AfterShock Comics is going after magical beings in the publisher’s first original graphic novel, Witch Hammer, the launch title “in a unique collection of compelling stories crafted by master storytellers and told in the way they were meant to be told,” the publisher said in an official release.
The 64-page book from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajic follows Agents Frontenac and Guinness, the two individuals in charge of bringing the witch-murderer, who wears a chilling goat mask, to justice. However, the more they delve into the world of the fantastic, they’ll start to wonder if the killer is doing the right thing. Even so, the killer isn’t picking off your typical wart-covered, broomstick-flying, high-pitched cackling witch; the witches in this reality are normal, everyday folks, whether you realize it or not.
“Witch Hammer is a different kind of horror story,” said Bunn, who worked with Talajic on 2012’s Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. “This is a bloody, violent, frightening thriller, and I can’t wait to hear what readers think about it. On the surface, the story is fairly straightforward–a murderer is at work and must be stopped–but I think this book will challenge readers. Who are the heroes? The villains? The victims? The answers will change as the story progresses … Dalibor was built to draw this kind of dark story. His work here is going to inspire awe, dread, and fear … His grasp of crime elements, of horror elements, of tension and mood is unsurpassed.”
Bunn’s has worked for major publishers like Marvel and DC, Dark Horse, IDW, and Image, tackling high-profile characters such as Deadpool, Captain America, Moon Knight, Sinestro, Green Lantern, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Hiring him, according to AfterShock co-founder Joe Pruett, was a no-brainer.
“Cullen was a very obvious choice as he’s been an AfterShock mainstay for quite a while now and been highly successful with his previous comic series launches with us,” Pruett said. “Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he had a fantastic story that he was eager to tell and that we were able to secure such an amazingly talented artist such as Dalibor Taljic to craft this passion project with him. I’ve worked with Dalibor in the past, as has Cullen on Deadpool, so we were both thrilled that he was available to join us for our initial launch of this line.”
Witch Hammer — described as a Punisher comic “with a dark, supernatural twist,” by Bunn — goes on sale Nov. 28.
