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Once Upon a Time at the End of the World Deluxe Edition
In this epic post-apocalyptic fable, follow two star-crossed lovers across the wasteland of a planet ravaged by environmental catastrophe as their stories intertwine across decades.
A POST-APOCALYPTIC FABLE IN THREE PARTS
Uncover the mysteries of the wasteland in this decades-spanning epic from New York Times bestselling, and Eisner and Harvey Award-winning writer Jason Aaron and told through the lens of three industry heavyweights - Alexandre Tefenkgi (The Good Asian), Leila Del Duca (Sleepless) and Nick Dragotta (East of West, Absolute Batman).
The full saga is collected here for the first time, spanning three distinct chapters in the lives of two star-crossed lovers wandering a planet devastated by environmental catastrophe. Noxious poisons, plastic tornadoes, and roving gangs of Ravagers are just a few of the dangers that will test their relationship, and reveal the heart of the connections that bind us all.
After all, what is love at the end of the world?
Collects Once Upon a Time at the End of the World #1-15.
A POST-APOCALYPTIC FABLE IN THREE PARTS
Uncover the mysteries of the wasteland in this decades-spanning epic from New York Times bestselling, and Eisner and Harvey Award-winning writer Jason Aaron and told through the lens of three industry heavyweights - Alexandre Tefenkgi (The Good Asian), Leila Del Duca (Sleepless) and Nick Dragotta (East of West, Absolute Batman).
The full saga is collected here for the first time, spanning three distinct chapters in the lives of two star-crossed lovers wandering a planet devastated by environmental catastrophe. Noxious poisons, plastic tornadoes, and roving gangs of Ravagers are just a few of the dangers that will test their relationship, and reveal the heart of the connections that bind us all.
After all, what is love at the end of the world?
Collects Once Upon a Time at the End of the World #1-15.
544 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2025
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,382 books1,689 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 14, 2026
Once Upon a Time at the End of the World is a 15 issue/3 volume post-apocalyptic love story from Image Comics. I initially read the first volume two years ago and felt lukewarm about it. Recently, I accidentally picked up the omnibus in hardback from the library, not realizing it was the series I already read . . . and I’m glad I did! I loved it!
The story follows two kids, Maceo and Esmeralda (“Mezzy”), in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Maceo is orphaned and lives in an isolated tower where he reads and invents all sorts of things. Mezzy is an exile from Wasteland Rangers. They have a meet cute and inevitably fall in love. However, we quickly learn that by the end of their lives they’ll be separated and have fallen out of love. The rest of the series flashes back and forth through their lives as we see them meet, fall in love, found a utopian society (based on a William Blake poem), face numerous obstacles, fall out of love, and find each other at the end of their lives.
The art is great (and quite trippy at points). There’s a heavy dose of comedy and romance in this post-apocalyptic wasteland. I love how a William Blake poem is woven throughout the story. It’s a slow burn but it’s definitely worth the effort.
The story follows two kids, Maceo and Esmeralda (“Mezzy”), in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Maceo is orphaned and lives in an isolated tower where he reads and invents all sorts of things. Mezzy is an exile from Wasteland Rangers. They have a meet cute and inevitably fall in love. However, we quickly learn that by the end of their lives they’ll be separated and have fallen out of love. The rest of the series flashes back and forth through their lives as we see them meet, fall in love, found a utopian society (based on a William Blake poem), face numerous obstacles, fall out of love, and find each other at the end of their lives.
The art is great (and quite trippy at points). There’s a heavy dose of comedy and romance in this post-apocalyptic wasteland. I love how a William Blake poem is woven throughout the story. It’s a slow burn but it’s definitely worth the effort.
Displaying 1 of 1 review