, there has always been a storm on the horizon. Maybe it formed with her adoption by the Dolorov people in the harsh lands of Xhorhas. Or perhaps when she fell for her first love, Zuala. Or still later, when grief and madness drove her from her village and out into––somewhere else. Maybe, on the other hand, Yasha IS the storm.
Finally, writer Sam Maggs, artist William Kirkby, Eren Angiolini, and letterer Ariana Maher, with consultation from Matthew Mercer and Sam Riegel of Critical Role, detail Veth Brenatto’s tragic tale of transformation. When the comfortable life with the family she loves is turned upside down by a goblin raid, Veth discovers a new side of herself…and is doomed to become the goblin Nott the Brave of the Mighty Nein.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Library Edition will be available in bookstores September 12, 2023 and in comic shops September 13, 2023. It is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore.
Relive the best moments from Critical Role’s thrilling Mighty Nein campaign with the all-new Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Coloring Book! This new coloring book features 45 pages of all-new art by artists CoupleofKooks, Olivia Samson, Aviv Or, Cait May, and Selina Espiritu.
Featuring moments chosen specifically by the Critical Role cast members, these black and white coloring pages will feature the characters Beauregard Lionett, Mollymauk Tealeaf, Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Fjord Stone, Yasha Nydoorin, Nott the Brave/Veth Brenatto, and Caduceus Clay as they travel across Exandria!
The Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Coloring Book is a 10” x 10” paperback volume that will be available in bookstores June 27, 2023 and comic shops June 28, 2023. It is now available for pre-order at your local comic shop or bookstore for $19.99.
The Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins line from Dark Horse Comics and Critical Role expands once again with the arrival of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins – Fjord Stone. Kevin Burke and Chris “Doc” Wyatt, writers for the highly anticipated Amazon Original animated series Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina, join fan-favorite artist Selina Espiritu, colorist Diana Sousa, letterer Ariana Maher, along with Matthew Mercer and Travis Willingham from the cast of Critical Role to bring Fjord’s early years to life in this all-new hardcover graphic novel!
Growing up in an orphanage on the Menagerie Coast, Fjord Stone has never been comfortable with the assumptions people draw from his half-orc heritage. His sweet, sensitive nature will do him no favors in Port Damali. Luckily, a chance meeting lands Fjord with a job, a mentor, and more adventure than he could ever dream of on the path that will eventually lead him to the rest of the Mighty Nein!
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins – Fjord Stone hardcover will be available everywhere books are sold July 13, 2022.
Full disclosure: My email account may also be a time machine. Allow me to explain. When I saw the email from Lionforge with the opportunity to review this graphic novel, I thought it sounded like a very interesting read. Before I started reading this it, I did a little Google research. I discovered that Quincredible Volume 1 was already released in 2019. According to the publisher, the book I had the opportunity to review is due out on February 24th of next year. So, I’m not sure if my email has allowed me to travel to the past or if this is a second printing of this series’ first story arc or the first time this arc has been released as a trade paperback. In any case, if you don’t have access to a time machine of your own, missed this title the first time around, or are like me and have never heard of it before, now’s your chance to enter the world of Quincredible. (Note: The first volume gets a reprinting in a new trim-sized format for 2021 – Ed)
The first arc of this series, written by Rodney Barnes, is entitled, “Quest to be the Best.” After a meteor shower rained down on his Louisiana Parish, Quin woke up to find he’d gained the superpower of invulnerability. Unfortunately, he’s still just a lightweight teenager, and this power doesn’t seem to do him much good. Quin compensates for his lack of strength by outsmarting the criminals he faces by outmaneuvering them or catching them in traps. Although there were some things I liked about the first volume of this series, I wasn’t blown away by the storytelling.
There were of course a few high points. For one, Quin’s positive relationship with his father is front and center. Considering how many heroes either don’t have parents or don’t see eye to eye with them, this was a nice touch. I also found it very interesting, not to mention another nice change of pace, that it’s the smartest girl in school Quinn hopes will notice him one day and not the hottest, as is so often the case. The designs of the superhero’s costumes are cool, but many of them seemed almost too futuristic. Aside from this being a story featuring people with superpowers, everything else felt really grounded. Even with superpowers, Quinn leads an ordinary life. The book explores themes and events that occur in the real world every day. The one exception being that there just happen to be superheroes in the world of Quincredible as well. So the high tech looking costumes felt out of place, especially for a bunch of basically independent New Orleans superheroes.
In fact, I’m just going to come out and say it, this title would be better if it weren’t about superheroes at all. Take out the superpower aspects, and give me a black teenager who wants to make a difference in his community, so he uses his intelligence and elaborate traps to help the police fight crime. That’s what I would have liked to see out of Quincredible. Instead, his invulnerability often feels like an afterthought and most of the best moments in this first volume are all about Quin and his beliefs or relationships. None of which are made better when his superpower is factored into the equation. The invulnerability just seems unnecessary and I feel like it gets in the way of the storytelling. By the third time Quin took a laser blast and was unschathed, the gimmick got really old.
The synergy between illustrator Selina Espiritu and colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick is obvious on every page. I loved the use of shadow as it really helped convey depth and perspective. If left to stand on their own, both the colors and line work would come off looking flat. Luckily, Espiritu and Fitzpatrick’s talents complement each other and elevate the artwork in Quincredible. Espiritu also does a great job of conveying motion throughout the book, keeping the still images from looking overtly static.
I assume this series is geared for a young adult audience, but with that being said, I found the dialogue to be too simple and juvenile. I read quite a bit of YA genre fiction, and it doesn’t have to be watered down to be relatable and entertaining to readers of all ages. Diversity and representation are always good, especially in comic books, but I found Quincredible’s story to be kind of boring. The characters are relatable and fun to root for, but the plot and dialogue were underwhelming. There are a few creative touches in regard to the writing, but overall, the story doesn’t really stand out. The artwork isn’t mind-blowing, but it is of good quality and technically well done. The artwork does keep the story visually interesting and helps sell an otherwise bland narrative.
The volume Lionforge provided me to review is solicited for release on 2-23-2021.
Story: Rodney Barnes Art: Selina Espiritu Color: Kelly Fitzpatrick Letterer: Tom Napolitano Story: 4.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 6.5 Recommendation: Read
Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Dark Horse Comics and Critical Role have announced Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—a brand new line of hardcover graphic novels focusing on Jester, Caleb, Fjord, Mollymauk, Yasha, Beauregard, Nott, and Caduceus. Following newly revealed stories about the heroes who would become the Mighty Nein, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins will be launching with volumes about Jester Lavorre and Caleb Widogast!
Jester Lavorre had an unconventional upbringing, even for one born in cosmopolitan Nicodranas. Daughter of the famed Ruby of the Sea, she had many opportunities for mischief as a small child, of which she took full advantage! Dive into the mystery of Jester’s early years, her first meeting with the Traveler, and the fateful events that set her on a path to eventually join the Mighty Nein.
Written by Sam Maggs, line art by well-known Critter Hunter Severn Bonyun, colored by Cathy Le, and developed in direct consultation with Critical Role cast members Laura Bailey and Matthew Mercer, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Jester Lavorre will be available everywhere books are sold June 16, 2021. It is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop.
In Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast, Bren Aldric Ermendrud is chosen to attend the exclusive Soltryce Academy, preparing for an important future in service to the Empire. But nobody––least of all Bren himself––can foresee the cruelty he will endure, and the ways in which it will break and remake him. Witness the events that transform Bren into the Mighty Nein’s Caleb Widogast, and how they inform the path he’ll take in the future.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast features Critical Role alum writer Jody Houser, illustrated by Selina Espiritu and colors by Diana Sousa, with direction from Critical Role cast members Matthew Mercer and Liam O’Brien. This graphic novel will be available everywhere books are sold on July 14, 2021. It is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop.
The Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins line is presented in hardcover format and volumes will retail for $17.99 each.
This spring, the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group is pleased to announce the addition of several upcoming original graphic novels—including several new middle grade and young adult projects— in spring 2021.
In January, Lemonade Code, an own voices middle-grade graphic novel from the creative team of writer Jarod Pratt and artist Jey Odin, follows a young genius desperate for cash to fund his top-secret science projects. But after starting a lemonade stand, he discovers his brand-new next door neighbor doing the same thing! Soon, an all-out war begins as both kids go head-to-head in a lemonade war, but this time the fate of the world could be at stake.
Taking place in a recognizable world to today’s young readers was important to the creators: “Lemonade Code was born from a desire for my kids to not just be able to see a future with people who look like them in it, but to also see themselves in a future that wasn’t necessarily dystopic by nature,” said Jarod Pratt. “By taking a familiar children’s story conceit—two kids with dueling lemonade stands—and setting it in a time just around the corner, it is my hope that any kid who reads it and sees themselves in the characters will also have their eyes opened to the possibilities of tomorrow and their place in it.”
The fan-favorite Catalyst Prime title, Quincredible: Quest to be the Best, returns in February 2021 from creative team Rodney Barnes, Selina Espiritu, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Tom Napolitano, and follows Quinton West after a meteor show dubbed “The Event” left him with the power of invulnerability—but no other gifts. Not the most glamorous or flashy of superpowers. But there’s more to Quin than meets the eye, and he’s willing to show the world just that. Quincredible: Quest to be the Best will be reformatted in a new trim size and featuring an updated logo and design as the series moves from single issues to graphic novels.
Secrets of Camp Whatever Volume 1, the latest graphic novel from the Eisner Award-nominated creator Chris Grine; Martian Ghost Centaur by Unplugged and Unpopular creator Mat Heagerty with illustrations by Steph Mided; and The Hazards of Love: Bright World, a queer Latinx webcomic-turned-graphic-novel by Stan Stanley, will be available in March 2021.
In Grine’s Secrets of Camp Whatever, there’s more than mosquitoes at this creepy summer camp, as hard-of-hearing teen Willow and friends go head-to-head with supernatural scares, and a mystery involving her family’s past at the camp begins to unfold. For creator Chris Grine, inspiration was one part summer camp, one part supernatural, and everything else his children. “My preteen daughter and her ever-changing preteen attitude became the main inspiration for several of the main characters personalities, which made it so much more personal and enjoyable to write, especially when I would think about how she might handle this place and what choices she might make when things go sideways.”
Martian Ghost Centaur, from Heagerty and Mided, explores coming of age for a young adult torn between leaving for college or staying in a beloved hometown that is on the brink of financial ruin—and the lengths one can go to save something they love. For Mat Heagerty, this came from taking a deep look at his own experiences. “Up until the pandemic, I’d worked for a decade in a really unique bar in San Francisco. I watched the city’s second tech boom push out so much of what made San Francisco feel like home to me. Watching the tech takeover, specifically of the Mission District, was where the story started for me.”
But for illustrator Steph Mided, it was a means of revisiting that high school transition. “[Martian Ghost Centaur] instantly took me back to my senior year of high school, where I was ready to take on the entire world, yet at the same time deeply scared about anything in my life changing.”
In Stanley’s The Hazards of Love: Bright World, Amparo, a Latinx nonbinary teen, makes a deal with a talking cat to become a better person—in part to stop their mom and abuela from worrying about them, but mostly to be worthy of dating straight-A student Iolanthe. But in a twist of fate, the cat steals their body, imprisoning Amparo in a land of terrifying flesh-hungry creatures known as Bright World.
For Stan, this was a way to bring a deeply personal project to a larger audience. “It was important for me as a queer Mexican living in NYC that this project feature a diverse Latinx and LGBTQ cast and present urban fantasy through a non-European lens. Hazards reinterprets the ‘Down the Rabbithole’ trope to reflect a queer Latinx voice, and pays homage to Mexican gothic horror films, to telenovela tropes, and to Latin-American surrealism.” Offering lush full-color illustrations, Stanley hopes The Hazards of Love: Bright World will bring the horrors of the fantasy world and the more relatable horrors of our mundane world to readers in a whole new light.
In Delicates, the sequel to Brenna Thummler’s best-selling graphic novel Sheets, summer’s ended and Marjorie Glatt is heading back to school, this time as part of the eighth grade in-crowd. But as she struggles to fit in with her new friends, she spends less and less time with Wendell and finds herself acting in ways that seem unlike her. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids, but it might just cost her her friendship with Wendell and so much more. “Waiting for sequels is like waiting to reunite with old friends—you’re eager for that familiar comfort, yet anxious to hear of new adventures. Delicates is full of the fun, challenges, and bittersweet moments that make for the strongest of friendships, and I can’t wait for readers to return to this ghostly world!” said Brenna. Delicates will be available March 2021.
Just over a year since the Catalyst Prime Universe debuted to much acclaim throughout the landscape of pop culture, Lion Forge has announced they will move the existing title Superb, as well as the recently announced Quincredible, over to the company’s Roar imprint. Roar was launched along with another imprint, CubHouse, in 2016.
Superb was created by Lion Forge co-founders David Steward II and Carl Reed, and is produced in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society in its portrayal of the character Jonah, a teenage boy with Down syndrome. The series has been a cornerstone title in comics’ most diverse and inclusive universe since 2017, and follows Jonah and his best friend Kayla, two teenagers coming to terms with their newfound superpowers. The series moves to Roar in its third volume next month, written by David F. Walker and featuring art from Alitha Martinez.
Quincredible, the newest series in the Catalyst Prime Universe, follows Quinton, your average high school sophomore, who also happens to be moonlighting as a superhero. While his fierce bravado may serve him, he’s still in dire need of the discipline to ensure he not only saves the day but minimizes the damage done in the process. Enter Maya, a member of her neighborhood watch, who takes him under her wing to give him a better understanding of the responsibilities of being a hero and what it means to save the day.
Quinton’s first real test comes when he faces off with Null, an embittered young man with a vendetta against Foresight Corp. and superheroes at large.
Quincredible features art by Selina Espiritu and Michelle Wong, and is set to debut under the Roar imprint later this year.
Just under a year since the Catalyst Prime Universe debuted to much acclaim throughout the landscape of pop culture, Lion Forge has unveiled the next phase in comics’ most inclusive and diverse group of heroes with the announcement of Quincredible, followed by upcoming creative changes across the line.
Lion Forge co-founders Carl Reed and David Steward II will serve as editorial directors for all current and future titles in the Catalyst Prime Universe.
Lion Forge announces the newest addition to the Catalyst Prime Universe in conjunction with this week’s Diamond Retailer Summit. Written by Mildred Louis, with art by Selina Espiritu and Michelle Wong, Quincredible is set to debut in August.
The series follows Quinton, your average high school sophomore, who also happens to be moonlighting as a superhero. While his fierce bravado may serve him, he’s still in dire need of the discipline to ensure he not only saves the day but minimizes the damage done in the process. Enter Maya, a member of her neighborhood watch, who takes him under her wing to give him a better understanding of the responsibilities of being a hero and what it means to save the day.
Quinton’s first real test comes when he faces off with Null, an embittered young man with a vendetta against Foresight Corp. and superheroes at large.
In addition to this brand-new title, Catalyst Prime will see creative changes as the line moves into its second year, with details to be rolled out for each title in the coming weeks.
