How far would you, and what dangers would you face, to find a missing loved one? Next year Dark Horse Comics will release Beastlands: Keepers of the Kingdom, a fantasy adventure graphic novel that explores just that. The book, for readers ages 16 and up, comes from writer Curtis Clow, artist Jo mi-Gyeong, and letterer Toben Racicot, and follows a young trio of friends as they search for one member’s lost father.
Here’s how Dark Horse describes Beastlands: Keepers of the Kingdom:
In a medieval fantasy world filled with powerful companion creatures known as “keepers,” one boy and his friends are on a quest to find his missing father. Tensions rise as the angsty teens run out of clues and face unexpected peril at every turn. A grieving tyrant has outlawed keepers from the land and sent his murderous soldiers to exterminate every one of the beasts they can find. Mac, Ava, and Ping will have their friendship tested as they struggle, tooth and claw, to save each other and as many keepers as they can.
Beastlands: Keepers of the Kingdom was originally produced in single-issue form by Clow and mi-Gyeong as a result of multiple successful Kickstarter campaigns. Seven issues of the series have been funded thus far; the Dark Horse graphic novel release contains the first five issues of the series.
Beastlands is the first work by either Clow or mi-Gyeong to be published by Dark Horse Comics. Clow’s previous work includes self-published books like The Wild Cosmos and Slightly Exaggerated. mi-Gyeong has worked on a number of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal comics for Archaia, as well as the Victor LaValle-written miniseries Eve for BOOM! Studios.
Check out a preview, courtesy of Clow’s website, of Beastlands: Keepers of the Kingdom below. The softcover graphic novel is due out in stores on June 28th, 2022.
