Six years after the landmark dark fantasy television series Supernatural concluded its 15-season run on The CW, the paranormal investigations of the Winchester brothers are expanding in print. Dynamite Entertainment launched a brand-new ongoing comic book series, Supernatural: Sam Winchester, with its debut issue arriving on shelves on October 7, 2026. According to Collider, the new comic sends the younger Winchester sibling on a solo mission into Appalachia, though actor Jared Padalecki—who originated the role across 327 television episodes over 20 years—has no creative involvement in the project as he pivots to on-screen work like Prime Video's The Boys.

While the television drama wrapped up on screen in 2020, this new comic book series does not serve as a post-finale sequel. Instead, as reported by CBR, the narrative takes place during an earlier, monster-of-the-week period of the television show's timeline. Padalecki's connection to the publication is strictly limited to the licensing of his physical likeness for the interior artwork and a photograph utilized for one of the first issue's variant covers.

Inside Sam Winchester's Solo Appalachian Mission

Separating the co-dependent Winchester brothers is an unusual structural move for the franchise, which built its two-decade legacy on the shared camaraderie of Sam and his older brother, Dean (portrayed on television by Jensen Ackles). According to a review of the debut issue by CBR, the comic picks up directly from the narrative threads established in a preceding comic run written by Greg Pak and the one-shot Supernatural: Wayward Special #1.

In that introductory storyline, set during the first season of the television show, an unidentified entity threatened Dean's life unless Sam agreed to part ways with his brother and operate completely alone. Forced into isolation to keep his sibling alive, Sam travels into the mountains of Appalachia, where he faces off against Eldritch-style horrors on his own.

By anchoring the plot within the show's first season, the creative team bypasses the sprawling mythological conspiracies of later television seasons in favor of grounded, standalone paranormal mysteries. This specific era also reflects a distinct psychological period for Sam, who began the original series reluctant to participate in his family's monster-hunting business alongside Dean and their father, John.

The ongoing series is written by Paulina Ganucheau, who previously illustrated Wonder Woman: The Adventures of Young Diana and wrote and drew the 2022 graphic novel Lemon Bird. She is joined by artist and colorist Kendall Goode—who previously collaborated with Ganucheau on 2025's The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1—alongside letterer Jeff Eckleberry. A companion comic book centered on his brother, Supernatural: Dean Winchester #1, also debuted earlier in 2026 without direct creative input from Ackles beyond his physical likeness.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles Reunite With Eric Kripke

Although some fan discussions have linked Padalecki's absence from the comic book creator credits to his shifting television schedule, industry reporting indicates the two developments are independent. Neither Dynamite Entertainment nor the actor has cited his screen commitments as the reason he did not write or consult on the comic series. Instead, both Padalecki and Ackles have steadily transitioned into new television projects following the 2020 conclusion of Supernatural.

Following the end of the CW drama, Padalecki headlined the network's reboot series Walker for four seasons until its cancellation in May 2024. Shortly afterward, as reported by ANI News, Padalecki accepted an invitation from Supernatural creator Eric Kripke to join the fifth and final season of the Prime Video satirical superhero drama The Boys.

Speaking about the decision to join Kripke's flagship streaming series, Padalecki noted that at this stage in his career, he only wants to work on projects or with collaborators he deeply cares about, stating that he and Kripke are "indelibly connected forever." Padalecki credited Kripke not only with creating Sam Winchester, but also with creating the character Ruby—ultimately played by Genevieve Padalecki, whom the actor married.

As detailed by Istituto Impariamo, stepping into the cynical, corporate-managed superhero landscape of The Boys marks a sharp tonal shift from the empathetic, research-driven hunter Padalecki played for 15 seasons. The casting also brings Padalecki into the same television universe as Ackles, who debuted as the superhero Soldier Boy in Season 3 of The Boys, appeared in the college spinoff Gen V, and returned to prominence in the flagship show's fifth and final season earlier in 2026.

Ackles has maintained a packed television slate of his own. In addition to appearing on the network series Tracker and leading the one-season crime drama Countdown alongside the late Eric Dane in 2025, Ackles is set to co-star with Aya Cash in the upcoming second The Boys spinoff series, Vought Rising, which is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the new Sam Winchester comic fit into the Supernatural timeline?

The series is not a sequel to the 2020 television series finale. According to CBR, the story is set during the first season of the original TV show, picking up after the events of Supernatural: Wayward Special #1.

Why are Sam and Dean separated in the comic book series?

A mysterious entity threatened Dean Winchester's life unless Sam agreed to split up from his brother and hunt alone. The exact motives behind the entity's ultimatum remain an ongoing mystery driving the plot constructed by writer Paulina Ganucheau.

When does the next issue come out and where can fans stream the TV show?

According to Collider, the comic book story continues when Supernatural: Sam Winchester #2 hits shelves on November 4, 2026. Meanwhile, after departing Netflix in 2025, all 15 seasons of the original Supernatural television series are currently available to stream on both Prime Video and Peacock.

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