The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1, at first glance, might sound like a sequel to The Exorcism at 1600 Penn. After all, they share similar titles, are both horror-themed books under IDW Dark, and feature the same writer, Hannah Rose May. The difference, aside from the change in continents, lies in the type of horror that May and artist Kelsey Ramsay are bringing to the pages of Exorcism at Buckingham Palace.
Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 doesn’t waste any time, immediately starting with the horrifying drowning of England’s Prince and Princess. Racing to get ahead of the situation, the King decides to reach out immediately to the next in line for succession: his grandson, Theo Belmont. Theo chose to forgo his royal duties in order to live a quiet life, but the combination of ruling a nation and his struggles with alcoholism threatens to shatter the peace he’s built for himself. And then there’s his fear of a potential curse that’s plagued his family…
May has proven to be an excellent horror writer, whether it’s exploring the truly dark side of fandom in Rogues’ Gallery or the sinister side of fashion in Smile: For the Camera. With The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1, she decides to dig into how addiction can turn into you into a different kind of monster. Theo starts to have outburts, even muttering to himself that he wants a drink, and May’s script hovers between whether this is his inner voice tormenting him or something truly supernatural. She understands that some of the best horror builds up dread, making you wait until it drops the actual scares.
IDW
It also doesn’t hurt that she’s working with a talented artist like Ramsay. Ramsay’s rough, angular art style highlights the stress in the King’s face, along with Theo’s and the Prime Minister’s; it’s a simple way of showcasing how the pressures of running a nation can weigh on anyone. Ramsay also draws some brief, utterly terrifying images of strange beasts lurking in the shadows. Those shadows also take on a life of their own, with Heather Breckel covering entire pages in very dark blues, obsidian blacks, or a combination of both colors. Breckel knows how to set a mood, to the point where readers might be double checking to make sure nothing’s lurking in the shadows.
The one thing that isn’t too scary about The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 is that it’s a double-sized debut at 42 pages. That gives the creators time to immerse their audience in this new world, while also building up the horror to come. Most of the horror films I like, particularly Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead or 30 Days of Night, take their time to introduce you to the characters before throwing them into the horror – seeing people getting brutally murdered can only carry you so far in the horror space. The family drama at the heart of The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 is more than enough to carry the debut issue, and should balance out the upcoming scares.
IDW
The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 launches another foray into geopolitical horror, with a slow-burning approach that prioritizes character building over scares. It might also make people think twice about putting Britain on their travel list, but not about checking out the rest of Hannah Rose May’s work.
The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace #1 will be available wherever comics are sold on March 11, 2026.
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