Superhero RPG ‘Metahumans & Manticores’ Is Like a Marvel vs. DC Battle Royale, Designed by a Comic Book Dream Team
In March 2015, Blake Northcott, author of the best selling Arena Mode Saga series is releasing a much anticipated tabletop RPG based on her novels.
Metahumans & Manticores is set in “a dystopian future, where superhumans compete in a dangerous combat sporting event” and features artwork from many big names in the comics industry. Dave Johnson, Barry Kitson, Steve McNiven, and Natasha Allegri are just some of the many artists who grace the approximately 90-page core book.
Having been an on-and-off tabletop RPG gamer for three decades, I’m looking forward to the arrival of Metahumans & Manticores by Blake Northcott! The premise sounds awesome and, if executed well, it can solidly establish itself as a great RPG in it’s genre!
Press Release
In March of 2015 a different type of tabletop RPG will be hitting stores; a collaborative work with original characters designed by some of the biggest names in comics.
Metahumans & Manticores is based on the best-selling Arena Mode Saga novels; the sci-fi trilogy set in a dystopian future, where superhumans compete in a dangerous combat sporting event.
“This will be huge for RPG fans who are into comic books,” says Blake Northcott, author of the Arena Mode series. “It’s like a Marvel vs. DC Battle Royale, or a ‘Hunger Games’ scenario. Players can design their own character, or select any superhuman that appears in the books – it’s a cast of characters that were created by a comic book dream team.”
The approximately 90-page core book will feature artwork from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, Dark Horse, Boom! and IDW alumni, including:
- Natasha Allegri (Adventure Time, Fionna and Cake)
- John Broglia (God Complex, Unmasked)
- Joe Corroney (Star Wars, Star Trek)
- Dave Johnson (Deadpool, Punisher, Superman: Red Son)
- Barry Kitson (Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man)
- Derek Laufman (Batman Black & White, Marvel vs. Capcom)
- Mark McKenna (Star Wars: Old Republic, Justice League)
- Steve McNiven (Death of Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy)
- David Nakayama (Deadpool cover artist)
- Dan Panosian (Spawn, X-Men, Green Lantern)
- Roc Upchurch (Rat Queens)
As well as illustrations from Thor Mangila of Iron Age Comics, and YouTube personality Comic Book Girl 19.
“Some of the characters in the Arena Mode series are tropes,” explains Northcott. “They’re obvious nods to famous Marvel and DC characters, with classic superpowers – a guy who runs fast, another who flies and can shoot lasers from his eyes – that was very intentional. But there are also some wholly unique characters with some bizarre powers, and I think it’ll make for a nice blend of action. Every comic book store in the world has the ‘who is the toughest superhero’ debate on a regular basis, and this is the chance to act it out.”
Metahumans & Manticores will be available everywhere in March of 2015 in both print and digital, or, it can be pre-ordered now along with the last book of the Arena Mode series, Final Empire.
Like the Arena Mode series, the book will be released by Canadian publisher Noösphere Publishing. You can find out more about Final Empire at ArenaMode.com, and you can follow Blake on Twitter@ComicBookGrrl or Facebook.
Characters that will appear in ‘Metahumans & Manticores’
– The Comic Book Critic