Next Step Comics

Next Step Comics was created with one goal in mind: tell bold stories, push diversity forward, and create the kind of comic experience readers have been waiting for.

Welcome to Next Step Comics The next step to creating high-quality entertainment for unspoken minorities.

Huge thank you to Room Full of Blerds for the incredible conversation surrounding Next Step Comics and Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter.

There’s a different feeling that hits when people truly understand what you’re building. Huge thank you to @roomfullofblerds for the incredible conversation surrounding Next Step Comics and Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter. Hearing your words about Pepper, her choices, her heart, and the impact she’s having on readers genuinely meant the world to us. What touched us most was hearing the care behind your breakdowns. You saw the details. The emotion. The long nights. The intention behind every scene, every line, every decision. At Next Step Comics, we’ve never wanted to rush stories just to keep up with trends. We want every volume to feel lived in. We want readers to connect with these characters like they’re real people. We want the world of Pepper Piper to stay with you long after you close the book. Hearing Lady speak about the time and passion that @vashmerevalentine pours into this universe reminded us why we do this in the first place. To the entire @roomfullofblerds family: thank you for believing in this franchise, for championing independent storytelling, and for helping us push Pepper Piper closer and closer toward becoming a household name. And trust us… we’re only getting started. 🖤

Meet the women of A.N.D. One of the most dangerous organizations in the Pepper Piper universe.

You really thought Pepper Piper was the only badass? Yeah… that’s crazy. Meet the women of A.N.D. One of the most dangerous organizations in the Pepper Piper universe. They don’t follow rules. They rewrite them. These ladies are making their debut in Volume 3… and trust us, this is just the beginning. You’ll be seeing a whole lot more of them in the coming volumes ahead. In our comics women aren’t just powerful… they’re a fu***ng problem!

PPMH Volume 4 is off to an amazing start!!!

You asked, we teased, and now they’re here! The first looks for Volume 4 have arrived, and trust us, our artist @arucardpl is painting a vivid picture of what it truly feels like to walk in the shoes of a W.H.O. student. As we gear up for this thrilling volume, get ready for answers to long burning questions and plot twists that will leave the comic community speechless. We’re not just telling stories we’re building a legacy with the Pepper Piper franchise, and we can’t wait for you to be a part of it!

A special thank you to KrashedCosplay for their honest, thoughtful, and glowing review of Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter Volume 1. When passionate creators take the time to not only read your work but truly see it, that means something.

Support Indie comics like Pepper Piper! Thought this was such a fun story! Shout out to @nextstepcomics ! Keep this up!

Special thanks to for the incredible review of Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter Volume 1! Philly always shows up and shows love. We see you and we appreciate you!!!

Philly just added another win to the nerd community! @vashmerevalentine If you’re into: ✔️ Monster hunter type comics ✔️ Dark fantasy graphic novels ✔️ OP Black Female Leads ✔️ Indie comic book recommendations ✔️ Black comic book creators ✔️ Action-packed supernatural stories Add this to your TBR immediately. Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter (Vol. 1) by @nextstepcomics delivers bold storytelling, intense action, and powerful world-building. Written by Vashmere Valentine with dynamic illustrations by @arucardpl , this indie comic blends supernatural horror, action, and emotional depth in a way that feels fresh and addictive. Is this your vibe? Let me know your thoughts below 👇🏾🔥 #comicbookreview #indiecomics #PepperPiperMonsterHunter #blackcomics #phillynerd

Special thanks to for his amazing review of Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter Volume 1! Your support means the world to us!

Blerds where you at!? #bhm #comics #blackheroes #fables #creativity 🫶🏾💞

It isn’t her strength…It isn’t her speed…It’s her bloodline!

Why is Pepper Piper considered one of the strongest Hunters alive? It isn’t her strength. It isn’t her speed. It’s her bloodline! The Voice of Everything isn’t heard with ears, it’s understood with will. You don’t have to understand her words. You only have to understand intent. A deaf person doesn’t hear sound but they still perceive meaning. A creature that doesn’t speak her language still recognizes command. Even animals respond, because intent bypasses speech. The Fable translates itself into the most fundamental form of comprehension the target possesses. Thought. Instinct. Impulse. Certainty. #PepperPiperMonsterHunter #Fable #Comics #OverPowered #comicbookcommunity

Fairy tales aren’t as innocent as you remember. Vol. 6 of Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter will dive deeper into the story of Little Red and you won’t want to miss it!!!

Who is Little Red? In Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter Volume 6, we finally peel back the layers. Discover Little Red’s origin, her scars, her power and why she stands as one of the most formidable forces in the Pepper Piper universe. Some legends wear red for a reason. This isn’t just another volume. This is proof that the Pepper Piper world is bigger, deeper, and more dangerous than you ever imagined. And in 2026? Pepper Piper is coming for the crown. 👑 #PepperPiperMonsterHunter #VolumeSix #LittleRed #NextStepComics #IndieComics

What happens when comic energy and manga storytelling finally meet?

Creator and writer of Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter, Vashmere Valentine, breaks down the spark that led him to build the Pepper Piper: Monster Hunter world.

I wanted to build a world where characters could be messy, emotional, loud when they needed to be… and still heroic. Where humor, danger, and heart could exist at the same time. That’s the world Pepper Piper lives in and that’s the world I set out to create with @pepperpipermonsterhunter. The world’s first comic + manga mashup. #pepperpipermonsterhunter #nextstepcomics #thegoodcosplay