1 Year Later, KPop Demon Hunters Officially Returns With Next Major Release

Few original films in recent memory have had the immediate impact of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Despite not being based on an existing property, KPop Demon Hunters was nothing short of a sensation, earning Netflix an Oscar and becoming the platform’s most-viewed film of all time. Given the film’s outrageous success, the question on everyone’s mind has naturally been what’s next for the burgeoning franchise.

While Netflix was quick to greenlight a KPop Demon Hunters sequel, it’s possible that it could be years off, leaving fans begging for even the slightest taste of more from the film’s unique world and characters. Luckily, though the sequel probably is probably far off, a new entry in the franchise is coming sooner than anyone predicted.

Netflix and Penguin Random House are teaming up to release KPop Demon Hunters: The Official Screen Comic Boxed Set on November 3rd. The massive 704-page tome will be a graphic retelling of the film in two volumes. The collection is currently available from booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The physical paperback edition will retail for $60.00, while the ebook will fetch a more modest $19.99 price. The book is currently available for preorder, so eager fans can already show their support.

KPop Demon Hunters’ Next Release Is A Bold Experiment

A glittering book cover for the upcoming KPop Demon Hunters comic. Only waves and the title are shown.

A relatively recent trend, screen comics are different from traditional graphic novels. Instead of featuring new artwork or a rewritten story that accommodates the medium of sequential storytelling, screen comics essentially use high-quality stills from an animated movie or TV series to retell an existing story.

For KPop Demon Hunters, that essentially means fans hoping for some new pieces of information or lore won’t find it with the Official Screen Comic Boxed Set. Still, though, there is certainly value in the emerging screen comics trend. It can be a way to signal support for something while looking good on a shelf and providing easy and private access to a property.

Other companies such as Viz have seen success adapting films like Kiki’s Delivery Service into screen comics, so it makes sense that Netflix would take this approach with KPop Demon Hunters.

KPop Demon Hunters’ Big Return Is A Sign Of The Franchise’s Strength

Huntrix standing confidently as demons descend on them in KPop Demon Hunters

Though KPop Demon Hunters: The Official Screen Comic Boxed Set might seem like a weird release to some fans, it’s undeniable proof that Netflix sees the film as a new franchise. Projects like screen comics are a bit niche in nature, so to see one release at all usually signals that it’s for a franchise the publisher has immense confidence in.

Given that KPop Demon Hunters is already Netflix’s most-viewed movie, it only makes sense that they would want to release things like the screen comic to tide fans over. It might not be for every KPop Demon Hunters fan, but Netflix clearly has enough faith in the true diehards that it feels the screen comic box set is a worthwhile endeavor.

Unfortunately, the wait for KPop Demon Hunters 2 is going to be long. There’s just no way around that. However, with side projects like KPop Demon Hunters: The Official Screen Comic Boxed Set, Netflix is clearly showing that they recognize the demand for more KPop Demon Hunters and more HUNTR/X.

With any luck, the upcoming November 3rd release of the screen comic set is only a herald of things to come for KPop Demon Hunters.