MILWAUKIE, Ore., (December 8, 2025)—Dark Horse Books and Critical Rolepresent the Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Omnibus Volume 1, a new softcover book that will collect Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Yasha Nydoorin, and Nott the Brave’s backstories together in one volume. These stories were created in consultation with the cast of Critical Role and were written by Jody Houser (Orphan Black, Stranger Things), Sam Maggs (Critical Role: The Tales of Exandria—Artagan, Chilling Adventures: Betty – The Final Girl), and Cecil Castellucci (Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories, Shifting Earth) illustrated by Selina Espiritu (Quincredible), Hunter Severn Bonyun (Ruination), and William Kirkby (Grenade), colored by Cathy Le (Jem and the Holograms) and Diana Sousa (Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire); and lettered by Ariana Maher (Critical Role: The Tales of Exandria—Artagan). The first paperback omnibus volume will arrive in stores in Summer 2026 and will feature cover art by Robynn Frauhn. While these stories have been previously released as individual hardcover volumes and the Dark Horse signature Library Edition oversized hardcover format, these new paperback Omnibus collections offer the content in a new format for those who prefer a paperback option. About Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Omnibus Volume 1:Jester Lavorre’s unconventional upbringing full of mischief with the Traveler, Caleb’s troubled survival alongside Eadwulf and Astrid at the Soltryce Academy, Nott’s journey to escape her goblin captors and return to her family and herself, and Yasha’s emotional trauma after a loved one’s unfair death are all chronicled in this omnibus edition of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins. Delve deep into each character’s past and witness what led these unlikely friends to form the party known as the Mighty Nein. Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Omnibus Volume 1(408 pages, 6.625” x 10.1875”, paperback) arrives in bookstores on July 7, 2026 and incomic shops on July 8, 2026. It is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore for $29.99. Praise for Critical Role comics and graphic novels: “This collection is a delight, with four distinct and different stories to help get a glimpse into the history of the Mighty Nein. For those who miss these lovable lunatics, it’s a great chance to revisit them, and for those just learning, it’s an interesting and engrossing introduction to characters that have so much depth and life that it’ll be hard not to pick up the show and follow them on the long journey they go on once they meet the rest of the cast, and each other.”—Fanbase Press “It’s a fantastic story filled with amazing action, thrills, and the kind of world-building that I love from the world of Critical Role. Every moment is worth the read and adds many great character moments for Ripley and the rest of the characters.”—The Super Powered Fancast (The Legend of Vox Machina: The Whitestone Chronicles Volume 1—Ripley) “Critical Role fans will leap at this opportunity to delve further into the background of their favorite characters, whilst newcomers looking for a jumping on point will find this a welcome read.”—Turnaround UK
“If you’re a fan of Critical Role, and if you’re curious about the exploits of the show’s first cast of characters, this volume is a fantastic primer and one you won’t regret.”—Women Write About Comics (Vox Machina Origins Library Edition)
“Vox Machina Origins is a triple-threat treat to fans new, old, and uninitiated. Awesome artwork = check. Superb storytelling = check. Humour, heart, and a heavy right hook of action = check, check, check.”—The Fantasy Hive
“Vox Machina Origins II is one of the best comics adaptations I’ve read in a while. It oozes fun and personality, and serves as an excellent starting point for fans interested in what Critical Role has to offer. It’s also a great fantasy series that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves traditional adventures in high fantasy.”—Comicbook.com
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About Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson as an offshoot of his comics retail chain, Things From Another World. With a goal of creating a welcoming environment for comics professionals, Dark Horse continues to publish the work of many of the greatest creators in the industry’s history. Dark Horse, from its beginning, also has a track record of establishing new creative talent. Early on, the company set a new standard for quality with licensed properties, including comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books based on popular film and gaming properties. Dark Horse also began building a manga publishing line in the 1980s, going on to release such classics as Lone Wolf and Cub, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Trigun, and Berserk. Richardson established Dark Horse Entertainment as a film division in 1989, finding initial success with his own creations, The Mask and Timecop. Recent hits from Dark Horse Entertainment include The Umbrella Academy on Netflix and Resident Alien on SyFy. In 2022, Dark Horse Media, LLC was established as Dark Horse became part of Embracer Group AB.
About Critical Role
Critical Role is one of the fastest growing independent media companies in the world, starting as a roleplaying game between friends and evolving into a new kind of organization dedicated to storytelling, community and imagination. As Critical Role continues to expand the unique universe it has created, with complex stories set in an ever-evolving world, it also continues to create more ways for fans to experience the brand, including both fiction and nonfiction books on the New York Times Best Sellers list, comic books, graphic novels, collectibles, tabletop and roleplaying games, podcasts, live events, and a critically-acclaimed animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina, airing exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, Critical Role has launched two major initiatives: an official 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Critical Role Foundation (CRF), and a tabletop game publishing company, Darrington Press. With an original cast of award-winning veteran voice actors who are also co-founders of the company, including Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien, Critical Role is committed to ensuring anyone can discover its stories, characters and community. For more information on Critical Role go to www.critrole.com.
