To kick off your week, we're very excited to share with Daily Dead readers the first look at BE NOT AFRAID, a brand-new horror comic book series from writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle and illustrator Lisandro Estherren. The first issue is due out this June from BOOM! Studios, and we have all the details, including preview pages from the first issue that you can read right now. "Equal parts feminist rage and rural folk horror, this descent into Hell itself is a nightmare ride fueled by the underpinnings of American Evangelical tradition and brutal cosmic horror!"

Synopsis: "Cora Reims lived the simple, isolated life of a farm girl until one fateful summer day she was host to a visitor made of pure light–an angel from on high. In the aftermath of the angel’s visit, Cora gave birth to a child. A Nephilim, the offspring of angels and humans, seemingly imbued with the very nature of evil itself.

Seventeen years later, the child’s cherubic appearance can no longer hide his monstrous nature. Frogs boil in their skin as he passes. Crops rot on their vines. The townspeople live in constant fear, knowing that atrocities follow him like a shadow.

On the eve of his eighteenth birthday, Cora receives a new vision. Heaven itself has called upon her to destroy the abomination born of her own flesh and blood…"

Be Not Afraid is the darkest thing I’ve written, and possibly my favorite: An American gothic about religion, shame, and how it’s possible to be so bad that God and/or your own mother cannot love you,” said Jude Ellison S. Doyle. “Lisandro Estherren’s illustrations are fine art, whether their subject is sublime or horrific. I cannot wait for you to see the world he’s drawn.”

“A deep and poetic story that made me follow its characters to the strangest places,” said Lisandro Estherren. “I'd like to invite you all to join us on this journey into spiritual horror.”

BE NOT AFRAID #1 features main cover art by Reiko Murakami, with variant covers by Abigail J. Harding, Jae Lee and June Chung, Ariel Olivetti, and Javier Pulido. BE NOT AFRAID #1 will be available in comic shops June 4, 2025. It is available for pre-order at your local comic book store. Digital copies can be purchased from digital platforms, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.

For the latest on BE NOT AFRAID and other genre titles from BOOM! Studios, be sure to visit: www.boom-studios.com

  • Jonathan James
    About the Author - Jonathan James

    After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.

    As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.

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