IDW Originals is launching a big expansion of original content, announcing nine new titles by the likes of Scott Snyder, G. Willow Wilson, Stephen Graham Jones, John Ridley, and more, with work in a variety of genres including crime thriller, supernatural horror, science fiction and epic fantasy.
It’s all part of the aptly-named Originals line, and just the start of a new push for original IP at IDW that includes plans for 2023 and beyond, including a new series by Academy Award–winning director, screenwriter, novelist, and showrunner Ridley, and OGNs aimed at middle grade and YA audiences.
The new look begins in July with Dark Spaces: Wildfire by Scott Snyder and artist Hayden Sherman.
In looking at the line, it’s clear that Originals editorial director Mark Doyle has been busy behind the scenes. Doyle, who had a major hand in DC’s Vertigo and Black Label lines, was hired by IDW about a year ago, and has been flying under the radar since, but clearly his rolodex was spinning like a tilt-a-whirl this whole time.
“A year ago we gave ourselves a mission: to make IDW the destination for premier talent and rising stars,” Doyle said in a statement. “This is an unprecedented moment in IDW’s history, and there’s been a tremendous team effort from our creative and editorial teams and everyone at the company to develop a stellar slate of original stories—and we’re having a blast doing it!”
And the lineup includes:
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.
“Throughout our history, IDW has provided a supportive environment for passionate creators to pursue their artistic vision, taking form as such beloved titles as 30 Days of Night, Locke & Key, V Wars, Canto, October Faction, and Wynonna Earp, just to name a few,” says publisher Nachie Marsham. “Our new Originals editorial division, spearheaded by Mark Doyle, reflects our commitment to building upon that legacy. More than ever before, we are reaching out to the creative community, welcoming fresh ideas that span a diverse range of genres, and offering audiences wild new worlds to explore.”
It’s all a bold new look for IDW, as they are bringing a slate of new creator driven properties to the ever-hungering world of streaming and film, where you can’t tap your Roku remote without seeing comics properties on every streamer. Also of note, while IDW has lost some of its most prominent licensed titles of late, bringing original IP to the table is ultimately more profitable in the media world.
They even released a trailer!
