"What happens when the only person who can teach you how to kill… is the one who destroyed everything you loved?"

Daily Dead readers know screenwriter Luke Piotrowski from his recent work on Hellraiser and The Night House (which is a particular favorite of mine), so I was really delighted to learn that he's bringing his character-driven horror sensibility to comic books for the first time in Ferocious, "a brutal new fantasy series that doesn’t flinch from blood, or heart!" From Mad Cave Studios, Piotrowski teams up with artist Emanuele Ercolani (Dragonero, Kitsune), colorist Paolo Raiteri, and letterer Carlos M. Mangual on Ferocious, and we have all the details, along with an exclusive look at cover art from the first issue:

Series Synopsis: "A tavern boy’s sheltered life is overturned by the arrival of a towering, draconic woman, a wayward soldier from a distant war who single-handedly lays waste to his entire village. He swears an oath of righteous vengeance, but in order to fulfill it he’ll have to seek training… from the warrior woman herself. Ferocious is epic fantasy on an intimate scale, a revenge thriller like no other, one that stirs the heart as it goes for the jugular."

“I’ve found some success as a screenwriter over the years and made many films I’m quite proud of, but Ferocious is the story that I’ve always wanted to tell, a quest for vengeance with an emotional toll, not just a moral or physical one,” said Luke Piotrowski. ”I’m so excited to be partnering with Mad Cave on my first comic book project, a lifelong dream. And I’m thrilled to have been paired with Emanuele Ercolani. We may be separated by a geographical ocean, but we speak the same language when it comes to our influences. This is the scope and scale of high fantasy filtered through the intimate lens of a samurai film. I can’t wait for readers to meet these characters and take part in their heart-wrenching, bone-crunching journey.”

Ferocious is the kind of story that forces you to draw with a knife between your teeth,” added artist Emanuele Ercolani. “When I read the script, I knew it wasn’t just about revenge or fantasy — there was something raw, something personal at its core. We tried to bring that constant tension to the page—the emotional weight, the clash between beauty and brutality. Every panel was built like a film shot: composition, rhythm, silence. Working with Luke has been truly inspiring. We speak the same language and feel the same things. Ferocious hits where it hurts. It’s like a katana held to your throat.”

"A genre-defiant fusion of brutal fantasy and character-driven vengeance, fans of Vinland Saga, Monstress, and Berserk will be haunted by Ferocious and its emotionally complex mentorship. For readers who like their swords sharp, their trauma arcs tangled, and their storytelling lyrical and cruel."

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Ferocious #1 arrives in comic book stores on November 19th. The final order cutoff (FOC) is October 27th, so pre-order through your local comic shop before then to guarantee a copy. To get the latest news on Ferocious and other titles from Mad Cave Studios, visit: 

www.madcavestudios.com

Cover A by Andy Clarke and Jose Villarubia

Cover B by Emanuele Ercolani

  • Jonathan James
    About the Author - Jonathan James

    After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.

    Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.

  • Jonathan James
    About the Author : Jonathan James

    After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.

    Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.

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