A new AHOY Comics graphic novel called Dragonproof is being described by its publisher and early previews as a direct spiritual blend of Gargoyles and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Eric Palicki and drawn by Giulia Lalli, the book is not a television series, but a full-length graphic novel that has already launched its Kickstarter campaign. The project is set for an early 2027 release and aims to capture the same outsider-hero energy that made those 1990s shows memorable for a generation of viewers.
What Dragonproof Is and Who Is Making It
Dragonproof is an urban fantasy graphic novel published by AHOY Comics under its Select line. The creative team includes writer Eric Palicki, known for Black’s Myth and Atlantis Wasn’t Built for Tourists, and artist Giulia Lalli, whose previous work includes Eight Limbs. Colors are handled by Gab Contreras.
The book is 80 to 96 pages long, depending on the format and source, and was first announced around New York Comic Con in late 2026. The Kickstarter campaign went live in late October 2026, with the finished book scheduled to reach backers and stores in early 2027.
The Story: A Slacker, a Dying Dragon, and a Government Secret
The plot follows Ashleigh Cole, a directionless twenty-something who discovers a wounded dragon while on a camping trip in the Pacific Northwest. The dragon is covered in bullet wounds and marked with U.S. military tattoos, hinting at something far bigger than a random encounter.
Ashleigh tries to return to her normal life, writing the experience off as a hallucination. That changes when she begins to develop dragon-like traits and starts hearing voices in her mind. She is pulled into a mission to rescue other captive dragons from a shadowy government organization that wants to turn the creatures into weapons of mass destruction.
The publisher has described the tone as funny, action-driven, and focused on outsiders finding their place in the world. Eric Palicki has been direct about the story’s core theme.
“Like so much of my other work, DRAGONPROOF is, at its heart, about outsiders finding their people and their purpose,” Palicki said in a statement. “I tend to wear my influences on my sleeve, and this book is also a love letter to some of the stories that made me the writer I am today.”
Why the Gargoyles and Buffy Comparison Makes Sense
The comparison is not just marketing shorthand. Buffy the Vampire Slayer built its following on a young lead who balanced everyday life with a supernatural calling. Gargoyles became a standout animated series by treating its creatures as sympathetic outsiders with a rich hidden history.
Dragonproof pulls from both lanes. Ashleigh is an ordinary, unmotivated person who is suddenly given a dangerous responsibility. The dragons are not simple monsters; they are an endangered population that needs someone to speak for them. The book also adds a modern post-YA fantasy edge, with early coverage noting it should appeal to readers of The Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses who grew up on 1990s genre television.
Giulia Lalli said the project stood out to her because it approached fantasy from a different angle than many other stories she had worked on. She also pointed to Dragonheart as a personal reference for the bond between humans and dragons.
Kickstarter, Release Window, and Format Details
Dragonproof is being funded through Kickstarter and is live now. The campaign page is active, and AHOY Comics has confirmed the book will be released in 2027. Early listings point to an early 2027 arrival, though a specific month has not been locked in publicly at the time of writing.
The graphic novel is a standalone original graphic novel (OGN), not an ongoing monthly comic series. AHOY has positioned it as a complete story in one volume, which is part of why the page count sits in the 80–96 page range.
For readers outside the United States, the Kickstarter is the primary way to secure a copy during the campaign. Wider book market and comic shop distribution details for the 2027 release are expected to follow after the crowdfunding period closes. No streaming adaptation or television version of Dragonproof has been announced by AHOY Comics or any studio.
What the First Previews Show
Early preview pages shared by IGN and ScreenRant show a grounded, modern setting with fantasy elements cutting into ordinary life. The artwork leans into the contrast between Ashleigh’s mundane routine and the sudden appearance of something mythic and wounded.
Dragonproof ’s cover has also been shown in two versions: a trade paperback cover by Tango and a hardcover cover by Giulia Lalli. AHOY has not yet confirmed a final retail price for the standard edition outside the Kickstarter tiers.
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Dragonproof arrives in 2027 as a complete graphic novel, with its Kickstarter already live and its full creative team confirmed. The project is aimed at adult readers who remember the 1990s fantasy wave and at newer readers who came up through post-YA dragon fiction. No television or film adaptation has been announced.
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