Over two decades ago, Battle Chasers — Joe Madureira’s “arcane punk” adventure series known for its languid release pacing — came to an end on a cliffhanger fans never got to see the conclusion of. Now, at long last, Madureira is finally delivering it.
io9 can exclusively confirm that Battle Chasers #10 will complete its long, long road to publication this June, setting off a new story arc for the fantasy series. Having hopped from Wildstorm in the late ‘90s, Image — which, three years ago, published an anthology of the first nine issues of the series that has gone to multiple reprints — will release the series, with Ludo Lullabi joining the book on art.
Battle Chasers follows a legendary swordsman named Garrison, who has put his blade down to mourn the death of his wife. But after a rogue named Red Monika’s mission goes wrong and sees four powerful villains freed in a prison breakout, Garrison teams up with a young girl with a pair of magical gloves named Gully, a wizard named Knolan, and Calibretto the giant war golem to hunt them down and stop their rampage. The new story arc, “Martial Law,” sees Garrison and Monika forced to team up to battle a gang of supernatural killers named the Martial Paladins.
It’s not like Madureira hasn’t thought about the series since it abruptly came to an end all those years ago. In 2017, the setting was revitalized for the turn-based RPG Battle Chasers: Nightwar, and in the years since the writer has had plans for adaptations beyond a return to the comic. “I’ve been really moved over the years by the level of excitement Battle Chasers still generates decades after its original release,” Madureira said in a statement provided to Gizmodo. “With the success of the Battle Chasers game Nightwar and a TV show in the works, it felt like the perfect time to drop some new books. Working with these characters again has healed some part of my soul, and Ludo’s artwork is so incredible, I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it.”
Battle Chasers #10 will finally release on June 14, at comic book shops and digitally. Click through to see an exclusive preview of the long awaited issue, making its debut here on Gizmodo!
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