CD Projekt Red's newest project based around The Witcher isn't a video game, but it does offer an interesting "what if" scenario for the franchise. Just released on Kickstarter this morning, The Witcher: Ronin is a collector's edition manga that will have readers toss some yen to their Witcher with a story that takes Geralt's monster hunting skills to feudal Japan.
The Witcher: Ronin is a comic that replaces the deep European folklore of the classic franchise and replaces it with Japanese folklore. Japan has plenty of strange creatures and demons, and Geralt, just like his original version, hunts these creatures to protect the innocent. The main story arc of this comic will have Geralt hunting down the Yuki-onna, the Lady of Snow, over 4 chapters consisting of about 100 full-color pages. In addition, there will be three short stories clocking in at about 15 pages each that will feature fan favorites such as Vesemir and Yennefer. Those pledging €35 or more (plus shipping costs) will get the hard copy manga along with a DRM-free code for GOG and the Dark Horse Comic app, plus a postcard featuring a variant of the cover artwork drawn by Ilya Kuvshinov.
In the Kickstarter trailer, Rafał Jaki, co-creator of Gwent and the concept/story author of The Witcher: Ronin, says that he felt that Geralt fits the mold of a ronin swordsman and the samurai mythos. Helping bring this project to life is an artist known as Hataya, who loves drawing 'jingai' art (non-human-being.) As for why CD Projekt Red is turning to Kickstarter for The Witcher: Ronin, the comic's content has already been paid for and finished. The funding acts more like a measurement as to how interested the fans are in this concept. "The more support for the comic, the more amazing new artists we can enlist to create stunning variant artwork — all showing off unique takes on this Japanese-inspired Witcher story," the "Why Kickstarter" section explains.
You can find the Kickstarter for The Witcher: Ronin here. As of this article's writing, it has already surpassed its goal with $158,397 donated from 3,237 backers for a $106,907 goal.
