It’s been four years since Roy Miranda and Inaki Miranda launched the Eisner-nominated series We Live, the Miranda Brothers are back with a brand new series from Mad Cave Studios, and we’ve got your exclusive first look and details! The new series is titled Blade Forger, and presents the question of what happens when utopia is born from necessity and asks can one person change the world. It would seem that in this world, the answer is absolutely yes, as powerful swordsmen known as Blade Forgers have the chance to become the emperor of this world every five years. Fans will get to see how this next epic clash goes down in the new series, which is perfect for fans of Game of Thrones, One Piece, and Elden Ring, and features the team of Roy and Inaki Miranda, colorist Eva De La Cruz, and letterer Dave Sharpe.
The series follows the journey of a young Blade Forger named Owada, who has the opportunity to assume the role of Emperor if he can defeat the current Emperor in The Tournament of the Five Rings, which is held every five years. This is to ensure the upkeep of the Blade Forgers Treaty, which keeps the different nations of the world from going to war over the energy source Corum. You can find the official description below.
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“The discovery of CORUM, a never-before-seen energy source, led to a bloody world war for its control. These wars, and the devastation they caused, would lead to the BLADE FORGERS TREATY. The treaty was simple: Control of Corum would be given to a neutral Emperor.
The appointment of the Emperor would be anything but simple, however. The Emperor would be a BLADE FORGER, a mystical, powerful swordsman capable of controlling powerful spirits known as BATTLE KAISERS. The Emperor would have to defend their title every five years in The Tournament of the Five Rings. Blade Forgers from near and far come together to challenge the existing authority and for the chance to overcome the Emperor and take their crown. A young Blade Forger named Owada challenges the Emperor in the name of the forsaken people. This is the story of what happens next.”
A New World and One on Hold
“Blade Forger was born from two crises; both imposed and unexpected. The first was having to abandon (temporarily, we hope) our WE LIVE story halfway through, despite its success. We had to shut down a universe and characters that were already part of our lives and with whom we had come to build a dream. That’s not easy to assimilate,” the Miranda Brothers said in a joint statement.
“The second was the world energy crisis resulting from the war between Russia and Ukraine. For months there were warnings in Europe about the possibility of energy supplies not reaching homes. We talked about the fear and helplessness that arises when a basic commodity cannot reach everyone, knowing that what will happen is only under the control of large corporations. And the consequences: something as simple as a family not being able to afford heating in winter. The question that triggered the idea was: could energy become a common good for all? All the pieces fell into place in a magical way. The entire Mad Cave team absorbed our enthusiasm and multiplied it by 100. We promised we’d be back! And as Blade Forger’s slogan says: a promise is a promise.”
“Blade Forger is for those of us who grew up watching Digimon and One Piece, and playing Mortal Kombat and Final Fantasy X,” said Mad Cave Studios Editor, Christina Harrington. “It’s a mature, fun, fighting-filled adventure where we see warriors known as Blade Forgers summon powerful fighting spirits called Battle Kaisers from a world beyond their own, as they compete in bombastic spectacles in a race to become the next Emperor–all of this, of course, told with the grounded, emotionally-charged storytelling we’ve come to love from the Miranda brothers.”
Blade Forger will hit comic stores on March 5th, 2025.
Are you excited for the new series? You can talk all things comics with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!