Following the breakout release of The October Girl Vol. 1 in October, Maverick brings readers back into the uncanny, heart-tugging world of the Night Folk with The October Girl Vol. 2, the next chapter in writer and artist Matthew Dow Smith’s beautifully dark coming-of-age fantasy.

Smith, known for his work on DC’s Misfits of Magic and his creator-owned middle-grade series Amelia Shadows, widens Autumn Ackerman’s world and sharpens the emotional stakes in this second volume—

Autumn Ackerman’s life was turned upside down when her childhood imaginary friend, Barnaby, returned and Autumn discovered that she is a Night Folk — a race of incredible creatures that inspired all of humanity’s myths and fairy tales.

Finishing high school and working at the local coffee shop is more than enough for any teenager to deal with, but now Autumn has to learn to navigate a new world of trolls and fairies, dealing with threats like the mysterious Mr. Balloon, and getting to know her estranged grandfather, the October King, leader of the Night Folk.

Before Autumn can even get used to all these changes, her life is turned upside down yet again when her ordinary, human father — who she hasn’t seen in five years — suddenly returns, exhibiting terrifying new powers…

…powers that threaten everything Autumn holds dear!

The October Girl Vol. 2 goes on sale May 26, 2026.

The October Girl Vol. 1

(C) Matthew Dow Smith

Autumn Ackerman grew up believing in fairies and magic and princesses who defeated dragons, but now that she’s eighteen and facing a future stuck behind the counter of her small town’s coffee shop, she’s starting to wonder if this is all there really is to her life.

But then she meets her childhood imaginary friend, Barnaby, in the alley behind the coffee shop one night. Autumn’s entire world is turned upside down.

Drawn into the strange and mysterious world of the Night Folk, fantastic creatures that inspired all of humanity’s myths about gods and monsters, Autumn is about to discover that there is more to her world than she ever dreamed of as a little girl, and that world is far more dangerous than she could ever have imagined. With the help of Barnaby and Evan Fade, the tragic young boy who inherited the local bookstore, Autumn has to protect herself from the coldly terrifying Mr. Balloon long enough to discover the truth about the Night Folk and her own past.