Last month's BlizzCon 2021 announced a plethora of new Overwatch-related news, most of it about the game's future sequel, Overwatch 2. Rumors of new Overwatch heroes also continue to circulate despite game director Jeff Kaplan stating there will be no new heroes until Overwatch 2. Silently marching forward amid all the ruckus have been the Overwatch comics, which will be getting an update to the previously released Overwatch Anthology called Overwatch Anthology: Expanded Edition.
The Overwatch comics began back in 2016 and are a rich source of lore for fans to dig into. These stories have covered everything from McCree's past involvement with Blackwatch to Torbjorn's unlikely relationship with Bastion. Each digital comic is around ten pages, and many of the Overwatch heroes' personal lives and adventures are detailed. All of these comics are compiled in a hardcover book called the Overwatch Anthology, which is now getting an expanded edition with new content for fans to enjoy.
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The Overwatch Anthology: Expanded Edition is a new hardcover book that includes all of the Overwatch short comics from the original anthology along with seven new stories. The book will also get new cover art by Bengal, who illustrated both the "Train Hopper" and "Old Soldiers" shorts. The updated version of the Overwatch Anthology will reportedly add over fifty pages of new comics and behind-the-scenes content.
The Overwatch Anthology: Expanded Edition is scheduled to release in comics shops on November 10 and book stores on November 23. Is is available to pre-order right now for $24.99. Another recent collection from Blizzard and Dark Horse Comics is the graphic novel of the London Calling series featuring Tracer. This series chronicles Tracer's efforts to promote peace between humans and omnics after the disbanding of the Overwatch organization, and it will release on September 18.
As the Overwatch franchise continues to grow, so will its stories. With the likely addition of new heroes and more narrative-driven content in Overwatch 2, the Overwatch comics will probably become a prominent resource for fans eager to learn more about the world Blizzard has created. Some character designs from the comics have already become skins in Overwatch, like Comic Book Tracer, as well as sprays and icons.
Alternatively, Blizzard could choose to focus less on comics for the Overwatch universe and put more emphasis on the animated shorts that also provide important backstory for characters. With rumors of a new pet dog character for Overwatch 2 that director Jeff Kaplan says fans will love, many are wondering if there are any clues in the animated shorts or comics as to which hero might be getting the pet.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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