The heroes of Baldur's Gate 3 are about to make the jump to comic book shelves. Dark Horse Comics and Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast have announced a new ongoing Baldur's Gate 3 comic series, and fan-favorite vampire spawn Astarion will lead the first arc when it launches early next year.
The series was revealed at New York Comic Con earlier this month and Dark Horse confirmed that the game's companions are making their first appearance in comics.
Astarion Leads The First Arc
Baldur's Gate 3 #1 arrives in comic shops on February 24th, 2027, and kicks off a six-issue story set after the events of the game. Here is the official synopsis from Dark Horse:
"Astarion Ancunín is enjoying his freedom after escaping the clutches of Cazador Szarr. But when Waterdeep is rocked by a spree of gruesome ritual murders, Astarion must hunt down the killer before he becomes their next victim!"
Moving the story to Waterdeep gives the comic a fresh corner of the Forgotten Realms to explore, away from the city that gave the game its name. It also turns the first arc into a murder mystery, with Astarion as both the investigator and a potential victim.
The Creative Team
Astarion's arc is written by Alyssa Wong, whose credits include Star Wars: Doctor Aphra and Deadpool. She is joined by penciller Vincenzo Carratù (Hulk: Smash Everything, Dracula: Blood Hunt), inker Elisabetta D'Amico, colorist Valentina Taddeo and letterer Buddy Beaudoin. Wong and Carratù previously worked together on Marvel's Psylocke, so this is a reunion for the pair.
The first issue runs 32 pages, costs $4.99 and is rated for ages 14 and up. Gerald Parel provides the main cover, with variants by Scott Fischer, Angela Wu and Tyler Walpole, plus a blank variant designed around the game's character creation screen. It is available to preorder from local comic shops now.
Karlach Takes Over For A Twelve-Issue Run
Dark Horse is already planning well beyond Astarion. Issues #7 through #18 will follow Karlach into the Nine Hells, written by Becky Cloonan (Somna, Four Gathered on Christmas Eve) and illustrated by Francesco Scimonelli (Dick Tracy). Dark Horse says more details on that arc will be shared next year.
After that, future arcs will revolve around Wyll, Shadowheart, Gale and Lae'zel, and other characters from the game will also appear along the way. That makes at least eighteen issues already mapped out, which is a strong sign of confidence for a licensed series.
A Sneak Peek In Dungeons And Dragons #2
Readers will not have to wait until February for a first look. A preview of Baldur's Gate 3 #1 will be included in Dungeons And Dragons #2, which arrives on January 6th, 2027.
That book is part of Dark Horse's new flagship Dungeons And Dragons ongoing series, which launches on November 4th. Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly with art by Ibraim Roberson, it sees a draconic apocalypse threaten the Forgotten Realms as a powerless Mordenkainen seeks help from the setting's most legendary heroes.
Astarion's Big Year Continues
The comic is the latest piece of a larger push for the game's characters beyond Larian Studios' RPG. Astarion also stars in Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion, a prequel novel by T. Kingfisher released last month (September 29th), which follows his years serving Cazador before the game. Neil Newbon, who voices Astarion in the game, narrates the audiobook, and he also stopped by the Dark Horse booth at NYCC alongside Wong to celebrate the comic.
Released in 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards and built one of the most devoted fanbases in modern RPGs, much of it centered on its companions. Giving those characters ongoing stories in a new medium is a natural way to keep the world alive, although a comic will have to settle on one version of events in a game that was built around player choice.
Are you excited to see Astarion and Karlach continue their stories in comics, or would you rather the characters stay tied to your own playthrough?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.