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Mike Mignola's Tales from Lands Unknown

Uri Tupka and the Gods: Another Story from Lands Unknown

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A wayward theologian travels across mysterious lands and goes up against mythic monsters, bandits, and more in pursuit of proof of the existence of the old gods.

In this story of the search for gods in a world that feels abandoned by them, the titular hero travels a pilgrim road in his quest for answers. Along the way he encounters dragons, giants, devils, and a tomb of unspeakable horror, and learns not just the truth about the universe but the gravity of his own role in it.

Set in the same universe as his hit graphic anthology Bowling with Corpses, Mignola returns to Lands Unknown and both writes and draws this new, original graphic novel that bursts with the fantastic, the folkloric, and even the frightening. Longtime Mignola collaborator Dave Stewart joins to bring color to this fanciful story.

104 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 2026

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About the author

Mike Mignola

1,855 books2,596 followers
Mike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.

In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.

In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.

Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.

Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.

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5 stars
169 (48%)
4 stars
136 (39%)
3 stars
37 (10%)
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4 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Philip James Ahlschlager.
90 reviews20 followers
May 3, 2026
Going back to read this a 2nd time; and maybe a 3rd. Can’t wait for the next one. Passion project for MM is top tier.
Profile Image for Kormak.
240 reviews9 followers
April 19, 2026
This feels like Mignola in a hurry. Not careless, just eager. As if he opened a door to Lands Unknown and decided to show us everything before it closes again. New places, strange gods, monsters, side characters passing by like ghosts. A fast walk through a world that clearly wants more space than it gets.

You can tell he is enjoying himself,he even says so in the afterword! That matters, and the energy is there, the sense that this is something he wants to keep building, not just finish and file away. Uri Tupka’s story feels like a starting point, not the destination. Gods found, devils waiting. There is more road ahead in 2026, as part two is already scheduled for a release.

The art does the heavy lifting. Mignola still draws like few others can. Thick shadows, crooked shapes, skulls tucked into corners, beasts half seen, old statues of forgotten gods staring through the dark. Every page feels carved rather than drawn. On visuals alone, this is an easy top score. The story, though, feels thin. This mix of pseudo-Eastern European and pseudo-North African moods has weight to it, but here it is only sketched. Hopefully in the future we will spend more time there. And even with Mignola abandoning Hellboyverse for Lands Unknown, familiar evil lurks in the cosmic darkness.

This feels like the beginning of something. The next book cannot come soon enough.
Profile Image for Lucas.
644 reviews7 followers
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
January 2, 2026
I'm really digging this new world Mignola is creating. Since the first book was a short story collection, I didn't expect this one to be a single narrative, with a sequel to come. I loved it though ! The ruler has declared the old gods dead, and ordered all theologians killed, but our hero is visited in his dreams and flees just in the nick of time. So we follow the titular Uri Tupka on his cross country journey as a wanted man on the run. This book manages to both develop the mythology and show us a good cross section of the world, which is quite a lot to pack into 100 some pages while developing a character. I'll be honest, it felt a little rushed at times. But the world is so interesting and the art so gorgeous that I'll allow it
Profile Image for Lashaan Balasingam.
1,545 reviews4,621 followers
April 4, 2026
It's fun to tag along with Uri Tupka, a wayward theologian, as he travels unknown lands in search of old gods. You can tell that Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart still make for an awesome creative duo in this new universe they're building up. The story is infused with mythology, although I kept on craving for more out of this 100-page graphic novel. Everything went by too fast, especially when they let the artwork do all the talking.
Profile Image for logankstewart.
445 reviews41 followers
May 22, 2026
Wow. What a follow up to the first book. The fantastical feel of this, the lived-in world, the folklore, the art. Wow!

Very happy with this series so far. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.
8 reviews
May 3, 2026
Mignola can do no wrong. His art always puts a smile on my face and I just love what he does with his take on folk tales/fairy tales. Bring on the next book later this year.
Profile Image for Rog Petersen.
180 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2026
Mignola himself stars in this Vancian chiaroscuro fable, and perhaps when combined with the next volume will be perfection.
Profile Image for Joe.
9 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2026
I’m a fan of Mike Mignola and I have followed his work for a long time. This latest part of his creative journey is thoughtful and very, very interesting. Not quite horror, more than a weird tale, it’s something of its own and well worth the reader’s time. His visual storytelling is at a new peak and I’m glad I picked this one up.
30 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2026
Mike Mignola is a genius. In these newer stories from ‘lands unknown’ the mood and visual narrative is special. So much is left for the reader to fill in and place their ideas into the story to enrich what is written. Just elite.
Profile Image for Jack Vinson.
1,007 reviews50 followers
June 15, 2026
Interesting mythology take - will the k
Gods help? Do they still exist? How has Uri Tupka survived?
Profile Image for Christian.
376 reviews3 followers
May 24, 2026
Uri travels a pilgrim road to find the answers he crave from the gods he is convinced exist.

Mignola's stories have always had a pretty fast pace, but like in the first Lands Unknown story he is in a rush to tell us about the world and it's inhabitants. At times it seems he is afraid that if he doesn't present a new fantastical being every other page, he will lose the reader. I wish he would settle down a bit and have faith that we will still follow him to the next page and the next story. Part of his Hellboy run taught many of us to take a deep breath every now and then when reading a comic, to just take in the environment and the emotions they bring. By slowing down and focusing on different aspects of the environment, he invited us to ask ourselves questions like "What sounds would I hear here?". "How would this look if I stood in place of the character". "What emotions do I feel in this place".

Besides that, Uri Tupka and the Gods still scratch the itch. It brings exciting adventure and deep, mythic lore. The art is great and I felt that the eagerness issue did resolve more and more throughout the story, feeling less and less scattered and making me more invested in the story. I really hope Mignola keeps these up and I cannot wait for the next entry
Profile Image for M.i..
1,506 reviews6 followers
June 1, 2026
Mignola doesn’t miss and his stories always get my mind to wander to realms and places that have long been confined to the beyond.
Profile Image for Doug Downing.
56 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2026
One story in seven episodic chapters. The visuals are great. Lots of folklore and small map insets. Not gonna lie, it got a little confusing with all the world building and stacked narrative framing—e.g., Uri, recounting his travels to two acquaintances, tells the story of a count's daughter being pursued by a strange university student, as it's being told to him by an old hermit.

That's fine with me, as it's a book I'll be happy to revisit. Glad to see there's another one coming. I wonder why these aren't released as comics; maybe it's easier to let each story dictate its own length?

If I'm feeling critical, it's a whole lot of an old dude having conversations with demons or deities. (Despite the title, demons abound.) Working title: My Dinner with Uri.
Profile Image for Art.
2,594 reviews16 followers
May 11, 2026
Mignola can sure tell a story. The gods are alive, but where have they gone? Uri Tupka plans to find out. Running for his life, he takes a pilgrimage. He is going to find where they went.

Profile Image for Chr*s Browning.
544 reviews18 followers
Read
May 4, 2026
Mignola doing what he does best - witches and corpses and statues and crumbling castles - with some really good coloring. Can't fault it.
Profile Image for Zach.
315 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2026
This one grew on me, and by the end I liked it so much. I really dig this new world Mignola’s been crafting and can’t wait for more.
Profile Image for Aaron.
284 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2026
Once again, another year has past and we have a new Lands Unknown graphic novel from Mike Mignola! It was a fantastic read. my typical reviews are 5 star. but id give this 6 if I could.

Mike's main character in this book in outer appearances is very noticeably drawn as he himself. which is pretty great I think. a tangent thought but im interested to see where his character Uri Tupka develops from the wild events of this tale.

The follow up to Bowling with Corpses is just so fantastic. Mike truly knows how his colorist Dave Stewart brings out the strengths of his art in these deeply inky pages.

I won't spoil too much. But the 'Pilgrims Road' was my favorite portion. almost reminding me of this old russian film VIY, which if you haven't seen, i reccomend it!

Mike's art & storytelling is just the best out there, and im deeply grateful to see him continue making graphic novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for The Smoog.
790 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2026
Awesome, if a little episodic, journey across Mike Mignola's Lands Unknown. The artwork is, as always, darkly beautiful, and I can’t wait to see more of this fascinating world (although the author says that the next book will probably be the last full-length one for the character, something I’m a little sad about).
Profile Image for Kitsu.
361 reviews32 followers
April 1, 2026
Adicta a esta saga de cómics.
Profile Image for John.
Author 35 books44 followers
April 6, 2026
Let it take you for a ride.
Profile Image for Renato.
567 reviews8 followers
June 20, 2026
In Bowling with Corpses , Mignola attached a series of detailed polaroids to a canvas in creating his map for the "Lands Unknown" - each shot a folktale whose pedigree felt so realistic that a reader could only assume they were ripped from our actual world.

In Uri Tupka and the Gods, he is now telling a singular story that navigates the towns and roads between each of these polaroid folktales.

In a world where a theologian is a heretic (where even speaking of the Gods can get you killed), our titular character has a vision and thus begins a pilgrimage to find the old gods believed to be dead.

While this one is still oozes richly in setting, I think I prefer the anthology format that we saw in Bowling for Corpses. Still, this is clearly a project of passion for Mignola, so I will follow him where he takes us.

In his introductions he mentioned gifted a glow in the dark rosary and Sixty Saints for Boys - OUF, did that hit me in the nostalgi-enitals!
Profile Image for Daniel Hubbell.
132 reviews
May 2, 2026
In his afterward, Mike Mignola mentions this is the most fun he's had with a comic in a long time. It definitely shows. The Lands Unknown feel like such a beautiful blank canvas that Mignola's keen to fill with all his favorite themes. Uri Tupka gives us a deeper tour than our first book did as he goes off in search of the gods, meeting demons and witches along the way. The results are visually incredible, dark, and in a very Mignola-ish way, weird and Lovecraftian.

Can't wait for the next volume.
300 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2026
Mike Mignola continues his trek through the Lands Unknown with the story of Uri Tupka and his search for the Gods. This takes him through a veritable Odyssey through the lands.

Mignola's art and fast-paced storytelling is in full swing here, and I enjoy this universe of his immensely. There's not a page wasted on furthering the story, and the art style is all earth and darkness. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Cale.
3,980 reviews26 followers
May 2, 2026
I'm really enjoying the Lands Unknown stories of Mike Mignola. He's always had a flair for making legends and creatures come to life, and freeing him from the burdens of folklore has only emboldened him. The world he creates in the story feels real; lived in, frightening, fantastic, wondrous. While the story here isn't grand in its impact, it is grand in its scope. Definitely recommended.
1,708 reviews4 followers
May 14, 2026
Another fun adventure story in this setting. Really just one story instead of the various short stories in the first volume, but broken into distinctive parts. I like how it it builds more of the world, including some useful maps. My only complaint is having to wait for the next volume of a story that doesn't fully reach its conclusion.
Profile Image for Jessica.
416 reviews6 followers
June 25, 2026
I have really been enjoying the new Mignola’s Tales from Lands Unknown series. Book 2, Uri Tupka and the Gods continues to deliver on the highly atmospheric weird world as we follow the heretic Tupka on his pilgrimage in search of the gods.

If you like Mignola’s work and Stewart’s art style, this is a must.
Profile Image for Fraser Sherman.
Author 12 books34 followers
August 9, 2026
Uri Tupka is a heretic. Searching for the gods and running from the law, he runs into an incredible array of strange situations before learning why the gods are too busy to listen to us most of the time.
This is a little heavy on the history and geography of the lands unknown but the art is always good. So if nothing else I could always just admire the viusals.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews