Science fiction comics have no shortage of sprawling universes, but one of the most ambitious currently being built has taken an unusual route to reach readers. Three Worlds / Three Moons, or 3W/3M, is a shared science-fiction setting created by Jonathan Hickman, Mike del Mundo, Mike Huddleston, and Nick Spencer. It began online in 2021, inviting readers to follow the worldbuilding process as it happened rather than simply receiving a finished comic.
That approach has helped 3W/3M grow into something bigger than a conventional comic-book series. Its creators have developed thousands of pages of stories and lore, experimented with digital reading platforms, and built a community around the universe. Dark Horse's 2026 publishing partnership is bringing the project to a much wider comic-shop and bookstore audience, but the printed books are only one part of its appeal.
Hickman introduced the project on August 9, 2021, describing it as a "concept universe" rather than a single storyline. Individual characters, locations, histories, and comics would contribute to a larger whole. Its foundational conflict moves through recurring eras in which science and magic rise and fall, giving the setting room to support stories across vastly different periods.
The premise is deliberately wider than a single space-faring adventure. The worldbuilding ranges across Akva, Therra, and Heir, alongside three moons, with societies, belief systems, economies, and political structures that give each corner of the universe its own identity. The creators wanted those details established before individual plots needed them, so the world could feel as if it existed beyond any protagonist.
The original creative group brought together Hickman with artists del Mundo and Huddleston, whose visual and design work helped shape the setting from the ground up. Nick Spencer later joined the core team, while other writers and artists contributed individual systems and stories. The project was conceived as a place where different creative voices could build connected material, not simply as one writer's long-running serial.
That approach also explains why the series can feel different from a traditional monthly comic. Hickman wanted stories of varying lengths and formats, with releases appearing when the work was ready rather than being forced into a standard issue count. He was also interested in restoring surprise to comics publishing, letting readers encounter new stories and artwork without every release being mapped out through conventional previews.
Jonathan Hickman and Mike del Mundo's 64-page graphic novel
Jonathan Hickman's introduction to the universe
Further exploration of the setting's lore
Geography and locations across the three worlds and three moons
Historical events, stories, and additional lore
The audience was part of the plan from the beginning. In his launch essay, Hickman said the team wanted readers to have a front-row seat during the creation process, with meaningful input at certain stages. That did not mean turning every plot point into a vote or handing over authorship. Instead, the creators made the development of characters, environments, lore, and creative decisions unusually visible.
That transparency became a key part of 3W/3M's identity. Through online posts, the team shared comics alongside process material and conversations about how the universe was designed. Readers could see how visual ideas connected to cultural details, why a place appeared where it did, or how a society's rules influenced the stories set inside it. Worldbuilding became part of the entertainment, not disposable bonus material.
The move into wider print distribution began with Dark Horse's announcement in February 2026. The publisher brought the universe to the direct market with Foundations, a 32-page, magazine-sized one-shot released on July 8 for $6.99. Written by Hickman and Spencer, with art by del Mundo and Huddleston, it follows astronaut and explorer Tajo Vallar on a doomed expedition to a dormant moon, where he uncovers mysteries that reignite an ancient conflict. Foundations builds on earlier digital material, including Fable and Ruin, which introduced Tajo, but gives new readers a clear entry point that does not require navigating years of online posts.
Dark Horse followed that launch with three oversized hardcover sourcebooks announced on July 17, 2026: [SYSTEMS], [MAPS], and [HISTORIES]. Each is planned as a 200-page, 8.5-by-11-inch volume combining comics with reference material and lore. The first, [SYSTEMS], is scheduled for February 2, 2027, at $39.99. Its twelve stories and data pages examine Therran birth assessments, royal duels on Heir, pirate searches for the treasure Khor, and the lore surrounding the gods.
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[MAPS], due April 6, 2027, functions as an atlas, charting locations from Akva's Khor-rich waters to Therra's labyrinths and Heir's rougher districts. It also includes twelve stories, with contributors such as James Stokoe and Juni Ba. [HISTORIES] follows on June 1, 2027, collecting six comics with lore and data that establish the worlds' timeline. Together, the three books offer newcomers a structured introduction to the setting while giving longtime readers more context for its cultures, geography, and past.
