New Readers
Black Rose is a webcomic that depicts a fantasy world entering an industrial revolution – a world facing war between the magic-using nation of Ishtakar and the steampunk country of Athelica. The series follows a brother and sister through the tumultuous evolution of their world.
FANTASY IS DEAD
Though technically a fantasy story, Black Rose is not a high fantasy – there are no elves or dwarves here, no medieval nobles vying for control of a pseudo-European kingdom. Our goal is gritty realism and believability. To use some famous examples, it mixes the rich worldbuilding of high fantasy such as Lord of the Rings with modern, character-driven storytelling like that of Battlestar Galactica.
RATING
The comic is rated PG-13ish for language and occasional graphic violence. It’s not for little kids, but it’s not super-explicit either. Think along the lines of classic Indiana Jones – some swearing, some bloody combat, and some supernatural face-melting.
UPDATE SCHEDULE
Black Rose was originally released in print form – as an independently-published comic book – but we transitioned to the free-to-read webcomic format in 2013, and post a new page every Wednesday.
DEAD TREES, PLEASE
We also collect Black Rose in gorgeous printed volumes, which you can purchase in our online store (along with other sweet stuff like art prints and limited-edition concept art sketchbooks).
So welcome to the world of Black Rose – we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Happy reading!