The Cataclysm of Kang, the first full-sized adventure book for the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game debuts in bookstores today, November 14. You can find it in comic-book stores tomorrow, November 15. You can also grab it from Roll20 and Demiplane.

This book features six adventures, one for each character rank in the game. You can play through them all as a massive campaign, bringing the same characters from their origin stories all the way up to cosmic-shaking powerhouses, or you can pick and choose among them, playing them as one-shots with the suggested Marvel heroes.

Although I came up with the concept for the book, outlined it, and wrote a good chunk of it, I had a lot of help on this one. There are seven chapters in the book, plus a comic book reprint from Captain America Annual #11—by Peter Sanderson, Rich Yanizesky, Dave Sharpe, and Max Steele—explaining Kang’s origins, and a massive glossary that explains many of the references in the adventure.

• I wrote “Chapter 1: Ready for Adventure” and “Chapter 2: Origin Story,” and I finished off the adventures with the climactic, Multiverse-shaking “Chapter 7: Galaxy of Hurt.” I also wrote that gigantic glossary/index.
• Jesse Scoble and Devinder Thiara wrote “Chapter 3: Friendly Neighborhood” and “Chapter 4: New York State of Mind.” These blow the doors off of New York City in more ways than one. By the time you finish them both, you’ll know Marvel’s version of the city better than ever.
• Elisa Teague wrote “Chapter 5: National Emergency.” This cracks open the Multiverse for the book and shows the heroes the trouble they’re really in.
• B. Dave Walters wrote “Chapter 6: World of Trouble.” This time-travel crisis hauls the heroes through centuries to find the culprit they need to stop.
• Marty Forbeck wrote all of the character profiles, once again, bringing loads of stunning Marvel heroes and villains to life.

My fellow writers all did an amazing job, and I couldn’t be prouder of how it all came out. They took my ideas, built on them, and made them better and more fun. It was a delight working with each of them.

Huge thanks also go out to: 

• The Producer, CJ Cervantes: For always pushing us to do our best and focus on the fun.  
• The Editor, Brian Overton: For keeping the trains moving and checking to make sure all those different writers were always in tune with each other.
• The Assistant Producer, Amir Osman: For invaluable input at every stage, especially when it comes to mechanics.  
• The Graphic Designer, Simeon Cogswell: For making all those words look fantastic. 
• The Cover Artists, Iban Coello & Jesus Aburtov: For yet another stunning cover. 
• The Interior Artists, Ruairí Coleman, Sean Izaakse, Paco Medina, Jesus Aburtov (again!), and dozens more: Ruari, Sean, Paco, and Jesus provided the all-new chapter headers, bringing all the new material to life.
• The Cartographer, Brian Patterson: For stunning maps that make each adventure easier to use.
• The Proofreader, Ray Vallese: For polishing the prose and checking the rules.
• The Business Team, Trent Bielen, Tim Dillon, Jeff Youngquist, Mark Annunziato and Daniel Fink: For keeping the lights on, both in the office and our homes. 
• The PR pro, Hayley Strichman: For making sure I sound reasonable when chatting with folks about super heroes. 

I am unreasonably blessed to have such a wonderful group of people to work with, on such a fun and exciting game. I hope you all enjoy what we came up with here and have just as much fun playing it as we did putting it together.

If you’d like to learn more about the book, check out this excellent article on Marvel.com. It features interview snippets with each of the adventure writers (including me), and a list of the new vehicles presented and of all the new character profiles included.

• Enter: Hydra. This is a free introductory adventure I wrote for the game, as a PDF. It updates the adventure originally published in the Playtest Rulebook for use with the finished rules. It also serves as a prequel to the upcoming massive adventure book, The Cataclysm of Kang, due out in November.
• A Rules FAQ. This PDF answers a bunch of questions people have had since the release of the game.
• Rules Errata. While we had a lot of people going over the rules, a number of mistakes crept in anyhow. This PDF points those out and offers corrections.

Thanks for keeping up with the game. There’s lots more to come!

I just updated the front page of the website to show the three books I have coming out this year. That’s not including the novel I already had come out back in March: Minecraft Legends: Rise of the Piglins.

That’s an official novel to go along with the new video game Minecraft Legends, which debuted in April. I had a great time working on it with the same team I wrote Minecraft Dungeons: The Rise of the Arch-Illager.

Next up is The Game Master’s Book of Astonishing Random Tables, which is due out June 20. The bulk of the book is written by Ben Egloff, but the fine folks at Topix Media Lab asked me if I’d like to contribute a one-shot adventure for it. It’s called “Never Tell Me the Odds,” and I wrote it along with two of my sons: Marty and Nicholas. Working with them was great fun, and you’ll be seeing more coming from them in the future, especially Marty, who is working with me on many other projects.

After that, we have the big release for the year: the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game Core Rulebook. This has been a massive project but also loads of fun. Marvel is publishing it themselves, and I’ve had a wonderful time working with my team there, especially CJ Cervantes, Brian Overton, and Amir Osman. Marty also helped out a tremendous amount by writing countless character profiles with me for both heroes and villains. (There are over 100 in the book.)

The book is due out August 2, which is (not coincidentally) the day before Gen Con (the world’s biggest tabletop games convention). I’ll be at the show, doing panels and running games, so if you can make it, be sure to grab a copy. I’d be delighted to sign it.

Last — but not least — is the first adventure book for the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: The Cataclysm of Kang. I was originally slated to write this whole thing myself, but we spent so much time making sure that the Core Rulebook was in great shape that we decided to bring in some help. Beside Marty, I mean, who’s tackling the profiles for this book too. Those writers include B. Dave Walters, Elisa Teague, Jesse Scoble, and Devinder Thiara, every one of them seasoned pros who bring incredible new angles to the chapters they tackled.

Whew! Maybe that actually does help explain why it’s been so long since I’ve updated this site.

I already mentioned Gen Con, but here’s the whole list of shows where you can find me for the rest of the year:

• Comic-Con International (July 20–23)
• Gen Con (August 3–6)
• New York Comic Con (October 12–15)
• Gamehole Con (October 20–23)

If you can make it to any of them, be sure to say hi. Maybe we can even squeeze in a game!

Either way, if you make it out to the granddaddy of pop-culture shows, I hope to see you there!

My schedule:

July 21

•  11:30 AM—12:30 PM: Signing at the Simon & Schuster booth (#1128)
• 2—3 PM: Signing at the DK booth (#1028)

July 22

• 3—4 PM: Signing at the DK booth (#1028)
• 6—7 PM: The Annual International Association of Media and Tie-In Writers Awards Panel: Max Allan Collins (Mike Hammer), co-founder of the IAMTW, hosts this year’s Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in writing, including honoring this year’s Grandmaster Award “Faust” winner, Timothy Zahn (Star Wars). Panelists Michael A. Black (Executioner), Adam Christopher (Elementary), Matt Forbeck (Halo), Glenn Hauman(Star Trek), Nancy Holder (Crimson Peak), R. L. King (Shadowrun), Jonathan Maberry (Wolfman), Andy Mangels(X-Files), Cavan Scott (Pathfinder), and Marv Wolfman (Batman) engage in a freewheeling look at one of the most popular and yet underappreciated branches of the writing trade.

July 23

• 2—3 PM: Signing at the DK booth (#1028)

July 24

• 10—11 AM: Signing at the DK booth (#1028)

We should have plenty of Captain America posters and bookplates for those who attend, and I’ll be happy to sign anything I’ve worked on.

If you’re in the area, come on out and say hi. It’s supposed to be a gorgeous day in the Twin Cities, a perfect day to shop for a new book!

Shorewood Public Library

Shorewood, WI. May 4, 6:30 PM. 

This is the launch of my mini-book tour for my Captain America book. According to the Shorewood Library website:

Meet Matt Forbeck, the author of CAPTAIN AMERICA: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE FIRST AVENGER. Test your Captain America expertise with a super-heroic trivia contest. Wear a costume if you’d like.

Boswell Books will be there too, selling copies of the book.

Milwaukee Public Library, Bay View Branch

Milwaukee, WI. May 5, 4:30 PM. 

The next day, I’m off to the Bay View branch of the Milwaukee Public Library that evening to sign more books. Boswell Books will be there again, selling copies of the book.

Anderson’s Bookshop

Naperville, IL. May 7. 2 PM. 

On Free Comic Book Day, I’ll be at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, signing copies of my Captain America book and anything else I’ve worked on.

If you live a bit farther north, I’ll be in Minneapolis in two weeks too.

Wild Rumpus

Minneapolis, MN. May 21, 1 PM.

As part of Children’s Book Week, I’ll be signing my Captain America book at Wild Rumpus. According to their website:

Calling all superheros and superhero fans! Come to Wild Rumpus on Saturday, May 21st at 1PM to celebrate the first ever Superhero Day! We’ll have activities, giveaways, prizes and more. Marvel expert Matt Forbeck, author of the new book Marvel’s Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger, will be on the scene to quiz you on your superhero trivia knowledge.

Anyone who comes in a superhero costume will get a prize! It’s going to be a SUPER day.

This Thursday, April 14, starting at 6 PM, I’ll be at the Beloit Public Library to talk about my work and to sign my latest book, Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger. This marks the public debut of the book for me, and the first opportunity anyone will have to get a signed copy.

Library staff will have copies on hand for sale, and I hear we may have a trivia contest with exclusive Marvel bookmarks for prizes.

You’re not obliged to buy anything, of course. Feel free to just show up and chat with about Marvel comics, my Halo novel, or anything else I’ve worked on. Hope to see you there!

I was the lead writer on this, but I had a lot of help from Dan Wallace and Alan Cowsill as well. Big thanks also go to my editors–Elizabeth Dowsett, Tori Kosara, Kate Berens, and Kath Hill–who kept all of us on track throughout a tight project. Thanks too are due to Rob Perry, Simon Murrell, and Mark Richards, who handled the book’s glorious design. Cap’s never looked better.

I also want to thank Stan Lee for writing a foreword to the book. When I was a kid growing up and reading Stan’s comics, I never would have dreamed I’d be so honored.

DK’s sending me on a mini-tour to help promote the book next month, so if you’re in Milwaukee, Chicago, or Minneapolis, you should have the chance to grab an autographed copy soon. I’ll also be signing books at the Beloit Public Library at 6 PM on April 14. Otherwise, you have no reason to wait. Go on out and grab yourself a copy now!

Thanks for your support!

Details below, and I’ll update them on my Appearances page as we get closer to the events. If you’re within easy striking distance one of those areas, be sure to save the appropriate date!

DK is also bringing me out to Comic-Con International in San Diego this summer, for the second year in a row. It’s always a fantastic time, and I hope to see lots of you out there as well. Meanwhile, keep your eye out for my Captain America book, which debuts April 5.

Beloit Public Library

Beloit, WI. April 14, 6 PM. 

To celebrate the release of Marvel’s Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger I’ll be appearing at my local library to talk about the book, what I do for a living, and answer questions. Drop in to say hi, purchase a book, and have it me sign it for you.

Shorewood Public Library

Shorewood, WI. May 4, 6:30 PM. 

This is the launch of my mini-book tour for my Captain America book. According to the Shorewood Library website:

Meet Matt Forbeck, the author of CAPTAIN AMERICA: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE FIRST AVENGER. Test your Captain America expertise with a super-heroic trivia contest. Wear a costume if you’d like.

Boswell Books will be there too, selling copies of the book.

Milwaukee Public Library, Bay View Branch

Milwaukee, WI. May 5, TBA. 

I’ll be visiting some Milwaukee public schools during the day, and then I’m off to the Bay View branch of the Milwaukee Public Library that evening to sign more books. Boswell Books will be there again, selling copies of the book.

Anderson’s Bookshop

Naperville, IL. May 7. TBA. 

On Free Comic Book Day, I’ll be at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, signing copies of my Captain America book or anything else I’ve worked on.

Wild Rumpus

Minneapolis, MN. May 21, 1 PM.

As part of Children’s Book Week, I’ll be signing my Captain America book at Wild Rumpus. According to their website:

Calling all superheros and superhero fans! Come to Wild Rumpus on Saturday, May 21st at 1PM to celebrate the first ever Superhero Day! We’ll have activities, giveaways, prizes and more. Marvel expert Matt Forbeck, author of the new book Marvel’s Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger, will be on the scene to quiz you on your superhero trivia knowledge.

Anyone who comes in a superhero costume will get a prize! It’s going to be a SUPER day.

If you are a US-based reviewer who would like to check out a copy of Marvel’s Captain America: The Ultimate Guide to the First Avenger, which I wrote with Dan Wallace, drop me an email at matt@forbeck.com. I’ll put you on a list and see if the fine folks at DK Publishing can hook you up.

Include your mailing address, email address, and the venue for your reviews, along with a home page URL and a phone number. Move fast, since the book comes out on April 5, and they need time to gather them all up and ship them out.

Spread the word to anyone you think might be interested too, please. Thanks!

If you’re not a reviewer, you can pick up your own copy on April 5. DK is actually sending me on a short tour to promote the book through Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis for Free Comic Book Day and Children’s Book Week. When I have more details to share, I’ll be sure to let you know.