The Ludocrats

The Ludocrats! The aristocrats of ludicrous! Defending reality from the encroaching forces of boredom while having a nice time. KIERON GILLEN (DIE, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE) and JIM ROSSIGNOL (Sir, You Are Being Hunted) write! JEFF STOKELY (The Spire) draws! TAMRA BONVILLAIN (Once and Future) colors! CLAYTON COWLES (Every excellent comic) letters! The universe screams in pleasure, writhing, finally satisfied, complete, joyous! COLLECTS THE LUDOCRATS #1-5

We were going to give away a free pen on the cover of this issue, as it's the penultimate issue, but we costed it, and then our accountant attacked us, and then we decided to just do the comic instead. Hope thatÕs okay with you. I'm sorry. We're disappointed too, but also bleeding from the accountant onslaught.

CONCLUSION! LUDOCRATS ends as it began, with the release of a 32-page comic pamphlet. We leave you with fond memories and longing. Forevermore, LUDOCRATS will be the comic whose name you accidentally moan when having sex with other lesser comics.

The Ludocrats! The aristocrats of ludicrous! A collision of the ornate fantasy of Dune and an M-rated Asterix & Obelix! Baron Otto Von Hades and Professor Hades Zero-K are here, and they're going to save us all have a nice time. KIERON GILLEN (DIE, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE) and JIM ROSSIGNOL (Sir, You Are Being Hunted) write! JEFF STOKELY (The Spire) draws! TAMRA BONVILLAIN (Once & Future) colors! Clayton Cowles (BITTER ROOT, DIE) letters! The universe screams in pleasure, writhing, finally satisfied, complete, joyous!

LUDOCRATS, the comic that makes its whole creative team shout, "Oh God. What have we done? Why didn't anyone stop us?" on a monthly basis.

How could we follow the startling first issue of LUDOCRATS? With issue two. Sometimes it doesn't pay to overthink these things. Herein, stuff of a ludicrous and oft entertaining character happens.

"WICKED GAME," Part One The new story arc of MARCO B. BUCCI and JACOPO CAMAGNI's genre-bending saga opens with a bang! Becky Kumar's literal leap of faith unhinged the doors to a world of magic, and now everyone in Manhattan can see their reality is just a piece of a bigger picture. Is it the end of the Secret? Also, the face-off we've been waiting for since the first issue: the Witch vs. the King, with Fer and the Wild Hunt somewhere in the middle. Oh, and who are those FOUR other Beckys, by the way?

Last year, before The Recurrence, fans gathered from their lonely worlds at RAGNAROCK to wonder whether the gods were really about to return or not. Now, as the next RAGNAROCK approaches, everyone knows things are different. What's more, there are two gods still to emerge. Will anyone there get 'lucky?' Look at us whistle, shuffle feet, and avoid eye contact.

"RUE LE JOUR," Part Five In the pulse-pounding story arc finale, a ghoulish wedding is about to happen in the deepest, darkest bayou swamps. But with Lou rampaging in his werewolf form, it's going to be hard for him to speak now or forever hold his peace.

The STRAY DOGS adventure concludes with this giant-sized anthology issue. Take this last walk with us as we say goodbye to old friends, meet some new dogs, and make one final trip out to the Master’s house of horrors.

"FOREST," Part One NEW STORY ARC! Everything changes for the Hayes family as the Tree Plague envelops the world. Meanwhile, in the future, Josh fights for his life and uncovers an Arborist plot.

In the nineties, six teenagers disappeared into a fantasy role-playing game. Only five returned. Nearly thirty years later, these broken adults are dragged back to discover the game isn’t finished with them yet. KIERON GILLEN (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE) and STEPHANIE HANS (Journey Into Mystery)’s award-winning, critical-hit series is collected in a single, beautiful, oversized hardcover volume. Collects DIE #1-20 Select praise for DIE: “GILLEN subverts high fantasy adventure tropes with an infusion of creepy horror, resulting in an exploration of arrested adolescence and the effects of childhood trauma made truly haunting by Hans’ realistic illustrations and Cowles’ gloomy color palette.” —Library Journal “Makes for a heady combination of fascinating worldbuilding, compellingly broken characters tearing each other apart (sometimes emotionally, sometimes literally), and vivid, striking artwork.” —io9/Gizmodo “A deliciously dark Phantom Tollbooth-like journey told through a lens of broken humanity and a deconstruction of the role-playing game’s roots. I am entranced.” —Matthew Mercer, Critical Role TRIM SIZE: 7.25" x 10.875"

We’ve had dragons. The award-winning bleak deconstruction couldn’t end without turning its unblinking eye upon a dungeon. There’s no escape. There’s only down. Collects DIE #16-20

Now the eleventh god is here, it's time to party. You're invited. Everyone's invited. We can sleep when we're dead -- but when you'll be dead within two years, you may as well turn up in your pyjamas. After seven issues of egomaniacs, it's time for an issue where the crowd is the star.

Ananke is dead. What do the gods do? Whatever they want. What can go wrong? Everything. Literally, everything. The bestselling, critically acclaimed comic by KIERON GILLEN, JAMIE McKELVIE, and MATTHEW WILSON reaches its Imperial Phase, with copious "making of" material and extensive director's commentary. Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #23-33

Our all-star celebration of Image's 30th anniversary rolls on, including all-new shorts by ED BRUBAKER & SEAN PHILLIPS, CHUCK BROWN & STEVEN STATZ, SIMON ROY, and JOHN ARCUDI & DOUG MAHNKE. Plus: more of "The Blizzard" by GEOFF JOHNS & ANDREA MUTTI, "Closer" by KIERON GILLEN & STEVE LIEBER, "Red Stitches" by BRENDEN FLETCHER & ERICA HENDERSON, "Gehenna" by PATRICK KINDLON & MAURIZIO ROSENZWEIG, "Hack/Slash vs. Image" by TIM SEELEY & STEFANO CASELLI, "Billy Dogma" by DEAN HASPIEL and "Stupid Fresh Mess" by SKOTTIE YOUNG!

Our all-star celebration of Image's 30th anniversary rolls on with an all-new CASANOVA story by MATT FRACTION GABRIEL Ba & FABIO MOON! Plus: THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH by JAMES TYNION IV & SIMMONDS and "The Blizzard" by PAUL GRIST begin a three-part serial with "Closer" . This issue also features the latest installments of "The Blizzard" by GEOFF JOHNS & ANDREA MUTTI "The Blizzard" by KIERON GILLEN & STEVE LIEBER "Red Stitches" by BRENDEN FLETCHER & ERICA HENDERSON "Gehenna" by PATRICK KINDLON & MAURIZIO ROSENZWEIG "Hack/Slash vs. Image" by TIM SEELEY & STEFANO CASELLI and "Dutch" by JOE CASEY & NATHAN FOX. And course the continuation of "Billy Dogma" by DEAN HASPIEL and "Stupid Fresh Mess" by SKOTTIE YOUNG!

Our all-star celebration of Image’s 30th anniversary continues with a new WYTCHES story from SCOTT SNYDER & JOCK! Plus: KIERON GILLEN & STEVE LIEBER begin a three-part serial with “Closer,” and JAY FAERBER unites eight artists for a NOBLE CAUSES reunion. This issue also features the latest installments of “The Blizzard” by GEOFF JOHNS & ANDREA MUTTI, “Red Stitches” by BRENDEN FLETCHER & ERICA HENDERSON, “Gehenna” by PATRICK KINDLON & MAURIZIO ROSENZWEIG, “Hack/Slash vs. Image” by TIM SEELEY & STEFANO CASELLI, and “Dutch” by JOE CASEY & NATHAN FOX. And course, the continuation of “Billy Dogma” by DEAN HASPIEL and “Stupid Fresh Mess” by SKOTTIE YOUNG!

RETURN TO THE MASQUERADE in this collection featuring the complete collection of tales no Labyrinth fan will want to miss! Celebrate the beloved Jim Henson fantasy film with this complete hardcover collection of stories from inside the magical walls of the labyrinth! Featuring the secret history of Sir Didymus and the untold story of one of Jareth’s Masquerade guests who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after Sarah shatters the mirror during the Masquerade Ball, in addition to stories featuring fan-favorite characters like Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and the Goblin King himself. This epic collection showcases imaginative tales from critically acclaimed writers and artists, including Jonathan Case (The New Deal), Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma), Gustavo Duarte (Bizarro), Roger Langridge (Snarked), Katie Cook (Star Wars: ABC-3PO), Jeff Stokely (The Ludocrats), S.M. Vidaurri (Labyrinth: Under the Spell), Sina Grace (Superman: Kal-El Returns), Michael Dialynas (Wynd), Sarah Webb (The Storyteller: Sirens), Boya Sun (5 Worlds), Lara Elena Donnelly (The Amberlough Dossier), French Carlomagno (The Dead Lucky), Pius Bak (Eat The Rich), Samantha Dodge (Catwoman: Soulstealer), and many more! Collects Labyrinth: Shortcuts Vol. 1 HC and Labyrinth: Under the Spell HC.

"THE FIRST COURSE," Part Four Body disposal ain't what it used to be.