League of Legends' next spin-off is Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, an adventure game from developer Tequila Works and publisher Riot Forge. It tells the tales of Nunu & Willump, a young boy from the frigid region of Freljord and his Yeti companion who together make up one of the very first champions to ever be introduced in League of Legends. Nunu & Willump have come a long way since their 2009 debut with plenty of changes and a rework to look back on, and in addition to getting their very own game, their story has also been adapted into a comic series.
Nunu & Willump star in a five-issue series with the first chapter setting up the story of how the boy and his Yeti encountered one another before forming their inseparable bond. ComicBook has an exclusive preview of the series with the first issue found in full right here, though you'll be able to read the first issue and the rest of the Song of Nunu comic series today on October 25th when all five issues are made available on the Song of Nunu website.
Ahead of the release of these comics, ComicBook spoke with Ian St. Martin, the writer of the comics who's also a senior narrative designer and writer at Riot Games. Out of all the many champions of League, we asked what it was about Nunu & Willump that the comics' creators hoped to emphasize in the series.
"The heart of this story is about family, the ones we are born into and the ones we make for ourselves. Both Nunu and Willump are dealing with isolation when they first encounter each other," St. Martin said. "They're both genuinely good characters, and as the story unfolds we get to see them learn about each other and form that second, self-made family together. Their kindness, their sense of adventure, and their desire to really see the good in others are all facets that are core to these characters, and I wanted the story to really emphasize that throughout. At the end of the day, this comic is about finding your way home, and in my experience, home isn't a place, it's people."
For those who've already read through Nunu & Willump's lore in the past, the story in the comics should look familiar to you even if the interpretation is new. While it's true the comics are an inspired retelling of Nunu & Willump's established story, St. Martin said he's "never really viewed existing lore as an obstacle."
"Any story can be broken down into a bullet point list, a series of events, but where we come in is weaving that all together and letting you get to know these characters so you care about what they want and what happens to them," St. Martin said. "That's where the emotional connection forms. If readers walk away from this story rooting for Nunu and Willump, understanding them, then I'll be very happy."
The first full issue of Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story's tie-in comics can be found below complete with the cover art and the credits for all those who worked on the series. The Song of Nunu game itself is available to preorder now for the Nintendo Switch and PC platform ahead of its November 1st release date, and for Nunu & Willump's biggest fans, the game's got a Collector's Edition, too, filled with physical collectibles.