In May 2025, Oni will publish Espada: The Will of the Blade, by Anabel Colazo, a middle-grade adventure story set in a world where magic was once available to everyone. According to legend, the magic was destroyed by a demon from another world, and now only the queen can use it. But there’s another version of the legend, one in which the invader was a hero with a magic sword. When Princess Ania, heir to the throne, finds a mysterious sword, she sets out to find out which version of the legend is true.
"Espada started as many fantasy stories, with a chosen hero that was bound to fulfill their duty… but never did," Colazo said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Our main character just happens to be in the right place to take her chance and complete the quest that the hero left undone. Through the eyes of this character I wanted to explore the many ways in which power affects people, and the possible outcomes that come with those who embrace it. I really like playing video games, where exploring worlds feels like everything is a piece of a bigger picture in the story that’s being told, so I tried to bring a pinch of this feeling to Espada as well."
Yucatan 1512, by Alex Vede, also has a fantasy aspect, but it is a dark, violent tale for adults. As Spanish expedition travels through the Yucatan Peninsula in 1512, searching for Mayan gold, their commander murders one of the local inhabitants, and one of the soldiers, haunted by his previous life, stops him from killing a child as well. The soldier and child escape through the jungle, with the rest of the Spanish in hot pursuit, but their presence awakens a monstrous presence in the ancient city. Dark Horse will publish Yucatan 1512 as a 80-page paperback with an MSRP of $19.99 and a release date of May 6, 2025, in bookstores and May 7, 2025, in comic shops.Click Gallery below for covers!