Holiday horrors look to resurface with a vengeance 50 years after a killer Santa Claus stalked Milwaukee in the new comic book miniseries The Deviant from writer James Tynion IV, artist Joshua Hixson, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and after selling out at the distributor level on its initial November 15th release, Image Comics has ordered a second printing of The Deviant to be released on December 20th... just in time for Christmas!
The second issue of The Deviant is also slated to come out on December 20th, and in case you missed it, we have a look at the previously released preview pages from the first issue of the holiday horror miniseries.
Press Release: PORTLAND, Ore. 11/15/2023 — This holiday season comes with a few more chills in the air with today’s white-hot horror launch The Deviant from Eisner award winning writer James Tynion IV (W0RLDTR33, The Department of Truth, Something is Killing the Children), artist Joshua Hixson (The Plot, Children of the Woods), and Ringo Award winning letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. This critically-lauded, nine-issue miniseries hit big this morning and has instantly sold out completely at the distributor level. Image Comics has fast tracked a reprint in time to stuff in fans' stockings this December.
"There really is no better feeling than hearing that a book has already sold out on its first day of release! I'm absolutely thrilled, and want to thank all of the amazing retailers and readers who have come out to support another one of my titles," said Tynion IV. "The Deviant is a dark and personal work, and I hope it can find a huge audience over this holiday season and beyond."
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Set fifty years later, The Deviant follows a troubled young writer interviews this so-called "Deviant Killer," who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax.
Available at comic book shops on Wednesday, December 20:
The Deviant #1, second printing - Lunar Code 1123IM840
The Deviant #2 Cover A by Hixson - Lunar Code 1023IM305
The Deviant #2 Cover B by James Stokoe - Lunar Code 1023IM306
The Deviant #2 Cover C by Alex Eckman-Lawn (1:10 copy incentive) - Lunar Code 1023IM307
The Deviant #2 Cover D by David Talaski (1:25 copy incentive) - Lunar Code 1023IM308
The Deviant will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.Select praise for The Deviant:
“One of the most impressive first issues of a comic book we've had in 2023. James Tynion and Joshua Hixson knock it out of the park creating story you can't help but be immersed by. This may be the most terrifying version of Santa Clause we have seen. It's definitely a must read for fans of horror.” —Comic Book Revolution
“There's something truly haunting and chilly about The Deviant, not unlike Robert Eggers' The Witch. Mood and tension come together in an excellent opening issue that's filled with unease. There's a hopelessness that rings throughout that makes it hard to put this book down.” —AIPT
“Horror and Christmas don’t overlap much in popular culture, but this creative team has masterfully blended the two here—while throwing in an homage to The Silence of the Lambs.” —Comicon
“A creepy, terrifying read in the mode of The Closet. And Joshua Hixson’s design for the main killer character is terrifying.” —Comic Book Club podcast
ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a group of bestselling artists and has gone on to become the second largest comics publisher in the United States. The company currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, style, and format imaginable. Its titles run the gamut of science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime, humor, and are created by the top artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
[Second printing cover art (pictured above on the left and below) by Joshua Hixson and variant cover art (pictured above on the right) by Lee Bermejo.]
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
