From 2023 Hugo Award-winning writer and writer of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and showrunner of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Bartosz Sztybor and 2023 Hugo Award-winning artist Alessio Fioriniello, Dark Horse Comics presents The Weapon is Hungry, an original story of survival and sacrifice. Joining Sztybor (The Witcher: Corvo Bianco, Cyberpunk 2077: XOXO) and Fioriniello (The Frontier), are colorist Jonathan Amarillo, letterer Frank Cvetkovic (Cyberpunk 2077: XOXO, The Writer), and designer Piotr Niklas as the story of a dangerous weapon—or innocent child—arrives in bookstores and comic shops in September 2026.
“The Weapon is Hungry is a story I was writing for a few years,” says Sztybor. “We started working on it with Alessio almost 10 years ago, we even had 20 pages ready, much different than what you’ll see in the actual version. Though the story was similar, the emotional weight was different, I think I needed to become a parent to finally find what this story should be about. Though you have giant monsters here, yakuza, a crazy sushi chef and several huge Akira-like action sequences, it is a story about parenthood and responsibilities. I always write personal stories, about things and feelings that I don’t understand and that’s why I write, to explore them, understand them. But I always search for a perfect genre and pop cultural tropes to make those personal themes stand out more. That’s why the worst mother in the world (and a firefighter) suddenly needs to take care of a baby behemoth (so a kaiju-like creature) and decide what she’s really responsible for? For her human child (as a mother), a new born monster (as his guardian) or maybe for the whole of humanity (as a firefighter)? So the Weapon is Hungry is my attempt to understand; what are your most important duties and responsibilities when you’re a parent, a lover, a human being and is it possible to be and fulfil all at once.”
“It has been a long and intense journey, especially in truly exploring the characters’ emotions,” added Fioriniello. “I deeply admire Sztybor’s direction and his cinematic vision, which pushed me to build depth through movement and performance, while delivering the scale and impact that only a world of Kaiju can unleash in its action scenes.”
In The Weapon Is Hungry:
A child or a weapon of mass destruction—a deadbeat mother finds a second chance to get it right and another, to destroy the world! Estranged from her family, a troubled mom finds a baby kaiju, the first of its kind since their forced extinction. Despite its monstrous nature, she sees an innocent child worthy of love and protection, but will its true power soon be unleashed? Alongside her boyfriend, the son of an alcoholic veteran and her teammate, an eccentric chain smoker—the trio become entangled in a government conspiracy. With the yakuza, monster hunters, and a crazy sushi chef after them, they must make a choice: save the baby, save the world, or save themselves.
Experience an original story from the award-winning writer and artist behind Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams in The Weapon is Hungry when the 184-page (5.75×8.25”) paperback arrives in bookstores and comic shops on October 27, 2026, for $19.99. Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Find your comics store (FYCS) or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
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