“Welcome to Illverness! As your eyes last flutter with life and the end you have both dreamed of and feared confronts you, what would comfort you most?"

So begins the dramatic introduction to the Court of the Dead: Grave Tales - A Comics Omnibus by none other than Death’s own chronicler-fool, Malavestros.  

This soft-cover anthology features nine comics that can be read either as standalone or as a continuous story. A unique page of art and a cheeky message from Malavestros introduces each new tale, provides a bridge between stories, and builds the Court of the Dead world. Eight of the nine stories have been released over Court of the Dead social media over the last three years, but none of the comics have ever been collected altogether and printed. The ninth comic is brand new and exclusive to this omnibus. 

"We’ve been making comics for a number of years now, so to finally release them between two covers and put a spotlight on the artists we’ve worked with, as well as the world and characters we created, is really exciting,” says the book’s designer, Sr. Brand Manager Ricky Lovas. "In addition to some previously released stories, there is one brand new one as well as a glimpse into the art generation process here at Sideshow.” 

Grave Tales features six pages of exclusive behind-the scenes content, providing a glimpse into how Sideshow creates comics. From the evolution of artwork from sketches through colors to 3D character concept design, the “making of” content is diverse and gorgeous.  

“Making comics is one of the most involved yet rewarding forms of storytelling there is,” writes Tom Gilliland, creator of the Court of the Dead, in the introduction to the behind-the-scenes section.  

The nine comics collected in the Grave Tales omnibus includes a world-famous cast of writers and artists, including Manuel Garcia, Ariel Olivetti, Landry Walker, Corinna Bechko and David Palumbo - among others.  

The Court of the Dead: Grave Tales - A Comics Omnibus is a highly visual, entertaining primer for anyone wishing to delve into this dark fantasy world.