Ahead of its appearance at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2025, upstart publisher Alien Books has revealed its 2026 lineup and a brand new logo. Readers can look forward to more manga titles and previously announced titles, including Valiant Beyond. SDCC attendees looking for a sneak peek can grab a free Valiant Beyond Preview Edition Ashcan at IDW Publishing Booth #2729 during the convention (while supplies last).
“It’s been an exceptionally busy year here at Alien Books,” said director and editor-in-chief Matias Timarchi. “From beginning our new partnership with IDW Publishing, to launching multiple successful crowdfunding projects on Kickstarter, teaming up with Zorro Productions, and continuing the revitalization of Valiant Comics with DMG Entertainment, we’ve grown fast and are reaching more readers than ever before. And we’re not stopping anytime soon!”
Following successful Kickstarter campaigns for I, Dragon; The Art of Eduardo Risso; and Zorro Remastered Edition, as well as a current campaign for Harbinger Classic Omnibus, Alien’s next Valiant Comics crowdfunding project is X-O Manowar: Black, White & Gold. The bi-chromatic anthology series stars Aric of Dacia and will be offered as an exclusive hardcover through Kickstarter, featuring work by Shintaro Kago, Marc Guggenheim, Kevin Roditeli, Sylvain Runberg, Roberto Meli, Adriano Barone, Luca Blengino, Mike Baron, Alex Segura, Diego Agrimbau, Sean Lewis, Dan Abnett, Peter Milligan, Louis Southard, Derek Fridolfs, AJ Ampadu, and more. Add-ons will include X-O Manowar #0 Artist’s Edition and X-O Manowar #1 Fascimile Edition. The project is slated for launch later this year.
Regarding the new Alien Books logo, which will appear on issues of Valiant Beyond series Bloodshot and Tales of the Shadowman starting in August, Timarchi said, “I’m a big fan of The X-Files and the glitchy VHS aesthetic of the ’80s and ’90s. I wanted our logo to be something that calls back to an earlier era of media, where people still valued physical goods and shared them with friends. It’s not a play for nostalgia as much as it’s a desire to stick out in a sea of overly polished and sterile logos that are everywhere these days.”
In 2026, Alien Books will launch a new slate of crowdfunding projects and will release a new manga series. Badducks, Vol. 1 by mangaka Toryumon Takeda, which kicks off a four-volume fantasy manga series with sci-fi elements, debuts next fall. The story follows Morgan Gray, a human who sold his organs to pay off a debt. Now he’s a cyborg who’s been forced into servitude by the mob, but when he meets a woman named Lisa, the pair attempt to escape—but not alone. They have a stolen suitcase full of money and a baby, complicating matters greatly.
“It’s a joy to be able to bring mangaka Toryumon Takeda’s exceptional Badducks series to a global audience,” said Timarchi. ‘We’re always looking for new titles from creators on the rise and Badducks fits the bill, no pun intended.”
Badducks, Vol. 1 will be available via the direct and book markets through Penguin Random House as part of Alien’s publishing partnership with IDW.
Also in 2026, Alien Books will launch a series of crowdfunding campaigns and licensed titles. It will also relaunch titles. Timarchi has additionally teased a crossover project pitting a Valiant flagship character against an iconic video game fighter.
“I can’t say anything else about this crossover or I’ll get in trouble,” joked Timarchi. “It’s something very unexpected but it also makes perfect sense for anyone who grew up in the 1990s as a fan of comics and video games to see these two brands collide.”
Stay tuned to The Beat for more coverage from SDCC ’25.
