Dark Horse Comics has announced The Butcher’s Boy, a new horror series from the creative team behind The Last Siege.
Per Dark Horse, The Butcher’s Boy launches this May from writers Landry Q. Walker and Pannel Vaughn, artist Justin Greenwood, colorist Brad Simpson, and letterer Pat Brosseau (Hellboy). Set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, this “Lovecraftian” four-issue limited series “combines elements of tales such as Midsommar and The Evil Dead.”
Check out Justin Greenwood and Brad Simpson’s cover art for The Butcher’s Boy #1 below:
What is The Butcher’s Boy about?
“Tucked away far down the backroads of the Pacific Northwest countryside, an entire town fell victim to the brutal cleaver of the Butcher of La Perdita. But that was more than a hundred years ago, and since that time the generational nightmare of murder and meat has been reduced to morbid clickbait folklore for bored travelers to share online,” an official synopsis for The Butcher’s Boy reads.
“Yet some say the Butcher still haunts the streets at night, seeking fresh meat for his larder,” it continues. “Is this a true Lovecraftian horror? Or just the feverish dreams of a mentally unstable serial killer? Six friends on a road trip are about to find out…”
Landry Q. Walker and Justin Greenwood discuss the new series
“Appetite — whether it be desire for food, affection, or power — and the ability that hunger has to drive you to become unrecognizable — even to yourself — has always sat at the heart of my favorite horror stories,” Walker said. “Writing this book has led me down some dark psychological pathways that border somewhere between healthy obsession and self-destructive spirals. On some level, you need to feel what you write. The goal of this story is to take that discomfort, that yearning appetite (in all its myriad forms) and contextualize it as a malignant and conscious force. As a story, one that is finally ready for consumption.
“Building off the sketches of Pannel Vaughn and then filtered through the organic and emotive art of Justin Greenwood, we found our prototypical horror icon — the Butcher’s Boy,” the writer continued. “Bringing in Brad Walker and Pat Brosseau — both of whom I have been angling to work with again for some time — allowed this story to marinate to peak perfection. I’m honored to once again work with such a brilliant team, and grateful to Dark Horse for setting the table to serve it upon.”
“My favorite horror stories have always left me feeling unsettled and this one is no exception,” series artist Greenwood added. “I’ve been DYING to draw a horror comic, something dark enough to make you feel guilty for grinning ear to ear as you ruin your favorite character’s life between panels. Landry and Pannel came to me with just that, an idea that allows reality to become pliable and makes good kids do really bad things. I’m having a blast drawing this book.
“There is a lot of challenge in telling this kind of twisted story well and drawing this book has allowed me to take some creative risks to pull it off,” Greenwood continued. “But it’s a lot easier to take those risks with a creative team you have so much faith in. Brad and Pat have been frequent collaborators for years on comic series like The Last Siege and Crone. They bring incredible mood and rhythm to the storytelling and it’s been so fun to team up once again with Dark Horse to bring this book to life.”
The Butcher’s Boy #1 goes on sale Wednesday, May 22 from Dark Horse Comics.
