So the dungeon is getting a new loot drop, and for once the box doesn't come with a hidden stat penalty. The first issue of the *Dungeon Crawler Carl* comic book arrives in January 2027, forty-eight pages of double-sized chaos, and I am forced to admit this is a better use of the property than the live-action show that keeps threatening to exist. For those of you keeping score at home, and I know you are, this is the latest addition to a pile that already includes a board game and a card game from Renegade Game Studios, as detailed in our coverage of Dungeon Crawler Carl Board Games Crawl to Shelves Before the Show Shoots. The pattern is clear: the crawl is expanding, and the show is still in its larval stage. You should be reading the comics, not waiting for the broadcast.
Vault Comics is handling the physical release, and the creative roster reads like a prison roster for artists who have all, at some point, drawn a character losing a limb in a way that made me nod approvingly. Tevagah writes, Kuzomari draws, and the list of additional artists includes Ryan Ottley of *Invincible* fame and Luciano Fleitas on covers. That is a lineup with actual blood on its hands, artistically speaking. Matt Dinniman told Variety, "Entering the comic space is nothing short of amazing. The fact that I get to work with some of the greatest creators and artists working today feels like a dream." He is correct, and I resent having to agree with him. The Chronicler has a habit of being right about these things, which is why the story of Carl and Donut keeps finding new forms of media to crawl into, as we noted when Dungeon Crawler Carl Adds a Comic Book to Its Growing Loot Pile was first announced.
Here is the practical takeaway for anyone who has survived a floor collapse: this comic is serializing the graphic novels, which means it is a second pass at the same material the webtoon already covered. That is not a complaint, webtoons scroll, comics turn pages, and the difference in pacing can turn a fight scene into something you feel in your ribs instead of your thumb. The question is how much of the cookbook's actual text survives the adaptation. The webtoon trimmed fat; this comic could trim bone. Watch for the first issue's page count and whether the forty-eight pages cover one chapter or three. That ratio will tell you if the comic is a faithful crawl or a highlight reel. A A Crawler's Guide to Glaring at an Incomplete Story might be worth rereading before January, because the TV show is still in development and the comic is arriving first. You know which one I am betting on.
Source: Variety, "'Dungeon Crawler Carl' Comic Book to Launch in January 2027 (EXCLUSIVE)", October 15, 2024. Link Status: Confirmed