2023 will be “The Year of Axe” for Vault Comics, as they extend the universe of Barbaric, the mature-readers sword-and-sorcery series by writer Michael Moreci and artist Nathan Gooden, in new directions with an expanded publication program.

Owen the Barbarian, the main character of Barbaric, is cursed to devote the remainder of his life to good works to atone for his violent past. He roams the lands with a witch named Soren and a sentient axe named Axe. The series launched in 2021 (see “Vault Comics Reveals Michael Moreci’s ‘Barbaric’”), and Vault has published several story arcs. Their plans for 2023 call for two more arcs, as well as an oversized one-shot, a spinoff series, and a line of trade paperbacks.

The first new arc kicks off in January 2023 with Barbaric: Hell to Pay #1, in which Owen is literally in hell; the first issue will have two covers and an MSRP of $4.99. Vault will also release the first two trade paperbacks: Barbaric: Murderable Offenses and Barbaric: Axe to Grind, on the same day.

The first-ever Barbaric spinoff, Queen of Swords, with art by Corin Howell, will launch in May with a story set after the events of Barbaric: Hell to Pay.

In September, Moreci will team up with fantasy writer Nicholas Eames for an oversized one-shot, The Wrong Kind of Righteous, a tale from Owen and Axe’s past about an encounter with another sentient weapon, Flail.

The next Barbaric story arc, Barbaric: Born in Blood, launches in Winter 2023 and follows Owen and Soren on a quest to find the monster who can tell them more about Owen’s curse.

Click Gallery for covers and timeline.