Image Comics has revealed a preview for a new nine-issue miniseries from James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson with letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou called The Deviant. The holiday horror launches on November 15th with its first issue in comic shops.
“The Deviant is something a little different,” said Tynion IV. “A dark, focused psychological crime thriller where I get to explore the intersection of my queer identity and a broader scope of cultural transgression and deviance. This is my response to Silence of the Lambs and Jeffrey Dahmer serving as my first real glimpses of my queer identity as a young closeted Midwestern boy. It’s one of the darkest and most personal stories I’ve ever written. It’s also a story about Christmas.”
So what’s The Deviant about?
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called “Deviant Killer,” who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax.
Hixson added: “The Deviant is the kind of book I’ve been wanting to make for a long time. While I’ve been no stranger to the horror genre in my career of making comics, this story scratches a particular itch and is unlike anything I’ve been a part of. And to get to do it with James, Steve, and Hassan at Image Comics has been so creatively rewarding. I’m really excited for people to read it this holiday season.”
Check out a preview below!
For more on this news, read the official press release below.
PORTLAND, Ore. 08/21/2023 — Multiple Eisner Award-winning writer James Tynion IV (W0RLDTR33, The Department of Truth) and acclaimed artist Joshua Hixson (The Plot, Children of the Woods), and award-winning letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou unite for a pitch-black holiday horror story in The Deviant. This chilling, nine-issue miniseries is set to launch in November from Image Comics.
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called “Deviant Killer,” who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax.
“The Deviant is something a little different,” said Tynion IV. “A dark, focused psychological crime thriller where I get to explore the intersection of my queer identity and a broader scope of cultural transgression and deviance. This is my response to Silence of the Lambs and Jeffrey Dahmer serving as my first real glimpses of my queer identity as a young closeted Midwestern boy. It’s one of the darkest and most personal stories I’ve ever written. It’s also a story about Christmas.”
Hixson added: “The Deviant is the kind of book i’ve been wanting to make for a long time. While I’ve been no stranger to the horror genre in my career of making comics, this story scratches a particular itch and is unlike anything I’ve been a part of. And to get to do it with James, Steve, and Hassan at Image Comics has been so creatively rewarding. I’m really excited for people to read it this holiday season.”
The Deviant #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, November 15:
- Cover A by Hixson – Lunar Code 0923IM309
- Cover B by Hixson – Lunar Code 0923IM310
- Cover C by Simmonds (1:10 incentive copy) – Lunar Code 0923IM311
- Cover D by Sorrentino (1:25 incentive copy) – Lunar Code 0923IM312
- Cover E by Phillips (1:50 incentive copy) – Lunar Code 0923IM313
- Cover F by Ward (1:75 incentive copy) – Lunar Code 0923IM314
- Cover G by Bermejo (1:100 incentive copy) – Lunar Code 0923IM315
The Deviant will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
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