Dynamite Launches Compact Editions With ‘Pathfinder: Dark Waters Rising’

One of the biggest stories in comics of the past few years is DC’s innovating Compact Comics. It’s taken a little while for other publishers to follow suit, but now Dynamite is getting into the game with their first Compact Edition, and it’s an interesting choice: Pathfinder: Dark Waters Rising.

Running 224 pages in a 5.5″ x 8.5″ format, the book will cost $9.99 and collect six issues of Dynamite’s 2012 Pathfinder series from writer Jim Zub and artist Andrew Huerta, alongside a 10-page story and 30 pages of “worldbuilding details.”

Here’s the synopsis for the series, in case you can’t remember from 14 years ago:

The warrior Valeros trusts in his sword skills and his companions, which include the enigmatic sorceress Seoni, the clever elven rogue Merisiel, the formidable wizard Ezren, the seasoned dwarven ranger Harsk, and the brave cleric Kyra. However, this group of adventurers is unprepared for the threats that lie in wait. The fragmented goblin tribes of Varisia are coming together in unprecedented ways.

So, I said interesting choice because nothing against the Zubhub, but… Pathfinder? Really? Maybe this is a stealth best-seller, or perhaps the rights were easily available. And Dynamite does indicate there are plenty more Compact Editions to come. But the secret sauce of DC’s Compact Comics has been: 1) small trim size, 2) affordable price, and 3) stories everyone wants to read, all the time.

Dynamite has hit the first two, but (again, nothing against Pathfinder) it’s surprising to see they haven’t started with — off the top of the dome — Vampirella, Red Sonja, The Boys, any of their Disney books, or really, any sort of top tier character/property from the wide array of books Dynamite holds the license to.

Hey, maybe I’m wrong! Maybe the Path-heads are slavering for this. Dynamite chief Nick Barrucci indicates that Pathfinder is a big seller in Barnes & Noble in an email to press, so that’s likely the impetus here. As is, it’s good to see Dynamite getting into this format regardless, and I’m certainly looking forward to more to come.

Pathfinder: Dark Waters Rising Compact Edition hits stores — including Barnes & Noble — in June.

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