Dark Horse Books presents the epic Afrofuturistic saga Imbokodo, now available in a paperback volume that gathers all four issues of the comic series together in one book. The series is written by Thabo Rametsi and Thabiso Mabanna of Nguniverse Studios, with art, colors, and cover art by Katlego Motaung, letters by Frank Cvetkovic, and logo art by Gil Lazcano. It was developed in partnership with Secret Menu, the new media venture recently launched by Academy Award-winning actress and producer Charlize Theron, Dawn Olmstead, Beth Kono and AJ Dix, with an eye towards a scripted adaptation.
In the land of the pyramid sun, Ndawo, a single step for the Badimu (Gods) is a thousand Muntu (human) lifetimes. And in the war of the Badimu, from the smallest cut shall flow rivers of Muntu blood… endless rivers of blood.
War breaks out among the Badimu, casting a darkness over Ndawo. A darkness that would birth genocide and war among the Muntu. And now, a thousand years later—Ndawo remains divided into several Empires. As the brutal war reaches a bloody crescendo, numerous young girls mysteriously go missing from their villages in the empire of Mwenemutapa, leaving behind only a trail of carnage in their wake.
In Mwenemuntapa, a nameless woman, whose sister is among the missing, fights to join the ranks of the elite warriors tasked with investigating the missing girls. They are the greatest warriors in all of Ndawo—they are THE IMBOKODO.
“When Thabo and Thabiso from Nguniverse Studios first brought us this idea, we were so impressed with the epic scope and emotional depth of this world they created with such incredibly powerful female African warriors at the center” says Theron. “We knew we found a perfect home in Dark Horse when they saw the same potential in Thabo and Thabiso’s unique and special vision. As our company’s first foray into the publishing space, we couldn’t have asked for better creative partners than Thabo and Thabiso, and we can’t wait for the world to meet the indomitable warrior women of the Imbokodo.”
Take a look at the cover art below:
The Imbokodo paperback collection will be available in bookstores on July 15, 2025 and in comic shops on July 16, 2025. The book is available for pre-order now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, TFAW, and wherever books and comicsare sold. It will retail for $19.99.