The Acclaimed Western Fantasy Returns This September

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JULY 21, 2026 (PORTLAND, OR) — Following the acclaimed release of Hotblood! Vol. 1: The Land of Promise and creator Toril Orlesky’s 2026 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award nomination, Mad Cave Studios proudly welcomes readers back to the world of Hotblood!. Written, illustrated, and lettered by Orlesky, HOTBLOOD! VOL. 2: THE VALLEY OF KINGS continues the acclaimed reimagining of the 2017 hit webcomic Zarco—a story about grief, crime that pays, and a desperate chase up the Pacific Coast.

Welcome back to the red days of the West, where centaurs and humans coexist, and nothing good lasts. When two bodies turn up in the ashes of a burned homestead, one lawman picks up a trail that leads its bloody way back to Asa and Rook.

Nine years after the events of Hotblood! Vol 1: The Land of Promise, Evander Rook is a centaur on the run. When his trail leads to two unidentifiable corpses in a burned-down house, it’s the job of US Marshal Zarco to bring him in – dead or alive. But as he gets closer to his quarry, what started as a routine investigation will lead Zarco to the edge of everything he’s ever known.

Perfect for fans of Beastars, House of Five Leaves, Starfighter, and Brokeback Mountain, Hotblood! continues to carve out its own distinctive space by blending western grit, fantasy, crime fiction, and deeply human storytelling into a haunting frontier epic.

Fans attending San Diego Comic-Con can meet Orlesky during a signing at the Mad Cave Studios Booth #2806 on Saturday, July 25, from 1:00-2:00 PM, where readers can pick up Hotblood! Vol. 1, have books signed, and celebrate one of comics’ most exciting emerging creators.

Hotblood! Vol. 2: The Valley of Kings goes on sale September 8, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545829851 | $19.99). The Direct Market FOC date is August 17. Preorder now from your local comic shop, favorite bookstore, or from Mad Cave directly.