Dark Horse Comics is overhaulng its publishing slate for November 2026, introducing three new ongoing series while concluding several legacy titles. This strategic shift features a high-stakes relaunch of the Dungeons & Dragons universe alongside the final chapters of long-running narratives like Hellboy in Hell.
Mordenkainen's Powerless Quest in the Forgotten Realms
The center-piece of the November 2026 rollout is Dungeons & Dragons #1, a title that according to the report, plunges the Forgotten Realms into a post-apocalyptic crisis. The narrative focuses on the legendary wizard Mordenkainen, who finds himself stripped of his arcane abilities just as a "dragon-fire conflagration" threatens to consume the world. To restore cosmic balance, Mordenkainen must recruit a coalition of Faerûn's most famous heroes, blending personal stakes with a mythic scale.
This relaunch is handled by writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with visual dynamism provided by artist Ibraim Roberson. By stripping a powerhouse character like Mordenkainen of his magic, Dark Horse Comics is pivoting away from traditional power fantasies toward a more desperate, character-driven survival story. This move reflects a broader industry trend where established IPs are rebooted with higher stakes and "deconstructed" protagonists to attract both veteran fans and new readers.
Clockwork Soldiers and the Noir Grit of Minor Threats
Beyond the licensed worlds of D&D, Dark Horse Comics is betting on high-concept originals. Canto #1, created by David M. Booher and Drew Zucker, introduces a clockwork soldier navigating a mechanized sea. As the report says, the story explores the intersection of biology and engineering as Canto discovers an island where jungle flora and fabricated machinery coexist, probing the origins of the world's inhabitants.
Simultaneously, the publisher is launching Minor Threats: The Cleaner #1, a noir-inspired tale of a vigilante cleanup crew operating in a city populated by indestructible superheroes. This project brings together a diverse creative team,including writer Gerry Duggan, the voice of Patton Oswalt, and the artistic contributions of Jordan Blum and Mark Torres. The inclusion of talent from both the comic and entertainment sectors suggests that Dark Horse Comics is positioning this title for potential cross-media adaptation.
The Final Chapters for Concrete and Hellboy in Hell
While new stories begin, Dark Horse Comics is systematically closing the books on several enduring franchises . Hellboy in Hell will reach its climax, utilizing Mike Mignola's signature horror aeshetic to conclude the arc. Similarly, the title Concrete is moving toward a finale that will finally resolve the fractured memories of its protagonist, marking the end of a significant era for the publisher's legacy characters.
The cleanup extends to other deep-cut universes, with Kingdom of Earth, Skate Ali, and a spin-off of the British Paranormal Society all wrapping up their respective story arcs in November. This sweeping set of completions indicates a desire by Dark Horse Comics to clear the editorial slate , avoiding the "eternal middle" that often plagues long-running comic series and instead providing readers with definitive, satisfying conclusions.
Who joins Mordenkainen's coalition of Faerûn heroes?
Despite the detailed slate, several key details remain obscured. While the announcement mentions that Mordenkainen will assemble a coalition of "iconic heroes" from Faerûn, Dark Horse Comics has not yet named which specific characters will join the wizard's quest. furthermore, the report provides little detail on the specific nature of the "mechanised sea" in Canto or how the vigilante mechanics of Minor Threats: The Cleaner will differ from existing superhero cleanup tropes. As the source relies entirely on the publisher's promotional framing, it remains to be seen if these new directions will resonate with the core fanbase or if the conclusion of titles like Hellboy in Hell will leave a void that new IPs cannot immediately fill.
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