Mad Cave Studios and Scott Chantler are teaming up to deliver the definitive edition of his hit comic series Three Thieves, and it will hit stores early next year. These new editions will give longtime fans a gorgeous new version of their favorite story, and for those who have never experienced this adventure, you will have the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. ComicBook had the chance to speak to Chantler all about bringing fans this new and improved version of the series as well as what fans can expect in Vol. 1, and we’ve even got a look and some details at Three Thieves Vol. 2 as the cherry on top.
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Chantler couldn’t be more thrilled about teaming up with Papercutz to bring these stories back to print, and looking back to when his journey with these characters and their grand story started, the thing that sticks out most is how his own kids have grown since Three Thieves’ original debut. “Mostly how young my kids were then (I had a 3 year old and a newborn) versus how old they are now (21 and 18). Not kids at all any more! But it’s nice to be taken back to that time,” Chantler said.
If you’ve never had the chance to read the original stories, now is a brilliant time to dive in and get to know this oddball group of lovable (and rather timeless) characters. “Our main character, Dessa, is a smart and daring young acrobat. Topper, a juggler and pickpocket, is sort of like her mischievous little brother. Fisk, who’s physically very strong, plays the role of a protective older brother,” Chantler said. “There’s a lot of classic action/adventure stuff going on, which is timeless in its own way, but I think the dynamic between the three title characters — a sort of found family — is what people really respond to.”
The Story You Love
Chantler is recreating everything from scratch, and that does allow for some flexibility in terms of changing things in this newer version. While there might be some subtle changes to improve overall clarity and matching stylistic elements across all of the books, don’t expect any big changes to the story or characters you know and love.
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“There are certainly things, especially in the earlier books, that I was tempted to change. Panels to redraw, or lines of dialogue that I’d write differently now. But I resisted that temptation. I didn’t want to “George Lucas” it, making wholesale changes to parts of the books that might well be some readers’ favorites. I’ve adjusted the color levels here and there to ensure the new editions looks better in print, and — in very rare cases — re-colored things for the sake of story clarity. I’ve also changed the lettering font in the first two books to make it consistent with books three through five. But for the most part, the series is going to be just how people remember it. Only better,” Chantler said.
Bittersweet Reunion
While Chantler adores all of the characters in Three Thieves, there is one in particular that he has loved getting the chance to see again. “Without spoiling anything specific, original readers will know that there’s a heroic sacrifice made by a particular character toward the end of the series,” Chantler said. “Having that character back, even temporarily, as these new editions roll out has been bittersweet.”
The plan is to move through all 7 books one at a time, and while we’ll have to wait a bit to get to the latter books, Chantler did preview a bit of what fans can expect in Book Two, and you can check out the new cover for Three Thieves: The Sign of the Black Rock in the image above.
“In Book Two, The Sign of the Black Rock, our title characters are sheltering from a storm in a roadside inn, and the knights who are chasing them show up, also seeking shelter,” Chantler said. “So it constricts the chase to a single building, which is a lot of fun. With the first book I had to set up all the characters and the overall plot, but with the second I could really zero in on the theme of escape, and what that means to various characters. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.”
Three Thieves Vol. 1 will hit stores in February of 2025.
Are you excited for Three Thieves? You can talk all things comics and graphic novels with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb and on Bluesky @knightofoa!
