Rivers of London – Night Witch #1 Cover A by Paul McCaffrey
March sees the release of not only a new Rivers of London comic series based on the top-selling fantasy crime novels created by Ben Aaronovitch, but the release of collections of the first comic story, Body Work.
Titan Comics Rivers of London comics are the work of writers Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel (Written in Dead Wax) and are official parts of the series highly-acclaimed canon.
A tour of what remains and an insight into what once was with a liberal sprinkling of folklore, myth and violent crime, each of Ben Aaronovitch’s previous Peter Grant novels, the stories of London’s first new wizard detective in 50 years, have been Sunday Times Top Ten hardback bestsellers.
Rivers of London: Night Witch, written by Ben and Andrew will launch on 16th March with art by Lee Sullivan (Doctor Who, Judge Dredd) and Luis Guerrero (Doctor Who, The Troop), with Issue 2 on sale 13th April – and we’ve got all the covers here for you to enjoy.
Set within the world of the best-selling Rivers of London series, Night Witch is another all-new story and a prequel to the forthcoming novel, The Hanging Tree
“We’re thrilled to be able to continue the Rivers of London comic series, says Titan editor Steve White, “and give fans of the world an all-new story as well as a sneak peek into where the next novel is heading.”
Night Witch opens with a police vehicle on a routine prison transfer in north London is stormed by Russian hoodlums seeking to free a very particular prisoner. Their target is Vavara – a very powerful witch who doesn’t want to be free.
Things rapidly turn very ugly for the hoods and it’s soon a job for full-time police constable and part-time wizard, Peter Grant.
Issue One will be available with four different variant covers:
Cover A (above): Paul McCaffrey
Cover B: Alex Ronald
Cover C: Lee Sullivan
Cover D: Blank Sketch
Rivers of London: Night Witch will be available in stores and on digital devices from 16th March 2016.
In Rivers of London: Night Witch Issue Two, following a disastrous attempt to ‘recruit’ Vavara, a Russian oligarch turns his sights on Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale – two of London’s finest policemen and its only wizards – to help recover his daughter, apparently kidnapped by dark elemental forces. But for Peter and Nightingale, a dark betrayal from the past is about rear its ugly head…
COVER A: Anna Dittmann
COVER B: Rian Hughes
Rivers of London: Body Work, the first official comic strip based on Ben Aaronovitch’s acclaimed fantasy/ police procedural novels, will be released as a softback and hardback collection by Titan Comics. Photo: Lee Sullivan
The collection of Rivers of London: Body Work, the first comic story released as a limited series last year, will be released on 2nd March in comic shops in the US, 18th March in bookshops, 29th March in UK comic shops and available as hardback, softback and on digital platforms.
Rivers of London – Body Work Forbidden Planet Exclusive
Also out in March is a collection of Body Work, the first Rivers of London comic, and comics retailer Forbidden Planet has an exclusive signed hardcover edition on offer, featuring a story set shortly after Peter Grant became the first English Apprentice wizard in fifty years.
Body Work is set between the fourth and fifth books in Aaronovitch’s series, and is an in-continuity addition to the books. Having grown into his powers and become accustomed to the weird world of London’s underground, Grant’s latest case involves seemingly ordinary cars coming to life and killing innocent drivers…
All this comics activity in part leads us up to the long-awaited release of the next Rivers of London novel, The Hanging Tree, in June, another gripping and hilarious adventure through the secret streets of London.
The Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Somethings don’t change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world’s super-rich. And blood mixed with magic is a job for Peter Grant.
Peter Grant is back as are Nightingale et al at the Folly and the various river gods, ghosts and spirits who attach themselves to England’s last wizard and the Met’s reluctant investigator of all things supernatural…
Now all we need is the Rivers of London TV series, right?
• For more information about Titan Comics visit: http://titan-comics.com
• Buy the Forbidden Planet Body Work exclusive edition here
• Ben Aaronovitch’s Temporarily Significant Blog
• Find out more about Ben on his website www.the-folly.com, or follow him on Twitter @Ben_Aaronovitch
• Andrew Cartmel’s blog is at http://venusianfrogbroth.blogspot.co.uk and you can follow him on Twitter @andrewcartmel
• Lee Sullivan is at www.leesullivanart.co.uk and you can follow him on Twitter @LeeSullivanArt
• Luis Guerrero is at http://luis-guerrero.deviantart.com
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Books, British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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