Posted in: Comics, Oni Press | Tagged: graphic novel, superfiction

A Ghost Arm Made Of Angry Ghosts: A Superfiction Graphic Novel

A Ghost Arm Made Of Angry Ghosts: A Superfiction Graphic Novel by writer and colourist Oliver Mertz and artist Alex Diotto from Oni Press

A long time ago, I tried to popularise the term "superfiction" to include superhero stories but also any fiction about people with extraordinary supernatural or superscience abilities, living in a world akin to ours and seeing the effects upon it, as subtext became text. Or even super text. It would include the likes of Sherlock Holmes, as well as Superman. I kept using it. It did not catch on. But it seems the best way to categorise A Ghost Arm Made Of Angry Ghosts by writer and colourist Oliver Mertz and artist Alex Diotto, a new original graphic novel from Oni Press described as "a '90s Punk Rock Superhero Murder Mystery Straight from the Nation's Capital". And also"X-Men Meets Minor Threat." Whichever sales pitch works best for you… here's a couple more, slightly longer ones.

A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS
WRITTEN AND COLORED BY OLIVER MERTZ
ART BY ALEX DIOTTO
COVER BY ALEX DIOTTO
LETTERED BY TAYLOR ESPOSITO
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 | $29.99 | 184 PGS. | FC
FOC: 8/10/26

"Teenager Ari Ackerman loves the Washington, D.C. punk scene and is trying very hard to process the perpetual impending death (and frequent resurrections) of his cancer-stricken father. Ari's best friend, Maya Meng, just wants to hang out and go see Jawbox play at the Black Cat. But sadly, an escalating series of unexplained deaths can really ruin a perfectly good day… Charmingly whimsical, darkly funny, and stylistically innovative, A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is sure to evoke all the feelings that come with being an outsider, making sense of the world around you, and finding your place in it."

"Ari Ackerman just witnessed a murder. Or two. Or maybe he didn't. He's not quite sure… From writer and colorist extraordinaire Oliver Mertz (The Monuments, First Law of Mad Science), acclaimed artist Alex Diotto (Youth, Indigo Children) and Oni Press comes A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS: a weird tale of conspiracy, faded superheroics, and suburban angst in ʼ90s Washington, D.C. For readers who like What's the Furthest Place from Here?, Love and Rockets, David Lynch, Daniel Clowes, Seinfeld, Agatha Christie, Powers, Fugazi, and Wes Anderson, A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS will haunt a store near you on September 2, 2026."

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"I grew up in the '90s, going to see bands like Fugazi, Jawbox, and the Monorchid play in cramped venues scattered around the Washington D.C. area," said Oliver Mertz. "When I started writing A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS, I knew I wanted it to be a love letter to that time and place. But as I kept writing, the book got weirder and weirder. And ironically, the stranger it got, the more personal and emotionally honest the story became."

"Since Oliver introduced me to the characters of A GHOST ARM, I immediately felt a strong connection to them," said Alex Diotto. "I found many similarities between Ari, Maya, Sona and myself—namely being an outcast and a long time fan of punk bands—and that connection grew even stronger as we progressed working on the book and the book got even weirder. It's not an everyday thing seeing a bowl of soup talking through its mouth, or a giant head residing in a cabin!"…

• "Bored teenagers, basement punk shows, superpowers, the suburbs, and a really weird murder mystery. A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is like if Daniel Clowes and David Lapham got together and tried to create the X-Men but really didn't care that much if they saved the world or not. And I can't think of a higher compliment I could give." —Matthew Rosenberg (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, What's The Furthest Place From Here?)
• "Attention everyone who misses '90s Vertigo! Here's your new favorite comic book. Taut pacing, seamless dialogue, and style in spades, A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is more potent and peculiar than anything you've ever read." —Shelly Bond (Editor of Fables, Bitter Root, and Geezer. Creator of Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor's (Secret) Handbook)
• "An idiosyncratic, formally interesting, beautifully illustrated Molotov cocktail of a comic. Check it out." —Curt Pires (Indigo Children, Wyrd)
• "A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is a superhero comic unlike any other – grounded and human, perfectly rendered by Diotto and Mertz. The story feels lived-in and real, chucking the pomp of super heroics to show you the grimy drama under the hood. Don't miss it." —Alex Segura (bestselling author of Secret Identity, Star Wars, and Daredevil: Enemy of My Enemy)
• "Punk rock. Washington DC in the '90s and superheroes. A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is a book after my own heart. I loved it." —Steve Niles (Gray Matter, 30 Days of Night)
• "A GHOST ARM MADE OF ANGRY GHOSTS is a fantastically unique comic book experience. Top-notch writing, beautiful art, and skillful storytelling happening here. Highly recommended!" —Jim Mahfood (Tank Girl, The Arachnid Enforcer)

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