Mad Cave Studios is bringing Grit back to print this summer, reintroducing readers to the brutal fantasy world created by writer Brian Wickman (The Greylock) and artist Kevin Castaniero (War of the Worlds: Thunder Child).
Originally published by Scout Comics in 2020, the series returns in a new paperback edition featuring colors by Simon Gough (Zorro) and lettering by three-time Ringo Award nominee Micah Myers. You can preorder it wherever books and comics are sold.
The story follows Old Man Barrow, a grizzled adventurer who has spent years solving problems with the swing of an axe. From hunting trolls to battling feral bog-hounds, Barrow has seen just about everything. That confidence is tested when a routine job spirals into a confrontation with a dangerous cult bent on bringing about the end of the world.
Along the way, Barrow finds himself paired with Ari, a sharp-tongued witch who has little patience for his violent methods. Together they navigate grotesque rituals, goblin conflicts, and even the insults of trash-talking songbirds while facing a threat that neither can overcome alone.
“Kevin and I have always felt right at home in the gnarly, bloody world of Grit, and we’re thrilled to be working with Mad Cave,” said Wickman.
Castaniero reflected on returning to the series, saying, “Grit is one of those books that, for me, was this perfect storm of violence and humour. Getting to draw Barrow hacking away at goblins in one instance, and then Barrow getting down on the ground to investigate something… less heroic, was a blast. I hope you all have as much fun reading this book as I did drawing it.”
Part of what gives Grit its personality is the dynamic between Barrow and Ari, two characters whose designs helped shape who they became on the page.
“In a lot of ways, Barrow’s personality was reverse-engineered from his design,” Wickman explained. “We knew that we were playing in well-worn trope territory as we built this grumpy old man, but the design really pushed a hardened, blue-collar vibe that sort of wound up defining his voice. Barrow approaches this grim work with the energy of a factory line worker counting down the days to retirement, but there’s this underlying sadness; as much as he begrudges his work, he doesn’t know who he is without it.”
For Castaniero, the character immediately brought a familiar image to mind.
“The first thing that popped into my head when reading the script was James Caan from the film Way of the Gun. This barrel-chested dude whose presence alone commanded authority. I also took inspiration from my dad.”
Ari serves as a sharp contrast to Barrow’s rough-and-tumble worldview. Much of her past remains a mystery throughout the story, something both creators wanted reflected in her appearance.
“Ari’s background in the book is almost entirely a mystery, so her design needed to do some heavy lifting to communicate what readers needed to know about her,” Wickman said. “She still feels like she belongs in this world, but there’s a lot of subtle othering going on from the jump. Her tattoos and piercings don’t feel over-the-top, but they establish her as this sort-of low fantasy crust punk outsider.”
Castaniero added, “I wanted Ari to feel mysterious. I felt like her design was more focused on the reader immediately recognizing she’s different and also wondering what her markings and piercings meant. I wanted her to look well-traveled even at a young age. Fun fact…her finger tattoos are the same ones I have on my hand. I didn’t initially plan that out; I just threw that in at the last minute as an Easter egg.”
The book’s horror elements also played a major role in the creative process, especially when it came to designing the monstrous Grachiel.
“I remember when we were going through designs for Grachiel, the rubric we went with to pick the winner was, ‘Which one do we like looking at the least?’” Wickman said. “There’s something really unsettling about the sort of geometric-shape-meets-biological-matter design that we landed on. We joked at some point that Grachiel was one vein away from needing a black bag cover.”
Castaniero said the creature evolved considerably before reaching its final form.
“I knew I wanted this like a hulking mass for our first iteration of Grachiel. I toyed around with multiple limbs but eventually landed on the more humanoid version with just four limbs. To me, that seemed creepier climbing out of a pit than a multi-limbed giant. The skull at the top was a last-minute cherry on top that just seemed so grotesque and eerie.”
Wickman also praised Castaniero’s ability to shift between the series’ comedy and horror without missing a beat.
“Kevin has such incredible range, and bounces so seamlessly between slapstick comedy and absolutely bonkers body horror in this book. We operated on the same wavelength from start to finish on Grit, and I knew that no matter what the script threw his way, be it a bunch of rude crows bickering with Ari or a big, goopy demon climbing its way free from a pile of goblin corpses, it was going to be dripping with his unmistakable style.”
For readers who enjoy fantasy with equal parts grit, gore, and dark humor, the series sits comfortably alongside books like Head Lopper and Orc Stain. The new edition offers a chance for readers to discover the cult favorite or revisit it in a fresh format.
Grit goes on sale July 21, 2026, in paperback for $17.99. The collection is available for preorder now through local comic shops, bookstores, and directly from Mad Cave Studios. Final Order Cutoff is June 29.
Check out the preview below.
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