Dark Horse Adapting Famous The Witcher Story in New Graphic Novel
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Edge of the World is being adapted for a new graphic novel by Dark Horse Comics and CD Projekt Red
Dark Horse Comics and CD Project Red are partnering once again to bring one of Andrzej Sapkowski's beloved short stories to life in graphic novel form. The short story is pulled from the acclaimed short story collection The Last Wish and will be titled The Witcher: The Edge of the World. The story will be adapted by writer Magdalena Salik (Ptomien, Gildia Hordow), artist Tommaso Bennato (Mystic Heart), colorist Chris O'Halloran (Mortal Terror, Hellboy in Love), and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (The Witcher: Corvo Bianco), and will be featured in a stunning hardcover volume. You can check out the gorgeous cover by Kai Carpenter (Books of Magic, The Last God) below.
The Edge of the World is a favorite of Witcher fans, and that includes writer Magdalena Salik, who loves how the story plays with assumptions and preconceived notions of what is good and what is evil. That's all intertwined with the sort of humor, wit, and adventure that Witcher stories excel at, and now longtime fans have a new way to experience the story, while new fans can hop in for the first time.
"The Edge of the World is one of my favourite Witcher stories," admits Salik. "Why? Because of its characters who are diverse and counter-intuitive. Everyone has some ideas about devils or pixies – say farewell to them. In this story Sapkowski plays with your established notions about heroes and villains; and plot twists as well. For me it's one of the wisest short stories ever, going far beyond typical fantasy quest versions of this scenario. There is all we love about The Witcher: jokes, quest, a lot of action, captivating characters. But apart from that there is also a strong message which leaves you both amused and pondering. In other words – enjoy and expect the unexpected."
"For me, who loves the Fantasy genre," says artist Bennato. "Working on a story of 'The Witcher' was a great pleasure and I hope that the fans appreciate the commitment and the passion that I put in trying to bring out the emotions of the characters and, in the case of the Sylvan, enrich his design with leaves, springs and mushrooms. Enjoy this incredible adaptation! I've done it, and I had fun drawing it!"
The Edge of the World description reads, "Work is hard to come by for Geralt. And for his bardic traveling companion, Dandelion, the doldrum of the road is not a worthy subject for his rhymes or ballads. As they travel to the edge of the known world, townsfolk speak of many stories, but it seems that's all they are- recitals of monsters and superstition- until a man follows Geralt with news of a devil scavenging the local fields. Get rid of the beast, but under no circumstances is it to be killed. Only how can Geralt hunt the creature, when there are no such things as devils?"
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher: The Edge of the World will hit bookstores on December 17th and then will hit comic stores on December 18th. You can pre-order the new graphic novel from your local comic store, bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and TFAW for $17.99.
Are you excited for The Edge of the World adaptation? You can talk all things comics and Witcher with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!