Vault Comics is gearing up to launch The Year of Axe in 2023, a year-long event that will dramatically expand the world of Barbaric. The event will feature two full new Barbaric arcs, the first ever Barbaric spin-off series, Queen of Swords, an oversized one-shot written with legendary fantasy author Nicholas Eames (Kings of the Wyld), and a new line of trade paperback Barbaric collections.
Here is the full Barbaric 2023 Year of Axe publishing plan:
JANUARY 2023: BARBARIC: HELL TO PAY #1 – Now carrying the curse of Axe–who’s as bloodthirsty as ever–Soren works to find a way to get Owen out of hell and runs into one of the barbarian’s old friends along the way. Meanwhile, Owen is trapped in the underworld–which may not turn out to be such a terrible place after all!
JANUARY 2023: BARBARIC TRADE PAPERBACK LINE LAUNCHES: The first two trade paperback collections of Barbaric drop on the same day as Barbaric: Hell to Pay #1!
MAY 2023: QUEEN OF SWORDS #1: A BARBARIC STORY – You asked for it, you got it! The BARBARIC universe expands with this explosive new series! Following the events of Hell To Pay, Ka, Deadheart–wielding Ganelon, which is now infused with the wretched spirit of Ga’Bar–and Serra form an uneasy alliance and journey to obtain a magical relic that’ll help kill the evil orc Gladius. But can Serra be trusted? And will Ga’Bar ever stop talking sh*t?
SEPTEMBER 2023: THE WRONG KIND OF RIGHTEOUS – From the mind of fantasy superstar writer Nicholas Eames with Michael Moreci comes a one-shot that dives into Owen’s and Axe’s past, chronicling the time they ran into another sentient weapon, a mace named Flail! But Flail is not at all what you’d expect of a talking weapon, nor is the psychotic paladin who wields him!
WINTER 2023: BARBARIC: BORN IN BLOOD #1 – After the game-changing fallout of Hell To Pay, Owen and Soren go on a quest to find the monster that can supposedly explain Owen’s curse–but he’ll have to travel through barbarian lands to get there!
“The next volumes of Barbaric are really going to concretize Nate’s and my greatest ambitions for this story,” said Moreci about the giant slate of upcoming Barbaric stories. “We want it to be big and expansive and remain as wild and ferocious as it’s been since the very start. I mean, in Hell to Pay we’re literally going to follow Owen to hell, which is going to be as batshit crazy as you’d think. Meanwhile, we’ve got Soren cursed with Axe, who’s as bloodthirsty as ever, and Steel dealing with vampire addiction. Then, in Queen of Swords, we’re going to blow up what people know about the Barbaric world and people think they know about it–it’s not just some side story. This story has serious ties to the Barbaric core. Also, it features a trio of sexy ladies, and no one draws that better than Corin Howell.”
“Mike and I are continuing to grow the world and the team,” added Nathan Gooden. “The first two books of Barbaric have set up the chess board, and now is when we actually start to play the game out. Joining me on art is Corin Howell! Her covers have become a fan favorite, so it is only natural to have the interiors to match! Joining Mike on writing is Nicholas Eames for an EPIC one-shot! His book, Kings Of The Wyld, is one that inspired us to create Barbaric in the first place. It’s an honor to have each of them play in this universe.”
“Basically, strap in and get ready for Barbaric to take a huge step forward in ’23,” continued Moreci. “Bigger heroes, bigger threats, and bigger veins for Axe to draw sweet, sweet blood from!”
Barbaric is co-created by writer Michael Moreci and artist Nathan Gooden. Among Vault’s best-selling series, Barbaric has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide and was named one of the best comics of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly, Thrillest, CBR, Comics Beat, & more. The story follows Owen, a bloodthirsty barbarian, and his drunk axe as they roam an untamed, mythic realm battling supernatural cultists, hungry giants, creatures of the night, and more in their quest to somehow, amidst all this chaos, do some good.
