Diablo: Dawn of Hatred (Free Comic Book Day) Review

On May 3, 2025 — I visited my local comic book shop to get ahold of a copy of Diablo: Dawn of Hatred (Free Comic Book Day) issue #0 by Titan Comics. This preview is the intro to the upcoming ongoing Diablo comic book series. The importance of the series is that it is set after the Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion’s campaign finale.

Before going into the review, I will provide three photos I took from my copy, and separately, I’ll discuss the story depicted in its 12 pages.

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred (Free Comic Book Day) Review

SPOILER ALERT

The first page of the comic book has an introduction to the story that indicates the story is based post-Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred. Not in the ancient past.

“Sanctuary’s days grow ever dimmer, but a beacon of Light once again shines on the world: Akarat, a long-dead ascetic whose teachings formed the Zakarum religion, has risen from the grave to bring hope to Sanctuary.

But many wish to see this would-be savior dead, calling him a false prophet. Still others come to him despite ancient misgivings, crimes perpetrated on them by the Zakarum in Akarat’s name.”

The story focuses on a young Barbarian named Derris and the prophet Akarat. This is not the ancient times Akarat, but the resurrected version after the events of the expansion’s campaign. Mephisto roams Sanctuary in possession of Akarat’s body — preserved without decay for centuries inside the Spirit Realm in Nahantu. Word has spread out that Akarat has returned from death. For weeks, Akarat has cured the ill and fed the hungry. Many travel long distances in hopes of crossing paths with Akarat for a miracle. Others wish to serve him and join as disciples.

In a nameless city, A child sits on the streets with a sad face. Food has been scarce and no one has eaten in weeks. A hand with a fruit reaches out at the child. His face shows incredulity and joy. Akarat begins to talk to the people who surround him and announces the dawn of a new age. Not everyone believes his words, however.

The scene is followed by another one in a barren landscape. Possibly, the Dry Steppes. Derris is one of the remaining barbarians of the Fox tribe. These last barbarians carry their leader Selviar on a stretcher through the desert. She heard rumors of Akarat curing the ill and wished to meet him. Ever since the destruction of Mount Arreat, her arm has not healed and disease ails her. Her final days are nigh.

The barbarians track down Akarat for days in the desert and catch up. The people surrounding Akarat are startled by the arrival but Akarat responds that he welcomes everyone who comes to him. Derris doesn’t believe this man to be Akarat, and even if he is, he holds a deep grudge against the Zakarum who killed many barbarians in the past thousands of years in the name of Akarat.

Akarat heals Selviar and she pledges her people to serve and protect him. A mysterious group of mercenaries spy from afar with orders to kill Akarat. This serves as a cliffhanger for the ongoing series.

The colorless inked sketches give the reader the visual grittiness that the Diablo franchise demands. For 12 pages, the story delivers what you would expect from a Diablo comic book but I wish each transition from scene to scene had a description of locations, non-dialogue narration, and that supportive characters had names. The city is not named. The desert is not named. Many of the barbarians that interact with Derris are not named either. Anyone who has read comic books knows that these types of small details are common standards for understanding a story and that goes an extra mile for those of us who are familiar with Sanctuary locations. It is even more of the extra mile for those who never played a Diablo game, read the Diablo comic book, and decide to play the game, then suddenly find locations in-game that were mentioned in the comic book. Those types of small details and cross-referencing them in-game make them priceless.

The back pages provided a little bit of a backstory to each of the main characters:

The last page made it crystal clear that this was not a one-shot issue for the Free Comic Book Day. This is merely the intro to an upcoming Diablo: Dawn of Hatred ongoing comic book series. Whether it is a 6-issue, 8-issue, 12-issue limited series, or a truly ongoing series is yet to be announced. This is what is found on the last page:

My Thoughts

I have over 1200 comic books spanning many Marvel Comics titles including Avengers, New Avengers, West Coast Avengers, and All X-Men spinoff titles. A few Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Thor, Ironman, and Captain America issues as well. I have read all the Diablo novels and graphic novels. Played all Diablo games from 1-4 and Diablo Immortal.

As a fan of the Diablo games, printed lore, and comic books in general, I must recommend the upcoming Titan Comics Diablo: Dawn of Hatred. I already stated what I wish Titan Comics and Blizzard Entertainment to address in terms of more small details in the story (supportive character names/locations) and an actual narration outside character dialogues.

The story so far gives me hope that this comic might be a prelude tie-in to the next Diablo IV expansion. There won’t be a BlizzCon 2025. Blizzard Entertainment announced the next BlizzCon will be held on September 12-14, 2026. That next expansion might be announced maybe at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 8th; or at GamesCom 2025 on August 20 (Opening Night) — August 21-24 (General Public).

However, if the Diablo: Dawn of Hatred ongoing series was planned to last more than 12-issues — I can see how the comic’s story might build up as a countdown to the next Diablo IV expansion’s announcement in 2026 rather than 2025.

While there is no BlizzCon 2025, in November 13, 2024, Blizzard Entertainment held a Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct which lasted over 3 hours. That event featured the announcement of the Remastering of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and Warcraft II. Plus Warcraft III: Reforge Patch 2.0.

This means a Diablo IV: Next Expansion announcement might potentially be livestreamed in November 2025 during an impromptu Diablo Direct. We won’t hear about such an event because the last one was announced barely 3 weeks before on October 23, 2024. Or it might be announced at GamesCom (August) with a full showcase on Diablo Direct (November). Whether to be announced in Q3-Q4 2025 or fully in 2026 — one thing is for sure: the announcement will lead up to a Technical Alpha or Beta test a few weeks or months later.

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred features Mephisto in the real body of Akarat. A body that was laid to rest without decay inside the Spirit Realm by his Spiritborn disciples. Akarat (Mephisto) is now roaming the land of Sanctuary attracting many devotees and antagonists equally to the miracles and his word. So my question is: Will Dawn of Hatred present characters and plots that will later appear in the next Diablo IV expansion?

This Fox Tribe has pledged to protect Akarat. We know how the Zakarum, the closest to Mephisto’s soulstone, was corrupted over time. Will this Fox Tribe become a faction of grotesque barbarian enemies in the next expansion? If so, will Derris be an NPC questgiver?

Will anything from the comic book hint at the next zone or zones to be featured in the next expansion?

Diablo IV introduced us to Scosglen, Dry Steppes, Fractured Peaks, Kehjistan, and Hawezar — but we shouldn’t expect expansions with a large number of zones like the base game. If anything, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred taught us that the next add-ons might follow the trend of one zone per expansion. We only got Nahantu this time around.

Another thing to watch for in the ongoing comic book series is the mention of Classes and the villain who wants Akarat kidnapped. So far the comic book features Barbarians and a Rogue named Vrexia. The key-word here is “Rogue” — conjures Diablo II lore. They serve the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. Their Rogue Monastery is located in the Tamoe Highlands in Khanduras. To the east of the Gate of the Monastery is Aranoch — which we know has a port named Lut Gholein. Another known port is Kingsport in Duncraig.

But not to get too excited. The comic book story might take us somewhere else entirely: Xiansai, Skovos Isles, Westmarch, or Sharval Wilds (Monk territory). — (the full-size map of Sanctuary from the Diablo III website)

There is one final thing in the Diablo: Dawn of Hatred (Free Comic Book Day) issue that caught my eye. You already read the character bios for Vrexia — a rogue sent to kidnap Akarat. She is hiding in plain sight disguised as one of the devotees following him around. This points to the Zakarum Church wanting him alive in custody to prove him a false prophet. They don’t want him dead to prevent him from becoming a martyr.

So… why then does the story summary says: “But when the camp is set upon by assassins, Derris comes to the defense of the prophet.” Contradictory, isn’t it?

This is intriguing to me because either Vrexia and the assassins are together to kill anyone who stops them from kidnapping Akarat … or Vrexia is here to kidnap Akarat and at the same time, there is a second faction that doesn’t want Akarat kidnapped, but assassinated. If the latter… who and why?

Credits

Diablo: Dawn of Hatred is published by Titan Comics — written by Cullen Bunn, penciled by Daniele Serra, and inked by Jovanna Plata.

Cullen Bunn

Cullen Bunn is an award-winning writer from North Carolina (USA), with previous credits including Spider-Man, Deadpool, The Sixth Gun, The Last Book You’ll Ever Read and Bone Parish. His original series Harrow County was nominated for an Eisner and Bram Stoker award. You can find multiple of his comic books here.

Daniele Serra

Daniele Serra is an Italian illustrator and three-time winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Artist. As a comic artist, he has worked with DC, Image, BOOM! Studios, Titan Comics, as well as the illustrations for the three-volume edition of Stephen King’s Tommyknockers. Daniele lives on a Mediterranean island, in his house-studio with his wife, his cats, various exotic insects, and a vast collection of horror movies and books. You can find his works here.

AndWorld Design’s Jame

JAME lives in Monterrey, Mexico. He started hand-lettering independent comic books in the ’90s and has lettered stories with Heavy Metal Magazine for over 10 years. JAME began working for AndWorld Design in 2020, contributing to titles for Titan, DC, Vault Comics, Oni Press, and more — loving every second of it!