DC has set August 26, 2026 as the release date for Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1, reuniting writer Ram V and artist Mike Perkins for the launch of a new six-issue series under the DC Vertigo imprint. The story follows Darren Burroughs, a 23-year-old recruit from Pennsylvania sent undercover into Division Nine, a shadowy arm of British intelligence known in the right circles as Black Tower.
It's a spy story wrapped around occult stakes: a global cold war fought over sorcery, with someone plotting to steal the head of a giant-king to break a centuries-old ward protecting Britain from invasion. For collectors who followed Ram V and Perkins on their earlier collaborations, this is the reunion they've been waiting for.
Here's what's in the debut issue, why the creative pairing matters, and what to have on hand for a first issue that's likely to move.
The 40-page debut issue introduces Division Nine as an obscure, easily dismissed arm of British intelligence that actually specializes in paranormal incidents, operating under the more feared name Black Tower in serious spy circles. Setting the story in 2026, amid cyber warfare and drone strikes, gives Ram V room to contrast modern espionage tools with a plot built around ancient wards and stolen relics.
Darren Burroughs' perspective as a rookie training inside Division Nine gives readers an entry point into a world that's otherwise dense with institutional history, a structural choice that mirrors how Ram V has built out first issues in his other ongoing work.
Setting a spy thriller against an occult backdrop isn't a new idea in comics, but grounding it specifically in British intelligence culture and centuries-old wards gives Black Tower a distinct flavor compared to the more American-flavored occult detective books that tend to dominate the genre. That regional specificity, paired with a rookie's-eye view of an institution the reader is learning about in real time, is a big part of what's generating early buzz around the debut issue.
Ram V writes the series with Mike Perkins providing art and the main cover, colors from Mike Spicer, and lettering by AndWorld Design. Variant covers come from Evan Cagle, Mark Buckingham, and ACO, giving the debut issue a real range of cover styles beyond Perkins' primary art.
The standard issue is priced at $3.99, with a card-stock variant available at $4.99 for collectors who want a sturdier chase cover. Carrying an Ages 17+ descriptor, Black Tower fits squarely into Vertigo's mature-readers tradition rather than DC's mainline superhero output.
Vertigo's mature-readers imprint built its reputation decades ago on exactly this kind of genre-blending, creator-driven storytelling, and a reunited Ram V and Perkins creative team carries real weight for readers who followed the imprint's earlier output. A recognizable creative pairing on a brand-new concept, rather than a licensed or legacy character relaunch, is often the safer long-term hold for collectors chasing first-issue value down the road.
A six-issue series structure means Black Tower is a manageable commitment for readers who want to follow a complete arc rather than an open-ended ongoing, which tends to make first issues of series like this hold demand better over time. Picking up both the standard and card-stock covers on release day is a reasonable way to hedge if you're unsure which one you'll want to keep long-term.
Limited-run creator-owned series from established imprints have a track record of print runs tightening up once word of mouth spreads past the first issue, which is exactly the pattern that's made early issues of similarly structured Vertigo runs harder to find years later. Buying in at issue one, rather than catching up after the series builds momentum, tends to be the more affordable path for readers who end up loving where the story goes.
Either way, a modern single issue benefits from the same basic protection any current-age comic needs: a snug bag and a rigid board to keep the spine flat. EVORETRO's current age comic backer boards are sized correctly for a standard 40-page issue like this one.
It releases August 26, 2026.
Ram V writes with Mike Perkins on art and main cover, colors by Mike Spicer, and letters by AndWorld Design.
The standard issue is $3.99, with a card-stock variant at $4.99.
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy is a six-issue series.
Variant covers are provided by Evan Cagle, Mark Buckingham, and ACO alongside Mike Perkins' main cover.
Before Division Nine's first case hits shelves, check out EVORETRO's comic display and stand collection to plan how you'll store and show off a six-issue run from day one.
!
