Relevance to geek and gaming culture: This comic is a crossover graphic novel that unites more than 43 Black comic publishers and creators, presenting the Black comics community and connecting to our mission of representation in media and fandom.
Author: Newsroom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SEPT. 22, 2026 (PORTLAND, OR) — More than 43 Black comics publishers bring their heroes and heroines together in EPIPHANY ENGINE, a 224-page crossover graphic novel from Advent Comics. With Joseph P. Illidge serving as Editorial Director and Co-Art Director, the project brings decades of independent characters, creators, and worlds into one multiverse-spanning story.
Originally launched on Kickstarter in June 2024, Epiphany Engine raised $62,785 from 765 backers. Fulfillment of the completed graphic novel begins this week, as Advent Comics will also release it at Baltimore Comic-Con (September 25-27).
A family of adventurers is thrust into chaos as a threat emerges from beyond that looks to destroy them and reality itself. To survive, various heroes must step up and come together to protect the multiverse, as nothing will ever be the same again!
The graphic novel features a cover illustrated by ChrisCross (Noir is the New Black: The Winterfields) and colors by Wil Quintana (X-Men: Age of Revelation), with interior art by Sean Damien Hill (Predator vs. Black Panther), D.C. Alonso (Avengers), N. Steven Harris (Catacomb of Torment), and Walt Barna (Dark Blood).
“This year of great cooperative accomplishments in comics and the Black Comics Community, from the overwhelming success of New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident to the introduction of the Ink Alliance of Black-owned comic shop owners, continues with Epiphany Engine,” said Illidge. “Serving as Editorial Director and Co-Art Director on this graphic novel has been an honor and a mission of service, working with so many amazing creators and characters from dozens of Black-owned publishers. Advent Comics’ Tony Kittrell, Jiba Molei Anderson of Griot Enterprises, Marcus Roberts of Second Sight Publishing, and I have put in many hours over the last two and a half years to shape this book into a work that will stand the test of time alongside Crisis on Infinite Earths, Secret Wars, and the massive superhero sagas of popular culture. Epiphany Engine is a love letter to comics, the Black Independent Comics Community, fans, and families everywhere who stand together in the face of impossible odds.”
“This is a dream project fans have been asking for over many years, and we’re incredibly proud to finally bring it to them,” said Tony Kittrell, owner, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Advent Comics. “For too long, people said a crossover like Epiphany Engine could never happen because the Black comics community couldn’t come together to make it work. I had an issue with that assumption, and proving it wrong became one of the reasons I wanted to lead this project. With fulfillment of the graphic novel now underway for our Kickstarter backers, we’ll have a very limited number of copies available at Baltimore Comic-Con. I also wanted to allow the general public to experience the story, so we’re releasing a special Epiphany Engine comic book collecting the graphic novel’s first chapter on a future date to be announced.”
Joseph P. Illidge is an award-winning writer, editor, and creative executive whose work spans DC Comics, Milestone Media, Heavy Metal, Lion Forge, Image Comics, and Simon & Schuster. His recent projects include New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident, The Shadow Cabinet, and the Spawn Universe series Bloodletter. Illidge is also the CEO of Illuminous, where he works with creators and entrepreneurs to develop original characters and worlds, assemble the right artistic teams, and bring new intellectual properties to market through comics and graphic novels.
For the first time, Illidge will have his own table at Baltimore Comic-Con, alongside Griot Enterprises and Second Sight Publishing! Visit Booth #1710 to learn more about Epiphany Engine, Advent Comics, Illuminous, and all his latest projects.
Source: Don’t Hide PR, SEPT. 22, 2026