From ‘The Conjuring’ to comics, Michael Chaves unleashes a dark fantasy epic with ‘Corpse Knight’

‘Corpse Knight’ follows a young girl named Foy whose quiet life shatters when tragedy strikes her family.

January 14, 2026

Skybound and Image Comics are bringing a chilling new dark fantasy to shelves this spring with Corpse Knight, a limited series from filmmaker and writer Michael Chaves (The Conjuring franchise) and artist Matthew Roberts (Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!), with colors by Rico Renzi (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). The haunting new series, where family bonds stretch beyond death itself, debuts in comic shops on April 22, 2026.

Set in war-torn France, Corpse Knight follows a young girl named Foy whose quiet life shatters when tragedy strikes her family. Left alone in a brutal world, she’s granted what seems like a miracle—her father returns from the dead to protect her. Together, they set out on a perilous journey across a countryside plagued by murderers, roaming armies, wild beasts, and dark magic. But as Foy begins to uncover the secrets behind her father’s resurrection, she’s forced to confront a terrifying possibility: has the man who returned to save her always been a monster?

“Corpse Knight was born out of my love of dark fantasy, but it quickly became something more. It’s a story of parenthood and mortality, told through heroes, monsters, and all the shades in between,” said Chaves. “I’ve been a fan of Matthew Roberts since Manifest Destiny, and I truly believe this is some of his finest work. His art is beautiful, tactile, and, when it needs to be, amazingly gruesome. Alongside Rico Renzi’s awesome color work, it’s everything you want from this kind of book.”

Roberts admits he didn’t expect to return to horror so soon—but couldn’t resist the project. “I was certain my next project would be anything but horror, but I’m having the best time drawing Corpse Knight, despite myself,” he said. “Corpse Knight is a blast. Michael’s script has allowed me to play in a way I’ve not in the past, taking big swings but always feeling grounded by the family bond at the center. That bond is where I find the light, and it makes all the gruesome stuff even more fun to play with. Having Rico on board is the icing on the cake. I can’t imagine anyone else making the choices he makes with colors. I can’t wait for everyone to see what this team is putting together.”

Renzi echoed the enthusiasm, adding, “I love Micheal’s story and Matthew’s art has struck the perfect balance between beautiful and disgusting. Coloring this book is a delight!”

Skybound Editorial Director Alex Antone praised the creative team’s vision. “Horror masters Michael Chaves and Matthew Roberts have delivered a beautifully tragic story about the lengths a parent will go to protect their child,” Antone said. “Absolutely nothing will stop the Corpse Knight…even death itself! Fans of King Spawn and The Darkness will eat this right up.”

Corpse Knight #1 will feature a main cover by Roberts and Renzi, along with an extensive lineup of variant covers from some of horror’s top artists. The program includes an open-to-order cover by Jae Lee, a 1:10 incentive by Tonči Zonjić, a 1:25 by Nimit Malavia, a 1:50 by Andrea Milana, a 1:100 foil variant by Stephanie Hans, a die-cut helmet cover by Matthew Roberts and Andres Juarez, and a blank sketch cover for collectors.

With its blend of brutal fantasy, heartfelt emotion, and nightmarish imagery, Corpse Knight is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about horror debuts of 2026.

Corpse Knight #1 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon | SRP $3.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

The full list of covers is below: