Some worlds are too atmospheric, too intricate, too beloved to fade — and the Thief universe is absolutely one of them. With THIEF: PULSE OF PROMISE, Bit Bot co‑founder Josh Viola steps into the shadows of one of gaming’s most iconic immersive‑sim franchises. Along with co-writer Sean Eads, they are crafting an officially licensed graphic novel that finally bridges the gap between Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age. For longtime fans, this isn’t just a return — it’s a restoration of the missing chapter, the connective tissue between two defining eras of Garrett’s story.
Working alongside a team of artists who understand the franchise’s DNA, Viola and Eads bring a cinematic, lore‑rich approach to The City — its corruption, its factions, its supernatural undercurrents, and the razor‑sharp tension that defines Garrett’s every step. Pulse of Promise promises new revelations, unseen missions, and a deeper look at the forces shaping the master thief’s evolution, all while honoring the tone, stealth‑driven pacing, and atmospheric dread that made the original games legendary.
As the project heads to BackerKit, we sat down with Josh to explore how this graphic novel took shape, what it meant to expand a world built on silence and shadows, and why Thief remains one of the most influential stealth franchises ever created. So, let’s welcome back Josh Viola to GVN Talking Comics.
Story Opportunities
GVN: Thank you so much for visiting with us again, Josh. Let’s plunge right into this exciting project. “Thief: Pulse of Promise” sits in a rare and fascinating space between the original Thief: The Dark Project and its sequel, The Metal Age. What storytelling opportunities opened up for you and Sean by working in that exact timeline window?
Josh: Hi Martin, thanks for having me. One of the biggest opportunities was getting to explore how Garrett evolves between The Dark Project and The Metal Age. We’re telling a story that stands on its own while naturally connecting those two games in a way that feels authentic to the world and Garrett’s character. Pulse of Promise is designed to bridge that timeline without contradicting either game. Garrett is simply working another job when a heist goes wrong, exposing him to something that begins affecting his mechanical eye. Searching for answers, he eventually crosses paths with the Hammerites, an Order which at this time is in turmoil over ideological differences. By the end of the story, those threads connect directly into The Metal Age.
Licensing the Thief IP
GVN: This is an officially licensed Thief graphic novel, something that fans of the games will be very excited about. What did that approval process look like, and how did it shape what you could or couldn’t do narratively?
Josh: As with any licensed property, the IP holder has the final say. We have room to be creative, but they establish the direction, and it’s our job to deliver a story that meets those expectations while staying true to the franchise. Throughout development, Eidos-Montréal was involved every step of the way. Their team joined our daily online meetings, and the script ultimately went through continual iteration and multiple drafts until it was as strong as it could possibly be. Once the script was locked, we moved into the art phase with Emanuele Ercolani, and that has gone through a similarly thorough review process.
The Eidos team is incredibly detail-oriented. They know this world inside and out. They even brought in a respected member of the Thief fan community to review the project and help ensure everything aligned with the established lore. From a storytelling perspective, the timeline actually worked to our advantage. Because we knew exactly where the story began and exactly where it had to end, so the narrative boundaries were very clearly defined from the start. Rather than viewing those as limitations, we treated them as opportunities to tell a compelling standalone adventure that fits naturally within the canon, never contradicts the games, and helps connect a few narrative threads between The Dark Project and The Metal Age.
“Making Garrett Feel Like Garrett”
GVN: Garrett is one of gaming’s most iconic anti‑heroes. How did you and Sean approach writing him visually and tonally for comics while staying true to the immersive‑sim roots that define the series?
Josh: Our biggest priority was making sure Garrett still felt like Garrett. In the games, so much of his personality comes through player agency, so translating that into a comic meant relying on strong visual storytelling and making every line of dialogue count.
Sean and I revisited the games and worked closely with Eidos-Montréal’s creative director to get Garrett’s voice right. One of the biggest challenges was capturing Thief’s unique blend of medieval fantasy and character-driven dialogue while preserving Garrett’s dry wit and sarcasm, but I think we nailed it.
The most rewarding moment came after we finished the script, when we worked with Garrett’s original voice actor, Stephen Russell, to record dialogue for Celldweller’s companion soundtrack. Afterward, Stephen sent me a personal note saying how much he enjoyed returning to Garrett and that we captured the character just like he always remembered him. That was about the highest compliment we could have received.
The City as a Character
GVN: As a huge fan of the Thief franchise, and especially The Dark Project, the city is practically a character itself. What details—architecture, factions, atmosphere—were essential to capture so longtime fans would immediately feel at home?
Josh: I completely agree. More than anything, what I love about Thief is its atmosphere. It’s one of those rare worlds where the setting really feels alive. In that sense, it reminds me a lot of Blade Runner. Every corner of the City has its own personality and history. Capturing that mood was one of our highest priorities. We wanted readers to immediately feel at home. You’ll see familiar districts and landmarks, along with a few new locations that feel like a natural extension of the world players already know. I’m a very visual storyteller, so we were constantly referencing the games’ references and materials Eidos-Montréal provided to ensure everything felt authentically Thief.
The Connecting of Two Eras
GVN: As we mentioned earlier, this story connects two major eras in Thief canon. What narrative threads or character arcs did you want to seed that help explain the shift from the world of The Dark Project to the rising tensions of The Metal Age?
Josh: Without getting into spoilers, we really leaned into the coming Age of Metal and what that transition means for Garrett. It’s no secret that Karras plays a major role in this story, so we wanted to provide more context for who he is, what drives him, and how Garrett becomes entangled in his growing influence. We also explore ideas and technologies that fans of The Metal Age will immediately recognize, showing them in their earlier stages and giving more context to how they came to be. Along the way, Garrett is forced to confront something unlike anything he’s faced before and it reveals new facets of his character while setting the stage for the events of the second game.
Working in the Shadows
GVN: Translating a stealth‑driven, shadow‑heavy game into sequential art is no small feat. What visual strategies did you and your team (Emanuele Ercolani and Gianluca Papi) use to preserve the mood, tension, and “light vs. dark” mechanics of the games?
Josh: We knew the art had to do more than simply depict the story. It had to recreate the feeling of Thief. Light and shadow are core gameplay mechanics, so they needed to become visual storytelling tools on the page as well. Eidos-Montréal and I looked at several artists before choosing Emanuele, but his black-and-white ink work immediately stood out. He has an incredible understanding of how deep shadows, negative space, and dramatic lighting can build tension and atmosphere. His environmental work and cityscapes were equally important because the City is a character in its own right. It also helped that Emanuele is a huge gamer and played the original Thief games. As soon as he heard about the project, he rearranged his schedule to make it happen. Between his pencils, Gianluca Papi’s colors, and the close collaboration with Eidos-Montréal, every page was approached with the goal of preserving the mood and visual language that define the games.
The BackerKit Campaign
GVN: Thank you again, Joshua, for chatting with us. Finally, with the BackerKit campaign approaching, what can fans expect in terms of editions, extras, behind‑the‑scenes content, or world‑expanding material that makes this release feel like a true event for Thief devotees?
Josh: I love the merchandise side of these projects. Dreaming up collectible ideas and seeing them go from concept to prototype is one of my favorite parts of the process, and I honestly think this is the coolest lineup we’ve ever put together. There will be multiple hardcover editions of the graphic novel, along with an 8-inch hand-painted polystone Garrett statue, a Garrett plush, a collectible Thief coin, art prints, apparel, and a companion soundtrack by Celldweller featuring new voice performances from Stephen Russell as Garrett.
But the centerpiece has to be the illuminated mechanical eye replica. It comes on a custom display base alongside an Order of the Hammer scroll with a wax seal, all housed in a beautifully engraved wooden collector’s box. It’s an incredibly limited, one-of-a-kind collector’s piece, and I think it’s something Thief fans are going to be really excited about.
Our talk with Josh Viola reveals how deeply he and the entire THIEF: PULSE OF PROMISE team understand the soul of the franchise. This isn’t nostalgia, and it isn’t imitation — it’s expansion. With Pulse of Promise, Viola and the Bit Bot team step into the “shadows” with purpose. Along the way, treating the world Looking Glass Studios built not as a playground, but as a living, breathing mythology. It’s something that merits the thoughtful, intentional care. And that is what writers Viola and Eads, together with artists Emanuele Ercolani and Gianluca Papi, bring to it.
Pulse of Promise feels like the kind of story longtime fans have been waiting decades to experience. A bridge between The Dark Project and The Metal Age that deeply respects the canon. It also gives Garrett’s journey new texture without ever breaking the quiet, atmospheric tension that defines the series. Every faction, every alleyway, every whispered conspiracy carries the weight of a world in transition. And through the graphic novel format, the book lets that world unfold with a cinematic richness the games only hinted at.
As the BackerKit campaign approaches, it’s clear this project isn’t just an officially licensed tie‑in. It’s a genuine contribution to the Thief universe. Lovingly crafted by creators who know exactly why Garrett’s story matters. And how to tell it with the reverence, subtlety, and shadow‑drenched style it deserves. Check out the BackerKit campaign.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
