Another new player has just joined the fray: Ninth Circle! No matter how much we warn them, we can’t stop people from getting into comics.
But considering the players here, they knew the danger when they signed! The new company is a horror-focused brand headed by superstars Garth Ennis, Ram V, Margaret Bennett, Joe Pruitt, and Adam Glass. Although billed as a publisher in this Deadline reveal, The Ninth Circle will publish as an imprint of Image Comics, just like Ghost Machine and the Massive-verse, creator-owned collective that runs under the Image banner. In terms of format, their titles will all be self-contained issues – each issue promises to be from the middle to the end – and they’ll also be double-sized: perfectly bound, magazine trim size (8.5 x 10.875) and cardstock covers . You’ll need to make some magfile Tjog to store these babies!
In addition to its first-class lineup of creators, Ninth Circle also has a strong lineup of business partners: strategic advisors and founders Michael Bogner (ABGO Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs), company representative david stone (TFC management). The lead investor is Kimberly Stewart (“Manchester by the Sea,” “Suspiria”) and her production company K era media Selected works will be produced in collaboration with Nineth Circle. (For those of you keeping score at home, Steward is the sister of the Lion Forge/Oni CEO Dave Stewart.)
The imprint will launch fix freddy From ennis and artists Mike Perkins. It’s billed as “dark humor and horror”…i.e. Garth Ennis-esque. The titular Freddy is a cleaner responsible for cleaning up werewolves, vampires, zombies, aliens, monsters, etc. that are raging in Hollywood. it hits the mark December 11th.
“I’ve always been a big fan of horror movies,” said Garth Ennisco-founder, “with fix freddyI hope to shock, thrill, and entertain our fans (and maybe give them a laugh or two).
The Ninth Circle, of course, takes its name from Dante’s Inferno, which depicts the nine circles of hell. The comic series will only be inspired by the torture, “redefining genre storytelling by combining the vision and expertise of these incredibly talented storytellers.” No capes, no tights, and no romance (unless, of course, Romance includes murder, gore, and mayhem).
Glass said, “The Ninth Circle is committed to embracing the horror genre in all its forms. With Garth’s unparalleled ability to create unforgettable worlds; Ram, Margaret and Joe’s bold vision to push the boundaries of the medium; and my With experience telling stories across multiple media ourselves, we can’t wait to share these stories with our fans.
Future editions include a book by Bennet and artwork from the 2024 Eisner Hall of Fame inductees Jill Thompson (!!!) Pruitt’s story, illustrated by Butch Guice (The Flash, winter soldier and raptor), and the story of Glass, illustrated by Bernard Chang (X-Men, dead Pool and superman). More titles from Garth Ennis, Ram V, and others are also in the pipeline, due out in 2025… which would be a pretty high addition to the comics shelf.
Image is also releasing more information about “Freddy the Fixer” today, so here’s more art including
- Mike’s cover A perkins – Lunar code 1024IM305
- Cover B 1:10 Copy Incentive, by Marcelo Frusin – Moon Code 1024IM306
