Zack Kaplan and Dark Horse Comics have announced the continuation of their partnership with a slate of new titles for 2026. Beginning in June, Dark Horse will publish three series penned by Kaplan and illustrated by various artists.
“My experience with Dark Horse over the past several years has been a testament to their commitment to creators, and I’m thrilled to partner with them to raise the bar in 2026,” Kaplan said in the announcement. “I’m joined by three amazing artists at the top of their game, Stefano Raffaele, John J Pearson, and Francesco Manna, we’re gonna focus on dynamic and dramatic stories, and we’re going all in to give readers something special.”
Read on for details about each upcoming series, including cover art reveals for their debut issues.
Only the Savage Are Left
Only the Savage Are Left is a five-issue action-adventure story written by Kaplan, illustrated by Stefano Raffaele, colored by Thiago Rocha, and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Per the description, “surviving the monster-apocalypse requires you to become a monster yourself.”
“I am so excited to partner with Stefano on what we hope will be a powerful standout series, Only the Savage Are Left,” said Kaplan. “Comics like The Walking Dead were an inspiration for me to write comics, so to follow in its footsteps and to put our own take on the post-apocalyptic genre, and to explore the tragically savage nature of our society right now, well, we’re very excited. The series is dangerous and heartfelt and it’s gonna rock you.”
Raffaele said, “Only the Savage Are Left is a dream project for me. Zack and I have been looking for the right story to collaborate on for a long time, and this one immediately felt special. It’s powerful, emotional, and visually daring, a chance for me to fully unleash my cinematic approach to comics.”
Only the Savage Are Left #1 is slated for release on June 3.
The Smart Division
Kaplan and artist John J Pearson return with letterer Otsmane-Elhaou in a follow-up to Mindset with sci-fi detective series The Smart Division. The story follows two FBI agents attempting to stop an AI app that helps people commit perfect crimes.
“John Pearson and I have been planning our second series for years, looking for the right story and the right time,” said Kaplan. “The Smart Division takes everything you loved about our first series, Mindset—the playing with form, the thoughtful commentary on technology, and the tense character drama—and raises the bar, with more danger and dread.
“Artificial Intelligence is the hot topic of our time, but we’re exploring it like you’ve never seen,” he continued. “What happens when it helps us commit the perfect crimes? You’re gonna be blown away.”
“The Smart Division is a stone-cold crime thriller that takes you on an exploration of humanity and technology, which is exactly why I’m pushing my artwork into a more traditional approach and exploring the juxtaposition of the digital and the traditional,” said Pearson. “Embracing human errors and accidents as part of the creative process is integral to making art that speaks to people in a meaningful way, so with The Smart Division, that clear indication of it being made by a human hand is central to showing you the division, decay and evolution in this broken world of technological abundance.”
The Smart Division #1 will be available this fall. Stay tuned for more details.
Kill All Immortals III
The conclusion to Kaplan, Francesco Manna, Rocha, and Otsmane-Elhaou’s modern, immortal Viking trilogy, Kill All Immortals, will debut in the fall, featuring cover art by Oliver Barrett and Manna. Viking warrior Frey Asvald will face the reality of her broken family and immortal rivals, as well as the question of whether to free herself from immortality or embrace it.
“I cannot wait to bring you the finale of Kill All Immortals,” said Kaplan. “This series has been a big hit since it came out, capturing an exciting family drama of barbaric Vikings in our modern world. We’re so lucky to be joined by Marvel superstar Francesco Manna to deliver a poetic and action-packed conclusion to Frey Asvald’s story. We will not be holding back! It will be worthy of the series we’ve given you so far!”
Kill All Immortals III #1 will hit shelves later this year. Stay tuned for details.
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