
"A collision of medieval horror, dark fantasy, and plague-era paranoia…"
This summer, Mad Cave Studios "invites readers into a brutal medieval nightmare" in LAZARUS ORDER, a new dark fantasy horror comic book series written by Sloane M. Siegel, co-created and character designed by Benjamin J. Stockham, with art and colors by Juan Doe, and letters by DC Hopkins.
Synopsis: "In a medieval world where illness can lead to horrific and monstrous transformation, the Lazarus Order is mankind's final bastion, preventing uncontrollable chaos. Devout plague doctors have sacrificed their freedom in an oath to God, in exchange for supernatural abilities. However, their powers come at a great cost—the more they use them, the more it consumes them until they fade to nothing. Despite this sacrifice, they live in servitude and dedication to protecting humanity from vampires, werewolves, Rattusvir (Rat-man disease), the undead, and other variants of 'The First Sickness.'"
“Lazarus Order is a story that’s world and characters have become very dear to me, as we’ve already outlined and mostly written the entirety of this saga. Each of the characters are an extension of some part of myself, and I feel for them in their many struggles to discover who they are and how they believe they can change the world. Everyone in this story yearns for something, whether it is acceptance, heroism, freedom, redemption, or another core desire that drives humanity to become the individuals they are. I hope people learn something about themselves as they join our characters in their many quests and find something familiar in at least one of our developing souls.” —Sloane M. Siegel
“I hope that people enjoy immersing themselves in this world and characters as much as we had fun creating them! The world of the Lazarus Order is complex and interwoven, with lots of different faces and bits of Lore; It would be wonderful if people resonated with those aspects. This is our passion project, and that love for the material shines through in all aspects. It is my sincere wish that love is not only recognized but that it enriches our readers' experiences as well.” —Benjamin J. Stockham
“Creating the art for Lazarus Order is the culmination of everything I have learned in my career working in comics. It has everything I have ever loved in this medium, from great characters, fantastically designed creatures, giant set pieces, action galore, and most importantly, an incredible story that goes beyond the spectacle of just trying to make cool pages. Lazarus Order represents an opportunity to visualize a universe grounded in a rich, complex lore that has staying power and years of story ahead of it. We invite everyone who reads it to follow along to its conclusion; it will be an adventure worth taking and one not soon forgotten.” —Juan Doe
Blending "grotesque creature design with spiritual dread and impossible sacrifice," Lazarus Order #1 will be available at your local comic book store on August 19th with a pre-order cutoff (FOC) on July 27th. The first issue features a main cover by Juan Doe, with variant covers by Marguerite Sauvage and Georges Jeanty with Juancho. Take a look at all three covers below, and to keep up with the latest on Lazarus Order and Mad Cave Studios, visit: www.madcavestudios.com
Cover A by Juan Doe
Cover B by Marguerite Savage
Cover C by Georges Jeanty with Juancho