The Expanse: Dragon Tooth
See you in da Belt, kopeng.
Oye, belotalowda.
I’ve been holding off spamming you with pointless fluff on Substack — that’s what Twitter’s for — but I finally have some news worthy of a newsletter. This week, our first issue of The Expanse: Dragon Tooth hit the shelves!
If you follow me on social media — or, hell, if you’ve spent any time with me down the pub — you know I’m a big fan of The Expanse. For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, it’s a Hugo Award-winning series of science fiction novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (writing as James SA Corey) that ranks high among my all-time favourite sci-fi. All six seasons of superb TV adaptation are on Amazon Prime, and if you haven’t yet discovered it, I urge you to seek it out. It’s a world to lose yourself in. I love it.
So what does any of this have to do with me? Not much, until a few months ago. I was just another fanboy, reading and re-reading the books, watching and re-watching the show with my son, lining up for panels at comic cons and getting my picture taken in the Rocinante… as you do. I even played a Belter in a live-streamed Expanse RPG on Twitch, terrible lang belta accent and all. Like everyone else, I mourned the fact that the show wasn’t renewed for a seventh season, but I was grateful for what we had: smart, politically relevant, kick-ass sci-fi for grownups.
Then out of the blue I got an email from editor Jon Moisan at Boom! Studios, asking if I might perhaps have any interest in writing comics of The Expanse…?
Pashang ya. I jumped at the offer so fast, I nearly stroked out from the g-force.
Alcon Entertainment, who hold the rights, were interested in exploring the 30 years of “missing time” between the end of the TV show and the events of the seventh novel, which is yet to be adapted for the screen. I wouldn’t be adapting any existing material; I’d be cooking up a whole new story with my favourite characters — or at least, those of them who are still alive by the end of Season 6…
Initially they were thinking of three four-issue mini-series, each by a different creative team, and I was just pitching for one of those minis. The key would be to come up with something that felt like a logical continuation of story threads from Season 6, without spoiling the (horrifying) surprise that lay ahead in the seventh novel. So I came up with a hook that I felt had some potential, and hopped on a Zoom call with Jon and “some of the guys from Alcon.” I didn’t know who…
The combination of trying out a new Zoom set-up while accidentally wearing the wrong glasses (note: I am a big dummy) meant my vision was out of focus. So when one of the guys was introduced as “Dan from Alcon” I just assumed it was some guy called Dan who worked for Alcon. It wasn’t until he mentioned living in Albuquerque that I realised the blurry face I was yammering at was Daniel. Fucking. Abraham.
… Don’t say anything stupid.
I’ve no idea if I actually did say anything stupid, because at this point some primitive and long-dormant survival instinct buried deep in my hindbrain snapped awake and seized control of my vocal cords. Somebody somewhere was talking and talking, and apparently it was me. What was I saying? Was it even English? No idea.
But gradually I returned to myself and the blurry faces seemed to be smiling and nodding and asking relevant questions, and my answers didn’t seem to be making the smiles go away. Although, as I say, I was wearing the wrong glasses, so actually they could have been silently mouthing “please fake an internet outage while there’s still time” and I’d have been none the wiser.
Had I aced it? Was I about to be blacklisted by one of my writing heroes? Honestly, it could have gone either way, until a few days later when Jon got back to me. Dan Abraham apparently was wondering if, instead of just four issues, I might be interested in writing all 12…?
Reader, I was interested.
Fast forward. I write up an outline, work their notes into the script and… somehow I’m writing The Expanse. I still can’t quite believe I get to dream up what happens next. Holden, Naomi, Amos, Bobbie and Clarissa. Avasarala, Drummer and Bull. The Rocinante and Medina and the Ring. Old animosities giving rise to new conflicts, and new problems to solve…
The story’s called Dragon Tooth, for reasons that will become apparent in time. It’s drawn by Rubén Cubiles (aka Rubine), who has the daunting task not only of matching the likenesses of the characters from the show, but also every ship, uniform, weapon, crew patch… and that’s a ton of work. Writing is easy by comparison.
Our main cover artist is the mighty Christian Ward, whose work is unlike anything else, and always beautiful. I hope they make prints. I need prints…
Boom’s Kickstarter campaign for deluxe hardcover collections, and digital issues with exclusive covers by Jamie McKelvie, made over $1.4 million in pledges. Clearly I’m not the only one who wants more of The Expanse…
I’ve seen Jamie’s first two covers and they’re amazing. I’m waiting to hear back about when I’m allowed to share them — but rest assured that when I can, I will. Right here.
The Kickstarter hardcover collections won’t be available for a while yet — we have to make the comics first! — but the series is already being released monthly in the traditional manner via Direct Market comic stores. Or if you wanna be all high-tech about it, you can download it digitally from Amazon, Apple Books, and Google Play.
… Okay, that post was longer than intended. I’ve always hated doing self-promotion, but you can tell this one’s close to my heart. Check it out, and I hope you’ll have as much fun reading The Expanse: Dragon Tooth as I’m having writing it.
Tenye wa chesh gut!
Sounds fantastic! I'm in!
Loved the first issue Andy! With the success of this kickstarter - would you be open to do another one for your own creator owned work?