Dark Arts Lead To Big Conflicts – The Occultist Gets An Omnibus From Dark Horse
by Hannah Means Shannon
The one-shot that became a ten issue series from Dark Horse is getting an Omnibus edition of those stories, bringing the dark arts together in a single magical tome.
In 2010, writer Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) brought a concept by Mike Richardson to life in a one-shot, which launched into a ten issue series featuring artists Victor Drujiniu (The Waking), Mike Norton (Battle Pug), and Jason Gorder (Darkchylde), with colors by Andrew Dalhouse (Irredeemable) and Allen Passalaqua (Trinity).
These creators populated a supernatural world featuring magician Rob Bailey, and now The Occultist Omnibus will be hitting the shelves with a cover by artist Steve Morris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
The Occultist Omnibus collects The Occultist #1-#5 and The Occultist Volume 2: At Death’s Door #1-#5 and follows college student Rob Bailey after he stumbles upon a magical book that gives him supernatural powers. Once Bailey gets new occult abilities, he also faces all the dangerous problems that come with them, including a “gang of hitman mages” who are sent by a sorcerer to steal the book.
Thinking back, I actually remember The Occultist fondly for being a series that had clear, sharp storytelling, likeable characters, and really high-quality art work that created the conspiratorial world of the series. It’ll be a great second chance for readers to discover the series for the Omnibus to arrive, particularly in this era of popular magic-based TV shows like The Magicians, Supernatural, and more.
The Occultist Omnibus will go on sale April 25, 2018 and is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop. The 256-page trade paperback retails for $24.99.