Ignition Press is stepping into summer 2026 with a bold new ongoing series, Minotaur, from writer Si Spurrier and artist Mike Dowling. Blending horror and speculative tech, the series explores a world where humanity may have tried to stop the rise of artificial superintelligence, only to unleash something far stranger in the process. The first issue arrives in comic shops on July 15, 2026.
At the center of Minotaur is a chilling premise. Five years ago, a government supercomputer nearly triggered the Singularity, setting off a chain reaction toward unimaginable technological evolution. A failsafe shut it down within moments, but something slipped through in that instant. Now, unexplained phenomena are spreading across the globe, with events that blur the line between miracle and nightmare.
The story follows Gloria Monday, a photojournalist documenting these outbreaks as they impact people in unpredictable and often terrifying ways. She is joined by a hardened former military ally and a reformed tech entrepreneur funding their investigation. Together, they chase answers across a rapidly shifting landscape where the future feels like an invading force.
“Minotaur begins with Arthur C. Clarke’s timeless observation that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ – then runs with it,” said writer Si Spurrier. “What’s emerged, as we put this book together, is a strange and beautiful tonal confection. On the one hand it’s intimately concerned with superintelligence and emergent technologies, but it feels like nothing so much as a fusion of Hellblazer and The X-Files. Mike Dowling’s the perfect artist for this unique fusion of subject and mood, dancing between Mignola-esque horror and glittering capitalist modernity with equally chilling aplomb.”
Dowling brings that vision to life with art that captures both the scale of the setting and the unsettling nature of its threats. From sprawling landfills and deserts to dense urban environments, the world of Minotaur is filled with strange, evolving dangers. His approach leans into rough, energetic linework that gives each page a sense of unease and motion.
“It’s been a total pleasure creating the visual world of Minotaur – from the locations, including vast landfills, cities and deserts, to the terrifying creatures that are perhaps even stranger than they appear,” said artist Mike Dowling. “Si is an amazing writer, with fantastic, huge concepts grounded by detail and multi-dimensional relatable characters. I’ve attempted to match the art to our story and characters – scratchy, energetic and slightly aggressive!”
Minotaur #1 features colors by Sofie Dodgson and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. The debut issue includes open-to-order covers by Dowling and Anwita Citriya, along with a retailer incentive cover by Martin Simmonds and an exclusive variant by Jock.
“Minotaur is a middle finger and a warm hug. It has all the hallmarks of Si’s cathartic storytelling—incisive, hilarious, gut-punch entertainment that invites readers to process their own encounters with our increasingly harrowing world and discover new sources of optimism against all odds,” said Senior Editor Maggie Howell. “Mike makes it all possible. He’s packed the series with subtle and spectacular supernatural oddities alike, but the real triumph is the empathy he brings to Monday, Sara, and Raf, our all-too-human investigative trio. On top of it all, Minotaur’s procedural format welcomes new readers into its globe-trotting adventure at every turn. This is Ignition’s summer showstopper and a true crowd-pleaser; do not miss it!”
Readers can get an early taste of the series with Minotaur: The Cold Open, available on Comics Giveaway Day on May 2, 2026, at participating shops. Final order cutoff for Minotaur #1 is June 9, 2026.
With its mix of high-concept science fiction and creeping horror, Minotaur positions itself as one of Ignition Press’s biggest launches yet, tapping into modern anxieties around technology while delivering a globe-spanning mystery.
You must be logged in to post a comment.